Electroplating Apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus and method for simultaneously electroplating at least two parts in a series electrical configuration in an electroplating system using a shared electrolyte with excellent consistency in thickness profiles, coating weights and coating microstructure. Parts in high volume and at low capital and operating cost are produced as coatings or in free-standing form.

1 . An apparatus for simultaneously electrodepositing a metallic material on at least two substrates, said apparatus comprising:
 an electrolyte well having at least one compartment comprising at least two ionically intercommunicating adjacent plating cells filled with an electrolyte solution containing ions of the metallic material to be deposited; and   an electrical power source configured to supply electrical power in series from a single source to the at least two substrates and their respective anodes,   wherein the at least two ionically intercommunicating adjacent plating cells are configured in a way such that at least two substrates are separately immersed in each of the at least two ionically intercommunicating adjacent plating cells so that a negative charge can be supplied simultaneously from the electrical power source in series to provide equal current flow to each of said at least two substrates to deposit an electrodeposited metallic material layer.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus for simultaneously electrodepositing a metallic material onto the surface of at least four substrates in a series electrical connection, said apparatus comprising:
 an electrolyte well having at least one compartment comprising at least four ionically intercommunicating adjacent plating cells filled with an electrolyte solution containing ions of the metallic material to be deposited; and   at least two electrical power sources,   wherein the at least four ionically intercommunicating adjacent plating cells are configured in a way such that at least four substrates are separately immersed in each of the at least four ionically intercommunicating adjacent plating cells,   wherein the at least two electrical power sources are configured in a way such that said a first electrical power source is configured to supply electrical power in series to at least two of the at least four substrates and their respective anodes when immersed in said ionically intercommunicating adjacent plating cells and a second electrical power source of the at least two electrical power sources is configured in a way such that the second electrical power source simultaneously supplies electrical power to at least two other substrates and their respective anodes, and   wherein the at least two electrical power sources are synchronized to supply a negative charge to each of the at least four substrates to provide equal current flow to each of the at least four substrates for electrodepositing a metallic material layer.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least two of the at least four substrates connected in series immersed in the ionically intercommunicating plating cells connected to the first electrical power source are not adjacent to each other. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte solution containing ions of the metallic material to be deposited comprises a metal or an alloy of one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Cu, Co, Cr, Mo, Ni, Sn, Fe, Pd, Pb, Pt, Rh, Ru, and Zn and optionally one or more elements selected from the group consisting of B, P, C, S and W. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte solution containing ions of the metallic material to be deposited comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of:
 (a) one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Cu, Co, Cr, Mo, Ni, Sn, Fe, Pd, Pb, Pt, Rh, Ru, and Zn,   (b) at least one element selected from the group consisting of C, O and S; and   (c) optionally at least one or more elements selected from the group consisting of B, P, and W.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least two substrates are selected from the group consisting of an orthopedic prosthesis, gun barrel, mold, sporting good, cell phone and automotive component. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least two substrates are gun barrels. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least two ionically intercommunicating adjacent plating cells are configured in a way such that the ionically intercommunicating adjacent plating cells can control electrodepositing parameters comprising average current density ranging from 5 to 10,000 mA/cm 2 , forward pulse on time ranging from 0.1 to 10,000 ms, pulse off time ranging from 0 to 10,000 ms, reverse pulse on time ranging from 0 to 500 ms, peak forward current density ranging from 5 to 10,000 mA/cm 2 , peak reverse current density ranging from to 20,000 mA/cm 2 , frequency ranging from 0 to 1,000 Hz, a duty cycle ranging from 5 to 100%, and electrolyte temperature ranging from 0 to 100° C. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least two ionically intercommunicating adjacent plating cells are configured in a way such that the at least two substrates are rotated having a rotation speed ranging from 0 to 1,500 RPM against its stationary anode while a negative charge is supplied to each said substrate. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least two ionically intercommunicating adjacent plating cells are configured in a way such that the intercommunicating adjacent plating cells agitate said electrolyte solution with an electrolyte agitation rate ranging from 1 to 6,000 ml per min and per cm 2  electrode area, wherein said electrolyte in each of said plating cells is aqueous, has a pH ranging from 0 to 12, and a particulate content ranging from 0 to 70% by volume. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a cathode tooling assembly, wherein the cathode tooling assembly is configured in a way such that the cathode tooling assembly enables the mounting and removing of the at least two substrates to be simultaneously plated, and the apparatus is configured in a way such that the apparatus enables the lowering of the cathode tooling assembly into the at least two ionically intercommunicating adjacent plating cells for simultaneous electrodeposition. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said power sources is configured in a way such that the power sources have a plating schedule having a multi-step schedule to modulate grain size of electrodeposited metallic material layers. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a ratio between the total number of power supplies and the total number of substrates is <1. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a central control module on the at least two power sources, wherein the central control module is configured in a way such that the central control module imprints synchronized plating schedules for the synchronization of the at least two power sources. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus for simultaneously electrodepositing a metallic material using DC or pulse electrodeposition, said apparatus comprising:
 a central electrolyte well filled with an electrolyte solution containing ions of the metallic material to be deposited;   at least two ionically intercommunicating plating cells electrically connected in series;   an electrolyte circulation loop for supplying said electrolyte solution from the well to each plating cell and for returning said electrolyte solution to said central electrolyte well,   each plating cell comprising (i) at least one anode, (ii) a cathode capable of receiving and holding one of a temporary or permanent substrate to be plated optionally positioned in relation to a thieving electrode, and (iii) means for minimizing voltage differences and shunt currents between plating cells selected from the group consisting of divider plates, synchronized power supplies and tortuous electrolyte pathways between cells, and   at least one power source electrically connected to at least two plating cells in series.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one power source is connected in series to effect uniform current flow. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising at least a second set of at least two ionically intercommunicating plating cells electrically connected in series. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the at least two of the at least four substrates connected in series immersed in the ionically intercommunicating plating cells connected to the first electrical power source are not adjacent to each other.