JP2009270167A - Plating apparatus and plating method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a plating apparatus which can form a metal film with a uniform film thickness by a series of operations on the surface of a substrate such as a rectangular flat-shaped glass substrate having a large surface area while preventing the substrate from being damaged, can be placed in a narrow space and shows high throughput, and to provide a plating method. <P>SOLUTION: The plating apparatus has a substrate-transporting unit 14c which transports the substrate W in a horizontal state of directing its face to be plated upward, and a plating unit 26a which is arranged adjacent to the substrate-transporting unit 14c. The plating unit 26a includes: a plating tank 40 for storing a plating solution Q therein; a vertically-movable holding base 42 which is arranged above the plating tank 40, holds the substrate W horizontally in a state of directing its face to be plated upward, and is immersed in the plating solution Q in the plating tank 40 together with the substrate W; a substrate transfer mechanism 50 which receives the substrate W from the substrate-transporting unit 14c and transfers the substrate to the predetermined location on the holding base 42; and fluid-film forming parts 42b and 64 which supply the fluid onto the surface of the holding base 42 when transferring the substrate and form the fluid film thereon. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is a rectangular flat plate having a large surface area, for example, a surface of a glass substrate used for a thin TV screen (display panel), and a metal film such as copper is formed on the entire surface with a uniform film thickness. The present invention relates to a plating apparatus and a plating method used for film formation.

  For example, as a plating apparatus for plating a metal film on the surface of a rectangular flat glass substrate by electrolytic plating or electroless plating, a plurality of glass substrates are placed in a basket and the surface of the glass substrate is washed together with the basket in a washing tank. Thereafter, it is generally known that a glass substrate is immersed in a plating solution in a plating tank together with a basket to form a metal film on the surface of the glass substrate.

  The applicant has proposed, as Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-167171, a plating apparatus and a plating method for performing plating using a substrate holder that holds a glass substrate between the end faces of the glass substrate and holds the glass substrate vertically. This plating apparatus and method enables sequence-controlled automatic plating on a glass substrate.

  In addition, the rectangular flat substrate is held between the substrate holders, and the substrate held by the substrate holder is immersed in the plating solution with the surface to be plated vertical, and is disposed at a position facing the surface to be plated of the substrate. An electroplating apparatus is generally known in which a voltage is applied between an anode and a surface to be plated (cathode) of a substrate to form a metal film (plating film) on the surface to be plated. Furthermore, a plating apparatus that performs plating while transporting a glass substrate with a transport roller is also known.

  In recent years, for example, in the manufacturing process of a screen for a flat-screen television (display panel), a process of plating a metal film on the surface of the glass substrate is used. In addition, it is required to continuously form a metal film having a uniform thickness by a series of operations. The size of such a glass substrate is increasing year by year. However, there are the following problems in forming a metal film on the surface of a rectangular flat glass substrate having a large area as described above by a conventional method.

(1) When the glass substrate is held by the substrate holder across the edge of the glass substrate, it is necessary to prepare a substrate holder in consideration of the bending of the glass substrate, and high assembly accuracy with respect to the substrate holder is required, As a result, the plated product is expensive.
(2) If the front and back of the glass substrate are reversed or the horizontal posture is changed to the vertical posture, a large posture changing mechanism is required, and the device itself becomes large.

  (3) If the glass substrate is held vertically and lowered and immersed in the plating solution in the plating tank, if the glass substrate is rapidly lowered, the glass substrate may break due to the resistance of the plating solution. The glass substrate cannot be lowered rapidly. In addition, since the distance to which the glass substrate is lowered in order to immerse the substrate in the plating solution also becomes long, it takes a long time to lower the glass substrate, leading to a decrease in the throughput. In addition, the substrate may be dried while the substrate is pulled up from the processing solution during plating pretreatment.

  In general, a substrate to be processed such as a glass substrate is loaded into the apparatus with the surface to be processed (surface to be plated) facing upward, so that the inside of the apparatus remains in the same position, that is, with the surface to be processed facing upward. If it can be conveyed and processed, the apparatus can be miniaturized without providing a complicated posture changing mechanism.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. A metal film having a uniform film thickness is formed on a substrate surface (surface to be plated) such as a rectangular flat glass substrate having a large surface area while preventing damage to the substrate. It is an object of the present invention to provide a plating apparatus and a plating method that can be formed in a series of operations and can be installed in a narrow space while improving throughput.

  The invention according to claim 1 includes a substrate transport unit that transports a substrate in a horizontal state with a surface to be plated facing upward, and a plating unit that is disposed adjacent to the substrate transport unit, and the plating unit includes: A plating tank for holding a plating solution, and a plate that is disposed above the plating tank, is held vertically with the surface to be plated facing upward, and is immersed in the plating solution in the plating tank together with the substrate so as to be movable up and down. A holding base, a substrate transfer mechanism that receives a substrate from the substrate transfer unit and transfers the substrate to a predetermined position on the holding base, and a fluid that forms a fluid film by supplying a fluid to the surface of the holding base when the substrate is transferred A plating apparatus having a film forming section.

  As a result, a fluid such as a liquid is supplied to the surface of the holding base to form a fluid film (liquid film), and the substrate is slid over the fluid film (liquid film) at a predetermined position on the holding base. Can be transferred and held on a holding base. This prevents the substrate from being damaged by pinching the end face of the substrate with a strong force or adsorbing a part of the substrate to apply an excessive force to the substrate or applying a strong frictional force to the substrate. However, the substrate can be smoothly moved to a predetermined position in the plating unit and held by the holding base. In addition, the apparatus can be reduced in size and throughput can be improved by moving the substrate horizontally and carrying out the plating process on the substrate while moving the substrate horizontally with the surface to be plated facing upward.

  It is also possible to provide a roller on the holding base so that the substrate can move smoothly on the holding base as the roller rotates. However, if there are protrusions like a roller on the holding base, When the substrate is held by the holding base, local stress is applied to the substrate. Further, even if a mechanism for retracting the roller into the holding base as necessary is provided, such a complicated structure is not preferable as the holding base that is immersed in the plating solution together with the substrate. In particular, when the sliding part is in the plating solution, precipitates such as copper, which is a component of the plating solution, are generated. It becomes difficult.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the plating unit is an electrolytic plating unit that uses an electrolytic plating solution as a plating solution. A process unit is provided, which includes a cathode contact that contacts a surface to be plated and an anode disposed above the substrate in parallel with the substrate and moves up and down integrally with the holding base. Item 2. The plating apparatus according to Item 1.

  In this way, the cathode contact that is lowered relative to the holding base and contacts the surface to be plated and the anode that is disposed above the substrate and parallel to the substrate are disposed in the process unit. Is lowered with respect to the holding base, the process unit and the holding base are lowered integrally, and the substrate held by the holding base and the anode in the process unit are placed in the plating solution (electrolytic plating solution) in the plating tank. By soaking, electrolytic plating becomes possible.

A third aspect of the present invention is the plating apparatus according to the second aspect, wherein the cathode contact of the process unit has its own weight as a contact pressure.
The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the process unit is provided with a spring that is located above the plating tank that does not come into contact with the plating solution and that keeps the contact pressure of the cathode contact constant. The plating apparatus according to claim 2.

The invention according to claim 5 is the plating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the contact pressure of the cathode contact of the process unit can be changed.
The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the process unit is provided with a shielding plate positioned between the cathode contact and the anode and perpendicular to the anode or the surface to be plated. A plating apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

The invention according to claim 7 is the plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plating unit is an electroless plating unit using an electroless plating solution as a plating solution.
In this case, plating (electroless plating) can be performed on the surface to be plated of the substrate simply by immersing the holding base holding the substrate in a predetermined position together with the substrate in a plating solution (electroless plating solution).

The invention according to claim 8 is the plating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the holding base is tiltable with respect to a horizontal plane.
In this way, the holding base is tiltable with respect to the horizontal plane, and the holding base is immersed in the plating solution together with the substrate while being tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane, thereby reducing the liquid resistance generated during the immersion. can do.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the substrate transfer mechanism includes a pair of conveyor units that are movable in directions close to each other, and each conveyor unit rotates while contacting the end face of the substrate when close to each other. The plating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a roller.
Thereby, a board | substrate can be reliably conveyed via the several roller rotated while contacting the end surface of a board | substrate.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate delivery mechanism for delivering a substrate between the substrate conveyance unit and the plating unit between the substrate conveyance unit and the plating unit. The plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plating apparatus is characterized in that
Accordingly, when the substrate cannot be directly transferred from the substrate transfer unit to the plating unit, the substrate can be transferred from the substrate transfer unit to the plating unit by passing through the substrate transfer mechanism.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, the fluid film forming section includes a fluid supply groove formed on a surface of the holding base and a fluid supply line communicating with the fluid supply groove. The plating apparatus according to any one of the above.
A liquid is preferably used as the fluid, but a gas or a gas-liquid mixture in which a liquid and a gas are mixed may be used.

The invention according to claim 12 is the plating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the holding base holds the substrate by vacuum suction.
A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the plating apparatus according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein the holding base has flexibility.
The holding base is made of a resin such as a vinyl chloride resin, a fluorine resin, or a polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin.

  According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pretreatment unit for performing pre-plating treatment on a surface to be plated of a substrate held horizontally on a holding base, and plating of a substrate after pre-plating treatment held horizontally on the holding base. A plating unit that performs plating on the surface, and a substrate transfer unit that transfers the substrate while maintaining the level and transfers one of the pretreatment unit and one of the holding base substrates of the plating unit, between the substrate and the holding base In the plating apparatus, the substrate is transferred from the substrate transport unit to at least one of the pretreatment unit and the plating unit in a state where a fluid film is formed on the substrate.

  According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, the substrate is transferred to a predetermined position on the upper surface of the holding base in a state where the substrate is kept horizontal and a fluid film is formed on the upper surface of the holding base, and the holding base is lowered to lower the holding base. Is immersed in the electrolytic plating solution together with the substrate, and the cathode contact and the anode are simultaneously lowered to bring the cathode contact into contact with the surface to be plated, and the anode is immersed in the electrolytic plating solution, and between the cathode and the anode. A plating method is characterized in that a voltage is applied to perform electrolytic plating on a surface to be plated of a substrate.

  According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the substrate is moved to a predetermined position on the upper surface of the holding base while the substrate is kept horizontal and a fluid film is formed on the upper surface of the holding base, and the holding base is lowered to lower the holding base. It is a plating method characterized by immersing in an electroless plating solution together with a substrate to perform electroless plating on a surface to be plated of the substrate.

  According to the present invention, a metal film having a uniform film thickness is formed on a substrate surface (surface to be plated) such as a rectangular flat glass substrate having a large surface area by a series of operations while preventing damage to the substrate. be able to. In addition, the apparatus can be reduced in size and throughput can be improved by moving the substrate horizontally and carrying out the plating process on the substrate while moving the substrate horizontally with the surface to be plated facing upward.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following example, a metal film is formed on the surface of a rectangular flat glass substrate by plating.

  FIG. 1 is a layout view showing the overall configuration of a plating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, this plating apparatus receives, for example, a glass substrate from a glass substrate transfer device installed in a display manufacturing factory and carries it into the plating apparatus, and performs a plating process in the plating apparatus. An unload unit 12 is provided to deliver the glass substrate W to a glass substrate transport device or the like, and the load unit 10 and the unload unit 12 are arranged at a predetermined distance from each other at positions facing each other.

  The load unit 10 includes a first substrate transfer unit 14a, a second substrate transfer unit 14b, a first inline cleaning unit 16a, a third substrate transfer unit 14c, a fourth substrate transfer unit 14d, a fifth substrate transfer unit 14e, and a sixth substrate. The transfer unit 14f is connected in series to the first substrate transfer unit 14a of the first substrate transfer processing line 18a in which the transfer units 14f are connected in series. The unload unit 12 includes a seventh substrate transfer unit 14g, an eighth substrate transfer unit 14h, a ninth substrate transfer unit 14i, a tenth substrate transfer unit 14j, a second inline cleaning unit 16b, an inline drying unit 20, and a substrate transfer mechanism 22. Are connected in series to the substrate transfer mechanism 22 of the second substrate transfer processing line 18b.

  Two pre-processing units 24a and 24b and four plating units 26a to 26d are arranged between the first substrate transport line 18a and the second substrate transport process line 18b. In this plating apparatus, pre-plating cleaning such as degreasing (first plating pre-processing) is performed by the first pre-processing unit 24a, and activation processing such as cleaning with acid is performed by the second pre-processing unit 24b (second plating pre-processing). I do. In this example, the plating units 26a to 26d are all electrolytic plating units that perform the same plating treatment, and one plating unit is used for each glass substrate, and four plating units are considered in consideration of throughput. Is provided.

  Next, the flow of the glass substrate in this plating apparatus will be described. First, a glass substrate received in a horizontal state with a surface to be processed (surface to be plated) facing upward from a glass substrate transfer device or the like is received by the load unit 10 and transferred to the first substrate transfer unit 14a. Then, the glass substrate is transported to the first pretreatment unit 24a with the traveling direction changed, and after the first plating pretreatment such as degreasing is performed here, the glass substrate is returned to the first substrate transport unit 14a. Next, the glass substrate is transferred to the second substrate transfer unit 14b and transferred to the second pretreatment unit 24b in the same manner as described above, and after the second plating pretreatment such as activation is performed here. And returned to the second substrate transport unit 14b.

  Then, the glass substrate is cleaned in the first inline cleaning unit 16a while being transported from the second substrate transport unit 14b toward the third substrate transport unit 14c along the first inline cleaning unit 16a. The glass substrate after the cleaning is subjected to a plating process by any one of the plating units 26a to 26d and transferred to the second substrate transfer processing line 18b. For example, the substrate is transferred from the third substrate transfer unit 14c to the first plating unit 26a, where the plating process is performed, and then transferred to the tenth substrate transfer unit 14j.

  The plated glass substrate is cleaned in the second inline cleaning unit 16b while being transported from the tenth substrate transport unit 14j toward the inline drying line 20 along the second inline cleaning unit 16b. Further, in the in-line drying line 20, drying is performed while being transported from the in-line drying line 20 toward the transport unit 22 along the in-line drying line 20. Then, it passes through the substrate transport mechanism 22 and is delivered from the unload unit 20 to a glass substrate transport device or the like.

  Although not shown in the figure, the load unit 10 has a structure in which an elevator having a transport roller is lifted and receives a glass substrate from the arm after the arm on which the glass substrate is placed enters the plating apparatus and stops. After the elevator stops at the rising end, the conveyance roller rotates and sends the glass substrate to the substrate conveyance unit 14a installed next to it. The unload unit 12 delivers the glass substrate to the arm that has entered the plating apparatus by the reverse operation.

  Although not shown, the in-line cleaning units 16a and 16b have shower heads installed at the upper and lower portions of the conveyance line through which the glass substrate flows, and spray the pure water from the shower nozzle toward the glass substrate. Rinse the plating solution remaining on the front and back of the plate. Since the glass substrate is sent in a state where a shower is run, the entire surface of the glass substrate can be cleaned.

  The in-line drying unit 20 uses an air knife, and dries the glass substrate by blowing air from the air knife toward both the front and back surfaces of the glass substrate that is moved by a roller conveyor.

  As shown in FIG. 1, by placing the load unit 10 and the unload unit 12 in parallel with each other, the moving distance of the glass substrate transfer device installed in the display manufacturing factory or the like is shortened. It becomes easy to return the glass substrate after plating to the storage position.

  2 is a plan view showing the third substrate transport unit 14c, the first plating unit 26a, and the tenth substrate transport unit 14j, which are arranged adjacent to each other in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of FIG. It is a front view (AA sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 1). Since the substrate transport units 14a to 14j have the same configuration, only the substrate transport unit 14c will be described here, and the other substrate transport units will be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. In addition, since the plating apparatuses 26a to 26d all have the same configuration, only the plating unit 26a will be described here, and the other plating units will be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

  Although not shown in FIG. 1, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a first substrate delivery mechanism 28a is provided between the third substrate transport unit 14c and the first plating unit 26a in the first plating. A second substrate delivery mechanism 28b is disposed between the unit 26a and the tenth substrate transport unit 14j. The same applies to the relationship between other substrate transport units and plating units. Since the substrate delivery mechanisms 28a and 28b have the same configuration, only the substrate delivery mechanism 28a will be described, and the substrate delivery mechanism 28b will be assigned the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the third substrate transport unit 14c includes a plurality of first transport rollers 30 that transport the glass substrate W in the transport direction A along the first substrate transport processing line 18a. They are arranged at a predetermined pitch along the direction A. The glass substrate W is transported on the transport roller 30 along the transport direction A to a predetermined position with the driving (rotation) of the first transport roller 30. Furthermore, a detection sensor 32 that detects the passage of the glass substrate W and a stopper 34 that can move up and down to stop the glass substrate W at a predetermined position are provided. As a result, when the detection sensor 32 detects that the glass substrate W has been conveyed on the first conveyance roller 30 and passed on the detection sensor 32, the stopper 34 is raised and the driving of the first conveyance roller 30 is stopped. Then, the glass substrate W is mechanically stopped at a predetermined position on the third substrate transport unit 14c.

  For example, when the plating process is performed by the second plating unit 26b without performing the plating process by the first plating unit 26a, the glass substrate is allowed to pass through without raising the stopper 34 of the third substrate transport unit 14c. The stopper of the substrate transport unit 14d is raised to stop the glass substrate at a predetermined position on the fourth substrate transport unit 14d.

  A plurality of glass substrates are transported to a transport method B directed to the plating unit 26a adjacent to the third substrate transport unit 14c below the stop position of the glass substrate W, positioned at a position where the first transport rollers 30 do not interfere with each other. The second transport rollers 36 are arranged at a predetermined pitch along the transport direction B. In FIG. 2, the second transport roller is omitted. The second transport roller 36 is moved to a retracted position below the first transport roller 30 and a transport position shown in FIG. 3 above the first transport roller 30 in accordance with the operation of a cylinder (not shown) attached to the base. Move up and down.

  As a result, the glass substrate W is mechanically stopped at a predetermined position on the third substrate transport unit 14c, and then the second transport roller 36 is lifted so that the glass substrate W is scooped up by the second transport roller 36. The glass substrate W is received in the transport direction B by receiving from the first transport roller 30 and driving (rotating) the second transport roller 36.

  The substrate transfer mechanism 28a is for transferring the glass substrate W from the third substrate transfer unit 14c to the plating unit 26a via the substrate transfer mechanism 28a, and has a predetermined direction along the transfer direction B of the glass substrate W. It is composed of a plurality (three in the figure) of conveying rollers 38 arranged at a pitch. The transport roller 38 is disposed at the same height level as the second transport roller 36 located at the transport position of the third substrate transport unit 14c. As a result, the substrate delivery mechanism 28a receives the glass substrate W sent from the second transport roller 36 of the third substrate transport unit 14c, and moves the glass substrate W in the transport direction as the transport roller 38 is driven (rotated). It is conveyed to B and delivered to the plating unit 26a.

  The plating unit 26 a includes a plating tank 40 that holds a plating solution (electrolytic plating solution) Q therein, and a rectangular flat plate-shaped holding base 42 that is disposed above the plating tank 40. In the position where the holding base 42 is sandwiched along the transport direction B, the entrance transport roller 44 and the exit transport roller 46 are disposed at the same level as the substrate delivery mechanism 28a. A pair of guide plates 48 that are in contact with the end surface of the glass substrate W and prevent left and right displacement with respect to the traveling direction of the glass substrate W are disposed outside the entrance conveyance roller 44 and the exit conveyance roller 46. .

  As a result, the substrate delivered from the substrate delivery mechanism 28a is received by the entrance transport roller 44 and transported to a predetermined position on the holding base 42 via the substrate transport mechanism. Then, after finishing the plating process in the plating unit 26a, the glass substrate W held by the holding base 42 is transferred to the outlet transfer roller 46 via the conveyor unit 50, and is received by the substrate transfer mechanism 28b. It conveys to the 2nd conveyance roller 36 of the board | substrate conveyance unit 14j.

  The holding base 42 is configured to be slightly flexible, for example, by a resin such as vinyl chloride resin, fluororesin, or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin. A pair of conveyor units 50, 50, which constitute a substrate transfer mechanism and are movable in directions close to each other, are provided at positions sandwiching the holding base 42 along a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction B of the glass substrate W. Each conveyor unit 50 is provided with a moving plate 54 that is moved by the operation of the air cylinder 52, and a plurality (four in the drawing) of rotating rollers 56 are provided along the long sides of the moving plate 54 facing each other. It is supported rotatably. Further, a stopper 58 for positioning the glass substrate W with respect to the holding base 42 is connected to the end of the moving plate 54 on the tenth substrate transport unit 14j side so as to project inwardly in a bowl shape (see FIG. 4). . A detection sensor (not shown) for detecting that the glass substrate W has reached a predetermined position is disposed in the vicinity of the stopper 58.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, on the upper surface of the holding base 42, vacuum suction grooves 42a and liquid supply grooves (fluid supply grooves) 42b extending linearly are provided alternately and in parallel in this example. . The vacuum suction groove 42a is connected to the vacuum line 62 through through holes provided at both ends thereof, and the liquid supply groove 42b is a liquid supply for supplying a liquid such as pure water through the through holes provided at both ends thereof. A line (fluid supply line) 64 is connected. By the liquid supply groove (fluid supply groove) 42b and the liquid supply line (fluid supply line) 64, a fluid such as pure water is supplied to the surface (upper surface) of the holding base 42 to form a thin liquid film (fluid film). A liquid film forming part (fluid film forming part) to be formed is configured.

  In this example, a liquid such as pure water is supplied to the upper surface of the holding base 42 to form a thin liquid film. However, instead of liquid, gas (air) or liquid is used. A thin fluid film made of gas or the like may be formed on the upper surface of the holding base 42 using a gas-liquid mixture in which (pure water) and gas (air) are mixed.

  When the glass substrate W is transported to a predetermined position on the holding base 42 of the plating unit 26a via the substrate delivery mechanism 28a, the air cylinder 52 is first operated, and the moving plates 54 of the conveyor unit 50 are brought close to each other. The rotating roller 56 is rotated by moving the rotating roller 56. Further, a liquid (fluid) such as pure water is supplied from the liquid supply line (fluid supply line) 64 to the liquid supply groove (fluid supply groove) 42 b, and a liquid (pure water) ( A thin liquid film (liquid film) made of a fluid is formed. Thereby, the glass substrate W sent from the entrance conveyance roller 44 toward the upper side of the holding base 42 is arranged in a position opposed to each other at both end faces thereof and is in a state of being sandwiched between the rotation rollers 56, By the rotation of the rotating roller 56, it is conveyed along the conveying direction B on the holding base 42. At this time, a thin liquid film (fluid film) is formed on the surface of the holding base 42, so that the glass substrate W moves so as to slide on the liquid film.

  Then, the rotation of the rotating roller 56 and the supply of the liquid are stopped when the detection sensor detects that the front end surface of the glass substrate W is in contact with the stopper 58 and the glass substrate W is stopped. W is stopped at a predetermined position on the holding base 42. Then, the vacuum suction groove 42 a is evacuated through the vacuum line 62 to suck and hold the glass substrate W at a predetermined position on the holding base 42.

  In this manner, a fluid film such as a liquid film is formed on the surface of the holding base 42 to form a fluid film such as a liquid film, and the fluid film (liquid film) is slid on the predetermined position on the holding base 42. The glass substrate W is transferred to and held by the holding base 42 so that the end surface of the glass substrate W is sandwiched with a strong force or a part of the glass substrate W is adsorbed to exert an excessive force on the substrate. The glass substrate W can be smoothly moved to a predetermined position in the plating unit 26a and held by the holding base 42 while preventing the glass substrate W from being damaged without applying a strong frictional force. .

  After the end of plating, the glass substrate W is released from holding by the holding base 42 and the liquid is supplied to the surface of the holding base 42 to form a thin liquid film (fluid film). The substrate W is sent out from the holding base 42 toward the substrate delivery mechanism 28b.

  The holding base 42 is fixed to the lower end of a rectangular holding frame 70, and the holding frame 70 is supported by a rectangular lifting frame 72 positioned above the holding base 70. That is, the holding frame 70 is rotatably connected to the lifting frame 72 via the hinge 74 on one side thereof, and the tilting air is interposed between the other side of the holding frame 70 and the lifting frame 72. A cylinder 76 is arranged. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the holding frame 70 is tilted about the hinge 74 as the tilting air cylinder 76 is operated, and the holding base 42 is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane. .

  Further, a process unit 80 is disposed above the holding base 42, and the process unit 80 is connected to a rod of an elevating air cylinder 84 attached to the upper frame 82 of the holding frame 70. As a result, the process unit 80 moves up and down relatively with respect to the holding base 42 as the elevating air cylinder 84 is driven, and the holding frame 70 and the process unit 80 move together as the elevating frame 72 moves up and down. It is designed to move up and down integrally. As described above, the lifting frame 72 supports all the weights of the holding frame 70 and the process unit 80, and also applies a force for lifting the holding base 42 together with the glass substrate W from the plating solution as described below. For this reason, in this example, the other end of the chain 88 provided with a counterweight 86 at one end is connected to the four corners of the elevating frame 72, and the chain 88 is pulled up and down as the elevating motor 90 is driven. The elevating frame 72 is moved up and down integrally with the holding frame 70 and the process unit 80 with less power while maintaining balance.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when the process unit 80 is lowered with the holding base 42 fixed, the process unit 80 comes into contact with the peripheral edges on both sides of the glass substrate W held by the holding base 42. When the process unit 80 is lowered with the plurality of rod-shaped cathode contacts 92 to be fed and the holding base 42 fixed, and further lowered with the process unit 80 with the holding base 42 fixed, the inside of the plating tank 40 A rectangular anode 94 that is immersed in the plating solution Q so as to cover the upper side of the glass substrate W, a rectangular frame-shaped anode mask 96 that is vertically disposed between the glass substrate W and the anode 94, and An intermediate mask 98 and a first shielding plate 300 arranged in parallel with the cathode contact 92 so as to cover the inside of the cathode contact 92 are provided. In this example, an insoluble anode is used as the anode 94.

  The cathode contact 92 is electrically connected to the wiring 304 extending from the power supply unit 302, and the cathode contact 92 is connected to the glass substrate W in a portion in contact with the plating solution Q in the plating tank 40 so that the cathode contact 92 itself is not plated. The parts other than the contact surface are covered with a resin or the like. The contact surface of the cathode contact 92 with the glass substrate W is configured by performing gold plating on a flat copper metal surface so that when the glass substrate W comes into contact with the glass substrate W, the entire surface of the contact surface comes into contact. At this time, the contact pressure between the cathode contact 92 and the glass substrate W must be maintained within a certain range. However, since the thickness of the glass substrate W varies, it is conceivable that a load is applied to the cathode contact 92 with a spring. However, when the spring is coated with resin and immersed in the plating solution Q in the plating tank 40 together with the glass substrate W, the coating is peeled off by repeated use, and the plating proceeds from there, and the surface of the spring is plated. There is a risk of precipitation.

  Therefore, in this example, the glass substrate W is installed horizontally, and the cathode contact 92 is applied to the glass substrate W from above, so that this load (contact pressure) is obtained by the weight of the cathode contact 92 itself. If the load is insufficient, a weight may be attached to the cathode contact 92. It should be noted that a spring may be disposed at a position that does not contact the plating solution Q in the plating tank 40, and the load (contact pressure) of the cathode contact 92 may be controlled via this spring. It is possible to prevent plating from being deposited on the surface.

  Further, in this example, an air cylinder 306 is disposed at a position where it does not contact the plating solution Q in the plating tank 40, and the contact pressure of the cathode contact 92 is controlled by this air cylinder 306. Of course, the air cylinder 306 may be omitted.

  In this example, the first shielding plate 300 is placed between the cathode contact 92 and the plating solution facing the glass substrate W and the anode 94. As a result, the electric field can be prevented from spreading beyond the required range. In general, the plating tends to be thick around the contact surface of the cathode contact. Thus, by using the first shielding plate 300, it is possible to suppress the plating from being thick around the cathode contact 92. There is an advantage that the in-plane uniformity of the plating film formed on the required surface to be plated can be kept high. The first shielding plate 300 covers the cathode contact 92 to a position higher than the installation position of the anode 94, that is, above the liquid level.

  In this embodiment, the cathode contact 92 has a rod shape and is installed in parallel along two opposite sides of the glass substrate W. The first shielding plate 300 is installed in parallel with the cathode contact 92 so as to shield between the cathode contact 92 and the anode 94. An O-ring (not shown) is provided between the first shielding plate 300 and the glass substrate W in order to prevent the plating around the contact surface of the cathode contact 92 from becoming thick. Further, a second shielding plate 308 is provided so as to surround the two sides facing the outside of the cathode contact 92 and the substrate on which the cathode contact 92 is not provided. The second shielding plate 308 also serves to support the cathode contact 92. An O-ring (not shown) is also provided at the lower end of the second shielding plate 308. Side opening portions for introducing the plating solution into the space between the glass substrate W and the anode 94, as shown in FIG. 7, on two opposite sides of the glass substrate W where the cathode contact 92 of the second shielding plate 308 is not provided. 310 is provided. Furthermore, at the time of plating, the plating solution may flow through the side opening and exit from the opposing side opening. Frames 70 are provided at the four corners of the holding base 42, and the holding base 42 is suspended by the frame 70.

Next, the plating process by the plating unit 26a will be described.
First, as described above, the glass substrate W is sucked and held at a predetermined position on the holding base 42. Next, the elevating air cylinder 84 is operated to lower the process unit 80 and bring the cathode contact 92 into contact with the peripheral edge of the glass substrate W held by the holding base 42. Next, the tilting air cylinder 76 is actuated to tilt the holding frame 70 together with the process unit 80, for example, by an angle θ, as shown in FIG. Tilt.

  In this state, the elevating motor 90 is driven to lower the elevating frame 72 integrally with the holding frame 70 and the process unit 80, and the anode 94 of the process unit 80 is moved to the plating solution (electrolytic plating solution) Q in the plating tank 40. Soak in. Then, the tilting air cylinder 76 is reversely operated to return the holding base 42 to a horizontal position, and a plating voltage is applied between the cathode contact 92 and the anode 94 to perform electrolytic plating using the surface of the glass substrate W as the cathode. Perform for a predetermined time.

  At this time, the descending speed is, for example, about 10 mm / sec. By slowing down the descending speed, it is possible to prevent the plating solution from jumping. Further, by tilting the holding base 42 with respect to the horizontal plane when descending, the liquid resistance when descending can be reduced.

  After plating for a predetermined time, the cathode contact 92 and the anode 94 are disconnected from the power source, and the holding base 42 is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane in the same manner as described above. The frame 72 is raised integrally with the holding frame 70 and the process unit 80, and the holding base 42 is pulled up together with the glass substrate W from the plating solution in the plating tank 40. Then, the elevating air cylinder 84 is reversely operated to raise the process unit 80 and open the holding base 42.

  The plating unit 26a can also be used as an electroless plating unit by using an electroless plating solution as a plating solution. Thus, when using as an electroless-plating unit, a process unit, the raising / lowering mechanism incidental to this process unit, etc. become unnecessary. When used as an electroless plating unit, the glass substrate W is sucked and held at a predetermined position on the holding base 42 as described above, and the holding base 42 is tilted with respect to the horizontal plane as necessary. Thus, the surface of the glass substrate W can be electrolessly plated by lowering the holding base 42 together with the glass substrate W and immersing it in the plating solution (electroless plating solution) in the plating tank 40.

  FIG. 9 shows a system diagram of the preprocessing unit 24a. The pretreatment unit 24b also has substantially the same configuration as the pretreatment unit 26a except that the pretreatment liquid (chemical solution) to be used is different.

  The pretreatment unit 24a includes a holding base 100 having a configuration substantially similar to that of the plating apparatus 26a, and a shower nozzle 102 disposed above the holding base 100 so as to be movable up and down. The glass substrate W is held at a predetermined position on the holding base 100 by substantially the same operation as the above-described plating apparatus 26a, and then a chemical solution (pretreatment liquid) is applied from the shower nozzle 102 toward the surface of the glass substrate W. By spraying, the surface of the glass substrate W is configured to be treated with a chemical (pretreatment).

  Here, the flow of the liquid in the pretreatment unit 24a will be described. The chemical solution used for the pretreatment of the glass substrate W is received by the trough 104 provided around the holding base 100 and stored in the chemical solution supply tank 106. The chemical solution stored in the chemical solution supply tank 106 is supplied by the pump 108, passes through the filter 110 and the flow meter 112, and is supplied again from the shower nozzle 102 to the surface of the glass substrate W held by the holding base 100. Two switching valves 114 a and 114 b are provided between the basket 104 and the chemical solution supply tank 106. When the chemical solution is flowing, the switching valve 114a connected to the chemical solution supply tank 11 is opened, the chemical solution is returned to the chemical solution supply tank 106, and supplied again to the glass substrate. After the pretreatment is completed, the switching valve 118 of the pure water line 116 is opened, the pure water is supplied to the surface of the glass substrate W held by the holding base 100 through the flow meter 112, and the surface of the glass substrate W is purified. Wash with water. The pure water used for this washing is drained to the drainage line by opening the switching valve 114b connected to the drainage line.

  Next, the vacuum line 120 that holds the glass substrate W on the holding base 100 by suction will be described. The ejector 122 that creates a vacuum is connected to the holding base 100 via a closing valve 124, a pressure sensor 126, and a steam / water separation tank 128. While the glass substrate W is being processed, the vacuum suction can be cut off, but the liquid may enter the vacuum line 120 during the operation, so it is necessary to collect the chemical in the steam / water separation tank 128. There is. The vacuum line 120 is also connected with a compressed air supply line 130. By opening the switching valve 132, the vacuum is broken, or air is allowed to flow from the back of the glass substrate when the glass substrate is detached. Can be surfaced.

  FIG. 10 is a layout view showing the overall configuration of a plating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. This plating apparatus combines an electroplating unit and an electroless unit, and selectively performs two steps of electroplating and electroless plating on the surface of the glass substrate, or one of the plating. A load unit 200 and an unload unit 202 are provided at opposing positions.

  The load unit 200 includes a first substrate transfer unit 204a, a second substrate transfer unit 204b, a third substrate transfer unit 204c, a second electrolytic plating pretreatment unit 206b, and a fourth substrate transfer unit 204d connected in series. It is connected in series to the first substrate transfer unit 204a of the processing line 108a. The unload unit 202 includes a fifth substrate transfer unit 204e, a first inline cleaning unit 210a, a sixth substrate transfer unit 204f, a seventh substrate transfer unit 204g, a second inline cleaning unit 210b, and an inline drying unit 212 connected in series. The inline drying unit 212 of the second substrate transfer processing line 208b is connected in series.

  The electroless plating pretreatment unit 214, the electroless plating unit 216, the first electroplating pretreatment unit 206, and the electroplating unit 218 are positioned between the first substrate transport line 208a and the second substrate transport process line 208b. Is arranged.

  In this plating apparatus, when performing electroless plating, the first substrate transfer unit 204a, the electroless plating pretreatment unit 214, the second substrate transfer unit 204b, the electroless plating unit 216, the seventh substrate transfer unit 204g, and the second inline A cleaning unit 210b and an in-line drying unit 212 are used.

  When performing electroplating, the first substrate transport unit 204a, the second substrate transport unit 204b, the third substrate transport unit 204c, the first electrolytic plating pretreatment unit 206a, the second electrolytic plating pretreatment unit 206b, and the fourth substrate transport unit. 204d, a fifth substrate transfer unit 204e, a first inline cleaning unit 210a, a sixth substrate transfer unit 204f, a seventh substrate transfer unit 204g, a second inline cleaning unit 210b, and an inline drying unit 212 are used.

  And when performing two-stage plating of electroless plating and electrolytic plating, all the units are used, so that various plating can be flexibly handled.

  Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described so far, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be implemented in various forms within the scope of the technical idea.

1 is a layout view showing the overall configuration of a plating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view which shows the board | substrate conveyance unit arrange | positioned in the adjacent position, a plating unit, and a board | substrate conveyance unit. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal front view of FIG. 2 (a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1). FIG. 3 is a longitudinal front view of FIG. 2 (a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1). It is a top view which shows the holding | maintenance base of a plating unit. It is sectional drawing which shows the holding | maintenance base of a plating unit, It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which tilted the holding base of the plating unit with respect to the plane. It is sectional drawing which shows the process unit of a plating unit with the holding base holding the glass substrate. It is a top view which shows the process unit of a plating unit with the holding base holding the glass substrate. It is a systematic diagram of a pre-processing unit. It is a layout view showing the overall configuration of a plating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Load unit 12 Unload unit 14a-14j Substrate conveyance unit 16a, 16b Inline cleaning unit 18a, 18b Substrate conveyance processing line 20 Inline drying unit 22 Substrate conveyance mechanism 24a, 24b Pretreatment unit 26a-26d Plating unit 28a, 28b Substrate delivery Mechanism 30 First transport roller 34 Stopper 36 Second transport roller 38 Transport roller 40 Plating tank 42, 100 Holding base 42a Vacuum suction groove 42b Liquid supply groove (fluid supply groove)
44 Inlet transport roller 46 Outlet transport roller 50 Conveyor unit 52 Air cylinder 54 Moving plate 56 Rotating roller 58 Stopper 60 Detection sensor 62, 120 Vacuum line 64 Liquid supply line (fluid supply line)
70 Holding frame 72 Elevating frame 74 Hinge 76 Tilt air cylinder 80 Process unit 84 Elevating air cylinder 86 Counterweight 88 Chain 90 Elevating motor 92 Cathode contact 94 Anode 96 Anode mask 98 Intermediate mask 102 Shower nozzle

Claims (16)

A substrate transport unit that transports the substrate in a horizontal state with the surface to be plated facing upward, and a plating unit disposed adjacent to the substrate transport unit;
The plating unit is
A plating tank for holding a plating solution;
A holding base that is disposed above the plating tank, is held vertically with the surface to be plated facing upward, and is immersed in a plating solution in the plating tank together with the substrate;
A substrate transfer mechanism for receiving a substrate from the substrate transfer unit and transferring it to a predetermined position on the holding base;
A plating apparatus comprising: a fluid film forming unit configured to supply a fluid to the surface of the holding base during the substrate transfer to form a fluid film.   The plating unit is an electrolytic plating unit that uses an electrolytic plating solution as a plating solution, and a cathode contact that descends relative to the holding base and contacts a surface to be plated of the substrate above the holding base. 2. The plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a process unit is provided above the substrate and includes an anode disposed in parallel with the substrate, and a process unit that moves up and down integrally with the holding base.   The plating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cathode contact of the process unit has its own weight as a contact pressure.   3. The plating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the process unit is provided with a spring that is located above the plating tank that does not come into contact with the plating solution and maintains the contact pressure of the cathode contact constant.   The plating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the contact pressure of the cathode contact of the process unit can be changed.   The said process unit is located between the said cathode contact and the said anode, and the shielding board is provided in perpendicular | vertical to the said anode or to-be-plated surface, The said any one of Claim 2 thru | or 5 characterized by the above-mentioned. The plating apparatus as described.   The plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plating unit is an electroless plating unit using an electroless plating solution as a plating solution.   The plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding base is tiltable with respect to a horizontal plane.   The substrate transfer mechanism includes a pair of conveyor units that are movable in directions close to each other, and each conveyor unit includes a plurality of rollers that rotate while contacting the end surface of the substrate when close to each other. The plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plating apparatus is characterized.   The substrate transfer mechanism for transferring a substrate between the substrate transfer unit and the plating unit is disposed between the substrate transfer unit and the plating unit. The plating apparatus in any one.   The plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fluid film forming unit includes a fluid supply groove formed on a surface of the holding base and a fluid supply line communicating with the fluid supply groove.   The plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding base holds the substrate by vacuum suction.   The plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding base has flexibility. A pre-treatment unit that performs pre-plating treatment on the surface to be plated of the substrate held horizontally on the holding base;
A plating unit that performs plating on the surface to be plated of the substrate after pre-plating treatment that is horizontally held on the holding base;
A substrate transport unit that transports the substrate in a state of being maintained horizontally and transports one holding base substrate of the pretreatment unit and the plating unit;
A plating apparatus for transferring a substrate from the substrate transfer unit to at least one of the pretreatment unit and the plating unit in a state where a fluid film is formed between the substrate and a holding base. The substrate is transferred to a predetermined position on the upper surface of the holding base while the substrate is kept horizontal and a fluid film is formed on the upper surface of the holding base.
The holding base is lowered and the holding base is immersed in the electrolytic plating solution together with the substrate. At the same time, the cathode contact and the anode are lowered to bring the cathode contact into contact with the surface to be plated and the anode is immersed in the electrolytic plating solution. ,
A plating method, wherein a voltage is applied between the cathode and the anode to perform electrolytic plating on a surface to be plated. The substrate is transferred to a predetermined position on the upper surface of the holding base while the substrate is kept horizontal and a fluid film is formed on the upper surface of the holding base.
A plating method, wherein the holding base is lowered and the holding base is immersed in an electroless plating solution together with the substrate to perform electroless plating on the surface to be plated.

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