WO2024176553A1 - Plating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a plating apparatus which immerses a substrate in a plating solution, the plating apparatus comprising: a holding unit which comes into contact with the substrate and holds the substrate in the plating solution; a switching mechanism which displaces the holding unit so as to make a switch between a state where the substrate is held in the plating solution and a state where the substrate is not held in the plating solution; a cover unit which covers the periphery of the switching mechanism, while having the holding unit protrude from an opening that is provided in the bottom part thereof; an exhaust flow path which is connected to the internal space of the cover unit and which is for exhausting the internal space; and a gas spouting unit which spouts a gas from the periphery of the opening toward the center of the opening.

Description

Plating Equipment

This invention relates to a plating device that plates at least one main surface of a substrate, such as a printed wiring board or a glass substrate.

The technology of forming a thin metal film by plating on the surfaces of various substrates such as semiconductor substrates, printed wiring boards, and glass substrates is widely used. For example, in the plating device described in Patent Document 1, one end of the substrate transported to a treatment tank that stores plating solution is held by a clamp equipped with a cathode electrode. The clamp moves, and the substrate is plated while being transported in the treatment tank.

In addition, in the plating device described in Patent Document 2, the peripheral edge of the substrate is gripped by a ring-shaped substrate holder that is provided with a cathode electrode and has an opening in the center. The substrate holder is then suspended and immersed in a treatment tank that stores plating solution, thereby treating the substrate with the plating solution.

Patent No. 4268874 JP 2021-031718 A

　These conventional techniques, in which the substrate to be plated is held from above and immersed in the plating solution, have the following problems. First, the mechanical parts for holding the substrate operate near a tank that has a corrosive atmosphere, such as acid gas, and exposed moving parts in particular are prone to deterioration due to corrosion. This reduces the operating efficiency of the device, and the use of highly chemically resistant or sealed parts both lead to increased product costs. Secondly, when dust is generated due to contact between parts, fine powder of metal or the like falls onto the plating solution or substrate in the plating tank, contaminating the substrate and reducing plating quality.

In particular, in the field of electronic device manufacturing, the level of demands for plating quality is increasing due to larger substrates and finer devices, and the above-mentioned problems can no longer be ignored. At the same time, there are naturally strict demands on device manufacturing costs. For this reason, there is a demand for technology that can solve all of the above-mentioned problems.

This invention was developed in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a technology that can form a high-quality plating film while suppressing the deterioration of parts due to a corrosive atmosphere and thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

One aspect of the present invention is a plating device for immersing a substrate in a plating solution, comprising a holding part that contacts the substrate to hold the substrate in the plating solution, a switching mechanism that displaces the holding part to switch between a state in which the substrate is held in the plating solution and a state in which the substrate is not held in the plating solution, a cover part that covers the periphery of the switching mechanism with the holding part protruding from an opening provided in the bottom, an exhaust flow path that is connected to the internal space of the cover part and that exhausts the internal space, and a gas ejection part that ejects gas from the periphery of the opening toward the center of the opening.

In the invention configured in this manner, in the holding section configured to hold the substrate in the plating solution, a switching mechanism switches between a state in which the substrate is held in the plating solution and other states. The switching mechanism, which necessarily has a movable part for this purpose, is housed in the cover section. This prevents the switching mechanism from being exposed to the corrosive atmosphere generated by the plating solution. Therefore, there is no need to use a sealed type switching mechanism. Meanwhile, to prevent dust from being generated from the movable part, the internal space of the cover section is evacuated, preventing fine powder from leaking out of the cover member and falling onto the plating solution, substrate, etc.

If this happens, the internal space of the cover will become negative pressure, which could cause outside air containing corrosive gases to flow in through the opening at the bottom. Therefore, the gas outlet outlet ejects gas from the periphery of the opening towards the centre. This creates an air curtain effect, making it possible to more effectively prevent the outside atmosphere from flowing into the internal space of the cover member.

As described above, in the present invention, the switching mechanism that controls the operation of the holding part that holds the substrate is housed in the internal space of the cover part, and the internal space is vented and an air curtain is formed at the opening. This makes it possible to protect the moving parts from the external corrosive atmosphere while preventing fine powder and the like generated from the moving parts from falling into the plating solution or substrate, thereby reducing the deterioration of plating quality.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a plating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a plating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the plating apparatus. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a chuck mechanism. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a chuck mechanism. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic side view of a main part of a chuck mechanism. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic side view of a main part of a chuck mechanism. 1 is a flowchart showing a plating process. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the movement of each part during processing. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the movement of each part during processing. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the movement of each part during processing. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the movement of each part during processing. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the movement of each part during processing. 1A to 1C are three orthographic views showing the structure of the cover. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating airflow control in the cover. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a joint mechanism in the exhaust system. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a joint mechanism in the air supply system. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a plating apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

1A and 1B are diagrams showing the schematic configuration of a plating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the plating apparatus. The plating apparatus 1 is an apparatus for forming a metal (e.g., gold) film by electrolytic plating on at least one main surface of various substrates S, such as semiconductor substrates, printed wiring substrates, and glass substrates (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrates"). For the following explanation, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is defined as shown in FIG. 1A. FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a side view of the plating apparatus 1, and the direction that is horizontal and perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1A is the X direction, and the direction that is horizontal and perpendicular to the X direction and parallel to the paper surface of FIG. 1A is the Y direction. The vertical direction is the Z direction. In each figure, the dashed arrows attached near each member indicate the movement direction of the member.

The specification and drawings of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-094449, previously disclosed by the applicant, disclose a plating apparatus similar in basic configuration to the plating apparatus 1 of this embodiment, and also provide detailed descriptions of the structure and functions of each part of the apparatus, as well as the operation of the apparatus.

The plating apparatus 1 has a structure in which each part described below is assembled to a housing 10 formed by combining multiple frame members. Note that in FIG. 1A and the following figures, the description of some components may be omitted as appropriate to avoid cluttering the drawings. Specifically, components that contribute relatively little to the establishment of the invention and whose structure is such that appropriate publicly known technology can be applied and no special explanation is considered to be required may be omitted from the illustration. For example, a holding mechanism for holding parts, a cover for covering the parts, and a mechanism for attaching them to the housing 10 fall into this category.

1A is a front view of the plating device 1. The plating device 1 is provided with a transport section 2 that transports the substrate S along the Y direction. The transport section 2 includes a plurality of transport rollers 21 arranged along the Y direction. The transport rollers 21 are supported by a support mechanism (not shown) so that they can rotate freely about the X direction as their axial direction. A rotary motor 23 is coupled to the rotation shaft of the transport roller 21. The transport drive section 22 rotates the rotary motor 23 in response to a control command from the control section 9 (described later), so that the transport section 2 transports the substrate S in the Y direction in a horizontal position. The rectangular substrate S is transported with one of the four sides at the front. In the following, the transport direction of the substrate S is represented by the symbol Dt. In this embodiment, the substrate S is transported in a straight line in the Y direction while maintaining a horizontal position. Therefore, the transport direction Dt is equal to the Y direction. Note that some of the transport rollers 21 may be driven rollers to which no drive source is connected.

The plating apparatus 1 further includes an entrance section 3, a plating processing section 4, a rinsing processing section 5, an unloading section 6, a power supply section 7, and a control section 9. The entrance section 3, the plating processing section 4, the rinsing processing section 5, and the unloading section 6 are arranged in this order along the transport direction Dt (Y direction) of the substrate by the transport section 2. That is, in this plating apparatus 1, the substrate S is subjected to the necessary processing in each of the above-mentioned processing sections while being transported in the Y direction by the transport section 2.

The loading section 3 receives and temporarily holds the unprocessed substrate S transported from the outside, and supplies the substrate S to the plating processing section 4 at the required timing. The plating processing section 4 is the processing main body that carries out the plating method according to the present invention, and performs plating processing by immersing the substrate S in a plating solution. The configuration of the plating processing section 4 will be described in detail later.

The rinsing treatment section 5 comprises a rinsing tank 51, a tray 52, and a rinsing liquid supply/discharge section 59. The rinsing tank 51 has an internal space of a necessary and sufficient size to accommodate the substrate S, and nozzles (not shown) are disposed in the internal space for spraying rinsing liquid toward the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate S. An opening is provided on the Y-direction side surface of the rinsing tank 51 at a portion that overlaps with the transport path P. Shutters 51a and 51b are provided for the opening so as to be able to be opened and closed freely.

The tray 52 is disposed below the rinse tank 51 and receives the rinse liquid spilled from the rinse tank 51. The rinse liquid supply/discharge unit 59 supplies rinse liquid to the nozzles in the rinse tank 51 as necessary, and also discharges rinse liquid from the rinse tank 51. The rinse processing unit 5 performs a rinse process on the substrate S immersed in the plating liquid in the plating processing unit 4. Water, for example, is used as the rinse liquid. The discharge unit 6 temporarily holds the substrate S sent out from the rinse processing unit 5 after the rinse process until it is removed to a post-processing step by an external transport device.

The power supply unit 7 supplies the necessary power to each part of the apparatus. The control unit 9 controls each part of the apparatus configured as described above, and causes the plating apparatus 1 to perform predetermined processing. The hardware configuration of the control unit 9 may be the same as that of a general computer device, for example. In other words, the control unit 9 may include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 91, memory 92, storage 93, input unit 94, display unit 95, interface unit 96, etc.

Memory 92 temporarily stores various data generated during processing. Storage 93 stores various data and control programs 931 on a long-term basis. Input unit 94 and display unit 95 perform user interface functions. Interface unit 96 handles communication with external devices, etc.

The CPU 91 reads and executes a control program 931 pre-stored in the storage 93, and based on this, controls each part of the device to perform a predetermined operation, thereby realizing various operations described below. For this purpose, the CPU 91 realizes in software functional blocks such as a transport control unit 911 that controls the operation of the transport unit 2, a chuck control unit 912 that controls the operation of the chuck unit 40 described below, a supply and discharge control unit 913 that controls the supply sources of various fluids and manages their supply and discharge, and a flow control unit 914 that controls valves on the piping to adjust the flow rate of the circulating fluid. Note that at least some of these functional blocks may be configured as dedicated hardware, for example.

FIG. 1B is a front view showing the schematic configuration of the plating processing section. The plating processing section 4 includes a plating tank 41, vats 42 and 44, a chuck section 40, a cleaning mechanism 48, and a plating liquid supply/discharge section 49. The plating tank 41 is capable of storing plating liquid in an internal space having a size sufficient to accommodate the substrate S. The vat 42 is disposed below the plating tank 41 and receives spilled plating liquid. The chuck section 40 is disposed above the plating tank 41 and holds the substrate S to be plated. The vat 44 is disposed adjacent to the vat 42 below the plating tank 41 on the (-Y) side. The cleaning mechanism 48 cleans the chuck section 40 with an appropriate cleaning liquid (e.g., water). For this purpose, the cleaning mechanism 48 includes a cleaning nozzle 481 provided in the vat 44 and a cleaning liquid supply/discharge section 482 that supplies cleaning liquid to the cleaning nozzle 481. The plating solution supply/discharge unit 49 supplies plating solution to the plating tank 41 and discharges plating solution from the plating tank 41 in response to control commands from the supply/discharge control unit 913 of the control unit 9.

As shown in FIG. 1B, openings are provided on the (-Y) side and (+Y) side of plating tank 41 at portions that overlap with transport path P. Shutters 41a, 41b that can be opened and closed are provided at these openings. When shutters 41a, 41b are open, substrate S transported along transport path P by transport unit 2 can pass through the openings provided on the sides of plating tank 41. This makes it possible to transport unprocessed substrates S into plating tank 41 and to transport processed substrates S out of plating tank 41.

On the other hand, in the closed state, the opening on the side of the plating tank 41 is closed. At this time, the transport path P for the substrate S is blocked, but the plating solution can be stored inside the plating tank 41 beyond the height of the opening. After the substrate S is accommodated in the plating tank 41 with the shutter 41a open on the (-Y) side, the shutter 41a is closed and the internal space of the plating tank 41 is filled with plating solution L, so that the substrate S is immersed in the plating solution L and plated. Thereafter, the shutters 41a, 41b and a drain port (not shown) on the plating tank 41 are opened to drain the plating solution, and the substrate S after plating is transported to the rinsing section 5. The shutters 41a, 41b may be opened and closed independently of each other, or may be opened and closed integrally.

An anode electrode 45 is disposed above the transport path P in the plating tank 41. The anode electrode 45 is electrically connected to the power supply unit 7. A sufficient amount of plating liquid L is stored in the plating tank 41 so that the anode electrode 45 comes into contact with the liquid. As will be described later, a cathode electrode is provided on the chuck mechanism that holds the substrate S in the plating tank 41. A DC voltage is applied between these electrodes from the power supply unit 7, forming a coating on the surface of the substrate S by electrolytic plating.

Two sets of chuck parts 40 are arranged corresponding to both ends in the X direction of the substrate S contained in the plating tank 41. Only one set on the (+X) side is shown in FIG. 1B. The two sets of chuck parts 40 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the YZ plane, but have the same basic structure. That is, each chuck part 40 has at least one chuck mechanism 400, a support frame 430 that supports the chuck mechanism 400, and a movement mechanism 43 that moves the support frame 430 in the Y direction.

The support frame 430 is supported so as to be freely movable in the Y direction by a moving mechanism 43 attached to the upper frame 11, one of the frame members constituting the housing 10. More specifically, the moving mechanism 43 includes a guide rail 431 fixed to the upper frame 11 above the plating processing section 4 and extending in the Y direction, a slider 432 engaged with the guide rail 431, and a drive source (not shown) that moves the slider 432 in the Y direction along the guide rail 431. As these configurations, an appropriate linear mechanism, such as a linear motor, a linear guide mechanism, a chain drive mechanism, or a belt drive mechanism, can be applied. For example, a single-axis robot in which these configurations are integrated in advance can be preferably applied.

The support frame 430 is connected to the lower end of the slider 432, and the chuck mechanism 400 is fixed to the support frame 430. Therefore, when the slider 432 moves in the Y direction along the guide rail 431, the support frame 430 and the chuck mechanism 400 attached thereto move integrally in the Y direction. In other words, the movement mechanism 43 operates in response to a control command from the control unit 9 to move the slider 432, thereby moving the chuck mechanism 400 in the Y direction.

In this embodiment, three sets of chuck mechanisms 400 are attached to one support frame 430 in a line in the Y direction. These move integrally in the Y direction as the support frame 430 moves. This allows each chuck mechanism 400 to move back and forth in the Y direction between a "plating position" P1 located above the plating tank 41 and a "cleaning position" P2 located above the vat 44. In FIG. 1B, the chuck mechanism 400 at the plating position P1 is shown by a solid line, and the chuck mechanism 400 at the cleaning position P2 is shown by a dotted line.

The chuck mechanism 400 grips the substrate S to stably maintain the position of the substrate S in the plating tank 41, while electrically contacting the built-in cathode electrode with one main surface of the substrate S. A DC voltage is then applied between the anode electrode 45 and the cathode electrode to form a coating on that one main surface by electrolytic plating. Here, it is assumed that the coating is formed on the upper one of the two main surfaces of the substrate S, i.e., the top surface.

The chuck mechanisms 400 grip the substrate S at both ends in the X direction, i.e., at both ends in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction Dt. Then, most of the substrate S at both ends in the X direction is gripped by a plurality of chuck mechanisms 400 provided along the Y direction, i.e., the transport direction Dt of the substrate S. By gripping the substrate S, the chuck mechanisms 400 not only contribute to stably maintaining its position, but also apply a uniform electric potential over a wide area by contacting the cathode electrode 412 (described below) that extends in the Y direction with the substrate S. This makes it possible for the plating apparatus 1 to form a plating film with good uniformity on the substrate S.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams showing the general configuration of the chuck mechanism. Also, FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the main parts of the chuck mechanism as viewed from the side. More specifically, FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing the structure of chuck mechanism 400, and FIG. 3B is a diagram showing the state in which chuck mechanism 400 grips substrate S. Also, FIG. 4A is a side view showing chuck mechanism 400 before gripping substrate S, and FIG. 4B is a side view showing chuck mechanism 400 when gripping substrate S.

Note that, below, when explaining the structure and operation of the chuck mechanism 400, the explanation will be given mainly by way of example of the chuck mechanism 400 that holds the (-X) side end of the substrate S. However, by considering the same structure inverted around the Z axis, it is possible to understand the structure and operation of the chuck mechanism that holds the (+X) side end of the substrate S. The operation of the chuck mechanism 400 is controlled by the chuck control unit 912 of the control unit 9.

The chuck mechanism 400 grips the X-direction end of the substrate S with an upper chuck 411 and a lower chuck 421, which can be raised and lowered independently of each other. Specifically, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 are each elongated flat members extending in the Y direction. The lower surface 411b of the upper chuck 411 abuts against the (-X) side end of the upper surface Sa of the substrate S, and the upper surface 421a of the lower chuck 421 abuts against the (-X) side end of the lower surface Sb of the substrate S, thereby gripping the substrate S.

In practice, a cathode electrode 412 is attached to the lower surface 411b of the upper chuck 411, and the cathode electrode 412 comes into contact with the upper surface Sa of the substrate S. To prevent the cathode electrode 412 from coming into contact with the plating solution L, a seal member 415 made of an elastic material and having a ring shape is provided on the lower surface 411b of the upper chuck 411 so as to surround the periphery of the cathode electrode 412.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the lower chuck 421 not only determines the position of the substrate S in the height direction (Z direction), but also acts as a backup when the cathode electrode 412 provided on the upper chuck 411 contacts the substrate S. This ensures that the height position of the substrate S is stably maintained and that electrical contact between the cathode electrode 412 and the substrate upper surface Sa is ensured.

A shaft member 413 extending in the Z direction is attached to the upper surface 411a of the upper chuck 411, and the shaft member 413 is supported by a lifting mechanism 414 so that it can be raised and lowered. The upper chuck 411 is fixed to the shaft member 413 using a screw, for example, and is detachable (i.e. replaceable). The lifting mechanism 414 has an appropriate linear motion mechanism such as an air cylinder, a solenoid, a linear motor, or a ball screw mechanism, and raises and lowers the shaft member 413. This raises and lowers the upper chuck 411 attached to the lower end of the shaft member 413. Here, the unit integrally formed including the upper chuck 411, the shaft member 413, the lifting mechanism 414, etc. is referred to as the "upper chuck unit 410."

Similarly, a shaft member 423 extending in the Z direction is attached to the upper surface 421a of the lower chuck 421, and the shaft member 423 is supported by a lifting mechanism 424 so that it can be raised and lowered. The lower chuck 421 is fixed to the shaft member 423 using, for example, a screw, and is detachable. The lifting mechanism 424 has an appropriate linear motion mechanism, such as an air cylinder, a solenoid, a linear motor, or a ball screw mechanism, and raises and lowers the shaft member 423. This raises and lowers the lower chuck 421 attached to the lower end of the shaft member 423. Here, the unit integrally formed including the lower chuck 421, the shaft member 423, the lifting mechanism 424, etc. is referred to as the "lower chuck unit 420."

The upper chuck unit 410 is attached to the support member 401. Specifically, the upper chuck unit 410 is fixed to the support member 401 via a fixing member 404. Therefore, the upper chuck 411 can only move up and down relative to the support member 401. On the other hand, the lower chuck unit 420 is attached to the support member 401 via a moving mechanism 402. Specifically, the support member 403 to which the lower chuck unit 420 is attached is connected to the movable part of the moving mechanism 402, which moves in the X direction. The moving mechanism 402 has an appropriate linear mechanism, such as an air cylinder, a solenoid, an air cylinder, a linear motor, or a ball screw mechanism, and its main body is fixed to the support member 401. A guide rail 405 is provided at the bottom of the support member 401, and a slider 406 engaged with the guide rail 405 is connected to the lower chuck unit 420.

Therefore, by operating the advance/retract mechanism 402, the lower chuck unit 420 can move in the X direction within a movable range defined by a stopper (not shown). Therefore, the lower chuck 421 can move up and down relative to the support member 401 by operating the lifting mechanism 424, and can move forward and backward in the X direction by the advance/retract mechanism 402.

When the lower chuck 421 has advanced to the furthest point on the (+X) side within its movable range, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3B, the (+X) side tip of the lower chuck 421 is located on the (+X) side of the end face of the substrate S, and the upper surface 421a of the lower chuck 421 can support the lower surface Sb of the substrate S. On the other hand, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 3B, when the lower chuck 421 has retreated to the furthest point on the (-X) side within its movable range, the (+X) side tip of the lower chuck 421 is retreated to the (-X) side of the end face of the substrate S. This prevents the lower chuck 421 from coming into contact with the substrate S when it is raised or lowered.

In the chuck mechanism 400, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 cooperate to grip the substrate S in the plating tank 41. Specifically, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 are lowered from the chuck mechanism 400 of the chuck section 40 positioned at the plating position into the plating tank 41 (FIG. 4A), and grip the edge of the substrate S at the same height as the substrate S supported and stationary by the transport rollers 21 in the plating tank 41 (FIG. 4B). Therefore, the substrate S is held in a horizontal position with a flat upper surface in the plating tank 41. The Z direction position of the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 at this time, as shown in FIG. 4B, will be referred to as the "lower position" below.

As shown by the dotted lines in Figure 3A, the main parts of the chuck mechanism 400, particularly the movable mechanism, are housed inside the cover 460. The cover 460 has a roughly rectangular box shape, and its internal space houses the movable mechanisms (chuck drive mechanisms) such as the lifting mechanisms 414, 424 and the advance/retract mechanism 402. An opening is provided on the underside of the cover 460, from which shaft members 413, 423 protrude downward, and upper and lower chucks 411, 421 are attached to the lower ends thereof, respectively.

This cover 460 is provided to protect the movable mechanism from corrosive gases generated from the plating solution stored in the plating tank 41, and to prevent fine powder and the like generated from the movable mechanism from falling into the plating tank 41. Its detailed structure and function will be described later, and the plating process performed by the plating apparatus 1 of this embodiment configured as described above will be described first with reference to Figures 5 to 7. This plating process is realized by the CPU 91 of the control unit 9 executing a predetermined control program.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the plating process. Also, FIGS. 6A to 6D and 7 are schematic diagrams showing the movement of each part during processing. An unprocessed substrate S is received when the plating apparatus 1 is in a predetermined initial state. The initial state is a state in which, as shown in FIG. 6A, each chuck mechanism 400 is positioned at the plating position, the shutters 41a and 41b of the plating tank 41 are open, and plating solution L is stored in the plating tank 41 to the extent that the transport path P is exposed. As shown in FIG. 6B, the transport unit 2 transports the substrate S in the transport direction Dt and loads it into the plating tank 41 (step S101).

When the substrate S is loaded into the plating tank 41 as shown in FIG. 6C, the shutters 41a and 41b are closed. The upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 of the chuck mechanism 400 are lowered toward the substrate S contained in the plating tank 41, and grip the substrate S as shown in FIG. 6D (step S102).

In this state, plating solution L is supplied from plating solution supply/discharge unit 49 to plating tank 41, and a voltage is applied between the electrodes while substrate S is immersed (step S103), thereby plating substrate S. Cathode electrodes extending long in the Y direction are brought into contact with both ends of upper surface Sa of substrate S in the X direction. This reduces the variation in electric field strength on upper surface Sa of substrate S, making it possible to form a plating film with good uniformity. At this time, the chuck mechanism 400 and transport rollers 21 work together to rock substrate S in plating tank 41 (step S104), thereby further improving the uniformity of the plating film.

As shown in Figure 7, the movement mechanism 43 operates to cause the support frame 430 supporting the chuck mechanism 400 to alternate between moving in the (+Dt) direction shown in the upper diagram of Figure 7 and moving in the (-Dt) direction shown in the lower diagram of Figure 7. In this way, the chuck mechanism 400 attached to the support frame 430 moves back and forth as a unit in the Y direction, and the substrate S held by the chuck mechanism 400 oscillates in the Y direction within the plating solution L.

At this time, the transport rollers 21 work in conjunction with the support frame 430. That is, as shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 7, when the support frame 430 moves in the (+Y) direction and the chuck mechanism 400 moves the substrate S in the (+Y) direction, the transport rollers 21 rotate forward, that is, in a direction that transports the substrate S in the transport direction Dt. On the other hand, as shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 7, when the support frame 430 moves in the (-Y) direction and the chuck mechanism 400 moves the substrate S in the (-Y) direction, the transport rollers 21 rotate reversely, that is, to transport the substrate S in the (-Dt) direction opposite to the transport direction Dt.

By rocking the substrate S in the plating solution L in this way, the plating solution L is stirred, reducing bias in the ion concentration in the solution and improving the uniformity of the plating film. The rocking of the substrate S in the plating tank 41 is achieved by the cooperation of a chuck mechanism 400 that grips the edge of the substrate S and a transport roller 21 that supports the center of the substrate S from the underside. This prevents localized stress from being applied to the substrate S and makes it possible to rock the substrate S while maintaining a horizontal position.

After the substrate S is immersed in the plating solution L and the substrate S is oscillated while a voltage is applied between the electrodes for a certain period of time, the voltage application is stopped and the plating solution L is discharged (step S105), thereby stopping the plating process. Then, the substrate S is released from the grip of the chuck mechanism 400 (step S106), and the transport unit 2 transfers the substrate S from the plating processing unit 4 to the rinsing processing unit 5 via the opened shutter 41b (step S107).

In the rinse processing section 5, when the substrate S is placed in the rinse tank 51, the shutters 51a and 51b are closed, and rinse liquid is supplied from the rinse liquid supply/discharge section 59 to rinse the substrate S (step S108). After the rinse process is performed for a predetermined time, the supply of rinse liquid is stopped, the shutter 51b is opened, and the substrate S is discharged to the discharge section 6 (step S109).

When discharging the plating solution from the plating tank 41, it is not necessary to completely drain the liquid in the tank. In other words, as long as the liquid is drained to the extent that the substrate S supported in the tank is exposed from the liquid and can be removed, there is no problem with liquid remaining in the tank. In fact, by leaving liquid remaining, it is possible to reduce the amount of liquid required to fill the tank when processing the next substrate S. This helps to reduce the amount of liquid consumed and the environmental impact.

Meanwhile, after releasing the grip of the substrate S, the chuck mechanism 400 undergoes a cleaning process to remove the plating solution adhering to the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 (step S110). The contents of the cleaning process are arbitrary, but an example is as follows. That is, the moving mechanism 43 moves the support frame 430 in the (-Y) direction to position each chuck mechanism 400 at the cleaning position P2 (FIG. 1B) above the vat 44. In this state, the cleaning mechanism 48 cleans the chuck mechanism 400, more specifically the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421, by supplying an appropriate cleaning liquid or spraying air.

When the chuck mechanism 400 moves between the plating position P1 and the cleaning position P2, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 are retracted upward by the lifting mechanisms 412, 422, as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 1B. This prevents the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 from contacting the wall surface of the plating tank 41 during movement. The Z direction positions of the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 at this time will be referred to as the "upper position" below.

After cleaning, the chuck mechanism 400 is returned to the plating position (step S111). By cleaning the chuck mechanism 400 in this manner, it is possible to prevent any remaining plating solution from adhering to the substrate S when processing the next substrate S. If there are more substrates S to be processed, the process returns to step S101 and the above process is repeated.

In FIG. 5, the cleaning process of the chuck mechanism 400 is shown as a step that follows the rinsing process. However, in reality, after the chuck mechanism 400 releases its grip on the substrate S, the chuck mechanism 400 can be moved to the cleaning position P2 at any time. In other words, the operation of transporting the substrate S to the rinsing processing section 5, rinsing the substrate S, and discharging the substrate S to the discharge section 6, and the operation of moving the chuck mechanism 400 to the cleaning position P2, cleaning the substrate S, and returning the substrate S to the plating position can be carried out in parallel.

Next, the structure and function of the cover 460 provided on the chuck mechanism 400 will be described in detail. As described above, the chuck mechanism 400 of this embodiment is provided with a cover 460 that covers the movable mechanism to protect the movable mechanism from corrosive gases generated from the plating solution stored in the plating tank 41 and to prevent fine powder and the like generated from the movable mechanism from falling into the plating tank 41.

Figure 8 is a three-view diagram showing the structure of the cover. The front and side views show the cover 460 in cross section. As shown in Figure 8, the cover 460 has a double box structure. Specifically, the cover 460 has an approximately box-shaped inner cover 461 that houses the main parts of the chuck mechanism 400 in the internal space IS, and an outer cover 462 that is open at the top and covers the sides and bottom of the inner cover 461, and these are connected to each other via a spacer 463. Therefore, the sides and bottoms of the inner cover 461 and outer cover 462 face each other approximately parallel with a predetermined distance between them, and a gap space GS is formed between the inner cover 461 and outer cover 462.

In addition, an opening 4611 is provided on the bottom surface of the inner cover 461, while an opening 4621 is also provided on the bottom surface of the outer cover 462 at a position corresponding to the opening 4611. Through these openings, shaft members 413, 423 protrude downward from inside the cover 460, and the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 are attached to their lower ends, respectively. As shown in the bottom view of FIG. 8, the openings 4611, 4621 provided on the bottom surface are generally rectangular, but the four corners are partially blocked, making the opening shape octagonal. Note that the opening shape is not limited to this. It is desirable for the openings 4611, 4621 to be as small as possible as long as the operation of the chuck mechanism 400 is not hindered, and for this reason, the opening shape can also be appropriately modified according to the shapes of other parts.

The support member 401 is connected to the inner cover 461, and although not shown, the upper part of the inner cover 461 is fixed to the support frame 430. In this way, the chuck mechanism 400 is supported by the support frame 430.

The upper surface of the inner cover 461 is provided with an opening 4612 for connecting the internal space IS with an exhaust duct, which will be described later, and an exhaust pipe 4613 is connected to the opening 4612. On the other hand, a number of relatively small openings 4622 are provided on the side of the outer cover 462, and an appropriate valve mechanism 4623 is connected to each opening 4622. As the valve mechanism 4623, a valve capable of adjusting the flow rate, such as a gate valve or throttle valve, can be suitably applied. Pressurized air is supplied to these valve mechanisms 4623 from an external air supply source, as will be described later.

With this structure, the mechanically movable parts of the chuck mechanism 400 are contained within the internal space IS of the cover 460 and are isolated from the surrounding atmosphere. Particularly at the plating position above the plating tank 41, corrosive gases, such as acid gases, generated from the plating solution L are present in relatively high concentrations. By covering the parts of the movable mechanism with the cover 460, the parts can be protected from such corrosive gases. Furthermore, even if dust is generated due to friction in the moving parts, the resulting fine powder is prevented from falling onto the plating tank 41 or the substrate S.

In order to ensure these effects, in this embodiment, the airflow inside the cover 460 is controlled. This prevents outside air from entering through the opening on the bottom, and also prevents fine powder generated inside the cover 460 from being discharged outside the device and falling toward the plating tank 41.

FIG. 9 is a diagram explaining airflow control in the cover. To control the airflow, the valve mechanism 4623 of the outer cover 462 is connected to an air supply source AS via appropriate piping. Pressurized air sent out from this air supply source AS is supplied to the gap space GS. Therefore, as shown by the solid arrows, the sent-in pressurized air passes through the gap space GS and is sprayed from the periphery of the opening on the bottom toward the center. The air curtain formed thereby acts to prevent the inflow of outside air, particularly the acidic atmosphere AA generated from the surface of the plating solution L.

Meanwhile, the exhaust pipe 4613 attached to the top of the inner cover 461 is connected to an exhaust duct 464 provided above the support frame 430. The exhaust duct 464 is connected to an appropriate exhaust device ES. When the exhaust device ES is activated, the atmosphere inside the cover 460 flows upward as shown by the dotted arrow, and is exhausted to the outside from the exhaust pipe 4613 through the exhaust duct 464. The rising air current thus formed pushes the fine powder generated in the internal space IS upward and exhausts it to the outside. This prevents the fine powder from falling into the plating tank 41. A throttle valve 4614 is arranged in the exhaust pipe 4613 to adjust the flow rate of the exhausted gas.

The exhaust device ES and the air supply source AS may be provided as components within the plating device 1, or may be provided separately from the plating device 1 as external devices. For example, the power utilization of the factory facility in which the plating device 1 is installed may be utilized.

The inventor's findings regarding the amount of air supplied from the air supply source AS and the amount of exhaust air exhausted by the exhaust device ES are as follows. First, regarding the amount of exhaust air, it is preferable that the flow rate (controlled air speed) of the airflow sucked in from the bottom opening of the cover 460 when there is no air blowing out of the gap space GS is, for example, 1.0 m/sec or more, based on the provisions of the Dust Prevention Regulations. This makes it possible to almost completely prevent fine powder from leaking out of the cover.

On the other hand, with regard to the amount of air supplied, it is desirable that the total amount of gas injected at the bottom of the cover 460 is greater than the amount of gas exhausted through the exhaust pipe 4613. In this way, almost all of the gas flowing upward from the bottom opening of the cover 460 and exhausted from the top is supplied from the air supply source AS. This makes it possible to effectively prevent the external acidic atmosphere AA from entering the cover 460.

In this case, the gas that is sprayed at the bottom of the cover 460 and flows into the internal space IS functions as a purge gas that purges fine powder and the like remaining in the internal space IS. In contrast, the gas that is not drawn into the cover 460 is sprayed downward from the bottom of the cover 460, which functions as an air curtain that prevents the acidic atmosphere AA from approaching the opening. The flow rate adjustment for these air supply and exhaust can be achieved by the flow rate control unit 914 of the control unit 9 controlling the valves 4614, 4623.

The relationship between the opening 4611 on the bottom surface of the inner cover 461 and the opening 4621 on the bottom surface of the outer cover 462 is as follows. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, it is preferable that the opening size of the opening 4621 on the outer cover 462 is slightly larger than the opening size of the opening 4611 on the inner cover 461. In other words, as shown in the front view and side view of Fig. 8, the peripheral portion of the opening 4611 extends further inward than the peripheral portion of the opening 4621, and when the inside of the cover 460 is viewed from the bottom side, it is preferable that the peripheral portion of the opening 4611 on the inner cover 461 is visible from the opening 4621 on the outer cover 462 without being obstructed.

With this configuration, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 9, the direction of the sprayed gas has a large component that is slightly downward from the horizontal. This further increases the effect of blocking the acidic atmosphere AA rising from the surface of the plating solution L, making it possible to more reliably protect the components inside the cover 460.

In order to prevent outside air from entering, it is preferable that the opening area is as small as possible. However, to ensure smooth chuck lifting and lowering, it is necessary to provide a certain amount of clearance around the shaft members 413, 423. The shape of the openings 4611, 4621 for this purpose can be, for example, rectangular, but according to the knowledge of the inventors of the present application, rectangular openings tend to allow outside air to enter through their four corners. As shown in the bottom view of Figure 8, in this embodiment, the openings 4611, 4621 are octagonal with the four corners of the rectangle sealed, thereby effectively preventing the inflow of outside air.

In this way, in a configuration in which air is supplied to and exhausted from the chuck mechanism 400, piping is required to connect the air supply source AS and exhaust device ES to the chuck mechanism 400. On the other hand, as explained above, the plating apparatus 1 needs to move back and forth between the plating position and the cleaning position, so the chuck unit 40 including the chuck mechanism 400 moves significantly in the Y direction. Therefore, the piping must not impede this movement.

When connecting electrical wiring or tubes to the moving parts of a mechanical device, these are housed inside a flexible protective tube called, for example, a cable carrier or cable chain (representatively referred to as a "cable carrier" below). In this embodiment, it is also conceivable to house piping for air supply and exhaust in the cable carrier.

However, the piping, particularly for exhaust, is large in diameter and requires mechanical strength, so it is not necessarily flexible. As a result, a large cable carrier is required to accommodate this piping, and the movement of the cable carrier is likely to be hindered. Also, although the piping for air supply can be thinner, the same problem still occurs when a large number of pipes are used, as in this embodiment. The plating apparatus 1 of this embodiment solves this problem as follows.

In this embodiment, air supply and exhaust are necessary when the chuck mechanism 400 is in the plating position P1. In contrast, these are not necessarily required when the chuck mechanism 400 is in the cleaning position P2. Therefore, in this embodiment, a detachable joint mechanism is provided on the piping for air supply and exhaust, and while the piping is connected via the joint mechanism when the chuck mechanism 400 is in the plating position P1, the piping is allowed to be disconnected when the chuck mechanism 400 is in the cleaning position P2.

The basic concept of the joint mechanism is the same for the air supply system that connects the air supply source AS and the cover 460, and the exhaust system that connects the exhaust device ES and the cover 460. However, due to layout constraints, illustrating these joint mechanisms at the same time would make the diagrams complicated, so here the joint mechanisms in the exhaust system and the joint mechanisms in the air supply system are explained using separate diagrams.

FIG. 10 is a diagram explaining the joint mechanism in the exhaust system. The exhaust system piping is divided into chuck side piping provided in the chuck portion 40 and housing side piping provided in the housing 10, which are connected by a joint mechanism. More specifically, the chuck side piping is mainly composed of an exhaust duct 464 attached to the support frame 430 and communicating with the internal space IS of the cover 460 of each chuck mechanism 400. The (+Y) side end 4641 of the exhaust duct 464 is open to the external space. A flange-shaped expanded diameter portion 4642 is formed on the outer surface near the end 4641.

When the chuck mechanism 400 is moved in the Y direction by the moving mechanism 43, the exhaust duct 464 attached to the support frame 430 together with the chuck mechanism 400 also moves in the Y direction integrally with the chuck mechanism 400. Therefore, the exhaust duct 464 does not impede the movement of the chuck mechanism 400.

On the other hand, the housing side piping includes a hollow pipe 12 and a support mechanism 13 for attaching it to the upper frame 11. A section of the pipe 12 on the (-Y) side is a first pipe 121 made of a resin material such as polyvinyl chloride resin or polyethylene resin or a metal material such as stainless steel, and this section does not require flexibility. The inner diameter of the first pipe 121 is formed to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the exhaust duct 464, and it is arranged so that the central axes of the first pipe 121 and the exhaust duct 464 coincide with each other. In addition, a flange-shaped expanded diameter portion 1211 is formed at the (-Y) side end, and a seal member 123 made of, for example, rubber is attached to the (-Y) side end face of the expanded diameter portion 1211.

The first pipe 121 is supported by a support mechanism 13. Specifically, the support mechanism 13 includes a linear motion mechanism 130 attached to the upper frame 11. The linear motion mechanism 130 is arranged so that a guide rail 131 extends in the Y direction. A slider 132 and a clamper (linear clamp) 133 are attached to the guide rail 131, and a base member 134 is attached so as to straddle the slider 132 and the clamper 133.

Therefore, when the slider 132 moves in the Y direction along the guide rail 131, the base member 134 also moves in the Y direction. The clamper 133 also functions as a locking mechanism that restricts this movement. One or more (two in this example) coupling members 135 are attached to the base member 134, and the coupling members 135 mechanically couple the first pipe 121 to the base member 134. This supports the first pipe 121 so that it can move within a predetermined range in the Y direction.

The second pipe 122, which is a flexible pipe such as a bellows tube, is connected to the (+Y) end of the first pipe 121 and constitutes the housing side pipe together with the first pipe 121. The movement of the first pipe 121 in the Y direction can be absorbed by the expansion and contraction of the second pipe 122. Therefore, the second pipe 122 and the exhaust device ES can be connected using an appropriate piping material.

When the support frame 430 moves in the (+Y) direction to position the chuck mechanism 400 at the plating position P1, the (+Y) end 4641 of the exhaust duct 464 is eventually inserted into the inside of the first pipe 121 and they engage. At this time, the clamper 133 restricts the movement of the base member 134. When the exhaust duct 464 advances to the (+Y) end, the expanded diameter portion 4642 of the exhaust duct 464 and the expanded diameter portion 1211 of the first pipe 121 face each other closely, with the seal member 123 in between.

When the locking mechanism 14 is activated in this state, the exhaust duct 464 and the first piping 121 are mechanically coupled. This establishes a connection between the chuck side piping and the housing side piping, directly connecting their respective internal spaces, thereby forming an exhaust path from the cover 460 to the exhaust device ES.

The locking mechanism 14 includes locking members 141, 142 that clamp the enlarged diameter portions 1211, 4642 from above and below, and a locking drive unit 143 (Fig. 2) that moves these members in the approaching and separating directions. As shown in the lower right of Fig. 10, when the exhaust duct 464 and the first pipe 121 are engaged, the locking drive unit 143 moves the locking members 141, 142 in the approaching direction, thereby firmly connecting the exhaust duct 464 and the first pipe 121. Conversely, when the locking drive unit 143 moves the locking members 141, 142 in the separating direction, the connection between the exhaust duct 464 and the first pipe 121 can be released.

When the chuck mechanism 400 is positioned at the plating position P1, the exhaust duct 464 and the first piping 121 are connected in this manner, and the atmosphere inside the cover 460 can be exhausted to the outside through the exhaust path thus formed. In other words, the dimensions and positional relationship of the exhaust duct 464 and the first piping 121 are set so that the connection between them is established when the chuck mechanism 400 is at the plating position P1. In this manner, in this embodiment, the support mechanism 13 and the lock mechanism 14 mainly function as a "joint mechanism" that detachably connects the chuck side piping (exhaust duct 464) and the housing side piping (first piping 121).

In the plating process described above, the chuck mechanism 400, which holds the substrate S in the plating solution L, moves back and forth in the Y direction to rock the substrate S. At this time, by releasing the restriction imposed by the clamper 133, the first pipe 121 can move back and forth in the Y direction following the exhaust duct 464 while remaining connected to it. The back and forth movement of the first pipe 121 can be absorbed by the second pipe 122. In other words, the joint mechanism of this embodiment can also accommodate the rocking of the substrate S caused by the chuck mechanism 400.

FIG. 11 is a diagram explaining the joint mechanism in the air supply system. To avoid making the figure difficult to see, the illustration of the piping on the housing side and the joint mechanism in the exhaust system is omitted in FIG. 11. For the same reason, the illustration of the piping and joint mechanism in the air supply system is omitted in FIG. 10.

In the air supply system, instead of the large-diameter duct 464, flexible tubes are used to connect the various parts to establish an air supply path, but the configuration of the joint mechanism is generally the same. That is, a chuck side connector 465 is attached to the support frame 430. Flexible tubes 467 are connected from the (-Y) side end of the chuck side connector 465 via appropriate joints 466 to each valve mechanism 4623 of the cover 460. In particular, when there are a large number of tubes, multiple chuck side connectors 465 may be provided on the support frame 430.

On the other hand, a housing side connector 151 is provided on the housing 10 side. The housing side connector 151 is formed in a shape that engages with the chuck side connector 465, and is positioned so that it engages with the chuck side connector 465 when the chuck mechanism 400 moves to the plating position. A seal member 152 made of, for example, rubber is attached to the housing side connector 151.

The housing-side connector 151 is supported by a support mechanism 16. Specifically, the support mechanism 16 has a linear motion mechanism 160 attached to the housing 10 (upper frame 11) via an appropriate support member 18. The linear motion mechanism 160 is arranged so that a guide rail 161 extends in the Y direction. A slider 162 and a clamper (linear clamp) 163 are attached to the guide rail 161, and a base member 164 is attached so as to straddle the slider 162 and the clamper 163.

Therefore, when the slider 162 moves in the Y direction along the guide rail 161, the base member 164 also moves in the Y direction. The clamper 163 functions as a locking mechanism that restricts this movement. A holding member 135 is attached to the base member 134, and the holding member 135 holds the housing side connector 151. A flexible tube 154 is connected to the (+Y) side end of the housing side connector 151 via an appropriate joint 153, and the flexible tube 154 connects the housing side connector 151 to the air supply source AS.

When the support frame 430 moves in the (+Y) direction to position the chuck mechanism 400 at the plating position P1, the (+Y) end of the chuck side connector 465 eventually engages with the case side connector 151 via the seal member 152. At this time, the clamper 163 restricts the movement of the base member 164. When the lock mechanism 17 operates in this state, the chuck side connector 465 and the case side connector 151 are mechanically coupled, thereby establishing a connection between the chuck side piping and the case side piping, and forming an air supply path from the air supply source AS to the cover 460.

The locking mechanism 17 includes locking members 171, 172 that clamp the expanded diameter portions of the chuck side connector 465 and the case side connector 151 from above and below, and a locking drive unit 173 (Fig. 2) that moves these in the approaching and separating directions. As shown in the lower right of Fig. 11, when the chuck side connector 465 and the case side connector 151 are engaged, the drive unit 173 moves the locking members 171, 172 in the approaching direction, thereby firmly coupling the chuck side connector 465 and the case side connector 151. Conversely, when the drive unit 173 moves the locking members 171, 172 in the separating direction, the coupling between the chuck side connector 465 and the case side connector 151 can be released.

When the chuck mechanism 400 is positioned at the plating position P1, the chuck side connector 465 and the housing side connector 151 are coupled in this manner, and pressurized air can be supplied to the gap space GS of the cover 460 through the air supply path thus formed, forming an air curtain at the opening on the bottom surface of the cover 460. Thus, in this embodiment, the support mechanism 16 and the lock mechanism 17 mainly function as a "joint mechanism" that detachably couples the chuck side piping (chuck side connector 465) and the housing side piping (housing side connector 151).

Note that the supply path for the pressurized air supplied to the gap space GS of the cover 460 has been described here. However, if an air cylinder is used as the actuator for the movable part of the chuck mechanism 400, the same can be done for the piping for supplying the driving air (shown by the dotted line in FIG. 11).

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a plating apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the plating apparatus 1A uses a cable carrier 900 to implement electrical wiring to the moving parts, which was omitted in the plating apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. Except for this point, the configuration and operation of each part are the same as in the first embodiment, so the same components are given the same reference numerals and descriptions are omitted.

In this embodiment, a cable carrier 900 is used to house the electrical wiring, but the air supply system and exhaust system are the same as those in the first embodiment. Therefore, there is no problem that the piping for air supply and exhaust puts a strain on the capacity of the cable carrier 900. Furthermore, as described above, there is no problem that the piping impedes the reciprocating movement of the chuck mechanism 400 between the plating position P1 and the cleaning position P2, or the oscillation during plating processing.

If necessary, some of the piping may be housed inside the cable carrier 900 as long as this does not restrict the capacity of the cable carrier 900.

As explained above, in each of the above embodiments, the plating apparatus 1, 1A corresponds to the "plating apparatus" of the present invention, and the substrate S to be processed corresponds to the "substrate" of the present invention. Furthermore, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 correspond to the "pair of chuck members" of the present invention, which function as the "holding portion" of the present invention. The linear motion mechanism 402, which is the chuck drive mechanism, and the lifting mechanisms 414, 424, etc. function together as the "switching mechanism" of the present invention.

In addition, cover 460 corresponds to the "cover portion" of the present invention, and inner cover 461 and outer cover 462 function as the "inner cover member" and "outer cover member" of the present invention, respectively. Opening 4611 provided at the bottom of inner cover 461 corresponds to the "first opening" of the present invention, and opening 4621 provided at the bottom of outer cover 462 corresponds to the "second opening" of the present invention. In addition, inner cover 461 and outer cover 462, each of which has an opening, function together as the "gas ejection portion" of the present invention. Furthermore, in this embodiment, exhaust duct 464 constitutes the "exhaust flow path" of the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, both the intake system that supplies gas to the cover 460 and the exhaust system that exhausts gas from the cover 460 are configured to be separable via a "joint mechanism." However, it is also acceptable for only one of the intake system and exhaust system to have such a structure. In particular, since the piping of the intake system can be made relatively small and flexible, it is believed that the piping can be routed without interfering with the movement of the chuck mechanism 400.

For example, in the above embodiment, the cover member 460 has a double structure of an inner cover 461 and an outer cover 462, and the gap space GS between them serves as a flow path for the air for the air curtain. However, various structures other than the double structure of the cover itself can be considered as a configuration for spraying gas from the periphery toward the center of the opening at the bottom of the cover. For example, a gas nozzle having a slit-shaped outlet that discharges gas in a substantially horizontal direction may be provided at the bottom of the cover. Also, instead of a slit-shaped opening, for example, multiple outlets may be provided lined up in the horizontal direction.

In the above embodiment, for example, the chuck mechanism 400 grips the substrate S transported into the plating tank 41 by the transport rollers 21. However, the transport means is not limited to rollers and is optional. On the other hand, a configuration in which the substrate is transported while being gripped by the chuck mechanism is also conceivable. In this case, the transport means is not a required configuration, but in order to stably maintain the posture of a large substrate, it is desirable to provide some kind of backup means that supports the center of the substrate S from below.

For example, the chuck mechanism 400 of the above embodiment switches between a state in which the substrate S transported horizontally is gripped by the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421, and a state in which the grip is released by moving these chucks away from each other. However, the application of the present invention is not limited to such a switching mode.

For example, in a configuration in which the holding unit holds the substrate S and moves the substrate toward the plating solution to immerse it, the holding unit switches between a state in which the substrate is held in the plating solution and a state in which the substrate is held outside the plating solution. For example, this applies to a configuration in which the holding unit raises and lowers the substrate while holding it, thereby immersing the substrate in the plating solution. The present invention can be suitably applied to such configurations as well.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the substrate S is clamped and held by a pair of chuck members. However, the manner in which the substrate is held is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to plating devices with various holding modes, such as those that use the principle of vacuum suction, those that utilize magnetic force, and those that hold the peripheral edge of the substrate with a picture frame.

Also, for example, in the above embodiment, the internal space of the cover 460 is connected to the exhaust duct through an opening provided at the top of the cover. In this way, an upward airflow is generated in the internal space, and fine powder generated by dust is exhausted to the outside by this airflow. However, the position of the opening for exhaust is not limited to this, and the exhaust may be configured to be exhausted from the side of the cover, for example.

In addition, for example, in the above embodiment, when the substrate S is oscillated in the plating tank 41, the rotation direction of the transport rollers 21 is switched in conjunction with the reciprocating movement of the chuck mechanism 400. At this time, instead of switching the drive direction of the transport rollers 21, the transport rollers 21 may be disconnected from the drive source and configured to rotate in response to the oscillation caused by the chuck mechanism 400.

Also, for example, in the above embodiment, a configuration that can be separated by a joint mechanism is adopted for the piping that circulates the pressurized air supplied to the cover 460 and the piping that circulates the exhaust air from the cover 460. However, such a configuration can be applied not only to the circulation of gas, but also to the purpose of circulating various fluids such as liquids or gases containing liquids.

In addition, for example, the configuration of each part of the device in the above embodiment, particularly the configuration of the chuck mechanism and the shape of the cover, are described in a simplified manner in order to explain the principles. However, various specific configurations are possible, and as long as they are not contrary to the spirit of the present invention, they should be considered to be included in the scope of the present invention.

As described above by way of example of several specific embodiments, in the plating apparatus according to the present invention, for example, the cover portion may have an inner cover member that surrounds the periphery of the switching mechanism, and an outer cover member that is provided on the outside of the inner cover member and has an inner surface that is disposed at a predetermined distance from the outer surface of the inner cover member, and the gas may be configured to be ejected from the periphery of the opening through the gap between the inner cover member and the outer cover member. With this configuration, an air curtain can be formed to cover the opening by the airflow that flows along the outer surface of the inner cover member.

In this case, for example, a first opening may be provided in the bottom of the inner cover member, and a second opening may be provided in the bottom of the outer cover member at a position corresponding to the first opening, with the first opening and the second opening overlapping at least partially in the horizontal direction to form an opening. Alternatively, for example, the gap between the bottom surface of the inner cover member and the bottom surface of the outer cover member may form a gas ejection portion. With these configurations, gas ejected from the gap between the two cover members is ejected from the periphery of the opening toward its center, effectively preventing outside air from entering the opening.

Also, for example, the opening size of the second opening may be configured to be larger than the opening size of the first opening in a plan view. With this configuration, when the cover portion is viewed from the bottom side, the first opening faces the inside of the second opening. Therefore, the airflow blown out through the gap between the inner cover member and the outer cover member has more of a downward directional component than an upward one, which can further enhance the effect of suppressing the intrusion of outside air.

Also, for example, a plurality of holding parts may be provided, the plurality of holding parts may hold the substrate, and a cover part may be provided for each of the plurality of holding parts. With such a configuration, the internal space of each cover part is small, making it possible to effectively control the airflow.

For example, in a configuration in which the holding section grips the substrate with a pair of chuck members, the switching mechanism may be configured to change the distance between the pair of chuck members to switch between a state in which the chuck members grip the substrate and a state in which they release the grip. In such a configuration, it is necessary to move the chuck members to switch between the gripped state and the open state, but by applying the present invention, such moving parts can be protected from a corrosive atmosphere and fine powder generated from the moving parts can be prevented from falling onto the substrate or into the plating solution.

Furthermore, these plating devices may be configured, for example, so that the flow rate of gas ejected from the gas ejection section is greater than the flow rate of gas exhausted from the exhaust passage. With such a configuration, it is possible to suppress outside air flowing into the cover section against the airflow from the gas ejection section. In this case, the gas ejection section may eject gas so that the gas ejection direction has a downward directional component. This can further enhance the effect of suppressing the intrusion of outside air.

Although the invention has been described above with reference to specific examples, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will include such modifications or embodiments within the true scope of the invention.

This invention is particularly suitable for plating substrates for use in the manufacture of electronic devices, as it is suitable for plating a substrate by immersing the substrate in a plating solution while holding it in a holding section.

1, 1A Plating device 2 Transport section 4 Plating section 5 Rinse processing section 402 Linear motion mechanism (switching mechanism)
411 Upper chuck (chuck member, holding part)
414, 424 Lifting mechanism (switching mechanism)
421 Lower chuck (chuck member, holding part)
460 Cover (Cover part)
461 Inner cover (inner cover member, gas ejection part)
462 Outer cover (outer cover member, gas ejection part)
464 Exhaust duct (exhaust flow path)
4611 Opening (first opening)
4621 Opening (second opening)
S board

Claims (9)

1. A plating apparatus for immersing a substrate in a plating solution,
   a holding part that abuts against the substrate and holds the substrate in the plating solution;
   a switching mechanism that displaces the holding portion to switch between a state in which the substrate is held in the plating solution and a state in which the substrate is not held in the plating solution;
   a cover portion that covers the periphery of the switching mechanism in a state in which the holding portion protrudes from an opening provided in a bottom portion;
   an exhaust passage connected to an internal space of the cover portion for exhausting the internal space;
   a gas ejection unit that ejects gas from the periphery of the opening toward the center of the opening.
2. The cover portion includes an inner cover member that surrounds the switching mechanism, and an outer cover member that is provided outside the inner cover member and has an inner surface disposed at a predetermined distance from an outer surface of the inner cover member,
   The plating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the gas passes through a gap between the inner cover member and the outer cover member and is ejected from a periphery of the opening.
3. The plating device according to claim 2, wherein a first opening is provided in the bottom of the inner cover member, and a second opening is provided in the bottom of the outer cover member at a position corresponding to the first opening, and the first opening and the second opening overlap at least partially in the horizontal direction to form the opening.
4. The plating device according to claim 2, wherein the gap between the bottom surface of the inner cover member and the bottom surface of the outer cover member forms the gas ejection portion.
5. The plating apparatus of claim 3, wherein the opening size of the second opening is larger than the opening size of the first opening in a plan view.
6. The substrate is held by a plurality of the holding parts,
   The plating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cover portion is provided individually for each of the plurality of holding portions.
7. The holding portion holds the substrate with a pair of chuck members,
   2. The plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching mechanism switches between a state in which the chuck members grip the substrate and a state in which the chuck members release the grip by changing a distance between the pair of chuck members.
8. The plating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the flow rate of the gas ejected from the gas ejection section is greater than the flow rate of the gas exhausted from the exhaust passage.
9. The plating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the gas ejection section ejects the gas so that the gas ejection direction has a downward directional component.

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