Plating apparatus for improving plating quality of to-be-plated object and preventing gloss deterioration thereof

Abstract

To provide a plating apparatus for improving the plating quality of a to-be-plated object and preventing the gloss deterioration thereof, in which the plating quality of a vertical continuous plating tank or an ordinary plating tank is improved, and the production yield is increased.SOLUTION: A plating apparatus comprises: a plating tank in which a plating solution is filled; a circulation pump movably arranged in the horizontal direction inside the side wall of the plating tank for inhaling and exhaling the plating solution in the plating tank; an eductor for injecting the plating solution exhaled from the circulation pump toward the inside of the plating tank with high pressure; a board mounting stand for holding a to-be-plated object, moving it in the left-right and front-back direction in the plating tank, and electrifying it; and a mounting-stand moving unit for changing the position of the to-be-plated object in the plating tank or changing an isolation distance between the eductor and the to-be-plated object by moving the board mounting stand in the left-right and front-back direction in the plating tank. The to-be-plated object receives the injection pressure of the eductor while moving in the front-back, left-right, and up-down direction in the plating tank. Each of the to-be-plated objects having different aspect ratios and / or thicknesses is arranged so as to totally come under the influence of the eductor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a plating apparatus for improving the plating quality and preventing deterioration of gloss of objects in a vertical continuous plating tank or a general plating tank (dip type). More specifically, the present invention relates to a plating apparatus for improving the plating quality and preventing deterioration of gloss of objects in a vertical continuous plating tank or a general plating tank (dip type) for electroplating copper (Cu), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), etc., by moving the object in the x-axis and y-axis of the plating tank while simultaneously injecting pressure from an educt moving in the x-axis of the plating tank, thereby allowing the educt to uniformly affect objects with different aspect ratios and thicknesses. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a plating apparatus for improving the plating quality and preventing deterioration of gloss of objects in a vertical continuous plating tank or a general plating tank (dip type) for electroplating copper (Cu), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), etc., by moving the object in the x-axis of the plating tank while simultaneously injecting pressure from an educt moving in the x-axis of the plating tank. The apparatus also relates to a shielding film installed in the plating tank at a position larger than the size of the object to be plated, which can interrupt the flow of metal ions around the object to be plated, preventing deterioration of plating gloss due to overplating at the edges of the object to be plated, thereby improving plating quality and increasing production yield (capacity). Furthermore, the apparatus improves space utilization within the same space, enabling the installation of multiple plating lines, and is advantageously applicable to high-mix low-volume production and mass production. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, to connect PCB layers, holes are drilled at the appropriate locations and then plating is carried out. However, since the wall of the drilled hole acts as an insulator, electroless plating is first performed to pass electricity through the hole wall, and then electrolytic plating is performed to increase the thickness of the hole wall metal.

[0003] There are two types of electrolytic plating: general plating equipment and vertical continuous plating equipment, and each method has its own advantages and disadvantages.

[0004] First, the volume of the plating bath in a general plating equipment is significantly smaller than that of a vertical continuous plating equipment, so it does not require a large installation space and space utilization is high. Therefore, since multiple plating equipment can be installed, products with different plating conditions can be plated simultaneously, leading to high production volume. In addition, since the volume of the plating bath in a general plating equipment is small, a relatively small amount of bath make-up chemicals is used, and since multiple plating equipment is installed, bath make-up can be performed individually, and there are relatively few problems with delivery delays due to bath make-up chemical make-up.

[0005] On the other hand, with conventional plating equipment, only a portion of the substrate is affected by educt, so plating quality such as brightness and uniform hole plating is lower than with vertical continuous plating equipment. Here, educt refers to the powerful injection of chemicals into the plating tank under pressure to remove air adhering to the substrate and maximize plating in the holes.

[0006] Vertical continuous plating equipment has the opposite characteristics to the advantages and disadvantages of general plating equipment. That is, compared to general plating equipment, which only affects a part of the substrate surface when spraying the educt, it affects the entire surface of the substrate, so it is superior to general plating equipment in terms of plating quality such as plating brightness and uniform hole plating, but it has disadvantages such as reduced business viability and delivery delays due to excessive use of installation space, production volume, and bath make-up chemicals.

[0007] Figure 1 (a) and (b) are schematic diagrams showing the educt-affected area (glossy area) of a conventional general plating device and a conventional vertical continuous plating device, respectively, after plating with each device. (a) shows the state in which the substrate 1 is held in the plating tank 10 of the general plating device and the glossy area of ​​the substrate 1 after plating, while (b) shows the state in which the substrate 1 is held in the plating tank 10 of the vertical continuous plating device and the glossy area of ​​the substrate 1 after plating. As shown in these figures, with the vertical continuous plating device, the entire area of ​​the substrate 1 is affected more than with the general plating device, which is advantageous for plating gloss and uniform hole plating.

[0008] However, such conventional vertical continuous plating equipment requires a large amount of installation space due to the single-row arrangement of substrates 1 in plating tank 10, resulting in a longer line compared to general plating equipment, resulting in poor space utilization and a low production yield due to a small number of substrates that can be produced. Also, in the case of companies that produce a wide variety of products in small quantities, plating conditions differ for each product type, so such vertical continuous plating equipment cannot perform plating processes simultaneously, which can lead to delivery issues.

[0009] Furthermore, such vertical continuous plating equipment requires a large amount of bath make-up chemicals, which is a major disadvantage in terms of business viability. Although bath make-up chemicals may be added to cover the amount consumed during plating, the chemicals themselves have expiration dates, so the entire equipment needs to be periodically re-used.

[0010] In this regard, the present applicant has developed Korean Patent No. 10-2539090 (title of the invention: Vertical continuous plating device with adjustable displacement of plating object, hereinafter referred to as "Patent Document 1"), which, as shown in FIG. 3, arranges the substrate 1, which is the plating object, in the plating tank 10 so that the angle can be adjusted diagonally, thereby increasing the work volume for the plating object in the plating tank and maximizing the inductive effect, which is expected to increase production yield and improve quality. In addition, the plating object moves forward and backward, gradually advancing to extend the overall moving distance, which makes it possible to reduce the size of the plating tank and therefore install multiple plating lines, which is advantageous for high-mix low-volume production.

[0011] However, while Patent Document 1 demonstrates a stronger inductive effect than conventional plating equipment, because the object to be plated moves only forward and backward (see the arrow direction in Figure 3) and moves forward or backward little by little, the separation distance between the object to be plated and the inductor is greater for a thinner object to be plated (a) than for a thicker object to be plated (b), as shown in Figure 4, resulting in a relatively lower inductive influence (2). For example, PCBs (printed circuit boards) generally vary in thickness from 0.4 to 8.5 mm or more, which can lead to variations in plating quality due to differences in PCB thickness. That is, because the PCB is positioned in the center of the plating bath and moves only forward and backward (see the arrow direction in Figure 3) and moves forward or backward little by little, the hole surface, which is the most central part of the PCB's thickness, receives the least inductive effect. The inductor is effective for achieving a brighter plating and uniform hole plating, but the most vulnerable part of the PCB's thickness, the hole, should receive the most inductive effect during plating, but this is not the case with current equipment, resulting in a problem.

[0012] Meanwhile, in order to solve the problems of Patent Document 1, the applicant has developed and is currently filing a patent application for Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0017277 (title of the invention: Vertical continuous plating device capable of adjusting plating deviation due to thickness differences of plating objects), in which, as shown in FIG. 5, the substrate 1 in the plating tank 10 is displaceable and can be moved in the longitudinal direction (left and right in the drawing) and width direction (front and back in the drawing) of the plating tank, so that the influence of the educt is uniform even on plating objects with different thicknesses. This increases the amount of work on the plating objects in the plating tank and maximizes the educt effect, which is expected to increase production yield and improve quality. It also makes it possible to reduce the size of the plating tank, and through this size reduction, install multiple plating lines, making it advantageously applicable to high-mix low-volume production.

[0013] However, this technology is only applicable to vertical continuous plating equipment and has limitations in its use that prevent it from being applied to general plating equipment. Therefore, there is a need to develop technology that can maximize the educt effect while increasing the amount of work performed on the objects to be plated in the plating tank, even in general plating equipment, and that can be expected to increase production yield and improve quality. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0014] [Patent Document 1] KR10-2539090B1 2023.06.02.Public announcement Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0015] Therefore, the present invention has been conceived to solve the above problems, and the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to move an object to be plated in each direction of the plating tank (left and right direction of the plating tank; for example, x-axis), front and back (width direction of the plating tank; for example, y-axis), and up and down (depth direction of the plating tank; for example, z-axis) in a vertical continuous plating tank or a general plating tank (dip type) for electroplating copper (Cu), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), etc., and simultaneously inject pressure from educts having nozzles with different injection diameters and injection strengths arranged crosswise so that the entire object to be plated, which has different aspect ratios and thicknesses, is subjected to the influence of the educts. The present invention provides a plating device for improving plating quality and preventing gloss loss of objects to be plated, which can maximize the duct effect and prevent gloss loss of objects to be plated by installing a variable shielding membrane (whose size can be adjusted according to the size of the object to be plated) in a plating tank at a position that exceeds the size of the object to be plated, thereby interrupting the flow of metal ions moving around the object to be plated and preventing gloss loss due to over-plating of the edges of the object to be plated, thereby improving plating quality and increasing production yield (capacity).The present invention also provides a plating device for improving plating quality and preventing gloss loss of objects to be plated, which can be advantageously applied to high-mix low-volume production and mass production by improving space utilization in the same space and enabling the installation of multiple plating lines. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] One embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object is a plating apparatus for improving the plating quality of objects to be plated and preventing a decrease in gloss, the plating apparatus comprising: a plating tank filled with plating solution; an educt whose upper section is supported by an educt support base and is installed inside the side wall of the plating tank so as to be horizontally movable, and which is connected via a connecting pipe to a circulation pump that sucks in and discharges the plating solution from the plating tank, and which sprays the plating solution discharged from the circulation pump into the plating tank at high pressure; a substrate support table that is installed above the plating tank so as to be movable in the left-right and front-back directions and that grips the object to be plated and moves it in the left-right and front-back directions within the plating tank to apply electricity; and a support table moving unit that is installed above the substrate support table and moves the substrate support table independently in the left-right and front-back directions within the plating tank to change the position of the object to be plated within the plating tank or the separation distance between the educt and the object to be plated.

[0017] The embodiment of the present invention may be realized in another embodiment further including a shielding film that is installed separately in front of the induct in the plating tank, positioned at a position exceeding the size of the object to be plated, and blocks the movement of metal ions through the induct at a position exceeding the size of the object to be plated, thereby preventing over-plating of the edge of the object to be plated. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, in a vertical continuous plating tank or a general plating tank (dip type) for electroplating copper (Cu), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), etc., a plating object is moved in the x-, y-, and z-axes of the plating tank while nozzles with different nozzle diameters and jet strengths are intersected and pressure is sprayed from an educt that moves left and right. This allows plating objects with different aspect ratios and thicknesses to be uniformly influenced by the educt as a whole, maximizing the educt effect. In addition, the shielding film can interrupt the flow of metal ions moving around the plating object, preventing gloss loss due to overplating at the edge of the plating object, thereby improving plating quality and increasing production yield (capacity). Furthermore, the invention has the advantage of improving space utilization in the same space, allowing the installation of multiple plating lines, making it advantageous for high-mix low-volume production and mass production. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] Figure 1(a) and (b) are schematic diagrams showing a conventional general plating device and a conventional vertical continuous plating device, respectively, and the inductively affected area (glossy area) after plating using each device. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which substrates are arranged in a row in a conventional general vertical continuous plating apparatus. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic plan view showing a diagonal arrangement of substrates in a conventional improved vertical continuous plating apparatus. [Figure 4] 4(a) and 4(b) are reference diagrams shown to explain the difference in inductive effect depending on the thickness of the substrate in a conventional vertical continuous plating apparatus. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing the outline of the main components of a vertical continuous plating apparatus capable of adjusting plating deviations according to thickness differences of objects to be plated, which was previously filed by the present applicant. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a plating apparatus for improving the plating quality of an object to be plated and preventing a decrease in gloss according to the present invention. [Figures 7a-7d]1A and 1B are a schematic perspective view, a plan view, and a detailed view illustrating essential parts of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a detailed view showing an excerpt of the educt nozzle structure of FIG. 6. [Figure 9] FIG. 7 is a detailed view showing an excerpt of the shielding film in FIG. 6. [Figure 10] 10(a) and 10(b) are enlarged cross-sectional photographs of the upper, middle and lower sections of sample substrates 1 and 2 for the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b) are enlarged photographs of the surfaces of the sample substrates 3 and 4 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The configuration, operation, and effects of a plating apparatus for improving the plating quality of an object to be plated and preventing deterioration in gloss according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] The terms and words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as being limited to their conventional or dictionary meanings, but should be construed as meanings and concepts that are consistent with the technical idea of ​​the present invention, based on the principle that the inventor can appropriately define the concepts of terms in order to best describe his or her invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are merely the most preferred embodiments of the present invention, and that there may be various equivalents and modifications that can be substituted for them at the time of filing this application.

[0022] Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a plating apparatus for improving plating quality and preventing gloss loss of a plated object according to the present invention, Figs. 7a to 7d are a schematic perspective view, plan view, and detailed view showing key components of the present invention, Fig. 8 is a detailed view showing the educt nozzle structure of Fig. 6, and Fig. 9 is a detailed view showing the shielding film of Fig. 6. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7a to 7c, the plating apparatus for improving plating quality and preventing gloss loss of a plated object according to the present invention may include a plating tank 110, an educt 120, a substrate support table 130, and a support table moving unit 140, and may further include a shielding film 150 to form another embodiment. Each of these embodiments of the present invention can be realized by applying it to a plating apparatus including a plating tank 110 equipped with an educt 120 for circulating the plating solution, removing air adhering to the plated object, and maximizing in-hole plating.

[0023] The plating tank 110 is a tank filled with plating solution, and may be a general plating tank (dip type) or a vertical continuous plating tank used to electroplating copper (Cu), gold (Au), or nickel (Ni) onto a single plate or multiple objects 101. For example, in the case of copper (Cu) plating, this plating tank 110 has phosphorous copper pockets 102 filled with phosphorous copper 102a, which function as a source, installed on the left and right side walls. These pockets can be filled with plating solution containing sulfuric acid, copper sulfate, chloride ions, brighteners, and wetting agents. Anodes made of phosphorous copper or insoluble anodes made of iridium can be used as electrodes for current flow. For gold (Au) or nickel (Ni) plating, pockets and electrodes functioning as the respective sources can also be used, and appropriate plating solutions can be filled.

[0024] The inductors 120 are spaced apart vertically from the plating tank 110 by rectangular inductor supports 121 mounted on top of the plating tank 110 and are installed inside the front and rear sidewalls of the plating tank 110 to spray plating solution at high pressure into the plating tank 110. The inductors 120 are installed facing each other inside the front, rear, or left and right sidewalls of the plating tank 110, as shown in FIG. 7b, to enhance the ability to remove air adhering to the object 101 to be plated and to agitate, filter, and circulate the plating solution. To spray plating solution at high pressure from the inductors 120, a circulation pump 122 is installed on one side of the lower part of the plating tank 110, as shown in FIG. 6, to suck in plating solution from the plating tank 110 and discharge it to the outside. A connecting pipe 123 is connected to the circulation pump 122, and the inductor 120 is connected to the end of the connecting pipe 123, so that the plating solution is sprayed at high pressure from the inductor 120.

[0025] In the plating apparatus of the present invention, the inductor 120 is installed horizontally movably inside the plating tank 110 so as to enhance the in-hole plating effect of the object 101 by stirring, filtering, and circulating the plating solution in the plating tank. For this purpose, the inductor 120 is supported by an inductor support 121 at the top of the plating tank 110 so as to be horizontally movably in the 1x-axis direction (left and right direction of the plating tank), as shown in Figures 6 and 7a, and is installed in a state of being suspended vertically from the inductor support 121 so that the nozzle installation portion can be immersed in the plating solution in the plating tank 110. Here, the inductor support base 121 is supported on both the left and right sides of the base frame 141 of the mounting base moving unit 140 described later, i.e., by the horizontal support base 141b of the base frame 141, and a first motor 121a and a first cam 121b are installed on one side to provide the power necessary for horizontal movement on the first x-axis, and a plurality of first cylinders 121c that move back and forth on the first x-axis are interposed between the inductor support base 121 and the horizontal support base 141b, so that horizontal movement on the first x-axis (left and right direction) is performed by the rotational movement of the first motor 121a and the resulting linear movement of the first cam 121b and the reciprocating movement of the first cylinders 121c. Here, the first x-axis is defined as an x-axis that faces the left-right direction of the plating tank and is at a position that is different in height from the second x-axis described below. In the following, the x-axis direction is defined as the left-right direction (or length direction) of the plating tank, the y-axis direction is defined as the front-to-back direction (or width direction) of the plating tank, and the z-axis direction is defined as the up-to-down direction of the plating tank.

[0026] In addition, for the horizontal movement of the inductor 120, it is preferable that the connecting pipe 123 is made of a flexible material that can be easily bent and twisted to allow for flexible horizontal movement of the inductor support 121, but does not affect the chemicals used for copper (Cu), gold (Au), or nickel (Ni) plating.

[0027] In particular, the inductor 120 is configured by combining first and second nozzles 120a and 120b with different types of nozzles having different nozzle orifice diameters and different spray pressure intensities, and the first and second nozzles 120a and 120b are arranged in a cross-shaped configuration with two or more types of nozzles having different nozzle orifice diameters and different spray pressure intensities adjacent to each other, as shown in Fig. 8, so that the spray pressures of the inductor, which vary in speed and intensity, are applied uniformly to each large and small hole in the object 101 to be plated, which has different aspect ratios and thicknesses. In this case, it is preferable that the nozzle inner diameter of each nozzle used in the inductor 120 of the present invention is 0.5 to 3.0 mm.

[0028] The substrate holder 130 is provided with one or more clamps 131 for holding and securing the substrate, and the clamps 131 are used to hold the object 101 to be plated. The substrate holder 130 is moved to the top of the plating tank 110 by a separate holder carrier (not shown) and seated on a V-saddle for another process, or separated from the plating tank 110 for another process. The substrate holder 130 is supported at both ends by V-saddles 132 and moved from the top of the plating tank 110 along a second x-axis (left-right direction) and a y-axis (front-back direction) by a holder moving unit 140, thereby moving the object 101 to be plated in the plating tank 110 along the second x-axis (left-right direction) and y-axis (front-back direction) and energizing it. Here, the second x-axis, like the first x-axis, is defined as a separate x-axis that is parallel to the first x-axis and is positioned at a different height from the first x-axis toward the x-axis of the plating tank.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 6, the mounting table moving unit 140 includes a base frame 141, an upper support table 142, left and right y-axis moving support tables 143, left and right y-axis drive cylinders 144, a y-axis moving table 145, an x-axis moving table 146, and left and right v-saddle assemblies 147, and is configured to move the substrate mounting table 130 independently along the second x-axis (left-right direction) and y-axis (front-back direction) of the plating tank 110 to change the position of the object 101 to be plated in the plating tank 110 or the separation distance between the induct 120 and the object 101 to be plated.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 6, the base frame 141 is installed on both the left and right sides of the front and rear of the plating tank periphery, and is composed of a plurality of vertical support stands 141a installed facing each other on the left and right to provide vertical support, and a plurality of horizontal support stands 141b connecting the vertical support stands horizontally in the front, back, left and right directions, and serves to support the entire platform moving unit 140.

[0031] The upper support stands 142 are installed vertically on the horizontal support stands 141b on the left and right sides of the base frame 141, respectively, and are installed facing each other at a certain distance back from the front.

[0032] The y-axis moving support bases 143 connect the middle portions of the upper support bases 142 horizontally in the front and rear directions, and are installed on the left and right sides, respectively.

[0033] The y-axis drive cylinders 144 are installed at the bottom of the left and right y-axis moving support bases 143 along their longitudinal direction, and are connected to the second motor 144a and the second cam 144b. They are linked by the rotational movement of the second motor 144a and the resulting linear movement of the second cam 144b, and simultaneously reciprocate along the y-axis (front-to-back direction) of the plating tank, and are installed on the left and right sides, respectively.

[0034] The y-axis moving platform 145 is placed horizontally above the plating tank, and both ends are fixed vertically to the left and right y-axis drive cylinders 144, respectively.The left and right y-axis drive cylinders 144 move horizontally along the y-axis (front and back) of the plating tank by the simultaneous reciprocating motion of the left and right y-axis drive cylinders 144.

[0035] As shown in the detailed view of the main part in Figure 7c, the x-axis moving carriage 146 is connected to the lower part of the y-axis moving carriage 145, and is connected using the third motor 146a, third cam 146b, and x-axis drive cylinder 146c as intermediaries, and moves horizontally along the y-axis (front and back) of the plating tank together with the y-axis moving carriage 145, and reciprocates along the second x-axis (left and right direction) of the plating tank in conjunction with the linear movement of the third cam 146b caused by the rotational movement of the third motor 146a and the reciprocating movement of the x-axis drive cylinder 146c.

[0036] The v-saddle assemblies 147 are detachably attached or placed on both the left and right ends of the x-axis movable table 146, and support the substrate support table 130 on both the left and right ends, respectively, so that it can move along the second x-axis of the plating tank 110 at a position higher than the induct support table 121, and are installed on the left and right sides, respectively.

[0037] Although not shown in FIG. 6, such a mounting base moving unit 140 may further include a z-axis moving base 148 as shown in the detailed view of the main part of FIG. 7d.

[0038] As shown in Figure 7d, the z-axis moving stage 148 is connected to the top of the y-axis moving stage 145, and is supported by the upper support stage 142 so that both ends can be raised and lowered perpendicularly.It is connected to the fourth motor 148a, fourth cam 148b, and z-axis drive cylinder 148c as intermediaries, and is installed so that it moves back and forth along the z-axis (up and down) of the plating tank in conjunction with the linear movement of the fourth cam 148b caused by the rotational movement of the fourth motor 148a and the reciprocating movement of the z-axis drive cylinder 148c.As a result, the z-axis moving stage 148 moves the y-axis moving stage 145, x-axis moving stage 146, and substrate support stage 130 all back and forth along the z-axis (up and down) of the plating tank. Here, the fourth motor 148a and the fourth cam 148b can be fixed to, for example, the ceiling using separate auxiliary support stands 148d, and in this case, the support stand moving unit 140 can move the substrate support stand 130 in the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions above the plating tank 110.

[0039] As a result, the mounting table moving unit 140 moves the substrate mounting table 130 along the x-axis (left-right direction), y-axis (front-back direction), or z-axis (up-down direction) depending on the size or thickness of the object to be plated 101, or along the xy plane, yz plane, or xz plane, thereby adjusting the position of the object to be plated 101 in the plating tank 110 or the separation distance between the inductor 120 and the object to be plated 101, thereby reducing the plating deviation of the object to be plated 101 so that the object to be plated in the plating tank can be uniformly affected by the inductor overall.

[0040] Each of the first to fourth motors 121a, 144a, 146a, and 148a of the substrate holder moving unit 140 may be configured to allow a reducer to be further installed or removed, and the left-right, forward-backward, or up-down movement speed of each moving unit may be configured to move within a range of 0 to 500 mm / sec.The size or thickness value of the object to be plated 101 is input according to user settings, and the substrate holder 130 may be configured to further include a motor control unit that outputs a drive signal to each motor to move the substrate holder 130 along the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis or along the xy-plane, yz-plane, and xz-plane.

[0041] As a result, in the plating apparatus of the present invention, the substrate support table 130 can be moved up and down (in the height direction of the plating tank), left and right (in the longitudinal direction of the plating tank), front and back (in the width direction of the plating tank) from the top of the plating tank 110, or moved in the xy, yz, or xz planes to adjust the position of the object 101 to be plated in the plating tank 110 or the separation distance between the inductor 120 and the object 101 to be plated, thereby improving the inductor effect, and in addition, the inductor 120 can be moved left and right (in the longitudinal direction of the plating tank) to maximize the inductor effect.

[0042] The shielding film 150 is installed in front of the inductor 120 inside the plating tank 110, but is installed at a distance from the inductor 120 and positioned at a position that exceeds the size of the object 101 to block the movement of metal ions through the inductor 120 at a position that exceeds the size of the object 101 to prevent over-plating of the edge of the object 101. The shielding film 150 is fixed horizontally movably by a rectangular frame-shaped shielding plate holder 151, both ends of which are mounted on the V-saddle assembly 147, and is installed respectively in the front and rear directions of the substrate holder 130, as shown in Figures 7a and 7b, to block the flow of plating solution due to high pressure sprayed from the inductor 120 installed inside the front and rear side walls of the plating tank 110.

[0043] Such a shielding film 15 may be composed of a plurality of shielding plates 150a, 150b as shown in FIG. 9, and may be provided with a plurality of fastening members 153 that fasten the plurality of shielding plates 150a, 150b to a rectangular frame-shaped shielding plate support stand 151 so that the plates can be moved horizontally. The shielding plates may be arranged in pairs on both the left and right sides of the plating tank 110, and / or may be installed in pairs facing each other in front of and behind the substrate support stand 130 in the plating tank 110.

[0044] 9, such a shielding film 150 may have shielding plate fixing holes 151a formed in a rectangular shape in the longitudinal direction of the main body of a shielding plate holder 151 for fixing and horizontally moving a plurality of shielding plates 150a, 150b, and rectangular fastening member through-holes 150c formed in the upper portions of each of the shielding plates 150a, 150b, so that the plurality of shielding plates 150a, 150b may be continuously and commonly assembled with a plurality of fastening members 153 via the shielding plate fixing holes 151a and the fastening member through-holes 150c of the shielding plate holder 151. Thus, the shielding film 150 may be configured as a foldable type in which the entire width and size of each shielding film can be adjusted by folding (see the right side of FIG. 9) or unfolding (see the left side of FIG. 9) the plurality of shielding plates 150a, 150b so that the width and size can be adjusted according to the size of the object 101 to be plated.

[0045] Comparative Examples and Examples of the present invention will be described below.

[0046] It will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that these Comparative Examples and Examples are merely for the purpose of illustrating the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is not to be construed as being limited by these Comparative Examples and Examples.

[0047] <Example 1>: Comparison of in-hole plating quality according to the nozzle structure of the educt and the movement of the substrate (a1) A plating tank A equipped with an induct with a 1.5 mm nozzle diameter and a plating tank B equipped with an induct with nozzle diameters of 1.0 mm and 1.5 mm arranged crosswise were prepared. 120 g / L of sulfuric acid, 60 g / L of copper sulfate, 45 ppm of chloride ions, 2 ml / L of brightener, and 20 ml / L of wetting agent were added to each plating tank A and B to form a common plating solution with the same component contents and conditions. The plating tanks A and B were also equipped with a bath temperature of 22°C and a current density of 0.8 A / dm 2 The plating conditions were the same: plating time 350 minutes, and the anode was made of phosphorus-containing copper.

[0048] (a2) Substrates 1 and 2 were prepared, each having a thickness of 6.2 mm and a size of 410*340 mm, and having plated holes (aspect ratio 41:1) with a hole diameter of 0.15 mm formed therein by a drilling process.

[0049] (a3) Substrates 1 and 2 were placed in plating tanks A and B, respectively. In plating tank A, plating was performed by applying only vibration and shocking without moving substrate 1. In plating tank B, plating was performed by applying vibration and shocking while moving substrate 2 back and forth at a speed of 50 mm / min and back and forth at a speed of 20 mm / sec. Sample substrate 1 of Comparative Example 1 and sample substrate 2 of Example 1 were produced, each with a plating layer formed thereon. The cross sections of the plating layers of sample substrates 1 and 2 were photographed enlarged using a microscope.

[0050] Figures 10(a) and (b) are enlarged cross-sectional photographs of the upper, middle, and lower sections of each sample substrate 1 and 2. It can be seen that Example 1 (applying the plating apparatus of the present invention, using two types of nozzles, moving the substrate back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the plating tank while simultaneously moving it left and right in the width direction of the plating tank to form a plating layer, hole plating thickness approximately 27 μm) shown in Figure 10(b) is far more effective in adjusting the influence of the inductor, resulting in good thicknesses of the plating layer not only in the upper and lower sections of the hole but also in the middle section, and the plating time is also reduced by half.

[0051] <Example 2>: Comparison of plating quality in holes with and without the use of a shielding film (a1) Plating tanks C and D were prepared, each equipped with an induct with 1.0 mm and 1.5 mm nozzle diameters arranged crosswise. 120 g / L of sulfuric acid, 60 g / L of copper sulfate, 45 ppm of chloride ions, 2 ml / L of brightener, and 20 ml / L of wetting agent were added to each of the plating tanks C and D to form a common plating solution with the same component contents and conditions. The plating tanks C and D were also equipped with a bath temperature of 22°C and a current density of 0.8 A / dm 2 The plating conditions were set to be the same: plating time 350 minutes, anode made of phosphorous copper, back and forth movement at a speed of 50 mm / min and left and right movement at a speed of 20 mm / sec, and vibration and shocking were applied.

[0052] (a2) Substrates 3 and 4 having a thickness of 1.6 mm and dimensions of 410*340 mm and having plated holes with a diameter of 0.15 mm formed therein by a drilling process were prepared.

[0053] (a3) Substrates 3 and 4 were placed in plating tanks C and D, respectively. In plating tank C, substrate 3 was plated without a shielding film, and in plating tank D, substrate 4 was plated after a shielding film was installed at a position larger than the size of the substrate. Sample substrate 3 of Comparative Example 2 and sample substrate 4 of Example 2 were produced on which plating layers were formed, and the plated surfaces of sample substrates 3 and 4 were photographed enlarged.

[0054] Figures 11(a) and (b) are enlarged photographs of the surfaces of sample substrates 3 and 4 for the second embodiment of the present invention. In the case of Comparative Example 2 (no shielding film used) shown in Figure 11(a), the edges of the substrates are over-plated, resulting in a decrease in gloss, and this decrease in gloss spreads inward from the edges of the substrates. In the case of Example 2 (using the plating apparatus of the present invention and a shielding film) shown in Figure 11(b), it can be seen that there is a clean plating and gloss overall without excessive plating.

[0055] According to the present invention, in a vertical continuous plating tank or a general plating tank (dip type) for electroplating copper (Cu), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), etc., the object to be plated is moved back and forth or left and right in the plating tank while the educt is moved left and right. At the same time, the educt nozzles with different diameters and strengths are arranged crosswise to spray pressure, so that the entire object to be plated, which has different aspect ratios and thicknesses, can be influenced by the educt, maximizing the educt effect.

[0056] Furthermore, according to the present invention, a shielding film whose size can be adjusted according to the size of the object to be plated is installed in the plating tank at a position exceeding the size of the object to be plated, thereby interrupting the flow of metal ions moving around the object to be plated. This prevents gloss loss due to over-plating of the edge of the object to be plated, and is expected to improve plating quality and increase production yield (capacity). Furthermore, it improves space utilization in the same space, making it possible to install various plating lines, and is advantageously applicable to high-mix low-volume production and mass production.

[0057] As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Therefore, the spirit of the present invention should be grasped only by the scope of the claims set forth below, and all equivalent or similar modifications thereof are within the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 101 plating object, 102 phosphorus-containing copper pocket, 102a phosphorus-containing copper, 110 plating tank, 120 induct, 120a, 120b nozzle, 121 induct support, 121a, 144a, 146a, 148a motor, 121b, 144b, 146b, 148b cam, 121c, 144, 146c, 148c cylinder, 122 circulation pump, 123 connecting pipe, 130 substrate support, 131 clamp, 132 v-saddle, 140 support table moving part, 141 base frame, 141a vertical support, 141b horizontal support, 142 upper support, 143 y-axis moving support, 145 y-axis moving table, 146 x-axis moving table, 147 V-saddle assembly, 148 z-axis moving table, 148d auxiliary support table, 150 shielding membrane, 150a, 150b shielding plate, 150c fastening member through hole, 151 shielding plate mounting base, 151a shielding plate fixing hole, 153 fastening member.

Claims

1. a plating tank (110) filled with a plating solution; an educt (120) whose upper part is supported by an educt support (121) installed on the top of the plating tank (110) and which is installed inside the side wall of the plating tank (110) so as to be movable in the left-right direction (x-axis direction) of the plating tank, and which is connected to a circulation pump (122) that sucks in and discharges plating solution from the plating tank (110) via a connecting pipe (123), and which sprays plating solution discharged from the circulation pump (122) into the plating tank (110) at high pressure; a substrate support table (130) that is placed on top of the plating tank (110) and is movable in the left-right direction (x-axis direction) and the front-back direction (y-axis direction) of the plating tank, and that grips the object to be plated (101) and moves it in the left-right and front-back directions in the plating tank (110) to energize it; and a stage moving unit (140) that is installed on the substrate stage (130) and moves the substrate stage (130) independently in the left-right and front-rear directions of the plating tank to change the position of the object (101) to be plated in the plating tank (110) or the separation distance between the induct (120) and the object (101) to be plated. The base moving unit (140) a base frame (141) comprising a plurality of vertical support stands (141a) for vertical support, which are installed on both the left and right sides of the front and rear of the plating tank, and which are installed in a lateral opposing relationship, and a plurality of horizontal support stands (141b) for connecting the vertical support stands horizontally in the front-rear and left-right directions; Upper support stands (142) are installed vertically on the horizontal support stands (141b) on the left and right sides of the base frame (141), respectively, and are installed at points set back a certain distance from the front so as to face each other on the left and right sides; Left and right y-axis moving support bases (143) that connect the middle part of the upper support base (142) horizontally in the front and rear directions; left and right y-axis driving cylinders (144) installed below the left and right y-axis moving support tables (143) along their longitudinal direction, connected to a second motor (144a) and a second cam (144b), and interlocked with the rotational motion of the second motor (144a) and the resulting linear motion of the second cam (144b), for simultaneous reciprocating motion along the front-to-back direction (y-axis direction) of the plating tank; a y-axis moving platform (145) that is horizontally disposed above the plating tank, has both ends fixed to the left and right y-axis driving cylinders (144), and moves horizontally along the front-to-back direction (y-axis direction) of the plating tank by the simultaneous reciprocating motion of the left and right y-axis driving cylinders (144); an x-axis moving carriage (146) connected to the lower part of the y-axis moving carriage (145) and connected via a third motor (146a), a third cam (146b) and an x-axis driving cylinder (146c) as intermediates, which moves horizontally along the front-to-back direction (y-axis direction) of the plating tank together with the y-axis moving carriage (145) and reciprocates along the second x-axis of the plating tank (an x-axis extending in the left-to-right direction of the plating tank at a different height from the first x-axis) in conjunction with the linear movement of the third cam (146b) due to the rotational movement of the third motor (146a) and the reciprocating movement of the x-axis driving cylinder (146c); and left and right V-saddle assemblies (147) that are detachably mounted on the x-axis moving table (146) and support the substrate support table (130) on both the left and right sides, respectively, at a position higher than the lead support table (121) so as to be movable along the second x-axis of the plating tank (110); The substrate support table (130) is configured to move independently along a second x-axis and a y-axis of the plating tank (110) to change the position of the object (101) to be plated in the plating tank (110) or the separation distance between the induct (120) and the object (101) to be plated. A plating apparatus for improving the plating quality of an object to be plated and preventing a decrease in gloss, characterized by the above.

2. 2. The plating apparatus for improving plating quality and preventing deterioration of gloss of objects to be plated as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plating tank (110) is either a general plating tank (Dip type) or a vertical continuous plating tank for electroplating copper (Cu), gold (Au), or nickel (Ni) onto a single plate or multiple objects to be plated.

3. The inductor (120) The duct support (121) is arranged vertically and equidistantly apart from the plating tank (110), 2. A plating apparatus for improving the plating quality of an object to be plated and preventing deterioration of gloss, as described in claim 1, characterized in that a first nozzle (120a) and a second nozzle (120b) having different nozzle diameters and spray pressure strengths are arranged adjacent to each other in a cross-sectional manner.

4. The inductor (120) 2. The plating apparatus for improving the plating quality of an object to be plated and preventing deterioration of gloss as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plating tank (110) is provided with a pair of nozzles facing each other on the inside of the front and rear side walls of the plating tank (110) to enhance the ability to remove air adhering to the object to be plated (101) or the ability to stir, filter and circulate the plating solution.

5. The inductor (120) 2. A plating apparatus for improving the plating quality of an object to be plated and preventing deterioration of gloss as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the duct support table (121) is connected to a circulation pump (122) via a flexible connecting pipe (123) to allow flexible movement of the duct support table (121).

6. The duct support base (121) is 2. The plating apparatus for improving plating quality and preventing deterioration of gloss of an object to be plated as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the plating apparatus is supported on both left and right sides by a stationary platform moving unit (140), and on one side are installed a first motor (121a) and a first cam (121b) that provide the power necessary for horizontal movement on a first x-axis, and a plurality of cylinders (121c) that reciprocate on the first x-axis, and horizontal movement on the first x-axis (an x-axis extending in the left-right direction of the plating tank and having a different height from the second x-axis) is performed by the rotational movement of the first motor (121a), the resulting linear movement of the first cam (121b), and the reciprocating movement of the cylinders (121c).

7. The base moving unit (140) 2. The plating apparatus for improving plating quality and preventing deterioration of gloss of an object to be plated as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a z-axis moving table (148) connected to the top of the y-axis moving table (145) and supported by the upper support table (142) so that both ends thereof can be raised and lowered perpendicularly, the z-axis moving table (148) being connected to a fourth motor (148a), a fourth cam (148b), and a z-axis driving cylinder (148c) as intermediates, and adapted to reciprocate along the z-axis (vertical direction) of the plating tank in conjunction with the linear motion of the fourth cam (148b) caused by the rotational motion of the fourth motor (148a) and the reciprocating motion of the z-axis driving cylinder (148c), thereby moving the substrate support table (130) in the x-, y-, and z-axis directions above the plating tank (110).

8. 2. The plating apparatus for improving plating quality and preventing deterioration of gloss of an object to be plated as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a shielding film (150) that is installed in front of the inductor (120) inside the plating tank (110) but spaced apart from the inductor (120) and positioned at a position exceeding the size of the object to be plated (101) to block the movement of metal ions through the inductor (120) at a position exceeding the size of the object to be plated (101) and prevent over-plating of the edge of the object to be plated (101).

9. The shielding film (150) 9. The plating apparatus for improving plating quality and preventing deterioration of gloss of an object to be plated according to claim 8, wherein the plating tanks (110) are arranged in pairs on both the left and right sides thereof.

10. The shielding film (150) 9. The plating apparatus for improving plating quality and preventing deterioration of gloss of an object to be plated as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plating tank (110) is provided with a pair of plates facing each other on both the front and rear sides thereof.

11. The shielding film (150) a rectangular frame-shaped shielding plate support base (151) whose both ends are placed on the v-saddle assembly (147) of the plating tank (110); a plurality of shielding plates (150a, 150b) supported and fixed by the shielding plate support base (151) so as to be horizontally movable along the x-axis of the plating tank (110), and respectively installed in the front and rear directions of the substrate support base (130) to block the flow of plating solution due to high pressure sprayed from the inducts (120) installed inside the front and rear side walls of the plating tank (110); 9. A plating apparatus for improving the plating quality of an object to be plated and preventing deterioration of gloss, as described in claim 8, characterized in that it includes a plurality of fastening members (153) for fastening the plurality of shielding plates (150a, 150b) to the shielding plate support base (151) so that they can be moved horizontally.

12. The shielding film (150) A rectangular fastening member through-hole (150c) is formed laterally on the upper part of each shielding plate (150a, 150b), Rectangular shield plate fixing holes (151a) are formed in the longitudinal direction of the shield plate mounting base (151), 12. A plating apparatus for improving plating quality and preventing deterioration of gloss of an object to be plated, as set forth in claim 11, characterized in that the multiple shielding plates (150a, 150b) are configured in a foldable manner so that the overall width and size of the shielding film can be adjusted by folding and unfolding them so that the width and size can be adjusted according to the size of the object to be plated (101) using the fastening member through holes (150c), the shielding plate fixing holes (151a) and the multiple fastening members (153).

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