TW202403120A - Plating apparatus and plating method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a plating apparatus and a plating method, by each of which at least one main surface of a rectangular substrate is plated. A plating apparatus according to the present invention is provided with: a process tank in which a plating liquid is retained; an anode electrode which is in contact with the plating liquid in the process tank; and a substrate holding unit which holds a substrate in a horizontal posture with one main surface facing up within the process tank. The substrate holding unit has a plurality of chuck mechanisms, each of which is provided with a cathode electrode and holds the substrate, while having the cathode electrode in contact with the one main surface of the substrate; and at least one chuck mechanism is arranged on each one of two sides, which face each other, among the sides of the substrate. Consequently, even a large substrate can be held in an appropriate posture and a uniform plating film can be obtained.

Description

Electroplating device and electroplating method

The present invention relates to an electroplating device and an electroplating method that perform electroplating on one of the main surfaces of a rectangular substrate such as a printed circuit board or a glass substrate.

Technology that uses electroplating to form metal thin films on the surfaces of various substrates such as semiconductor substrates, printed circuit boards, and glass substrates is widely used. For example, in the electroplating apparatus described in Patent Document 1, one end of a substrate transported to a treatment tank storing a plating solution is grasped by a clamp provided with a cathode electrode. Then, the plating process is performed while conveying the substrate in the processing tank by moving the clamp.

Furthermore, in the electroplating apparatus described in Patent Document 2, the peripheral edge portion of the substrate is held by a ring-shaped substrate support frame that is provided with a cathode electrode and has an open center portion. Then, with the substrate support frame in a suspended state, it is immersed in a processing tank storing a plating solution, and the substrate is processed using the plating solution. [Prior technical literature] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 4268874 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-031718

(The problem that the invention wants to solve)

In recent years, there has been an evolution towards larger substrates. For example, large substrates with a side of more than 1 meter are being manufactured. However, the above-mentioned conventional technology is not suitable for processing such large substrates. That is, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is configured to transport the substrate by gripping only a part of the peripheral edge portion of the substrate with a clamp. With this structure, the substrate is held in one-sided state, making it difficult to maintain the posture of the large substrate. In addition, the contact area between the substrate and the cathode electrode is small, and the distance between the substrate surface and the electrode greatly varies depending on the position. Therefore, it is difficult to form a uniform film by plating.

Furthermore, in the technology described in Patent Document 2, if the substrate is large, the substrate support frame surrounding the substrate must also be large. As a result, the installation scale of the plating equipment becomes extremely large. In addition, the substrate support frame must be prepared according to the size and shape of the substrate, and it cannot easily adapt to changes in the substrate. (Technical means to solve problems)

The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide a plating device and a plating method that can maintain an appropriate posture even for a large substrate and obtain a uniform coating.

One aspect of the present invention is an electroplating device that performs electroplating on at least one main surface of a rectangular substrate, including: a treatment tank that stores a plating solution; an anode electrode in contact with the plating solution in the treatment tank; and in the treatment tank. , a substrate holding portion that holds the substrate in a horizontal posture with one of the main surfaces facing upward. Wherein, the substrate holding part has a plurality of chuck mechanisms, and the chuck mechanisms are respectively provided with cathode electrodes, and the cathode electrodes are held in contact with one of the main surfaces while gripping the substrate; at least one side of the substrate is connected to each other. At least one of the above-mentioned chuck mechanisms is arranged on each of the two opposite sides.

Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention is an electroplating method for electroplating at least one of the main surfaces of a rectangular substrate. In a processing tank that has stored a plating solution, the substrate holding portion is in a horizontal position with one of the main surfaces facing upward. The substrate is held and immersed in the plating solution. Here, the substrate holding part has a plurality of chuck mechanisms, and the chuck mechanisms are each provided with a cathode electrode, and the cathode electrode is brought into contact with one of the main surfaces while gripping the substrate; at least one of the sides of the substrate is At least one of the above-mentioned chuck mechanisms is arranged on each of the two sides facing each other. Then, electricity is applied between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode that are in contact with the plating solution in the treatment tank, and electroplating treatment is performed on one of the main surfaces.

In the invention thus constituted, the plating process is performed in a horizontal position in which at least two sides of the rectangular substrate are held by a chuck mechanism and are facing each other. By holding the two sides facing each other, the base plate can be stably maintained in a horizontal position. In addition, because the cathode electrode can be in contact with one of the main surfaces at both ends of the substrate, the distance between each position of the substrate and the electrode is reduced, and a uniform film can be formed. (Compare the effectiveness of previous technologies)

As described above, in the present invention, at least two of the sides of a rectangular substrate in a horizontal position facing each other are grasped by a chuck mechanism equipped with a cathode electrode. Therefore, even if it is a large substrate, its posture can be maintained stably, and a uniform coating can be obtained by plating.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more fully understood by referring to the accompanying drawings and reading the following detailed description. However, the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

Hereinafter, specific aspects of the electroplating apparatus of the present invention will be described by illustrating several embodiments.

<First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of the first embodiment of the electroplating apparatus of the present invention. The electroplating device 1 is a device for forming a metal (for example, gold) film on at least one main surface of various substrates S (hereinafter referred to as "substrates") such as semiconductor substrates, printed circuit boards, and glass substrates by electrolytic plating. In the following description, the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is defined as shown in Figure 1. FIG. 1 is a side view of the electroplating apparatus 1 . The horizontal direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1 is referred to as the X direction, and the horizontal direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 1 is referred to as the Y direction. Also, let the vertical direction be the Z direction. In addition, in each figure, the dotted arrow indicates the movement direction of each member.

The electroplating apparatus 1 has a structure in which various parts described below are assembled in a frame 10 composed of a plurality of frame members. In addition, in FIG. 1 and the following figures, in order to avoid complicating the drawings, descriptions of parts of the structure that do not obstruct the description will be appropriately omitted. Specifically, for example, the holding mechanism for holding parts, the cover for covering the parts, the mechanism for mounting these on the frame 10, etc. have a low degree of contribution to the establishment of the invention, or the related structures can also be appropriately adopted. It is a well-known technology and the structure is considered to require no special explanation, so the illustration will be omitted.

Figure 1 shows a front view of the electroplating device 1. The electroplating apparatus 1 is provided with a transport unit 2 that transports the substrate S in the Y direction. The conveying unit 2 is provided with a plurality of conveying rollers 21 arranged in the Y direction. The conveying rollers 21 are each rotatably supported with the X direction as the axis direction by a support mechanism (not shown). The conveyance roller 21 is rotated by a drive mechanism not shown in the figure, and the conveyance part 2 conveys the substrate S in the horizontal posture in the Y direction. The rectangular substrate S is transported with one of the four surrounding sides as the front. Hereinafter, the conveyance path of the substrate S is represented by a component symbol P, and the conveyance direction is represented by a component symbol Dt.

The electroplating apparatus 1 further includes a loading part 3 , a plating processing part 4 , a cleaning processing part 5 , an unloading part 6 , a power supply part 7 and a control part 8 . The loading unit 3 , the plating processing unit 4 , the cleaning processing unit 5 and the unloading unit 6 are arranged in this order along the substrate transport direction Dt (Y direction) by the transport unit 2 . That is, in this electroplating apparatus 1, while the substrate S is transported in the Y direction by the transport unit 2, necessary processing is performed in each of the above-mentioned processing units.

The loading unit 3 receives and temporarily holds the unprocessed substrate S transported from the outside, and supplies the substrate S to the plating processing unit 4 when necessary. The electroplating processing unit 4 is a processing body that performs the electroplating method of the present invention, and immerses the substrate S in the electroplating solution to perform electroplating processing. Its composition and actions will be described in detail later.

The cleaning processing part 5 includes a cleaning tank 51, a barrel 52, and a cleaning liquid supply and discharge part 59. The cleaning tank 51 can store the cleaning liquid in an internal space having a sufficient size to accommodate the substrate S. The side surface of the cleaning tank 51 on the Y direction side is provided with an opening at a portion overlapping the conveyance path P, and the openings are provided with shutters 51a and 51b that can be opened and closed.

The bucket 52 is arranged below the cleaning tank 51 to receive the cleaning liquid overflowing from the cleaning tank 51 . The cleaning liquid supply and discharge part 59 supplies cleaning liquid to the cleaning tank 51 as needed, and discharges the cleaning liquid from the cleaning tank 51 . The cleaning processing unit 5 performs cleaning processing on the substrate S immersed in the plating solution in the plating processing unit 4 . For example, water is used as a cleaning liquid. The unloading unit 6 temporarily retains the substrate S after the cleaning process until the substrate S is transported to the subsequent processing step by an external transport device.

The power supply unit 7 supplies necessary power to each part of the device. The control unit 8 controls each unit of the device having the above-mentioned structure to cause the electroplating device 1 to perform predetermined processing. The hardware configuration of the control unit 8 can be the same as that of a general computer device, for example. That is, various processes described later can be realized by the CPU (not shown) provided in the control unit 8 executing a previously prepared control program. Although not specifically described below, each unit of the device operates based on the control instructions from the control unit 8 .

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the schematic structure of the electroplating processing unit. In addition, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2 and corresponds to a side view of the plating treatment portion 4 when viewed in the Y direction. The plating processing part 4 includes a plating tank 41, barrels 42 and 44, a chuck part 40, and a plating solution supply and discharge part 49. The plating tank 41 can store the plating liquid in an internal space having a sufficient size to accommodate the substrate S. The barrel 42 is arranged below the electroplating tank 41 to receive overflowing electroplating liquid. The chuck portion 40 is disposed above the plating tank 41 and holds the substrate S to be plated. The barrel 44 is arranged adjacent to the (-Y) side with respect to the barrel 42 below the electroplating tank 41 . The plating liquid supply and discharge part 49 supplies the plating liquid to the plating tank 41 and discharges the plating liquid from the plating tank 41 as needed.

As shown in FIG. 2 , openings are provided in portions overlapping the conveyance path P on the (-Y) side surface and the (+Y) side surface of the plating tank 41 , and freely closable gates are provided in the opening portions. 41a,41b. When the shutters 41a and 41b are in an open state, the substrate S conveyed in the conveyance path P by the conveyance unit 2 can pass through the opening provided on the side surface of the plating tank 41. Thereby, the unprocessed substrate S can be loaded into the electroplating tank 41 , and the processed substrate S can be carried out from the electroplating tank 41 .

On the other hand, in the closed state, the opening provided on the side of the plating tank 41 is blocked. At this time, the conveyance path P of the substrate S is blocked, and the plating liquid can be stored in the plating tank 41 beyond the height of the opening. After the substrate S is accommodated in the plating bath 41 with the shutter 41a on the (-Y) side in an open state, the shutter 41a is closed. The internal space of the plating tank 41 is filled with the plating liquid L, and the substrate S is immersed in the plating liquid L to perform electroplating treatment. Then, when the plating liquid is discharged and the (+Y) side shutter 41b is opened, the plated substrate S is carried out of the cleaning unit 5 . The related gates 41a and 41b can be closed and opened independently of each other or can be closed and opened integrally.

In the plating tank 41, the anode electrode 45 is arrange|positioned above the conveyance path P. The anode electrode 45 is electrically connected to the power supply unit 7 . The plating liquid L is stored in the plating tank 41 in a sufficient amount to be able to contact the anode electrode 45 . As will be described later, a cathode electrode is provided on a chuck mechanism that holds the substrate S in the plating tank 41 . By applying a DC voltage between the electrodes from the power supply unit 7, a film is formed on the surface of the substrate S by electrolytic plating.

As shown in FIG. 3 , two sets of chuck portions 40 are respectively arranged corresponding to both ends of the substrate S housed in the plating tank 41 in the X direction. The two sets of chuck heads 40 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the YZ plane and have the same basic structure. That is, each chuck head 40 is equipped with at least one chuck mechanism 400, a support frame 430 that supports the chuck mechanism 400, and a moving mechanism 43 that moves the support frame 430 in the Y direction.

In this embodiment, three sets of chuck mechanisms 400 are attached to one support frame 430. These move in the Y direction integrally as the support frame 430 moves. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 2 , each chuck mechanism 400 can be in the "electroplating position" (shown by the solid line) located above the plating tank 41 and the "cleaning position" (shown by the dotted line) located above the barrel 44 . time to move back and forth in the Y direction. As will be described later, the substrate S is grasped by the chuck mechanism 400 and the posture of the substrate S in the plating tank 41 is stably maintained. Thereby, the built-in cathode electrode is brought into contact with one of the main surfaces of the substrate S, and a film is formed on one of the main surfaces by electrolytic plating.

As shown in FIG. 3 , a rotation motor 23 is coupled to the rotation shaft 22 of the conveyance roller 21 . The substrate S is conveyed in the Y direction by rotating the rotation motor 23 in accordance with the control command from the control unit 8 to rotate the conveyance roller 21 . In addition, some of the rollers may be driven rollers that are not connected to a driving source.

4A and 4B are diagrams showing the schematic structure of the chuck mechanism. In addition, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the structure of a mechanism that supports the chuck mechanism. More specifically, FIG. 4A is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of the chuck mechanism 400 , and FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a state in which the substrate S is grasped by the chuck mechanism 400 . In addition, when the structure and function of the chuck mechanism 400 are described below, the chuck mechanism 400 holding the (-X) side end of the substrate S will be mainly exemplified and explained. However, by inverting the same structure around the Z-axis, the structure and operation of the chuck mechanism holding the (+X) side end of the substrate S can be understood. In addition, in order to improve the visibility of the figure, the illustration of part of the structure of the chuck mechanism 400 is omitted in FIG. 4A , and the relevant parts are described in FIG. 5 .

The chuck mechanism 400 grips the X-direction end of the substrate S through an upper chuck 411 and a lower chuck 421 that can move up and down independently of each other. Specifically, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 are flat plate-like members each elongated with the Y direction as the long side direction. The lower surface 411b of the upper chuck 411 is in contact with the (-X) end portion of the upper surface Sa of the substrate S, and the upper surface 421a of the lower chuck 421 is in contact with the (-X) end portion of the lower surface Sb of the substrate S. , while grasping the substrate S. In fact, the cathode electrode 412 is mounted on the lower surface 411b of the upper chuck 411, and the cathode electrode 412 is in contact with the upper surface Sa of the substrate S.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4B , the lower chuck 421 has a function of regulating the position of the substrate S in the height direction (Z direction). Thereby, when the cathode electrode 412 provided on the upper chuck 411 contacts the substrate S, the lower chuck 421 also has a reinforcing effect. Thereby, the height direction position of the substrate S is stably maintained, and the cathode electrode 412 can be in reliable electrical contact with the upper surface Sa of the substrate.

The shaft member 413 extending in the Z direction is attached to the upper surface 411a of the upper chuck 411. The shaft member 413 is supported by a lifting mechanism 414 so as to be able to move freely up and down. The upper chuck 411 is fixedly coupled to the shaft member 413 using, for example, screws, and is detachable and replaceable. The lifting mechanism 414 has an appropriate direct drive mechanism such as an electromagnetic, linear motor, or ball screw mechanism, and moves the shaft member 413 up and down. Thereby, the upper chuck 411 attached to the lower end of the shaft member 413 moves up and down. Here, an integral unit including the upper chuck 411, the shaft member 413, the lifting mechanism 414, etc. is called the "upper chuck unit 410."

Similarly, the shaft member 423 extending in the Z direction is attached to the upper surface 421a of the lower chuck 421 . The shaft member 423 is supported by a lifting mechanism 424 so as to be able to move up and down freely. The lower chuck 421 is fixedly coupled to the shaft member 423 using, for example, screws, and is freely attachable and detachable. The lifting mechanism 424 has an appropriate direct drive mechanism such as an electromagnetic, linear motor, or ball screw mechanism, and raises and lowers the shaft member 423 . Thereby, the lower chuck 421 attached to the lower end of the shaft member 423 moves up and down. Here, an integral unit including the lower chuck 421, the shaft member 423, the lifting mechanism 424, etc. is called the "lower chuck unit 420."

The upper clamp unit 410 is mounted on the support member 401 . Specifically, the upper chuck unit 410 is fixed to the support member 401 via the fixing member 404 . Therefore, the upper chuck 411 can only move up and down with respect to the support member 401 . On the other hand, the lower chuck unit 420 is attached to the support member 401 via the forward and backward mechanism 402 . Specifically, the support member 403 to which the lower chuck unit 420 is mounted is coupled to the movable portion of the advance and retreat mechanism 402 with the X direction as the movable direction. The forward and backward mechanism 402 has an appropriate direct drive mechanism such as an electromagnetic, a cylinder, a linear motor or a ball screw mechanism, and the main body is fixed on the support member 401 . A guide rail 405 is provided at the lower part of the support member 401, and the slider 406 engaged with the guide rail 405 is coupled to the lower chuck unit 420.

Therefore, the lower chuck unit 420 can move in the X direction within a movable range regulated by a stopper (not shown) by the operation of the forward and backward mechanism 402 . Therefore, the lower chuck 421 can move up and down by the lifting mechanism 424 and move forward and backward in the X direction by the forward and backward mechanism 402 with respect to the support member 401 .

When the lower chuck 421 is within the movable range and moves in and out to the (+X) side, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 4B , the (+X) side front end of the lower chuck 421 is located closer to the substrate S. The end surface is closer to the (+X) side, and the upper surface 421a of the lower chuck 421 can support the lower surface Sb of the substrate S. On the other hand, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 4B , when the lower chuck 421 is within the movable range and is retracted to the most (-X) side, the (+X) side front end of the lower chuck 421 is retracted to It is closer to the (-X) side than the S end surface of the substrate. Therefore, contact with the substrate S when the lower chuck 421 is raised and lowered can be avoided.

The chuck mechanism 400 uses an upper chuck 411 and a lower chuck 421 to interact and cooperate to grip the substrate S in the electroplating tank 41 . Specifically, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 are lowered into the plating tank 41 from the chuck mechanism 400 positioned at the plating position. The end portion of the substrate S is grasped at the same height as the substrate S supported by the conveyance roller 21 . Therefore, in the plating bath 41, the substrate S is held in a horizontal posture with a flat upper surface. Hereinafter, the Z-direction position where the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 are located at this time is called the "lower position".

The chuck mechanism 400 is installed on a support frame 430 which is composed of a plurality of parts assembled into a frame shape. Specifically, the support member 401 of the collet mechanism 400 is fixed to the support frame 430, and the collet mechanism 400 is supported by the support frame 430. As shown in FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, three sets of chuck mechanisms 400 are installed on the support frame 430 extending in the Y direction as the longitudinal direction.

The support frame 430 is supported by the traveling mechanism 43 so as to be movable in the Y direction. More specifically, the traveling mechanism 43 includes a guide rail 431, a slider 432, and a driving source (not shown). The guide rail 431 is fixed to the frame 10 above the electroplating treatment part 4 and extends in the Y direction. The sliding member 432 is engaged with the guide rail 431 . The driving source moves the slider 432 along the guide rail 431 in the Y direction. These structures can use appropriate direct drive mechanisms, such as linear motors, chain drive mechanisms, or belt drive mechanisms. For example, a single-axis robotic arm pre-integrated with these components is suitable for use.

A chuck support member 433 extending downward is attached to the slider 432 . Then, the support frame 430 is coupled to the lower end of the chuck support member 433 . Therefore, when the slider 432 moves in the Y direction along the guide rail 431, the support frame 430 and the collet mechanism 400 installed thereon move integrally in the Y direction. That is, in accordance with the control command from the control unit 8, the traveling mechanism 43 is operated to cause the slider 432 to travel, whereby the chuck mechanism 400 moves in the Y direction.

When a plurality of clamp mechanisms 400 are installed on the support frame 430, the clamp mechanisms 400 move integrally in the Y direction. Thereby, each chuck mechanism 400 can move back and forth between the electroplating position located above the electroplating tank 41 and the cleaning position located above the barrel 44 . In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , a plurality of sets of sliders 432 and chuck support members 433 may be attached to one support frame 430 . Thereby, even if a plurality of chuck mechanisms 400 are installed, the posture of the support frame 430 can be stabilized and the support frame 430 can be moved reliably.

With this structure, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 can move as follows. That is, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 can be raised and lowered independently of each other by the operation of the raising and lowering mechanisms 414 and 424. Furthermore, the lower chuck 421 can move forward and backward in the X direction relative to the upper chuck 411 by the operation of the forward and backward mechanism 402 . Then, due to the operation of the wandering mechanism 43, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 can move integrally in the Y direction.

When the traveling mechanism 43 moves the chuck mechanism 400 in the Y direction, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 are retracted upward by the lifting mechanisms 414 and 424. Thereby, during movement, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 can be predictably prevented from contacting the wall surface of the electroplating tank 41 . Hereinafter, the Z-direction positions of the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 at this time are called "upper positions."

As will be described later, in this embodiment, the plurality of chuck mechanisms 400 basically perform the same actions at the same timing. Therefore, the control of the chuck mechanism 400 by the control unit 8 can be implemented independently for each chuck mechanism 400, or can be implemented in parallel.

6A to 6C are diagrams showing the lower structure of the upper chuck. As shown in FIG. 6A , a plate-shaped cathode electrode 412 extending in the Y direction is provided on the lower surface 411 b of the upper chuck 411 . The cathode electrode is electrically connected to the power supply unit 7 . Furthermore, a ring-shaped sealing member 415 made of an elastic material is provided to surround the periphery of the cathode electrode 412 . As shown in FIG. 6B , the lower end of the sealing member 415 extends below the lower surface of the cathode electrode 412 .

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6C , when the cathode electrode 412 contacts the upper surface Sa of the substrate S, the sealing member 415 elastically deforms and surrounds the cathode electrode 412 in an airtight state. Therefore, even when the substrate S is immersed in the plating solution, the cathode electrode 412 does not come into contact with the plating solution and remains in a dry state. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cathode electrode 412 from being corroded and forming a film due to contact with the plating solution.

Accordingly, the cathode electrode 412 provided under the upper chuck 411 contacts one of the main surfaces of the substrate S, specifically the upper surface Sa, and the anode is arranged above the substrate S in a manner opposite to the upper surface Sa. Electrode 45. By applying a DC voltage between the electrodes from the power supply unit 7, a metal film can be formed on the upper surface Sa of the substrate S by electrolytic plating.

The chuck mechanism 400 grips the substrate S at both ends of the substrate S in the X direction, that is, at both ends in the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction Dt. Then, most of the substrate S is grasped at both ends of the substrate S in the X direction by using a plurality of chuck mechanisms 400 provided along the Y direction, that is, the conveyance direction Dt of the substrate S. The chuck mechanism 400 helps to maintain the posture of the substrate S stably by grasping the substrate S. Furthermore, by bringing the cathode electrode 412 extending in the Y direction into contact with the substrate S, a uniform potential can be applied over a wide range. Therefore, this electroplating apparatus 1 can form a highly uniform electroplating film on the substrate S.

In addition, the electroplating device 1 is provided with a cleaning mechanism for removing the plating liquid adhering to the chuck mechanism 400 and cleaning the chuck mechanism 400 . The composition and actions of the relevant cleaning mechanisms will be described in detail later.

Next, the operation of the electroplating apparatus 1 configured as above will be described. The basic operation flow of the electroplating apparatus 1 is summarized as follows. The unprocessed substrate S is loaded into the loading unit 3 . The substrate S is conveyed from the carrying part 3 to the plating processing part 4 . The plating processing unit 4 performs electrolytic plating processing on the substrate S to form a metal film on the surface (upper surface Sa). The electroplated substrate S undergoes cleaning processing in the cleaning processing unit 5 and is finally carried out to the unloading unit 6 .

FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the operation of each part. More specifically, FIG. 7 shows the operations of each part along the time T with the direction from top to bottom as the time axis. At time T0, after the unprocessed substrate S is loaded into the loading unit 3, each unit of the device performs the following operations. The brackets in the figure indicate the initial status of each part. In addition, in FIG. 7 , the portion indicated by a thick line along the vertical line of each processing unit indicates that the substrate S exists in the processing unit.

In the initial state, the chuck mechanism 400 is positioned at the plating position above the plating tank 41 . On the other hand, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 are positioned at an upper position so as not to interfere with the plating tank 41 . In addition, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 may be positioned further downward than shown in the figure as long as they do not become an obstacle to conveying the substrate S along the conveying path P.

The loaded substrate S is temporarily stored in the loading unit 3 . In the plating processing part 4, the gates 41a and 41b of the plating tank 41 are opened, and the substrate S can be conveyed along the conveyance path P. At this time, the plating solution supplied from the plating solution supply and discharge part 49 is stored in the plating tank 41 to a height that does not flow out from the opening. In the cleaning processing unit 5 , the shutters 51 a and 51 b of the cleaning tank 51 are also opened, and the substrate S can be transported along the transport path P. At this point, the substrate S does not exist in the unloading unit 6 .

At time T1, the transport unit 2 starts transporting the substrate S. The substrate S is conveyed in the conveying direction Dt (Y direction) along the conveying path P, and is finally conveyed to the plating tank 41 . The dotted arrow in FIG. 7 indicates that the substrate S is transferred by the transfer unit 2 .

When the substrate S is carried into the plating tank 41 and transportation is stopped, the shutters 41a and 41b are closed. At this time, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 of the chuck mechanism 400 are lowered in parallel to grip the substrate S. Then, the plating liquid L is supplied from the plating liquid supply and discharge part 49 to the plating tank 41 . With the substrate S gripped by the chuck mechanism 400, a DC voltage is applied between the anode electrode 45 and the cathode electrode 412 to perform electrolytic plating.

8A to 8D are diagrams showing the gripping action of the substrate by the chuck mechanism, and FIGS. 9A to 9D are enlarged views showing the movement of the upper and lower chucks at this time. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B , the substrate S loaded into the carrying part 3 is transported in the transporting direction Dt by the rotation of the transporting roller 21 of the transporting part 2 , and is finally carried into the plating tank 41 as shown in FIG. 8C . . When the substrate S is loaded into the plating tank 41, the shutters 41a and 41b are closed. The upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 of the chuck mechanism 400 are lowered toward the substrate S accommodated in the plating tank 41, and then the substrate S is grasped as shown in FIG. 8D. In this state, the substrate S is immersed in the plating liquid by supplying the plating liquid L to the plating tank 41 .

The movements of the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 during the gripping operation are as follows. As shown in FIG. 9A , from the state where the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 are in the upper position, the lower chuck 421 is first moved to the lower position. At this time, the lower chuck 421 is lowered in a retracted state toward the (-X) direction side so as not to interfere with the (-X) side end of the substrate S. As shown in FIG. 9B , the lower chuck 421 moves in the (+X) direction toward the substrate S after descending to a position lower than the lower surface Sb of the substrate S shown by the two-dot dotted line.

As shown in FIG. 9C , after the lower chuck 421 moves in and out to a predetermined position, it then rises slightly. Thereby, the upper surface 421a of the lower chuck 421 comes into contact with the lower surface Sb of the substrate S. At this time, the position of the lower chuck 421 is set so that the upper surface Sa of the substrate S is maintained in a flat horizontal posture. That is, the height direction position of the lower chuck 421 is defined so that the height of the end portion of the substrate S gripped by the chuck mechanism 400 is equal to the height of the center portion of the substrate S supported by the conveyance roller 21 .

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 9C and 9D , the upper chuck 411 also descends from the upper position toward the lower position, and comes into contact with the upper surface Sa of the substrate S whose lower surface Sb is supported by the lower chuck 421 . At this time, the lower surface of the upper chuck 411, strictly speaking, the lower surface of the cathode electrode 412 provided on the lower surface 411b of the upper chuck 411, is in contact with the upper surface Sa of the substrate S. Accordingly, gripping of the substrate S by the chuck mechanism 400 and electrical contact between the upper surface Sa of the substrate S and the cathode electrode 412 are completed.

During transportation along the transportation path P, the posture of the substrate S may change. In addition, the stopping position of the substrate S in the plating tank 41 may deviate from a predetermined position. In order to suppress variations in the processing results caused by these, it is preferable to attach a positioning member to the lower chuck 421 as shown below.

10A to 10C are diagrams showing the shape and function of the positioning member. The positioning member 426 is a member mounted on the upper surface 421a of the lower chuck 421, and the XZ cross-sectional shape of the positioning member 426 itself is an inverted trapezoid. That is, as shown in FIG. 10A , the end surface on the (+X) side has a pushed shape that retreats toward the (-X) side as it goes downward. In addition, as long as the (+X) side end surface of the relevant positioning member 426 has a pushed shape, the shape of other relevant parts is not limited to that shown in the figure.

When the lower chuck 421 to grip the substrate S moves in the (+X) direction toward the substrate S, as shown in FIG. 10B , the positioning member 426 comes into contact with the (-X) side end surface of the substrate S. Thereby, the position of the substrate S in the X direction is standardized. By causing the positioning member 426 to contact the end surface of the substrate S at the (-X) side end portion and the (+X) side end portion of the substrate S, the position of the substrate S in the X direction can be optimized.

When the lower chuck 421 is raised from this state and comes into contact with the lower surface Sb of the substrate S, the (+X) side end surface of the positioning member 426 is in a push-out shape. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10C , the positioning member 426 is separated. The end surface of the substrate S. Therefore, when the lower chuck 421 rises, it is possible to avoid the positioning member 426 from rubbing against the end surface of the substrate S.

The positioning member 426 may be provided to elongate in the X direction. Alternatively, a plurality of short positioning members 426 may be provided at intervals in the X direction. With these structures, the inclination of the substrate S on the vertical axis with respect to the conveyance path P, that is, the so-called "skew state", can be eliminated.

Return to Figure 7 to continue describing the operation of the device. The plating liquid L is supplied to the plating tank 41, and a voltage is applied between the electrodes in a state where the substrate S is immersed, thereby performing plating treatment on the substrate S. The cathode electrode 412 elongated in the Y direction is in contact with both ends of the upper surface Sa of the substrate S in the X direction. Thereby, the fluctuation of the electric field intensity Sa on the upper surface of the substrate S is suppressed, and a plating film with good uniformity can be formed. At this time, by linking the chuck mechanism 400 with the transport roller 21 to swing the substrate S in the electroplating tank 41, the uniformity of the electroplated film can be further improved.

Fig. 11 is a diagram explaining the swing operation. Through the action of the wandering mechanism 43, the support frame 430 supporting the chuck mechanism 400 alternately repeats the movement in the (+Y) direction shown in the upper diagram of Figure 11 and the movement in the (-) direction shown in the lower diagram of Figure 11 Y) direction movement. Thereby, the chuck mechanism 400 mounted on the support frame 430 integrally moves back and forth in the Y direction, and the substrate S held by the chuck mechanism 400 swings in the Y direction in the plating liquid L.

At this time, the conveyance roller 21 moves in conjunction with the support frame 430 . That is, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 11 , when the support frame 430 moves in the (+Y) direction and the substrate S is moved in the (+Y) direction by the chuck mechanism 400 , the conveyance roller 21 rotates forward, that is, toward the direction of use. The substrate S rotates in the direction in which the substrate S is conveyed in the conveyance direction Dt. On the other hand, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 11 , when the support frame 430 moves in the (-Y) direction and the substrate S is moved in the (-Y) direction by the chuck mechanism 400 , the conveyance roller 21 reverses, that is, moves in the direction of The substrate S is rotated in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction Dt (-Dt) in the conveyance direction.

Accordingly, by swinging the substrate S in the plating solution L and stirring the plating solution L, the fluctuation of the ion concentration in the solution can be reduced and the uniformity of the plating film can be improved. The swing of the substrate S in the plating tank 41 is realized by the interlocking movement of the chuck mechanism 400 that grips the end portion of the substrate S and the conveyance roller 21 that supports the center portion of the substrate S from below. Therefore, application of local stress to the substrate S can be prevented, and the substrate S can be oscillated while maintaining a horizontal posture.

Return to the explanation of Figure 7 again. The substrate S is immersed in the plating solution L, and the substrate S is allowed to swing for a certain period of time while applying a voltage between the electrodes. Then, the plating process is stopped by stopping the voltage application and discharging the plating liquid L. Then, the clamping of the substrate S by the chuck mechanism 400 is released, and the shutter 41b is opened. At time T2 , the substrate S is moved from the plating processing unit 4 to the cleaning processing unit 5 by the transport unit 2 . Releasing the gripping of the substrate by the chuck mechanism 400 can be achieved by performing the operations shown in FIGS. 9A to 9D in reverse order.

When the substrate S is accommodated in the cleaning tank 51, the cleaning processing unit 5 closes the shutters 51a and 51b. The cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply and discharge part 59 to perform cleaning processing on the substrate S. After the cleaning process has been performed for a predetermined time, the cleaning liquid is drained, the shutter 51b is opened, and the substrate S is discharged from the unloading part 6 at time T3.

In addition, when the plating liquid is discharged from the plating tank 41 and the cleaning liquid is discharged from the cleaning tank 51, it is not necessary to completely discharge the liquid in the tank. That is, as long as the liquid is discharged to the extent that the substrate S supported in the tank is exposed by the liquid and can be carried out, there is no problem in leaving the liquid in the tank. On the contrary, by remaining liquid, the amount of liquid required to fill the tank when processing the next substrate S can be reduced. This helps reduce liquid consumption and environmental impact.

On the other hand, the chuck mechanism 400 after releasing the grip of the substrate S undergoes a cleaning process for removing the plating solution adhered to the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 . The chuck cleaning process is performed as follows.

Figures 12A to 12D are diagrams illustrating the chuck cleaning process. Although illustration has been omitted so far, the electroplating apparatus 1 is equipped with a cleaning mechanism 9 . The cleaning mechanism 9 is provided with: a first cleaning part 91 arranged on the (-Y) side of the plating tank 41 and above the barrel 42 , a second cleaning part 92 and a third cleaning part 92 arranged above the barrel 44 Cleaning section 93. As shown in FIG. 12A , the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 of the chuck mechanism 400 retreat upward after releasing the grip of the substrate S. If the support frame 430 is moved to the washing position in the (-Y) direction from this state, as shown in FIG. 12B , the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 of each chuck mechanism 400 pass through the first washing position in sequence, respectively. The cleaning part 91, the second cleaning part 92, and the third cleaning part 93 are in opposite positions.

FIG. 12C shows a more detailed structure of the first cleaning part 91. The first cleaning part 91 is equipped with air nozzles 911, 912, and 913, and blows air flow to the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 to blow away the remaining adhering plating liquid. Specifically, the air nozzle 911 blows air from the side of the upper chuck 411 mainly toward the upper surface 411a. The air nozzle 912 blows an air flow from the lower side of the upper chuck 411 toward the lower surface 411 b of the upper chuck 411 . Since the plating solution dropped from the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 may adhere to the plating solution, it is preferable to provide a mechanism for cleaning the air nozzle 912 with clean water. The air nozzle 913 blows air from the side of the lower chuck 421 mainly toward the upper surface 421a. The blown electroplating solution and cleaning water are collected and recovered by the barrel 42.

The second cleaning part 92 mainly sprays cleaning water onto the upper chuck 411 to clean the lower surface 411b and the cathode electrode 412 provided thereon. Specifically, the second washing part 92 is provided with a wash water nozzle at the position of the air nozzle 912 shown in FIG. 12C , and supplies wash water from the wash water nozzle toward the lower surface 411 b of the upper chuck 411 . Thereby, the lower surface 411b of the upper chuck 411, the cathode electrode 412, and the sealing member 415 are cleaned. The third cleaning part 93 has the same structure as the first cleaning part 91, and removes the cleaning water remaining adhering to the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 by air blowing, and dries the water. In the third cleaning part 93, a mechanism for cleaning the air nozzles is not necessary.

As shown in FIG. 12D , when all the chuck mechanisms 400 installed by the support frame 430 pass through the position opposite to the cleaning mechanism 9 , the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck provided on each chuck mechanism 400 are completed. The head 421 is washed. Then, the support frame 430 moves in the (+Y) direction, and each chuck mechanism 400 returns to the plating position. In this way, the chuck mechanism 400 is cleaned, and when the next substrate S is processed, the remaining adhered plating liquid can be prevented from adhering to the substrate S.

Next, the operation of each component when the plating process is sequentially performed on a plurality of substrates S is examined. The substrate S is sequentially transported to the loading part 3, the plating processing part 4, the cleaning processing part 5, and the unloading part 6. As shown by the thick line in FIG. 7 , the substrate S stays in each of the processing units for a certain period of time. In principle, after the substrate S is unloaded from the processing units, the next substrate to be processed can be loaded in immediately. Therefore, by feeding in the next substrate S every time one substrate S is carried out, a plurality of substrates S can be efficiently processed.

However, when the chuck mechanism 400 is subjected to the cleaning process at the cleaning position, there is a risk that scattered cleaning water etc. may adhere to the substrate S when the substrate S is passed under it. In order to prevent this phenomenon, it is preferable that the loading of the substrate S from the loading unit 3 to the plating processing unit 4 be carried out after the cleaning process is completed. In addition, by providing a cover or a shielding member (not shown) to isolate the conveyed substrate S from the cleaning mechanism 9 , cleaning of the chuck mechanism 400 and conveyance of the substrate S can be performed in parallel.

＜Example of changes＞ 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating modification examples of the electroplating apparatus according to the first embodiment. In the electroplating apparatus 1 of the above embodiment, both ends of the substrate S in the X direction are gripped by three sets of chuck mechanisms 400 each having a cathode electrode 412 extending in the Y direction. In FIG. 13A , the hatched area R represents the area Sa on the upper surface of the substrate S that is gripped by the chuck mechanism 400 and is in contact with the cathode electrode 412 . The two ends of the substrate S in the X direction are in contact with the cathode electrode 412 at three locations respectively.

Since each cathode electrode 412 is formed to be elongated in the Y direction, it is in contact with most of the two sides of the rectangular substrate S in the X direction. Accordingly, by the cathode electrode 412 contacting most of the two opposite sides of the substrate S, a uniform potential can be applied to a wide range Sa on the substrate S, and a uniform electroplating film can be obtained.

Here, a modification example in which the same effect can be obtained even if the size of the substrate S is different will be described. As shown in FIG. 13B , when the Y-direction length of the substrate S is larger than the above example, the length can be covered by increasing the number of chuck mechanisms arranged in the Y-direction. On the contrary, when the Y-direction length of the substrate S is shorter than the above example, the number of chuck mechanisms arranged in the Y-direction can also be reduced.

Accordingly, by increasing or decreasing the number of clamp mechanisms disposed in the Y direction according to the side length of the substrate S, substrates S of various sizes can be accommodated. As shown in FIG. 4A , if the chuck mechanism 400 is an independent unit and is configured to be detachable from the support frame 430 , it can flexibly respond to changes in the size of the substrate S by adjusting the number and arrangement of the chuck mechanism 400 .

A plurality of collet mechanisms 400 can be configured as the same structural unit and modularized. The related support frame 430 is also pre-set with a plurality of structures (such as screw holes) for installing the collet mechanisms 400, so that such adjustment can be easily performed.

<Second Embodiment> 14A to 14C are diagrams for explaining the second embodiment of the electroplating apparatus of the present invention. Like FIGS. 13A and 13B , FIGS. 14A to 14C also mark the area R gripped by the chuck mechanism 400 on the upper surface Sa of the substrate S with a hatched line. In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13A , both sides in the X direction, that is, in the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction Dt of the substrate S, are gripped by the chuck mechanism 400 . Thereby, the posture of the substrate S in the plating tank 41 can be stabilized and the potential can be provided uniformly.

The same effect can also be obtained by grasping both ends of the substrate S in the Y direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 14A , in the substrate S, both end portions in the Y direction, that is, the front end portion and the rear end portion in the conveyance direction Dt are gripped by the chuck mechanism. Here, two sets of chuck mechanisms are provided at the front end and the rear end. As mentioned above, just optimize the number of chuck mechanisms according to the length of each side. Furthermore, as a configuration of the chuck mechanism, the same thing as the chuck mechanism 400 in the above-mentioned embodiment can be used with its arrangement direction rotated 90 degrees.

Here, in particular, by using the chuck mechanism 400 provided with the positioning member 426 shown in FIG. 10A in the chuck mechanism provided at the front end portion of the substrate S, that is, corresponding to the (+Y) side end portion, it is possible to Obtain the following effects.

When the substrate S is carried into the plating tank 41, the stopping position of the substrate S in the conveyance direction Dt changes. The reason for this is that, for example, even if a sensor for detecting the substrate S is installed at an appropriate position on the conveyance path P, and the conveyance is stopped when the sensor detects the substrate S, the time lag before stopping will still fluctuate, making it difficult to use the conveyance path P. Caused by the substrate S stopping at the specified position. Such deviation in the stop position will cause the positional relationship between the substrate S and the cathode electrode to change, thereby damaging the stability of the plating quality.

In a structure where the chuck mechanism 400 grips both ends of the substrate S in the width direction, for example, even if the positioning member 426 is provided, the positional deviation of the substrate S in the conveyance direction Dt cannot be corrected. On the other hand, when the chuck mechanism 400 is provided at both ends of the substrate S corresponding to the conveyance direction Dt, the positioning member 426 can correct such positional deviation in the conveyance direction Dt.

Especially when the chuck mechanism 400 is provided at the front end of the substrate S corresponding to the conveyance direction Dt, the design can be as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 14B , for example, before loading the substrate S into the processing tank 41 , the lower chuck 421 of the chuck mechanism 400 is lowered to the lower position so that the front end of the conveyed substrate S protrudes against the positioning Component 426. In this way, the stopping position of the substrate S can be kept constant.

＜Example of changes＞ As a modification of the first and second embodiments, as shown in FIG. 14C , chuck mechanisms may be disposed corresponding to all four sides of the substrate S. Each chuck mechanism can use the same structure as the chuck mechanism 400 shown in FIG. 4A. With this configuration, since the cathode electrodes are in contact with the four sides of the substrate S, the uniformity of the potential applied to the upper surface Sa of the substrate S is optimized, and the quality of the obtained electroplated film is also optimized.

Accordingly, the clamping mechanism is preferably provided on at least two opposite sides among the four sides of the rectangular substrate. Thereby, the posture of the substrate is stably maintained and a uniform potential can be applied over a wide range, thereby improving the plating quality. This effect is maximized when all four sides are gripped by the chuck mechanism.

<Third Embodiment> In the electroplating apparatus 1 of the first embodiment described above, in order to clean the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 that are immersed in the plating solution together with the substrate S, it is necessary to move the chuck mechanism 400 in the (-Y) direction to the cleaning position. Clean the clean area. However, this action may shorten the cycle time when processing multiple substrates continuously. In order to eliminate this problem, the following embodiments may be considered.

15A and 15B are diagrams showing the structure of a third embodiment of the electroplating apparatus of the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 15A is a front view showing the schematic structure of the electroplating processing section of the electroplating apparatus 1A according to the third embodiment, and FIG. 15B is a side view thereof. Regarding the parts that can use the same components as those of the electroplating apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment will be used as much as possible, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. The electroplating apparatus 1A of this embodiment is equipped with the same two sets of chuck heads 40 as those provided in the electroplating apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, and further has two sets of chuck heads 47 configured to sandwich them.

That is, one of the chuck portions 47 is disposed further outside than the chuck portion 40 on the (-X) side, that is, closer to the (-X) side. The other chuck portion 47 is arranged closer to the (+X) side than the chuck portion 40 on the (+X) side. What each chuck head 47 has in common with the chuck head 40 is that it is equipped with the chuck mechanism 400 shown in FIG. 4A and the wandering mechanism 43 shown in FIG. 5 . However, the difference lies in that the retracting mechanism 470 for moving the chuck mechanism 400 in the X direction is further provided.

More specifically, the retraction mechanism 470 is provided with a guide rail 471 that is attached to the chuck support member 433 of the traveling mechanism 43 and extends in the X direction. The support frame 430 is engaged with the guide rail 471 and can move in the X direction using an appropriate direct drive mechanism 472 provided by the retraction mechanism 470 . That is, the collet head 47 is moved by the retraction mechanism 470, so that the collet mechanism 400 installed on the support frame 430 can move in the X direction within a predetermined movable range.

When the chuck mechanism 400 of the chuck part 47 moves to the innermost state in the X direction, like the chuck part 40 , it allows the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 to enter the plating bath 41 and grasp the substrate. S. On the other hand, when the chuck mechanism 400 of the chuck part 47 moves to the outermost state in the X direction (the state shown in FIG. 15B ), the chuck mechanism 400 is retracted to the outer side than the chuck mechanism 400 of the chuck part 40 .

According to this structure, the two pairs of chuck heads 40 and 47 are alternately positioned at the plating position, and during this period, the other pair is moved to the cleaning position to perform cleaning processing, thereby improving the cycle time. When the positions of the chuck parts 40 and 47 are changed, in order to prevent the chuck mechanisms 400 from interfering with each other, the chuck mechanism 400 of the chuck part 47 must be retracted. To achieve this purpose, a retraction mechanism 470 can also be provided.

＜Others＞ As explained above, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the electroplating apparatuses 1 and 1A correspond to the "electroplating apparatus" of the present invention. The substrate S to be processed corresponds to the "substrate" in the present invention, and the upper surface Sa of the substrate S corresponds to "one of the main surfaces" in the present invention. Moreover, the plating tank 41 which stores the plating liquid L has the function of the "processing tank" of this invention. Furthermore, the chuck mechanism 400 has the function of the "chuck mechanism" of the present invention, and the chuck portions 40 and 47 including the chuck mechanism 400 have the function of the "substrate holding part" of the present invention. In addition, the support frame 430 has the function of the "support member" of the present invention.

Furthermore, in the chuck mechanism 400, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 respectively have the functions of the "first member" and the "second member" of the present invention. The lifting mechanisms 413 and 423 for lifting and lowering have the function of the "lifting mechanism" of the present invention. Furthermore, the forward and backward mechanism 402 has the function of the "forward and backward mechanism" of the present invention. In addition, the retraction mechanism 470 of the third embodiment has the function of the "retraction mechanism" of the present invention.

Furthermore, the wandering mechanism 43 of this embodiment moves the chuck mechanism 400 in the Y direction, and has both the function of moving the chuck mechanism 400 between the plating position and the cleaning position, and the function of moving the chuck mechanism 400 during the plating process. The head mechanism 400 has the function of swinging. Therefore, the wandering mechanism 43 has the functions of the "moving mechanism" and the "swinging mechanism" of the present invention.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the gist. For example, in the above embodiment, the chuck mechanism 400 is provided on two opposite sides or all four sides of the rectangular substrate S. However, the clamp mechanism of the present invention only needs to be provided on at least two opposite sides. This means that three of the four sides can also be gripped by the chuck mechanism. In this case, from the viewpoint of positioning the substrate, it is preferable to grasp one side of the end portion in front of the conveyance direction and two opposite sides in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction.

Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, the substrate S conveyed into the plating tank 41 by the conveyor roller 21 is gripped by the chuck mechanism 400 . However, the conveying means is not limited to rollers and may be arbitrary. On the other hand, it is also conceivable to transport the substrate while being held by the chuck mechanism. In this case, the transport means is not required. However, in order to stably maintain the posture of the large substrate, it is preferable to provide some kind of reinforcing means to support the central portion of the substrate S from below.

Furthermore, for example, in the above-described embodiment, when the substrate S is oscillated in the plating tank 41, the rotation direction of the transport roller 21 is switched in conjunction with the reciprocal movement of the chuck mechanism 400. At this time, instead of switching the driving direction of the conveying roller 21 , the conveying roller 21 may be cut off by the driving source so that the conveying roller 21 is driven to rotate relative to the swing caused by the chuck mechanism 400 .

In addition, the substrate to be processed does not need to be a geometrically strictly regulated rectangle. For example, even if it is a substrate with some concavities and convexities on either side, the outer shape of the envelope can be a roughly rectangular shape.

As mentioned above, the specific embodiment has been described by way of example. However, the electroplating apparatus of the present invention may also be configured to include, for example, a transport unit that supports the substrate from below and transports it in the horizontal direction, and the chuck mechanism is connected to the transport unit in the up-down direction. The substrate is held at the same position as the supported substrate. According to this structure, the substrate can be maintained in a flatter and horizontal posture by the conveyance part and the chuck mechanism.

Furthermore, for example, when the transport unit transports the substrate in a direction parallel to two parallel sides among the four sides of the substrate, at least one chuck mechanism may be arranged on each of the two parallel sides. That is, the chuck mechanism may be configured to grip two sides in the width direction orthogonal to the substrate conveyance direction. According to this structure, by combining the substrate support and transportation by the transportation unit and the substrate grasping by the chuck mechanism, the substrate can be smoothly carried into the processing layer, the plating process, and the processed substrate can be unloaded efficiently. Optimally perform processing of multiple substrates.

In this case, for example, in addition to the two parallel sides, at least one chuck mechanism may be disposed on at least one other side. As the number of gripped sides increases, the effect of maintaining the posture of the substrate and improving the plating quality by imparting a uniform potential are enhanced.

Furthermore, for example, two or more chuck mechanisms may be arranged on one side of the substrate. According to this structure, the ratio of the area gripped by the chuck mechanism per side becomes larger, which helps to maintain the posture stably.

Furthermore, for example, the substrate holding portion may have a plurality of chuck mechanisms having the same structure and shape. According to this structure, a plurality of chuck mechanisms can be manufactured according to the same specifications, which can reduce manufacturing costs and management costs of replacement parts.

In this case, for example, the substrate holding portion may have a support member for mounting a plurality of chuck mechanisms, and the support member may change at least one of the arrangement position and the number of the chuck mechanisms. According to this structure, the arrangement of the chuck mechanism can be easily optimized for substrates of various sizes.

Furthermore, for example, the chuck mechanism may respectively include: a first member that is in contact with one of the main surfaces of the substrate, a second member that is in contact with the other main surface on the opposite side to one of the main surfaces of the substrate, and the first member that is in contact with the other main surface of the substrate. The member and the second member move up and down relative to each other to perform a lifting mechanism for gripping and releasing the substrate; and the cathode electrode is installed on the lower surface of the first member. According to this structure, the gripping of the substrate by sandwiching the substrate between the first member and the second member also serves to bring the cathode electrode into reliable contact with the substrate. Therefore, the chuck mechanism stabilizes the posture of the substrate and stabilizes the electrical connection with the cathode electrode.

In this case, an annular sealing member surrounding the cathode electrode may be provided on the lower surface of the first member. According to this structure, an airtight space is formed around the cathode electrode in the plating solution, thereby preventing the cathode electrode from coming into contact with the plating solution.

Furthermore, for example, the chuck mechanism may each have a forward and backward mechanism for relatively moving the second member in the horizontal direction with respect to the first member. According to this structure, by changing the distance between the first member and the second member in the horizontal direction, the second member can be retracted outward from the substrate without coming into contact with the second member in a state where it can wrap around the underside of the substrate and grasp the substrate. Switch between the states where the base plate can be raised and lowered. That is, the lifting mechanism can prevent the second member from interfering with the substrate when moving the second member upward.

Furthermore, for example, the second member may be provided with a positioning member that contacts the end surface of the substrate to define the horizontal position of the substrate. The position of the substrate transported into the processing tank from the outside may change. If a positioning member is provided on the second member, and the end surface of the substrate protrudes against the positioning member to perform position correction during the gripping operation by the chuck mechanism, there is no need to perform additional alignment adjustment.

In this case, among the side surfaces of the positioning member, a pushing surface may be formed on the side surface facing the substrate that is further away from the substrate as it goes downward. According to this structure, after the end surface of the substrate protrudes against the positioning member, it is possible to avoid the positioning member from rubbing against the end surface of the substrate during the movement for bringing the second member into contact with the lower surface of the substrate.

Furthermore, for example, the substrate holding portion may have a swing mechanism that integrally moves a plurality of chuck mechanisms that respectively grip the substrate back and forth in the horizontal direction. According to this structure, by swinging the substrate held in the plating solution by the chuck mechanism, the uniformity of the film formed by the plating process can be further improved.

In this case, it may be configured to include a transfer roller that supports the substrate from below and rotates to transfer the substrate in the horizontal direction. When the swing mechanism moves the chuck mechanism back and forth, it can be configured to synchronize with the back and forth movement. Change the rotation direction of the conveyor roller. According to this structure, the conveyance roller that supports the center portion of the substrate from below is linked to the chuck mechanism that grips the end portion of the substrate, so that the posture of the substrate can be maintained in a stable state without excessive stress being applied to the substrate. The base plate swings.

Furthermore, for example, the lifting mechanism can also be used to move the first member and the second member to a lower position where the first member and the second member enter the treatment tank and contact the plating solution, and the first member and the second member are retracted to a lower position for treatment. In the structure in which the tank is raised and lowered between upper positions located further above, a cleaning mechanism is further provided that sprays at least one of an air flow and a cleaning liquid to the first member and the second member located at the upper position. According to this structure, the first member and the second member pulled up from the plating solution can be washed, and the remaining adhering plating solution can be removed. Therefore, when a plurality of substrates are processed sequentially, it is possible to prevent residual plating liquid from adhering to the substrates, resulting in degradation of processing quality.

Here, for example, when the substrate holding part has a moving mechanism that moves the chuck mechanism in the horizontal direction, the cleaning mechanism may be provided along the movement path of the chuck mechanism by the moving mechanism, and may be configured to provide a pair of passing and cleaning mechanisms. At least one of the air flow and the cleaning liquid is blown to the first member and the second member at opposite positions. Especially when a plurality of chuck mechanisms are provided, the first member and the second member can be cleaned efficiently by sequentially passing the positions opposite to the cleaning mechanism.

Furthermore, two sets of substrate holding parts having a plurality of chuck mechanisms may be respectively provided, and a moving mechanism provided on one of the two sets of substrate holding parts and a moving mechanism provided on the other of the two sets of substrate holding parts, The chuck mechanisms respectively provided in the two sets of substrate holding portions are selectively positioned above the processing tank. In this case, the cleaning mechanism may be configured to spray at least one of the air flow and the cleaning liquid to the first and second members of the chuck mechanism that is different from the chuck mechanism positioned above the treatment tank. According to this structure, by alternately using two sets of substrate holding portions to perform plating processing and cleaning processing, the takt time of the processing can be shortened.

Furthermore, in this case, one of the two sets of substrate holding portions may be provided with a retraction mechanism for retracting the chuck mechanism in a direction orthogonal to the movement direction of the moving mechanism. According to this structure, when the positions of the two sets of substrate holding parts are replaced, it is possible to avoid interference between the chuck mechanisms.

The invention has been described above based on specific embodiments, but this description is not intended to limit the interpretation. Referring to the description of the invention, various modifications disclosed in the same manner as other embodiments of the present invention are those that can be easily imagined by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the appended patent application covers such variations or implementations within the scope that does not deviate from the true scope of the invention. (industrial availability)

The present invention is quite suitable for the technology of performing electroplating treatment on one of the main surfaces of a substrate to form a film. Especially when processing large rectangular substrates, it can have obvious effects.

1: Electroplating device 1A:Electroplating device 2:Transportation Department 3: Move-in department 4:Electroplating processing department 5:Cleaning processing department 6: Moving out department 7:Power supply department 8:Control Department 9: Cleaning mechanism 10:Frame 21:Conveying roller 22:Rotation axis 23: Rotary motor 40, 47: Chuck part (substrate holding part) 41: Plating tank (processing tank) 42,44,52: barrel 43: Wandering mechanism (swing mechanism, moving mechanism) 45:Anode electrode 49: Electroplating solution supply and discharge department 51:Cleaning tank 51a,51b:gate 59: Cleaning fluid supply and discharge department 91: 1st cleaning department 92:The second cleaning department 93:The third cleaning department 400: Chuck mechanism 401,403:Supporting members 402: Advance and retreat mechanism 404: Fixed components 405,431,471: Guide rail 410: Upper side chuck unit 411: Upper chuck (first member) 411a, 421a: above 411b: below 412:Cathode electrode 413,423: Shaft member (lifting mechanism) 414,424:Lifting mechanism 415:Sealing component 420: Lower side chuck unit 421:Lower chuck (second member) 426: Positioning components 430: Support frame (support member) 432:Sliding piece 433:Collet support member 470:Retreat mechanism 911,912,913:Air nozzle Dt:Transportation direction L: plating solution P:Transportation path S:Substrate Sa: (one of the main surfaces of the substrate S)

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of the first embodiment of the electroplating apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the schematic structure of the electroplating processing unit. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 2 . FIG. 4A is a diagram showing the schematic structure of the chuck mechanism. FIG. 4B is a diagram showing the schematic structure of the chuck mechanism. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the mechanism structure of the chuck mechanism. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing the lower structure of the upper chuck. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing the lower structure of the upper chuck. FIG. 6C is a diagram showing the lower structure of the upper chuck. Fig. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the operation of each part. FIG. 8A is a diagram showing a substrate gripping operation by a chuck mechanism. FIG. 8B is a diagram showing the substrate grasping operation by the chuck mechanism. FIG. 8C is a diagram showing the substrate gripping operation by the chuck mechanism. FIG. 8D is a diagram showing the substrate grasping operation by the chuck mechanism. FIG. 9A is an enlarged view showing the movement of the upper and lower chucks during the grasping action. FIG. 9B is an enlarged view showing the movement of the upper and lower chucks during the grasping action. FIG. 9C is an enlarged view showing the movement of the upper and lower chucks during the grasping action. FIG. 9D is an enlarged view showing the movement of the upper and lower chucks during the grasping action. FIG. 10A is a diagram showing the shape and function of the positioning member. FIG. 10B is a diagram showing the shape and function of the positioning member. FIG. 10C is a diagram showing the shape and function of the positioning member. Fig. 11 is a diagram explaining the swing operation. Fig. 12A is a diagram explaining the chuck cleaning process. FIG. 12B is a diagram explaining the chuck cleaning process. Fig. 12C is a diagram explaining the chuck cleaning process. Fig. 12D is a diagram explaining the chuck cleaning process. FIG. 13A is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the electroplating apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13B is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the electroplating apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 14A is a diagram for explaining the second embodiment of the electroplating apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 14B is a diagram for explaining the second embodiment of the electroplating apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 14C is a diagram for explaining the second embodiment of the electroplating apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 15A is a diagram showing the structure of a third embodiment of the electroplating apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 15B is a diagram showing the structure of a third embodiment of the electroplating apparatus of the present invention.

2:Transportation Department

4:Electroplating processing department

21:Conveying roller

40: Chuck part (substrate holding part)

41:Electroplating tank

41a,41b: Gate

42:Bucket

43:Mobile mechanism

44:Bucket

45:Anode electrode

400:Collet mechanism

411: Upper side chuck

421: Lower side chuck

430:Supporting frame

Dt:Transportation direction

L: plating solution

P:Transportation path

S:Substrate

Claims (20)

An electroplating device is an electroplating device that performs electroplating on at least one of the main surfaces of a rectangular substrate, and is provided with: Processing tank, which stores electroplating solution; an anode electrode, which is in contact with the electroplating solution in the above-mentioned treatment tank; and A substrate holding part is mounted in the above-mentioned processing tank and holds the above-mentioned substrate in a horizontal position with one of the above-mentioned main surfaces facing upward; Wherein, the substrate holding part has a plurality of chuck mechanisms, and the chuck mechanisms are respectively provided with cathode electrodes, and the cathode electrodes are brought into contact with one of the main surfaces while gripping the substrate; At least one of the clamp mechanisms is arranged on at least two sides of the substrate that are opposite to each other. Such as the electroplating device of claim 1, which includes: a transport unit that transports the substrate in a horizontal direction while supporting it from below; The chuck mechanism grips the substrate at the same position as the substrate supported by the transport unit in the up-down direction. The electroplating device of claim 1, wherein the conveying unit conveys the substrate in a direction parallel to two sides of the substrate that are parallel to each other; The above-mentioned chuck mechanism is arranged with at least one on each of the above-mentioned two parallel sides. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the chuck mechanisms is arranged on each of the two parallel sides and at least one side other than the two parallel sides. The electroplating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein two or more of the chuck mechanisms are arranged on one side of the substrate. The electroplating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the substrate holding portion has a plurality of the chuck mechanisms having the same structure and shape. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the substrate holding portion has a support member on which a plurality of the chuck mechanisms are mounted; and the support member is capable of changing at least one of the arrangement position and the number of the chuck mechanisms. By. Such as the electroplating device of claim 6, wherein the above-mentioned chuck mechanism respectively has: The first member is in contact with one of the main surfaces of the substrate; The second member is in contact with the other main surface of the above-mentioned substrate on the opposite side to the one of the above-mentioned main surfaces; and A lifting mechanism that relatively lifts and lowers the first member and the second member to grasp and release the substrate; The cathode electrode is mounted on the lower surface of the first member. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein an annular sealing member surrounding the cathode electrode is provided on the lower surface of the first member. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each of the chuck mechanisms has a forward and backward mechanism for moving the second member in a horizontal direction relative to the first member. The electroplating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second member is provided with a positioning member that contacts an end surface of the substrate to define the horizontal position of the substrate. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a pushing surface that is further away from the substrate is formed on the side of the positioning member facing the substrate. The electroplating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the substrate holding portion has a swing mechanism that integrally moves the plurality of chuck mechanisms that respectively hold the substrate back and forth in the horizontal direction. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: a transport roller that transports the substrate in a horizontal direction by supporting the substrate from below and rotating it; When the swing mechanism moves the chuck mechanism back and forth, the conveying roller changes the rotation direction in synchronization with the back and forth movement. The electroplating device according to claim 8, wherein the lifting mechanism lifts the first member and the second member between the following positions: the first member and the second member enter the processing tank and contact the above-mentioned treatment tank. The lower position of the plating solution; the above-mentioned first member and the above-mentioned second member are retracted to an upper position above the above-mentioned treatment tank; The electroplating apparatus further includes a cleaning mechanism that sprays at least one of an air flow and a cleaning liquid to the first member and the second member located in the upper position. The electroplating device of claim 15, wherein the substrate holding portion has a moving mechanism that moves the chuck mechanism in a horizontal direction; The above-mentioned cleaning mechanism is disposed along the moving path of the above-mentioned chuck mechanism by the above-mentioned moving mechanism, and sprays the above-mentioned air flow and the above-mentioned cleaning mechanism to the above-mentioned first member and the above-mentioned second member passing through a position opposite to the above-mentioned cleaning mechanism. At least one of the pure liquids. The electroplating device of Claim 16, further comprising: two sets of the substrate holding portions each having a plurality of the chuck mechanisms; Among the two sets of substrate holding parts, the moving mechanism provided on one of the substrate holding parts and the moving mechanism provided on the other substrate holding part selectively hold the substrates in the two sets. The above-mentioned chuck mechanisms respectively provided on the top are positioned above the above-mentioned treatment tank; The above-mentioned cleaning mechanism sprays at least one of the above-mentioned air flow and the above-mentioned cleaning liquid to the above-mentioned first member and the above-mentioned second member of the above-mentioned chuck mechanism that is different from the above-mentioned chuck mechanism positioned above the above-mentioned treatment tank. . The electroplating apparatus according to claim 17, wherein one of the two sets of substrate holding portions is provided with a retraction mechanism for retracting the chuck mechanism in a direction orthogonal to the movement direction of the moving mechanism. institution. An electroplating method that performs electroplating on at least one of the main surfaces of a rectangular substrate, wherein, In the processing tank in which the electroplating liquid has been stored, the substrate holding part holds the substrate in a horizontal position with one of the main surfaces facing upward, and immerses it in the electroplating liquid; The substrate holding part has a plurality of chuck mechanisms, and the chuck mechanisms are respectively provided with cathode electrodes, and the cathode electrodes are brought into contact with one of the main surfaces while gripping the substrate; At least one of the above-mentioned chuck mechanisms is arranged on at least two of the sides of the substrate that are opposite to each other; Electricity is applied between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode that are in contact with the plating solution in the treatment tank, and electroplating treatment is performed on one of the main surfaces. The electroplating method according to claim 19, wherein the substrate holding unit integrally moves the plurality of chuck mechanisms that respectively hold the substrate back and forth in the horizontal direction to swing the substrate in the processing tank.