Patent ID: 7323097

Claim:
An electroplating method comprising steps of: (a) providing a plating apparatus having a plating vessel, a plating solution located in the plating vessel and containing both tin and bismuth, at least one metallic case having a first storage compartment, a second storage compartment neighboring the first storage compartment, a shielding plate disposed between the first storage compartment and the second storage compartment, a first opening for supplying a solid tin metal to the first storage compartment formed at a top of the first storage compartment of the metallic case, and a second opening for supplying a solid bismuth metal to the second storage compartment formed at a top of the second storage compartment of the metallic case, the metallic case being located in the plating solution further and connecting to an anode of a power supply; (b) disposing the solid tin metal in the first storage compartment through the first opening, and disposing the solid bismuth metal in the second storage compartment through the second opening; (c) connecting a body to a cathode of the power supply, and disposing the body in the plating solution; and (d) after the step (c), forming a tin-bismuth alloy layer over the body by activating the plating apparatus and conducting electrolysis between the anode and the cathode.