JP2017088987A - Apparatus for conveying thin plate in liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for conveying a thin plate in a liquid capable of conveying a thin plate of various thicknesses and dimensions in a stable posture without increasing the area of a section to hold the thin plate.SOLUTION: An apparatus for conveying a thin plate that conveys a thin plate submerged in a process liquid is equipped with a treatment tank to contain the process liquid and thin plate conveying means to convey the thin plate kept in a vertical posture in the horizontal direction, and a plurality of rollers arranged along both sides of a conveying route of the thin plate. The rollers are located apart from the thin plate at a specified distance and rotatable in the conveying direction of the thin plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The invention according to the present application relates to a transport device in a thin plate liquid.

  Conventionally, for example, when a chemical solution is brought into contact with the surface of a substrate to perform a process such as plating, etching, cleaning, etc., a thin plate submerged transport device that transports the substrate while immersed in the chemical solution has been used. Yes. 2. Description of the Related Art A thin plate liquid transport device that transports a thin plate in a processing liquid includes a so-called vertical transport type device that transports a thin plate as represented by a substrate in a vertical state. For example, when the above-described chemical processing is performed on a substrate having a small thickness and excellent flexibility, the so-called vertical transport method in a thin plate liquid transport device, when transported in a state where the upper part of the substrate is held and suspended, May be unable to perform stable chemical treatment due to bending and swinging. In view of this, for example, plate-like guide members may be provided on both sides of the transport path in order to maintain the vertical posture of the substrate being transported. However, in the thin plate liquid transport device provided with such a conventional guide member, the problem associated with the swing during the transport of the thin plate in the processing liquid is not completely solved, and the guide member is being transported while the substrate is being transported. There is a problem of scratching on contact. For example, when electroplating is performed on the substrate, the surface of the plating film to be formed is likely to be scratched, resulting in a decrease in plating quality. For this reason, conventionally, various measures have been taken to maintain the stability of the vertical posture of the thin plate when the thin plate such as a substrate is transported while being immersed in the processing liquid.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vertical conveyance type (so-called vertical conveyance type) plating apparatus that performs plating on a substrate by moving the plating solution in a plating tank while the substrate is standing vertically. Yes. The vertical conveyance type plating apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a clip that holds the upper part of the substrate and hangs the substrate into the plating tank, and a lower part of the plating tank along the moving direction of the substrate. A guide rail that guides the board by placing the lower part of the board in a slit formed in the center, and a board reinforcing jig that is attached to the lower part of the board and reinforces the board by applying gravity It is characterized by having.

JP 2010-24514 A

  However, in the so-called vertical conveyance type thin plate submerged conveyance device disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to use a dedicated jig in accordance with the size of the substrate, so that there is a problem of lack of versatility, and a portion for holding the substrate Therefore, there is a problem that an unprocessed area that is not subjected to the chemical treatment is increased. In addition, in the so-called vertical conveyance type thin plate liquid conveyance device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the substrate is conveyed with the upper part of the substrate held between clips and the lower part of the substrate guided by the guide rail. As the thickness is reduced, pressure is applied to the substrate due to the movement of the plating solution such as convection and the substrate is more easily bent, and it is difficult to stably apply the plating process to the substrate surface uniformly.

  From the above, the present invention can cope with various thicknesses and dimensions of the thin plate and can transport the thin plate in a stable posture without increasing the area of the portion holding the thin plate. It is an object of the present invention to provide a submerged transport device.

  Thus, as a result of intensive studies, the inventors of the present invention have conceived that the above-described problems can be achieved by providing the following thin plate liquid transport device.

  The transport device in the thin plate liquid according to the present invention is a transport device in the thin plate liquid that transports the thin plate immersed in the processing liquid, and the processing tank containing the processing liquid and the thin plate remain in a vertical posture. A thin plate transporting means for transporting in the horizontal direction and a plurality of rollers arranged along both sides of the transport path of the thin plate, the rollers being located at a predetermined distance from the thin plate, and the transport direction of the thin plate It is characterized by being freely rotatable.

  Moreover, in the thin plate submerged conveying device according to the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of the rollers are arranged with a predetermined interval in the vertical direction.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the thin board | substrate liquid conveyance apparatus which concerns on this invention was provided with the process liquid ejection means which ejects the said process liquid from diagonally back with respect to both surfaces of the thin plate which passes a conveyance path | route.

  Moreover, in the thin plate submerged conveying device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the roller includes a rotary blade member.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the thin board | substrate liquid conveyance apparatus which concerns on this invention was equipped with the thin plate guide member extended along the conveyance path | route of the said thin board.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the processing liquid collection | recovery part which collect | recovers the said processing liquid is provided in the said processing tank at the conveyance direction exit side of the said thin plate.

  According to the thin plate submerged transport device according to the present invention, it is possible to cope with various thicknesses and dimensions of the thin plate, and to transport the thin plate in a stable posture without increasing the area of the portion holding the thin plate. It becomes possible. Accordingly, when the thin plate submerged transport device according to the present invention is used to perform a chemical treatment on a substrate, for example, the chemical treatment applied to the substrate can be performed uniformly regardless of the thickness and dimensions of the substrate. It is possible to manufacture a high quality substrate.

It is the schematic of the conveyance apparatus in a thin plate liquid which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. It is the figure which looked at the process liquid ejection means from upper direction in order to demonstrate the jet angle of the process liquid from a process liquid ejection means. It is the figure which looked at the process liquid ejection means from the side, in order to demonstrate the ejection angle of the process liquid from a process liquid ejection means. It is the schematic when employ | adopting the conveyance apparatus in a thin plate liquid shown in FIG. 1 as a plating processing apparatus.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a thin plate liquid transport device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a thin plate liquid transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

Thin plate liquid transport device: The thin plate liquid transport device 1 according to the present invention is a device that transports the thin plate W in a state of being immersed in the processing liquid 14. Here, as the thin plate W, for example, a printed board can be used, and a single-sided board, a double-sided board, a multilayer board, a flexible board, a build-up board, and the like can be used, and the material and structure thereof are particularly limited. Not. And the thin-plate liquid conveyance apparatus 1 which concerns on this invention is the processing tank 2 which accommodates the process liquid 14, and the thin-plate conveyance means (code | symbol 3 in FIG. 1, 2) which conveys the thin plate W in a horizontal direction with a vertical attitude | position. 6) and a plurality of rollers 7 arranged along both sides of the conveyance path of the thin plate W. Below, these structures are demonstrated.

Processing tank: The processing tank 2 which comprises the conveyance apparatus 1 in a thin plate liquid which concerns on this invention accommodates the processing liquid 14 in which the thin plate W is immersed. Here, as the processing liquid 14 accommodated in the processing tank 2, chemical liquids such as plating liquid, pre-processing liquid, post-processing liquid, desmear liquid, cleaning liquid, catalyst application liquid, and etching liquid can be used, and are particularly limited. It is not a thing. And the processing tank 2 in this invention can perform various wet processing with respect to the thin plate W by accommodating these process liquids 14. FIG.

  The processing tank 2 in the present invention can be provided with a processing liquid recovery unit 15 that recovers the processing liquid 14 on the exit side of the thin plate W in the conveyance direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a turbulent flow is generated in the processing tank 2 by providing a processing liquid recovery unit 15 that recovers the overflowing processing liquid 14 on the wall surface of the processing tank 2 in the conveyance direction of the thin plate W. And the thin plate W can be always conveyed in a stable posture in the treatment liquid 14 in the treatment tank 2. Here, the treatment liquid recovery unit 15 in the present invention is not limited to the form shown in FIG. 2, and for example, an overflow pipe may be arranged in the vicinity of the exit side in the conveyance direction of the thin plate W of the treatment tank 2. Note that the processing liquid 14 recovered by the processing liquid recovery unit 15 may be sent to the processing liquid jetting unit 12 via a pipe 16 or a pump 17 connected to the processing tank 2 and circulated for use. At this time, the processing liquid 14 recovered by the processing liquid recovery unit 15 may be stored in a storage tank (not shown) and circulated by the pump 17.

Thin plate conveying means: The thin plate conveying means 5 constituting the thin plate in-liquid conveying device 1 according to the present invention has a structure for conveying the thin plate W in a horizontal direction in a vertical posture. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the thin plate conveying means 5 in the present invention uses a jig 3 that can hold the upper portion of the thin plate W with a clip 4 and suspend it in an upright state. It can be set as the structure which moves the thin plate W to a conveyance direction by driving a drive means (not shown). As described above, the thin plate transport means 5 in the present invention has a configuration in which the area of the portion holding the thin plate W is not increased as much as possible with respect to the jig 3 to be used. Realization of minimization. Further, by using such a jig 3 when transporting the thin plate W, it is possible to cope with various thicknesses and dimensions of the thin plate W, and versatility is improved. In addition, in the thin plate conveyance means 5 in this invention, it does not specifically limit regarding the method of conveying the thin plate W, Since it can implement by a conventional well-known technique, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

Roller: A plurality of rollers 7 constituting the thin plate submerged transport device 1 according to the present invention are arranged in the processing tank 2 along both sides of the transport path of the thin plate W. Therefore, the thin plate W conveyed by the thin plate conveying means 5 is restricted from swinging due to buoyancy, liquid flow action, or the like. Here, for example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of rotors 10 are arranged on a shaft 8 positioned in the vertical direction so that the roller 7 is rotatable about the axis of the shaft 8 at a predetermined interval. Can be prepared. At this time, the rotor 10 is disposed opposite to each other across the conveyance path of the thin plate W, so that the posture during the conveyance of the thin plate W can be further stabilized. Further, the shaft 8 can effectively prevent winding of the thin plate W around the shaft 8 by making the interval between the adjacent shafts 8 narrower than the length of the thin plate W in the conveying direction. By adopting such a configuration, the thin plate submerged conveying device 1 according to the present invention can be smoothly conveyed without any problems even if the thin plate W is rich in flexibility. Note that the shape, size, and material of the roller 7 and the rotor 10 are not particularly limited, and can be changed as appropriate. However, at least portions of the roller 7 and the rotor 10 that are in contact with the thin plate W are preferably made of a resin such as PP (polypropylene) because damage to the thin plate W is suppressed.

  Furthermore, in the thin plate liquid transport device 1 according to the present invention, the roller 7 may include a rotating blade member 9 that rotates by contact with the processing liquid 14. Here, the rotating blade member 9 is connected and fixed to the roller 7 so as to rotate the roller 7 with its rotation, so that the roller 7 causes the thin plate W to be moved by the processing liquid 14 ejected from the processing liquid ejecting means 12. The frictional force between the roller 7 and the thin plate W is reduced by rotating in the conveying direction, and even if the thin plate W swings, problems such as scratches are reliably avoided. Further, when the roller 7 includes a plurality of rotors 10, the same effect can be obtained by connecting and fixing the rotating blade member 9 to the rotor 10 so as to rotate the rotor 10 with its rotation. I can do it. And since rotation flow arises in the circumference | surroundings by rotation of the rotary blade member 9 at this time, the roller 7 (or rotor 10) opposes both sides of the conveyance path | route of the thin plate W, and a plurality of sets position as a pair. By doing so, the thin plate W can be more stably transported in the vertical posture by the action of the rotating flow.

Processing liquid jetting means: Further, the thin plate liquid in-conveying device 1 according to the present invention further includes a processing liquid jetting means for jetting the processing liquid 14 obliquely from both sides of the thin plate W passing through the transport path. You can also The processing liquid jetting means 12 in the present invention can be provided with, for example, a jet nozzle 13 when jetting the processing liquid 14 from both sides of the thin plate W from obliquely rearward with respect to the transport direction. The ejection nozzle 13 can be positioned opposite to both sides across the conveyance path of the thin plate W, so that the posture during conveyance of the thin plate W can be stabilized. Here, the ejection angle of the processing liquid 14 with respect to the surface of the thin plate W from the processing liquid ejecting means 12 may be set to 45 ° or more and less than 90 ° with respect to the surface of the thin plate W from obliquely behind the thin plate W as shown in FIG. Preferred (see θ1 shown in FIG. 3). By ejecting the treatment liquid 14 at such an angle from the treatment liquid ejecting means 12, there is a problem that the thin plate W is displaced from the jig 3 or dropped by the water pressure of the ejected treatment liquid 14. It is definitely avoided. Further, the processing liquid ejection means 12 in the present invention can more effectively suppress the swing during the transport of the thin plate W by adjusting the delivery pressure of the ejected processing liquid 14.

  Further, when the thin plate liquid transport device 1 according to the present invention is used when the thin plate W is subjected to the chemical treatment, the chemical solution 14 from the treatment liquid ejecting means 12 is obliquely rearward with respect to both surfaces of the thin plate W passing through the transport path. By ejecting, the deviation of the component of the chemical solution 14 in the processing tank 2 can be effectively reduced, and the processing quality and processing efficiency of the thin plate W can be improved. Here, the jetting angle of the processing liquid 14 from the processing liquid jetting means 12 to the surface of the thin plate W is set to be more than 0 ° and not more than 45 ° from the conveying direction (horizontal direction L) of the thin plate W as shown in FIG. Is preferable (see θ2 shown in FIG. 4). By jetting the processing liquid 14 downward from the processing liquid jetting unit 12 at such an angle, it is possible to perform a more uniform chemical processing and further improve the processing efficiency.

Thin plate guide member: The thin plate submerged transport device 1 according to the present invention preferably further includes a thin plate guide member 11 that extends along the transport path of the thin plate W and guides the thin plate W. Here, the thin plate guide member 11 extends and is positioned along the conveyance path of the thin plate W. For example, the thin plate guide member 11 may be directly attached and fixed to the shaft 8 as a detachable structure using a clip or the like. I can do it. The thin plate submerged transport device 1 according to the present invention includes the thin plate guide member 11 in the configuration, so that even if the thin plate W is rich in flexibility, the thin plate W is oscillated during transportation and greatly deformed. It is possible to reliably prevent the thin plate W from being wound around the shaft 8 and to convey the thin plate W more smoothly in the processing tank 2.

  As mentioned above, although each structure of the thin-plate liquid conveyance apparatus 1 which concerns on this invention was demonstrated, the thin-plate liquid conveyance apparatus 1 was employ | adopted as a plating processing apparatus regarding the operation | movement of the thin-plate liquid conveyance apparatus 1 which concerns on this invention below. A case will be described as an example.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic view when the thin plate liquid transport device shown in FIG. 1 is employed as a plating apparatus. When used for carrying out an electroplating process on the substrate W, the in-plate liquid transport device 1 of the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG. , A cathode (cathode rail 6) connected to the substrate W, an anode (anode member 51) provided in the processing tank 2, and a power supply 50 for supplying current to both electrodes.

  And when performing electroplating to the board | substrate W using the thin-plate liquid conveyance apparatus 1, as shown in FIG. 5, the plating solution 14 is accommodated in the processing tank 2, and the state which immersed the board | substrate W in the plating solution 14 is shown. Then, the upper part of the substrate W is sandwiched and suspended by the cathode clip 4 electrically connected to the cathode rail 6 by the jig 3 that is supported by the cathode rail 6 that guides the substrate W so as to be laterally movable. A rod-like or plate-like anode member 51 is disposed on both ends of the treatment tank 2, the cathode rail 6 is connected to the minus (−) side of the power source 50, and the anode member 51 is on the plus (+) side of the power source 50. Connected to.

  Here, the thin plate liquid transport device 1 transports the substrate W in the vertical direction in the plating solution 14 in the processing tank 2 while feeding power from the cathode rail 6 to the upper portion of the substrate W via the jig 3. . As a result, the substrate W is subjected to plating treatment while being transported along the transport path (see the arrow in FIG. 2).

  At this time, the transport device 1 in the thin plate liquid according to the present invention includes the roller 7 in its configuration, so that, for example, the substrate W is weak in rigidity and easily bent, or the plating solution is being transported while the substrate W is being transported. Even if the pressure due to the flow of 14 is received, shaking of the substrate W can be suppressed. For this reason, according to the thin plate liquid transport device 1 according to the present invention, the substrate W can be transported in a stable posture even when the substrate W is held only on the upper portion thereof, and is uniform on the surface of the substrate W having various thicknesses and dimensions. The plating process can be performed. Further, when the roller 7 comes into contact with the surface of the substrate W and rotates without contact resistance, the plating film formed on the surface of the substrate W is hardly damaged.

  Further, in the thin plate submerged transport device 1 according to the present invention, the plating solution 14 is ejected from the processing solution ejecting means 12 installed on both sides of the substrate W toward the rotary blade member 9 and is provided in the roller 7 (or the roller 7). By rotating the rotor 10), the jet of the plating solution 14 is rectified, and the substrate W can be more smoothly transferred in a vertical posture. Further, the frictional force with the roller 7 (or the rotor 10 provided in the roller 7) becomes a resistance and the plating film formed on the surface of the substrate W is damaged, or the plating solution ejected from the processing solution ejecting means 12 is removed. Problems such as the substrate W dropping off due to water pressure are reliably avoided.

  In the thin plate submerged transport device 1 according to the present invention, the roller 7 is provided at a predetermined distance from the thin plate W and is rotatably provided in the transport direction of the thin plate W. The thin plate liquid transport device 1 according to the present invention suspends the thin plate W in a posture perpendicular to the ground in the processing liquid 14 accommodated in the processing tank 2 by providing the roller 7 under such conditions. The thin plate W can be stably transported in the horizontal direction so that both surfaces thereof are along the transport direction, and deformation or the like of the thin plate W can be suppressed. Therefore, according to the thin plate liquid transport device 1 according to the present invention, a substrate having high flexibility is used as the thin plate W, and chemical processing is performed while transporting the substrate W while being immersed in the chemical solution 14. However, the unprocessed area can be reduced as much as possible, and the chemical treatment can be uniformly performed on the substrate W.

  Since the thin plate submerged transport device according to the present invention can transport a thin plate of various sizes and shapes while always maintaining a stable posture, the thin plate may be damaged or deformed during the transport of the thin plate. There is nothing. Therefore, the thin plate submerged transport device according to the present invention can be suitably used when wet processing is performed by bringing a thin plate such as a printed wiring board, which is becoming smaller, ultrathin, and flexible, into contact with a chemical. High quality substrates can be manufactured.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Conveyor apparatus in thin plate liquid 2 Processing tank 3 Jig 4 Clip (or cathode clip)
5 Thin plate conveying means 6 Guide rail (or cathode rail)
7 Roller 8 Shaft 9 Rotating blade member 10 Rotor 11 Thin plate guide member 12 Treatment liquid ejection means 13 Ejection nozzle 14 Treatment liquid (or chemical liquid)
15 Processing liquid recovery part 16 Piping 17 Pump 50 Power supply 51 Anode member W Thin plate (or substrate)

Claims (6)

A thin plate liquid transport device that transports a thin plate immersed in a processing liquid,
A treatment tank containing the treatment liquid;
A thin plate conveying means for conveying the thin plate in a horizontal direction in a vertical posture;
A plurality of rollers arranged along both sides of the conveyance path of the thin plate,
The apparatus for transporting liquid in a thin plate, wherein the roller is located at a predetermined distance from the thin plate and is rotatable in the transport direction of the thin plate.   The thin plate submerged transport device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the rotors are arranged with a predetermined interval in the vertical direction.   The thin-plate liquid conveyance apparatus of Claim 1 or 2 provided with the process liquid ejection means which ejects the said process liquid from diagonally back with respect to both surfaces of the thin plate which passes a conveyance path | route.   The said board | substrate is a conveyance apparatus in a thin plate liquid in any one of Claims 1-3 provided with the rotary blade member.   The thin plate submerged conveyance apparatus in any one of Claims 1-4 provided with the thin plate guide member extended along the conveyance path | route of the said thin plate.   The said process tank is a conveyance apparatus in a thin plate liquid in any one of Claims 1-5 which provided the process liquid collection | recovery part which collect | recovers the said process liquid in the conveyance direction exit side of the said thin plate.

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