Granted in the Metal Finishing Field Printed copies of patents are furnished by the Patent and Trademarks Office for $3.00 each. Address orders to: Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, Washington, D.C. 20231

NICKEL-IRON ALLOY prising a dispersion of a polymer ELECTROPLATING BATH in a medium comprising a nonpo- l%S. Patent 6,344,128. Feb. 52002 lar hydrocarbon and an alkyd E. Toledo et al., Newton, Mass. resin, wherein the polymer is pro- An aqueous bath for electroplat- duced by a free-radical addition ing nickel-iron alloy comprising polymerization reaction of a 260 to 280 g/L of nickel chloride; group of monomers comprising at 10 to 15 g/L of ferrous ammonium least one polar monomer and at sulfate; 0.8 to 1.9 glL of acid sac- least one amine-functional charin; and 0.4 to 1.9 g/L of naph- monomer, which takes place in thalene trisulfonic acid. the presence of the alkyd resin.

METHOD FOR PLATING COPPER CONDUCTORS

CONVEVING SYSTEM

l%S. Patent 6,344,129. Feb. 5,2002

K. I? Rodbell et al., assignors to

International Business Machines

Corp., Armonk, N.Y

A method for plating copper con- ductors on an electronic substrate comprising providing a copper electroplating solution; adding an additive to a concentration of not more than 5 ml/L; maintaining at a temperature not higher than 18°C; and electroplating.

SOL-GEL CATALYST FOR ELECTROLESS PLATING US. Patent 6,344,242. Feb. 5,2002

R. D. Stolk and M. R. Rahe, assig-

nors to McDonnell Douglas Corp., St.

Louis

A composition for forming a sol- gel catalyst for electroless plating comprising a metal alkoxide mixed with a polar organic sol- vent; an acid in an amount 1 to 30% by weight; a chloride salt or an acid chloride; and a catalytic metallic salt.

AUTOMOTlVE COATING US. Patent 6,344,502. Feb. 5,2002

J R. Babjak et al., assignors to The

Sherwin-Williams Co., Cleveland

A nonaqueous dispersion com-

US. Patent 6,345,635. Feb. 12,2002

K. W Lachman et al., assignors to

Eisenmann Corp., Crystal Lake, Ill.

A conveyor apparatus for the simultaneous and discontinuous movement of a plurality of work- pieces to and between a plurality of treatment stations including an elongated and stationary structural frame having an entrance end and an exit end; a plurality of treatment stations positioned along the length of the frame and in spaced relation thereto; a travel mechanism car- ried on the frame and moveable relative to the frame between adjacent treatment stations; a hoist mechanism carried on the travel mechanism and having retractable and extendable mem- bers; and an elongated beam, which extends along the frame and is connected to the hoist mechanism by the retractable and extendable members and is constructed for movement between a lower position and an upper position and to releasably support each of a plurality of workpieces.

APPARATUS FOR ELECTROLESS PLATING A CONTACT PAD

US. Patent 6,346,151. Feb. 12,2002

T Jiang and L. Li, assignors to

Micron Technology Inc., Boise, Idaho

An apparatus for sequential in situ cleaning and formation of a conductive passivation layer on a conductive element in an inte- grated circuit.

ELECTROLYTE FOR ANODIZING VALVE METALS US. Patent 6,346,185. Feb. 12,2002

J T Kinard et al., assignors to Kemet

Electronics Corp., Greenville, S.C.

A method of anodizing a valve metal substrate comprising immersing the substrate in a borate polyester electrolyte solu- tion and applying sufficient anodizing voltage to the solution, wherein the borate polyester elec- trolyte solution is formed by com- bining 2-methyl-1.3-propane diol and boric acid and heating to a temperature of 130 to 160°C.

ALKALINE STRIP PASSIVATION US. Patent 6,346,295. Feb. 12,2002

J Rieson and H. Krautbauer,

Germany, assignors to Henkel KG,

Duesseldorf; Germany

A process for the alkaline passi- vation of a metal surface selected from the group consisting of gal- vanized steel, alloy-galvanized steel, and aluminum comprising forming an alkaline aqueous solution comprising 0.1 to 1 g/L of magnesium; 0.1 to 1 g/L of iron (III); and 0.5 to 5 g/L amino or hydrocarboxylate; 0.001 to 10 g/L of a member selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, oligomers com- prising acrylic acid residues, oligomers comprising methacrylic residues, and mix-

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