TWI887655B - Plating apparatus and plating method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electroplating device and an electroplating method for performing electroplating on at least one of the main surfaces of a rectangular substrate. The present invention comprises: a processing tank for storing electroplating liquid, an anode electrode in contact with the electroplating liquid in the processing tank, and a substrate holding portion for holding the substrate in a horizontal position with one of the main surfaces facing upward in the processing tank. The substrate holding portion is provided with a cathode electrode and a plurality of chuck mechanisms for holding the substrate on one side while making the cathode electrode contact with one of the main surfaces; at least one chuck mechanism is provided for each of at least two sides of the substrate that are opposite to each other. Even a large substrate can still maintain its position properly and a uniform film can be obtained.

Description

Electroplating device and electroplating method

The present invention relates to a plating device and a plating method for plating one main surface of a rectangular substrate such as a printed circuit board or a glass substrate.

The technology of forming a metal thin film by electroplating is widely used on the surfaces of various substrates such as semiconductor substrates, printed circuit boards, and glass substrates. For example, the electroplating device described in Patent Document 1 grasps one end of a substrate transported to a processing tank storing an electroplating solution by a clamp provided with a cathode electrode. Then, the substrate is transported in the processing tank while the electroplating treatment is performed by moving the clamp.

Furthermore, the electroplating device described in Patent Document 2 uses a substrate support frame with a cathode electrode and an opening in the center to grasp the periphery of the substrate. Then, the substrate support frame is suspended and immersed in a treatment tank storing electroplating liquid, and the substrate is treated with the electroplating liquid. [Prior Technical Document] [Patent Document]

[Patent document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 4268874 [Patent document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-031718

(Invent the problem you want to solve)

In recent years, substrates have been evolving toward larger sizes. For example, large substrates with a side exceeding 1 meter are also manufactured. However, the above-mentioned known technology is not applicable to processing such large substrates. That is, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is configured to transport the substrate by gripping only a portion of the periphery of the substrate with a clamp. With this configuration, the substrate is gripped on one side, making it difficult to maintain the posture of a large substrate. In addition, the contact area between the substrate and the cathode electrode is small, and the distance between the electrode and the substrate surface will vary greatly depending on the position. Therefore, it is difficult to form a uniform film using electroplating.

Furthermore, in the technology described in Patent Document 2, if the substrate is large, the substrate support frame surrounding it must also be large. As a result, the device scale of the electroplating device becomes extremely large. In addition, the substrate support frame must be prepared in accordance with the size and shape of the substrate, and it is not easy to cope with changes in the substrate. (Technical means to solve the problem)

The present invention is made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an electroplating device and an electroplating method that can properly maintain the posture even for a large substrate and obtain a uniform film.

One aspect of the present invention is an electroplating device for electroplating at least one of the main surfaces of a rectangular substrate, comprising: a processing tank for storing electroplating liquid; an anode electrode in contact with the electroplating liquid in the processing tank; and a substrate holding portion for holding the substrate in a horizontal position with the one of the main surfaces facing upward in the processing tank. The substrate holding portion has a plurality of chuck mechanisms, each of which is provided with a cathode electrode, and the cathode electrode is in contact with the one of the main surfaces while gripping the substrate; at least one chuck mechanism is disposed on each of at least two opposite sides of the substrate.

Furthermore, another aspect of the present invention is a plating method for plating at least one of the main surfaces of a rectangular substrate, wherein in a treatment tank having stored a plating solution, a substrate holding portion holds the substrate in a horizontal position with the one of the main surfaces facing upward, and immerses the substrate in the plating solution. Here, the substrate holding portion has a plurality of chuck mechanisms, each of which is provided with a cathode electrode, and the cathode electrode is brought into contact with the one of the main surfaces while gripping the substrate; at least one chuck mechanism is disposed on each of at least two opposite sides of the substrate. Then, the anode electrode in contact with the electroplating solution in the treatment tank is energized with the cathode electrode to perform electroplating treatment on one of the main surfaces.

In the invention thus constructed, the rectangular substrate is electroplated in a horizontal position with at least two sides facing each other being gripped by a clamp mechanism. By gripping the two sides facing each other, the substrate can be stably maintained in a horizontal position. In addition, since the cathode electrode can be brought into contact with one of the main surfaces at the two ends of the substrate, the distance between each position of the substrate and the electrode is reduced, and a uniform film can be formed. (Compared with the effect of the prior art)

As described above, the present invention allows at least two sides of a horizontal rectangular substrate facing each other to be gripped by a chuck mechanism with a cathode electrode. Therefore, even a large substrate can be stably maintained in position and a uniform film can be obtained by electroplating.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will become more fully understood by referring to the attached drawings and reading the following detailed description. However, the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

In the following, several embodiments of the electroplating device of the present invention are described with reference to the specific aspects thereof.

<First embodiment> Figure 1 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of the first embodiment of the electroplating device of the present invention. The electroplating device 1 is a device that forms a metal (e.g., gold) film on at least one of the main surfaces of various substrates S (hereinafter referred to as "substrates") such as semiconductor substrates, printed circuit boards, glass substrates, etc. by electrolytic plating. In the following description, the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is defined as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 is a side view of the electroplating device 1, and the horizontal direction perpendicular to the paper surface of Figure 1 is set as the X direction, and the horizontal direction perpendicular to the paper surface of Figure 1 is set as the Y direction. In addition, the vertical direction is set as the Z direction. In each figure, the dotted arrow indicates the moving direction of each component.

The electroplating device 1 has a structure in which the following parts are assembled in a frame 10 composed of a plurality of frame members. In addition, in order to avoid complexity of the drawings, some structures that do not hinder the description will be appropriately omitted in FIG. 1 and the following figures. Specifically, for example, the contribution of the holding mechanism for holding the parts, the cover for covering the parts, the mechanism for mounting the same on the frame 10, etc. to the invention is relatively low, or the related structures can also adopt appropriate known technologies, and the structures that are considered not to need special description will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the electroplating device 1. The electroplating device 1 is provided with a conveying section 2 for conveying a substrate S along the Y direction. The conveying section 2 has a plurality of conveying rollers 21 arranged along the Y direction. The conveying rollers 21 are supported by supporting mechanisms (not shown) so as to be rotatable about the X direction as the axis. The conveying rollers 21 are rotated by a driving mechanism (not shown) so that the conveying section 2 conveys the substrate S in the Y direction in a horizontal posture. The rectangular substrate S is conveyed with one of the four surrounding sides as the leading side. Hereinafter, the conveying path of the substrate S is represented by the component symbol P, and the conveying direction is represented by the component symbol Dt.

The electroplating apparatus 1 further includes: a loading unit 3, an electroplating treatment unit 4, a cleaning treatment unit 5, an unloading unit 6, a power supply unit 7, and a control unit 8. The loading unit 3, the electroplating treatment unit 4, the cleaning treatment unit 5, and the unloading unit 6 are arranged in this order along the substrate conveying direction Dt (Y direction) performed by the conveying unit 2. That is, in the electroplating apparatus 1, the substrate S is conveyed in the Y direction by the conveying unit 2 while being subjected to necessary processing in the above-mentioned processing units.

The loading unit 3 receives unprocessed substrates S transferred from the outside and temporarily holds them, and supplies the substrates S to the electroplating processing unit 4 when necessary. The electroplating processing unit 4 is a processing body for executing the electroplating method of the present invention, and immerses the substrates S in the electroplating liquid for electroplating. The structure and operation thereof will be described in detail later.

The cleaning processing unit 5 includes a cleaning tank 51, a barrel 52, and a cleaning liquid supply and discharge unit 59. The cleaning tank 51 can store cleaning liquid in an internal space having a sufficient size to accommodate the substrate S. An opening is provided at the portion overlapping the conveying path P in the side surface on the Y direction side of the cleaning tank 51, and gates 51a, 51b that can be opened and closed are provided at the opening.

The barrel 52 is arranged below the cleaning tank 51 to receive the cleaning liquid overflowing from the cleaning tank 51. The cleaning liquid supply and discharge unit 59 supplies the cleaning liquid to the cleaning tank 51 as needed and discharges the cleaning liquid from the cleaning tank 51. The cleaning treatment unit 5 performs a cleaning treatment on the substrate S immersed in the plating liquid in the electroplating treatment unit 4. The cleaning liquid is, for example, water. The unloading unit 6 temporarily retains the substrate S during the period from when the substrate S after the cleaning treatment is transported to the subsequent processing step by an external transport device.

The power supply unit 7 supplies the necessary power to each part of the device. The control unit 8 controls each part of the device configured as described above so that the electroplating device 1 performs a predetermined process. The hardware configuration of the control unit 8 can be the same as that of a general computer device. That is, the various processes described below can be realized by executing a pre-prepared control program by a CPU (not shown) provided in the control unit 8. Although not specifically described below, each part of the device operates according to the control instructions from the control unit 8.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the schematic structure of the electroplating treatment section. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the A-A line of FIG. 2 , which is equivalent to a side view of the electroplating treatment section 4 viewed in the Y direction. The electroplating treatment section 4 includes: a plating tank 41, barrels 42, 44, a chuck section 40, and a plating liquid supply and discharge section 49. The plating tank 41 can store the plating liquid in an internal space having a sufficient size to accommodate the substrate S. The barrel 42 is arranged below the plating tank 41 to receive the overflowing plating liquid. The chuck section 40 is arranged above the plating tank 41 to hold the substrate S to be subjected to the electroplating treatment. The barrel 44 is arranged to be adjacent to the (-Y) side relative to the barrel 42 below the plating tank 41. The plating solution supply and discharge unit 49 supplies the plating solution to the plating tank 41 and discharges the plating solution from the plating tank 41 as needed.

As shown in FIG. 2 , openings are provided at the portions overlapping the transport path P on the (-Y) side and the (+Y) side of the plating tank 41, and gates 41a and 41b that can be opened and closed are provided at the openings. When the gates 41a and 41b are opened, the substrate S transported in the transport path P by the transport unit 2 can pass through the openings provided on the side of the plating tank 41. In this way, unprocessed substrates S can be carried into the plating tank 41, and processed substrates S can be carried out of the plating tank 41.

On the other hand, in the closed state, the opening provided on the side of the plating tank 41 is blocked. At this time, the conveying path P of the substrate S is blocked, and the plating liquid can be stored inside the plating tank 41 at a height higher than the opening. After the substrate S is accommodated in the plating tank 41 with the gate 41a on the (-Y) side in an open state, the gate 41a is closed. The internal space of the plating tank 41 is filled with the plating liquid L, and the substrate S is immersed in the plating liquid L to perform the plating treatment. Then, if the plating liquid is discharged and the gate 41b on the (+Y) side is opened, the substrate S after the plating treatment is carried out to the cleaning section 5. The gates 41a and 41b can be opened and closed independently of each other or can be opened and closed together.

In the plating tank 41, an anode electrode 45 is arranged above the conveying path P. The anode electrode 45 is electrically connected to the power source 7. The plating liquid L is stored in the plating tank 41 in a sufficient amount to contact the anode electrode 45. As described later, a cathode electrode is provided on a chuck mechanism for holding the substrate S in the plating tank 41. By applying a DC voltage between these electrodes from the power source 7, a film is formed on the surface of the substrate S by electrolytic plating.

As shown in FIG3 , two sets of chuck parts 40 are respectively arranged corresponding to the two ends of the substrate S in the X direction received in the electroplating tank 41. The two sets of chuck parts 40 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the YZ plane and have the same basic structure. That is, each chuck part 40 has at least one chuck mechanism 400, a support frame 430 supporting the chuck mechanism 400, and a moving mechanism 43 for moving the support frame 430 in the Y direction.

In this embodiment, three sets of chuck mechanisms 400 are installed on one support frame 430. These move in the Y direction as a whole along with the movement of the support frame 430. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2 , each chuck mechanism 400 can move back and forth in the Y direction between the "plating position" (shown by the solid line) located above the plating tank 41 and the "cleaning position" (shown by the dotted line) located above the barrel 44. As described later, the substrate S is gripped by the chuck mechanism 400 to stably maintain the posture of the substrate S in the plating tank 41. Thus, by making the built-in cathode electrode contact one of the main surfaces of the substrate S, a film is formed on the one of the main surfaces by electrolytic plating.

As shown in FIG3 , a rotary motor 23 is coupled to the rotary shaft 22 of the transport roller 21. The transport roller 21 is rotated by the rotary motor 23 in accordance with a control command from the control unit 8, thereby transporting the substrate S in the Y direction. In addition, some of the rollers may be driven rollers not connected to a driving source.

Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B are diagrams showing the schematic structure of the chuck mechanism. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the mechanism structure supporting the chuck mechanism. More specifically, Fig. 4A is a three-dimensional diagram showing the schematic structure of the chuck mechanism 400, and Fig. 4B is a diagram showing the gripping state of the substrate S by the chuck mechanism 400. In addition, when the structure and function of the chuck mechanism 400 are described below, the chuck mechanism 400 that holds the (-X) side end of the substrate S is mainly used as an example for description. However, by reversing the same structure around the Z axis, the structure and operation of the chuck mechanism that holds the (+X) side end of the substrate S can be understood. In order to improve the recognizability of the figure, a part of the structure of the chuck mechanism 400 is omitted in FIG. 4A , and the relevant parts are shown in FIG. 5 .

The clamp mechanism 400 grips the X-direction end of the substrate S by means of an upper clamp 411 and a lower clamp 421 that can be raised and lowered independently of each other. Specifically, the upper clamp 411 and the lower clamp 421 are flat plate-shaped components that are slenderly extended with the Y direction as the long side direction. The substrate S is gripped by the lower surface 411b of the upper clamp 411 abutting against the (-X) side end of the upper surface Sa of the substrate S, and the upper surface 421a of the lower clamp 421 abutting against the (-X) side end of the lower surface Sb of the substrate S. In practice, the cathode electrode 412 is mounted on the lower surface 411b of the upper clamp 411, and the cathode electrode 412 contacts the upper surface Sa of the substrate S.

That is, as shown in FIG. 4B , the lower clamp 421 has the function of regulating the position of the substrate S in the height direction (Z direction). Thus, when the cathode electrode 412 provided on the upper clamp 411 is brought into contact with the substrate S, the lower clamp 421 also has a reinforcing function. Thus, the height direction position of the substrate S is stably maintained, and the cathode electrode 412 can be brought into reliable electrical contact with the substrate top surface Sa.

A shaft member 413 extending in the Z direction is mounted on the upper surface 411a of the upper clamp 411. The shaft member 413 is supported by a lifting mechanism 414 so that it can be raised and lowered freely. The upper clamp 411 is fixedly coupled to the shaft member 413 using, for example, screws, and can be easily loaded and unloaded, that is, replaced. The lifting mechanism 414 has a suitable direct drive mechanism such as an electromagnetic, linear motor, or ball screw mechanism to lift and lower the shaft member 413. Thereby, the upper clamp 411 mounted on the lower end of the shaft member 413 is lifted and lowered. Here, the unit integrally constituted by 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 installed on the upper surface 421a of the lower clamp 421. The shaft member 423 is supported by a lifting mechanism 424 so that it can be lifted and lowered freely. The lower clamp 421 is fixedly coupled to the shaft member 423 using, for example, screws, and can be loaded and unloaded freely. The lifting mechanism 424 has a suitable direct drive mechanism such as an electromagnetic, linear motor or ball screw mechanism to lift and lower the shaft member 423. Thereby, the lower clamp 421 installed on the lower end of the shaft member 423 is lifted and lowered. Here, the unit 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 mounted on the supporting member 401. Specifically, the upper chuck unit 410 is fixed to the supporting member 401 via the fixing member 404. Therefore, the upper chuck 411 can only move up and down relative to the supporting member 401. On the other hand, the lower chuck unit 420 is mounted on the supporting member 401 via the advancing and retreating mechanism 402. Specifically, the supporting member 403 on which the lower chuck unit 420 is mounted is combined with the movable part of the advancing and retreating mechanism 402 with the X direction as the movable direction. The advance and retreat mechanism 402 has a suitable direct drive mechanism such as an electromagnetic, a cylinder, a linear motor or a ball screw mechanism, and the main body is fixed on the support member 401. A guide rail 405 is provided at the lower part of the support member 401, and a slide 406 engaged with the guide rail 405 is combined with the lower chuck unit 420.

Therefore, the lower chuck unit 420 can move in the X direction within the movable range specified by the unillustrated stopper by the action of the advance and retreat mechanism 402. Therefore, the lower chuck 421 can move up and down by the lifting mechanism 424 and move forward and backward in the X direction by the advance and retreat mechanism 402 relative to the support member 401.

When the lower clamp 421 is in the movable range and moves in and out to the state closest to the (+X) side, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 4B , the front end of the (+X) side of the lower clamp 421 is located closer to the (+X) side than the end surface of the substrate S, and the upper surface 421a of the lower clamp 421 can support the lower surface Sb of the substrate S. On the other hand, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 4B , when the lower clamp 421 is in the movable range and moves back to the state closest to the (-X) side, the front end of the (+X) side of the lower clamp 421 retreats to the (-X) side closer to the end surface of the substrate S. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the lower clamp 421 from contacting the substrate S when it is raised or lowered.

The chuck mechanism 400 is composed of an upper chuck 411 and a lower chuck 421 that interact with each other to grip the substrate S in the electroplating tank 41. Specifically, the chuck mechanism 400 positioned at the electroplating position causes the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 to descend into the electroplating tank 41. The ends of the substrate S are gripped at the same height as the height of the substrate S supported by the conveying roller 21. Therefore, in the electroplating tank 41, the substrate S is maintained in a horizontal position with a flat top. The Z-direction position of the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 at this time is hereinafter referred to as the "lower position".

The chuck mechanism 400 is mounted on a support frame 430 formed by assembling a plurality of parts into a frame shape. Specifically, the chuck mechanism 400 is supported by the support frame 430 by fixing the support member 401 of the chuck mechanism 400 to the support frame 430. As shown in FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, three sets of chuck mechanisms 400 are mounted on the support frame 430 extending in the Y direction as the long side direction.

The support frame 430 is supported by the traveling mechanism 43 so as to be movable in the Y direction. More specifically, the traveling mechanism 43 includes: a guide rail 431, a slider 432, and a driving source not shown. The guide rail 431 is fixed to the frame 10 above the electroplating treatment section 4 and extends in the Y direction. The slider 432 is engaged with the guide rail 431. The driving source moves the slider 432 in the Y direction along the guide rail 431. Such structures can be applied to appropriate linear drive mechanisms, such as: linear motors, chain drive mechanisms, or belt drive mechanisms. For example, it is suitable to apply a single-axis robot arm pre-integrated by such structures.

A chuck support member 433 extending downward is mounted on the slider 432. The support frame 430 is coupled to the lower end of the chuck support member 433. Therefore, when the slider 432 moves in the Y direction along the guide rail 431, the support frame 430 and the chuck mechanism 400 mounted thereon move in the Y direction as a whole. That is, in accordance with the control command from the control unit 8, the traveling mechanism 43 is actuated to cause the slider 432 to travel, thereby causing the chuck mechanism 400 to move in the Y direction.

When a plurality of chuck mechanisms 400 are mounted on the support frame 430, the chuck mechanisms 400 are integrally moved in the Y direction. Thus, each chuck mechanism 400 can move back and forth between the electroplating position located above the electroplating tank 41 and the cleaning position located above the barrel 44. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a plurality of sets of slides 432 and chuck support members 433 can be mounted on one support frame 430. Thus, even when a plurality of chuck mechanisms 400 are mounted, the support frame 430 can be stabilized and can be moved reliably.

With this structure, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 can be moved as follows. That is, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 can be raised and lowered independently of each other by the action of the lifting mechanisms 414 and 424. In addition, by the action of the advancing and retreating mechanism 402, the lower chuck 421 can be moved forward and backward in the X direction relative to the upper chuck 411. Then, by the action of the traveling mechanism 43, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 can be moved integrally in the Y direction.

When the traveling mechanism 43 moves the chuck mechanism 400 in the Y direction, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 are in a state of retreating to the upper side by the lifting mechanisms 414 and 424. Thus, during the movement, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 can be prevented from contacting the wall of the electroplating tank 41 in a predictable manner. The Z-direction position of the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 at this time is hereinafter referred to as the "upper position".

As described later, in this embodiment, the plurality of chuck mechanisms 400 basically perform the same operation at the same timing. Therefore, the control of the chuck mechanisms 400 by the control unit 8 can be performed independently on each chuck mechanism 400 or in parallel.

Fig. 6A to Fig. 6C are diagrams showing the lower structure of the upper clamp. As shown in Fig. 6A, a plate-shaped cathode electrode 412 extending in the Y direction is provided at the lower side 411b of the upper clamp 411. The cathode electrode is electrically connected to the power supply unit 7. In addition, a sealing member 415 formed into a ring shape by an elastic material is provided in a manner surrounding the cathode electrode 412. As shown in Fig. 6B, the lower end of the sealing member 415 extends to the lower side than the lower side of the cathode electrode 412.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6C , when the cathode electrode 412 contacts the upper surface Sa of the substrate S, the sealing member 415 is elastically deformed to surround the cathode electrode 412 in an airtight state. Therefore, even when the substrate S is immersed in the plating solution, the cathode electrode 412 does not contact the plating solution and remains dry. Therefore, the cathode electrode 412 can be prevented from being corroded and a film formed due to contact with the plating solution.

Accordingly, the cathode electrode 412 disposed below the upper chuck 411 contacts one of the main surfaces of the substrate S, specifically, the upper surface Sa, and the anode electrode 45 is disposed above the substrate S in a manner opposite to the upper surface Sa. By applying a DC voltage between these electrodes from the power source 7, a metal film can be formed on the upper surface Sa of the substrate S by electrolytic plating.

The clamp mechanism 400 grips the substrate S at both ends of the substrate S in the X direction, that is, at both ends in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction Dt. Then, the clamp mechanism 400 arranged in plurality along the Y direction, that is, the conveying direction Dt of the substrate S, grips most of the substrate S at both ends in the X direction. The clamp mechanism 400 helps to stabilize the posture of the substrate S by gripping the substrate S. Furthermore, by making the cathode electrode 412 extending in the Y direction contact the substrate S, a uniform potential can be applied over a wide range. Therefore, the electroplating device 1 can form a well-uniform electroplated film on the substrate S.

In addition, the electroplating device 1 is provided with a cleaning mechanism for removing the electroplating liquid attached to the chuck mechanism 400 and cleaning the chuck mechanism 400. The structure and operation of the cleaning mechanism will be described in detail later.

Next, the operation of the electroplating device 1 constructed as described above is described. The basic operation flow of the electroplating device 1 is briefly as follows. An unprocessed substrate S is carried into the carrying-in section 3. The substrate S is transported from the carrying-in section 3 to the electroplating treatment section 4. The electroplating treatment section 4 performs electrolytic plating on the substrate S to form a metal film on the surface (upper surface Sa). The electroplated substrate S is cleaned in the cleaning treatment section 5 and finally carried out to the carrying-out section 6.

FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the operation of each part. More specifically, FIG. 7 uses the top-down direction as the time axis to show the operation of each part along the time T. At time T0, after the unprocessed substrate S is loaded into the loading section 3, each part of the device performs the following operations. The brackets in the figure show the initial state of each part. In FIG. 7, the part of the vertical line of each processing section indicated by the bold line means that the substrate S exists in the processing section.

In the initial state, the chuck mechanism 400 is positioned at the plating position above the plating tank 41. On the other hand, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 are positioned at the upper position so as not to interfere with the plating tank 41. In addition, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 may be positioned further down than shown in the figure without becoming an obstacle to the conveyance of the substrate S along the conveyance path P.

The substrate S that has been carried in is temporarily left in the carrying-in section 3. In the plating treatment section 4, the gates 41a and 41b of the plating tank 41 are opened, and the substrate S can be carried along the carrying path P. At this time, the plating solution supplied from the plating solution supply and discharge section 49 is stored in the plating tank 41 to a height that does not flow out from the opening. In the cleaning treatment section 5, the gates 51a and 51b of the cleaning tank 51 are also opened, and the substrate S can be carried along the carrying path P. At this point, there is no substrate S in the carrying-out section 6.

At time T1, the conveyor 2 starts conveying the substrate S. The substrate S is conveyed along the conveying path P in the conveying direction Dt (Y direction), and is finally conveyed to the electroplating tank 41. The dashed arrow in FIG. 7 indicates that the conveyor 2 is transferring the substrate S.

When the substrate S is moved into the electroplating tank 41 and the conveyance stops, the gates 41a and 41b are closed. At this time, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 of the chuck mechanism 400 are lowered in parallel to grip the substrate S. Then, the electroplating liquid L is supplied from the electroplating liquid supply and discharge part 49 to the electroplating tank 41. When the substrate S is gripped by the chuck mechanism 400, a DC voltage is applied between the anode electrode 45 and the cathode electrode 412 to perform electrolytic plating.

FIG8A to FIG8D are diagrams showing the substrate gripping action performed by the chuck mechanism, and FIG9A to FIG9D are enlarged diagrams showing the movement of the upper and lower chucks at this time. As shown in FIG8A and FIG8B, the substrate S that has been moved into the loading section 3 is transported in the transport direction Dt by the rotation of the transport roller 21 of the transport section 2, and is finally moved into the electroplating tank 41 as shown in FIG8C. When the substrate S is moved into the electroplating tank 41, the gates 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 accommodated in the electroplating tank 41, and then the substrate S is gripped as shown in FIG8D. In this state, the plating liquid L is supplied to the plating tank 41, so that the substrate S is immersed in the plating liquid.

The movement of the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 in the gripping action is as follows. As shown in FIG9A , the lower chuck 421 is first moved to the lower position from the state where the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 are in the upper position. At this time, the lower chuck 421 is lowered in a state of retreating in the (-X) direction in a manner that does not interfere with the (-X) side end of the substrate S. As shown in FIG9B , after the lower chuck 421 is lowered to a position lower than the position Sb below the substrate S indicated by the two-dot dashed line, it moves toward the substrate S in the (+X) direction.

As shown in FIG. 9C , after the lower chuck 421 moves in and out to a predetermined position, it rises slightly. As a result, the upper surface 421a of the lower chuck 421 contacts the lower surface Sb of the substrate S. At this time, the position of the lower chuck 421 is set in such a way that the upper surface Sa of the substrate S is kept in a flat horizontal position. That is, the height direction position of the lower chuck 421 is determined in such a way that the height of the end of the substrate S gripped by the chuck mechanism 400 becomes the same as the height of the central portion of the substrate S supported by the conveying roller 21.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9C and FIG. 9D , the upper clamp 411 also descends from the upper position to the lower position and contacts the upper surface Sa of the substrate S supported by the lower surface Sb by the lower clamp 421. At this time, the lower surface of the upper clamp 411, strictly speaking, the lower surface of the cathode electrode 412 provided on the lower surface 411b of the upper clamp 411, contacts the upper surface Sa of the substrate S. In this way, the clamp mechanism 400 completes the gripping of the substrate S and the electrical contact between the upper surface Sa of the substrate S and the cathode electrode 412.

During the process of conveying along the conveying path P, the posture of the substrate S may change. Also, the stopping position of the substrate S in the electroplating tank 41 may deviate from the predetermined position. In order to suppress the variation of the processing result caused by the above, it is preferable to install a positioning member on the lower chuck 421 as shown below.

Fig. 10A to Fig. 10C are diagrams showing the shape and function of the positioning member. The positioning member 426 is a member installed on the upper surface 421a of the lower clamp 421, and the cross-sectional shape of the XZ cross section of the positioning member 426 itself is an inverted trapezoid. That is, its (+X) side end face is formed into a push-pull shape that moves downward and backward toward the (-X) side as shown in Fig. 10A. In addition, the relevant positioning member 426 can be formed into a push-pull shape as long as the (+X) side end face is in this way, and the shape of the relevant other parts is not limited to the illustrated one.

When the lower clamp 421 that should grip the substrate S moves toward the substrate S in the (+X) direction, as shown in FIG. 10B , the positioning member 426 abuts against the (-X) side end surface of the substrate S. In this way, the position of the substrate S in the X direction is regulated. By making the (-X) side end portion and the (+X) side end portion of the substrate S abut against the end surface of the substrate S, the position of the substrate S in the X direction can be appropriately adjusted.

When the lower chuck 421 is raised from this state and abuts against the lower surface Sb of the substrate S, the positioning member 426 is separated from the end surface of the substrate S as shown in FIG10C because the (+X) side end surface of the positioning member 426 is in a push-pull shape. Therefore, when the lower chuck 421 is raised, the positioning member 426 can be prevented from rubbing against the end surface of the substrate S.

The positioning member 426 may be arranged to be elongated in the X direction. Alternatively, a plurality of shorter positioning members 426 may be arranged at intervals in the X direction. With such a configuration, the inclination of the substrate S on the lead straight axis relative to the conveying path P, i.e., the so-called "skewed state", can be eliminated.

Returning to FIG. 7, the operation of the device is further described. Plating liquid L is supplied to the plating tank 41, and a voltage is applied between the electrodes while the substrate S is immersed, so that the substrate S is subjected to plating. The two ends of the surface Sa of the substrate S in the X direction are in contact with the cathode electrode 412 extending in the Y direction. In this way, the variation of the electric field intensity on the surface Sa of the substrate S is suppressed, and a uniform electroplated film can be formed. At this time, the substrate S is swung in the plating tank 41 by linking the chuck mechanism 400 with the conveying roller 21, which can further improve the uniformity of the electroplated film.

FIG11 is a diagram for explaining the swinging action. Through the action of the traveling mechanism 43, the support frame 430 supporting the chuck mechanism 400 alternately repeats the movement in the (+Y) direction shown in the upper figure of FIG11 and the movement in the (-Y) direction shown in the lower figure of FIG11. Thus, the chuck mechanism 400 mounted on the support frame 430 integrally moves back and forth in the Y direction, and the substrate S held by the chuck mechanism 400 swings in the Y direction in the plating liquid L.

At this time, the conveying roller 21 is linked to the supporting frame 430. That is, as shown in the upper figure of FIG. 11, when the supporting frame 430 moves in the (+Y) direction and the chuck mechanism 400 moves the substrate S in the (+Y) direction, the conveying roller 21 rotates forward, that is, rotates in the direction in which the substrate S is conveyed in the conveying direction Dt. On the other hand, as shown in the lower figure of FIG. 11, when the supporting frame 430 moves in the (-Y) direction and the chuck mechanism 400 moves the substrate S in the (-Y) direction, the conveying roller 21 rotates reversely, that is, rotates in the direction in which the substrate S is conveyed in the opposite direction (-Dt) of the conveying direction Dt.

Thus, by swinging the substrate S in the plating solution L and stirring the plating solution L, the variation of the ion concentration in the solution can be reduced, and the uniformity of the plated film can be improved. The swinging of the substrate S in the plating tank 41 is achieved by the linkage between the chuck mechanism 400 that grips the end of the substrate S and the conveying roller 21 that supports the center of the substrate S from below. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the substrate S from being subjected to local stress, and the substrate S can be swung while maintaining a horizontal posture.

Returning to the description of FIG. 7 , the substrate S is immersed in the plating solution L, and a voltage is applied between the electrodes while the substrate S is swung for a certain period of time. Then, the plating process is stopped by stopping the voltage application and discharging the plating solution L. Then, the substrate S is gripped by the chuck mechanism 400 and the gate 41b is opened. At time T2, the substrate S is moved from the plating process section 4 to the cleaning process section 5 by the conveying section 2. The substrate gripped by the chuck mechanism 400 can be released by performing the actions shown in FIG. 9A to FIG. 9D in reverse order.

When the substrate S is received in the cleaning tank 51, the cleaning processing section 5 closes the gates 51a and 51b. The cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply and discharge section 59 to perform cleaning processing on the substrate S. After the cleaning processing is performed for a predetermined time, the cleaning liquid is discharged and the gate 51b is opened, and the substrate S is discharged to the unloading section 6 at time T3.

In addition, when discharging the plating liquid from the plating tank 41 and the cleaning liquid from the cleaning tank 51, it is not necessary to completely discharge the liquid in the tank. That is, as long as the liquid is discharged to the extent that the substrate S supported in the tank is exposed from the liquid and can be carried out, it is not a problem to have residual liquid in the tank. On the contrary, by leaving the residual liquid, the amount of liquid required to fill the tank when processing the next substrate S can be reduced. This helps to reduce liquid consumption and reduce environmental load.

On the other hand, after releasing the grip of the substrate S, the chuck mechanism 400 is subjected to a cleaning process for removing the plating solution attached to the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421. The chuck cleaning process is performed as follows.

FIG. 12A to FIG. 12D are diagrams for explaining the chuck cleaning process. Although the diagrams are omitted for the present purpose, the electroplating apparatus 1 is provided with a cleaning mechanism 9. The cleaning mechanism 9 is provided with: a first cleaning section 91 disposed on the (-Y) side of the electroplating tank 41 and disposed above the barrel 42, and a second cleaning section 92 and a third cleaning section 93 disposed above the barrel 44. As shown in FIG. 12A, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 of the chuck mechanism 400 retreat to the upper side after releasing the grip of the substrate S. If the support frame 430 is moved in the (-Y) direction to the cleaning position from this state, as shown in FIG. 12B , the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 of each chuck mechanism 400 pass through positions opposite to the first cleaning section 91 , the second cleaning section 92 , and the third cleaning section 93 in sequence.

FIG. 12C shows a more detailed structure of the first cleaning section 91. The first cleaning section 91 is equipped with air nozzles 911, 912, and 913, which spray airflow toward the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 to blow away the residual plating liquid. Specifically, the air nozzle 911 sprays airflow from the side of the upper chuck 411, mainly toward the upper surface 411a thereof. The air nozzle 912 sprays airflow from the lower side of the upper chuck 411 toward the lower side 411b of the upper chuck 411. Since the plating solution dropped from the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 may adhere to the surface, it is preferable to provide a mechanism for cleaning the air nozzle 912 with cleaning water. The air nozzle 913 sprays air from the side of the lower chuck 421, mainly toward the upper surface 421a thereof. The plating solution and cleaning water blown off are received by the bucket 42 and recovered.

The second cleaning section 92 mainly sprays cleaning water to the upper clamp 411 to clean the lower surface 411b and the cathode electrode 412 disposed thereon. Specifically, the second cleaning section 92 is provided with a cleaning water nozzle at the position of the air nozzle 912 shown in FIG. 12C , and the cleaning water is supplied from the cleaning water nozzle to the lower surface 411b of the upper clamp 411. Thus, the lower surface 411b of the upper clamp 411, the cathode electrode 412 and the sealing member 415 are cleaned. The third cleaning section 93 has the same structure as the first cleaning section 91, and removes the cleaning water remaining on the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 by air jetting, thereby drying them. In the third cleaning section 93, the mechanism of the cleaning air nozzle is not essential.

As shown in FIG. 12D , when all the chuck mechanisms 400 mounted on the support frame 430 pass through the position opposite to the cleaning mechanism 9, the cleaning of the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 provided on each chuck mechanism 400 is completed. Then, the support frame 430 moves in the (+Y) direction, and each chuck mechanism 400 returns to the electroplating position. In this way, the chuck mechanism 400 is cleaned, and when the next substrate S is processed, the residual electroplating liquid can be prevented from being attached to the substrate S.

Next, the operation of each part when the electroplating process is performed sequentially on a plurality of substrates S is reviewed. The substrates S are sequentially transported to the loading section 3, the electroplating processing section 4, the cleaning processing section 5, and the unloading section 6. As shown by the bold lines in FIG. 7 , the substrates S are retained in each of the processing sections for a certain period of time. In principle, the next substrate to be processed can be immediately transported in after the substrate S is unloaded from the processing section. Therefore, by transporting the next substrate S in each time a substrate S is unloaded, a plurality of substrates S can be processed efficiently.

However, when the chuck mechanism 400 is subjected to cleaning treatment at the cleaning position, there is a risk that the scattered cleaning water and the like will adhere to the substrate S when the substrate S passes under it. In order to prevent this phenomenon, it is best to carry out the substrate S from the carrying-in section 3 to the electroplating treatment section 4 after the cleaning treatment is completed. In addition, by providing a cover or shielding member (not shown) to isolate the transported substrate S from the cleaning mechanism 9, the cleaning of the chuck mechanism 400 and the transport of the substrate S can be carried out simultaneously.

<Variation> Figures 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a variation of the electroplating device of the first embodiment. In the electroplating device 1 of the above embodiment, the two ends of the substrate S in the X direction are gripped by three sets of chuck mechanisms 400 each having a cathode electrode 412 extending in the Y direction. In Figure 13A, the area R marked with a slash represents the area on the upper surface Sa of the substrate S that is gripped by the chuck mechanism 400 and contacts the cathode electrode 412. The substrate S contacts the cathode electrode 412 at three locations at each of the two ends in the X direction.

Since each cathode electrode 412 is formed to be elongated in the Y direction, it contacts most of the two sides in the X direction of the rectangular substrate S. Thus, by the cathode electrode 412 contacting most of the two opposite sides of the substrate S, a uniform potential can be applied to a wide range of the surface Sa of the substrate S, and a uniform electroplating film can be obtained.

Here, a variation example is described in which the same effect can be obtained even when the size of the substrate S is different. As shown in FIG13B , when the length of the substrate S in the Y direction is larger than that in the above example, the length can be covered by increasing the number of chuck mechanisms arranged in the Y direction. Conversely, when the length of the substrate S in the Y direction is shorter than that in the above example, the number of chuck mechanisms arranged in the Y direction can also be reduced.

Thus, by increasing or decreasing the number of chuck mechanisms arranged in the Y direction according to the side length of the substrate S, various sizes of substrates S can be accommodated. As shown in FIG4A , if the chuck mechanism 400 is provided as an independent unit and configured to be removable from the support frame 430 , the size change of the substrate S can also be flexibly accommodated by adjusting the number and configuration thereof.

Multiple chuck mechanisms 400 can be set as the same structural unit and modularized, and the related support frame 430 is also pre-set with multiple structures (such as screw holes) for installing the chuck mechanism 400, which can easily perform such adjustments.

<Second embodiment> Figures 14A to 14C are used to illustrate the second embodiment of the electroplating device of the present invention. As in Figures 13A and 13B, Figures 14A to 14C also mark the area R on the upper surface Sa of the substrate S that is gripped by the chuck mechanism 400 with a slash. In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 13A, the two sides in the X direction, that is, the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction Dt of the substrate S are gripped by the chuck mechanism 400. Thereby, the posture of the substrate S in the electroplating tank 41 can be stabilized and the potential can be uniformed.

The same effect can also be obtained by gripping the two ends of the substrate S in the Y direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 14A , the two ends of the substrate S in the Y direction, that is, the front end and the rear end in the conveying direction Dt, are gripped by the clamp mechanism. Here, two sets of clamp mechanisms are respectively provided at the front end and the rear end. As described above, the number of clamp mechanisms arranged is optimized according to the length of each side. In addition, as the configuration of the clamp mechanism, the arrangement direction of the same object as the clamp mechanism 400 of the above-mentioned embodiment can be rotated 90 degrees and used.

Here, in particular, by adopting the chuck mechanism 400 provided with the positioning member 426 shown in FIG. 10A in the chuck mechanism provided at the front end portion of the substrate S, that is, corresponding to the (+Y) side end portion, the following effects can be obtained.

When the substrate S is transported into the electroplating tank 41, the stop position of the substrate S in the transport direction Dt varies. The reason is that, for example, even if a sensor for detecting the substrate S is set at an appropriate position of the transport path P, and the transport is stopped when the sensor detects the substrate S, it is still difficult to stop the substrate S at the specified position due to the time lag and its variation. Such deviation in the stop position will cause the positional relationship between the substrate S and the cathode electrode to vary, thereby damaging the stability of the electroplating quality.

In the configuration where the two ends of the substrate S in the width direction are gripped by the chuck mechanism 400, even if the positioning member 426 is provided, the position deviation of the substrate S in the conveying direction Dt cannot be corrected. On the other hand, when the chuck mechanism 400 is provided at the two ends of the substrate S corresponding to the conveying direction Dt, the positioning member 426 can correct the position deviation in the conveying direction Dt.

In particular, when the chuck mechanism 400 is provided at the front end of the substrate S corresponding to the conveying direction Dt, the following design can be adopted. That is, as shown in FIG. 14B , for example, before the substrate S is conveyed into the processing tank 41, the lower chuck 421 of the chuck mechanism 400 is lowered to the lower position so that the front end of the conveyed substrate S abuts against the positioning member 426. In this way, the stopping position of the substrate S can be kept constant.

<Variation> As a variation of the first and second embodiments, as shown in FIG. 14C , a chuck mechanism may be arranged on all four sides of the substrate S. Each chuck mechanism may adopt the same structure as the chuck mechanism 400 shown in FIG. 4A . With this structure, since the four sides of the substrate S are in contact with the cathode electrode, the potential uniformity given to the surface Sa of the substrate S becomes optimal, and the quality of the electroplated film obtained is also optimal.

Accordingly, the chuck mechanism is preferably provided at least on two opposite sides of the four sides of the rectangular substrate. In this way, the substrate posture can be stably maintained and a uniform potential can be applied over a wide range, thereby improving the electroplating quality. This effect is maximized when all four sides are gripped by the chuck mechanism.

<Third Implementation> In the electroplating device 1 of the first implementation, in order to clean the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 immersed in the electroplating solution together with the substrate S, the chuck mechanism 400 must be moved in the (-Y) direction to the cleaning position to perform the cleaning process. However, this action may shorten the cycle time when processing multiple substrates continuously. To eliminate this problem, the following implementation can be considered.

FIG. 15A and FIG. 15B are diagrams showing the structure of the third embodiment of the electroplating device of the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 15A is a front view showing the schematic structure of the electroplating treatment section of the electroplating device 1A of the third embodiment, and FIG. 15B is a side view thereof. For the parts that can use the same structure as the electroplating device 1 of the first embodiment, the same component symbols as the first embodiment are used as much as possible and the description is omitted. In addition to the two sets of chuck parts 40 that are the same as those provided in the electroplating device 1 of the first embodiment, the electroplating device 1A of this embodiment is equipped with another two sets of chuck parts 47 in a manner of clamping them.

That is, one of the chuck parts 47 is arranged on the outer side of the chuck part 40 on the (-X) side, that is, on the (-X) side. The other chuck part 47 is arranged on the (+X) side of the chuck part 40. The common point of each chuck part 47 and the chuck part 40 is that they have the chuck mechanism 400 shown in FIG. 4A and the wandering mechanism 43 shown in FIG. 5. However, the difference is that they further have a retracting mechanism 470 for moving the chuck mechanism 400 in the X direction.

In more detail, the retracting mechanism 470 has a guide rail 471 installed on the chuck support member 433 in the traveling mechanism 43 and extending in the X direction. The supporting frame 430 is engaged with the guide rail 471 and can move in the X direction by using an appropriate direct drive mechanism 472 provided in the retracting mechanism 470. That is, the chuck portion 47 is moved by the retracting mechanism 470, so that the chuck mechanism 400 installed on the supporting frame 430 can move in the X direction within a predetermined movable range.

When the chuck mechanism 400 of the chuck portion 47 moves to the innermost position in the X direction, like the chuck portion 40, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 can enter the electroplating tank 41 and grip the substrate S. On the other hand, when the chuck mechanism 400 of the chuck portion 47 moves to the outermost position in the X direction (the position shown in FIG. 15B ), the chuck mechanism 400 retreats to the outermost position than the chuck mechanism 400 of the chuck portion 40.

According to this structure, the two pairs of chuck parts 40, 47 are alternately placed at the electroplating position, and during this period, the other is moved to the cleaning position for cleaning, which can improve the cycle time. When the chuck parts 40, 47 are replaced, in order to avoid the chuck mechanism 400 from interfering with each other, the chuck mechanism 400 of the chuck part 47 must be retreated. In order to achieve this purpose, a retreat mechanism 470 can also be provided.

<Others> As described above, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the electroplating device 1, 1A is equivalent to the "electroplating device" of the present invention. The substrate S to be processed is equivalent to the "substrate" of the present invention, and the upper surface Sa of the substrate S is equivalent to "one of the main surfaces" of the present invention. Moreover, the electroplating tank 41 storing the electroplating liquid L has the function of the "processing tank" of the present invention. In addition, the chuck mechanism 400 has the function of the "chuck mechanism" of the present invention, and the chuck parts 40, 47 containing it have the function of the "substrate holding part" of the present invention. In addition, the support frame 430 has the function of the "support member" of the present invention.

Furthermore, in the clamp mechanism 400, the upper clamp 411 and the lower clamp 421 have the functions of the "first component" and the "second component" of the present invention, respectively. The lifting mechanisms 413, 423 that make them rise and fall have the functions of the "lifting mechanism" of the present invention. Moreover, the advance and retreat mechanism 402 has the function of the "advance and retreat mechanism" of the present invention. Moreover, the retreat mechanism 470 of the third embodiment has the function of the "retreat mechanism" of the present invention.

Furthermore, the wandering mechanism 43 of this embodiment moves the chuck mechanism 400 in the Y direction, and has the function of moving the chuck mechanism 400 between the electroplating position and the cleaning position, and the function of swinging the chuck mechanism 400 during the electroplating process. Therefore, the wandering mechanism 43 has the functions of the "moving mechanism" and the "swinging mechanism" of the present invention.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned implementation forms, and various changes other than the above-mentioned can be implemented without departing from the main purpose. For example, the above-mentioned implementation forms are to set the clamp mechanism 400 on the two opposite sides or all four sides of the rectangular substrate S. However, the clamp mechanism of the present invention only needs to be set on at least two opposite sides. This means that three of the four sides can also be gripped by the clamp mechanism. In this case, from the perspective of substrate positioning, it is best to grip one side of the front end in the conveying direction and two opposite sides in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction.

Furthermore, for example, the above-mentioned embodiment is configured such that the substrate S is gripped by the chuck mechanism 400 and transported to the electroplating tank 41 by the transport roller 21. However, the transport means is not limited to the roller and can be any. On the other hand, it is also possible to consider a state where the substrate is transported while being gripped by the chuck mechanism. In this case, the transport means is not a necessary configuration. However, in order to stably maintain the posture of a large substrate, it is best to provide some kind of reinforcement means to support the central part of the substrate S from below.

Furthermore, for example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, when the substrate S is swung in the electroplating tank 41, the rotation direction of the transport roller 21 is switched in conjunction with the reciprocating movement of the chuck mechanism 400. At this time, instead of switching the driving direction of the transport roller 21, the drive source may be used to cut off the transport roller 21, so that the transport roller 21 is driven to rotate relative to the swing caused by the chuck mechanism 400.

In addition, the substrate to be processed does not need to be a strict geometric rectangle. For example, even if any side of the substrate has some unevenness, as long as the envelope shape can be roughly rectangular.

The above description is given by way of example of a specific embodiment. The electroplating device of the present invention may also be configured to include, for example, a conveying unit that supports the substrate from below and conveys it in a horizontal direction, and the chuck mechanism grips the substrate at the same position in the vertical direction as the position where the substrate is supported by the conveying unit. According to this configuration, the conveying unit and the chuck mechanism can hold the substrate in a flatter and horizontal posture.

Furthermore, for example, when the conveying unit conveys the substrate in a direction parallel to two of the four sides of the substrate that are parallel to each other, at least one chuck mechanism may be arranged for each of the two parallel sides. That is, the chuck mechanism may also be configured to grip two sides in a width direction that is orthogonal to the substrate conveying direction. According to this configuration, the substrate support and conveying performed by the conveying unit and the substrate gripping performed by the chuck mechanism are combined, so that the substrate can be smoothly carried into the processing layer, the electroplating process can be performed, and the processed substrate can be carried out, so that the processing of multiple substrates can be carried out efficiently.

In this case, for example, the chuck mechanism may be arranged at least one on each of the two parallel sides and at least one on the other side. The more the sides to be gripped, the better the effect of maintaining the substrate posture and the effect of improving the electroplating quality by giving a uniform potential.

Furthermore, for example, two or more chuck mechanisms may be arranged on one side of the substrate. According to such a configuration, the ratio of the area gripped by the chuck mechanism in the length of each side becomes larger, which helps to maintain the posture stably.

Furthermore, for example, the substrate holding portion may also have a plurality of chuck mechanisms having the same structure and shape. According to this structure, the plurality of chuck mechanisms can be manufactured according to the same specifications, which can reduce the manufacturing cost and the management cost of replacing parts.

In this case, for example, the substrate holding portion has a supporting member for mounting a plurality of chuck mechanisms, and the supporting member can also change at least one of the arrangement position and the arrangement quantity of the chuck mechanisms. According to this structure, the arrangement of the chuck mechanisms can be easily optimized for substrates of various sizes.

Furthermore, for example, the chuck mechanism may also include: a first component abutting against one of the main surfaces of the substrate, a second component abutting against the other main surface opposite to the one main surface of the substrate, and a lifting mechanism that causes the first component and the second component to be lifted and lowered relative to each other to grasp and release the substrate; and the cathode electrode is installed under the first component. According to this structure, the substrate is grasped by the first component and the second component clamping the substrate, which also has the function of making the cathode electrode contact the substrate reliably. Therefore, the chuck mechanism can stabilize the posture of the substrate while stabilizing the electrical connection with the cathode electrode.

In this case, an annular sealing member surrounding the cathode electrode may be provided below the first member. With this configuration, an airtight space is formed around the cathode electrode in the plating solution, and the cathode electrode can be prevented from contacting the plating solution.

Furthermore, for example, the chuck mechanism may also have an advance and retreat mechanism for moving the second member relative to the first member in the horizontal direction. According to this structure, by changing the interval between the first member and the second member in the horizontal direction, it is possible to switch between a state in which the second member is wound under the substrate and can grip the substrate, and a state in which the second member is retracted from the substrate to the outside and does not contact the substrate and can be raised and lowered. That is, the lifting mechanism can avoid interference between the second member and the substrate when the second member is moved upward.

Furthermore, for example, a positioning member may be provided on the second member to determine the horizontal position of the substrate by abutting against the end surface of the substrate. The position of the substrate brought into the processing tank from the outside may change. If a positioning member is provided on the second member, when the clamp mechanism is used for gripping, the end surface of the substrate abuts against the positioning member to perform position correction, and no additional alignment adjustment is required.

In this case, the side surface of the positioning member facing the substrate may also form a push-out surface that is farther away from the substrate as it moves downward. According to this structure, after the end surface of the substrate abuts against the positioning member, the positioning member can be prevented from rubbing against the end surface of the substrate during the movement for making the second member abut against the bottom of the substrate.

Furthermore, for example, the substrate holding portion may also have a swing mechanism that allows a plurality of chuck mechanisms that grip the substrates to move back and forth in a horizontal direction as a whole. According to this structure, by swinging the substrate held in the plating solution by the chuck mechanism, the uniformity of the film formed by the plating process can be further improved.

In this case, a conveying roller that supports the substrate from below and rotates to convey the substrate in the horizontal direction may be provided, and when the swing mechanism causes the chuck mechanism to move back and forth, the rotation direction of the conveying roller may be changed synchronously with the back and forth movement. According to this configuration, by linking the conveying roller that supports the center of the substrate from below and the chuck mechanism that grips the end of the substrate, the substrate posture can be maintained in a stable state without applying excessive stress to the substrate to cause the substrate to swing.

Furthermore, for example, in a configuration in which the lifting mechanism lifts the first member and the second member between a lower position where the first member and the second member enter the processing tank and contact the plating solution and an upper position where the first member and the second member retreat to a position higher than the processing tank, a cleaning mechanism for spraying at least one of an air flow and a cleaning solution to the first member and the second member at the upper position may be further provided. According to such a configuration, the first member and the second member pulled up from the plating solution can be cleaned, and the residual plating solution can be removed. Therefore, when a plurality of substrates are processed sequentially, it is possible to prevent the residual plating solution from being attached to the substrates, thereby reducing the processing quality.

Here, for example, when the substrate holding portion has a moving mechanism that moves the chuck mechanism in the horizontal direction, the cleaning mechanism can also be provided along the moving path of the chuck mechanism performed by the moving mechanism, and is configured to spray at least one of the air flow and the cleaning liquid to the first component and the second component that pass through the position opposite to the cleaning mechanism. In particular, when a plurality of chuck mechanisms are provided, the first component and the second component can be efficiently cleaned by sequentially passing through the position opposite to the cleaning mechanism.

Furthermore, two sets of substrate holding parts each having a plurality of chuck mechanisms may be provided, and the chuck mechanisms provided on the two sets of substrate holding parts may be selectively positioned above the processing tank by a moving mechanism provided on one of the two sets of substrate holding parts and a moving mechanism provided on the other. In this case, the cleaning mechanism may also be configured to spray at least one of an air flow and a cleaning liquid to a first component and a second component of a chuck mechanism different from the chuck mechanism positioned above the processing tank. According to this configuration, by alternately using two sets of substrate holding parts to perform electroplating processing and cleaning processing, the processing cycle time may be shortened.

Furthermore, in this case, a retraction mechanism may be provided on one of the two substrate holding parts to cause the chuck mechanism to retract in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the moving mechanism. According to this configuration, when the two substrate holding parts are replaced, the chuck mechanisms can be prevented from interfering with each other.

The invention has been described above based on specific embodiments, but the description is not intended to be limiting. All variations disclosed in the same manner as other embodiments of the invention with reference to the invention description are easily conceivable by those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the attached patent application is within the scope of the true scope of the invention and covers the variations or embodiments. (Industrial applicability)

The present invention is suitable for the technology of forming a film by electroplating one main surface of a substrate, and has a significant effect when a large rectangular substrate is used as the processing object.

1: Plating device 1A: Plating device 2: Transport unit 3: Loading unit 4: Plating treatment unit 5: Cleaning treatment unit 6: Unloading unit 7: Power supply unit 8: Control unit 9: Cleaning mechanism 10: Frame 21: Transport roller 22: Rotating shaft 23: Rotating motor 40,47: Chuck unit (substrate holding unit) 41: Plating tank (treatment tank) 42,44,52: Bucket 43: Traveling mechanism (swinging mechanism, moving mechanism) 45: Anode electrode 49: Plating liquid supply and discharge unit 51: Cleaning tank 51a,51b: Gate 59: Cleaning liquid supply and discharge unit 91: 1st cleaning section 92: 2nd cleaning section 93: 3rd cleaning section 400: Clamp mechanism 401,403: Support member 402: Advance and retraction mechanism 404: Fixed member 405,431,471: Guide rail 410: Upper clamp unit 411: Upper clamp (1st member) 411a,421a: Top 411b: Bottom 412: Cathode electrode 413,423: Shaft member (lifting mechanism) 414,424: Lifting mechanism 415: Sealing member 420: Lower clamp unit 421: Lower clamp (second member) 426: Positioning member 430: Support frame (support member) 432: Slider 433: Clamp support member 470: Retraction mechanism 911,912,913: Air nozzle Dt: Transport direction L: Plating liquid P: Transport path S: Substrate Sa: Top surface (one of the main surfaces) (of substrate S)

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of the first embodiment of the electroplating device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the schematic structure of the electroplating treatment unit. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the A-A line of FIG. 2. FIG. 4A is a diagram showing the schematic structure of the chuck mechanism. FIG. 4B is a diagram showing the schematic structure of the chuck mechanism. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the mechanism structure of the supporting chuck mechanism. FIG. 6A is a diagram showing the lower structure of the upper chuck. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing the lower structure of the upper chuck. FIG. 6C is a diagram showing the lower structure of the upper chuck. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the schematic operation of each part. FIG8A is a diagram showing a substrate gripping action performed by a chuck mechanism. FIG8B is a diagram showing a substrate gripping action performed by a chuck mechanism. FIG8C is a diagram showing a substrate gripping action performed by a chuck mechanism. FIG8D is a diagram showing a substrate gripping action performed by a chuck mechanism. FIG9A is an enlarged diagram showing the movement of the upper and lower chucks during the gripping action. FIG9B is an enlarged diagram showing the movement of the upper and lower chucks during the gripping action. FIG9C is an enlarged diagram showing the movement of the upper and lower chucks during the gripping action. FIG9D is an enlarged diagram showing the movement of the upper and lower chucks during the gripping action. FIG. 10A is a diagram showing the shape and function of a positioning member. FIG. 10B is a diagram showing the shape and function of a positioning member. FIG. 10C is a diagram showing the shape and function of a positioning member. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a swinging motion. FIG. 12A is a diagram illustrating a chuck cleaning process. FIG. 12B is a diagram illustrating a chuck cleaning process. FIG. 12C is a diagram illustrating a chuck cleaning process. FIG. 12D is a diagram illustrating a chuck cleaning process. FIG. 13A is a diagram illustrating a variation of the electroplating device of the first embodiment. FIG. 13B is a diagram illustrating a variation of the electroplating device of the first embodiment. FIG. 14A is a diagram for explaining the second embodiment of the electroplating device of the present invention. FIG. 14B is a diagram for explaining the second embodiment of the electroplating device of the present invention. FIG. 14C is a diagram for explaining the second embodiment of the electroplating device of the present invention. FIG. 15A is a diagram showing the structure of the third embodiment of the electroplating device of the present invention. FIG. 15B is a diagram showing the structure of the third embodiment of the electroplating device of the present invention.

2:Transportation Department

4: Electroplating treatment department

21: Transport roller

40: Clamp part (substrate holding part)

41: Electroplating tank

41a,41b: Gate

42: Bucket

43: Mobile mechanism

44: Bucket

45: Anode electrode

400: Clip mechanism

411: Upper side clip

421: Lower side clip

430:Support frame

Dt:Transportation direction

L: Plating solution

P: Transport path

S:Substrate

Claims (18)

A plating device is a plating device for plating at least one of the main surfaces of a rectangular substrate, and comprises: a processing tank for storing plating solution; an anode electrode for contacting the plating solution in the processing tank; and a substrate holding portion for holding the substrate in the processing tank in a horizontal position with one of the main surfaces facing upward; wherein the substrate holding portion has a plurality of chuck mechanisms, each of which is provided with a cathode electrode, and the cathode electrode is contacted with one of the main surfaces while gripping the substrate; at least one chuck mechanism is disposed on each of at least two opposite sides of the substrate; The substrate holding portion has a swing mechanism that allows the plurality of chuck mechanisms that grip the substrate to move back and forth in a horizontal direction as a whole. The electroplating device of claim 1, wherein the device comprises: a conveying unit that supports the substrate from below and conveys the substrate in a horizontal direction; the chuck mechanism that grips the substrate at a position where the vertical position of the substrate supported by the conveying unit is the same as the vertical position of the substrate gripped by the chuck mechanism. As in claim 1, the electroplating device, wherein the transporting section transports the substrate in a direction parallel to two sides of the substrate that are parallel to each other; and the chuck mechanism is configured with at least one for each of the two parallel sides. As in claim 3, the electroplating device, wherein the chuck mechanism is configured with at least one for each of the two parallel sides and at least one side other than the two parallel sides. As in any one of claims 1 to 4, the electroplating device, wherein the chuck mechanism is arranged in two or more pieces on one side of the substrate. A plating device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the substrate holding portion comprises a plurality of chuck mechanisms having the same structure and shape. As in claim 6, the electroplating device, wherein the substrate holding portion has a supporting member on which a plurality of the chuck mechanisms are mounted; the supporting member can change at least one of the location and number of the chuck mechanisms. The electroplating device of claim 6, wherein the chuck mechanism comprises: a first member abutting against one of the main surfaces of the substrate; a second member abutting against another main surface of the substrate opposite to the one of the main surfaces; and a lifting mechanism for lifting the first member and the second member relative to each other to grip and release the substrate; the cathode electrode is mounted below the first member. As in claim 8, an electroplating device, wherein an annular sealing member surrounding the cathode electrode is provided below the first member. As in claim 8, the electroplating device, wherein the chuck mechanism has an advance and retreat mechanism for moving the second component in a horizontal direction relative to the first component. As in claim 8, the electroplating device comprises a positioning member in the second member for determining the horizontal position of the substrate by abutting against the end surface of the substrate. As in claim 11, a plating device, wherein a push-up surface is formed on the side surface of the positioning component that faces the substrate and is farther away from the substrate as it goes downward. The electroplating device of claim 1, wherein the transport roller is provided for transporting the substrate in a horizontal direction by supporting the substrate from below and rotating the substrate; when the swing mechanism causes the chuck mechanism to move back and forth, the transport roller changes its rotation direction synchronously with the back and forth movement. The electroplating device of claim 8, wherein the lifting mechanism lifts the first component and the second component between the following positions: the lower position where the first component and the second component enter the processing tank and contact the electroplating solution; and the first component and the second component retreat to an upper position above the processing tank; the electroplating device further comprises: a cleaning mechanism for spraying at least one of an air flow and a cleaning solution to the first component and the second component located at the upper position. The electroplating device of claim 14, wherein the substrate holding portion has a moving mechanism for moving the chuck mechanism in a horizontal direction; the cleaning mechanism is arranged along a moving path of the chuck mechanism performed by the moving mechanism, and sprays at least one of the gas flow and the cleaning liquid to the first component and the second component passing through a position opposite to the cleaning mechanism. The electroplating device of claim 15, wherein the device comprises: two groups of substrate holding parts each having a plurality of the chuck mechanisms; Among the two groups of substrate holding parts, the moving mechanism provided on one substrate holding part and the moving mechanism provided on the other substrate holding part selectively position the chuck mechanisms provided on the two groups of substrate holding parts above the processing tank; The cleaning mechanism sprays at least one of the gas flow and the cleaning liquid to the first component and the second component of the chuck mechanism different from the chuck mechanism positioned above the processing tank. As in claim 16, the electroplating device, wherein one of the two groups of substrate holding parts is provided with a retracting mechanism for causing the chuck mechanism to retract in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction performed by the moving mechanism. A plating method is a plating method for plating at least one of the main surfaces of a rectangular substrate, wherein: In a processing tank in which a plating solution has been stored, a substrate holding portion holds the substrate in a horizontal position with one of the main surfaces facing upward, and immerses the substrate in the plating solution; The substrate holding portion has a plurality of chuck mechanisms, each of which is provided with a cathode electrode, and the cathode electrode is brought into contact with one of the main surfaces while gripping the substrate; At least one chuck mechanism is disposed on each of at least two opposing sides of the substrate; The anode electrode in contact with the plating solution in the treatment tank and the cathode electrode are energized to perform plating treatment on one of the main surfaces; The substrate holding portion moves the plurality of chuck mechanisms that respectively hold the substrate back and forth in a horizontal direction as a whole, so that the substrate is swung in the treatment tank.