JP5832449B2 - Apparatus for transporting a plate-like substrate in an apparatus for chemical and / or electrochemical processing - Google Patents

Description

  The invention comprises an apparatus for transporting a plate-like substrate in an apparatus for chemical and / or electrochemical treatment, in particular for electroless plating of conductive layers, having the features of claim 1. About.

  A processing apparatus is used for chemically or electrochemically processing a plate-like substrate. In the processing apparatus, the substrate is transported to a processing bath, in which case, for example, a metal coating, in particular copper, can be deposited on the surface of the film or plate substrate. The plate-like substrate may be a printed wiring board such as a wafer, a solar cell, a flexible film, particularly a printed circuit board and a printed circuit film. The plate-like substrate is transported in the horizontal direction, for example. In this case, the substrate is transported between a number of identical rotating transport elements. A driving device can be used for these transport elements, and the transport elements simultaneously constitute a mounting portion for a plate-like substrate and a transport driving device. Each rotating transport element is formed by a rotating shaft supported on two sides. The shaft has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface with which the plate-like substrate contacts and is transported or, for example, a disc-like, columnar, mounting element for the plate-like substrate over its length. Have. The lower surface of the plate-like substrate is placed on the placement element, or the placement element is applied to the upper surface of the substrate. The pair of shafts or shafts must be arranged straight and parallel so that the contact surfaces to the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate exactly coincide with each other, thereby allowing the bending and bending of the plate-like substrate. The deformation as well as the eccentric rotational movement of the shaft can be kept as small as possible.

  The rotating conveying element as well as all components that contact the vessel are as chemically inert as possible and are therefore resistant to chemical action and should not interact with the bath solution. In particular, it is desirable to prevent metal deposition from the treatment tank. Therefore, in the past, plastics such as GfK (glass fiber reinforced resin) or CfK (carbon fiber reinforced resin) or noble metals or titanium alloys have been used for shafts, whereas disk-like mounting is used. The element is usually made of a suitable thermoplastic. The problems with conventionally used shafts or shafts made of GfK or CfK are caused in particular by the fact that fine debris can flake off in these materials and contaminate the vessel. Furthermore, even uncoated metal shafts can result in significant and sometimes rapid metal deposition. The coated shaft has the problem that the uniformity of the layer thickness is subject to large errors.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a rotating carrier element that is chemically inert and mechanically loadable with a high degree of concentricity (Rundlauf), in which case the carrier element has a high coating quality. In order to guarantee the product quality, the plate-like substrate can be accurately guided and transported.

  This problem is solved by the features described in the characterizing portion of claim 1. Advantageous variants of the invention are described in claim 2 and below. In order to solve the problem, the present invention proposes an apparatus for transporting a plate-like substrate in an apparatus for chemical or electrochemical processing. This device works in particular for electroless plating (deposition without using electricity) of conductive layers. The invention therefore comprises a rotating transport element of a transport device for a plate-like substrate. The transport device is part of a chemical or electrochemical processing device. In this case, the transport is advantageously carried out in the defined transport direction. In this case, a plurality of similarly rotating other transport elements together provide a mounting for the plate-like substrate, and the plate-like substrate is moved on the transport element rotating in the transport direction. According to the invention, the rotating conveying element or elements are at least partly made of mineral glass.

  According to an advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention, the transport element comprises at least one support means for rotatably supporting the transport element and at least one contact area, planar or linear, to the plate-like substrate. And at least one transport portion. Both the transport part and the support means may each be at least partly made of mineral glass. The conveying element has a shaft or shaft, the shaft or shaft comprising mineral glass and / or made at least partly from mineral glass and forming at least partly bearing means Yes. The shaft or shaft may be formed at least in part by a glass rod or glass tube. When the glass tube is in use, the glass tube preferably has closed ends on both sides.

  Furthermore, the transport part of the transport element may be formed by at least one rotationally symmetrical mounting element for the plate-like substrate. Thereby, the transport element may have a rotationally symmetrical mounting element for the substrate, for example. An advantageous variant is that the conveying part has a rotationally symmetric central part in the form of a roller (cylinder) or tube, with the roller or tube at both ends being the shaft base of one or more bearing means. It has a receiving section for each (stub shaft). The roller itself may be formed stepped in its diameter, for example by a slightly reduced central area, which is advantageously about 0.05 to 1 mm, for example, more than the outer edges on both sides. May have a diameter as small as 0.1 to 0.3 mm. The outer edge is adjacent to a shaft base or bearing means which has a smaller diameter and which respectively connects to the outer edge. As a result, the plate-like substrate is transported on the edge side, on the edge side, whereas the very large area of the substrate is reduced or slightly reduced in diameter. It can be ensured that it is transported in a sufficiently non-contact manner. Such a variant of the roller makes it possible, for example, to carry out so-called non-contact transport of so-called workpieces that serve as base material for printed wiring plates. This is because only the edge sections that are subsequently removed are contacted.

  According to another aspect of the device according to the invention, in addition to the rotationally symmetric central part, the conveying element has axially centered axial pins or shaft bases on each side of the central part. The shaft base functions for the rotational support of the transport element and can be accommodated in the corresponding support section of the device. Advantageously, in this embodiment, the diameter of the central part or the conveying part is formed larger than the diameter of the shaft base of the one or more bearing means. Furthermore, at least the surface of the shaft base and / or the central part or the conveying part is made of mineral glass. As already mentioned, the at least one mounting element has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface mounted on the shaft or glass rod and / or arranged between the shaft bases of the one or more bearing means. It may be formed by at least one roller. The mounting of the shaft base in the central part is optionally carried out by integral formation of the entire conveying element or by a suitable joining process such as gluing, welding, press fastening or by the formation of a suitable positioning device. You may be broken.

  An alternative form of the device according to the invention is formed by a plastic disc mounted on a shaft or glass rod, in which the mounting elements are at least partly and regularly spaced from one another. The plastic disc has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface and a rounded edge. Optionally, the distance between the lateral edges of two adjacent mounting elements has a value less than 300 mm, preferably less than 100 mm.

  In all the embodiments shown, it is advantageous if the surface roughness of the glass at the point of contact with the medium has a value of less than 1 μm.

  A further advantageous embodiment is that the at least one transport element is driven via at least one rotational transmission element, for example in the form of a gear, which is arranged in particular on one of the shaft bases of the transport element.

  The present invention finally includes a transport device comprising a number of rotating transport elements according to the above-described form. The transport elements may be arranged in pairs and overlap each other so that the plate-like substrate can be moved between the transport elements.

  In addition to the important aspects of the present invention, other aspects and embodiments are summarized below. The conveying element according to the invention may optionally have a drive. Furthermore, the rotating transport element is supported on two sides, for example on both sides. The conveying element is formed as a rotating shaft or shaft, which has a mounting element for a plate-like substrate along its length. According to the invention, at least one section of the shaft is formed from mineral glass. In the conveying element according to the invention, the section of the shaft may be formed from a glass rod, in particular a hollow glass rod, ie a glass tube. Tests have shown that the use of glass tubes has advantages over solid glass rods. This is because the tube material has advantageous mechanical properties with a small weight. If a glass tube is used as the shaft, the end faces are advantageously closed. As a result, the processing medium cannot enter. It is difficult to sufficiently remove the intruded processing medium at the time of cleaning, for example.

  The transport element has at least two mounting elements that are rotationally symmetric. The mounting element of the transport element is rounded with a plurality of wheels mounted on a shaft or glass rod or glass tube, regularly spaced apart from each other, for example cylindrically or spherically curved outer surfaces It may be formed by a plurality of plastic discs having a curved edge. The plastic disc is preferably fixed in position on the shaft or on the cylindrical outer surface of the glass rod or tube without play. The plastic disc can in this case be firmly fixed on the shaft, in particular using a shrink-fit process. It is also possible to press or bond the disc.

  Furthermore, the shaft has a drive transmission element at at least one end. This drive transmission element may be formed, for example, by a gear made of plastic or another suitable material. This drive transmission element or gear may optionally be shrink fitted on the shaft and / or adhered to the shaft. The gear may optionally be press-fastened to the shaft and optionally additionally bonded.

  The transport element according to the invention functions as a transport shaft, in particular for a plate-like or film-like substrate. For this purpose, the transport element is usually used in a transport device. The transport device has a plurality of rotating transport elements arranged one above the other, often overlapping each other in one of the above-described forms. A plate-like or film-like substrate can move between the transport elements, respectively. The mounting of the conveying shaft can be varied and adapted to the intended use. The mounting element is a part formed separately from the transport shaft. The mounting element can be fitted over the conveying shaft and coupled to the conveying shaft, for example by gluing, in a shape connection or in a friction connection, for example in a shrink fit, or in a material connection. In an advantageous manner, the mounting elements may be assembled at intervals. The mounting element may be formed as a small wheel and / or disk and / or roller with respect to its geometry. Illustratively, it is possible to set a round shape in which one or more mounting elements have a spherical or ball-shaped contact surface. The surface contact between each mounting element and the substrate to be transported can be made linear or punctiform depending on the geometry of each mounting element. Covered or shrink-fitted mounting elements, which may be formed, for example, by plastic discs, are glass against mechanical damage, for example during their handling, shaft replacement and / or other maintenance of the device. Provides shaft protection. For this purpose, it is advantageous if the distance between the edges of the adjacent mounting elements is smaller than 300 mm, preferably smaller than 100 mm.

  The shaft made of mineral glass used has a number of advantages, for example special shape stability with sufficient elasticity. This eliminates plastic deformation, ie permanent deformation. The shaft deforms elastically when subjected to some load and provides the robustness required for the desired purpose of use. Furthermore, the shaft is extremely temperature resistant. This is because the shaft can withstand high temperatures without significant expansion. Since the mechanical load is small based on the relatively low weight of the substrate being transported, the glass has sufficient rigidity for all use cases.

  The glass shaft can be made very inexpensively with high accuracy, both in terms of required diameter and concentricity. For shafts from about 500 mm to over 1 meter in length, a typical diameter is about 10 mm. The wall thickness of the hollow glass shaft is about 2 mm in such a dimensional design. The concentricity deviation or eccentricity over the entire length of the shaft is in this case preferably less than 0.1 mm and the dimensional accuracy in diameter is less than +/− 0.15 mm.

  The area of use of such a transport element with a glass shaft and a plastic small wheel fitted over the glass shaft is almost unrestricted in the majority of all important processes, based on its chemically neutral properties. This is because the metal coating on the surface only occurs after a very long use of the element.

  As a reminder, it is suggested that the present invention includes a method for processing a substrate. In this method, the substrate is transported by the transport or transport device of the above-described embodiment.

  The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the following exemplary embodiments. Similar parts in the figures are provided with the same reference numerals and are therefore described partially overlapping. Basically, the illustrated embodiment illustrates the present application, but the present application is not limited thereto.

It is the schematic which shows the transport apparatus provided with the several conveyance element. It is the schematic which shows 1st Embodiment of a conveyance element. It is the schematic which shows 2nd Embodiment of a conveyance element. It is the schematic which shows 3rd Embodiment of a conveyance element.

  The schematic diagram shown in FIG. 1 shows a part of the transport path for transporting the plate-like substrate 10 in the apparatus 8 which is shown only partially in FIG. The plate-like substrate 10 is transported in a horizontal direction (conveying direction 12) indicated by an arrow 12 through a pair of rotating conveying elements 14 arranged one after the other. A large number of such transport elements 14 that rotate about the rotation axis 16 extending in the horizontal direction may be arranged in the region of the transport device 8. These transport elements 14 serve to transport the plate-like substrate 10 horizontally in a defined transport direction 12, and for this purpose at least partly a drive (not shown in FIG. 1). Can be used. As long as the rotating transport element 14 uses such a drive, the drive is performed on one side of the transport element 14 supported on both sides, in most cases via gears or the like.

  The transport apparatus 8 schematically shown in FIG. 1 has transport elements 14 that are arranged in pairs and overlap each other. In this case, the transport elements 14 are composed of plate-like substrates 10, Although it passes through between the outer peripheral surfaces 18 of the conveying elements 14 arranged one above the other and is transported while forming the upper and lower rolling contact portions, the present invention is in this form. It is not limited. Similarly, a variation is also conceivable in which the horizontal transport of the substrate 10 is carried out only by the transport elements 14 arranged one after the other. In this case, the transport element forms a horizontal placement / transport plane. In this case, another transport element 14 is not disposed above the substrate 10.

  According to the invention, the transport element 14 is at least partly manufactured from mineral glass (inorganic glass), for example, the support means of the transport element 14 (see FIG. 2 and subsequent figures) are manufactured from mineral glass. Good.

  As shown in the schematic view of FIG. 2, which is the first embodiment of the transport element 14, in the first embodiment, each transport element 14 includes a transport portion 20 having a relatively large diameter, And a support means 22 for rotatably supporting the transport element 14 disposed on both sides of the transport portion 20. The transport part 20 may also be referred to as the central part. The outer peripheral surface 18 of the cylindrical conveying portion 20 has a planar or linear contact area with respect to the plate-like substrate (see FIG. 1). Both the transport part 20 and the support means 22 may each be at least partly made of mineral glass. In the illustrated embodiment, the bearing means 22 is formed by a stub shaft or shaft base 24 or shaft section. The shaft section can be formed as an axle bolt. In this regard, the designation of “shaft” or shaft base 24 takes precedence. This is because, while this part of the support means rotates, the support means accommodation 26 is fixed and anchored in the part of the device. The shaft base 24, which is arranged coaxially with respect to the end faces 28 of the central part or conveying part 20 and typically to the cylindrical outer peripheral surface 18 of the central part or conveying part 20, is preferably made of mineral glass. It is made up. This shaft or shaft or shaft base 24 may be at least partially formed by a glass rod or by a glass tube 30. In use, the glass tube 30 has an end face 32 which is closed on at least one side, preferably on both sides.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the transport part 20 of the transport element 14 is formed by a rotationally symmetrical mounting element 34 for the plate-like substrate 10. In this case, the mounting element 34 is formed by a single roller 36. Each roller 36 has a receiving section (not shown) for both shaft bases 24 of the support means 22 at both end faces 28.

  As shown in the schematic diagram of another embodiment of the transport element 14 with respect to FIG. 3, the roller 36 itself may be further stepped in diameter. This can be achieved by the central region 38 having a slightly reduced diameter. The central region 38 may have a diameter smaller than the outer edge portions 40 on both sides, for example, by about 0.05 to 1 mm. The outer edge 40 is in contact with a smaller diameter shaft base 24 or bearing means 22 which connects to the outer edge 40 respectively. As a result, the plate-like substrate 10 is transported only on the edge portion 40 located on the outer side on the edge side, whereas a very large area of the substrate 10 is reduced or slightly reduced in diameter at the center. It can be ensured that it is arranged above the region 38 and is transported sufficiently in a contactless manner. Such a variation of the roller 36 makes it possible to transport, for example, a so-called processed material (Nutzen) that serves as a base material for a printed wiring board. This is because only edge sections that are subsequently removed are contacted along the edge region 40 of the roller 36.

  The mounting of the shaft base 24 in the central part 20 is suitable in the variant shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, optionally by integral formation of the entire conveying element 14 or, for example, by gluing, welding, press fastening, etc. Or by forming a suitable position fixing device. Optionally, the roller 36 can also be fixed on a consistently extending shaft or cylindrical outer surface of the glass tube 30 without play, for example by gluing or optionally a shrink fit process.

  As shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 4 for an alternative embodiment of the transport element 14, the transport element 14 comprises a glass tube 30, a continuously extending and rotating shaft supported on both sides. 42 may also be formed. The shaft 42 has a plurality of cylindrical mounting elements 44 (see FIG. 1) for the plate-like substrate 10 over its length. In this embodiment, the hollow shaft 42 is manufactured from a tubular mineral glass, and a cylindrical or disc-shaped mounting element 44 is fitted on the outer peripheral surface 46 of the mineral glass. It is attached. Since both end faces 28 of each shaft 42 are closed, the medium does not enter the inside of the glass tube 30. The medium is difficult to remove during cleaning. In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting element 44 of the transport element 14 is formed by a number of plastic disks 48 that are regularly spaced from one another on the shaft 42 or the glass tube 30. These plastic discs 48 have a cylindrical outer peripheral surface and, in some cases, a rounded edge. These plastic discs 48 can be used on the shaft 42 or the cylindrical outer surface 46 of the glass tube 30 without play, advantageously using a shrink-fit process, by gluing, or another suitable joining method. The position is fixed by.

  In the third embodiment of the conveying element 14 shown in FIG. 4, the mounting elements 44 in the form of discs 48 spaced apart form together a central part or conveying part 20. On the left and right, the sections of the shaft 42 that protrude from the mounting element 44 on the edge side form the support means 22, respectively. The supporting means 22 may be supported in a supporting block (not shown: the supporting means accommodating portion 26 in FIGS. 2 and 4). The mounting element 44 may be made of, for example, plastic and / or metal and / or ceramic material and / or mineral glass.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the mounted or shrink-fitted mounting element 44 formed by a plurality of plastic discs 48 provides good protection of the glass shaft 42 against mechanical damage. For example, when the glass shaft 42 is handled, the shaft 42 is replaced, and / or other maintenance of the apparatus is provided. The mounting element 44 is made of plastic or mineral glass.

  Further, the transport element 14 or the shaft 42 has a drive transmission element at at least one end. This drive transmission element may be formed, for example, by a drive wheel 50 or a gear made of plastic or another suitable material, as shown in FIGS. This drive transmission element or drive wheel 50 may optionally be shrink fitted and / or glued onto the shaft 42 (FIG. 4) or the corresponding shaft base 24 as well.

  The roller 36 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 may be manufactured, for example, from plastic, from mineral glass, or from another material, and has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface and possibly a slightly rounded edge. You can do it. Optionally, the roller 36 may have one or more reduced portions, etc., corresponding to FIG. 3, so that the support section 40 has one or more reduced portions or steps having a slightly smaller diameter. The parts are separated from each other. The overlaid or shrink-fitted transport portion 20 formed by the roller 36 in the illustrated embodiment provides good protection of the glass shaft 42 or 24 against mechanical damage, for example a glass shaft. 42, 24 when handling, replacing shaft 42 and / or during other maintenance of the device.

  The used shaft 42 or shaft section 24 (see FIGS. 1 to 4) made of mineral glass has a number of advantages, for example special shape stability with sufficient elasticity. Plastic deformation does not occur during this use. Furthermore, the shafts 42 and 24 are extremely temperature resistant. This is because the shafts 42 and 24 can withstand high temperatures without significant expansion. Mechanical stability is sufficient for the intended use described above. This is because the substrate 10 is often very lightly formed and does not result in significant weight loading of the shafts 42, 24 used.

  The glass shafts and tubes used can be manufactured very inexpensively with high dimensional stability, both in terms of the required diameter and in terms of concentricity. For a shaft 24 length of about 500 mm to over 1 meter, a typical diameter is about 10 mm. The thickness of the hollow glass shaft is about 2 mm (+/− 30%) in such a dimensional design. In this case, the concentricity deviation or eccentricity (radial runout) over the entire length of the shaft is preferably less than 0.1 mm and the dimensional accuracy in diameter is +/− 0.15 mm or less. Can be small. The range of use of such a transport element 14 with a glass shaft and overlaid roller 36 or plastic small wheel 48 is based on a chemically inert or neutral character, and most of all important In a variety of processes.

  The glass shaft or conveying element 14 is normally slidably supported at both ends in suitable bearing means receiving portions 26, typically made of plastic. Within the bearing means receiving part 26, the glass shaft or transport element 14 is located in an easily rotatable manner and can be removed upwardly from the bearing means receiving part 26, for example for maintenance or cleaning purposes. The shaft pins or shaft bases 24 on both sides, which are rotatably supported in the support means receiving portion 26 and at least one of which can be provided with the drive wheel 50, are respectively indicated by the reference numeral “22” in FIGS. ing. The bearing means receiving portion 26 may have a consistent opening for supporting the shaft therein, such as a through hole, or a bag-shaped opening, such as a blind hole. The opening may be in fluid connection with one passage so that liquid can be led out of the consistent opening through the passage. For example, the fluid may be routed through a passageway into another region located below the consistent opening. The passage may have a diameter of about 1 mm to 10 mm, for example. Advantageously, the passage may have a diameter of about 2 mm to 5 mm.

  It has been found advantageous if the surface roughness of the glass surface in contact with the medium is less than 1 μm, preferably less than 0.5 μm, particularly preferably less than 0.1 μm. . This effectively suppresses unintended precipitation of metal from the treatment tank, particularly copper from the electroless copper plating tank.

  The features according to the invention disclosed in the above description, the drawings and the claims are important for the realization of the invention in different forms both individually and in any combination. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Rather, many variations and improvements are conceivable which make use of the idea of the invention and therefore belong to the protection scope as well.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 8 Processing machine / Processing device 10 Substrate 12 Transport direction, transport direction 14 Transport element 16 Rotating axis 18 Outer peripheral surface 20 Center portion, transport portion 22 Bearing means 24 Shaft base 26 Bearing means accommodating portion 28 End surface 30 Glass tube 32 End surface 34 Element 36 Roller 38 Center region 40 Outer edge 42 Shaft 44 Placement element 46 Outer peripheral surface 48 Plastic disc 50 Drive wheel

Claims (14)

An apparatus for conveying a plate-like substrate (10) in an apparatus (8) for chemical and / or electrochemical processing, wherein the apparatus (8) rotates at least one conveying element (14). ), The conveying element (14) is at least partly made of mineral glass, and the conveying part (20) of the conveying element (14) is rotationally symmetric at least one mounting element ( 34; 44) for the plate-like substrate (10), the mounting element (34; 44) being overlaid or shrink-fitted on the conveying element (14) ,
A plurality of mounting elements (44) are provided and the interval between the side edges of two adjacent mounting elements (44) has a value smaller than 300 mm, or the transport element (14 Plate-like substrate in an apparatus for chemical and / or electrochemical processing, characterized in that the central region (38) of the substrate has a smaller diameter than the outer edges (40) on both sides Device for transporting.   At least one support means (22) formed at least partly of mineral glass for the transport element (14) to rotatably support the transport element (14), and a plate-like substrate (10) 2. The device according to claim 1, comprising at least one transport part (20) with at least one contact area, planar or linear.   The conveying element (14) has a shaft, shaft base (24) or shaft (42), the shaft, shaft base (24) or shaft (42) comprises mineral glass and / or at least 3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is made in part from mineral glass and at least partly forms a bearing means.   The shaft, shaft base (24) or shaft (42) is at least partly formed by a glass rod or glass tube (30), the glass tube (30) being an end face closed on at least one side ( 32. The apparatus of claim 3, comprising: 32).   The conveying part (20) has a rotationally symmetrical central part of the conveying element (14) in the form of a roller (36) or tube, the roller (36) / tube being at both end faces (28), 2. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a receiving section for the shaft base (24) of the one or more bearing means (22).   6. A device according to claim 1 or claim 5, wherein the diameter of the central or conveying part (20) is formed larger than the diameter of the shaft base (24) of the one or more support means (22).   7. The device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein at least the surface of the shaft base (24) and / or the central or conveying part (20) is made of mineral glass. Mounting elements, are assembled at intervals, with respect to its geometric shape, it is formed as a wheel and / or the disc and / or rollers, apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . At least one conveying element (14) are driven, apparatus according to any one of the preceding 1 to 8. 10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one transport element (14) is driven via a rotary transmission element or drive wheel (50) arranged in at least one of the shaft bases (24). Conveying elements (14), be rotatably disposed within the bearing unit housing portion (26), bearing means housing portion (26) is fluidly connected to the one passageway, of claims 1 to 10 The apparatus of any one of Claims. Chemical and / or electrochemical treatment, an electroless plating of a conductive layer device according to any one of claims 1 to 11. A transport device comprising a number of rotating transport elements (14) according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , each of which is arranged in pairs and arranged above and below, wherein the transport elements (14) A transporting device, characterized in that each plate-like substrate (10) is movable through. Characterized by transporting the substrate with transport apparatus according to the apparatus or claim 13 of any one of claims 1 to 12, a method for processing a substrate.

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