US20030094373A1 - Apparatus for plating small-sized plating-piece - Google Patents
Apparatus for plating small-sized plating-piece Download PDFInfo
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- US20030094373A1 US20030094373A1 US10/286,172 US28617202A US2003094373A1 US 20030094373 A1 US20030094373 A1 US 20030094373A1 US 28617202 A US28617202 A US 28617202A US 2003094373 A1 US2003094373 A1 US 2003094373A1
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- plating
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C25D17/00—Constructional parts, or assemblies thereof, of cells for electrolytic coating
- C25D17/16—Apparatus for electrolytic coating of small objects in bulk
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C25D7/00—Electroplating characterised by the article coated
- C25D7/12—Semiconductors
- C25D7/123—Semiconductors first coated with a seed layer or a conductive layer
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an apparatus for electroplating a small-sized plating piece such as a small-sized electronic component and more particularly, to an improvement in the structure of a cathode thereof.
- Outer electrodes provided on the outer surfaces of chip-type small-sized electronic components such as monolithic ceramic capacitors, cylindrical capacitors, stacked varistors, stacked inductors, and other such devices are plated in many cases.
- chip-type small-sized electronic components such as monolithic ceramic capacitors, cylindrical capacitors, stacked varistors, stacked inductors, and other such devices are plated in many cases.
- Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 5-70999 describes the use of a plating apparatus shown in FIG. 6 when the above-described plating is carried out by an electroplating method.
- the plating apparatus 1 contains a plating bath which has a plating solution 2 .
- a cathode 4 and an anode 5 each made of a conductor are dipped in the plating solution 2 .
- a plurality of small-sized plating pieces (a set of the pieces are schematically shown by the broken line) to be plated are placed in a container 7 for components disposed in the plating solution 2 .
- the plating pieces 6 include a plurality of small-sized electronic components 6 a and also a plurality of media 6 b made of conductors.
- the above-described electrode 4 is arranged so as to define a portion of the bottom of the component-container 7 .
- the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b are placed on the cathode 4 in the plating solution 2 .
- the component-container 7 is provided with a vertical shaft 8 .
- the component-container 7 is rotated on the vertical axial line of the vertical shaft 8 so that the plating solution 2 is agitated, and moreover, the agitation-action is exerted on the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b , so that the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b can evenly contact the cathode 6 , respectively.
- the surface of the cathode 4 provided in the plating apparatus 1 which is to come into contact with the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b is so smooth and flat that the agitation of the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b is not disturbed.
- the cathode 4 has a smooth surface as described above, an electric field tends to be concentrated on the edges of the cathode 4 during plating. In some cases, the deposit 9 forms protuberances 10 on the edges of the cathode 4 as shown in FIG. 7.
- the above-described protuberances 10 disturb the agitation of the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b , and moreover, cause the deposit to peel off during plating. As a result, in some cases, the deposit 9 adheres as foreign matters to the small-sized electronic components 6 a.
- the protuberances 10 formed on the deposit 9 disturb the agitation of the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b .
- the state in which the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b are prevented from contacting with the cathode 4 occurs very easily and completely.
- the deposit is formed in a larger amount, so that the protuberances 10 readily occur.
- this process is undesirably repeated.
- preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a plating apparatus for greatly improving a process for plating a small-sized plating piece.
- an apparatus for plating a plurality of small-sized plating-pieces includes a plating bath in which a plating solution is contained, and a cathode and an anode made of conductors, which are dipped into the plating solution, respectively, the cathode having concavities formed on the surface thereof which is to contact with the small-sized plating-pieces, wherein a plurality of the small-sized plating-pieces are caused to contact with the cathode in the plating solution, and conduction is carried out between the cathode and the anode, so that plating films are deposited onto the small-sized plating-pieces.
- the concavities may be a plurality of grooves formed on the surface of the cathode which is to contact with the small-sized plating-pieces, may be a plurality of small holes formed on the surface, or may be a chamfer portion formed on the circumferential edge of the surface.
- the concavities are grooves
- the grooves are arranged so as to intersect each other.
- the apparatus for plating small-sized plating-pieces of a preferred embodiment of the present invention also includes a container for accommodating a plurality of the small-sized plating-pieces in the plating solution, and the cathode is arranged so as to define a portion of the bottom of the container.
- the container is arranged to be rotated about a vertical axis thereof
- Preferred embodiments of the present invention can be applied to different types of small-sized plating-pieces, and advantageously, is applied to plating of small-sized electronic components.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a plating apparatus according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is a plan view of a container provided in the plating apparatus;
- FIG. 2A is an enlarged plan view of the portion of the container shown in FIG. 1 in which a cathode is disposed;
- FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view thereof
- FIG. 3 illustrates a cathode according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. 2A;
- FIG. 4 illustrates a cathode according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. 2A;
- FIG. 5 illustrates a cathode according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. 2A;
- FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a plating apparatus relevant to preferred embodiments of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a container, and illustrates problems to be solved by preferred embodiments of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 will be also referred to for illustration of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- the plating apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 6 one of the novel characteristics of preferred embodiments of the present invention is the structure of the cathode 4 .
- FIG. 1 illustrates a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is a plan view of a component-container 7 .
- Cathodes 4 a are arranged so as to define a portion of the bottom of the component container 7 . According to this preferred embodiment, four electrodes 4 a are preferably arranged at intervals of about 90° around a shaft 8 .
- FIG. 2B is an enlarged view showing the portion of the component container 7 in which the cathode 4 a is disposed.
- FIG. 2A is an enlarged plan view of the portion of the component container, and
- FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view thereof.
- a plurality of grooves 11 are formed on the upper surface of the cathode 4 a , that is, on the surface of the cathode 4 a which is to come into contact with the small-sized electronic components 6 a as the plating-pieces 6 and the media 6 b (see FIG. 6). These grooves 11 form concavities on the upper surface of the cathode 4 a .
- the widths of the grooves 11 are preferably smaller than the respective sizes of the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b , so that the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b are prevented from fitting into the grooves 11 .
- three grooves 11 per one cathode 4 a are preferably arranged so as to be substantially parallel to each other.
- the number and the intervals of the grooves can be changed, if desired.
- the extending direction of the grooves 11 formed in each of the four cathodes 4 a is substantially coincident with the radial direction of the component-container 7 , as shown in FIG. 1.
- the extending direction of the grooves 11 may be optionally changed.
- each of the grooves 11 preferably has a substantially V-shaped cross-section, as shown in FIG. 2B.
- the groove may have a substantially U-shaped configuration, a substantially quadrangular-shaped configuration, or other suitable configuration.
- FIG. 3 illustrates a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. 2A.
- a plurality of the grooves 11 are formed on the upper surface of a cathode 4 b shown in FIG. 3, and moreover, a plurality of grooves 11 a are arranged so as to intersect the grooves 11 , that is, so as to be substantially perpendicular to the grooves 11 .
- FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, and correspond to FIGS. 2A and 2B, respectively.
- a plurality of small holes 12 are formed on the upper surface of a cathode 4 c shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. These small holes 12 form concavities.
- the sizes of the small holes 12 are preferably smaller than those of the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b to be plated, so that the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b are prevented from fitting into the small holes 12 .
- the number and the distribution of the small holes 12 may be optionally changed, if necessary.
- the small holes 12 are preferably substantially circular in the plan view thereof as shown in FIG. 4A, and may be angular in the plan view instead of the substantially circular shape.
- the grooves 11 have a substantially V-shaped configuration in the cross section as shown in FIG. 4B, and may have a substantially U-shaped configuration, a substantially quadrangular shape, or other suitable shape.
- FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention, and correspond to FIG. 2A and 2B, respectively.
- a chamfer portion 13 is provided on the circumferential edge of the upper surface of the cathode 4 d.
- the chamfer portion 13 defines a concavity.
- the size of the concavity defined by the chamfer portion 13 is preferably smaller compared to the sizes of the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b to be plated, so that the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b are prevented from fitting into the concavity.
- the chamfer portion 13 shown in the drawing is bent to a radius as shown in FIG. 5B, and may be changed to be an inclined flat surface.
- the region of a cathode to which an electric field is readily concentrated during plating can be divided and distributed in the vicinities of the grooves 11 , those of the grooves 11 and 11 a , and those of the small holes 12 , and in the vicinity of the chamfer portion 13 .
- the electric field which would be concentrated, can be dispersed.
- the phenomenon in which a relatively large amount of deposit 9 is formed only on the edge of the cathode 4 so that a protuberance 10 is formed, as shown in FIG. 7, is prevented from occurring.
- formation of the protuberance 10 which would disturb the agitation of the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b , can be prevented from occurring.
- the grooves 11 and 11 a , the small holes 12 , and the chamfered portion 13 are formed as the concavities so as to have such sizes that the plating-pieces 6 such as the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b are prevented from fitting into the concavities. This is done to prevent the small-sized electronic components 6 a and the media 6 b from fitting into the concavities and disturb the agitation thereof.
- the concavities have sizes that are sufficiently larger than those of the small-sized electronic components and the media, the components and the media, even if they are fitted into the cavities, can be easily moved out of the concavities. Thus, they are prevented from staying in the concavities, and the agitation thereof is not disturbed.
- cathode 4 a two types of cathodes having diameters of about 20 mm and about 30 mm were disposed in the component containers 7 , respectively.
- monolithic capacitors each having approximate dimensions of 1.0 mm ⁇ 0.5 mm ⁇ 0.5 mm were used.
- the surfaces of outer electrodes disposed on both end surfaces of each monolithic capacitor were plated.
- Table 1 shows the maximum thicknesses of deposits formed on the cathodes in the example of preferred embodiments of the present invention and Comparative Example, respectively.
- Table 1 Diameter of Comparative cathode Example example 20 mm 3 mm 8 mm 30 mm 1.5 mm 5 mm
- Table 2 shows peeling or not of deposits on the cathodes and the thicknesses (average) of plated-films formed on the outer electrodes of the monolithic capacitors in the example of preferred embodiments of the present invention and the Comparative Example for the cathodes each having a diameter of about 20 mm, respectively.
- TABLE 2 Plating thickness Peeling of deposit (average) Example peeling 4.9 ⁇ m Comparative not peeling 3.4 ⁇ m example
- the plating thicknesses were compared.
- the thickness could be increased in the example of preferred embodiments of the present invention, compared to that in the Comparative Example.
- the maximum thicknesses of deposits on the cathodes in the example of preferred embodiments of the present invention are smaller that those in the Comparative Example.
- the following is estimated. Formation of protuberances, which would disturb the agitation of the monolithic capacitors to be plated, is reliably prevented, so that the monolithic capacitors could come into contact with the cathode more fluently. As a result, the plating films each having a large thickness could be obtained.
- the three grooves 11 extending substantially parallel to each other were formed on the cathode 4 a with a diameter of about 20 mm as in the example of preferred embodiments of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2 B. It was determined that when the cathode 4 b having the three grooves 11 extending in the longitudinal direction and the three grooves 11 a extending in the lateral direction is used, the maximum thickness of a deposit on the cathode 4 b can be further reduced by about 2 mm.
- the concavities are formed on the surface of the cathode which is to come into contact with the small-sized plating pieces. Therefore, during plating, an electric field is readily concentrated in the vicinities of the concavities in addition to the edge of the cathode. Thus, the phenomena in which a larger amount of deposits are concentrated on the edge of the cathode, which causes protuberances or the like to be formed on the deposits, are reliably prevented.
- the concavities have anchor-effects on a deposit formed on the cathode and prevent the deposit from peeling off from the cathode. Therefore, the deposit as foreign matters is prevented from adhering to the small-sized plating pieces.
- the size of the cathode can be increased without any problems. Thus, the amount of deposit per unit area of the cathode can be increased, and also, the efficiency of plating can be greatly improved.
- the concavities are a plurality of the grooves formed on the surface of the cathode which is to come into contact with the small-sized plating-pieces, the concavities can be easily distributed completely on the surface of the cathode. Thus, an electric field generated during plating can be dispersed more effectively.
- the apparatus further includes a container for components which can accommodate a plurality of the small-sized plating pieces in a plating solution, and the cathode is arranged so as to form a portion of the bottom of the container.
- the present invention can be applied most advantageously.
- agitation-action is applied to the small-sized plating-pieces. In this state, the agitation-action can be more effectively exerted to the small-sized plating-pieces.
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Abstract
An apparatus for plating small-sized plating-pieces has a cathode and a plurality of grooves are formed on the surface of the cathode which is to come into contact with small-sized plating-pieces, so that an electric field can be concentrated onto the vicinities of the grooves. Thus, the electric field can be sufficiently dispersed on the whole cathode.
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to an apparatus for electroplating a small-sized plating piece such as a small-sized electronic component and more particularly, to an improvement in the structure of a cathode thereof.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- Outer electrodes provided on the outer surfaces of chip-type small-sized electronic components such as monolithic ceramic capacitors, cylindrical capacitors, stacked varistors, stacked inductors, and other such devices are plated in many cases. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 5-70999 describes the use of a plating apparatus shown in FIG. 6 when the above-described plating is carried out by an electroplating method.
- Referring to FIG. 6, the
plating apparatus 1 contains a plating bath which has aplating solution 2. Acathode 4 and ananode 5 each made of a conductor are dipped in theplating solution 2. - A plurality of small-sized plating pieces (a set of the pieces are schematically shown by the broken line) to be plated are placed in a
container 7 for components disposed in theplating solution 2. The platingpieces 6 include a plurality of small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and also a plurality ofmedia 6 b made of conductors. - The above-described
electrode 4 is arranged so as to define a portion of the bottom of the component-container 7. Thus, the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b are placed on thecathode 4 in theplating solution 2. - The component-
container 7 is provided with avertical shaft 8. The component-container 7 is rotated on the vertical axial line of thevertical shaft 8 so that theplating solution 2 is agitated, and moreover, the agitation-action is exerted on the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b, so that the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b can evenly contact thecathode 6, respectively. - To conduct between the
cathode 4 and theanode 5 provided in the above-describedplating apparatus 1, a predetermined voltage is applied between these electrodes. Thus, plating films are deposited onto the outer electrodes (not shown) of the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a. That is, the outer electrodes are electroplated as is desired. - When plating is carried out using the above-described
plating apparatus 1, inevitably, a deposit is more or less formed on the surface of thecathode 4. Particularly, the deposit is formed on thecathode 4 in such a large amount that the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b cannot contact thecathode 4 very easily and completely. - Moreover, the surface of the
cathode 4 provided in theplating apparatus 1 which is to come into contact with the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b is so smooth and flat that the agitation of the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b is not disturbed. - However, when the
cathode 4 has a smooth surface as described above, an electric field tends to be concentrated on the edges of thecathode 4 during plating. In some cases, thedeposit 9 formsprotuberances 10 on the edges of thecathode 4 as shown in FIG. 7. - The above-described
protuberances 10 disturb the agitation of the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b, and moreover, cause the deposit to peel off during plating. As a result, in some cases, thedeposit 9 adheres as foreign matters to the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a. - As described above, the
protuberances 10 formed on thedeposit 9 disturb the agitation of the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b. Thus, when the agitation is disturbed, the state in which the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b are prevented from contacting with thecathode 4 occurs very easily and completely. In this state, the deposit is formed in a larger amount, so that theprotuberances 10 readily occur. Thus, this process is undesirably repeated. - In order to overcome the problems described above, preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a plating apparatus for greatly improving a process for plating a small-sized plating piece.
- According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for plating a plurality of small-sized plating-pieces includes a plating bath in which a plating solution is contained, and a cathode and an anode made of conductors, which are dipped into the plating solution, respectively, the cathode having concavities formed on the surface thereof which is to contact with the small-sized plating-pieces, wherein a plurality of the small-sized plating-pieces are caused to contact with the cathode in the plating solution, and conduction is carried out between the cathode and the anode, so that plating films are deposited onto the small-sized plating-pieces.
- The concavities may be a plurality of grooves formed on the surface of the cathode which is to contact with the small-sized plating-pieces, may be a plurality of small holes formed on the surface, or may be a chamfer portion formed on the circumferential edge of the surface.
- In the case in which the concavities are grooves, preferably, the grooves are arranged so as to intersect each other.
- Preferably, the apparatus for plating small-sized plating-pieces of a preferred embodiment of the present invention also includes a container for accommodating a plurality of the small-sized plating-pieces in the plating solution, and the cathode is arranged so as to define a portion of the bottom of the container.
- Preferably, the container is arranged to be rotated about a vertical axis thereof
- Preferred embodiments of the present invention can be applied to different types of small-sized plating-pieces, and advantageously, is applied to plating of small-sized electronic components.
- Other features, elements, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a plating apparatus according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is a plan view of a container provided in the plating apparatus;
- FIG. 2A is an enlarged plan view of the portion of the container shown in FIG. 1 in which a cathode is disposed;
- FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view thereof;
- FIG. 3 illustrates a cathode according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. 2A;
- FIG. 4 illustrates a cathode according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. 2A;
- FIG. 5 illustrates a cathode according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. 2A;
- FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a plating apparatus relevant to preferred embodiments of the present invention; and
- FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a container, and illustrates problems to be solved by preferred embodiments of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 will be also referred to for illustration of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Regarding the
plating apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 6, one of the novel characteristics of preferred embodiments of the present invention is the structure of thecathode 4. - FIG. 1 illustrates a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is a plan view of a component-
container 7. -
Cathodes 4 a are arranged so as to define a portion of the bottom of thecomponent container 7. According to this preferred embodiment, fourelectrodes 4 a are preferably arranged at intervals of about 90° around ashaft 8. - FIG. 2B is an enlarged view showing the portion of the
component container 7 in which thecathode 4 a is disposed. FIG. 2A is an enlarged plan view of the portion of the component container, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view thereof. - As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a plurality of
grooves 11 are formed on the upper surface of thecathode 4 a, that is, on the surface of thecathode 4 a which is to come into contact with the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a as the plating-pieces 6 and themedia 6 b (see FIG. 6). Thesegrooves 11 form concavities on the upper surface of thecathode 4 a. The widths of thegrooves 11 are preferably smaller than the respective sizes of the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b, so that the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b are prevented from fitting into thegrooves 11. - In the
cathode 4 a shown in the drawing, threegrooves 11 per onecathode 4 a are preferably arranged so as to be substantially parallel to each other. The number and the intervals of the grooves can be changed, if desired. - The extending direction of the
grooves 11 formed in each of the fourcathodes 4 a is substantially coincident with the radial direction of the component-container 7, as shown in FIG. 1. The extending direction of thegrooves 11 may be optionally changed. - Moreover, each of the
grooves 11 preferably has a substantially V-shaped cross-section, as shown in FIG. 2B. In addition, the groove may have a substantially U-shaped configuration, a substantially quadrangular-shaped configuration, or other suitable configuration. - FIG. 3 illustrates a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to FIG. 2A.
- According to this preferred embodiment, a plurality of the
grooves 11 are formed on the upper surface of acathode 4 b shown in FIG. 3, and moreover, a plurality ofgrooves 11 a are arranged so as to intersect thegrooves 11, that is, so as to be substantially perpendicular to thegrooves 11. - FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, and correspond to FIGS. 2A and 2B, respectively.
- A plurality of
small holes 12 are formed on the upper surface of acathode 4 c shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. Thesesmall holes 12 form concavities. The sizes of thesmall holes 12 are preferably smaller than those of the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b to be plated, so that the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b are prevented from fitting into the small holes 12. - The number and the distribution of the
small holes 12 may be optionally changed, if necessary. - The
small holes 12 are preferably substantially circular in the plan view thereof as shown in FIG. 4A, and may be angular in the plan view instead of the substantially circular shape. Moreover, thegrooves 11 have a substantially V-shaped configuration in the cross section as shown in FIG. 4B, and may have a substantially U-shaped configuration, a substantially quadrangular shape, or other suitable shape. - FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention, and correspond to FIG. 2A and 2B, respectively.
- In the case of a
cathode 4d shown in FIG. 5B, achamfer portion 13 is provided on the circumferential edge of the upper surface of thecathode 4d. Thechamfer portion 13 defines a concavity. The size of the concavity defined by thechamfer portion 13 is preferably smaller compared to the sizes of the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b to be plated, so that the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b are prevented from fitting into the concavity. - The
chamfer portion 13 shown in the drawing is bent to a radius as shown in FIG. 5B, and may be changed to be an inclined flat surface. - According to the above-described first to fourth preferred embodiments, the region of a cathode to which an electric field is readily concentrated during plating can be divided and distributed in the vicinities of the
grooves 11, those of thegrooves small holes 12, and in the vicinity of thechamfer portion 13. Thus, the electric field, which would be concentrated, can be dispersed. Accordingly, the phenomenon in which a relatively large amount ofdeposit 9 is formed only on the edge of thecathode 4, so that aprotuberance 10 is formed, as shown in FIG. 7, is prevented from occurring. Thus, formation of theprotuberance 10, which would disturb the agitation of the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b, can be prevented from occurring. - Moreover, according to the first to fourth preferred embodiments, the
grooves small holes 12, and the chamferedportion 13 are formed as the concavities so as to have such sizes that the plating-pieces 6 such as the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b are prevented from fitting into the concavities. This is done to prevent the small-sizedelectronic components 6 a and themedia 6 b from fitting into the concavities and disturb the agitation thereof. - If the concavities have sizes that are sufficiently larger than those of the small-sized electronic components and the media, the components and the media, even if they are fitted into the cavities, can be easily moved out of the concavities. Thus, they are prevented from staying in the concavities, and the agitation thereof is not disturbed.
- Hereinafter, experimental examples carried out to identify the advantages of preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described.
- In an experimental example, which is an example of preferred embodiments of the present invention, the
component container 7 having an inner diameter of about 25 cm, having the fourcathodes 4 a arranged therein, as shown in FIG. 1, was disposed in theplating apparatus 1 as shown in FIG. 6. - Also in this experimental example, as the
cathode 4 a, two types of cathodes having diameters of about 20 mm and about 30 mm were disposed in thecomponent containers 7, respectively. - Three
grooves 11 were formed at intervals of about 5 mm on each of the above-describedcathodes 4 a having a diameter of about 20 mm. For each groove, the width was about 0.3 mm, and the depth was about 0.2 mm. - Regarding the
respective cathodes 4 a having a diameter of about 30 mm, threegrooves 11 were formed at intervals of about 5 mm. For eachgroove 11, the width was about 0.3 mm, and the depth was about 0.2 mm. - As the small-sized
electronic components 6 a to be plated, monolithic capacitors each having approximate dimensions of 1.0 mm×0.5 mm×0.5 mm were used. The surfaces of outer electrodes disposed on both end surfaces of each monolithic capacitor were plated. - On the other hand, as a Comparative Example, plating was carried out under the same conditions as those used in the above-described example of preferred embodiments of the present invention, except that a cathode having no grooves formed thereon was used.
- The following Table 1 shows the maximum thicknesses of deposits formed on the cathodes in the example of preferred embodiments of the present invention and Comparative Example, respectively.
TABLE 1 Diameter of Comparative cathode Example example 20 mm 3 mm 8 mm 30 mm 1.5 mm 5 mm - As seen in Table 1, for the cathodes having diameters of about 20 mm and about 30 mm, the maximum thicknesses of a deposit portion in the example of preferred embodiments of the present invention are smaller than those in the Comparative Example. Accordingly, it is estimated that formation of protuberances on the deposit was prevented in the example of preferred embodiments of the present invention.
- Table 2 shows peeling or not of deposits on the cathodes and the thicknesses (average) of plated-films formed on the outer electrodes of the monolithic capacitors in the example of preferred embodiments of the present invention and the Comparative Example for the cathodes each having a diameter of about 20 mm, respectively.
TABLE 2 Plating thickness Peeling of deposit (average) Example peeling 4.9 μm Comparative not peeling 3.4 μm example - As seen in Table 2, according to the example of preferred embodiments of the present invention, peeling of a deposit on the cathode is reliably prevented.
- Moreover, the plating thicknesses were compared. The thickness could be increased in the example of preferred embodiments of the present invention, compared to that in the Comparative Example.
- As seen in the results of the plating-film thickness shown in Table 2 and those of the maximum thickness of deposits on the cathode shown in Table 1, the maximum thicknesses of deposits on the cathodes in the example of preferred embodiments of the present invention are smaller that those in the Comparative Example. Thus, the following is estimated. Formation of protuberances, which would disturb the agitation of the monolithic capacitors to be plated, is reliably prevented, so that the monolithic capacitors could come into contact with the cathode more fluently. As a result, the plating films each having a large thickness could be obtained.
- In the above-described experimental examples, the three
grooves 11 extending substantially parallel to each other were formed on thecathode 4 a with a diameter of about 20 mm as in the example of preferred embodiments of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B. It was determined that when thecathode 4 b having the threegrooves 11 extending in the longitudinal direction and the threegrooves 11 a extending in the lateral direction is used, the maximum thickness of a deposit on thecathode 4 b can be further reduced by about 2 mm. - As described above, according to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the concavities are formed on the surface of the cathode which is to come into contact with the small-sized plating pieces. Therefore, during plating, an electric field is readily concentrated in the vicinities of the concavities in addition to the edge of the cathode. Thus, the phenomena in which a larger amount of deposits are concentrated on the edge of the cathode, which causes protuberances or the like to be formed on the deposits, are reliably prevented.
- Accordingly, disturbance of the agitation of the small-sized plating-pieces, which would be caused by the protuberances or the like, can be eliminated. Thus, the efficiency of plating is greatly improved.
- Moreover, the concavities have anchor-effects on a deposit formed on the cathode and prevent the deposit from peeling off from the cathode. Therefore, the deposit as foreign matters is prevented from adhering to the small-sized plating pieces. Moreover, the size of the cathode can be increased without any problems. Thus, the amount of deposit per unit area of the cathode can be increased, and also, the efficiency of plating can be greatly improved.
- Especially, when the above-described concavities are a plurality of the grooves formed on the surface of the cathode which is to come into contact with the small-sized plating-pieces, the concavities can be easily distributed completely on the surface of the cathode. Thus, an electric field generated during plating can be dispersed more effectively.
- The above-described effects can be surprisingly achieved when a plurality of the grooves are formed so as to intersect each other.
- According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, preferably, the apparatus further includes a container for components which can accommodate a plurality of the small-sized plating pieces in a plating solution, and the cathode is arranged so as to form a portion of the bottom of the container. In this case, the present invention can be applied most advantageously. In particular, according to this constitution, when the container is rotated about a vertical axis thereof, agitation-action is applied to the small-sized plating-pieces. In this state, the agitation-action can be more effectively exerted to the small-sized plating-pieces.
- While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it is to be understood that variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention, therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims.
Claims (23)
1. An apparatus for plating a plurality of small-sized plating-pieces comprising:
a plating bath in which a plating solution is provided; and
a cathode and an,anode made of conductors, which are dipped into the plating solution, respectively, the cathode having at least one concavity formed on a surface thereof which is to contact with the small-sized plating-pieces;
wherein a plurality of the small-sized plating-pieces are caused to contact with the cathode in the plating solution, and conduction is carried out between the cathode and the anode, so that plating films are deposited onto the small-sized plating-pieces.
2. An apparatus for plating small-sized plating-pieces according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one concavity includes a plurality of grooves formed on the surface of the cathode.
3. An apparatus for plating small-sized plating-pieces according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of grooves are arranged so as to intersect each other.
4. An apparatus for plating small-sized plating-pieces according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one concavity includes a plurality of small holes formed on the surface of the cathode.
5. An apparatus for plating small-sized plating-pieces according to claim 1 , wherein the concavity includes a chamfer portion formed on the circumferential edge of the surface of the cathode.
6. An apparatus for plating small-sized plating-pieces according to claim 1 , further comprising a container which contains a plurality of the small-sized plating-pieces in the plating solution, and the cathode is arranged so as to define a portion of the bottom of the container.
7. An apparatus for plating small-sized plating-pieces according to claim 6 , wherein the container is rotatable about a vertical axis of the container.
8. An apparatus for plating small-sized plating-pieces according to claim 1 , wherein the small-sized plating pieces include small-sized electronic components.
9. An apparatus for plating small-sized plating-pieces according to claim 7 , further comprising a shaft, wherein the container is rotatable about the shaft and four electrodes are arranged at intervals of about 90° around the shaft.
10. An apparatus for plating small-sized plating-pieces according to claim 2 , wherein widths of the grooves are smaller than the sizes of the small-sized electronic components.
11. An apparatus for plating small-sized plating-pieces according to claim 2 , wherein each of the grooves has one of a substantially V-shaped cross-section, a substantially U-shaped configuration, and a substantially quadrangular-shaped configuration.
12. An apparatus for plating small-sized plating-pieces according to claim 4 , wherein diameters of the holes are smaller than the sizes of the small-sized electronic components.
13. An apparatus for plating small-sized plating-pieces according to claim 4 , wherein each of the holes has one of a substantially V-shaped cross-section, a substantially U-shaped configuration, and a substantially quadrangular-shaped configuration.
14. A method of plating a plurality of small-sized plating-pieces comprising the steps of:
providing a plating bath in which a plating solution is provided;
providing a cathode and an anode made of conductors, the cathode having at least one concavity formed on a surface thereof which is to contact with the small-sized plating-pieces;
dipping the cathode and the anode into the plating bath so as that a plurality of the small-sized plating-pieces are caused to contact with the cathode in the plating solution, and conduction is carried out between the cathode and the anode, so that plating films are deposited onto the small-sized plating-pieces.
15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one concavity includes a plurality of grooves formed on the surface of the cathode.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the plurality of grooves are arranged so as to intersect each other.
17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one concavity includes a plurality of small holes formed on the surface of the cathode.
18. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the concavity includes a chamfer portion formed on the circumferential edge of the surface of the cathode.
19. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of rotating the container about a vertical axis of the container during depositing of the plating films onto the small-sized plating pieces.
20. The method according to claim 15 , wherein widths of the grooves are smaller than the sizes of the small-sized electronic components.
21. The method according to claim 15 , wherein each of the grooves has one of a substantially V-shaped cross-section, a substantially U-shaped configuration, and a substantially quadrangular-shaped configuration.
22. The method according to claim 17 , wherein diameters of the holes are smaller than the sizes of the small-sized electronic components.
23. The method according to claim 17 , wherein each of the holes has one of a substantially V-shaped cross-section, a substantially U-shaped configuration, and a substantially quadrangular-shaped configuration.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2001352892A JP4235980B2 (en) | 2001-11-19 | 2001-11-19 | Small plating object plating equipment |
JP2001-352892 | 2001-11-19 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20030094373A1 true US20030094373A1 (en) | 2003-05-22 |
Family
ID=19165010
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US10/286,172 Abandoned US20030094373A1 (en) | 2001-11-19 | 2002-11-02 | Apparatus for plating small-sized plating-piece |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US20030094373A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4235980B2 (en) |
CN (1) | CN1260401C (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN107287645A (en) * | 2016-05-12 | 2017-10-24 | 璧靛浆 | A kind of anti-oxidation material section electrolytic plating apparatus |
Families Citing this family (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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JP5435355B2 (en) * | 2009-09-04 | 2014-03-05 | 日立金属株式会社 | Plating equipment |
CN102677118B (en) * | 2012-05-03 | 2014-12-31 | 武汉威蒙环保科技有限公司 | Multipole type electro-deposition method for electrode of platy metal oxide |
CN102677088B (en) * | 2012-05-03 | 2015-04-01 | 武汉威蒙环保科技有限公司 | Stress relief method for complex pole type plate-like metal oxide electrode |
CN108085734B (en) * | 2017-12-26 | 2019-11-05 | 石家庄铁道大学 | Test small-sized Tumble-plating device |
CN110373702B (en) * | 2019-08-13 | 2021-02-26 | 创隆实业(深圳)有限公司 | Electroplating system with feeding and stirring functions |
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US3833482A (en) * | 1973-03-26 | 1974-09-03 | Buckbee Mears Co | Matrix for forming mesh |
US4341613A (en) * | 1981-02-03 | 1982-07-27 | Rca Corporation | Apparatus for electroforming |
US5656140A (en) * | 1995-06-28 | 1997-08-12 | Chamberlain Ltd., Inc. | Electrochemical reclamation of heavy metals from natural materials such as soil |
US6254757B1 (en) * | 1994-10-04 | 2001-07-03 | Materials Innovation, Inc. | Method for electrochemical fluidized bed coating of powders |
US6287445B1 (en) * | 1995-12-07 | 2001-09-11 | Materials Innovation, Inc. | Coating particles in a centrifugal bed |
US6736952B2 (en) * | 2001-02-12 | 2004-05-18 | Speedfam-Ipec Corporation | Method and apparatus for electrochemical planarization of a workpiece |
-
2001
- 2001-11-19 JP JP2001352892A patent/JP4235980B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2002
- 2002-11-02 US US10/286,172 patent/US20030094373A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2002-11-11 CN CNB021529035A patent/CN1260401C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3833482A (en) * | 1973-03-26 | 1974-09-03 | Buckbee Mears Co | Matrix for forming mesh |
US4341613A (en) * | 1981-02-03 | 1982-07-27 | Rca Corporation | Apparatus for electroforming |
US6254757B1 (en) * | 1994-10-04 | 2001-07-03 | Materials Innovation, Inc. | Method for electrochemical fluidized bed coating of powders |
US5656140A (en) * | 1995-06-28 | 1997-08-12 | Chamberlain Ltd., Inc. | Electrochemical reclamation of heavy metals from natural materials such as soil |
US6287445B1 (en) * | 1995-12-07 | 2001-09-11 | Materials Innovation, Inc. | Coating particles in a centrifugal bed |
US6736952B2 (en) * | 2001-02-12 | 2004-05-18 | Speedfam-Ipec Corporation | Method and apparatus for electrochemical planarization of a workpiece |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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CN107287645A (en) * | 2016-05-12 | 2017-10-24 | 璧靛浆 | A kind of anti-oxidation material section electrolytic plating apparatus |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CN1420212A (en) | 2003-05-28 |
CN1260401C (en) | 2006-06-21 |
JP2003155600A (en) | 2003-05-30 |
JP4235980B2 (en) | 2009-03-11 |
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