TWI808530B - Plating device and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention can facilitate the maintenance of the parts arranged in the lower part of the face-down coating device. The coating device of the present invention is provided with: a coating tank for holding a plating solution; a substrate holder for holding a substrate with the surface to be plated facing downward;

Description

Plating device and manufacturing method thereof

The invention relates to a coating device and a manufacturing method of the coating device.

Plating devices capable of performing plating on substrates are conventionally known such as so-called face-down or cup-type plating devices described in JP-A-2006-241599 (Patent Document 1) and US Patent No. 7351314 (Patent Document 2). Such a plating device includes: a plating tank that stores a plating solution and arranges an anode; and a substrate holder (also referred to as a plating head) that is arranged above the anode and holds a substrate serving as a cathode.

In terms of the structure of this type of face-down coating device, because the anode is arranged at the bottom of the coating tank, it is necessary to disassemble all the parts above the anode during the maintenance work such as replacing the anode. The workability of this series of operations is poor, and it takes time, and there is also a problem that the operation rate of a plating apparatus deteriorates. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-241599 (Patent Document 1) discloses a configuration in which an anode is held in an anode holder detachably attached to a plating tank. US Patent No. 7351314 (Patent Document 2) discloses a configuration in which a plating tank is divided into individual units of a treatment unit, a barrier unit, and an electrode unit, and an anode is arranged in the lowest electrode unit.

[Prior Technical Literature]

〔Patent Document〕

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-241599

[Patent Document 2] Specification of US Patent No. 7351314

In the face-down plating device, for the purpose of preventing the so-called terminal effect that the outer peripheral part of the substrate is thicker than the central part due to the resistance of the seed layer on the substrate, it is reviewed to arrange the variable anode mask with adjustable opening size in front of the anode to adjust the electric field from the anode to the substrate. In order to effectively adjust the electric field from the anode to the substrate, this variable anode mask should be arranged near the anode, and like the anode, be arranged at the bottom of the coating tank. Therefore, the maintenance of the variable anode shield also has the same problems as the anode.

The present invention is made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and one of the objects is to facilitate the maintenance of the parts arranged in the lower part of the face-down type coating apparatus.

One aspect of the present invention provides a coating device, which is provided with: a coating tank, which is used to keep the plating solution; a substrate holder, which holds the substrate with the surface to be plated downward; and a pull-out unit, which is installed in the coating tank freely in the horizontal direction, and has: an anode, which is disposed in the coating tank in a manner opposite to the substrate; and a variable anode cover, which has an opening for exposing the anode, and the opening size of the opening can be adjusted.

10: Plating tank

10A: Opening

11: Substrate holder

20: overflow tank

60: Diaphragm

61: anode

62: Variable anode mask

62A: opening

63: The first film

64:Second film

65: Resistance body

66: Paddle

611: bus bar

612:Protrusion

613: fastening member

621: blade

622: blade pressure plate

623: cam disc

623A: hole

623B: long hole

624: drive shaft

625: bearing

626: sealed

627: sealing and fixing components

628: plug

630: pull out unit

631: pull out the body

632: front plate

632A, 632B: sealed

633: Bottom plate

633A: base

633B: hole

634: handle

635: insulation cover

636: opening

637: sealing and fixing components

650: Actuator

651: output shaft

655: Bracket

661: the first joint

662: Second joint

663: fastening member

100: Loading port

110:Transfer robot

120: aligner

200: pre-wet module

300: Prepreg module

400: Plating module

500: cleaning module

600: spin rinse dryer

700: Conveyor

800: Control module

1000: Plating device

Ps: plating solution

Wf: Substrate

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of a coating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the overall structure of a coating device of an embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a coating module of a coating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a coating module of a coating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 5 is an upper perspective view for explaining the structure of the pull-out unit.

Fig. 6 is a bottom perspective view for explaining the structure of the pull-out unit.

Fig. 7 is a cutaway perspective view for explaining the structure of the drawer unit.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining the structure of the drawer unit.

Fig. 9 is a cutaway perspective view for explaining the structure of the bus bar of the pull-out unit.

Figure 10 is a top view showing the configuration of the seal of the front plate.

Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of a joint.

Hereinafter, a plating apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the drawings are schematically shown for easy understanding of the characteristics of the article, and the dimensional ratios of the respective components are not necessarily the same as the actual ones. In addition, X-Y-Z orthogonal coordinates are shown in some drawings for reference. In the orthogonal coordinates, the Z direction corresponds to the upper side, and the -Z direction corresponds to the lower side (the direction in which gravity acts).

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the overall configuration of a plating apparatus 1000 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the coating device 1000 of this embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the plating device 1000 includes: a loading port 100 , a transfer robot 110 , an aligner 120 , a pre-wetting module 200 , a pre-dipping module 300 , a plating module 400 , a cleaning module 500 , a spin rinse dryer 600 , a transfer device 700 , and a control module 800 .

The loading port 100 is a module for carrying wafers (substrates) accommodated in a cassette such as a FOUP (not shown) into the plating apparatus 1000 or carrying out substrates from the plating apparatus 1000 to the cassette. In this embodiment, four loading ports 100 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, but the number and arrangement of the loading ports 100 are not limited. The transport robot 110 is a robot for transporting substrates, and is used in the loading port 100, the aligner 120, the pre-wetting module 200 and the spin rinse dryer 600 are structured in such a way that substrates are transferred. When the transfer robot 110 and the transfer device 700 transfer the substrate between the transfer robot 110 and the transfer device 700 , the transfer of the substrate can be performed via a temporary stand (not shown).

The aligner 120 is a module for aligning the positions of the orientation planes or grooves of the substrate in a specified direction. In this embodiment, two aligners 120 are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction, but the number and arrangement of the aligners 120 are not limited. The pre-wetting module 200 replaces the air inside the pattern formed on the surface of the substrate with the processing liquid by wetting the plated surface of the substrate before the plating process with a processing liquid such as pure water or deaerated water. The pre-wetting module 200 is configured to perform pre-wetting treatment for easily supplying the plating solution to the inside of the pattern by replacing the treatment solution inside the pattern with the plating solution during plating. In this embodiment, two pre-humidity modules 200 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, but the number and arrangement of the pre-humidity modules 200 are not limited.

The pre-dip module 300 is formed by, for example, using a treatment solution such as sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid to etch away the high-resistance oxide film on the surface of the seed layer formed on the plated surface of the substrate before the plating process, and then perform a pre-dip process for cleaning or activating the surface of the plated substrate. In this embodiment, two prepreg modules 300 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, but the number and arrangement of the prepreg modules 300 are not limited. The plating module 400 performs plating treatment on the substrate. In this embodiment, there are 2 sets of 12 plating modules 400, 3 of which are arranged in parallel in the vertical direction and 4 in the horizontal direction, and a total of 24 plating modules 400 are provided, but the number and arrangement of the plating modules 400 are not limited.

The cleaning module 500 is configured to perform a cleaning process on the substrate in order to remove the plating solution and the like remaining on the substrate after the plating process. In this embodiment, two cleaning modules 500 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, but the number and arrangement of the cleaning modules 500 are not limited. The spin rinse dryer 600 is a module used to dry the cleaned substrate by rotating it at high speed. In this embodiment, two spin rinsing and drying machines 600 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, but the number and arrangement of the spin rinsing and drying machines 600 are not limited. transport The device 700 is a device for transferring substrates between a plurality of modules in the plating device 1000 . The control module 800 is configured to control a plurality of modules of the coating device 1000, and can be configured, for example, by a general computer or a dedicated computer having an input-output interface with an operator.

An example of a series of plating processes performed by the plating apparatus 1000 will be described below. First, the substrate stored in the cassette is loaded into the loading port 100 . Continuing, the transfer robot 110 takes out the substrate from the cassette of the loading port 100 and transfers the substrate to the aligner 120 . The aligner 120 aligns the positions of the orientation planes or grooves of the substrate in a specified direction. The transfer robot 110 sends the substrate aligned by the aligner 120 to the pre-wetting module 200 .

The pre-wet module 200 performs pre-wet treatment on the substrate. The conveying device 700 conveys the pre-wetted substrate to the prepreg module 300 . The prepreg module 300 performs prepreg treatment on the substrate. The conveying device 700 conveys the prepreg-processed substrate to the coating module 400 . The plating module 400 performs plating treatment on the substrate.

The transport device 700 transports the plated substrate to the cleaning module 500 . The cleaning module 500 cleans the substrate. The transfer device 700 transfers the cleaned substrate to the spin rinse dryer 600 . The spin rinse dryer 600 dries the substrate. The transfer robot 110 receives the substrate from the spin rinse dryer 600 , and transfers the dried substrate to the cassette of the loading port 100 . Finally, the cassette containing the substrate is carried out from the load port 100 .

In addition, the structure of the plating apparatus 1000 demonstrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is just an example, and the structure of the plating apparatus 1000 is not limited to the structure of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[Plating Module]

Next, the plating module 400 will be described. In addition, since the plurality of plating modules 400 included in the plating apparatus 1000 of this embodiment have the same configuration, a single plating module 400 will be described.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a coating module of a coating device according to an embodiment. Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a coating module of a coating device according to an embodiment.

The plating apparatus 1000 of this embodiment is called a face-down type or a cup type plating apparatus. The coating module 400 of the coating device 1000 of the present embodiment mainly includes: a coating tank 10; an overflow tank 20; a substrate holder 11, also called a coating head, which holds the substrate Wf; However, the tilt mechanism may also be omitted.

The plating tank 10 of this embodiment is comprised by the bottomed container which has an opening on the upper side. The plating tank 10 has: a bottom wall; and a side wall extending upward from the outer peripheral edge of the bottom wall, and the upper part of the side wall is open. The plating tank 10 has a cylindrical inner space for storing the plating solution Ps. The plating liquid Ps should just be a solution containing the ion of the metal element which comprises a plating film, and the specific example is not specifically limited. In this embodiment, an example of the plating treatment is a copper plating treatment, and an example of the plating solution Ps is a copper sulfate solution. In addition, in this embodiment, predetermined additives are contained in the plating solution Ps. However, it is not limited to this structure, The plating liquid Ps may be the structure which does not contain an additive.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the overflow tank 20 is constituted by a bottomed container disposed outside the coating tank 10 . The overflow tank 20 temporarily stores the plating solution Ps exceeding the upper end of the plating tank 10 . One example is that the plating solution Ps in the overflow tank 20 is discharged from the outlet (not shown) for the overflow tank 20, temporarily stored in the storage tank (not shown), and then returned to the plating tank 10 again.

The anode 61 is arranged at the lower part inside the plating tank 10 . The specific type of the anode 61 is not particularly limited, and a soluble anode or an insoluble anode can be used. In this embodiment, the anode 61 is an insoluble anode. The specific type of the insoluble anode is not particularly limited, and platinum, iridium oxide, and the like can be used. In this embodiment, a variable anode mask 62 is provided on the upper surface side (substrate Wf side) of the anode 61 .

The variable anode cover 62 has an opening 62A exposing the anode 61, and is an electric field adjusting material for adjusting the electric field from the anode 61 to the substrate Wf by adjusting the exposed range of the anode 61 through the opening 62A. The variable anode mask 62 of this embodiment is provided with a plurality of vanes 621 as shown in FIG. 4 , and the opening size of the opening 62A is adjusted by the same mechanism as the aperture of a camera. Details of the variable anode mask 62 will be described later.

The diaphragm 60 is disposed above the variable anode shield 62 inside the coating tank 10 . The inside of the plating tank 10 is divided into upper and lower chambers by a diaphragm 60 . The chamber on the upper side of the diaphragm 60 is called the cathode chamber, and the chamber on the lower side of the diaphragm 60 is called the anode chamber. The separator 60 of this embodiment has: a first membrane 63 of a neutral membrane; and a second membrane 64 of an ion exchange membrane. The configuration of the diaphragm 60 is an example, and other configurations may be employed. The first film 63 and the second film 64 are fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the plating tank 10 by brackets at the respective outer peripheral portions. In the anode chamber, the plating solution Ps is supplied from the liquid supply port 51 provided on the bottom wall of the plating tank 10 and discharged from the liquid discharge ports 52 (two in this embodiment) provided on the side wall of the plating tank 10 . The cathode chamber is also supplied with plating solution from a liquid supply port (not shown) and discharged from a liquid discharge port (not shown). The plating solution Ps containing additives such as accelerators is introduced into the cathode chamber, and the plating solution Ps containing no additives or low concentration of additives is introduced into the anode chamber. The diaphragm 60 allows metal ions in the plating solution to pass through the cathode chamber from the anode chamber, and prevents additives in the plating solution from passing through the anode chamber from the cathode chamber.

A porous resister 65 is arranged inside the plating tank 10 and above the diaphragm 60 . Specifically, the resister 65 is constituted by a porous plate member having a plurality of holes (pores). The plating solution Ps on the lower side of the resister 65 can pass through the resister 65 and flow on the upper side of the resister 65 . This resister 65 is a member provided for uniformizing the electric field formed between the anode 61 and the substrate Wf. By arranging such a resist 65 in the plating tank 10, uniformity of the film thickness of the plating film (plating layer) formed on the substrate Wf can be easily achieved. In addition, the resistance body 65 is not an essential structure in this embodiment, The structure which does not have the resistance body 65 may be sufficient as this embodiment.

The paddle 66 is arranged inside the plating tank 10 and near the substrate Wf (in this embodiment, between the resister 65 and the substrate Wf). The paddle 66 reciprocates in a roughly parallel direction with respect to the surface to be plated of the substrate Wf, so that a strong flow of the plating solution is generated on the surface of the substrate Wf. Thereby, the ions in the plating solution near the surface of the substrate Wf are made uniform, and the in-plane uniformity of the plating film formed on the surface of the substrate Wf is improved.

[Pull out unit]

Fig. 5 is an upper perspective view for explaining the structure of the pull-out unit. Fig. 6 is a bottom perspective view for explaining the structure of the pull-out unit. Fig. 7 is a cutaway perspective view for explaining the structure of the drawer unit. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view for explaining the structure of the drawer unit. Fig. 9 is a cutaway perspective view for explaining the structure of the bus bar of the pull-out unit. Hereinafter, a drawing unit in which the anode 61 and the variable anode mask 62 are integrated will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 9 .

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 , the anode 61 and the variable anode cover 62 integrally constitute a pull-out unit 630 . The pulling unit 630 includes: a pulling body 631 , an anode 61 , a variable anode cover 62 , a drive shaft 624 for driving the variable anode cover 62 , and a bus bar 611 for feeding power to the anode 61 . In addition, the bus bar 611 may not be included in the pull-out unit 630 .

As shown in FIG. 4 , the pull-out unit 630 is configured to be inserted into the coating tank 10 from the opening 10A opened on the side wall of the coating tank 10 . In the state where the pull-out unit 630 is inserted into the coating tank 10 and arranged inside the coating tank 10, the front plate 632 closes the opening 10A of the side wall of the coating tank 10, functions as a part of the side wall of the coating tank 10, and constitutes a part of the side wall of the coating tank 10.

The pull-out body 631 is formed of an electrically insulating material, and includes a bottom plate 633 and a front plate 632 . In addition, in this specification, the side of the front plate 632 is referred to as the front, and the side of the bottom plate 633 is referred to as the rear. The bottom plate 633 is a plate-shaped member, and holds the anode 61 and the variable anode cover 62 . In the bottom plate 633, as shown in FIG. 6, an opening 636 for liquid discharge is provided. In this figure, an opening is provided as a slit extending in the front-rear direction 636, however, the opening 636 can also be of any shape, and a plurality of them can also be provided. When the pull-out unit 630 is pulled out from the plating tank 10 by providing the opening 636 , the amount of plating solution remaining on the pull-out unit 630 can be reduced, and the plating solution can be prevented from stagnating on the pull-out unit 630 .

The front plate 632 is mounted on the front end of the bottom plate 633 to constitute a part of the side wall of the plating tank 10 . The front plate 632 is mounted on the front end of the bottom plate 633 by fastening members such as bolts. In addition, the front plate 632 and the bottom plate 633 can also be integrally formed. When the front plate 632 is inserted into the plating tank 10 through the opening 10A of the side wall of the plating tank 10 and installed, the opening 10A is closed to form a part of the side wall of the plating tank 10 . FIG. 8 shows a state in which the pulling unit 630 is disposed inside the coating tank 10 and fixed.

The front plate 632 of the pull-out unit 630 can be fixed to the side wall of the plating tank 10 by any fastening means such as bolts and screws. On the rear face (inner face) of the front plate 632 or the outer portion of the side wall of the plating tank 10 opposite to the inner face of the front plate 632, a seal 632A is provided to seal between the front plate 632 and the side wall of the plating tank 10 to prevent leakage of the plating solution. This seal 632A is, for example, as shown in FIG. 10 , provided in an annular shape on the outer peripheral portion of the inner surface of the front plate 632 .

A handle 634 held by the operator is provided on the front (outside) of the front panel 632 for the pull-out unit 630 to enter and exit the coating tank 10 . The handle 634 may also be fastened to the front plate 632 by, for example, bolts or screws, or may be integrally formed with the front plate 632 . In addition, an insulating cover 635 covering the bus bar 611 ( FIG. 6 ) exposed through the front plate 632 is attached to the approximate center of the front plate 632 .

The anode 61 is a plate-shaped electrode, and has a disk-like shape, for example. As shown in FIG. 9, the anode 61 has a protrusion 612 provided at the center of its back surface as a feeding point. The anode 61 is disposed on a base 633A disposed on the bottom plate 633 . For example, a concave portion corresponding to the shape of the anode 61 is provided on the base 633A, and the anode 61 is embedded and fixed in the concave portion. The base 633A is formed of an electrically insulating material. In addition, the bottom In the seat 633A, a hole 633B is provided at a position corresponding to the protrusion 612 of the anode 61 . The protrusion 612 of the anode 61 passes through the hole 633B, and the front end of the protrusion 612 is mechanically and electrically connected to the bus bar 611 .

One end (inner end, rear end) of the bus bar 611 is electrically and mechanically connected to the protrusion 612 of the anode 61 , and the other end thereof passes through the front plate 632 and is exposed on the outer side of the front plate 632 . The other end (outer end, front end) of the bus bar 611 is configured such that a cable for power feeding is fixed by fastening members 613 such as bolts and screws. The power feeding cable is supplied with power from a power source (not shown). A seal 632B is provided between the front plate 632 and the bus bar 611 to prevent leakage of the plating solution. The seal 632B is fixed by a seal fixing member 637 . Around the outer end of the bus bar 611, on the front plate 632, as shown in FIG. 8, an insulating cover 635 for preventing workers from touching the high-voltage portion is attached. The insulating cover 635 is mounted on the front plate 632 by fastening bolts, screws, etc., for example. The insulating cover 635 covering the exposed portion of the bus bar 611 from the front plate 632 is arranged slightly below the approximate center in the width direction of the front surface of the front plate 632 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 8 .

The variable anode cover 62 is configured to enlarge and reduce the opening size of the opening 62A of the variable anode cover 62 by moving a plurality of blades 621 with the same structure as the aperture mechanism of a camera. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 9 , the variable anode cover 62 includes: a cam disc 623 arranged at a predetermined distance from the surface of the anode 61 on the base 633A so as to surround the outer periphery of the anode 61; a vane pressing plate 622 arranged above the cam disc 623; and a plurality of vanes 621 sandwiched between the cam disc 623 and the vane pressing plate 622.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the cam disc 623 is an annular member and is disposed on the base 633A. The cam disk 623 is rotatably arranged on the base 633A. The cam disc 623 is rotatably supported by fitting into a recess provided on the upper surface of the base 633 , for example. In the cam disc 623, as shown in Figure 7, be provided with: engage and fix the hole 623A of the bolt 628 that is used to fix the driving shaft 624; Engage the long hole 623B. The cam disc 623 is rotated on the base 633 by the back and forth movement of the drive shaft 624 , and the plurality of vanes 621 are rotated by the rotation to adjust the opening size of the opening 62A ( FIG. 5 ) of the variable anode cover 62 .

The blade pressing plate 622 is an annular member as shown in FIG. 5 , and has an outer diameter slightly larger than that of the cam disc 623 . As shown in FIG. 9 , the blade pressing plate 622 is disposed above the plurality of blades 621 . The blade pressure plate 622 is non-rotatably fixed to the base 633A. A plurality of pins (not shown) are provided under the blade pressing plate 622 . Each pin engages with a round hole (not shown) provided on each vane 621, and each vane 621 can rotate around the pin. When each vane 621 is rotated by the rotation of the cam disc 623 , it rotates around the pin of the vane pressing plate 622 . In addition, round holes may also be provided in the blade pressing plate 622 , and pins may be provided in each blade 621 .

The plurality of blades 621 are blades having the same structure as the aperture mechanism of a camera, and are arranged around the opening 62A of the variable anode cover 62 . A plurality of vanes 621 are movably mounted on the cam disc 623 and the vane pressing plate 622 in such a manner that the opening size of the opening 62A of the variable anode cover 62 is enlarged and reduced.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the drive shaft 624 is fixed to the cam disc 623 by a pin 628 at the rear end (inner end) of the drive shaft 624 . In this example, the drive shaft 624 and the cam disc 623 are connected by the pin 628 engaging with the hole 623A provided on the cam disc 623 and the hole 624A located at the rear end of the drive shaft 624 . As shown in FIG. 5 , when the output shaft 651 of the actuator 650 reciprocates in the front-rear direction, the drive shaft 624 moves in the same direction as the output shaft 651 of the actuator 650 through the joints 661 , 662 , and 663 to rotate the cam disc 623 .

Drive shaft 624 As shown in FIG. 7 , the drive shaft 624 penetrates between the outer surface and the inner surface of the front plate 632 through a cylindrical bearing 625 installed so as to penetrate the front plate 632 . In more detail, the drive shaft 624 is disposed through the bearing 625 , the seal 626 on both ends thereof, and the seal fixing member 627 . The seal 626 seals between the bearing 625 and the drive shaft 624 to prevent the plating solution from leaking outside from between the bearing 625 and the drive shaft 624 . The seals 626 in this example are arranged inside the annular grooves provided on the end surfaces of the bearings 625, and are pressed and fixed by the seal fixing member 627. The seal 626 can be, for example, an omnidirectional seal in which resin is provided around an annular metal core material. The sliding resistance between the drive shaft 624 and the drive shaft 624 can be reduced by using the omnidirectional seal, so that the drive shaft 624 can move back and forth smoothly. In addition, as the seal 626, an O-ring or other arbitrary seals may be used in accordance with device specifications. The seal fixing member 627 is fixed to each end surface of the bearing 625 by fastening members such as bolts and screws, for example.

The drive shaft 624 for driving the variable anode cover 62 is driven by an actuator 650 fixed on the side of the coating tank 10 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 . In addition, in FIG. 5 , the illustration of the coating tank 10 is omitted for easy understanding of the mechanical connection relationship between the actuator 650 and the drive shaft 624 . As shown in FIG. 4 , the actuator 650 is fixed to the side wall surface of the plating tank 10 adjacent to the side wall surface provided with the opening 10A. The actuator 650 is mounted on the outside of the side wall of the plating tank 10, for example using a bracket 655 (FIG. 5).

The actuator 650 of this example is equipped with a motor at the top and an output shaft 651 at the bottom, and is configured to convert the rotation of the motor into linear reciprocating motion of the output shaft 651 . In addition, as the actuator, a type driven by fluid (air, oil pressure, etc.), a type driven by electromagnetic force of an electromagnetic element, and other arbitrary actuators can be employed. The output shaft 651 of the actuator 650 can reciprocate in the front-back direction by the power of fluid or the like (rotation of the motor in this embodiment).

A first joint 661 is connected to the front end (outer end) of the drive shaft 624 of the variable anode cover 62 , and a second joint 662 is connected to the front end of the output shaft 651 of the actuator 650 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the power from the actuator 650 is transmitted to the drive shaft 624 by detachably connecting the first joint 661 and the second joint 662 with any fastening member 663 such as bolts and screws. In this embodiment, the variable anode shade The drive shaft 624 of the cover 62 and the output shaft 651 of the actuator 650 are arranged parallel to each other. When the output shaft 651 of the actuator 650 reciprocates in the front-back direction, the drive shaft 624 of the variable anode cover 62 moves in the same direction parallel to the moving direction of the output shaft 651 of the actuator 650 .

In this embodiment, a guide portion for guiding the end of the first joint 661 from up and down is provided on the second joint 662, so that the rotation of the first joint 661 is stopped, and the first joint 661 can be attached to the second joint 662 in a stable posture. The first engaging member 661 can be a plate-shaped or rod-shaped member, and is integrally provided at the front end of the driving shaft 624 , or can be connected to the front end of the driving shaft 624 by any fastening member such as a bolt or a screw. The second engaging member 662 can be a plate-shaped or rod-shaped member, and is integrally provided at the front end of the output shaft 651 , or can be connected to the front end of the output shaft 651 by any fastening member such as a bolt or a screw.

When the output shaft 651 of the actuator 650 and the drive shaft 624 of the variable anode cover 62 are arranged at different heights, as shown in FIG. For example, the crank may be provided so that the end of the first joint 661 on the side of the drive shaft 624 and the end of the second joint 662 have different heights from each other. For example, the crank may be provided so that the end of the second joint 662 on the side of the output shaft 651 and the end of the first joint 661 have different heights from each other. In addition, the height of the portion of the second coupling member 662 fixed to the output shaft 651 may be different from that of the portion fixed to the first coupling member 661 .

The manufacturing method of the coating module 400 described above, especially the installation process of the drawing unit 630 to the coating tank 10 will be described below. The process of attaching the pull-out unit 630 to the plating tank 10 has at least the following steps.

(a) The process of preparing the plating tank 10 before mounting the pull-out unit 630.

(b) A process of inserting at least the anode 61, the variable anode cover 62, and the pull-out unit 630 of the drive shaft 624 for driving the variable anode cover 62 into the coating tank 10 from the opening 10A of the side wall of the coating tank 10, and disposing the pull-out unit 630 inside the coating tank 10.

(c) A process of installing the actuator 650 outside the side wall of the plating tank 10 .

(d) A process of attaching the front end of the drive shaft 624 of the pull-out unit 630 to the front end of the output shaft 651 of the actuator 650 through the joints 661 , 662 , and 663 .

In addition, the steps of (c) and (d) may be performed first.

In this way, when the pull-out unit 630 installed in the coating tank 10 is used, by driving the actuator 650, the drive shaft 624 of the pull-out unit 630 moves in the front-rear direction, the cam disk 623 rotates, and the plurality of blades 621 rotate to adjust the opening size of the opening 62A of the variable anode cover 62.

When maintaining the anode 61 and/or the variable anode cover 62, the pulling unit 630 is removed from the coating tank 10 according to the following steps. First, the coupling between the drive shaft 624 of the pull-out unit 630 and the output shaft 651 of the actuator 650 is released. Specifically, the fastening member 663 fastening the first joint part 661 and the second joint part 662 is disassembled. In addition, fastening members such as bolts, screws, etc. that fix the front plate 632 of the pull-out unit 630 to the side wall of the plating tank 10 are removed. The release of the joint and the removal of the front panel from the fastening member may be carried out first. Then, the pull-out unit 630 is pulled out from the plating tank 10 to be disassembled. Thereby, the anode 61 and/or the variable anode cover 62 can be removed from the coating tank 10 for maintenance without disassembling the parts in the coating tank 10 above the anode 61 and/or the variable anode cover 62 . Maintenance includes, for example, inspection, cleaning, parts replacement, adjustment, etc. of anodes, variable anode shields, and other parts (bus bars, etc.).

When the above-mentioned embodiment is adopted, at least the following effects can be achieved.

(1) When the above embodiment is adopted, the pulling unit 630 integrating the anode 61 and the variable anode cover 62 can be pulled out from the coating tank 10, and the maintenance and/or replacement of the anode and the variable anode cover can be easily performed. this In addition, since the front plate and the bottom plate are used to form the pullout, the height of the anode access and the variable anode cover can be ensured with a simple structure.

(2) When the above embodiment is adopted, since the drive shaft 624 of the variable anode cover 62 and the output shaft 651 of the actuator 650 can be installed and disassembled outside the coating tank 10 through the joint, the pulling unit 630 can be easily installed in the coating tank 10 and easily disassembled from the coating tank 10.

(3) When the above-mentioned embodiment is adopted, since the drive shaft 624 of the variable anode cover 62 is arranged parallel to the output shaft 651 of the actuator 650 and is moved in the same direction, it is only necessary to connect the drive shaft 624 of the variable anode cover 62 and the output shaft 651 of the actuator 650 with joints or the like, and the power transmission mechanism can be simply constituted.

At least the following aspects can be grasped from the above-described embodiments.

[1] One aspect provides a plating apparatus comprising: a plating tank for holding a plating solution; a substrate holder for holding a substrate with a surface to be plated facing downward; and a puller unit mounted to the coating tank so as to be detachable in a horizontal direction, and having: an anode disposed in the coating tank so as to face the substrate; and a variable anode cover having an opening exposing the anode and whose opening size can be adjusted.

In this form, the pull-out unit integrating the anode and the variable anode cover can be pulled out from the coating tank, and the anode and the variable anode cover can be easily repaired and/or replaced.

[2] One form further includes an actuator, which is arranged on the side of the coating tank and has an output shaft that can move forward and backward freely. The variable anode cover has an opening adjustment member that adjusts the opening size of the opening. The pulling unit further has a drive shaft that moves the opening adjustment member of the variable anode cover. The aforementioned drive shaft. The aperture adjustment member is, for example, a plurality of blades that operate with the same structure as the aperture mechanism of a camera.

In this form, since the drive shaft of the variable anode cover can be detached from the output shaft of the actuator outside the coating tank, the pull-out unit integrating the anode and the variable anode cover can be easily pulled out from the coating tank. In addition, when the pull-out unit is installed in the coating tank, since the drive shaft of the pull-out unit can be installed on the output shaft of the actuator outside the coating tank, the pull-out unit integrating the anode and the variable anode cover can be easily installed in the coating tank.

[3] One aspect is that the drive shaft of the pull-out unit is detachably connected to the output shaft of the actuator via a joint.

In this form, since the joint member can be released outside the coating tank and the drive shaft of the variable anode cover can be detached from the output shaft of the actuator, the pull-out unit integrating the anode and the variable anode cover can be easily pulled out from the coating tank. Furthermore, it is possible to mount the drive shaft of the variable anode shroud to the output shaft of the actuator by means of joints outside the coating tank.

[4] An aspect in which the output shaft of the actuator is arranged parallel to the driving shaft of the drawing unit, and the driving shaft of the drawing unit is moved in the same direction as the output shaft of the actuator.

In this form, since the drive shaft of the variable anode cover can be moved in the same direction as the output shaft of the actuator, it is only necessary to connect the drive shaft of the variable anode cover and the output shaft of the actuator with joints or the like, and the power transmission mechanism can be easily constituted.

[5] One aspect is that the aforementioned pull-out unit has: a base plate on which the aforementioned anode and the aforementioned variable anode cover are arranged; and a front plate that constitutes a part of the side wall of the aforementioned coating tank; the aforementioned drive shaft passes through the aforementioned front plate, and the aforementioned drive shaft is connected to the aforementioned output shaft of the aforementioned actuator outside the aforementioned coating tank.

In this form, since the drive shaft of the variable anode cover penetrates through the front plate of the pull-out unit constituting a part of the side wall of the coating tank, one end of the drive shaft of the variable anode cover can be installed outside the coating tank, and the connection between the drive shaft of the variable anode cover and the output shaft of the actuator can be easily connected and released outside the coating tank. In addition, since the plate constitutes a part of the side wall of the plating tank before the unit is pulled out, it is not necessary to separately provide an opening and a cover for getting in and out of the pulling unit in the plating tank.

[6] One aspect is that the pull-out unit further has: a bearing provided through the front plate to guide the drive shaft; and a seal provided at both ends of the bearing to seal between the drive shaft and the bearing.

According to this configuration, the plating solution can be prevented from leaking from the plating tank, and one end of the driving shaft of the variable anode cover is arranged outside the coating tank.

[7] One aspect is that the pulling unit has a bus bar electrically connected to the anode and feeds power to the anode, and the bus bar penetrates the front plate and extends to the outside of the plating tank.

In this form, the pull-out unit integrating the anode, the variable anode mask, the driving shaft of the variable anode mask, and the bus bar for feeding power to the anode can be pulled out from the plating tank. In addition, the bus bars can be easily connected to external wiring outside the plating tank.

[8] In one form, an opening for draining liquid is provided on the bottom plate.

According to this aspect, when the pull-out unit is pulled out from the plating tank, the amount of plating solution remaining in the pull-out unit can be reduced, and stagnation of the plating solution in the pull-out unit can be suppressed.

[9] One form is that the aforementioned joint has: a first member, which is a plate-shaped or rod-shaped member, and is integrally provided at one end of the aforementioned drive shaft, or is connected to one end of the aforementioned drive shaft; a second member, which is a plate-shaped or rod-shaped member, is integrally provided at the front end of the aforementioned output shaft or is connected to the aforementioned actuator the front end of the aforementioned output shaft; and a fastening member that detachably connects the aforementioned first member and the aforementioned second member.

According to this aspect, the coupling between the drive shaft of the anode cover and the output shaft of the actuator can be realized with a simple configuration and a highly reliable configuration.

[10] In one form, at least one of the first member and the second member has a crank, and the one end of the drive shaft is at a different height from the front end of the output shaft of the actuator.

With this aspect, even when the drive shaft of the variable anode shade and the output shaft of the actuator are at different heights, they can be connected easily and with high reliability.

[11] One aspect is that the fastening member is a bolt or a screw.

According to this aspect, the coupling member connecting the drive shaft of the variable anode cover and the output shaft of the actuator can be constituted simply and with high reliability.

[12] One aspect is that the drawing unit has: a bottom plate on which the anode and the variable anode mask are arranged; and a front plate that constitutes a part of the side wall of the coating tank.

When this form is adopted, the simple configuration of the bottom plate and the front plate can easily secure a space in the height direction for accommodating the variable anode cover having a thickness compared with that of the anode.

[13] One form provides a manufacturing method of a coating device, which is to prepare a coating tank, and insert a pull-out unit into the coating device, the pull-out unit has at least: a bottom plate, which holds the anode and a variable anode cover; a front plate, which constitutes a part of the side wall of the coating tank; The aforementioned drive shaft of the unit is detachably connected to the output shaft of the aforementioned actuator.

When this form is adopted, the pull-out unit integrating the anode, the variable anode mask, and the driving shaft of the variable anode mask can be pulled out from the coating tank, and the maintenance and/or replacement of the anode, the variable anode mask, and the driving shaft of the variable anode mask can be easily performed.

[14] One aspect is that the pulling unit further has a bus bar for feeding power to the anode.

When this form is adopted, the pulling unit integrating the anode, the variable anode mask, the driving shaft of the variable anode mask, and the bus bar for feeding power to the anode can be pulled out from the coating tank, and the maintenance and/or replacement of the anode, the variable anode mask, the driving shaft of the variable anode mask, and the bus bar for feeding power to the anode can be easily performed.

As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, the above-mentioned embodiment of this invention is for easy understanding of this invention, and it does not limit this invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the gist thereof, and the present invention of course includes equivalents thereof. In addition, as long as at least a part of the above problems can be solved, or at least a part of the effect can be achieved, the embodiments and modifications can be combined arbitrarily, and the constituent elements described in the scope of claims and the specification can be combined or omitted arbitrarily.

All disclosures including Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-241599 (Patent Document 1), US Patent No. 7351314 Specification (Patent Document 2), claims, drawings, and abstracts are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

10: Plating tank

10A: Opening

20: overflow tank

61: anode

62: Variable anode mask

621: blade

622: blade pressure plate

624: drive shaft

625: bearing

630: pull out unit

631: pull out the body

632: front plate

633: Bottom plate

634: handle

635: insulation cover

650: Actuator

651: output shaft

661: the first joint

662: Second joint

663: fastening member

Claims (14)

A coating device is provided with: a coating tank for holding a plating solution; a substrate holder for holding a substrate with a surface to be plated downward; a pull-out unit that can be freely drawn and installed in the coating tank in a horizontal direction, and has: an anode disposed in the coating tank in a manner opposite to the substrate; and a variable anode cover, which has an opening for exposing the anode and can adjust the size of the opening; The outside of the side wall has an output shaft that can advance and retreat freely. The aforementioned variable anode cover has an opening adjustment member that adjusts the opening size of the aforementioned opening. The aforementioned pulling unit further has a drive shaft that moves the aforementioned opening adjusting member of the aforementioned variable anode cover. The output shaft is arranged in parallel with a predetermined distance from the driving shaft of the drawing unit, and moves the driving shaft of the drawing unit in the same direction as the output shaft of the actuator. Such as the coating device of claim 1, wherein the above-mentioned coating tank is viewed as a quadrilateral when viewed from above, The driving shaft of the pulling unit is extended to the outside of the coating tank through an outer surface that is adjacent to and perpendicular to the outer surface of the side wall of the coating tank where the actuator is disposed. The coating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the driving shaft of the pulling unit is detachably connected to the output shaft of the actuator via a joint. The coating device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the aforementioned pull-out unit has: a base plate configured with the aforementioned anode and the aforementioned variable anode cover; and a front plate, which constitutes a part of the side wall of the aforementioned coating tank; the aforementioned drive shaft runs through the aforementioned front plate, and the aforementioned drive shaft is connected to the aforementioned output shaft of the aforementioned actuator outside the aforementioned coating tank. As the coating device of claim 4, wherein the aforementioned pulling unit further has: a bearing, which is provided through the aforementioned front plate, to guide the aforementioned drive shaft; and a seal, which is located at both ends of the aforementioned bearing, and seals between the aforementioned drive shaft and the aforementioned bearing. The coating device according to claim 4, wherein the pulling unit has a bus bar which is electrically connected to the anode and feeds power to the anode, and the bus bar penetrates the front plate and extends to the outside of the coating tank. The coating device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bottom plate is provided with an opening for draining liquid. Such as the coating device of claim 3, wherein the above-mentioned joint has: a first member, which is a plate-shaped or rod-shaped member, and is integrally arranged at one end of the aforementioned drive shaft, or is connected to one end of the aforementioned drive shaft; a second member, which is a plate-shaped or rod-shaped member, is integrally provided at the front end of the aforementioned output shaft, or is connected to the front end of the aforementioned output shaft of the aforementioned actuator; and a fastening member, which is detachably connected to the aforementioned first member and the aforementioned second member. The coating device according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first member and the second member has a crank, and the one end of the drive shaft is at a different height from the front end of the output shaft of the actuator. The coating device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the fastening member is a bolt or a screw. The coating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pulling unit has: a bottom plate configured with the anode and the variable anode cover; and a front plate forming a part of the side wall of the coating tank. A manufacturing method of a coating device, comprising: preparing a coating tank, inserting a pull-out unit into the coating device, the pull-out unit at least has: a bottom plate, which holds an anode and a variable anode cover; a front plate, which constitutes a part of the side wall of the coating tank; and a drive shaft, which passes through the front plate to drive the variable anode cover; on the part other than the front plate, an actuator is installed on the outside of the side wall of the coating tank, and the output shaft of the actuator and the drive shaft of the pull-out unit maintain a specified position It is arranged in parallel with a distance, and outside the coating tank, the aforementioned driving shaft of the aforementioned pulling unit is detachably connected to the output shaft of the aforementioned actuator, so that the aforementioned driving shaft of the aforementioned pulling unit moves in the same direction as the aforementioned output shaft of the aforementioned actuator. The manufacturing method according to claim 12, wherein the above-mentioned coating tank is viewed as a quadrilateral when viewed from above, and the aforementioned driving shaft of the aforementioned pulling unit is extended to the outside of the aforementioned coating tank through the outer side adjacent to and perpendicular to the outer side of the side wall of the aforementioned coating tank on which the aforementioned actuator is configured. The manufacturing method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the aforementioned pulling unit further has a bus bar, which is used to feed power to the aforementioned anode.

Images