Electrolytic plating equipment

Abstract

The objective is to provide an electrolytic plating apparatus that forms a plating layer on one or both sides of a substrate that is at least partially immersed in a plating solution, and in which the overall size of the apparatus is suppressed when the plating layer formed on the target surface is made uniform by the cylindrical shielding portion of the shielding member. [Solution] The invention comprises an anode, a holder that holds the substrate with the surface to be plated facing the anode, a power supply that applies a voltage between the substrate held in the holder and the anode to form an electric field, and a plurality of shielding members that are arranged between the substrate held in the holder and the anode and shield a portion of the electric field. The shielding member on the substrate side has a peripheral wall that follows the periphery of the substrate in an axial view perpendicular to the surface to be plated and has a cylindrical shielding portion that is open at both ends. The shielding member on the anode side is formed to cover a portion of the anode in an axial view perpendicular to the surface to be plated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrolytic plating apparatus for forming a plating layer on one or both sides of a substrate in a state where at least a part thereof is immersed in a plating solution.

Background Art

[0002] An electrolytic plating apparatus including an anode, a holder for holding a substrate with a target surface, which is a surface on the side of the substrate where a plating layer is to be formed, facing the anode side, a power source for applying a voltage between the substrate held by the holder and the anode to form an electric field therebetween, and a shielding member disposed between the substrate held by the holder and the anode and shielding a part of the electric field. The shielding member has a cylindrical shielding portion having a peripheral wall along the periphery of the substrate in a view in the axial direction perpendicular to the target surface and having openings at both ends thereof is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The electrolytic plating apparatus of the above document can uniformize the plating layer formed on the target surface of the substrate by the action of the cylindrical shielding portion of the shielding member. On the other hand, in order to obtain this effect, it is necessary to secure a certain length of the entire cylindrical shielding member, and there is a problem that the whole becomes large-sized.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an electrolytic plating apparatus for forming a plating layer on one or both sides of a substrate in a state where at least a part thereof is immersed in a plating solution, and suppressing an increase in the overall size when uniformizing the plating layer formed on the target surface by the cylindrical shielding portion of the shielding member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, an electrolytic plating apparatus for forming a plating layer on one or both sides of a substrate in which at least a portion is immersed in a plating solution is provided, comprising: an anode; a holder for holding the target surface, which is the side on which the plating layer is formed on the substrate, facing the anode; a power supply for applying a voltage between the substrate held by the holder and the anode to form an electric field between them; and a shielding member disposed between the substrate held by the holder and the anode and shielding a portion of the electric field, wherein the shielding member is provided as a substrate-side shielding member located on the substrate side and an anode-side shielding member located on the anode side and formed in the shape of a plate, wherein the substrate-side shielding member has a cylindrical shielding portion extending along a reference axis, which is an axis perpendicular to the target surface, and the shielding portion is along the periphery of the substrate and has openings at both ends when viewed in the direction of the reference axis, and the anode-side shielding member is formed to cover a portion of the anode when viewed in the direction of the reference axis.

[0007] The anode-side shielding member may be molded to a shape that follows the periphery of the anode when viewed in the direction of the reference axis.

[0008] The anode-side shielding member may be formed to cover a portion of the open area of ​​the cylindrical shielding portion when viewed in the direction of the reference axis.

[0009] The anode-side shielding member may be molded to a shape that follows the cylindrical shielding portion when viewed in the direction of the reference axis.

[0010] The substrate may be formed in a rectangular shape, the cylindrical shielding portion may have a rectangular frame-shaped cross-section, and the anode-side shielding member may be formed in a rectangular frame shape along the cylindrical shielding portion when viewed in the direction of the reference axis.

[0011] The substrate-side shielding member may be attached and fixed to the holder side.

[0012] The holder is provided with fixing means for detachably attaching and fixing the substrate-side shielding member to a mounting surface formed on the outer surface of the holder, and a mounting portion is integrally formed on one axial end of the cylindrical shielding portion of the substrate-side shielding member, which is flange-shaped and attached and fixed to the mounting surface by the fixing means, and an annular sealing material is provided on the surface of the mounting portion facing the mounting surface or on the mounting surface, in view in the direction of the reference axis, which surrounds the cylindrical shielding portion, and the sealing material may be configured to be in close contact with both the opposing surface and the mounting surface over its entire circumference when the substrate-side shielding member is attached and fixed to the holder by the fixing means.

[0013] The fixing means may be any of the following: an adsorption member that detachably adsorbs and fixes the substrate-side shielding member to a mounting surface formed on the outer surface of the holder; a pressing member that presses and fixes the substrate-side shielding member to the mounting surface formed on the outer surface of the holder; or a connecting member that connects and fixes the substrate-side shielding member to the holder. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The plate-shaped shielding member on the anode side allows for a uniform plating layer to be formed on the target surface, even when the overall length of the cylindrical shielding portion of the substrate-side shielding member is shortened, thereby preventing an overall increase in size. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of an electrolytic plating apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a rear view showing the configuration of the anode, stirring unit, storage box, and anode-side shielding member. [Figure 3] This is a disassembled side cross-sectional view of the holder. [Figure 4] This is a front view of the rear clamping body. [Figure 5] This is a rear view of the front clamping body. [Figure 6]It is an enlarged side sectional view of the main part of the holder. [Figure 7] It is a front view of the substrate-side shielding member. [Figure 8] It is a rear view showing the positional relationship between the front and rear shielding members and the anode. [Figure 9] (A) is a plan view of an electrolytic plating apparatus according to another embodiment, and (B) is a side sectional view of the holder and the substrate-side shielding member shown in (A). [Figure 10] It is a side sectional view of the main part of the holder and the substrate-side shielding member according to another embodiment. [Figure 11] (A) and (B) show the variation state of the plating layers formed on the front and back surfaces of the substrate when the electric field is shielded only by the substrate-side shielding member and the electrolytic plating treatment is performed with its total length set to 0.64 times or more the length of the substrate in the longitudinal direction. (C) and (D) show the variation state of the plating layers formed on the front and back surfaces of the substrate when the electric field is shielded by the substrate-side shielding member and the anode-side shielding member and the electrolytic plating treatment is performed with its total length set to 0.16 times or more the length of the substrate in the longitudinal direction.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] FIG. 1 is a plan view of an electrolytic plating apparatus according to one embodiment. The electrolytic plating apparatus includes a plating bath 1 into which a plating solution is introduced, a holder 2 that holds a substrate W (see FIGS. 3 and 6) formed in a rectangular plate shape with part or all (in this example, all) immersed in the plating solution, a rectangular plate-shaped anode 3 that faces the substrate W parallel or substantially parallel in the plating solution, a power source 4 that applies a DC voltage between the substrate W held by the holder 2 and the anode 3 to form an electric field in the space including the space between them, a plurality of shielding members 6, 7 disposed between the anode 3 and the substrate W and shielding a part of the electric field, and a stirring unit 8 that stirs the plating solution in the plating bath 1.

[0017] Here, the direction in which the anode 3 and the substrate W face each other is defined as the front-rear direction. The side of the substrate W held by the holder 2 facing the anode 3 is defined as the front side, and based on this, the front-rear, left-right directions are defined, and the following description is given. Incidentally, a virtual axis (reference axis) X that vertically penetrates the center of the substrate W held by the holder 2 also vertically or substantially vertically penetrates the center of the anode 3 in the left-right direction.

[0018] Incidentally, in the substrate W held by the holder 2, the surface on the side opposite to the anode 3 is defined as the target surface W1, and this target surface W1 is also perpendicular to the above-mentioned reference axis X. In the illustrated example, the anode 3 is disposed only in front of the substrate W, and one side (front) of the substrate W is defined as the target surface W1.

[0019] The plating bath 1 is made of a material such as a transparent synthetic resin, which is an insulator having corrosion resistance against the plating solution, and is formed into a bottomed cylindrical shape in the vertical direction with a rectangular frame shape that is long in the front-rear direction in a plan view. A storage box 9 is provided in a portion closer to one of the front and rear of the plating bath 1 (specifically, a portion closer to the anode 3 side, in other words, a front-side portion).

[0020] This storage box 9 has an open upper portion and a rectangular frame-shaped cross section that is long in the left-right direction in a plan view, can partially shield an electric field, and is made of a material (for example, a material such as a transparent synthetic resin) having corrosion resistance against the plating solution in the plating bath 1. The stirring unit 8 and the anode 3 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction in the internal space of the storage box 9.

[0021] The substrate W and the holder 2 for holding it are arranged in the space behind the storage box 9 in the plating bath 1. The internal space of the storage box 9 and the space on the holder 2 side in the plating bath 1 communicate with each other through a communication port 9a (see FIG. 2) formed by opening in the rear surface portion of the peripheral wall of the storage box 9.

[0022] Figure 2 is a rear view showing the configuration of the anode, stirring unit, storage box, and anode-side shielding member. The anode 3 is positioned and housed in the storage box 9 in a orientation facing forward and backward, with its thickness direction being the same as the thickness direction of the substrate W. More specifically, the anode 3 is positioned and locked as a whole by inserting its left and right edges into a pair of locking grooves 9b, 9b integrally formed on the left and right inner walls of the storage box 9.

[0023] The stirring unit 8 is located behind the anode 3, with at least a portion of it, including its lower part, housed in the storage box 9. The stirring unit 8 includes a pump (not shown), a bifurcated pipe 11 that branches the plating solution pumped from above by the pump to the left and right and then flows downward, a plurality of left-right injection side pipes 12 arranged in parallel vertically, and injection nozzles 13 integrally provided on the outer surface of each injection side pipe 12.

[0024] Each injection pipe 12 is positioned between a pair of left and right downstream sections 11a, 11a, which are branches of the pipe 11 that allow the plating solution to flow downwards. The plating solution that flows down to the left and right downstream sections 11a flows into the interior of each injection pipe 12 and is sprayed from the injection nozzle 13.

[0025] Multiple injection pipes 12 are arranged in parallel, one above the other. Since the diameter of each injection pipe 12 is smaller than the diameter of pipe 11, the plating liquid flowing from pipe 11 into the injection pipe 12 has an increased flow velocity and is forcefully ejected from the injection nozzle 13.

[0026] The injection nozzle 13 is formed to protrude toward the holder 2 (rear) so as to spray the plating solution toward the substrate W held by the holder 2 in the plating solution. The injection nozzles 13 are provided at predetermined intervals on the front portion of the outer circumferential surface of each injection side pipe 12. The injection side pipes 12, which are arranged vertically, have their positions (phases) on which the injection nozzles 13 are installed switched relative to each other. In this way, the multiple injection nozzles 13, which are arranged in a planar manner horizontally and vertically, are all or almost entirely exposed toward the substrate W held by the holder 2 through the aforementioned communication opening 9a.

[0027] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 1, the bottom surface of the plating tank 1 is formed with multiple outlets 15, 15 for discharging the plating solution. Specifically, in the space on the holder 2 side (substrate W side) within the plating tank 1, outlets 15, 15 are provided separately at the front and rear of the holder 2. In the illustrated example, each outlet 15 is located in the center of the plating tank 1 in the left-right direction.

[0028] The plating solution discharged from the outlet 15 to the outside of the plating tank 1 may be returned to the plating tank 1 by pumping through pipe 11 and injection pipe 12, or it may be stored in a separate tank.

[0029] With this configuration, the introduction of the plating solution from the spray nozzle 13 to the plating tank 1 and the discharge of the plating solution from the plating tank 1 to the outside are performed simultaneously, ensuring that the plating solution in the plating tank 1 is always kept in good condition. Furthermore, because the plating solution is constantly flowing within the plating tank 1 due to the spraying of the plating solution from the spray nozzle 13, uneven concentration of each component of the plating solution within the plating tank 1 is prevented.

[0030] The stirring unit 8 is not limited to this configuration; it may also be a device that stirs the plating solution in the plating tank 1 using multiple paddles or the like that are oscillated by actuators.

[0031] Figure 3 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the holder, Figure 4 is a front view of the rear clamping body, Figure 5 is a rear view of the front clamping body, and Figure 6 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view of the main part of the holder. The holder 2 has a pair of clamping bodies 14, 14 that clamp and fix the substrate W from the front and rear. The clamping body 14 located on the side farther from the anode 3 is designated as the first clamping body 14A, and the clamping body 14 located on the side closer to the anode 3 is designated as the second clamping body 14B.

[0032] Each clamping body 14 includes a base plate 16 made of a transparent synthetic resin or other material that is an insulator resistant to the plating solution and is formed into a rectangular plate shape that is elongated in the vertical direction with its thickness oriented front to back; a conductor unit 17 made of a conductive material (specifically, metal) provided on the surface (back surface) of the base plate 16 facing the other clamping bodies 14 and electrically connecting the substrate W and the power supply 4; and two types of annular sealing materials 18, 20 made of a transparent synthetic resin or other material that is an insulator resistant to the plating solution and prevent necessary parts of the conductor unit 17 from coming into contact with the plating solution.

[0033] The base plate 16 has two holes 16a and 16b. One hole 16b is a horizontally elongated cutout located in the center of the upper part of the base plate 16 in the left-right direction, while the other hole 16a is a square or rectangular cutout that occupies most of the area below the cutout 16b in the base plate 16 and exposes most of the substrate W held by the holder 2, excluding the peripheral edge.

[0034] Each base plate 16 has a metal support member 25 attached to its left and right edges by multiple bolts arranged vertically, which extends over the entire vertical length of the base plate 16 and prevents it from warping or deforming.

[0035] When the substrate W is held by the pair of clamping bodies 14, 14, the base plates 16, 16 overlap entirely or almost entirely when viewed from the front, and as a result, the weight-reducing holes 16b, 16b and the exposed holes 16a, 16a also overlap entirely or almost entirely when viewed from the front.

[0036] The conductor unit 17 integrally includes a plurality of contacts (contact parts) 19 that contact the substrate W, a pair of left and right terminals 21, 21 that are electrically connected to the power supply 4, and a connection circuit 22 that electrically connects each terminal 21, 21 to the plurality of contacts 19.

[0037] Part or all (in this example, all) of the connection circuit 22 is composed of a rectangular frame-shaped annular portion along the periphery of the exposed hole 16a on the back surface of the base plate 16. This annular portion 22 is formed in a plate shape with its thickness direction facing front to back, and surrounds the periphery of the exposed hole 16a from slightly outside when viewed from the back side of the base plate 16. In other words, the inner periphery of the annular portion 22 is set to surround the exposed hole 16a from slightly outside when viewed from the back side of the base plate 16, and coincides with or approximately coincides with the periphery of the substrate W.

[0038] The terminals 21, 21 are formed into rectangular plates that protrude integrally upward from the connection circuit 22 in a symmetrical manner and have thickness in the front-to-back direction. Incidentally, compared to the pair of left and right terminals 21, 21 of the rear first clamping body 14A, the pair of left and right terminals 21, 21 of the front second clamping body 14B are positioned offset inward to the left and right, so that when the two are stacked and clamping the substrate W, the terminals 21 of the first clamping body 14A and the terminals 21 of the second clamping body 14B do not overlap when viewed from the front.

[0039] Multiple contacts 19 are arranged in an annular pattern along the periphery of the exposed hole 16a in the base plate 16 of the clamping body 14 on which they are provided. Each contact 19 is formed into a plate shape that protrudes inward from the annular portion 22 and has thickness in the direction along the front-to-back axis. Specifically, when viewed from the back side of the base plate 16, each contact 19 protrudes further inward from the inner periphery of the annular portion 22, and its protruding end is located outside the periphery of the exposed hole 16a.

[0040] The contact 19 is inclined toward the side away from the base plate 16 in the direction of its protrusion (towards the annular inner side of the connection circuit 22), and is configured to elastically deform along the thickness direction of the clamping body 14 on which the contact 19 is provided. The substrate W is held by being clamped between the front and rear clamping bodies 14, 14, and the peripheral edge of one of its front or rear surfaces elastically contacts the multiple contacts 19 arranged in an annular pattern.

[0041] In this way, terminal 21 is electrically connected to the substrate W via the connection circuit 22 and contact 19. Then, by electrically connecting the power supply 4 to each of the terminals 21, 21, 21, 21 of the pair of clamping bodies 14, 14, and also by electrically connecting the power supply 4 to the anode 3, a DC voltage is applied between the opposing substrate W and the anode 3, and an electric field is formed in the space including the space between them.

[0042] One of the two types of sealing materials 18 and 20 is an annular outer sealing material 18 that is attached to the back side of the base plate 16 and surrounds the inner periphery of the connection circuit 22 from the outside when viewed from the back side of the base plate 16, and the other is an annular inner sealing material 20 that is attached to the back side of the base plate 16 and surrounds the periphery of the exposed hole 16a from the outside when viewed from the back side of the base plate 16. When viewed from the back side of the base plate 16, multiple contacts 19 are evenly arranged around the entire circumference of the annular portion between these two types of sealing materials 18 and 20.

[0043] These front and rear clamping bodies 14, 14 are detachably connected and fixed to each other by magnets 24, 24, which are a type of suction member, with the substrate W positioned between them. The magnets 24 can be placed anywhere on the clamping bodies 14 as long as they can be connected and fixed to each other, but in this example, they are placed on the surfaces of the pair of clamping bodies 14, 14 that are opposite each other. Specifically, the magnets 24 form an annular shape (specifically, a rectangular frame shape) on the surface of the base plate 16 of each clamping body 14, surrounding the exposed hole 16a from the outside.

[0044] When a pair of clamping bodies 14, 14 are positioned with the substrate W between them, and the substrate W is fitted into the inner periphery of the outer sealing material 18, and the two are connected and fixed by adsorption members 24, 24, the opposing outer sealing materials 18, 18 adhere tightly to each other over their entire circumference, and the pair of inner sealing materials 20, 20 adhere tightly to both the front and rear sides of the substrate W over its entire circumference, thereby sealing each of the front and rear annular spaces where multiple contact points 19 are arranged, preventing the intrusion of the plating solution.

[0045] In this state, the peripheral edge of the substrate W is elastically held from both sides by multiple contacts 19 located in one annular space of the front and rear clamping bodies 14, 14 and multiple contacts 19 located in the other annular space, thereby stably holding the substrate W. The substrate W held in this manner by the holder 2 is positioned within the annular portion 22 when viewed in the axial direction of the reference axis X (viewed in the direction of the reference axis X).

[0046] Incidentally, according to the above-described configuration, on the surface of one clamping body 14 facing another clamping body 14 (i.e., the back surface), a recess is formed by the back surface of the base plate 16 which constitutes part of the clamping body 14 and the inner periphery of the outer sealing material 18, for fitting, housing, and positioning the substrate W. With a portion of the substrate W positioned and housing in the recess, it elastically contacts a plurality of contact points 19 arranged in an annular shape, and most of it is exposed to the outside through the aforementioned exposure hole 16a formed by opening into the bottom surface of the recess.

[0047] Alternatively, the magnet 24 may be provided on the back side of at least one of the front and rear clamping bodies 14, 14 (specifically, the back side of the outer sealing material 18), and a metal plate or magnet that attracts to the magnet may be provided on the other back side, thereby causing the clamping bodies 14, 14 to attract and fix to each other.

[0048] Furthermore, suction cups may be provided as suction members to detachably attach and fix the back sides of the pair of clamping bodies 14, 14 to each other. Incidentally, the outer sealing material 18 may be a suction cup, or a separate suction cup may be provided on the outside of the annular shape of the outer sealing material 18.

[0049] As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 6, one of the two shielding members 6 and 7 is a substrate-side shielding member 6 positioned on the holder 2 and the substrate W held therein, and the other is an anode-side shielding member 7 positioned on the anode 3 side. Each shielding member 6 and 7 is made of a material (for example, a transparent synthetic resin) that can partially shield the electric field and is corrosion-resistant to the plating solution in the plating tank 1.

[0050] Figure 7 is a front view of the substrate-side shielding member. As shown in Figures 3, 6, and 7, the substrate-side shielding member 6 has a shielding portion 26 formed in a cylindrical shape with a peripheral wall that follows the periphery of the substrate W in an axial view with respect to the reference axis X and is open on both sides, and a mounting portion 27 integrally formed in a flange shape from one axial end of the shielding portion 26 (specifically, the end on the holder 2 side).

[0051] The cylindrical shielding portion 26 has an annular cross-sectional shape (a rectangular frame shape in this example) corresponding to the shape of the substrate W. The mounting portion 27 is formed in an annular shape (more specifically, a rectangular frame shape) that surrounds the cylindrical shielding portion 26 when viewed in the axial direction of the reference axis X.

[0052] The substrate-side shielding member 6 is attached and fixed to the holder 2 by suction, which is a type of fixing means, so that it can be attached and fixed detachably. Specifically, at least a portion of the surface (outer surface) of the second clamping body 14B of the holder 2 is made into a flat mounting surface for attaching and fixing the flat surface (opposing surface) of the substrate-side shielding member 6 that faces the clamping body 14 in the mounting portion 27, and this mounting surface is attached and fixed to the opposing surface of the mounting portion 27 by the magnet 24, which is the suction member.

[0053] To explain in more detail, while the magnet 24 provided on the second clamping body 14B is used as the adsorption member, an adsorption plate 28 made of a material that is detachably attracted to the magnet 24 (specifically, a metal material such as iron) is integrally attached and fixed to the surface of the mounting portion 27 of the substrate-side shielding member 6 that faces the second clamping body 14B. This adsorption plate 28 is molded into an annular shape (specifically, a rectangular frame shape) that conforms to the shape of the mounting portion 27 and covers the entire surface of the mounting portion 27 that faces the magnet.

[0054] When the substrate-side shielding member 6 is attached and fixed to the holder 2 in this manner, the inner circumferential surface of its cylindrical shielding portion 26 coincides with or substantially coincides with the periphery of the exposed hole 16a when viewed in the axial direction of the reference axis X.

[0055] Furthermore, an annular sealing material 30 is provided on the mounting portion 27, either on the surface facing the mounting surface or on the mounting surface itself, in an axial view of the reference axis X, surrounding the annular magnet 24 and the shielding portion 26 from the outside. This sealing material 30 is made of a synthetic resin such as elastically deformable silicone, and when the substrate-side shielding member 6 is attached and fixed to the second clamping body 14B, it adheres tightly to both the opposing surface and the mounting surface around its entire circumference, thereby enabling the substrate-side shielding member 6 to be attached and fixed to the holder 2 without any gaps.

[0056] In the illustrated example, the magnet 24 is provided only on the holder 2 side, but this suction member 24 may be provided on both the holder 2 and the substrate-side shielding member 6, or it may be provided only on the substrate-side shielding member 6. In addition, multiple suction cups (not shown) that attract the mounting surface and the opposing surface to each other, or annular double-sided tape (not shown) formed in the same area as the magnet 24, may be provided as suction members on one or both of the mounting surface and the opposing surface.

[0057] Incidentally, in order to enable the smooth operation of attaching the substrate-side shielding member 6 to the holder 2, guide portions 29, 29, 31, 31 are integrally provided on the surface (front side of the base plate 16) of the second clamping body 14B, in the upper and lower vicinity of the area where the attachment portion 27 of the substrate-side shielding member 6 is located when it is attached and fixed to the holder 2.

[0058] The upper guide sections 29, 29 are provided in pairs at symmetrical positions on the base plate 16. The lower guide sections 31, 31 are also provided in pairs at symmetrical positions on the base plate 16.

[0059] The holder 2 and substrate-side shielding member 6, configured as described above, are positioned and supported by inserting their left and right edges into a pair of locking grooves 32, 32, which are integrally formed on the left and right inner walls of the plating tank 1 and have their openings facing each other.

[0060] Figure 8 is a rear view showing the positional relationship between the front and rear shielding members. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 8, the anode-side shielding member 7 is plate-shaped with thickness in the front and rear directions, and is formed to cover a portion of the anode 3 in an axial view of the reference axis X, and also to cover a portion of the open portion of the cylindrical shielding portion 26 of the substrate-side shielding member 6 in an axial view of the reference axis X. Specifically, the anode-side shielding member 7 is annular (more specifically, rectangular frame-shaped) in which it follows the peripheral wall of the cylindrical shielding portion 26 in an axial view of the reference axis X and follows the periphery of the substrate W in a rear view.

[0061] This anode-side shielding member 7 is attached and fixed to the back side of the storage box 9 with adhesive tape or the like, so as to partially block the communication opening 9a.

[0062] The anode-side shielding member 7, when attached and fixed to the storage box 9, is formed such that its inner peripheral edge is smaller than the peripheral edge of the communication opening 9a when viewed from the rear and smaller than the inner peripheral surface of the shielding portion 26 when viewed from the front, while its outer peripheral edge is larger than the peripheral edge of the communication opening 9a when viewed from the rear and larger than the outer peripheral surface of the shielding portion 26 when viewed from the front.

[0063] Incidentally, to explain in more detail the coverage area of ​​the anode 3 by the anode-side shielding member 7, the anode-side shielding member 7 covers a rectangular frame-shaped area located a predetermined distance L inward from the periphery of the communication opening 9a when viewed from the rear. In this example, this distance L is set to be greater than 0 [mm] and 100 [mm] or less.

[0064] Incidentally, although the original method uses the distance between the periphery of the anode 3 and the inner periphery of the anode-side shielding member 7 as the reference, in this example, since the range in which the electric field is formed is limited to the range in which the communication opening 9a is open, in this example the dimensions of the anode-side shielding member 7 are set based on the distance L between the periphery of the communication opening 9a and the inner periphery of the anode-side shielding member 7, while also taking into account the size of the shielding portion 26.

[0065] With the electroplating apparatus configured as described above, in order to form a uniformly plated layer on the target surface W1 of the substrate W using only the shielding portion 26, the total length of the shielding portion 26 must be set to 0.64 times or more the length in the longitudinal direction of the substrate W. However, by combining the shielding portion 26 with the anode-side shielding member 7, the total length of the shielding portion 26 can be shortened to about 0.16 times the length in the longitudinal direction of the substrate W, making it easy to shorten the overall length of the electroplating apparatus.

[0066] Furthermore, the storage box 9 effectively prevents the formation of an electric field in unintended locations, and in conjunction with the action of the shielding members 6 and 7, it becomes possible to form a uniform electric field as intended between the anode 3 and the substrate W via the communication opening 9a.

[0067] Incidentally, the value of distance L and the overall magnification setting of the shielding portion 26 are merely examples. Also, in this example, the shielding portion 26 and the anode-side shielding member 7 are omitted on the side of the substrate W that does not face the anode 3.

[0068] In this example, the cross-section of the shielding portion 26 is formed in the shape of a rectangular frame along the periphery of the substrate W, but it may also be formed in other annular shapes (for example, a circular ring, or a polygonal frame such as a triangle, pentagon, hexagon, or octagon). In this case, it is desirable to form the exposed hole 16a, the outer sealing material 18, the inner sealing material 20, the connecting circuit 22, the magnet 24 and other adsorption members in a shape that follows the annular shape of the shielding portion 26 when viewed in the axial direction of the reference axis X.

[0069] Furthermore, although the substrate-side shielding member 6 is separate from the second clamping body 14B, it may be integrated with the second clamping body 14B.

[0070] Next, with reference to Figure 9, we will describe another embodiment of the present invention that differs from the embodiments described above.

[0071] Figure 9(A) is a plan view of an electrolytic plating apparatus in another embodiment, and (B) is a side cross-sectional view of the holder and substrate-side shielding member shown in (A). In the above-described embodiment, only one side (front) of the substrate W is used as the target surface W1, but in this embodiment, both sides are used as target surfaces W1, W1.

[0072] To describe the specific configuration, within the plating tank 1, anodes 3, 3, shielding members 6, 6, 7, 7, and stirring units 8, 8 are provided in the spaces both in front of and behind the holder 2 that holds the substrate W. Furthermore, the pair of front and rear clamping bodies 14, 14 that constitute the holder 2 are both designated as second clamping bodies 14B, 14B, and the substrate-side shielding member 6 can be detachably attached to them.

[0073] Next, with reference to Figure 10, we will describe another embodiment of the present invention that differs from the above-described embodiment.

[0074] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the holder and substrate-side shielding member according to another embodiment. In the embodiment shown in the figure, although in the embodiment described above an adsorption member consisting of a suction cup, double-sided tape, or magnet 24 was provided as the fixing means, in this embodiment a pressing member 33 or a connecting member 34 may be provided as the fixing means, and a structure may be adopted in which the opposing surface of the substrate-side shielding member 6 is pressed against the mounting surface of the holder 2 by this fixing means.

[0075] In the example shown in Figure 10, the pressing member 33 is provided with a cam that is rotatably supported on the holder 2 side or the plating tank 1 side, and the rotational position of this cam 33 switches between a fixed state in which the opposing surface is pressed against the mounting surface and a released state in which the fixing by this cam 33 is released. On the other hand, in the example shown by dashed lines in the same figure, the connecting member 34 is provided with a fastener that fastens and fixes one or both (both in the illustrated example) front and rear substrate-side shielding members 6, 6 to the holder 2.

[0076] Next, based on Figure 11, we will explain a comparative experiment between the configuration shown in Figure 9 and the conventional technology.

[0077] Figures 11(A) and (B) show the variation in the plating layer formed on the front and back of the substrate when electroplating is performed with electric field shielding using only the substrate-side shielding member and the total length set to 0.64 times or more the longitudinal length of the substrate (comparative example), and (C) and (D) show the variation in the plating layer formed on the front and back of the substrate when electroplating is performed with electric field shielding using both the substrate-side shielding member and the anode-side shielding member and the total length set to 0.16 times or more the longitudinal length of the substrate (this example).

[0078] In the figure, areas where the plating layer formed on both sides of the substrate W is 5% or thinner than the average thickness, and areas where it is 5% or thicker, are shown in color. It was confirmed that in this example, the plating layer was formed on the substrate W in a more uniform state than in the comparative example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 2 holders 3 Anodes 4 Power supply 6. Shielding member on the substrate side (shielding member) 7. Anode-side shielding member (shielding member) 24 Magnets (adsorption members, fixing means) 26 Shielding part 27 Mounted part 30 sealant 33 Pressing member (cam, fixing means) 34 Fasteners (connecting members, fixing means) W board W1 Target surface X Reference axis (axis)

Claims

1. An electrolytic plating apparatus for forming a plating layer on one or both sides of a substrate that is at least partially immersed in a plating solution, A-scatter, A holder that holds the target surface, which is the side on which the plating layer is formed on the substrate, facing the anode side, A power supply that applies a voltage between the substrate held in the holder and the anode to form an electric field between them, The device comprises a shielding member disposed between the substrate held by the holder and the anode, and which shields a portion of the electric field, The shielding members include a substrate-side shielding member located on the substrate side and an anode-side shielding member located on the anode side and formed in a plate shape. The substrate-side shielding member has a shielding portion formed in a cylindrical shape that extends along a reference axis which is an axis perpendicular to the target surface, and the shielding portion is along the periphery of the substrate when viewed in the direction of the reference axis and has openings at both ends. The anode-side shielding member is formed to cover a portion of the anode when viewed in the direction of the reference axis. An electrolytic plating apparatus characterized by the following features.

2. The anode-side shielding member is formed to follow the periphery of the anode when viewed in the direction of the reference axis. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The anode-side shielding member is formed to cover a portion of the open area of ​​the cylindrical shielding portion when viewed in the direction of the reference axis. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The anode-side shielding member is molded to follow the shape of the cylindrical shielding portion when viewed in the direction of the reference axis. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The substrate is formed in a rectangular shape, The cylindrical shielding portion has a rectangular frame-shaped cross-section, The anode-side shielding member is formed in a rectangular frame shape along the cylindrical shielding portion when viewed in the direction of the reference axis. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The substrate-side shielding member is attached and fixed to the holder side. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 1.

7. The substrate-side shielding member is provided with fixing means for detachably attaching and fixing it to a mounting surface formed on the outer surface of the holder, A flange-like mounting portion is integrally formed on one axial end of the cylindrical shielding portion of the substrate-side shielding member, and is attached and fixed to the mounting surface by the fixing means. An annular sealing material is provided on the surface of the mounting portion facing the mounting surface, or on the mounting surface, when viewed in the direction of the reference axis, surrounding the cylindrical shielding portion. The sealing material is configured to adhere tightly to both the opposing surface and the mounting surface over its entire circumference, while the substrate-side shielding member is attached and fixed to the holder by the fixing means. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 6.

8. The fixing means is one of the following: an adsorption member that detachably attaches and fixes the substrate-side shielding member to a mounting surface formed on the outer surface of the holder; a pressing member that presses and fixes the substrate-side shielding member to the mounting surface formed on the outer surface of the holder; or a connecting member that connects and fixes the substrate-side shielding member to the holder. The electroplating apparatus according to claim 7.

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