ULTRASONIC CLEANING APPARATUS U.S. Patent 6,178,974. Jan. 30, 2001 K. Kobayashi et al., assignors to TDK Corp., Tokyo

A method for cleaning an object comprising immersing in cleaning fluid; vibrating the cleaning fluid; and minutely vibrating the object in two different directions during vibration of the cleaning fluid.

PICKLE TANK COVER WlTH PLENUM CHAMBER U.S. Patent 6,178,976. Jan. 30, 2001 R.K. Lordo, assignor to Danieli Technology Inc., Cranberry Township, Pa.

An improved cover for contain- ment and exhaust of fumes from an acid bath in a pickling line having a pickle tank having a bot- tom wall, end walls, and side walls for containing an acid bath for pickling metal strip; and means for introducing metal strip over one end wall of the tank, passing the metal strip through the acid bath and over an opposite end wall of the tank; said im- proved cover having a plurality of adjoining sections, substantially completely covering the pickle tank and acid bath.

ROTARY ATOMIZING COATING DEVICE U.S. Patent 6,179,217. Jan. 30, 2001 0. Yoshida and H. Matsuda, assignors to ABB KK, Tokyo

A coating method by the use of a rotary atomizing head type coat- ing system.

ABRASIVE ARTICLE U.S. Patent 6,179,887. Jan. 30, 2001 L.L. Barber, Jr., assignor to 3M Innovative Properties Co., St. Paul, Minn.

A method for making an abrasive article comprising supplying an effective amount of abrasive par- ticles to at least a portion of an abrasive article mold, wherein the

abrasive article mold comprises a plurality of bristle segment por- tions; supplying a binder precur- sor matrix to the abrasive article mold, wherein the binder precur- sor matrix comprises at least two interactive components selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane/urea binder and an epoxy binder; and allowing the binder precursor matrix to cure within the abrasive article mold such that the abrasive particles are secured within a binder formed from the binder precursor matrix.

AQUEOUS PHOSPHATING COMPOSITION U.S. Patent 6,179,934. Jan. 30, 2001 M. Kawakami et al., assignors to Henkel Corp., Gulph Mills, Pa.

A liquid composition suitable for forming a zinc phosphate conver- sion coating on a metal surface by contact and reaction therewith comprising water and 5 to 50 g/L of phosphate ions; 0.2 to 10 g/L of zinc ions; a hydroxylamine source in a quantity that provides a con- centration of 0.5 to 4.0 g/L stoichi- ometric equivalent as hydroxyl- amine; and either 0.01 to 5.0 g/L in total of at least one substance selected from the group consisting of polycarboxylic acids, salts thereof, and starch phosphate; or 2.0 g/L of zinc.

APPARATUS FOR ETCHING PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD U.S. Patent 6,179,954. Jan. 30, 2001 E. Kawana and K. Zshida, assignors to Fujitsu Limited, Kawasaki, Japan

An apparatus for etching a printed circuit board comprising transporting means for horizon- tally transporting a printed cir- cuit board so that the height is

kept at a transport position; a plu- rality of upper spray nozzles for injecting an etchant to a top sur- face; a plurality of lower spray nozzles for injecting an etchant to

a bottom surface; a plurality of ejecting passages for ejecting the etchant, injected to the top sur- face of the printed circuit board by the upper spray nozzles, away from the printed circuit board in transverse directions perpendicu- lar to the transporting direction of the printed circuit board, wherein the ejecting passages are ar- ranged at portions of the trans- port means in which no pressure rollers are provided at locations corresponding to the ejecting pas- sages.

SPUlTERlNG APPARATUS U.S. Patent 6,179,974. Jan. 30, 2001 K.E. Buchanan, assignor to Trikon Holdings Ltd., Newport Gwent, U.K.

A method of sputtering from at least one target to a negatively biased workpiece on a support, the at least one target and sup- port being disposed in a vacuum chamber containing a plasma and having a RF coil for enhancing the ionization of sputtered material.

SPUTTERING MONITOR U.S. Patent 6,179,975. Jan. 30, 2001 C.A. Dark, assignor to National Semiconductor Corp., Santa Clara, Calif:

A method of monitoring targeV component consumption for dual use titanium/titanium nitride sputtering.

PLATING APPARATUS U.S. Patent 6,179,983. Jan. 30, 2001 J.D. Reid and S. Taatjes, assignors to Novellus Systems Inc., San Jose, Calif:

An apparatus for treating the sur- face of a substrate comprising a clamshell for holding said sub- strate; a plating bath having a wall section; a virtual anode hav- ing a periphery secured to the wall section, and an anode located between the clamshell and anode.

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