Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C25D21/00—Processes for servicing or operating cells for electrolytic coating
  • C25D21/12—Process control or regulation
  • C25D21/14—Controlled addition of electrolyte components
• • 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
  • C25D17/10—Electrodes, e.g. composition, counter electrode
  • C25D17/12—Shape or form
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C25D21/00—Processes for servicing or operating cells for electrolytic coating
  • C25D21/16—Regeneration of process solutions
  • C25D21/18—Regeneration of process solutions of electrolytes
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
  • C25D3/00—Electroplating: Baths therefor
  • C25D3/02—Electroplating: Baths therefor from solutions
  • C25D3/54—Electroplating: Baths therefor from solutions of metals not provided for in groups C25D3/04 - C25D3/50

Definitions

• US 20100140098 Al discloses a selenium containing electrodeposition solutions used to manufacture solar cell absorber layers.
• an electrodeposition solution to electrodeposit a Group IB-Group VIA thin film that includes a solvent; a Group IB material source; a Group VIA material source; and at least one complexing that forms a complex ion of the Group IB material.
• methods of electroplating using electrodeposition solutions are also described.
• an apparatus for the electrochemical deposition of a metal on a substrate comprising a plating tank holding a plating electrolyte and a refreshing tank in fluidic connection to the plating tank for refreshing the plating electrolyte, wherein the plating tank comprises an inert electrode electrically connected to the substrate by a rectifier, and wherein the refreshing tank comprises a first compartment and a second compartment, the compartments are separated from each other by a semi permeable separator, wherein the first compartment comprises at least one soluble anode of a metal to be CEDE 2420.1
• the inert electrode and the soluble anode of the metal to be deposited are electrically connected to a rectifier.
• Soluble anode in this concern means, that metal ions of the metal to be deposited are dissolved from the soluble anode by applying a current between the soluble anode and the inert electrode in the refreshing tank. Accordingly, the concentration of the ions of the metal to be deposited in the refreshing tank can be controlled by the current density and/or voltage of the current applied to the electrodes in the refreshing tank. Since the refreshing tank and the plating tank are in fluidic connection, the concentration in the plating electrolyte of the ions of the metal to be deposited can be maintained by dissolving metal ions from the soluble anode. Advantageously, this allows maintaining the ion
• the fluidic connection between the plating tank and the refreshing tank is long enough to enable an electrical conductivity of ⁇ 1 * 10 ⁇ 4 S between the two tanks.
• the diameter and the length of the fluidic connection between the refreshing tank and the plating tank is to be chosen to generate an electrical resistance which is high enough to assure an electrical conductivity of ⁇ 1* 10 "4 S.
• the refreshing tank comprises a separate inert electrode per rectifier.
• the separate inert electrodes are located in separated compartments, each separated from the compartment holding the electrolyte to be refreshed by a semi permeable separator.
• the invention relates to a method of refreshing an electrolyte for electrochemical deposition of a metal on a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
• FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an apparatus 100 according to the invention.
• the apparatus 100 for the electrochemical deposition of a metal on a substrate 900 comprises a plating tank 110 holding a plating electrolyte 500 and a refreshing tank 400.
• the refreshing tank 400 is in fluidic connection 200/210 to the plating tank 110 for refreshing the plating electrolyte 500.
• the plating tank 1 10 comprises an inert electrode 120 electrically connected to the substrate 900 by a rectifier 190. For the deposition of a metal layer on the substrate 900 a current is applied by the rectifier 190.
• the second compartment comprises at least one inert electrode 450.
• the inert electrode 450 and the soluble anode 440 are electrically connected to a rectifier 490.
• a rectifier 490 By appliance of a current between the soluble anode 440 and the inert electrode 450 metal ions are dissolved from the soluble anode 440.
• Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the inventive apparatus 100 in which the electrode 120 on the plating tank 1 10 is covered by a screen 150.
• the screen 150 may be a fabric reducing the liquid exchange in the near environment of the electrode 150. Due to the reduced liquid exchange, less electrolyte 500 is brought into direct contact with the surface of the electrode 120. Since decomposition of other components of the electrolyte 500 take place on the surface of the electrode 120, the reduced liquid exchange results in less decomposition of electrolyte components, like e.g. organic additives. This further increases the stability of the electrolyte and elongates the electrolytes life time.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Electrochemistry (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Metallurgy (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
• Electroplating Methods And Accessories (AREA)
• Electrodes Of Semiconductors (AREA)

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Citations (11)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 2011
  • 2011-07-20 EP EP11174683.0A patent/EP2548998B1/en active Active
  • 2011-07-20 ES ES11174683.0T patent/ES2546065T3/es active Active
• 2012
  • 2012-07-20 US US14/234,080 patent/US20140158545A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2012-07-20 WO PCT/US2012/047535 patent/WO2013013119A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (11)

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