JP2007002270A - Electrochemical print head - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact print head for freely and easily printing a pattern, characters and a photographic image, using an electroplating method or an electrolytic etching method, which is an electrochemical technique. <P>SOLUTION: The electrochemical print head comprises: a tank 11 which is filled with an etching solution 12 and has a micro-hole opened in the bottom face; and a switch interconnection 18 for selectively applying a voltage to an in-vessel electrode 13 placed in the tank so as to have a negative or zero potential with respect to a contacting electrode 14 arranged outside the tank 11. A pattern is formed on a metallic medium by moving the print head while closely contacting the micro-hole with the metallic medium. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrochemical print head that freely forms images such as characters, diagrams, photographs, and various patterns on various media coated with metal products and metal thin films. The present invention also relates to an electrochemical print head that can be applied to leak correction and disconnection correction of various pattern wirings formed on electronic devices and circuit boards.

  Conventionally, there are an electroetching method and an electroplating method using an electrochemical method. In these methods, a cathode electrode (positive voltage) and an anode electrode (zero voltage) are placed in an etching solution or a plating solution. When etching the conductive medium to be etched, the conductive medium to be etched is connected to the cathode electrode so that the etching is performed faster than usual. Further, when plating a conductor to be plated, the conductor to be plated is connected to the anode electrode so that the plating is performed more quickly than usual.

For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-104997, a plurality of cathode electrodes and anode electrodes are arranged in a plating tank, and the electrodes are meshed to form a pattern conductive pattern of a double-sided flexible substrate in the plating tank. A technique is disclosed in which the current density in the bath is leveled and uniformly plated when nickel plating is applied to the part.
JP-A-9-104997

  However, in the conventional electroplating method and electroetching method using the electrochemical method, the cathode electrode, the anode electrode, and the portion to be plated are all contained in the plating tank, and the apparatus tends to be large. In addition, since the already formed pattern conductive portion is plated, it is difficult to easily form a free plating pattern.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a compact print head capable of easily printing patterns, characters, photographic images and the like freely in an electroplating method and an electroetching method using an electrochemical method. The purpose is that. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrochemical print head that can easily perform leak correction and disconnection correction of various pattern wirings formed on electronic devices and circuit boards.

  The electrochemical print head of the present invention includes a container for storing an etching solution or a plating solution, an inner electrode for applying a voltage to the etching solution or the plating solution in the container, and an outer electrode in the container. And a micro hole for projecting the etching solution or the plating solution is formed in the lower part of the container.

  The etching solution is stored in the container, and the potential of the voltage applied to the inner electrode of the container is either negative or zero with respect to the potential of the voltage applied to the outer electrode of the container. It has the switch which switches the voltage applied to.

  The plating solution is stored in the container, and the potential of the voltage applied to the inner electrode of the container is either positive or zero with respect to the potential of the voltage applied to the outer electrode of the container. It has the switch which switches the voltage applied to.

  The metal medium and the outer electrode of the container are brought into contact with each other, and the pattern is formed on the metal medium by moving the metal medium while making the minute holes substantially in close contact with the metal medium.

  The metal medium is a conductive medium in which a light shielding metal medium is laminated on a transparent conductor.

  With the configuration described above, the electrochemical head of the present invention can freely apply various patterns such as characters, pictures, images, etc. to crafts such as metal products, art objects, glass substrates, plastic substrates, plastic sheets, etc. to which a transparent conductive film is attached. It became possible to draw easily. In addition, it has become possible to repair fine shapes, such as correcting leakage of metal wiring patterns formed on electronic devices and circuit boards, and correcting disconnection.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. Hereinafter, an electrochemical print head using an electrochemical etching method will be described in Examples and described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  The structure of the electrochemical print head of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, a tank 11 serving as a container is filled with an etching solution 12 that is an aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, and a 0.5 mm diameter micro-hole is formed in the lower part of the container that is in contact with the metal medium to be plated. ing. An in-container electrode 13 made of copper metal is disposed in the tank 11. Further, outside the tank 11, a contact electrode 14 of a container outer electrode fixed in the vicinity of the tank 11 is disposed. The contact electrode 14 is a metal in which a transparent conductor ITO film 16 having a thickness of 0.2 μm formed on a glass substrate 17 and a light-shielding chromium film 15 having a thickness of 0.12 microns, which is a light-shielding metal medium, are laminated. Arranged in contact with the medium. In this embodiment, the ITO film 16 and the light shielding chromium film 15 are formed on one surface of the glass substrate 17. The minute holes in the lower surface of the tank 11 can be relatively moved while being in close contact with the light-shielding chromium film 15 which is a metal medium.

  A switch wiring 18 is disposed on the in-container electrode 13 as a switch for switching the voltage so as to select and apply a voltage of 20 volts and zero volts. A voltage of 20 volts is applied to the outer electrode. When the inner electrode 13 is set to zero volts (no voltage applied state), 20 volts is applied to the outer electrode, so that the voltage applied to the outer electrode is applied to the inner electrode. The voltage potential is negative. In addition, when 20 volts is applied to the inner electrode 13, since 20 volts is applied to the outer electrode, the difference between the potential of the voltage applied to the outer electrode and the potential of the voltage applied to the inner electrode is different. Disappears, that is, it becomes zero.

  When the voltage applied to the electrode in the container is zero, the etching solution 12 oozing out from the minute hole instantaneously etches the chromium film on the light-shielding chromium film 15 and the chromium film is removed. Further, when a voltage of 20 volts is applied to the inner electrode 13, the potential difference between the outer electrode and the inner electrode disappears, and the etching proceeds slowly. Since the amount of the etchant that has oozed out from the minute holes is extremely small, it dries quickly and does not remain on the metal medium.

  In this manner, the tank 11 is moved relative to the light-shielding chromium film 15 in the front-rear and left-right directions, and at the same time, the chromium film on the light-shielding chromium film is selectively etched and deleted by switching the voltage of the electrode in the container with the switch. It was possible to draw a transparent pattern of characters and diagrams on a black background as quickly and simply as if writing with a writing instrument.

Here, the switch wiring is provided on the inner electrode of the container, but if the potential of the voltage applied to the inner electrode of the container is controlled to be negative or zero with respect to the potential of the voltage applied to the outer electrode of the container. For example, a switch wiring may be provided on the outer electrode of the container.

  The structure of the electrochemical print head of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 2, a tank 21 as a container is filled with a plating solution 22 using an aqueous copper sulfate solution. In addition, the arrangement of the minute holes on the lower surface of the container, the inner electrode 23 made of copper metal in the tank 21 and the contact electrode 24 of the outer electrode is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  The contact electrode 24 is disposed in contact with a metal medium of an ITO film 26 having a thickness of 0.2 μm, which is a transparent conductor formed on the glass substrate 27. In this example. This ITO film 26 is formed on one surface of the glass substrate 27. The minute holes on the lower surface of the tank 21 can be relatively moved while being in close contact with the ITO film 26 which is a metal medium.

  A switch wiring 18 is disposed on the in-container electrode 23 as a switch for switching the voltage so as to select and apply a voltage of 20 volts and zero volts. The outer electrode is set to zero volts (no voltage applied). When 20 volts is applied to the in-container electrode 23, the external electrode of the container is set to zero volt. Therefore, the potential of the voltage applied to the in-container electrode becomes positive with respect to the potential of the voltage applied to the external electrode. Further, if the internal electrode 23 is set to zero volts, since the zero external voltage is also applied to the outer electrode, there is a difference between the potential applied to the outer electrode and the potential applied to the inner electrode. It disappears, that is, it becomes zero.

  When the voltage applied to the electrode in the container is 20 volts, the plating solution 22 that oozes out from the minute hole becomes a plating film 25 formed of metallic copper, and is formed on the ITO film 26 at a high speed. Further, when no voltage is applied to the in-container electrode, the ITO film 26 is hardly plated. If the inner electrode 23 is zero volts, the potential difference between the outer electrode and the inner electrode disappears, and the plating proceeds slowly. Since the plating solution that has oozed out from the minute holes is extremely small, it dries quickly and does not remain on the metal medium.

  As described above, the tank 21 is relatively moved back and forth and right and left on the ITO film 26, and at the same time, the voltage of the in-container electrode is switched by the switch, so that the plating film 25 is selectively added on the transparent ITO film 26 and transparent. It was possible to easily draw characters and diagrams of a pattern shielded by a copper-colored film on the ground at a relatively high speed.

  Here, the switch wiring is provided on the inner electrode of the container. However, if the potential of the voltage applied to the inner electrode of the container is controlled to be positive or zero with respect to the potential of the voltage applied to the outer electrode of the container. For example, a switch wiring may be provided on the outer electrode of the container.

  Another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 3, an ITO pattern 36 which is a metal medium is formed on a glass substrate. An ITO leak portion 35 is generated in the ITO pattern 36. Therefore, a tank 31 serving as a container is filled with an etching solution 32 that is an aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, and a microhole having a diameter of 0.5 mm is formed in the lower part of the container that is in contact with the ITO pattern 36. In the tank 31, an in-container electrode 33 made of copper metal is disposed, and a switch wiring 37 capable of selectively applying a voltage of −20 volts or zero volt to the in-container electrode 33 is provided in the in-container electrode. 33 is connected. Further, outside the tank 31, a contact electrode 34, which is fixed in the vicinity of the tank 31 and to which a voltage of zero volts is applied, is disposed.

In this way, the potential of the voltage applied to the in-container electrode 33 can be selected to be either negative or zero with respect to the potential of the voltage applied to the contact electrode 34. When a voltage of 20 volts is selectively applied, the etching solution 32 that oozes out from the minute holes on the lower surface of the tank 31 instantaneously etches the ITO film of the ITO leak portion 35. Further, if no voltage is applied to the ITO leak portion, the etching proceeds slowly. Since the amount of the etchant that has oozed out from the minute holes is extremely small, it dries quickly and does not remain on the metal medium. By relatively moving the tank 31 back and forth and right and left on the ITO leak portion 35, the ITO film of the ITO leak portion 35 is deleted, and the ITO pattern can be restored.

  Another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, electrode pattern lines 46 formed of a metal film are arranged on the substrate. The electrode pattern line 46 has a broken portion 45. Therefore, the tank 41, which is a container having a small hole with a diameter of 0.5 mm on the lower surface, is filled with a plating solution 42 using an aqueous copper sulfate solution, and the tank 41 has an in-container electrode made of copper metal. 43, and a switch wiring 47 capable of selectively applying a voltage of 20 volts or zero volts is disposed. Further, a contact electrode 44 of an outer electrode to which a voltage of zero volts is applied, which is fixed close to the outside of the tank 41, is disposed.

  As described above, the potential of the voltage applied to the in-container electrode 43 can be selected to be either positive or zero with respect to the potential of the voltage applied to the contact electrode 44. When a positive voltage of 20 volts is applied to the inner electrode 43 and a zero voltage is applied to the contact electrode 44 of the outer electrode, the plating solution 42 oozes out from the lower surface of the tank 41, and the inside of the container with respect to the electrode pattern line 46. Since the potential of the voltage of the electrode 43 becomes positive, the plating film is formed at a high speed on the disconnection portion 45. Further, when no voltage is applied to the in-container electrode 43, plating is hardly performed at the disconnected portion. While applying positive 20 volts to the in-container electrode 43, the tank 41 is relatively moved back and forth at the disconnection portion 45, whereby a plating film is selectively added on the disconnection portion 45, and the disconnection of the electrode pattern line 46 is repaired. It was.

  In this example, a pen-shaped container was used to form a pattern such as characters and charts. However, if a wide container having micro holes in a line shape is adopted, pattern formation for each line is performed. When printing a large screen, it is advantageous in that the printing time can be shortened.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the electrochemical print head of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the electrochemical print head of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the electrochemical print head of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the electrochemical print head of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Tank 12 Etching liquid 13 Electrode 14 Contact electrode 15 Light-shielding chromium film 16 ITO film 17 Glass substrate 21 Tank 22 Plating liquid 23 Electrode 24 Contact electrode 25 Plating film 26 ITO film 27 Glass substrate

Claims (6)

  A container for storing an etching solution or a plating solution; an inner electrode for applying a voltage to the etching solution or the plating solution; and an outer electrode outside the container; An electrochemical print head having a micro hole for projecting the etching solution or the plating solution at a lower portion of the plate.   Etching solution is stored in the container, and the inner electrode of the container is such that the potential of the voltage applied to the inner electrode of the container is either negative or zero with respect to the potential of the voltage applied to the outer electrode of the container. The electrochemical print head according to claim 1, further comprising a switch for switching a voltage applied to the outer electrode.   The inner electrode of the container stores the plating solution in the container, and the potential of the voltage applied to the inner electrode of the container is either positive or zero with respect to the potential of the voltage applied to the outer electrode of the container. The electrochemical print head according to claim 1, further comprising a switch for switching a voltage applied to the outer electrode.   2. The electricity according to claim 1, wherein a pattern is formed on the metal medium by bringing the metal medium into contact with the outer electrode of the container and further moving the minute hole in close contact with the metal medium. Chemical print head.   The electrochemical print head according to claim 4, wherein the metal medium is a transparent conductor. The electrochemical print head according to claim 4, wherein the metal medium is a conductive medium in which a light-shielding metal medium is laminated on a transparent conductor.

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