Patent ID: 8900399

Claim:
An anodic etching system for simultaneously etching a multiplicity of substrates, comprising: an etching tank for containing therein an etchant solution; a power supply connected between a first electrode and a second electrode, said first electrode and said second electrode being immersible in said etchant solution and positioned at opposite ends of said tank; and a plurality of support plates serially arranged between said first electrode and said second electrode and sealed to walls of said tank, wherein each of said plurality of support plates is configured to support at least one of said multiplicity of substrates, and wherein any consecutive pair of said plurality of support plates defines an isolated volume of said tank for containing a portion of said etchant solution; wherein at least two substrates having coplanar surface planes are attached to the surface of one of said plurality of support plates, said coplanar surface planes being parallel to the surface of said one of said plurality of support plates and said at least two substrates being separated by a gap, said surface of said one of said plurality of support plates being exposed by said gap.