Movable Stocker Partition for Continuous Plating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plating apparatuses face disruptions in continuous operation due to the need for maintenance of substrate holders, as removing the stocker for maintenance leaves no place for returning the holder, forcing the apparatus to stop, and existing solutions with a single stocker wagon pose safety risks and require complex mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A plating apparatus with multiple movable stockers allows for the removal of one stocker for maintenance while another remains operational, using a partition wall for safety and eliminating the need for complex mechanisms, and includes a control unit to manage holder storage and transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single stocker is used in the plating apparatus, then the device configuration is simplified, but the apparatus cannot operate continuously during maintenance as the stocker must be removed for maintenance leaving no place to return substrate holders
Solution Approach 1:
The stocker system is segmented into multiple independent stockers (first stocker and second stocker) that can operate independently. This allows one stocker to be removed for maintenance while the other continues to store and supply substrate holders, enabling continuous operation of the plating apparatus.
2Device complexity
If the stocker is integrated with the plating apparatus, then the apparatus structure is simplified, but the stocker cannot be easily removed for maintenance requiring manual or dedicated hoist operations
Solution Approach 1:
The stocker is designed with movable characteristics, allowing it to be easily removed from and installed in the plating apparatus. This dynamic design enables straightforward maintenance access without requiring complex manual or dedicated hoist operations, while still maintaining structural integration during normal operation.
3Ease of operation
If the stocker is made movable for easy maintenance access, then maintenance becomes easier, but safety risks increase due to potential accidental entry into the apparatus interior
Solution Approach 1:
A partition wall is introduced as an intermediary element between the stocker and the plating apparatus interior. This partition wall acts as a safety barrier that prevents accidental entry into the apparatus interior while still allowing the stocker to be movable for maintenance purposes, thus resolving the safety concern.
4Ease of operation
If complex mechanisms are added to enable stocker removal and safety features, then maintenance accessibility and safety are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety function is extracted from complex mechanical mechanisms and instead achieved through a simple partition wall structure. This extraction approach provides the necessary safety features and maintenance accessibility without introducing complex mechanisms, thereby avoiding increased device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided a plating apparatus and a plating method enabling continuous operation even while a stocker is taken out of the plating apparatus. The plating apparatus includes a plating treatment section performing plating on a substrate and a plurality of stockers configured to be able to store a holder configured to hold a substrate or an anode. At least one of the plurality of stockers is configured to be movable into and out of the plating apparatus.