Electroplating shielding frame and electroplating device
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-08
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-13
Smart Images
Figure CN2025076536_13082026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Electroplating shielding frame, electroplating equipment Technical Field
[0001] This article relates to, but is not limited to, the field of electroplating technology, specifically to an electroplating shielding frame and electroplating equipment. Background Technology
[0002] Compared to light-emitting diode (LED) substrates, miniature light-emitting diode (Mini-LED) substrates, due to the smaller size of Mini-LEDs, can increase the number of Mini-LEDs in the substrate from dozens to tens of thousands without changing or even reducing the thickness of the display device, spreading them across every area of the panel. This enables precise dimming and provides a wider dynamic range and more image detail.
[0003] The more Mini-LED chips on a Mini-LED light-emitting substrate, and the higher the chip density, the greater the energy consumption and heat generated during operation. To reduce energy consumption and avoid overheating of the substrate due to prolonged lighting, it is necessary to minimize the impedance of the traces. Currently, electroplating is generally used to form conductive patterns with a thickness greater than or equal to 3.6 micrometers on the substrate to be electroplated, thereby reducing trace impedance.
[0004] Electroplating processes include additive and subtractive processes. The additive process involves first forming a patterned barrier material (PR) on the substrate to be electroplated, and then electroplating conductive patterns in areas outside the PR to form conductive patterns. The subtractive process involves first forming a conductive film covering the entire surface of the substrate to be electroplated, and then etching the conductive film with an etching solution to form conductive patterns. Compared to additive processes, subtractive processes cannot effectively adjust uniformity by designing different shaped plating areas; therefore, they require adjustment of the electric field and flow field distribution of the electroplating equipment to improve the uniformity of the conductive patterns. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The following is an overview of the subject matter described in detail herein. This overview is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.
[0006] On one hand, this disclosure provides an electroplating shielding frame, including a first shielding plate, a second shielding plate, and a shielding edge connecting the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate, which are disposed opposite to each other; a receiving space is provided between the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate, the receiving space is configured to receive a substrate to be electroplated, at least one side of the receiving space is provided with a socket for inserting the substrate to be electroplated, the other side of the receiving space is closed by the shielding edge, and at least one of the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate is configured to shield the edge region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated, exposing the central region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated.
[0007] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the first shield and the second shield is an insulating material.
[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate is made of acrylic material.
[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, the accommodating space is rectangular in shape, the shielding side is U-shaped, the socket is provided on one side of the accommodating space, and the other sides of the accommodating space are closed by the shielding side.
[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, the distance between the surface of the first shielding plate facing the substrate to be electroplated and the surface of the substrate to be electroplated facing the first shielding plate is greater than or equal to 0 mm and less than or equal to 12 mm; and / or, the distance between the surface of the second shielding plate facing the substrate to be electroplated and the surface of the substrate to be electroplated facing the second shielding plate is greater than or equal to 0 mm and less than or equal to 12 mm.
[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, a fixing plate is also included, which is connected to the shielding edge and located on opposite sides of the socket, the fixing plate being configured to be fixed to a carrier that holds the substrate to be electroplated.
[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, the fixing plate is made of metal or alloy material.
[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, the fixing plate is made of stainless steel.
[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, the fixing plate is provided with at least one waist hole, which is configured to be bolted to a carrier that loads the substrate to be electroplated.
[0015] In an exemplary embodiment, the fixing plate is provided with an avoidance opening.
[0016] In an exemplary embodiment, a limiting structure is also included, which is disposed on the shielding edge and has an inclined surface facing the socket. The inclined surface is configured to contact the carrier loading the substrate to be electroplated, thereby restricting the movement of the carrier loading the substrate to be electroplated.
[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, the limiting structure has a trapezoidal cross-section perpendicular to the direction of the blocking edge.
[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate is provided with an electroplating opening that exposes a central region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated. A telescopic plate is provided on at least one side of the electroplating opening. The telescopic plate is configured to extend into the electroplating opening and block the edge region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated exposed by the electroplating opening.
[0019] In an exemplary embodiment, the telescopic plate extends into the electroplating opening by a maximum distance greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 40 mm.
[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, the telescopic plate includes a first sub-telescopic plate and at least one second sub-telescopic plate. The first sub-telescopic plate is located at the middle of the edge of the electroplating opening, and the second sub-telescopic plate is located at the edge of the edge of the electroplating opening. The length of the first sub-telescopic plate is greater than the length of the second sub-telescopic plate.
[0021] In an exemplary embodiment, the ratio of the length of the first sub-telescopic plate to the length of the second sub-telescopic plate is greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 4.
[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, the electroplating opening is rectangular in shape, and the telescopic plate is provided on all sides of the electroplating opening.
[0023] In an exemplary embodiment, the shielding edge is an integrally formed structure, and the shielding edge is connected to the edge of the first shielding plate and the edge of the second shielding plate respectively.
[0024] In an exemplary embodiment, the shielding edge includes a first part and a second part that are separated from each other. One side of the first part is connected to the edge of the first shielding plate, and the other side of the first part extends toward the second part. One side of the second part is connected to the edge of the second shielding plate, and the other side of the second part extends toward the first part. A plurality of hinges are provided between the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate. When the plurality of hinges are bent, the first part and the second part move closer to each other, and there is a first gap between the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate. When the plurality of hinges are extended, the first part and the second part move further apart from each other, and there is a second gap between the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate. The first gap is smaller than the second gap.
[0025] In an exemplary embodiment, when the plurality of hinges are bent, the plurality of hinges form a V-shape; when the plurality of hinges are extended, the plurality of hinges form a straight line.
[0026] On the other hand, this disclosure also provides an electroplating apparatus, including an electroplating tank, and an electrode plate, a spray disc, and a plating assembly disposed within the electroplating tank. The plating assembly includes a substrate to be electroplated and an electroplating shielding frame as described in any one of claims 1 to 19. At least a portion of the electroplating shielding frame is located on one side of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated. The electroplating shielding frame is configured to shield the edge region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated and expose the central region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated. The spray disc is disposed opposite to the surface of the substrate to be electroplated. The electrode plate is disposed on the side of the spray disc away from the substrate to be electroplated and is disposed opposite to the surface of the substrate to be electroplated.
[0027] After reading and understanding the accompanying diagrams and detailed descriptions, the other aspects can be understood. Attached Figure Description
[0028] The accompanying drawings are used to provide an understanding of the technical solutions of this disclosure and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of this disclosure to explain the technical solutions of this disclosure and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions of this disclosure.
[0029] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a light-emitting substrate;
[0030] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of a substrate after electroplating;
[0031] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of another type of electroplated substrate;
[0032] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of another type of electroplated substrate;
[0033] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of a related electroplating equipment;
[0034] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the gradient change of the conductive layer thickness in different regions of a substrate after electroplating.
[0035] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of a related component to be electroplated;
[0036] Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the relevant light-emitting substrate;
[0037] Figure 9 is a perspective view of an electroplating apparatus provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;
[0038] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional structural diagram of an electroplating device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;
[0039] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the gradient change of the conductive layer thickness in different regions of the substrate after electroplating according to an embodiment of this disclosure;
[0040] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electroplating shielding frame, the component to be electroplated, and the motion mechanism in the electroplating equipment of this embodiment;
[0041] Figure 13 is a perspective view of an electroplating shielding frame provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;
[0042] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of an electroplating shielding frame provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;
[0043] Figure 15 is a perspective view of another electroplated shielding frame with the hinge bent in an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0044] Figure 16 is a perspective view of another electroplated shielding frame with the hinge extended, as described in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation
[0045] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the implementation methods can be carried out in many different forms. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the methods and content can be varied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure should not be construed as limited to the content described in the following embodiments. Without conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this disclosure can be arbitrarily combined with each other.
[0046] The scale of the accompanying drawings in this disclosure can be used as a reference in actual processes, but is not limited thereto. For example, the aspect ratio of the channel, the thickness and spacing of each film layer, and the width and spacing of each signal line can be adjusted according to actual needs. The number of pixels in the light-emitting substrate and the number of sub-pixels in each pixel are not limited to the quantities shown in the figures. The accompanying drawings described in this disclosure are only schematic diagrams of the structure, and one aspect of this disclosure is not limited to the shapes or values shown in the figures.
[0047] The ordinal numbers “first,” “second,” and “third” used in this specification are used to avoid confusion among the constituent elements, not to limit their quantity.
[0048] In this specification, for convenience, terms such as "middle," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer" are used to indicate orientation or positional relationships in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. This is solely for the purpose of facilitating the description and simplification, and does not imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure. The positional relationships of the constituent elements may be appropriately varied depending on the orientation of each constituent element being described. Therefore, the use of terms not limited to those described in the specification may be appropriately replaced as needed.
[0049] In this specification, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they may refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; a direct connection, an indirect connection via an intermediate component, or a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meaning of these terms in this disclosure based on the specific circumstances.
[0050] In this specification, a transistor is a device that includes at least three terminals: a gate electrode, a drain electrode, and a source electrode. A transistor has a channel region between the drain electrode (drain electrode terminal, drain region, or drain electrode) and the source electrode (source electrode terminal, source region, or source electrode), and current can flow through the drain electrode, the channel region, and the source electrode. Note that in this specification, the channel region refers to the region through which current primarily flows.
[0051] In this specification, the first electrode can be the drain electrode and the second electrode can be the source electrode, or vice versa. In cases where transistors with opposite polarities are used or the current direction changes during circuit operation, the functions of the "source electrode" and "drain electrode" may sometimes be interchanged. Therefore, in this specification, the "source electrode" and "drain electrode" can be interchanged, and the "source terminal" and "drain terminal" can be interchanged.
[0052] In this specification, "electrical connection" includes the situation where components are connected together by elements that have a certain electrical function. There are no particular limitations on what constitutes an "electrical function," as long as it allows for the transmission and reception of electrical signals between the connected components. Examples of "electrical functions" include not only electrodes and wiring, but also switching elements such as transistors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, and other elements with various functions.
[0053] In this specification, "parallel" refers to the state where the angle formed by two straight lines is greater than or equal to -10° and less than 10°, and therefore also includes the state where the angle is greater than or equal to -5° and less than 5°. Similarly, "perpendicular" refers to the state where the angle formed by two straight lines is greater than or equal to 80° and less than 100°, and therefore also includes the state where the angle is greater than or equal to 85° and less than 95°.
[0054] In this specification, the terms "film" and "layer" may be interchanged. For example, "conductive layer" may sometimes be replaced with "conductive film." Similarly, "insulating film" may sometimes be replaced with "insulating layer."
[0055] In this specification, triangles, rectangles, trapezoids, pentagons, or hexagons are not strictly defined; they can be approximate triangles, rectangles, trapezoids, pentagons, or hexagons. Small deformations due to tolerances are possible, as are chamfers, curved edges, and other variations.
[0056] In this disclosure, “about” means a value that is not strictly limited and allows for process and measurement errors.
[0057] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a light-emitting substrate. As shown in Figure 1, in a plane perpendicular to the light-emitting substrate, the light-emitting substrate includes a substrate 101, a first insulating layer 102 disposed on the substrate 101, a first conductive layer 103 disposed on the side of the first insulating layer 102 away from the substrate 101, a second insulating layer 104 disposed on the side of the first conductive layer 103 away from the substrate 101, an organic dielectric layer 105 disposed on the side of the second insulating layer 104 away from the substrate 101, a third insulating layer 106 disposed on the side of the organic dielectric layer 105 away from the substrate 101, a second conductive layer 107 disposed on the side of the third insulating layer 106 away from the substrate 101, and a fourth insulating layer 108 disposed on the side of the second conductive layer 107 away from the substrate 101.
[0058] In an exemplary embodiment, the substrate 101 can be made of glass, the first insulating layer 102, the second insulating layer 104, the third insulating layer 106 and the fourth insulating layer 108 can all be made of silicon nitride or silicon oxide, the organic dielectric layer 105 can be made of optical adhesive, and the first conductive layer 103 and the second conductive layer 107 can both be made of metal, such as copper.
[0059] In an exemplary embodiment, both the first conductive layer 103 and the second conductive layer 107 include signal transmission lines. The first conductive layer 103 and the second conductive layer 107 are configured for signal transmission and heat conduction. Therefore, in order to ensure the uniformity of heat dissipation of the first conductive layer 103 and the second conductive layer 107 and the consistency of signal transmission speed, the thickness of the first conductive layer 103 and the second conductive layer 107 needs to be kept uniform during the electroplating process.
[0060] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of a substrate after electroplating. Taking a large glass plate as the substrate to be electroplated, and using a subtractive process to electroplat the first conductive layer on the substrate to be electroplated as an example. As shown in Figure 2, when the uniformity difference of the thickness of the first conductive layer in the electroplated substrate 100 is greater than 25%, the thickness of the first conductive layer in the edge region of the electroplated substrate 100 is greater than or equal to 5 micrometers, which does not meet the requirements of product uniformity. The electroplated substrate 100 can only include 8 sub-substrates 200 arranged at intervals, resulting in low cutting efficiency and a substrate utilization rate of only 59.7%.
[0061] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of another type of electroplated substrate. As shown in Figure 3, when the thickness of the first conductive layer in the edge region of the substrate 100 is reduced during the electroplating process, the uniformity difference of the thickness of the first conductive layer in the electroplated substrate 100 can be less than 20%. At this time, the electroplated substrate 100 meets the requirements of product uniformity. The electroplated substrate 100 may include 12 sub-substrates 200 arranged at intervals, and the cutting efficiency of the electroplated substrate 100 can be 89.6%.
[0062] Therefore, it can be seen that reducing the thickness of the conductive layer in the edge region of the electroplated substrate 100 during the electroplating process can meet the product uniformity requirements, improve the substrate cutting efficiency, and reduce production costs.
[0063] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the planar structure of another type of electroplated substrate. As shown in Figure 4, the conductive layer thickness of the electroplated substrate has poor uniformity. During the etching process, conductive layer material particles 144' (e.g., copper particles) will remain in the edge area of the substrate. The conductive layer material particles 144' can easily cause the substrate to break during cutting.
[0064] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of a related electroplating equipment. As shown in Figure 5, the related electroplating equipment includes an electroplating tank 11', an electrode plate 12', a spray disc 13', and an assembly to be electroplated 14' disposed within the electroplating tank 11'. An electroplating solution can be disposed within the electroplating tank 11'. The top of the electroplating tank 11' has an opening through which the assembly to be electroplated 14' extends into the electroplating tank 11'. The assembly to be electroplated 14' is located in the middle of the electroplating tank 11'. The assembly to be electroplated 14' includes a carrier 141' and a substrate 142' to be electroplated. The substrate 142' is fixed on the carrier 141', and the carrier 141' exposes the surface of the substrate 142'. The spray disc 13' is rectangular in shape and is disposed on opposite sides of the assembly to be electroplated 14'. The spray disc 13' is positioned opposite the substrate 142' of the assembly to be electroplated. The spray plate 13' includes multiple nozzles facing the surface of the substrate 142' to be electroplated. The spray plate 13' is used to spray the electroplating solution onto the surface of the substrate 142'. The electrode plate 12' is plate-shaped and is disposed on the side of the spray plate 13' away from the electroplating assembly 14'. The electrode plate 12' is disposed opposite to the substrate 142' of the electroplating assembly 14' and is configured to input current to the surface of the substrate 142'. Both the electrode plate 12' and the electroplating assembly 14' are connected to a power supply device. The electrode plate 12' can serve as the anode, and the electroplating assembly 14' can serve as the cathode.
[0065] Through research by the inventors of this application, it was discovered that when electroplating a substrate using a subtractive plating process, the thickness of the first conductive layer 103' formed on the edge region of the substrate is greater than the thickness of the first conductive layer 103' formed on the middle region of the substrate, resulting in poor uniformity of the thickness of the first conductive layer 103'. The reasons for the poor uniformity of the thickness of the first conductive layer 103' include: (1) when the electrode plate 12' inputs current to the substrate 142', the substrate exhibits a current crrowding effect, causing the thickness of the first conductive layer 103' on the edge region of the substrate 142' to be greater than the thickness of the first conductive layer 103' on the middle region of the substrate 142'; (2) when the electroplating equipment forms the first conductive layer 103' on the entire surface of the substrate 142', the substrate 142' cannot be equipped with a plating structure, resulting in a large difference in the thickness of the first conductive layer 103' in different parts of the substrate 142'.
[0066] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing the gradient change in the thickness of the conductive layer in different regions of a substrate after electroplating. In Figure 6, the horizontal axis represents the minimum distance from different regions to the edge of the substrate, and the vertical axis represents the thickness of the conductive layer. As shown in Figure 6, when using a subtractive electroplating process on the substrate, the electric field intensity in the edge region of the substrate is more concentrated than that in the middle region. This causes the growth rate of the first conductive layer in the edge region to be faster than that in the middle region, resulting in a greater thickness of the first conductive layer in the edge region than in the middle region.
[0067] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a planar structure of a related electroplating component. To address the problem of large conductive layer thickness and poor uniformity in the edge region of the substrate to be electroplated, as shown in Figure 7, an auxiliary electrode 143' is provided on the edge region of the substrate 142' to be electroplated. The auxiliary electrode 143' is located between the edge region of the substrate 142' and the electrode plate in the electroplating tank. The auxiliary electrode 143' is configured to shield the edge region of the substrate 142', thereby consuming the electric field in the edge region of the substrate 142', reducing the thickness of the conductive layer in the edge region of the substrate 142', and improving the uniformity of the conductive layer thickness in the substrate 142'.
[0068] Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the relevant light-emitting substrate. The large distance between the surface of the auxiliary electrode and the edge area of the substrate to be electroplated results in poor shielding effect of the auxiliary electrode, causing large fluctuations in the thickness of the first conductive layer 103' in the edge area of the substrate to be electroplated. Furthermore, during the electroplating process, conductive layer material particles 144' (e.g., copper particles) are easily grown on the auxiliary electrode. The conductive layer material particles 144' enter the electroplating solution and are adsorbed onto the surface of the substrate 142' to be electroplated. The conductive layer material particles 144' can pierce the dielectric layer between the first conductive layer 103' and the second conductive layer 107', causing a short circuit between the first conductive layer 103' and the second conductive layer 107', for example, a short circuit between the data line and the gate line, as shown in Figure 8.
[0069] This disclosure provides an electroplating shielding frame, including a first shielding plate, a second shielding plate, and a shielding edge connecting the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate; a receiving space is provided between the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate, the receiving space is configured to receive a substrate to be electroplated, at least one side of the receiving space is provided with an insertion port allowing the substrate to be electroplated to be inserted, the other side of the receiving space is closed by the shielding edge, and at least one of the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate is configured to shield the edge region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated, exposing the central region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated.
[0070] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the first shield and the second shield is an insulating material.
[0071] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one of the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate is made of acrylic material.
[0072] In an exemplary embodiment, the accommodating space is rectangular in shape, the shielding side is U-shaped, the socket is provided on one side of the accommodating space, and the other sides of the accommodating space are closed by the shielding side.
[0073] In an exemplary embodiment, the distance between the surface of the first shielding plate facing the substrate to be electroplated and the surface of the substrate to be electroplated facing the first shielding plate is greater than or equal to 0 mm and less than or equal to 12 mm; and / or, the distance between the surface of the second shielding plate facing the substrate to be electroplated and the surface of the substrate to be electroplated facing the second shielding plate is greater than or equal to 0 mm and less than or equal to 12 mm.
[0074] In an exemplary embodiment, a fixing plate is also included, which is connected to the shielding edge and located on opposite sides of the socket, the fixing plate being configured to be fixed to a carrier that holds the substrate to be electroplated.
[0075] In an exemplary embodiment, the fixing plate is made of metal or alloy material.
[0076] Figure 9 is a perspective view of an electroplating apparatus provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of an electroplating apparatus provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 10 can be a cross-sectional view along the A-A' direction in Figure 9. In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the electroplating apparatus of this disclosure includes an electroplating tank 11, and an electrode plate 12, a spray plate 13, and an assembly to be electroplated 14 disposed within the electroplating tank 11. The electroplating tank 11 is configured to hold an electroplating solution. An opening is provided on one side of the electroplating tank 11, for example, an opening is provided at the top of the electroplating tank 11, allowing the assembly to be electroplated 14 to extend into the electroplating tank 11 through the opening, facilitating the placement of the assembly to be electroplated 14 into the electroplating tank 11 via a moving mechanism. The assembly to be electroplated 14 can extend into the electroplating tank 11 through the opening, and is placed in the middle of the thickness direction (third direction Z) of the electroplating tank 11. The assembly to be electroplated 14 includes a carrier 141 and a substrate 142 to be electroplated. The carrier 141 is fixedly connected to a motion mechanism outside the electroplating tank 11. The motion mechanism can drive the carrier 141 to extend into or detach from the electroplating tank 11. The carrier 141 includes an adsorption plate disposed within the electroplating tank 11 and configured to adsorb and connect with the substrate 142 to be electroplated. The substrate 142 is rectangular in shape and can be disposed on opposite sides of the carrier 141. The spray disc 13 is also rectangular in shape and disposed within the electroplating tank 11, located on opposite sides of the substrate 142 to be electroplated. The spray disc 13 is positioned opposite the surface of the substrate 142 and includes multiple nozzles facing the surface of the substrate 142. The nozzles are used to spray the electroplating solution from the electroplating tank 11 onto the surface of the substrate 142. The electrode plate 12 is rectangular in shape and is disposed in the electroplating tank 11, located on the side of the spray plate 13 away from the component to be electroplated 14. The electrode plate 12 is disposed opposite to the surface of the substrate 142 to be electroplated and is configured to input current to the surface of the substrate 142. Both the electrode plate 12 and the carrier 141 of the component to be electroplated 14 are connected to a power source outside the electroplating tank 11. The electrode plate 12 can serve as the anode, and the carrier 141 of the component to be electroplated 14 can serve as the cathode. Under the action of the electric field between the electrode plate 12 and the component to be electroplated 14, a conductive layer 1 (e.g., a first conductive layer or a second conductive layer) is electroplated onto the surface of the substrate 142 by the electroplating solution in the electroplating tank 11.
[0077] In an exemplary embodiment, the electroplating equipment of this disclosure further includes an electroplating shielding frame 2. The electroplating shielding frame 2 is fixedly connected to a motion mechanism outside the electroplating tank 11, and the motion mechanism can drive the electroplating shielding frame 2 to extend into or detach from the electroplating tank 11. The electroplating shielding frame 2 has a receiving space configured to receive the component 14 to be electroplated, namely the carrier 141 and the substrate 142 to be electroplated. At least a portion of the electroplating shielding frame 2 is located between the edge region of the surface of the substrate 142 to be electroplated and the electrode plate 12; for example, at least a portion of the electroplating shielding frame 2 is located between the edge region of the surface of the substrate 142 to be electroplated and the spray disc 13. The electroplating shielding frame 2 is configured to shield the edge region of the surface of the substrate 142 to be electroplated, exposing the central region of the substrate 142 to be electroplated.
[0078] The electroplating equipment of this embodiment uses an electroplating shielding frame 2 to shield the edge region of the surface of the substrate 142 to be electroplated. During the electroplating process, the electroplating shielding frame 2 shields the electric field and electroplating liquid flow field of the edge region of the surface of the substrate 142 to be electroplated, thereby reducing the thickness of the conductive layer 1 in the edge region of the surface of the substrate 142 to be electroplated, improving the uniformity of the thickness of the conductive layer 1 of the substrate 142 to be electroplated, and making the uniformity difference of the thickness of the conductive layer 1 less than 20%. This improves the electrical performance, product yield and reliability of the product, increases the cutting efficiency of the substrate 142 to be electroplated, and reduces the production cost of the product.
[0079] In this embodiment of the electroplating equipment, both the electroplating shielding frame 2 and the carrier 141 of the electroplating component 14 are fixedly connected to the motion mechanism, so that the electroplating shielding frame 2 and the electroplating substrate 142 of the electroplating component 14 are relatively fixed, thereby keeping the position of the electroplating shielding frame 2 blocking the edge area of the surface of the electroplating substrate 142 fixed, ensuring that the electroplating shielding frame 2 can effectively shield the electric field and electroplating liquid flow field of the edge area of the surface of the electroplating substrate 142, and reducing the thickness of the conductive layer 1 of the edge area of the surface of the electroplating substrate 142.
[0080] In an exemplary embodiment, the electroplating shielding frame 2 includes a first shielding plate 21 and a second shielding plate 22 disposed opposite to each other. The first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 are respectively configured to shield the edge regions of the surface of the substrate 142 to be electroplated located on opposite sides of the carrier 141, exposing the central region of the surface of the substrate 142 to be electroplated. The distance between the first shielding plate 21 facing the surface of the substrate 142 to be electroplated and the surface of the substrate 142 to be electroplated facing the first shielding plate 21 is h1, where h1 ranges from 0 mm to h1 to 12 mm. The distance between the second shielding plate 22 facing the surface of the substrate 142 to be electroplated and the surface of the substrate 142 to be electroplated facing the second shielding plate 22 is h2, where h2 ranges from 0 mm to h1 to 12 mm.
[0081] The distance between the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 of the electroplating shielding frame 2 of the electroplating apparatus of this embodiment and the corresponding surface of the electroplating substrate 142 is greater than or equal to 0 mm and less than or equal to 12 mm. This can effectively shield the electric field and electroplating liquid flow field of the edge region of the surface of the substrate 142 to be electroplated, and reduce the thickness of the conductive layer 1 of the edge region of the surface of the substrate 142 to be electroplated.
[0082] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the gradient change of the conductive layer thickness in different regions of the substrate after electroplating according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; wherein, the horizontal axis in Figure 11 represents the minimum distance from different regions of the substrate to the edge of the substrate after electroplating, and the vertical axis in Figure 11 represents the thickness of the conductive layer. As shown in Figure 11, the electroplating equipment of this embodiment of the present disclosure uses an electroplating shielding frame to shield the edge region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated, so that the growth rate of the conductive layer in the edge region of the substrate to be electroplated is approximately the same as the growth rate of the conductive layer in the middle region of the substrate to be electroplated, and the thickness of the conductive layer in the edge region of the substrate to be electroplated is approximately the same as the thickness of the conductive layer in the middle region of the substrate to be electroplated, thereby improving the uniformity of the conductive layer thickness of the substrate after electroplating, and making the uniformity difference of the conductive layer thickness of the substrate after electroplating less than 20%.
[0083] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the electroplating shielding frame, the component to be electroplated, and the motion mechanism in the electroplating equipment of this embodiment. The electroplating shielding frame and the component to be electroplated shown in Figure 12 can be the same as those shown in Figure 10. In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG12, the electroplating equipment of this disclosure further includes a motion mechanism 15. The motion mechanism 15 is disposed outside the electroplating tank. The motion mechanism 15 includes a first motion rod 151, a second motion rod 152, and a fixed beam 153 connected to each other. The first motion rod 151 extends along the second direction Y and is connected to the second motion rod 152. The first motion rod 151 is configured to drive the second motion rod 152 to move along the second direction Y. The second motion rod 152 extends along the first direction X and is connected to the fixed beam 153. The second motion rod 152 is configured to drive the fixed beam 153 to move along the first direction X. The fixed beam 153 extends along the first direction X and is disposed on the opening of the electroplating tank 11. The fixed beam 153 is fixedly connected to the electroplating shielding frame 2 and the carrier 141 of the component to be electroplated, respectively. The fixed beam 153 is provided with a current input interface, which is configured to be connected to a power source. The power source is electrically connected to the carrier 141 through the current input interface. Under the combined action of the first moving rod 151 and the second moving rod 152, the fixed beam 153 can simultaneously drive the electroplating shielding frame 2 and the carrier 141 of the component to be electroplated to move along the first direction X and the second direction Y. The first direction X and the second direction Y intersect each other; for example, the first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular to each other.
[0084] In an exemplary embodiment, the carrier 141 includes an adsorption plate. The top of the carrier 141 is fixedly connected to the fixed beam 153 of the motion mechanism 15. The carrier 141 is rectangular in shape and has a first adsorption surface and a second adsorption surface arranged opposite to each other. Both the first adsorption surface and the second adsorption surface are configured to fix the substrate to be electroplated by vacuum adsorption.
[0085] In an exemplary embodiment, the carrier 141 further includes a vacuum adsorption device, a vacuum holding unit, a vacuum monitoring unit, and a conductive unit. The vacuum adsorption device is configured to create a vacuum on the first adsorption surface and the second adsorption surface. The vacuum holding unit is configured to maintain the first adsorption surface and the second adsorption surface in a vacuum state. The vacuum monitoring unit is configured to monitor the vacuum state of the first adsorption surface and the second adsorption surface. The conductive unit is configured to transmit the current input by the power supply.
[0086] The electroplating equipment of this embodiment fixes the substrate to be electroplated by vacuum adsorption through the carrier 141, which enhances the electrical connection between the conductive unit of the carrier 141 and the conductive layer on the substrate to be electroplated. Furthermore, the equipment can monitor whether the substrate to be electroplated is damaged based on the vacuum changes of the carrier 141.
[0087] In an exemplary embodiment, the top of the electroplating shielding frame 2 is fixedly connected to the fixed beam 153 of the motion mechanism 15. The electroplating shielding frame 2 is rectangular ring-shaped and shields the edge area of the substrate surface to be electroplated on the carrier 141.
[0088] Figure 13 is a perspective view of an electroplating shielding frame provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 14 is a planar structural schematic diagram of an electroplating shielding frame provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The electroplating shielding frames shown in Figures 13 and 14 can be the electroplating shielding frame shown in Figure 10. In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, the electroplating shielding frame of this disclosure includes a first shielding plate 21, a second shielding plate 22, and a shielding edge 23. The first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 are disposed opposite to each other, and a receiving space 24 is provided between the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22. The receiving space 24 is configured to receive a carrier and a substrate to be electroplated on the carrier. The first shielding plate 21 is configured to shield the edge region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated located on the first adsorption surface of the carrier, exposing the middle region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated. The second shielding plate 22 is configured to shield the edge region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated located on the second adsorption surface of the carrier, exposing the middle region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated. The shielding edge 23 connects the edge of the first shielding plate 21 and the edge of the second shielding plate 22, and the shielding edge 23 is configured to close part of the edge of the receiving space 24, shielding part of the periphery of the substrate to be electroplated within the receiving space 24.
[0089] The electroplating equipment of this embodiment uses a first shielding plate 21 and a second shielding plate 22 of the electroplating shielding frame to shield the edge region of the substrate surface to be electroplated on the first adsorption surface and the second adsorption surface of the carrier. During the electroplating process, the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 shield the electric field and the electroplating liquid flow field of the edge region of the substrate surface to be electroplated, thereby reducing the thickness of the conductive layer in the edge region of the substrate surface to be electroplated and improving the uniformity of the thickness of the conductive layer of the substrate.
[0090] The electroplating apparatus of this embodiment closes part of the accommodating space 24 by the shielding edge 23 of the electroplating shielding frame, thereby improving the effect of the electroplating shielding frame in shielding the electric field and electroplating liquid flow field of the edge area of the substrate to be electroplated.
[0091] In an exemplary embodiment, the shape and size of the first shielding plate 21 are approximately the same as those of the second shielding plate 22. For example, both the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 are rectangular rings, and both the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 are provided with electroplating openings 25. The electroplating openings 25 expose the central area of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated, so that the central area of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated is not blocked by the first shielding plate 21 or the second shielding plate 22.
[0092] In an exemplary embodiment, both the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 are made of insulating materials, for example, both the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 are made of acrylic material.
[0093] In this embodiment of the electroplating shielding frame, both the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 are made of acrylic material, which prevents the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 from corroding in the electroplating solution.
[0094] In this embodiment of the electroplating shielding frame, since both the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 are made of insulating materials, the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 will not generate conductive layer material particles during the electroplating process, thus avoiding short circuits in the subsequently formed conductive layer, improving product yield and reliability, and eliminating the need for maintenance of the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 to remove particles, thereby reducing equipment maintenance costs.
[0095] In an exemplary embodiment, the shielding edge 23 is an integrally formed structure, and the shielding edge 23 is connected to the edge of the first shielding plate 21 and the edge of the second shielding plate 22, respectively. The shielding edge 23 is U-shaped and includes a bottom edge, a first side edge, and a second side edge. The bottom edge of the shielding edge 23 is a strip extending along the first direction X, and the bottom edge of the shielding edge 23 is connected to the bottom of the first shielding plate 21 and the bottom edge of the second shielding plate 22, respectively. The bottom edge of the shielding edge 23 is disposed at the bottom of the receiving space 24, thereby closing the bottom of the receiving space 24. The first and second sides of the shielding edge 23 are both strips extending along the second direction Y. The first and second sides of the shielding edge 23 are respectively connected to the two ends of the bottom edge of the shielding edge 23 in the first direction X, so that the shielding edge 23 forms a U shape. The first and second sides of the shielding edge 23 are respectively connected to the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 on both sides in the first direction X. The first and second sides of the shielding edge 23 are arranged on both sides of the receiving space 24 in the first direction X, thus closing the two sides of the receiving space 24 in the first direction X.
[0096] In an exemplary embodiment, the receiving space 24 is rectangular and annular in shape. A socket is provided at the top of the receiving space 24. The socket is the area of the receiving space 24 that is not closed by the shielding edge 23. The socket of the receiving space 24 is configured to allow the carrier and the substrate to be electroplated on the carrier to extend into or out of the receiving space 24 through the socket. The other sides of the receiving space 24 (the two sides and the bottom of the receiving space 24 in the first direction X) are provided with shielding edges 23. The other sides of the receiving space 24 are closed by the shielding edges 23, thereby shielding the electric field and electroplating liquid flow field of the edge area of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated, reducing the thickness of the conductive layer in the edge area of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated, and improving the uniformity of the thickness of the conductive layer of the substrate to be electroplated.
[0097] In an exemplary embodiment, the electroplating shielding frame of this disclosure further includes a fixing plate 26, which is connected to the first side and the second side of the shielding edge 23 respectively, and is located on the side of the first side and the second side of the shielding edge 23 away from the bottom edge of the shielding edge 23. The fixing plate 26 is located on opposite sides of the insertion port of the receiving space 24 in the first direction X, and the fixing plate 26 is configured to be fixedly connected to the fixing beam of the motion mechanism.
[0098] In an exemplary embodiment, the fixing plate 26 is rectangular in shape, and a clearance opening 261 is provided in the middle of the fixing plate 26. The clearance opening 261 is configured to avoid power leads.
[0099] In an exemplary embodiment, the fixing plate 26 is provided with at least one waist hole 262, which is configured to be bolted to the fixing beam of the motion mechanism so that the fixing plate 26 can be fixed to the fixing beam.
[0100] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the electroplating shielding frame can adjust the fixing position of the fixing plate 26 and the fixing beam of the motion mechanism through the waist hole 262, thereby adjusting the relative position of the electroplating shielding frame and the substrate to be electroplated.
[0101] In an exemplary embodiment, the fixing plate 26 may be made of metal or alloy material, such as stainless steel.
[0102] The electroplating shielding frame of this embodiment improves the strength of the fixing plate 26 by using metal or alloy material for the fixing plate 26.
[0103] In an exemplary embodiment, a reinforcing rib 28 is provided between the surface of the fixing plate 26 and the shielding edge 23, which can increase the strength of the fixing plate 26.
[0104] In an exemplary embodiment, the electroplating openings 25 of the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 are rectangular in shape. At least one side of each electroplating opening 25 of the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 is provided with a telescopic plate 27. The telescopic plate 27 is configured to extend into the electroplating opening 25, shielding the substrate to be electroplated from the edge region of the electroplating opening 25. For example, all four sides of the electroplating opening 25 are provided with the telescopic plate 27.
[0105] The electroplating shielding frame of this embodiment can adjust the range of the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 that shield the edge area of the substrate surface to be electroplated by the telescopic plate 27. Different shielding ranges can be used for different positions on the substrate surface to be electroplated, thereby improving the uniformity of the thickness of the conductive layer of the substrate 142 to be electroplated.
[0106] In an exemplary embodiment, the telescopic plate 27 may be rectangular in shape. The telescopic plate 27 is disposed in the groove at the edge of the electroplating opening 25. The telescopic plate 27 can extend and retract within the groove, so that the telescopic plate 27 extends into the electroplating opening 25 or retracts into the groove, thereby adjusting the range of the edge area of the substrate surface to be electroplated that the electroplating shielding frame covers.
[0107] In an exemplary embodiment, at least one waist-shaped track 251 is provided on the groove at the edge of the electroplating opening 25. The waist-shaped track 251 exposes the surface of the telescopic plate 27. A fixing rod is provided on the surface of the telescopic plate 27. One end of the fixing rod is fixed to the surface of the telescopic plate 27, and the other end of the fixing rod extends out of the groove through the waist-shaped track 251. The fixing rod can slide along the waist-shaped track 251, causing the telescopic plate 27 to extend into the electroplating opening 25 or retract into the groove.
[0108] In an exemplary embodiment, the maximum distance by which the telescopic plate 27 extends into the electroplating opening 27 is h3, and the range of h3 is: 1mm≤h3≤40mm.
[0109] The electroplating shielding frame of this embodiment controls the maximum distance of the telescopic plate 27 extending into the electroplating opening 27 to be greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 40 mm. Different shielding ranges can be used for different positions on the surface of the substrate to be electroplated, thereby improving the uniformity of the thickness of the conductive layer 1 of the substrate to be electroplated.
[0110] In an exemplary embodiment, the telescopic plate 27 may include multiple sub-telescopic plates. For example, the telescopic plate 27 may include 2, 3, 4, 5, or other numbers of sub-telescopic plates. The multiple sub-telescopic plates are arranged independently of each other, and the maximum distance that the multiple sub-telescopic plates extend into the electroplating opening 27 may be the same or different.
[0111] The electroplating shielding frame of this embodiment controls the distance of multiple sub-telescopic plates extending into the electroplating opening 27, thereby adjusting the shielding range at different positions of the edge region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated exposed by the electroplating opening 25, and improving the uniformity of the conductive layer thickness formed on the surface of the substrate to be electroplated.
[0112] In an exemplary embodiment, the telescopic plate 27 may include a first sub-telescopic plate 271 and a plurality of second sub-telescopic plates 272. The first sub-telescopic plate 271 is located in the middle of the side of the electroplating opening 25, and the plurality of second sub-telescopic plates 272 may be located on opposite sides of the first sub-telescopic plate 271. The plurality of second sub-telescopic plates 272 are located at the edge of the side of the electroplating opening 25, and the length L1 of one first sub-telescopic plate 271 is greater than the length L2 of one second sub-telescopic plate 272.
[0113] The electroplating shielding frame of this embodiment controls the distance between the first sub-telescopic plate 271 and the second sub-telescopic plate 272 extending into the electroplating opening 27, thereby adjusting the shielding range of the center and edge of the edge region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated exposed by the electroplating opening 25, and improving the uniformity of the thickness of the conductive layer formed on the surface of the substrate to be electroplated.
[0114] The electroplating shielding frame of this embodiment has a length of the first sub-telescopic plate 271 that is greater than the length of the second sub-telescopic plate 272, so that the shielding range of the middle part of the edge region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated exposed by the electroplating opening 25 is greater than the shielding range of the edge of the edge region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated, thereby improving the uniformity of the conductive layer thickness in the middle part of the edge region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated and the conductive layer thickness at the edge of the edge region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated.
[0115] In an exemplary embodiment, the ratio of the length L1 of the first sub-telescopic plate 271 to the length L2 of the second sub-telescopic plate 272 is greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 4.
[0116] In some embodiments, the telescopic plate may include a first sub-telescopic plate and a second sub-telescopic plate, which are arranged sequentially along the edge of the electroplating opening.
[0117] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG10, the electroplating shielding frame further includes a limiting structure 29 disposed within the receiving space 24. The limiting structure 29 is located on the bottom edge of the shielding edge 23. The limiting structure 29 has a trapezoidal cross section in the direction perpendicular to the bottom edge of the shielding edge 23. The limiting structure 29 has an inclined surface facing the insertion port of the receiving space 24. The inclined surface is configured to contact the bottom of the carrier, restricting the movement of the carrier and the substrate to be electroplated on the carrier.
[0118] In an exemplary embodiment, the thickness of the conductive layer 1 on the substrate 142 to be electroplated in the electroplating equipment of this disclosure is greater than or equal to 3.6 micrometers and less than or equal to 6 micrometers. When the thickness of the conductive layer 1 is greater than 6 micrometers, the cost of the high-speed etching solution is high and the etching time is long when using a subtractive etching process, resulting in reduced production capacity. Furthermore, the actual size of the traces formed after etching deviates significantly from the design size, i.e., the etching bias is too large, which cannot meet the requirements of mass production, resulting in high production costs and affecting the electrical performance of the light-emitting substrate. When the thickness of the conductive layer 1 is less than 3.6 micrometers, the production cost is high when using a subtractive etching process.
[0119] The electroplating process of the electroplating equipment in this embodiment of the present disclosure includes:
[0120] First, two substrates to be electroplated are fixed on the two adsorption surfaces of the carrier. Then, an electroplating shielding frame is placed inside the electroplating tank. Next, a motion mechanism moves the carrier and the two substrates to be electroplated, positioning them within the electroplating shielding frame. The first and second shielding plates of the electroplating shielding frame then shield the edge areas of the surfaces of the two substrates to be electroplated. Next, the electroplating shielding frame is fixed to the motion mechanism, making it relatively fixed to the carrier and the two substrates to be electroplated. Finally, current is input to the electrode plates and carrier inside the electroplating tank via a power supply to electroplat the substrates to be electroplated.
[0121] Figure 15 is a perspective view of another electroplating shielding frame according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure after the hinge is bent; Figure 16 is a perspective view of another electroplating shielding frame according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure after the hinge is extended. As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the main structure of the electroplating shielding frame in this embodiment is basically the same as that in the embodiment shown in Figure 13. The difference is that the structure of the shielding edge 23 is different, and multiple hinges 30 are provided between the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22.
[0122] In an exemplary embodiment, the shielding edge 23 includes a first portion 231 and a second portion 232 that are correspondingly disposed and separated from each other. One side of the first portion 231 is connected to the edge of the first shielding plate 21, and the other side of the first portion 231 extends toward the second portion 232. One side of the second portion 232 is connected to the edge of the second shielding plate 22, and the other side of the second portion 232 extends toward the first portion 231. The first portion 231 and the second portion 232 may be close to or far from each other.
[0123] In an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of hinges 30 are provided between the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22. The hinges 30 can be bent or extended to move the first shielding plate 21 and the first portion 231 closer to or further away from the second shielding plate 22 and the second portion 232. The hinges 30 include a support rod 33, and a first hinge rod 31 and a second hinge rod 32 respectively hinged to the support rod 33. The support rod 33 extends along the second direction Y and is located on opposite sides of the shielding edge 23 in the first direction X. One end of the first hinge rod 31 is hinged to the first portion 231 of the shielding edge 23, and the other end of the first hinge rod 31 is hinged to the support rod 33. One end of the second hinge rod 32 is hinged to the second portion 232 of the shielding edge 23, and the other end of the second hinge rod 32 is hinged to the support rod 33.
[0124] When the hinge 30 is extended, the hinge 30 forms a straight line, and the first shielding plate 21 and the first part 231 are far apart from the second shielding plate 22 and the second part 232. There is a second gap between the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22. At this time, the electroplating shielding frame is opened. Subsequently, the substrate to be electroplated and the carrier can be placed in the electroplating shielding frame. The electroplating shielding frame is opened by the hinge 30. After opening, the distance between the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 of the electroplating shielding frame and the substrate to be electroplated is large, for example, 12 mm, which facilitates the placement of the substrate to be electroplated and the carrier into the electroplating shielding frame and avoids interference between the substrate to be electroplated and the carrier and the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22. After the substrate to be electroplated and the carrier are placed into the electroplating shielding frame, the gravity of the substrate and the carrier pushes the electroplating shielding frame, causing the hinge 30 of the electroplating shielding frame to bend into a V-shape. The first shielding plate 21 and the first part 231 approach each other with the second shielding plate 22 and the second part 232. The first part 231 can contact the second part 232. There is a first gap between the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22. At this time, the electroplating shielding frame is closed. After the electroplating shielding frame is closed, the distance between the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 and the substrate to be electroplated is small, for example, 6 mm. The first gap is smaller than the second gap.
[0125] The electroplating shielding frame of this embodiment is opened or closed by hinge 30. When the electroplating shielding frame is opened, the gap between the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 is increased, which makes it easier to put the substrate to be electroplated and the carrier into the electroplating shielding frame and avoids mutual collision.
[0126] After the electroplating shielding frame of this embodiment of the present disclosure shields the substrate to be electroplated, an electroplating test is performed. Taking a conductive layer thickness of 3.9 micrometers as an example, a total of 240 test points are used. Among the test points, the closest test point to the short side of the substrate to be electroplated is 13 mm, and the closest test point to the long side of the substrate to be electroplated is 30 mm. The test results are shown in Table 1. The maximum thickness of the conductive layer is 4.7 micrometers, the minimum thickness is 3.3 micrometers, the uniformity difference of the conductive layer thickness is 17.5%, and the uniformity difference of the thickness is less than 20%. In Table 1, X represents the short side direction of the substrate to be electroplated, and Y represents the long side direction of the substrate to be electroplated.
[0127] Table 1. Film thickness of the conductive layer at each test point on the substrate to be electroplated.
[0128] As can be seen from Table 1 above, the electroplating equipment of this embodiment uses the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 of the electroplating shielding frame to shield the edge area of the substrate to be electroplated. During the electroplating process, the first shielding plate 21 and the second shielding plate 22 shield the electric field and electroplating liquid flow field of the edge area of the substrate to be electroplated, thereby reducing the thickness of the conductive layer in the edge area of the substrate to be electroplated and improving the uniformity of the thickness of the conductive layer of the substrate to be electroplated.
[0129] This disclosure also provides an electroplating apparatus, including an electroplating tank, and an electrode plate, a spray disc, and a plating assembly disposed within the electroplating tank. The plating assembly includes a substrate to be plated and an electroplating shielding frame as described in any one of claims 1 to 19. At least a portion of the electroplating shielding frame is located on one side of the surface of the substrate to be plated. The electroplating shielding frame is configured to shield the edge region of the surface of the substrate to be plated, exposing the central region of the surface of the substrate to be plated. The spray disc is disposed opposite to the surface of the substrate to be plated. The electrode plate is disposed on the side of the spray disc away from the substrate to be plated and is disposed opposite to the surface of the substrate to be plated.
[0130] While the embodiments disclosed herein are as described above, it should be noted that these embodiments are merely exemplary and not restrictive. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the specific content shown and described herein. Various modifications, substitutions, or omissions can be made to the form and details of the embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
Claims
1. An electroplating shielding frame, comprising a first shielding plate, a second shielding plate, and a shielding edge connecting the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate, wherein a receiving space is provided between the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate, the receiving space being configured to receive a substrate to be electroplated, at least one side of the receiving space being provided with an insertion port allowing the substrate to be electroplated to be inserted, the other side of the receiving space being closed by the shielding edge, and at least one of the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate being configured to shield an edge region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated, exposing a central region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated.
2. The electroplated shielding frame according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate is made of insulating material.
3. The electroplated shielding frame according to claim 2, wherein, At least one of the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate is made of acrylic material.
4. The electroplated shielding frame according to claim 1, wherein, The accommodating space is rectangular in shape, the shielding side is U-shaped, the socket is provided on one side of the accommodating space, and the other sides of the accommodating space are closed by the shielding side.
5. The electroplated shielding frame according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The distance between the surface of the first shielding plate facing the substrate to be electroplated and the surface of the substrate to be electroplated facing the first shielding plate is greater than or equal to 0 mm and less than or equal to 12 mm. And / or, the distance between the surface of the second shielding plate facing the substrate to be electroplated and the surface of the substrate to be electroplated facing the second shielding plate is greater than or equal to 0 mm and less than or equal to 12 mm.
6. The electroplating shielding frame according to any one of claims 1 to 4 further includes a fixing plate, the fixing plate being connected to the shielding edge and located on opposite sides of the socket, the fixing plate being configured to be fixed to a carrier loading the substrate to be electroplated.
7. The electroplated shielding frame according to claim 6, wherein, The fixing plate is made of metal or alloy material.
8. The electroplated shielding frame according to claim 6, wherein, The fixing plate is provided with at least one waist hole, which is configured to be bolted to the carrier that loads the substrate to be electroplated.
9. The electroplated shielding frame according to claim 6, wherein, The fixing plate is provided with an avoidance opening.
10. The electroplating shielding frame according to any one of claims 1 to 4 further includes a limiting structure disposed on the shielding edge, the limiting structure having an inclined surface facing the socket, the inclined surface being configured to contact a carrier loading the substrate to be electroplated, thereby restricting movement of the carrier loading the substrate to be electroplated.
11. The electroplated shielding frame according to claim 10, wherein, The limiting structure has a trapezoidal cross-section perpendicular to the direction of the blocking edge.
12. The electroplated shielding frame according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, At least one of the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate is provided with an electroplating opening that exposes the central region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated. A telescopic plate is provided on at least one side of the electroplating opening. The telescopic plate is configured to extend into the electroplating opening and block the edge region of the surface of the substrate to be electroplated exposed by the electroplating opening.
13. The electroplated shielding frame according to claim 12, wherein, The maximum distance by which the telescopic plate extends into the electroplating opening is greater than or equal to 1 mm and less than or equal to 40 mm.
14. The electroplated shielding frame according to claim 12, wherein, The telescopic plate includes a first sub-telescopic plate and at least one second sub-telescopic plate. The first sub-telescopic plate is located in the middle of the edge of the electroplating opening, and the second sub-telescopic plate is located at the edge of the edge of the electroplating opening. The length of the first sub-telescopic plate is greater than the length of the second sub-telescopic plate.
15. The electroplated shielding frame according to claim 14, wherein, The ratio of the length of the first sub-telescopic plate to the length of the second sub-telescopic plate is greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 4.
16. The electroplated shielding frame according to claim 12, wherein, The electroplating opening is rectangular in shape, and the telescopic plate is provided on all sides of the electroplating opening.
17. The electroplated shielding frame according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The shielding edge is a one-piece molded structure, and the shielding edge is connected to the edge of the first shielding plate and the edge of the second shielding plate respectively.
18. The electroplated shielding frame according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The shielding edge includes a first part and a second part that are separated from each other. One side of the first part is connected to the edge of the first shielding plate, and the other side of the first part extends toward the second part. One side of the second part is connected to the edge of the second shielding plate, and the other side of the second part extends toward the first part. A plurality of hinges are provided between the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate. When the plurality of hinges are bent, the first part and the second part move closer to each other, and there is a first gap between the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate. When the plurality of hinges are extended, the first part and the second part move further apart from each other, and there is a second gap between the first shielding plate and the second shielding plate. The first gap is smaller than the second gap.
19. The electroplated shielding frame according to claim 18, wherein, When the multiple hinges are bent, they form a V-shape; when the multiple hinges are extended, they form a straight line.
20. An electroplating apparatus, comprising an electroplating tank, and an electrode plate, a spray disc, and a plating assembly disposed within the electroplating tank, the plating assembly comprising a substrate to be plated and an electroplating shielding frame as described in any one of claims 1 to 19, at least a portion of the electroplating shielding frame being located on one side of the surface of the substrate to be plated, the electroplating shielding frame being configured to shield an edge region of the surface of the substrate to be plated, exposing a central region of the surface of the substrate to be plated, the spray disc being disposed opposite to the surface of the substrate to be plated, and the electrode plate being disposed on the side of the spray disc away from the substrate to be plated and opposite to the surface of the substrate to be plated.