Surface treatment head and surface treatment apparatus

Abstract

To provide a surface treatment head and a surface treatment apparatus that can improve the degree of freedom of surface treatment.SOLUTION: A surface treatment head, which can treat a surface of a to-be-treated object, comprises: a housing having an opening; an ionic conduction film for blocking the opening of the housing; an electrode provided in the housing; and a frame-like sealing member provided on an end face at the opening side of the housing. The sealing member is configured so as to be able to form a closing space between the ionic conduction film and the surface of the to-be-treated object. The housing has a decompression hole for decompressing the closing space. The decompression hole is provided more on the housing side than an end part at the to-be-treated object side of the sealing member and more inside than the sealing member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a surface treatment head capable of treating the surface of a workpiece, and a surface treatment apparatus equipped with the surface treatment head. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a surface treatment apparatus including a mounting table and a housing facing the mounting table has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the surface treatment apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the mounting table and the housing are fitted together to treat the surface of the workpiece. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-148994 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the surface treatment device described in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in that the mounting table and the housing must be fitted together, making it impossible to treat objects larger than the housing or to treat only a portion of the surface of the object.

[0005] The present invention relates to a surface treatment head and a surface treatment device that can improve the degree of freedom in surface treatment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The surface treatment head according to the present invention is a surface treatment head capable of treating the surface of a workpiece, and comprises a housing having an opening, an ion-conductive membrane that blocks the opening of the housing, an electrode provided inside the housing, and a frame-shaped sealing member provided on the end face of the housing on the opening side, the sealing member being configured to be able to form an enclosed space between the ion-conductive membrane and the surface of the workpiece, and the housing having a decompression hole for decompressing the enclosed space, the decompression hole being provided closer to the housing than the end of the sealing member on the workpiece side and inside the sealing member.

[0007] In the surface treatment head of the present invention, the housing has a decompression groove for decompressing the closed space, the decompression groove is formed in an annular shape and is provided on the end face of the housing on the opening side, between the opening and the sealing member, and the decompression hole is provided in at least a portion of the circumferential direction of the decompression groove.

[0008] The surface treatment head according to the present invention may also include a pressure-reducing connection flow path forming means that is provided between the ion conductive membrane and the surface of the workpiece and forms a pressure-reducing connection flow path that connects the closed space and the pressure-reducing hole.

[0009] In the surface treatment head of the present invention, the housing has a top and a frame-shaped wall portion supporting the top, the wall portion having an outer wall portion and an inner wall portion that can be fitted into the outer wall portion, the housing is configured to sandwich the outer edge portion of the ion conductive membrane between the inner surface of the outer wall portion and the outer surface of the inner wall portion, and the end portion of the outer wall portion facing the workpiece may be located closer to the workpiece than the end portion of the inner wall portion facing the workpiece.

[0010] In the surface treatment head of the present invention, the outer wall portion has a first outer wall portion into which the inner wall portion can be fitted, and a second outer wall portion provided outside the first outer wall portion, and the end portion of the second outer wall portion facing the workpiece is located closer to the workpiece than the end portion of the first outer wall portion facing the workpiece, and the first outer wall portion may be configured to be movable relative to the second outer wall portion.

[0011] In the surface treatment head according to the present invention, the housing may have a suction groove for sucking the ion conductive film, and the suction groove may be provided on the end face of the housing on the opening side, between the opening and the decompression hole.

[0012] The present invention provides a surface treatment apparatus having a surface treatment head capable of treating the surface of a workpiece, the surface treatment head comprising a housing having an opening, an ion conductive membrane that blocks the opening of the housing, an electrode provided inside the housing, and a frame-shaped sealing member provided on the end face of the housing on the opening side, the sealing member being configured to be able to form an enclosed space between the ion conductive membrane and the surface of the workpiece, the housing having a decompression hole for decompressing the enclosed space, the decompression hole being provided closer to the housing than the end of the sealing member on the workpiece side and inside the sealing member.

[0013] The surface treatment apparatus according to the present invention may further include a movement mechanism capable of moving the surface treatment head along the surface of the workpiece.

[0014] In the surface treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the movement mechanism may be an articulated robot. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the surface treatment head and surface treatment device of the present invention, it is possible to improve the degree of freedom in surface treatment. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1A] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a state in which the surface treatment device according to the present embodiment is located at an original position. [Figure 1B] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a state in which the surface treatment device according to the present embodiment is located at a reduced pressure position. [Figure 1C] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a state in which the surface treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment is located at a treatment position. [Figure 2] 3 is a schematic diagram showing a pressure-reducing connection flow path forming means according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] 4 is an enlarged view of a part of a cross section of a pressure reduction connection flow path forming means according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a covering portion according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a screen mask according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6A] FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a state in which the surface treatment device according to the modified example is located at an original position. [Figure 6B] FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a state in which the surface treatment device according to the modified example is located at a reduced pressure position. [Figure 6C] FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a state in which the surface treatment device according to the modified example is located at a treatment position. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a state in which a surface treatment device according to another modified example is located at an original position. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart showing an example of a surface treatment method according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the inventions according to the claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. Furthermore, in the present embodiments, the scale and dimensions of each component may be exaggerated, and some components may be omitted.

[0018] [Overall configuration of surface treatment equipment] The surface treatment device 1 according to this embodiment can be used, for example, as a plating treatment device that reduces metal ions to precipitate a metal and forms a metal coating on the surface E of the workpiece C. However, the surface treatment device 1 is not limited to this, and can be applied to various devices as long as they are capable of treating the surface E of the workpiece C.

[0019] In this embodiment, the workpiece C is described as a conductor such as a metal material, but is not limited to this. For example, if the workpiece C is a material in which a conductor layer is formed on a resin substrate, the surface treatment device 1 can also treat the surface of the conductor layer.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C, the surface processing apparatus 1 includes a mounting table 100 on which an object C to be processed can be placed, and a surface processing head 200 capable of processing a surface E of the object C to be processed.

[0021] Hereinafter, in this specification, the direction in which the mounting table 100 and the surface treatment head 200 approach or move away from each other will be referred to as the "vertical direction." Furthermore, the vertical direction in which the mounting table 100 is located will be referred to as the "downward direction," and the vertical direction in which the surface treatment head 200 is located will be referred to as the "upward direction."

[0022] [Configuration of the mounting table] 1A to 1C, the mounting table 100 has a workpiece accommodating recess 101 capable of accommodating a workpiece C, an electrode accommodating recess 102 capable of accommodating an electrode 110 (a base-side electrode), and a fixing mechanism (not shown) capable of fixing the workpiece C to the workpiece accommodating recess 101. The workpiece accommodating recess 101 is recessed downward from the upper surface of the mounting table 100. The electrode accommodating recess 102 is recessed downward from the bottom surface of the workpiece accommodating recess 101. Therefore, the electrode 110 is configured to be electrically connected to the workpiece C accommodated in the workpiece accommodating recess 101. The fixing mechanism has, for example, a suction flow path for sucking the workpiece C accommodated in the workpiece accommodating recess 101 and a vacuum pump connected to the suction flow path. The vacuum pump is configured to suck the workpiece C through the suction flow path, thereby adsorbing the workpiece C to the bottom surface of the workpiece accommodating recess 101.

[0023] The mounting table 100 according to this embodiment has an advantage that, by including the workpiece accommodating recess 101, it is possible to prevent the position of the workpiece C from shifting. Another advantage is that, for example, when performing surface treatment on the edge of the surface E of the workpiece C, the surface treatment can be performed with the surface treatment head 200 straddling the workpiece C and the mounting table 100. The mounting table 100 may not have the workpiece accommodating recess 101, and the workpiece C may be placed on the upper surface of the mounting table 100. In this case, the positioning of the workpiece C may be performed, for example, by image recognition, the accuracy of a moving mechanism described below, a positioning pin, or the like, and the fixation of the workpiece C may be performed, for example, by the fixation mechanism described above, an electrostatic chuck, or the like.

[0024] [Surface treatment head configuration] As shown in Figures 1A to 1C, the surface treatment head 200 includes a housing 210 having an opening 213, an ion conductive membrane 220 that closes the opening 213 of the housing 210, an electrode 230 (head-side electrode) provided inside the housing 210, a frame-shaped sealing member 240 provided on the end face of the housing 210 on the opening 213 side, a reduced-pressure connection flow path forming means 250 provided between the ion conductive membrane 220 and the surface E of the workpiece C, and a covering portion 260 provided between the reduced-pressure connection flow path forming means 250 and the surface E of the workpiece C.

[0025] Housing 210 has a top 211 and a frame-shaped wall 212 that supports top 211, and is formed as a whole with a generally U-shaped cross section having an opening 213 on the lower surface. Top 211 has an electrode accommodating recess 211a that can accommodate electrode 230. Electrode accommodating recess 211a is recessed upward from the center of the lower surface of top 211.

[0026] In this embodiment, the top 211 has been described as having an electrode accommodating recess 211a, but this is not limited to this, and the top 211 may not have an electrode accommodating recess 211a, and the electrode 230 may be provided below the top 211.

[0027] The wall 212 has a frame-shaped outer wall 212a and a frame-shaped inner wall 212b that can be fitted into the outer wall 212a. The outer wall 212a has a length that is longer in the up-down direction than the inner wall 212b. Therefore, the lower end (the end on the workpiece C side) of the outer wall 212a is located lower (closer to the workpiece C) than the lower end (the end on the workpiece C side) of the inner wall 212b. The outer wall 212a may be fixed to the lower surface of the top 211 either non-detachably or detachably. In addition, in the present embodiment, the lower end of the outer wall portion 212a is described as being located lower than the lower end of the inner wall portion 212b, but this is not limited thereto, and for example, only the portion of the lower end of the outer wall portion 212a that is located outside the decompression groove 217a (described later) may be located lower than the lower end of the inner wall portion 212b, and the portion that is located inside the decompression groove 217a may be located at the same position as the lower end of the inner wall portion 212b. This configuration has the advantage of making it easier to ensure a flow path for decompressing the enclosed space CS (described later).

[0028] The housing 210 according to this embodiment is configured to hold the ion conductive membrane 220 in a tight state by sandwiching the outer edge of the ion conductive membrane 220 between the inner surface of the outer wall portion 212a and the outer surface of the inner wall portion 212b.

[0029] The housing 210 also has an accommodating space 214 capable of accommodating a liquid, a liquid supply path 215 capable of supplying the liquid to the accommodating space 214, and a liquid discharge path 216 capable of discharging the liquid accommodated in the accommodating space 214. The accommodating space 214 is a space defined by the lower surface of the top portion 211 and the inner surface of the inner wall portion 212b. The housing 210 according to this embodiment is configured to be able to accommodate a liquid in the accommodating space 214 that is closed by the ion conductive membrane 220. The liquid supply path 215 and the liquid discharge path 216 face each other across the electrode accommodating recess 211a, and are each formed to extend from the upper surface to the lower surface of the top portion 211.

[0030] In this embodiment, the liquid is an electrolyte. The electrolyte is, for example, a liquid containing a metal in an ionic state to be deposited on the surface E of the workpiece C, and examples of the metal contained include copper, gold, silver, and nickel. The electrolyte is an ionized version of these metals, and various known electrolytes can be used. Note that the electrolyte is not limited to the examples given here.

[0031] The ion conductive membrane 220 is a sheet-like thin film member formed with a thickness of several μm to several hundred μm (e.g., 5 to 450 μm), and its outer edge is sandwiched between the outer wall portion 212a and the inner wall portion 212b, so that it is attached to the housing 210 without slack. Examples of the ion conductive membrane 220 include a porous membrane and a solid electrolyte membrane, and resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, hydrocarbon resins, and fluorine-based resins can be used. Note that the ion conductive membrane 220 is not limited to these, as long as it is impregnated with metal ions in the electrolyte solution contained in the containing space 214 upon contact with the electrolyte solution and can precipitate metal derived from the metal ions on the surface E of the workpiece C when a voltage is applied by the power supply unit 300 described below.

[0032] The seal member 240 is an O-ring and is provided along the vicinity of the outer edge of the lower surface of the outer wall portion 212a. Specifically, the upper end of the seal member 240 is fitted into a seal member holding groove (not shown) provided near the outer edge of the lower surface of the outer wall portion 212a. The seal member 240 is configured to form a closed space CS between the ion conductive membrane 220 and the surface E of the workpiece C when in contact with the surface E of the workpiece C. In this embodiment, a reduced-pressure connection flow path forming means 250 is provided below the ion conductive membrane 220, and a covering portion 260 is provided below the reduced-pressure connection flow path forming means 250. Therefore, when the seal member 240 is in contact with the surface E of the workpiece C, a closed space CS is formed between the covering portion 260 and the surface E of the workpiece C. That is, the linear distance in the vertical direction from the lower surface of the outer wall portion 212 a to the lower end of the sealing member 240 is longer than the total thickness of the ion conductive membrane 220 , the pressure-reducing connection flow path forming means 250 and the covering portion 260 .

[0033] In this embodiment, the sealing member 240 is described as an O-ring, but is not limited to this. The sealing member 240 may be any member that has chemical resistance and sealing properties, and may be, for example, a gasket, packing, or the like.

[0034] Here, the housing 210 has a pressure reducing portion 217 for reducing the pressure in the enclosed space CS. The pressure reducing portion 217 has a pressure reducing groove 217a, a pressure reducing hole 217b, and a pressure reducing flow path 217c for reducing the pressure in the enclosed space CS.

[0035] The decompression groove 217a is formed in an annular shape and is provided on the lower surface of the housing 210 (the end surface on the opening 213 side) between the opening 213 and the seal member 240. Specifically, the decompression groove 217a is provided on the lower surface of the outer wall portion 212a. The decompression hole 217b is provided above (toward the housing 210) the lower end of the seal member 240 (the end on the workpiece C side) and inside the seal member 240. Specifically, a plurality of decompression holes 217b (two in this embodiment) are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction of the decompression groove 217a. The decompression flow path 217c is formed from the decompression hole 217b to the outer surface of the outer wall portion 212a and is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) for decompression at the end on the outer surface side of the outer wall portion 212a.

[0036] The pressure reducing section 217 also functions as a drainage section that drains the electrolyte solution that has passed through the ion conductive membrane 220. That is, the pressure reducing groove 217a, the pressure reducing hole 217b, and the pressure reducing flow path 217c also function as a drainage groove, a drainage hole, and a drainage flow path, respectively. The pressure reducing section 217 is configured to drain the electrolyte solution flowing through the pressure reducing groove 217a via the pressure reducing hole 217b and the pressure reducing flow path 217c. In this embodiment, the pressure reducing section 217 also functions as a drainage section, which eliminates the need for a separate flow path or member for drainage, thereby achieving the advantage of enabling the device to be made smaller and simpler. In addition, the pressure reducing groove 217a, which also functions as a drainage groove, is formed in a ring shape, which also has the advantage of improving drainage efficiency.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, the pressure-reducing connection flow path forming means 250 is formed in a mesh shape and has a planar shape larger than that of the ion conductive membrane 220. Specifically, the pressure-reducing connection flow path forming means 250 is large enough to cover the pressure-reducing groove 217a of the pressure-reducing section 217. The thickness of the pressure-reducing connection flow path forming means 250 is preferably several tens of μm to several hundreds of μm (for example, 10 to 500 μm). For example, a metal mesh such as a stainless steel mesh or a synthetic fiber mesh such as a polyester mesh can be used as the pressure-reducing connection flow path forming means 250. When a metal mesh is used as the pressure-reducing connection flow path forming means 250, it is preferable to insulate the metal mesh or to configure the metal mesh so that it does not come into contact with the voltage application path.

[0038] The reduced pressure connection flow path forming means 250 is configured to form a reduced pressure connection flow path 251 that connects the closed space CS and the reduced pressure section 217. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the reduced pressure connection flow path forming means 250 is configured to form the reduced pressure connection flow path 251 that connects the closed space CS with the reduced pressure groove 217a and the reduced pressure hole 217b by a space created by the three-dimensional intersection of the material that forms the mesh, and by the covering section 260 that contacts the lower surface of the reduced pressure connection flow path forming means 250 and the surface E of the workpiece C. The reduced pressure connection flow path forming means 250 also forms the reduced pressure connection flow path 251 between the space created by the three-dimensional intersection of the material that forms the mesh and the lower surface of the ion conductive membrane 220.

[0039] The reduced-pressure connection flow path 251 also functions as a drainage connection flow path that supplies the electrolyte solution that has passed through the ion conductive membrane 220 to the drainage groove (reduced-pressure groove 217a) and drainage hole (reduced-pressure hole 217b) of the drainage section (reduced-pressure section 217). That is, the reduced-pressure connection flow path forming means 250 also functions as a drainage connection flow path forming means that forms a drainage connection flow path. As a result, the liquid layer that forms below the ion conductive membrane 220 is removed, and a sufficient pressure difference is generated between the electrolyte solution contained in the accommodation space 214 and below the ion conductive membrane 220, and the ion conductive membrane 220 presses the reduced-pressure connection flow path forming means 250 and the covering section 260 (or the reduced-pressure connection flow path forming means 250 if the covering section 260 is not present) toward the workpiece C. This improves the adhesion between the covering section 260 (or the reduced-pressure connection flow path forming means 250 if the covering section 260 is not present) and the surface E of the workpiece C, which is advantageous in that it can improve the accuracy of the surface treatment.

[0040] The pressure-reducing connection flow path forming means 250 is configured to be attached to the housing 210, for example, by adhering its outer edge to the lower surface of the outer wall portion 212a of the housing 210, outside the pressure-reducing groove 217a. As a result, the means 250 is configured to be located between the ion conductive membrane 220 and the surface E of the workpiece C.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4, the covering portion 260 is formed in a sheet shape having substantially the same shape and size as the pressure-reducing connection flow-path forming means 250. The covering portion 260 may be larger or smaller than the pressure-reducing connection flow-path forming means 250. The thickness of the covering portion 260 is preferably several tens of μm to several thousands of μm (e.g., 10 to 1000 μm). The covering portion 260 is preferably made of a flexible material to enhance adhesion to the surface E of the workpiece C, and more preferably made of silicone rubber, fluororubber, or a material containing silicone rubber or a material containing fluororubber. The material of the covering portion 260 is not limited to these, and other known resin materials such as polyimide (PI), polyamide (PA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyolefin (PO), and glass-woven epoxy resin may also be used.

[0042] The covering portion 260 has an opening 261 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the processing portion of the surface E of the object C to be processed, and is configured so that this opening 261 is positioned above the processing portion of the object C to be processed.

[0043] The covering portion 260 is not limited to the above-described configuration, and various arbitrary configurations can be adopted as long as they are capable of covering the non-processing portion of the workpiece C. For example, the covering portion 260 may be a screen mask 270.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 5, the screen mask 270 includes a support 271 having a porous portion and a mask member 272 attached to the support 271 and covering a non-processing portion of the workpiece C. The support 271 is, for example, a porous member such as a metal mesh, a synthetic fiber mesh, or a microsieve that functions as the porous portion. The thickness of the support 271 is preferably several tens of μm to several hundreds of μm (e.g., 10 to 500 μm). The support 271 is configured to allow the electrolyte solution that has passed through the ion conductive membrane 220 through the porous portion to pass through. The mask member 272 is provided as a thin film on the surface of the support 271 facing the workpiece C and is formed, for example, from silicone rubber or fluororubber, or by coating the surface of a photosensitive resin material (emulsion) or a metal mask with a chemical-resistant resin material such as fluororesin, fluororubber, or silicone rubber. The thickness of the mask member 272 is preferably several tens of μm to several thousands of μm (e.g., 10 to 1000 μm). The mask member 272 has a pattern formed thereon for selectively performing surface treatment on the treatment portion of the surface E of the object C to be treated.

[0045] The covering portion 260 is configured to be attached to the housing 210, for example, by bonding its outer edge to the outer edge of the lower surface of the reduced-pressure connection flow-channel forming means 250. As a result, the covering portion 260 is configured to be positioned between the reduced-pressure connection flow-channel forming means 250 and the surface E of the workpiece C. The same applies to the case where the screen mask 270 is attached to the housing 210. Note that, in this embodiment, the covering portion 260 is described as being attached to the housing 210, but this is not limiting, and the covering portion 260 may be provided on the upper surface of the workpiece C.

[0046] In addition, the surface treatment device 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with a moving mechanism (not shown) capable of moving the surface treatment head 200, and a power supply unit 300 that applies a voltage between the electrode 230 and the workpiece C.

[0047] [Configuration of the movement mechanism] The moving mechanism has, for example, a linear-acting rod (not shown), and is configured to move the surface treatment head 200 closer to or farther from the mounting table 100 by raising and lowering the surface treatment head 200 using the linear-acting rod. The moving mechanism is also configured to be able to stop the surface treatment head 200 at at least three positions: an uppermost position (original position: see FIG. 1A) where the surface treatment head 200 is farthest from the mounting table 100; a position where the seal member 240 abuts against the surface E of the workpiece C to form a closed space CS between the ion conductive membrane 220 (in this embodiment, the covering portion 260) and the surface E of the workpiece C, i.e., a depressurization position (see FIG. 1B) where the closed space CS is depressurized; and a processing position (see FIG. 1C) where the surface treatment head 200 is brought even closer to the mounting table 100 than the depressurization position to perform surface treatment.

[0048] The moving mechanism is not limited to a configuration including a linear motion rod, and any configuration can be employed as long as it is capable of moving the surface treatment head 200 toward or away from the mounting table 100. Furthermore, the moving mechanism may be configured not only to move the surface treatment head 200 toward or away from the mounting table 100, but also to move the surface treatment head 200 along the surface E of the workpiece C. The ability of the surface treatment head 200 to move along the surface E of the workpiece C has the advantage of improving the degree of freedom in surface treatment of the workpiece C, for example, by allowing treatment to be performed on predetermined portions of the surface E of the workpiece C that is larger than the housing 210.

[0049] Furthermore, an articulated robot may be used as the movement mechanism. By using an articulated robot as the movement mechanism, the surface treatment head 200 can be moved not only in the direction toward or away from the workpiece C and the direction along the surface E of the workpiece C, but also in all directions (the direction toward or away from the workpiece C, the direction along the surface E of the workpiece C, and directions intersecting these directions), which further improves the degree of freedom of movement of the surface treatment head 200, thereby offering the advantage of further improving the degree of freedom in surface treatment of the workpiece C. For example, it is possible to perform surface treatment not only on the top surface of the workpiece C, but also on the side and bottom surfaces of the workpiece C, or to have two articulated robots each hold a surface treatment head 200, sandwich the workpiece C between the two surface treatment heads 200, and perform surface treatment on a pair of surfaces (e.g., a pair of side surfaces) of the workpiece C.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the moving mechanism is described as being configured to be able to move the surface treatment head 200, but this is not limited to this, and the moving mechanism may also be configured to be able to move the mounting table 100.

[0051] [Power supply configuration] The positive pole (+ pole) of the power supply unit 300 is electrically connected to the electrode 230, and the negative pole (- pole) is electrically connected to the electrode 110. As a result, the electrode 230 constitutes the anode of the surface processing device 1, and the electrode 110, and therefore the workpiece C, constitutes the cathode of the surface processing device 1. Alternatively, the positive pole of the power supply unit 300 may be electrically connected to the electrode 110, and the negative pole of the power supply unit 300 may be electrically connected to the electrode 230.

[0052] [Surface treatment method] Next, a surface treatment method using the surface treatment device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1A to 1C and 8. First, with the surface treatment head 200 spaced apart from the mounting table 100 (see Figure 1A), a workpiece C is placed in the workpiece accommodating recess 101 of the mounting table 100. Then, an ion conductive membrane 220, a reduced pressure connection flow path forming means 250, and a covering part 260 matching the pattern of the surface treatment are attached to the housing 210 of the surface treatment head 200.

[0053] Thereafter, the moving mechanism moves the surface treatment head 200 closer to the mounting table 100, and stops the surface treatment head 200 at the depressurization position (S1, see FIG. 1B). At this time, the sealing member 240 forms a closed space CS between the covering portion 260 and the surface E of the workpiece C. In this state, the vacuum pump connected to the outer end of the depressurization flow path 217c of the depressurization unit 217 on the outer surface side of the outer wall portion 212a sucks air present in the closed space CS through the depressurization connection flow path 251, the depressurization groove 217a, the depressurization hole 217b, and the depressurization flow path 217c, thereby depressurizing the closed space CS (S2).

[0054] Then, while maintaining the reduced pressure state of the enclosed space CS, the surface treatment head 200 is further moved closer to the mounting table 100 and stopped at the treatment position (S3, see FIG. 1C). This causes the covering portion 260 of the surface treatment head 200 to come into contact with the surface E of the workpiece C. If the covering portion 260 is not provided, the reduced pressure connection flow path forming means 250 comes into contact with the surface E of the workpiece C, and if the reduced pressure connection flow path forming means 250 is also not provided, the ion conductive membrane 220 comes into contact with the surface E of the workpiece C.

[0055] Then, the electrolyte is injected into the storage space 214 from an external liquid supply unit via the liquid supply path 215 (S4). After the storage space 214 is completely filled with the electrolyte at normal pressure, the electrolyte stored in the storage space 214 is pressurized by a pressurizing mechanism (not shown) provided in the surface treatment head 200 (S5). At this time, due to the pressure difference between the inside of the housing 210 (i.e., the storage space 214) and the outside of the housing 210 (i.e., the atmosphere), excess electrolyte that has passed through the ion conductive membrane 220 is drained via the pressure reduction connection flow path 251, the pressure reduction groove 217a, the pressure reduction hole 217b, and the pressure reduction flow path 217c. Then, in this state, the power supply unit 300 applies a voltage between the electrode 230 and the workpiece C (S6). This causes metal ions to deposit on the treatment portion of the surface E of the workpiece C, thereby performing surface treatment to form a metal coating. The electrolyte may be drained using a vacuum pump.

[0056] In this embodiment, the ion conductive membrane 220 and the surface E of the workpiece C may not be in direct contact with each other, but due to the pressure difference between the space above and below the ion conductive membrane 220, the electrolyte seeps out from the ion conductive membrane 220 and fills the surface E of the workpiece C, thereby forming a metal coating on the treated portion of the workpiece C.

[0057] It should be noted that if a pressure sensor capable of measuring the pressure in the accommodation space 214 is installed in the housing 210 and the pressure of the working air by the pressurizing mechanism is controlled based on this measurement value, it is possible to control the pressure of the electrolyte to a desired pressure. This state is maintained for a predetermined time, and once a predetermined voltage application time has elapsed, the surface treatment is completed. It should be noted that the control of the working air pressure by the pressurizing mechanism is not limited, and the electrolyte may be pressurized to a desired pressure by, for example, a pump capable of pumping the electrolyte.

[0058] After the surface treatment is completed, the electrolyte solution contained in the accommodation space 214 is discharged through the liquid discharge path 216 (S7). Thereafter, the moving mechanism moves the surface treatment head 200 away from the mounting table 100 and stops the surface treatment head 200 at the original position (S8). After the surface treatment head 200 moves to the original position, the workpiece C is removed from the mounting table 100. Through the above steps, a series of surface treatment methods using the surface treatment device 1 according to this embodiment is performed. Note that if the reduced pressure connection flow path forming means 250 or the covering portion 260 is provided below the ion conductive membrane 220 or if the liquid supply path 215 and the liquid discharge path 216 are closed by a fluid control circuit, the ion conductive membrane 220 can withstand deformation due to the mass of the electrolyte solution, and therefore the solution discharge step (S7) and the electrolyte supply step (S4) for the next surface treatment may be omitted.

[0059] The mounting table 100 may be equipped with a plurality of rolls, and the surface treatment may be performed by a so-called roll-to-roll method. When performing the surface treatment by the roll-to-roll method, the surface treatment may be performed on only one surface of the workpiece C, or on a pair of surfaces of the workpiece C.

[0060] [Advantages of the surface treatment device according to this embodiment] The surface treatment head 200 according to this embodiment is a surface treatment head 200 capable of treating the surface E of the workpiece C, and comprises a housing 210 having an opening 213, an ion conductive membrane 220 that blocks the opening 213 of the housing 210, an electrode 230 provided inside the housing 210, and a frame-shaped sealing member 240 provided on the end face of the housing 210 on the opening 213 side, the sealing member 240 being configured to be able to form a closed space CS between the ion conductive membrane 220 and the surface E of the workpiece C, the housing 210 having a decompression hole 217b for decompressing the closed space CS, the decompression hole 217b being provided closer to the housing 210 than the end of the sealing member 240 on the workpiece C side, and more inward than the sealing member 240.

[0061] According to the surface treatment head 200 having such a configuration, the decompression hole 217b is provided closer to the housing 210 than the end of the seal member 240 on the workpiece C side and further inward than the seal member 240, so that the surface E of the workpiece C can be treated without fitting the mounting table 100 and the surface treatment head 200 together. This makes it possible to treat the surface E of a workpiece C that is larger than the surface treatment head 200, to treat only a portion of the surface E of the workpiece C, to perform surface treatment not only on the top surface of the workpiece C but also on the side or bottom surface of the workpiece C, to sandwich the workpiece C between two surface treatment heads 200 and perform surface treatment on a pair of surfaces of the workpiece C (e.g., the top and bottom surfaces), and to perform surface treatment by a so-called roll-to-roll method, thereby providing an advantage of improving the flexibility of surface treatment.

[0062] In the surface treatment head 200 according to this embodiment, the housing 210 has a decompression groove 217a for decompressing the enclosed space CS, the decompression groove 217a being formed in an annular shape and being provided on the end face of the housing 210 on the opening 213 side, between the opening 213 and the seal member 240, and the decompression holes 217b being provided in at least a portion of the circumferential direction of the decompression groove 217a. The surface treatment head 200 having such a configuration has the advantage that the decompression groove 217a is formed in an annular shape, thereby improving the efficiency of decompression of the enclosed space CS.

[0063] The surface treatment head 200 according to this embodiment includes a pressure-reducing connection flow path forming means 250 that is provided between the ion conductive membrane 220 and the surface E of the workpiece C and forms a pressure-reducing connection flow path 251 that connects the closed space CS and the pressure-reducing hole 217b. The surface treatment head 200 having such a configuration has the advantage that the pressure in the closed space CS can be reduced while preventing the ion conductive membrane 220 from being sucked into the pressure-reducing hole 217b and blocking the pressure-reducing hole 217b during pressure reduction. Another advantage is that the ion conductive membrane 220 is prevented from coming into direct contact with the workpiece C, thereby preventing damage to the ion conductive membrane 220.

[0064] In the surface treatment head 200 according to this embodiment, the housing 210 has a top 211 and a frame-shaped wall 212 that supports the top 211. The wall 212 has an outer wall 212a and an inner wall 212b that can be fitted into the outer wall 212a. The housing 210 is configured to sandwich the outer edge of the ion conductive membrane 220 between the inner surface of the outer wall 212a and the outer surface of the inner wall 212b. The end of the outer wall 212a on the workpiece C side is positioned closer to the workpiece C than the end of the inner wall 212b on the workpiece C side. According to the surface treatment head 200 having such a configuration, the lower end of the outer wall portion 212a is located lower than the lower end of the inner wall portion 212b. Therefore, when the surface treatment head 200 comes into contact with the workpiece C, the ion conductive membrane 220 does not come into contact with the workpiece C, but the lower end of the outer wall portion 212a comes into contact with the workpiece C. This has the advantage of preventing damage to the ion conductive membrane 220 during contact, etc., and making it easier to secure a path for depressurizing the closed space CS.

[0065] [Variations] The surface treatment head and surface treatment device according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

[0066] In the above-described embodiment, the housing 210 has been described as having the decompression groove 217a, but this is not limited thereto and the housing 210 may not have the decompression groove 217a. Furthermore, the decompression groove 217a has been described as being formed in an annular shape, but this is not limited thereto and the housing 210 may have various shapes, such as a discontinuous annular shape. Furthermore, the decompression holes 217b have been described as being provided in at least a portion of the circumferential direction of the decompression groove 217a, but this is not limited thereto and the housing 210 may be provided throughout the entire decompression groove 217a.

[0067] In the above-described embodiment, the surface treatment head 200 has been described as being equipped with a reduced pressure connection flow path forming means 250 and a covering portion 260, but this is not limited to this, and the surface treatment head 200 may be configured to be equipped with only one of these, or neither.

[0068] In the above-described embodiment, the ion conductive membrane 220 is described as being attached to the housing 210 by sandwiching the outer edge portion between the outer wall portion 212a and the inner wall portion 212b, but this is not limited thereto, and the ion conductive membrane 220 may be attached to the housing 210 by adhering the outer edge portion to the underside of the housing 210.

[0069] In the above-described embodiment, the surface treatment device 1 has been described as including the electrode 110 and the electrode 230, but may further include a spacer that can adjust the distance between the electrode 110 and the electrode 230.

[0070] In the above-described embodiment, the wall 212 has been described as having an outer wall 212a and an inner wall 212b that can be fitted into the outer wall 212a. However, as shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C, the outer wall 212a' of the wall 212' may have a frame-shaped first outer wall 212c into which the inner wall 212b can be fitted, and a frame-shaped second outer wall 212d provided outside the first outer wall 212c. A surface treatment head 200' having such a configuration will be briefly described below. Note that components similar to those in the above-described embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0071] 6A to 6C, the lower end (end on the side of the workpiece C) of the second outer wall 212d is located lower (closer to the side of the workpiece C) than the lower end (end on the side of the workpiece C) of the first outer wall 212c. The first outer wall 212c is configured to be movable relative to the second outer wall 212d.

[0072] In the surface treatment head 200', the seal member 240 is provided on the lower surface of the second outer wall portion 212d. Furthermore, in the pressure reduction section 217' of the surface treatment head 200', the pressure reduction groove 217a is not provided, and the pressure reduction hole 217b' is provided on the inner surface of the second outer wall portion 212d, and the pressure reduction flow path 217c' is formed from the pressure reduction hole 217b' to the outer surface of the second outer wall portion 212d. The pressure reduction flow path 217c' is connected to a vacuum pump at the end of the outer surface of the second outer wall portion 212d. Note that, similar to the above-described embodiment, the surface treatment head 200' may have the pressure reduction groove 217a and the pressure reduction hole 217b, and the pressure reduction flow path 217c' may be formed from the pressure reduction hole 217b through the first outer wall portion 212c and the second outer wall portion 212d to the outer surface of the second outer wall portion 212d.

[0073] In addition, a buffer section 212e is provided below the liquid supply path 215 and the liquid discharge path 216 and at the lower end of the inner surface of the inner wall section 212b. The surface treatment head 200′ has the buffer section 212e, which prevents the liquid flowing in from the liquid supply path 215 from coming into direct contact with the ion conductive membrane 220, thereby providing an advantage in that damage to the ion conductive membrane 220 can be prevented.

[0074] Next, a surface treatment method using the surface treatment device 1' equipped with the surface treatment head 200' will be described. First, as in the above-described embodiment, the workpiece C is placed in the workpiece accommodating recess 101 of the mounting table 100, and the ion conductive membrane 220, the reduced pressure connection flow path forming means 250, and the covering part 260 matching the surface treatment pattern are attached to the housing 210' of the surface treatment head 200'.

[0075] Next, the surface treatment head 200', with the lower end of the second outer wall 212d positioned lower than the lower end of the first outer wall 212c (see FIG. 6A), is moved toward the mounting table 100 and stopped at the depressurized position (see FIG. 6B). In this state, the enclosed space CS is depressurized by a vacuum pump connected to the outer surface side end of the depressurization flow path 217c' of the second outer wall 212d. Then, while maintaining the depressurized state of the enclosed space CS, the first outer wall 212c is moved relative to the second outer wall 212d, and the covering portion 260 of the surface treatment head 200' is brought into contact with the surface E of the workpiece C (see FIG. 6C). Thereafter, the surface E of the workpiece C can be treated by performing the same steps as in the above-described embodiment.

[0076] The surface treatment head 200' has a first outer wall portion 212c and a second outer wall portion 212d, which allows for a wide closed space CS, thereby suppressing or preventing the ion conductive membrane 220 and the like from coming into contact with the surface E of the workpiece C during decompression, and providing the advantage of enabling stable removal of bubbles in the closed space CS.

[0077] In the above-described embodiment, the housing 210 has been described as holding the ion conductive membrane 220 tightly by sandwiching the outer edge of the ion conductive membrane 220 between the inner surface of the outer wall portion 212a and the outer surface of the inner wall portion 212b. However, as shown in FIG. 7 , for example, the housing 210″ may have suction grooves 218 for sucking the ion conductive membrane 220 and suction passages 219 communicating with the suction grooves 218, thereby further enhancing the effect of holding the ion conductive membrane 220 tightly. A surface treatment head 200″ having such a configuration will be briefly described below. Note that components similar to those in the above-described embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 7, the suction groove 218 is formed in an annular shape and is provided on the lower surface (the end surface on the opening 213 side) of the housing 210″ between the opening 213 and the decompression groove 217a and decompression hole 217b. Specifically, the suction groove 218 is provided on the lower surface of the inner wall portion 212b′ of the wall portion 212″. The suction groove 218 may have various shapes, such as a discontinuous annular shape. At least one suction passage 219 is provided and is formed to extend from a portion of the circumferential direction of the suction groove 218 to the upper surface of the top portion 211 of the housing 210″.

[0079] The ion conductive membrane 220 is then sucked (adsorbed) by the suction grooves 218 and the suction passages 219. Therefore, the housing 210'' can hold the ion conductive membrane 220 without wrinkles or slack, which has the advantage of allowing the ion conductive membrane 220 to be neatly and closely attached to the surface E of the workpiece C. Note that the surface treatment method using the surface treatment apparatus 1'' equipped with the surface treatment head 200'' is the same as in the above-described embodiment, and therefore will not be described here.

[0080] It is clear from the claims that the above-mentioned modifications are included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1, 1', 1'': Surface treatment equipment 100: Mounting table 101: Recessed portion for accommodating processed material 102: Electrode receiving recess 110: Electrode 200, 200', 200'': Surface treatment head 210, 210', 210'': Housing 211:Top 211a: Electrode receiving recess 212, 212', 212'': Wall part 212a, 212a': Outer wall 212b, 212b': Inner wall 212c: First outer wall part 212d: Second outer wall part 212e: Buffer section 213: Opening 214: Containment space 215:Liquid supply path 216:Liquid discharge path 217, 217': Pressure reducing section 217a: Decompression groove 217b, 217b': Decompression holes 217c, 217c': pressure reducing flow path 218: Suction groove 219: Suction passage 220: Ion conductive membrane 230: Electrode 240: Sealing material 250: Pressure reducing connection flow path forming means 251: Pressure reducing connection channel 260: Covering part 261: Opening 270: Screen Mask 271 :Support 272: Mask material 300: Power supply section C: Processing object CS: Closed space

Claims

1. A surface treatment head capable of treating the surface of a treatment object, a housing having an opening; an ion conductive membrane that closes the opening of the housing; an electrode disposed inside the housing; a frame-shaped seal member provided on an end surface of the housing on the opening side; Equipped with the sealing member is configured to be able to form an enclosed space between the ion conductive membrane and the surface of the workpiece, the housing has a decompression hole for decompressing the enclosed space, The decompression hole is provided closer to the housing than the end of the seal member on the object side and further inward than the seal member. Surface treatment head.

2. the housing has a decompression groove for decompressing the enclosed space, the pressure reduction groove is formed in an annular shape and is provided on an end surface of the housing on the opening side, between the opening and the seal member, The pressure reduction hole is provided in at least a portion of the pressure reduction groove in the circumferential direction. The surface treating head of claim 1 .

3. a pressure-reducing connection flow path forming means that is provided between the ion conductive membrane and the surface of the object to be treated and that forms a pressure-reducing connection flow path that connects the closed space and the pressure-reducing hole; 3. The surface treatment head according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The housing has a top and a frame-shaped wall that supports the top, The wall portion has an outer wall portion and an inner wall portion that can be fitted into the outer wall portion, the housing is configured to sandwich an outer edge of the ion conductive membrane between an inner surface of the outer wall portion and an outer surface of the inner wall portion, The end of the outer wall portion on the workpiece side is located closer to the workpiece than the end of the inner wall portion on the workpiece side.

3. The surface treatment head according to claim 1 or 2.

5. the outer wall portion has a first outer wall portion into which the inner wall portion can be fitted, and a second outer wall portion provided outside the first outer wall portion, an end portion of the second outer wall portion on the workpiece side is located closer to the workpiece than an end portion of the first outer wall portion on the workpiece side; The first outer wall portion is configured to be movable relative to the second outer wall portion.

5. The surface treating head of claim 4.

6. the housing has a suction groove for attracting the ion conductive membrane, The suction groove is provided on the end surface of the housing on the opening side between the opening and the decompression hole.

3. The surface treatment head according to claim 1 or 2.

7. A surface treatment device having a surface treatment head capable of treating the surface of a treatment object, The surface treatment head comprises: a housing having an opening; an ion conductive membrane that closes the opening of the housing; an electrode disposed inside the housing; a frame-shaped seal member provided on an end surface of the housing on the opening side; Equipped with the sealing member is configured to be able to form an enclosed space between the ion conductive membrane and the surface of the workpiece, the housing has a decompression hole for decompressing the enclosed space, The decompression hole is provided closer to the housing than the end of the seal member on the object side and further inward than the seal member. Surface treatment equipment.

8. A moving mechanism is provided that can move the surface treatment head along the surface of the object to be treated. The surface treatment device according to claim 7 .

9. The moving mechanism is an articulated robot. The surface treatment device according to claim 8 .

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