Anti-conductive roller copper plating device and method for acidic copper plating equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses an anti-conductive roller copper plating device and method for acid copper plating equipment, and belongs to the technical field of electroplating equipment. The anti-conductive roller copper plating device comprises a first contact roller arranged at a plating solution outlet; the liquid squeezing roller is in pressure contact with the first contact roller; the contact point of the liquid squeezing roller and the first contact roller coincides with the tangent point of the base material film and the first contact roller. Physical extrusion removal is directly carried out on the first position where the plating solution is brought out, the amount of the plating solution flowing to the subsequent conductive roller is fundamentally reduced, and therefore the possibility that copper deposition occurs on the surface of the conductive roller is greatly reduced. Experiments show that after the method is adopted, the conductive roller can be kept clean for a long time and does not need to be cleaned frequently, and the method is clear in principle and can be widely applied to various acidic copper plating devices adopting roller transmission systems, especially continuous electroplating production lines of flexible base materials such as PET / PI and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of electroplating equipment technology, and particularly relates to an anti-conductive roller copper plating device and method for acidic copper plating equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Copper plating on PET / PI films is widely used in the electronics industry, as the copper layer exhibits excellent conductivity, mechanical strength, and chemical stability. Acidic copper plating is a commonly used copper plating process. Its basic principle is to place the workpiece to be plated as a cathode in a plating solution containing electrolytes such as copper sulfate, and form a copper layer on the film surface through electrochemical deposition.

[0003] In continuous roll-to-roll electroplating, the conductive rollers serve both to conduct current and to transport the substrate. Because the plating solution is carried away by the substrate, it easily adheres to the surface of the conductive rollers, causing copper ions to be reduced and deposited on the roller surface, forming a copper plating layer. This phenomenon leads to decreased conductivity, uneven plating, and a mottled appearance, requiring frequent shutdowns for cleaning and severely impacting production efficiency and product quality.

[0004] Existing solutions include adjusting electroplating parameters, optimizing plating solution formulation, improving conductive roller structure, lowering plating solution temperature, polishing conductive rollers, or immersing conductive rollers below the liquid surface. However, these methods have problems such as limited effectiveness, high cost, reduced electroplating efficiency, or increased energy consumption, and fail to fundamentally solve the problem of copper plating on conductive rollers caused by plating solution carryover.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention proposes an anti-conductive roller copper plating device and method for acidic copper plating equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an anti-conductive roller copper plating device and method for acidic copper plating equipment in order to solve at least one problem existing in the background art.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: the present invention first provides an anti-conductive roller copper plating device for acidic copper plating equipment, comprising:

[0008] The first contact roller is installed at the outlet of the plating solution;

[0009] The squeezing roller that is in pressure contact with the first contact roller;

[0010] The contact point between the squeezing roller and the first contact roller coincides with the tangent point between the substrate film and the first contact roller.

[0011] Furthermore, the surface of the extrusion roller is coated with an acid-resistant elastic material to protect the film and enhance the bonding effect during extrusion.

[0012] Furthermore, the elastic material is preferably silicone, with a thickness of approximately 5 mm and a Shore hardness of 50-60°. This silicone layer of this hardness provides moderate elastic pressure, effectively removing the plating solution without damaging the film substrate or generating excessive frictional resistance.

[0013] Furthermore, the squeezing roller is mounted via an adjustable bracket, which facilitates precise adjustment of the clamping force between it and the first contact roller to adapt to the production needs of films with different tensions and thicknesses.

[0014] Furthermore, in order to reduce sliding friction on the film and ensure smooth film operation, it is preferable to keep the linear velocity of the squeezing roller and the first contact roller consistent.

[0015] Based on the above-described apparatus, the present invention also provides a method for copper plating using an anti-conductive roller, comprising the following steps:

[0016] After the substrate film is carried out of the plating bath by the plating solution, it first passes through the first contact roller;

[0017] The squeezing roller installed at the first contact roller cooperates with the first contact roller to squeeze the film surface at the contact point between the two, thereby removing most of the plating solution carried on the film surface;

[0018] The film, which has undergone extrusion processing and has a significantly reduced amount of surface plating solution, then enters the subsequent conductive roller area for normal electrical conduction and transmission.

[0019] Furthermore, the substrate film is preferably a PET film or a PI film.

[0020] The core advantage of this invention is that the squeezing process is a physical processing step independent of the electrochemical reaction. It does not change the original core process parameters such as electroplating current density, temperature, and plating solution composition. Therefore, it does not affect the deposition rate and quality of the coating itself, and only protects the conductive roller by reducing the introduction of impurities (plating solution).

[0021] In summary, due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0022] 1. This invention directly removes the plating solution through physical extrusion at the first point where it is carried out, fundamentally reducing the amount of plating solution flowing to subsequent conductive rollers, thereby greatly reducing the possibility of copper deposition on the surface of the conductive rollers. Experiments show that, using this invention, the conductive rollers can remain clean for a long time without the need for frequent cleaning.

[0023] 2. This invention only requires the addition of a squeezing roller and its installation and adjustment mechanism, making it simple to modify existing production lines and costing far less than improving the structure of the conductive roller or upgrading the plating solution management system.

[0024] 3. This invention eliminates the need for frequent shutdowns to clean the conductive rollers, allowing for long continuous operation of the equipment, effectively improving overall production efficiency and reducing labor maintenance costs and material waste.

[0025] 4. The method of the present invention is a purely physical and mechanical action, which does not involve changes in electroplating process parameters. Therefore, it will not have any negative impact on the deposition process, deposition rate and final performance of the copper film itself, thus ensuring the stability of product quality.

[0026] 5. The principle of this invention is clear and can be widely applied to various acidic copper plating equipment that uses roller drive systems, especially continuous electroplating production lines for flexible substrates such as PET / PI. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a partial schematic diagram of an acidic copper plating equipment using the apparatus of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 This is a photograph showing the state of the conductive roller surface with obvious copper deposition after only 10 minutes of electroplating, without the extrusion roller of the present invention being installed.

[0029] Figure 3 This photo shows the state in which the surface of the conductive roller remains clean after 2 hours of continuous electroplating following the installation of the extrusion roller of this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0031] See Figures 1-3 Near the outlet of the plating tank in an acidic copper plating production line, a substrate film (such as a PET film) is drawn out of the plating solution. The first drive roller that the film contacts after leaving the plating solution is called the "first contact roller". In this invention, a squeezing roller is installed at a corresponding position on the first contact roller.

[0032] The squeezing roller is mounted on an adjustable bracket with a spring or screw adjustment mechanism, allowing its roller surface to press firmly against the roller surface of the first contact roller. During installation, the position of the squeezing roller must be precisely adjusted so that the contact point between the two rollers coincides as much as possible with the tangent point between the substrate film and the first contact roller (i.e., the point where the film begins to wrap around the roller). This overlapping arrangement ensures that the film is immediately squeezed upon contact with the roller, before the plating solution redistributes due to film deformation, resulting in optimal squeezing effect.

[0033] The core of the squeezing roller can be made of acid-resistant materials such as stainless steel, and its surface is covered with an acid-resistant silicone layer with a thickness of approximately 5 mm and a Shore hardness of 50-60°. This silicone layer has a certain degree of elasticity and wear resistance, which can effectively scrape and remove the liquid film without scratching the soft PET / PI film surface. Preferably, the squeezing roller is driven by an independent drive device, or by friction follower, so that its linear velocity is consistent with that of the first contact roller (and the film running speed), in order to avoid generating additional sliding friction or tension fluctuations on the film.

[0034] During operation, the wet film carrying the plating solution from the plating tank first passes through the first contact roller. At the instant the film contacts the roller surface, the squeezing roller above simultaneously applies pressure to the film. The pressure between the two rollers forces most of the plating solution carried on the film surface back into the plating tank or collection device. After this squeezing process, only a very thin and uniform liquid film (mainly formed by wetting) remains on the film surface, and the total amount of copper ions it carries is greatly reduced.

[0035] Subsequently, this semi-dry film enters the subsequent conductive roller area. Since the amount of plating solution adhering to the back surface of the film (the surface in contact with the conductive roller) is extremely small, the amount of plating solution transferred to the surface of the conductive roller is negligible. This fundamentally cuts off the supply of "raw materials" for electrochemical copper plating on the conductive roller, thereby effectively preventing copper deposition on the surface of the conductive roller. Figure 3 The results shown are significantly better than the traditional state without the addition of a squeezing roller (e.g., Figure 2 ).

[0036] The entire extrusion process is independent of the electroplating process. The original parameters such as temperature, composition, and current density of the plating solution remain unchanged. Therefore, the deposition process of the coating on the front side of the film is not affected in any way, ensuring the quality of the final copper-plated film.

[0037] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A non-conductive roller copper plating device for acidic copper plating equipment, characterized in that, include: The first contact roller is installed at the outlet of the plating solution; The squeezing roller that is in pressure contact with the first contact roller; The contact point between the squeezing roller and the first contact roller coincides with the tangent point between the substrate film and the first contact roller.

2. The anti-conductive roller copper plating device for acidic copper plating equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The surface of the squeezing roller is coated with an acid-resistant elastic material.

3. The anti-conductive roller copper plating device for acidic copper plating equipment as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The elastic material is silicone, with a thickness of 5mm and a Shore hardness of 50-60°.

4. The anti-conductive roller copper plating device for acidic copper plating equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The squeezing roller is mounted via an adjustable bracket, which facilitates adjustment of the pressure between it and the first contact roller.

5. The anti-conductive roller copper plating device for acidic copper plating equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The linear velocity of the squeezing roller is the same as that of the first contact roller.

6. A method for copper plating using an anti-conductive roller with the apparatus according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, include: The substrate film carries the plating solution through the first contact roller; The squeezing roller works in conjunction with the first contact roller to squeeze and remove the plating solution from the surface of the film. The treated film enters the subsequent conductive roller area.

7. The method for copper plating on an anti-conductive roller as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The substrate film is a PET or PI film.

8. The method for copper plating on an anti-conductive roller as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The liquid extrusion process does not change the original electroplating process parameters.

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