JP7805873B2 - Plating apparatus and plating method - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a plating apparatus and method for plating one main surface of a rectangular substrate, such as a printed wiring board or glass substrate.

The technology of forming a thin metal film by plating on the surfaces of various substrates, such as semiconductor substrates, printed wiring boards, and glass substrates, is widely used. For example, in the plating apparatus described in Patent Document 1, one edge of the substrate transported to a processing tank containing plating solution is held by a clamp equipped with a cathode electrode, and the clamp moves to plate the substrate while transporting it within the processing tank.

In addition, in the plating apparatus described in Patent Document 2, the peripheral edge of the substrate is gripped by an annular substrate holder that is equipped with a cathode electrode and has an open center. The substrate holder is then suspended and immersed in a treatment tank that stores plating solution, thereby treating the substrate with the plating solution.

Patent No. 4268874 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-031718

In recent years, substrates have become larger, with some measuring more than one meter on a side being manufactured. However, the above-mentioned conventional technology is not suitable for handling such large substrates. In other words, the technology described in Patent Document 1 is configured to transport the substrate by clamping only a portion of its peripheral edge. With this configuration, the substrate is cantilevered, making it difficult to maintain the orientation of a large substrate. Furthermore, the contact area between the substrate and the cathode electrode is small, and the distance to the electrode varies greatly depending on the position on the substrate's surface, making it difficult to form a uniform coating through plating.

Furthermore, with the technology described in Patent Document 2, if the substrate becomes large, a large substrate holder is also required to surround it, which makes the plating equipment extremely large in scale. Furthermore, it is necessary to prepare substrate holders according to the size and shape of the substrate, making it difficult to easily accommodate changes in substrate.

This invention was developed in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a plating apparatus and plating method that can properly maintain the posture of even large substrates and produce a uniform coating.

One aspect of the present invention is a plating apparatus for plating at least one main surface of a rectangular substrate, comprising: a treatment tank for storing a plating solution; an anode electrode contacting the plating solution in the treatment tank; and a substrate holder for holding the substrate in the treatment tank in a horizontal position with the one main surface facing upward. The substrate holder is provided with a cathode electrode and includes a plurality of chuck mechanisms for gripping the substrate while bringing the cathode electrode into contact with the one main surface, at least one chuck mechanism being disposed on each of at least two opposing sides of the substrate , and the substrate holder has a swing mechanism for horizontally reciprocating the plurality of chuck mechanisms, each gripping the substrate .

Another aspect of the present invention is a plating method for plating at least one main surface of a rectangular substrate, comprising: immersing the substrate in a plating solution stored in a treatment tank by a substrate holder in a horizontal position with the main surface facing upward; wherein the substrate holder is provided with a cathode electrode and includes a plurality of chuck mechanisms that grip the substrate while contacting the cathode electrode with the main surface; at least one chuck mechanism is disposed on each of at least two opposing sides of the substrate ; and the substrate holder is provided with a swing mechanism that moves the plurality of chuck mechanisms, each gripping the substrate, back and forth in a horizontal direction together ; and, while the swing mechanism swings the chuck mechanisms back and forth to swing the substrate in the treatment tank, current is applied between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, which are in contact with the plating solution in the treatment tank, to plate the main surface.

In this invention, the rectangular substrate is plated in a horizontal position with at least two opposing sides held by the chuck mechanism. Holding the two opposing sides allows the substrate to maintain a stable horizontal position. Furthermore, because the cathode electrode can be brought into contact with one main surface at each end of the substrate, the distance between the electrode and each position on the substrate can be reduced, allowing for the formation of a uniform coating.

As described above, in the present invention, at least two opposing sides of a horizontally positioned rectangular substrate are gripped by a chuck mechanism equipped with a cathode electrode. This makes it possible to stably maintain the position of even large substrates, and to obtain a uniform coating through plating processing.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first embodiment of a plating apparatus according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a plating processing section. FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a chuck mechanism. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the structure of a mechanism for supporting the chuck mechanism. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the lower structure of the upper chuck. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the operation of each unit. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate gripping operation by a chuck mechanism. FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing the movement of the upper and lower chucks in the gripping operation. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the shape and function of a positioning member. FIG. 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating a chuck cleaning process. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a modification of the plating apparatus of the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a second embodiment of the plating apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a third embodiment of a plating apparatus according to the present invention.

Specific aspects of the plating apparatus according to the present invention will be described below, showing several embodiments.

First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a first embodiment of a plating apparatus according to the present invention. This plating apparatus 1 is an apparatus for forming a metal (e.g., gold) coating on at least one major surface of a substrate S (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrate"), such as a semiconductor substrate, a printed wiring board, or a glass substrate, by electrolytic plating. For the purposes of the following description, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is defined as shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a side view of the plating apparatus 1, with the horizontal direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing being the X direction, and the horizontal direction perpendicular to the X direction and parallel to the plane of the drawing being the Y direction. The vertical direction is also referred to as the Z direction. In each figure, dotted arrows indicate the direction of movement of each component.

The plating apparatus 1 has a configuration in which the various components described below are assembled into a housing 10 formed by combining multiple frame members. Note that in Figure 1 and the following figures, some components may be omitted as appropriate to avoid cluttering the drawings. Specifically, components such as a holding mechanism for holding components, a cover for covering the components, and a mechanism for attaching them to the housing 10 may be omitted from illustrations because they contribute relatively little to the realization of the invention, and because appropriate publicly known technology can be applied to their structure and no special explanation is considered necessary.

Figure 1 is a front view of the plating apparatus 1. The plating apparatus 1 is provided with a transport unit 2 that transports a substrate S along the Y direction. The transport unit 2 is equipped with a plurality of transport rollers 21 aligned along the Y direction, each of which is supported by a support mechanism (not shown) so that it can rotate freely about its axial direction in the X direction. By rotating the transport rollers 21 using a drive mechanism (not shown), the transport unit 2 transports the substrate S in a horizontal position in the Y direction. The rectangular substrate S is transported with one of its four peripheral sides at the leading edge. Below, the transport direction of the substrate S is represented by the symbol Dt.

The plating apparatus 1 further includes a loading section 3, a plating processing section 4, a rinsing processing section 5, an unloading section 6, a power supply section 7, and a control section 8. The loading section 3, plating processing section 4, rinsing processing section 5, and unloading section 6 are arranged in this order along the transport direction Dt (Y direction) of the substrate by the transport section 2. That is, in this plating apparatus 1, the substrate S undergoes the necessary processing in each of the above processing sections while being transported in the Y direction by the transport section 2.

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

The rinse processing unit 5 includes a rinse tank 51, a tray 52, and a rinse liquid supply/discharge unit 59. The rinse tank 51 is capable of storing rinse liquid in an internal space large enough to accommodate a substrate S. An opening is provided on the Y-direction side surface of the rinse tank 51 at a portion that overlaps with the transport path P, and shutters 51a and 51b are provided to open and close the opening.

The tray 52 is positioned below the rinse tank 51 and receives rinse liquid spilled from the rinse tank 51. The rinse liquid supply/discharge unit 59 supplies rinse liquid to the rinse tank 51 and discharges rinse liquid from the rinse tank 51 as needed. The rinse processing unit 5 rinses the substrates S immersed in the plating solution in the plating processing unit 4. Water, for example, is used as the rinse liquid. The unloading unit 6 temporarily stores the substrates S after the rinse processing until they are removed to a post-processing step by an external transport device.

The power supply unit 7 supplies the necessary power to each part of the apparatus. The control unit 8 controls each part of the apparatus configured as described above, causing the plating apparatus 1 to perform predetermined processes. The control unit 8 may have a hardware configuration similar to that of a general computer device. That is, a CPU (not shown) provided in the control unit 8 executes a control program prepared in advance to realize the various processes described below. Although not specifically explained below, each part of the apparatus operates based on control commands from the control unit 8.

Figure 2 is a front view showing the schematic configuration of the plating processing unit. Figure 3 is a view taken along line A-A in Figure 2, corresponding to a side view of the plating processing unit 4 as viewed in the Y direction. The plating processing unit 4 comprises a plating tank 41, vats 42 and 44, a chuck unit 40, and a plating solution supply/discharge unit 49. The plating tank 41 is capable of storing plating solution in an internal space large enough to accommodate a substrate S. The vat 42 is positioned below the plating tank 41 to receive spilled plating solution. The chuck unit 40 is positioned above the plating tank 41 to hold the substrate S undergoing plating processing. The vat 44 is positioned adjacent to the vat 42 below the plating tank 41 on the (-Y) side. The plating solution supply/discharge unit 49 supplies plating solution to and discharges plating solution from the plating tank 41 as needed.

As shown in FIG. 2, openings are provided on the (-Y) side and (+Y) side of plating tank 41 at portions that overlap with transport path P, and freely openable/closable shutters 41a and 41b are provided at these openings. When shutters 41a and 41b are open, substrates S transported along transport path P by transport unit 2 can pass through the openings provided on the sides of plating tank 41. This allows unprocessed substrates S to be transported into plating tank 41 and processed substrates S to be transported out of plating tank 41.

On the other hand, in the closed state, the opening on the side of the plating tank 41 is blocked. At this time, the transport path P for the substrate S is blocked, but plating solution can be stored inside the plating tank 41 to a height higher than the opening. After the substrate S is placed in the plating tank 41 with the (-Y) side shutter 41a open, the shutter 41a is closed and the internal space of the plating tank 41 is filled with plating solution L, immersing the substrate S in the plating solution L and plating it. Thereafter, the plating solution is discharged and the (+Y) side shutter 41b is opened, and the plated substrate S is transported to the rinsing section 5. The shutters 41a and 41b may open and close independently of each other, or they may open and close together.

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

As shown in Figure 3, two sets of chuck units 40 are arranged corresponding to both ends in the X direction of the substrate S contained in the plating tank 41. These two sets of chuck units 40 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the YZ plane, but have the same basic structure. That is, each chuck unit 40 includes at least one chuck mechanism 400, a support frame 430 that supports the chuck mechanism 400, and a movement mechanism 43 that moves the support frame 430 in the Y direction.

In this embodiment, three chuck mechanisms 400 are attached to one support frame 430, and they move together in the Y direction as the support frame 430 moves. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, each chuck mechanism 400 can move back and forth in the Y direction between a "plating position" located above the plating tank 41 and a "cleaning position" located above the vat 44. As will be described later, the chuck mechanisms 400 grip the substrate S to stably maintain the orientation of the substrate S within the plating tank 41, and by bringing the built-in cathode electrode into contact with one main surface of the substrate S, a coating is formed on that main surface by electrolytic plating.

As shown in Figure 3, a rotary motor 23 is connected to the rotation shaft 22 of the transport roller 21. The rotary motor 23 rotates in response to a control command from the control unit 8, causing the transport roller 21 to rotate, thereby transporting the substrate S in the Y direction. Note that some rollers may be driven rollers that are not connected to a drive source.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the chuck mechanism. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the structure of the mechanism that supports the chuck mechanism. Figure 4(a) is a perspective view that schematically shows the structure of the chuck mechanism 400, and Figure 4(b) is a diagram showing how the chuck mechanism 400 grips the substrate S. Note that when explaining the structure and operation of the chuck mechanism 400 below, we will mainly use the chuck mechanism 400 that holds the (-X) side end of the substrate S as an example. However, by considering the same structure inverted around the Z axis, it is possible to understand the structure and operation of a chuck mechanism that holds the (+X) side end of the substrate S. Also, to improve visibility in the figure, some of the components of the chuck mechanism 400 are omitted from Figure 4(a) and are shown in Figure 5.

The chuck mechanism 400 grips the X-direction edge of the substrate S with an upper chuck 411 and a lower chuck 421, which can be raised and lowered independently of each other. Specifically, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 are each elongated, flat members with the Y direction as their longitudinal direction. The lower surface 411b of the upper chuck 411 abuts against the (-X) side edge of the upper surface Sa of the substrate S, and the upper surface 421a of the lower chuck 421 abuts against the (-X) side edge of the lower surface Sb of the substrate S, thereby gripping the substrate S. In practice, a cathode electrode 412 is attached to the lower surface 411b of the upper chuck 411, and the cathode electrode 412 comes into contact with the upper surface Sa of the substrate S.

In other words, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the lower chuck 421 not only determines the position of the substrate S in the height direction (Z direction), but also acts as a backup when the cathode electrode 412 provided on the upper chuck 411 contacts the substrate S. This ensures that the height position of the substrate S is stably maintained and ensures reliable electrical contact between the cathode electrode 412 and the substrate upper surface Sa.

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

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

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

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

When the lower chuck 421 is advanced to the furthest point on the (+X) side within its movable range, as shown by the solid line in Figure 4(b), the (+X) side tip of the lower chuck 421 is located on the (+X) side of the edge surface of the substrate S, and the upper surface 421a of the lower chuck 421 can support the lower surface Sb of the substrate S. On the other hand, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 4(b), when the lower chuck 421 is retracted to the furthest point on the (-X) side within its movable range, the (+X) side tip of the lower chuck 421 is retracted to the (-X) side of the edge surface of the substrate S. This prevents the lower chuck 421 from coming into contact with the substrate S when it is raised or lowered.

In the chuck mechanism 400, the upper chuck 411 and lower chuck 421 work together to grip the substrate S within the plating tank 41. Specifically, the upper chuck 411 and lower chuck 421 are lowered from the chuck mechanism 400, which is positioned at the plating position, into the plating tank 41 and grip the edge of the substrate S at the same height as the height of the substrate S supported by the transport rollers 21. As a result, the substrate S is held in a horizontal position with its upper surface flat within the plating tank 41. The Z-direction positions of the upper chuck 411 and lower chuck 421 at this time will be referred to as the "lower position" below.

The chuck mechanism 400 is attached to a support frame 430, which is made up of multiple parts assembled into a frame shape. Specifically, the support member 401 of the chuck mechanism 400 is fixed to the support frame 430, thereby supporting the chuck mechanism 400 by the support frame 430. As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, three sets of chuck mechanisms 400 are attached to the support frame 430, which extends in the Y direction as its longitudinal direction.

The support frame 430 is supported by a travel mechanism 43 so that it can move freely in the Y direction. More specifically, the travel mechanism 43 includes a guide rail 431 fixed to the housing 10 above the plating processing unit 4 and extending in the Y direction, a slider 432 engaged with the guide rail 431, and a drive source (not shown) that moves the slider 432 in the Y direction along the guide rail 431. These components can be implemented using any suitable linear motion mechanism, such as a linear motor, chain drive mechanism, or belt drive mechanism. For example, a single-axis robot in which these components are pre-integrated can be suitably used.

A chuck support member 433 extending downward is attached to the slider 432. The support frame 430 is connected 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 attached thereto move integrally in the Y direction. In other words, the traveling mechanism 43 operates in response to a control command from the control unit 8 to travel the slider 432, thereby moving the chuck mechanism 400 in the Y direction.

When multiple chuck mechanisms 400 are attached to the support member 430, the chuck mechanisms 400 move together in the Y direction. This allows each chuck mechanism 400 to move back and forth between a plating position above the plating tank 41 and a cleaning position above the vat 44. Note that, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, for example, multiple sets of sliders 432 and chuck support members 433 may be attached to one support frame 430. This allows the support frame 430 to maintain a stable posture and move reliably even when multiple chuck mechanisms 400 are attached.

This structure allows the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 to move as follows. That is, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 can be raised and lowered independently of each other by operating the lifting mechanisms 412, 422. Furthermore, by operating 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. Furthermore, by operating 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 retracted upward by the lifting mechanisms 412, 422. This prevents the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 from contacting the wall surface of the plating tank 41 during movement. The Z-direction positions of the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 at this time will be referred to as the "upper position" below.

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

Figure 6 shows the lower structure of the upper chuck. As shown in Figure 6(a), a plate-shaped cathode electrode 412 extending in the Y direction is provided on the lower surface 411b of the upper chuck 411. The cathode electrode is electrically connected to the power supply unit 7. In addition, a ring-shaped sealing member 415 made of an elastic material is provided to surround the periphery of the cathode electrode 412. As shown in Figure 6(b), the lower end of the sealing member 415 extends below the lower surface of the cathode electrode 412.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 6(c), when the cathode electrode 412 comes into contact with the upper surface Sa of the substrate S, the sealing member 415 elastically deforms to enclose the cathode electrode 412 in an airtight state. Therefore, even when the substrate S is immersed in the plating solution, the cathode electrode 412 is maintained in a dry state without coming into contact with the plating solution. This prevents corrosion of the cathode electrode 412 or the formation of a film due to contact with the plating solution.

In this way, the cathode electrode 412 provided on the underside of the upper chuck 411 contacts one major surface of the substrate S, specifically the upper surface Sa, and an anode electrode 45 is disposed above the substrate S so as to face the upper surface Sa. By applying a DC voltage from the power supply unit 7 between these electrodes, a metal coating can be formed on the upper surface Sa of the substrate S by electroplating.

The chuck mechanisms 400 grip the substrate S at both ends in the X direction, i.e., at both ends in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction Dt. Multiple chuck mechanisms 400 are provided along the Y direction, i.e., the transport direction Dt of the substrate S, and most of the substrate S is gripped at both ends in the X direction. By gripping the substrate S, the chuck mechanisms 400 not only help to stably maintain its orientation, but also apply a uniform potential over a wide area by contacting the cathode electrode 412 extending in the Y direction with the substrate S. This allows the plating apparatus 1 to form a highly uniform plating film on the substrate S.

In addition, the plating apparatus 1 is provided with a cleaning mechanism for removing plating solution adhering to the chuck mechanism 400 and cleaning the chuck mechanism 400. The configuration and operation of the cleaning mechanism will be explained in detail later.

Next, the operation of the plating apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described. The basic operational flow of the plating apparatus 1 is outlined as follows: An unprocessed substrate S is loaded into the loading section 3. The substrate S is transported from the loading section 3 to the plating processing section 4, which performs electrolytic plating on the substrate S to form a metal coating on its surface (upper surface Sa). The plated substrate S is then rinsed in the rinsing processing section 5 and is finally unloaded to the unloading section 6.

Figure 7 is a diagram that schematically illustrates the operation of each part. More specifically, Figure 7 shows the operation of each part over time T, with the time axis running from top to bottom. After an unprocessed substrate S is provided to the loading section 3 at time T0, each part of the device performs the following operations. In the diagram, the parentheses indicate the initial state of each part. Also, in Figure 7, parts of each processing section that are indicated by thick vertical lines indicate that the substrate S is present in that processing section.

In the initial state, the chuck mechanism 400 is positioned at a plating position above the plating tank 41, and the upper chuck 411 and lower chuck 421 are positioned at an upper position that does not interfere with the plating tank 41. However, the upper chuck 411 and lower chuck 421 may be positioned lower as long as they do not interfere with the transport of the substrate S along the transport path P.

In the loading section 3, the loaded substrate S is temporarily stored. In the plating processing section 4, the shutters 41a and 41b of the plating tank 41 are opened, allowing the substrate S to be transported along the transport path P. At this time, the plating solution supplied from the plating solution supply/discharge section 49 is stored in the plating tank 41 to a height that prevents it from overflowing from the opening. In the rinsing processing section 5, the shutters 51a and 51b of the rinsing tank 51 are also opened, allowing the substrate S to be transported along the transport path P. At this point, there are no substrates S in the unloading section 6.

At time T1, the transport unit 2 begins transporting the substrate S, and the substrate S is transported in the transport direction Dt (Y direction) along the transport path P, ultimately reaching the plating tank 41. In Figure 7, the dashed arrows indicate the transfer of the substrate S by the transport unit 2.

When the substrate S is carried into the plating tank 41 and transport is stopped, the shutters 41a and 41b are closed. Concurrently, the upper chuck 411 and lower chuck 421 of the chuck mechanism 400 descend to grip the substrate S. Then, plating solution L is supplied from the plating solution supply/discharge unit 49 to the plating tank 41, and with the substrate S held by the chuck mechanism 400, a DC voltage is applied between the anode electrode 45 and the cathode electrode 412, thereby performing electrolytic plating.

Figure 8 shows the substrate gripping operation by the chuck mechanism, and Figure 9 is an enlarged view showing the movement of the upper and lower chucks at this time. As shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the substrate S loaded into the loading section 3 is transported in the transport direction Dt by the rotation of the transport rollers 21 of the transport section 2, and is ultimately loaded into the plating tank 41 as shown in Figure 8(c). Once the substrate S is loaded into the plating tank 41, the shutters 41a and 41b are closed. The upper chuck 411 and lower chuck 421 of the chuck mechanism 400 descend toward the substrate S contained in the plating tank 41, gripping the substrate S as shown in Figure 8(d). In this state, plating solution is supplied to the plating tank 41, so that the substrate S is immersed in the plating solution.

The movements of the upper chuck 411 and lower chuck 421 during the gripping operation are as follows. As shown in Figure 9(a), the upper chuck 411 and lower chuck 421 are positioned in the upper position, and the lower chuck 421 first moves toward the lower position. At this time, the lower chuck 421 descends while retracting in the (-X) direction so as not to interfere with the (-X) side end of the substrate S. As shown in Figure 9(b), the lower chuck 421 descends to a position slightly lower than the position of the lower surface Sb of the substrate S, indicated by the two-dot chain line, and then moves in the (+X) direction toward the substrate S.

As shown in Figure 9 (c), after the lower chuck 421 advances to a predetermined position, it rises slightly, causing the upper surface 421a of the lower chuck 421 to abut against the lower surface Sb of the substrate S. At this time, the position of the lower chuck 421 is set so that the substrate S maintains a horizontal position with its upper surface Sa flat. In other words, the height direction position of the lower chuck 421 is determined so that the height of the edge of the substrate S gripped by the chuck mechanism 400 is the same as the height of the center of the substrate S supported by the transport rollers 21.

Meanwhile, as shown in Figures 9(c) and 9(d), the upper chuck 411 also descends from the upper position to the lower position and abuts against the upper surface Sa of the substrate S, the lower surface Sb of which is supported by the lower chuck 421. At this time, the lower surface of the upper chuck 411, or more precisely, the lower surface of the cathode electrode 412 provided on the lower surface 411b of the upper chuck 411, comes into contact with the upper surface Sa of the substrate S. This completes the gripping of the substrate S by the chuck mechanism 400 and the electrical contact between the upper surface Sa of the substrate S and the cathode electrode 412.

During the process of transport along the transport path P, the posture of the substrate S may vary. Furthermore, the stopping position of the substrate S in the plating tank 41 may deviate from the predetermined position. To reduce the resulting variation in processing results, it is preferable to attach a positioning member to the lower chuck 421, as shown below.

Figure 10 shows the shape and function of the positioning member. The positioning member 426 is attached to the upper surface 421a of the lower chuck 421, and the cross-sectional shape of the positioning member 426 itself in the XZ cross section is an inverted trapezoid. In other words, as shown in Figure 10(a), its (+X) side end face has a tapered shape that retreats toward the (-X) side as it extends downward. Note that as long as the (+X) side end face of the positioning member 426 has this tapered shape, the shapes of the other parts are not limited to those shown in the figure.

When the lower chuck 421 moves in the (+X) direction toward the substrate S to grip the substrate S, the positioning member 426 abuts against the (-X) side end face of the substrate S, as shown in FIG. 10(b), thereby regulating the position of the substrate S in the X direction. By having the positioning member 426 abut against the end face of the substrate S at both the (-X) side end and the (+X) side end of the substrate S in this manner, the position of the substrate S in the X direction can be optimized.

When the lower chuck 421 rises from this state and comes into contact with the lower surface Sb of the substrate S, the (+X) side end surface of the positioning member 426 is tapered, so the positioning member 426 moves away from the edge surface of the substrate S, as shown in Figure 10 (c). This prevents the positioning member 426 from scraping against the edge surface of the substrate S when the lower chuck 421 rises.

The positioning member 426 may be provided so as to extend long in the X direction, or multiple short positioning members 426 may be provided spaced apart in the X direction. This configuration can eliminate the so-called skewed state in which the substrate S tilts around a vertical axis relative to the transport path P.

Returning to Figure 7, we will continue explaining the operation of the device. Plating solution L is supplied to plating tank 41, and while substrate S is immersed, a voltage is applied between the electrodes, thereby plating substrate S. Cathode electrodes 412 extending in the Y direction are in contact with both ends of the upper surface Sa of substrate S in the X direction, reducing variations in electric field strength on upper surface Sa of substrate S and enabling the formation of a highly uniform plating film. At this time, the chuck mechanism 400 and transport rollers 21 work together to oscillate substrate S within plating tank 41, further improving the uniformity of the plating film.

Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the swinging operation. Operation of the travel mechanism 43 causes the support frame 430 supporting the chuck mechanism 400 to alternate between moving in the (+Y) direction shown in the upper part of Figure 11 and moving in the (-Y) direction shown in the lower part of Figure 11, causing the chuck mechanism 400 attached to the support frame 430 to move back and forth integrally in the Y direction, and the substrate S held by the chuck mechanism 400 to swing in the Y direction within the plating solution L.

At this time, the transport rollers 21 move in conjunction with the support frame 430. That is, as shown in the upper part of Figure 11, when the support frame 430 moves in the (+Y) direction and the chuck mechanism 400 moves the substrate S in the (+Y) direction, the transport rollers 21 rotate forward, that is, in a direction that transports the substrate S in the transport direction Dt. On the other hand, as shown in the lower part of Figure 11, when the support frame 430 moves in the (-Y) direction and the chuck mechanism 400 moves the substrate S in the (-Y) direction, the transport rollers 21 rotate reversely, that is, to transport the substrate S in the direction opposite to the transport direction Dt (-Dt).

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

Returning to the explanation of Figure 7, the substrate S is immersed in the plating solution L, and after a certain period of time in which the substrate S is oscillated while a voltage is applied between the electrodes, the voltage application is stopped and the plating solution L is discharged, thereby stopping the plating process. The substrate S is then released from its grip by the chuck mechanism 400, the shutter 41b is opened, and at time T2, the transport unit 2 transfers the substrate S from the plating unit 4 to the rinsing unit 5. The substrate can be released from its grip by the chuck mechanism 400 by performing the operations shown in Figure 9 in reverse order.

In the rinse processing unit 5, when the substrate S is placed in the rinse tank 51, the shutters 51a and 51b are closed, and rinse liquid is supplied from the rinse liquid supply/discharge unit 59 to rinse the substrate S. After the rinse process is performed for a predetermined time, the rinse liquid is discharged, the shutter 51b is opened, and at time T3, the substrate S is discharged to the discharge unit 6.

When draining the plating solution from the plating tank 41 and the rinsing solution from the rinsing tank 51, it is not necessary to completely drain the liquid from the tank. In other words, as long as the liquid is drained to the extent that the substrate S supported in the tank is exposed from the liquid and can be removed, there is no problem with some liquid remaining in the tank. In fact, leaving some liquid remaining can reduce the amount of liquid required to fill the tank when processing the next substrate S. This reduces liquid consumption and contributes to reducing the environmental impact.

Meanwhile, after releasing the grip of the substrate S, the chuck mechanism 400 undergoes a cleaning process to remove plating solution adhering to the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421. The chuck cleaning process is performed as follows.

Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating the chuck cleaning process. Although not shown up to this point, the plating apparatus 1 is equipped with a cleaning mechanism 9. The cleaning mechanism 9 includes an air nozzle 91 positioned above the vat 42 on the (-Y) side of the plating tank 41, and a cleaning water nozzle 92 and an air nozzle 93 positioned above the vat 44. As shown in Figure 12(a), the upper chuck 411 and lower chuck 421 of the chuck mechanism 400 release their grip on the substrate S and then retract upward. When the support frame 430 moves in the (-Y) direction from this state toward the cleaning position, as shown in Figure 12(b), the upper chuck 411 and lower chuck 421 of each chuck mechanism 400 pass through positions facing the first cleaning unit 91, second cleaning unit 92, and third cleaning unit 93, in that order.

Figure 12(c) shows the structure of the first cleaning unit 91 in more detail. The first cleaning unit 91 is equipped with air nozzles 911, 912, and 913, and blows an airflow onto the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 to blow off any remaining plating solution adhering to them. Specifically, the air nozzle 911 blows an airflow from the side of the upper chuck 411, primarily toward its upper surface 411a. The air nozzle 912 blows an airflow from below the upper chuck 411, primarily toward its lower surface 411b. Because plating solution that has fallen from the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 may adhere to the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421, it is preferable to provide a mechanism for cleaning the air nozzle 912 with cleaning water. The air nozzle 913 blows an airflow from the side of the lower chuck 421, primarily toward its upper surface 421a. The blown-off plating solution and rinse water are collected and recovered by the tray 42.

The second cleaning unit 92 primarily sprays cleaning water onto the upper chuck 411 to clean its underside 411b and the cathode electrode 412 provided thereon. Specifically, the second cleaning unit 92 is provided with a cleaning water nozzle at the position of the air nozzle 912 shown in Figure 12(c), and cleaning water is supplied from the cleaning water nozzle to the underside 411b of the upper chuck 411. This cleans the underside 411b of the upper chuck 411, the cathode electrode 412, and the seal member 415. The third cleaning unit 93 has a configuration similar to the first cleaning unit 91, and removes any remaining cleaning water adhering to the upper chuck 411 and lower chuck 421 by blowing air currents to dry them. The third cleaning unit 93 does not require a mechanism for cleaning the air nozzle.

As shown in Figure 12(d), when all of the chuck mechanisms 400 attached to the support frame 430 pass through a position facing the cleaning mechanism 9, cleaning of the upper chuck 411 and lower chuck 421 provided on each chuck mechanism 400 is completed. The support frame 430 then moves in the (+Y) direction, and each chuck mechanism 400 returns to the plating position. In this way, the chuck mechanisms 400 are cleaned, and when processing the next substrate S, any remaining plating solution can be prevented from adhering to the substrate S.

Next, we will consider the operation of each section when plating multiple substrates S sequentially. The substrates S are transported through the loading section 3, plating section 4, rinsing section 5, and unloading section 6 in that order, and as shown by the bold lines in Figure 7, the substrates S remain in each of these processing sections for a certain period of time. In principle, it is possible to load the next substrate to be processed immediately after the substrate S is unloaded from these processing sections. Therefore, by sending in the next substrate S each time one substrate S is unloaded, it is possible to efficiently process multiple substrates S.

However, if the substrate S passes below the chuck mechanism 400 while it is undergoing cleaning at the cleaning position, there is a risk that splashed cleaning water or the like may adhere to the substrate S. To prevent this, it is preferable to transport the substrate S from the loading section 3 to the plating processing section 4 after the cleaning process is completed. Note that if a cover or shielding member (not shown) is installed to isolate the transported substrate S from the cleaning mechanism 9, it is possible to clean the chuck mechanism 400 and transport the substrate S in parallel.

<Modification>
13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a modification of the plating apparatus of the first embodiment. In the plating apparatus 1 of the above embodiment, both X-direction end portions of the substrate S are gripped by three sets of chuck mechanisms 400 each having a cathode electrode 412 extending in the Y-direction. In Fig. 13A, the hatched region R indicates the region of the upper surface Sa of the substrate S that is gripped by the chuck mechanisms 400 and comes into contact with the cathode electrode 412. The substrate S comes into contact with the cathode electrode 412 at three locations on each of both X-direction end portions.

Each cathode electrode 412 is elongated in the Y direction, so it comes into contact with most of the two sides of the rectangular substrate S on both sides in the X direction. By having the cathode electrodes 412 come into contact with most of the two opposing sides of the substrate S in this way, a uniform potential can be applied over a wide area of the top surface Sa of the substrate S, making it possible to obtain a uniform plating film.

Here, we will explain a modified example that can achieve the same effect even when the size of the substrate S is different. For example, as shown in Figure 13(b), if the Y direction length of the substrate S is longer than that of the above example, it is possible to cover that length by increasing the number of chuck mechanisms arranged in the Y direction. Conversely, if the Y direction length of the substrate S is smaller than that of the above example, the number of chuck mechanisms arranged in the Y direction can be reduced.

In this way, by increasing or decreasing the number of chuck mechanisms arranged in the Y direction depending on the length of the sides of the substrate S, it is possible to accommodate substrates S of various sizes. If the chuck mechanisms 400 are configured as independent units that can be attached and detached to the support frame 430 as shown in Figure 4, then by adjusting the number and arrangement thereof, it is possible to flexibly accommodate changes in the size of the substrate S.

Such adjustments can be easily made by modularizing multiple chuck mechanisms 400 as units of the same structure and providing the support frame 430 with multiple spare structures (e.g., screw holes) for attaching the chuck mechanisms 400.

Second Embodiment
Fig. 14 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the plating apparatus according to the present invention. As in Fig. 13, Fig. 14 also shows a region R of the upper surface Sa of the substrate S that is gripped by the chuck mechanism 400, indicated by diagonal lines. In the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 13(a), the chuck mechanism 400 grips two sides in the width direction perpendicular to the X direction, i.e., the transport direction Dt of the substrate S. This stabilizes the orientation of the substrate S in the plating tank 41 and uniforms the applied potential.

A similar effect can be achieved by gripping both ends of the substrate S in the Y direction. That is, as shown in Figure 14(a), both ends of the substrate S in the Y direction, i.e., the leading and trailing ends in the transport direction Dt, are gripped by chuck mechanisms. Here, two sets of chuck mechanisms are provided at each of the leading and trailing ends, but as mentioned above, the number of chuck mechanisms can be optimized according to the length of one side. Furthermore, the same chuck mechanism configuration as chuck mechanism 400 in the above embodiment can be used by rotating its orientation by 90 degrees.

Here, by adopting the chuck mechanism 400 equipped with the positioning member 426 shown in Figure 10, particularly in the chuck mechanism provided corresponding to the leading end of the substrate S, i.e., the (+Y) side end, the following effects can be obtained.

When the substrate S is transported into the plating tank 41, the stopping position of the substrate S in the transport direction Dt may vary. This is because, even if a sensor that detects the substrate S is installed at an appropriate position on the transport path P and transport is stopped when the sensor detects the substrate S, it is difficult to stop the substrate S at the specified position due to the time lag and its variation. Such deviations in the stopping position lead to variations in the positional relationship between the substrate S and the cathode electrode, which impairs the stability of plating quality.

In a configuration in which both widthwise ends of the substrate S are gripped by the chuck mechanism 400, even if positioning members 426 are provided, it is not possible to correct positional misalignment of the substrate S in the transport direction Dt. On the other hand, if chuck mechanisms 400 are provided corresponding to both widthwise ends of the substrate S in the transport direction Dt, the positioning members 426 can correct such positional misalignment in the transport direction Dt.

In particular, when the chuck mechanism 400 is provided corresponding to the leading edge of the substrate S in the transport direction Dt, as shown in Figure 14(b), the lower chuck 421 of the chuck mechanism 400 can be lowered to a lower position prior to loading the substrate S into the processing tank 41, so that the leading edge of the transported substrate S abuts against the positioning member 426, thereby maintaining a constant stopping position for the substrate S.

<Modification>
As a modification of the first and second embodiments, as shown in Fig. 14(c), chuck mechanisms may be arranged to correspond to all four sides of the substrate S. Each chuck mechanism may have the same structure as the chuck mechanism 4 shown in Fig. 4. In this configuration, the cathode electrode contacts the four sides of the substrate S, so that the uniformity of the potential applied to the upper surface Sa of the substrate S is maximized, resulting in the best quality plating film.

As such, it is desirable to provide chucking mechanisms on at least two opposing sides of the four sides of a rectangular substrate. This allows the substrate's orientation to be stably maintained and a uniform potential to be applied over a wide area, improving plating quality. Gripping all four sides with the chucking mechanisms maximizes the effect.

Third Embodiment
In the plating apparatus 1 of the first embodiment described above, in order to clean the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 that are immersed in the plating solution together with the substrate S, it is necessary to move the chuck mechanism 400 in the (-Y) direction to a cleaning position to perform the cleaning process. This operation can be an obstacle to shortening the takt time when processing multiple substrates consecutively. To solve this problem, the following embodiment can be considered.

Figure 15 is a diagram showing the configuration of a third embodiment of a plating apparatus according to the present invention. More specifically, Figure 15(a) is a front view showing the schematic configuration of the plating processing unit 4A in a plating apparatus 1A of the third embodiment, and Figure 15(b) is a side view thereof. Wherever possible, components that share the same configuration as the plating apparatus 1 of the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment and descriptions thereof will be omitted. The plating apparatus 1A of this embodiment has two sets of chucks 40 equivalent to those provided in the plating apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, as well as two more sets of chucks 47 sandwiching them.

That is, one chuck portion 47 is positioned further outward, i.e., on the (-X) side, than the (-X) side chuck portion 40. The other chuck portion 47 is positioned further toward the (+X) side than the (+X) side chuck portion 40. Each chuck portion 47 is similar to the chuck portion 40 in that it includes the chuck mechanism 400 shown in FIG. 4 and the traveling mechanism 43 shown in FIG. 5, but differs in that it also includes a retraction mechanism 470 for moving the chuck mechanism 400 in the X direction.

More specifically, the retraction mechanism 470 has a guide rail 471 that is attached to the chuck support member 433 of the traveling mechanism 43 and extends in the X direction. The support frame 430 is engaged with the guide rail 471 and is movable in the X direction by an appropriate linear motion mechanism 472 provided in the retraction mechanism 470. In other words, in the chuck section 47, operation of the retraction mechanism 470 allows the chuck mechanism 400 attached to the support frame 430 to move in the X direction within a predetermined movable range.

When the chuck mechanism 400 of the chuck unit 47 has moved to its innermost position in the X direction, the upper chuck 411 and lower chuck 421 can enter the plating tank 41 and grip the substrate S, just like the chuck unit 40. On the other hand, when the chuck mechanism 400 of the chuck unit 47 has moved to its outermost position in the X direction (the position shown in Figure 15(b)), the chuck mechanism 400 retracts further outward than the chuck mechanism 400 of the chuck unit 40.

With this configuration, two pairs of chucks 40, 47 can be alternately positioned at the plating position, while the other pair is moved to the cleaning position for cleaning, thereby improving takt time. When switching the positions of the chucks 40, 47, the chuck mechanism 400 of chuck 47 must be retracted to prevent the chuck mechanisms 400 from interfering with each other. For this purpose, a retraction mechanism 470 is provided.

<Others>
As explained above, in each of the above embodiments, the plating apparatus 1, 1A corresponds to the "plating apparatus" of the present invention, the substrate S to be processed corresponds to the "substrate" of the present invention, and the upper surface Sa of the substrate S corresponds to the "one main surface" of the present invention. The plating tank 41 that stores the plating solution L functions as the "processing tank" of the present invention. The chuck mechanism 400 functions as the "chuck mechanism" of the present invention, and the chuck units 40, 47 including the chuck mechanism function as the "substrate holding unit" of the present invention. The support frame 430 functions as the "support member" of the present invention.

In addition, in the chuck mechanism 400, the upper chuck 411 and the lower chuck 421 function as the "first member" and "second member" of the present invention, respectively, and the lifting mechanisms 413, 423 that raise and lower these function as the "lifting mechanism" of the present invention. Furthermore, the advancing and retreating mechanism 402 functions as the "advancing and retreating mechanism" of the present invention. Furthermore, the retracting mechanism 470 in the third embodiment functions as the "retracting mechanism" of the present invention.

In addition, the travel mechanism 43 of this embodiment moves the chuck mechanism 400 in the Y direction, and has both the function of moving it between the plating position and the cleaning position, and the function of oscillating the chuck mechanism 400 during the plating process. Therefore, the travel mechanism 43 functions as both the "movement mechanism" and the "oscillating mechanism" of the present invention.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, chuck mechanisms 400 are provided on two opposing sides or all four sides of the rectangular substrate S. However, in the present invention, chuck mechanisms need only be provided on at least two opposing sides. In this sense, three of the four sides may be gripped by the chuck mechanisms. In this case, from the perspective of aligning the substrate, it is preferable to grip the side corresponding to the leading edge in the transport direction and the two opposing sides perpendicular to the transport direction.

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

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

Note that the substrate to be processed does not necessarily have to be a geometric rectangle in the strict sense. For example, even if the substrate has some irregularities on one of its sides, it will suffice as long as the envelope outline can be considered roughly rectangular.

As explained above using specific embodiments as examples, the plating apparatus according to the present invention may include, for example, a transport unit that transports a substrate horizontally while supporting it from below, and the chucking mechanism may be configured to grip the substrate at the same vertical position as the substrate supported by the transport unit. With this configuration, the transport unit and chucking mechanism can maintain the substrate in a flat and horizontal position.

Furthermore, for example, if the transport unit transports a substrate in a direction parallel to two of the substrate's parallel sides, at least one chuck mechanism may be disposed for each of the two parallel sides. In other words, the chuck mechanisms may be configured to grip each of the two widthwise sides of the substrate that are perpendicular to the transport direction. With this configuration, by combining the support and transport of the substrate by the transport unit with the gripping of the substrate by the chuck mechanism, it is possible to smoothly transport the substrate into the processing layer, perform the plating process, and remove the substrate after processing, making it possible to efficiently process multiple substrates.

In this case, for example, in addition to the two parallel sides, at least one chuck mechanism may be arranged on at least one other side. The more sides that are gripped, the more effective it is at maintaining the substrate's position and improving plating quality by applying a uniform potential.

Furthermore, for example, two or more chuck mechanisms may be arranged along one side of the substrate. With this configuration, the proportion of the area gripped by the chuck mechanisms relative to the length of the side increases, which helps maintain a stable posture.

For example, the substrate holder may have multiple chuck mechanisms that are identical in structure and shape. This configuration makes it possible to manufacture multiple chuck mechanisms with the same specifications, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and the costs of managing replacement parts.

In this case, for example, the substrate holder may have a support member to which multiple chuck mechanisms are attached, and the support member may be capable of changing at least one of the positions and number of chuck mechanisms. With this configuration, it is possible to easily optimize the placement of chuck mechanisms for substrates of various sizes.

Furthermore, for example, each chuck mechanism may have a first member that contacts one main surface of the substrate, a second member that contacts the other main surface opposite the one main surface of the substrate, and a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the first and second members relative to each other to grip and release the substrate, with the cathode electrode attached to the underside of the first member. With this configuration, gripping the substrate by sandwiching it between the first and second members also serves to ensure that the cathode electrode is in contact with the substrate. Therefore, the chuck mechanism can stabilize the orientation of the substrate while also stabilizing its electrical connection with the cathode electrode.

In this case, an annular sealing member that surrounds the cathode electrode may be provided on the underside of the first member. This configuration creates an airtight space around the cathode electrode in the plating solution, preventing the cathode electrode from coming into contact with the plating solution.

Furthermore, for example, each chuck mechanism may have an advancing/retracting mechanism that moves the second member horizontally relative to the first member. With this configuration, it is possible to change the horizontal distance between the first and second members, switching between a state in which the second member wraps around to the underside of the substrate and can grip it, and a state in which the second member retreats away from the substrate and can be raised and lowered without coming into contact with the substrate. In other words, when the lifting mechanism moves the second member upward, interference between the second member and the substrate can be avoided.

Also, for example, the second member may be provided with a positioning member that abuts against the edge of the substrate to determine the horizontal position of the substrate. Substrates brought into the processing tank from outside may have varying positions. If the second member is provided with a positioning member, and the edge of the substrate abuts against the positioning member during the gripping operation by the chuck mechanism to correct the position, there is no need to perform a separate alignment adjustment.

In this case, the side of the positioning member facing the substrate may be tapered, moving away from the substrate as it extends downward. This configuration prevents the positioning member from scraping the edge of the substrate when the second member moves to abut against the underside of the substrate after the edge of the substrate abuts against the positioning member.

For example, the substrate holder may have a swinging mechanism that moves multiple chuck mechanisms, each of which holds a substrate, back and forth horizontally as a unit. With this configuration, swinging the substrate held in the plating solution by the chuck mechanisms can improve the uniformity of the film formed by the plating process.

In this case, a transport roller may be provided that transports the substrate horizontally by rotating while supporting the substrate from below, and the transport roller may be configured to change its direction of rotation in synchronization with the reciprocating movement of the chucking mechanism when the rocking mechanism reciprocates the chucking mechanism. With this configuration, the transport roller that supports the center of the substrate from below and the chucking mechanism that grips the edges of the substrate work together, allowing the substrate to be rocked while maintaining a stable orientation and without applying excessive stress to the substrate.

Also, for example, in a configuration in which the lifting mechanism raises and lowers the first and second members between a lower position where the first and second members enter the processing tank and come into contact with the plating solution, and an upper position where the first and second members are retracted above the processing tank, a cleaning mechanism may be further provided that sprays at least one of an airflow and a cleaning solution onto the first and second members in the upper position. With this configuration, the first and second members can be cleaned after being lifted out of the plating solution to remove any remaining plating solution. Therefore, when processing multiple substrates sequentially, residual plating solution can be prevented from adhering to the substrates and reducing processing quality.

Here, for example, if the substrate holder has a moving mechanism that moves the chucking mechanism horizontally, the cleaning mechanism may be provided along the path of movement of the chucking mechanism by the moving mechanism, and configured to spray at least one of an airflow and cleaning liquid onto the first and second members that pass a position opposite the cleaning mechanism. In particular, if multiple chucking mechanisms are provided, the first and second members can be efficiently cleaned by sequentially passing them past a position opposite the cleaning mechanism.

Furthermore, two sets of substrate holders, each having multiple chuck mechanisms, may be provided, and a moving mechanism provided on one of the two sets of substrate holders and a moving mechanism provided on the other may be configured to selectively position the chuck mechanisms provided on each of the two sets of substrate holders above the processing tank. In this case, the cleaning mechanism may be configured to spray at least one of an airflow and a cleaning liquid against the first member and the second member of the chuck mechanism different from the chuck mechanism positioned above the processing tank. With this configuration, plating and cleaning processes can be performed alternately using the two sets of substrate holders, thereby shortening the processing takt time.

In this case, one of the two sets of substrate holders may be provided with a retraction mechanism that retracts the chuck mechanism in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement by the movement mechanism. With this configuration, it is possible to avoid interference between the chuck mechanisms when swapping the positions of the two sets of substrate holders.

This invention is suitable for use in plating one main surface of a substrate to form a coating. It is particularly effective when processing large rectangular substrates.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Plating device 2 Transport section 4 Plating section 9 Cleaning mechanism 21 Transport roller 41 Processing tank 40, 47 Chuck section (substrate holding section)
43 Traveling mechanism (swinging mechanism, moving mechanism)
45 Anode electrode 400 Chuck mechanism 402 Advance/retreat mechanism 411 First member 412 Cathode electrode 413, 423 Elevation mechanism 415 Sealing member 421 Second member 426 Positioning member 430 Support frame (support member)
470 Retraction mechanism L Plating solution S Substrate Sa Upper surface (one main surface) (of substrate S)

Claims (18)

A plating apparatus for plating at least one main surface of a rectangular substrate,
a treatment tank for storing a plating solution;
an anode electrode that is in contact with the plating solution in the treatment tank;
a substrate holder that holds the substrate in a horizontal position with the one main surface facing upward in the processing tank,
the substrate holding unit has a plurality of chuck mechanisms each having a cathode electrode and configured to hold the substrate while bringing the cathode electrode into contact with the one main surface;
At least one chuck mechanism is disposed on each of at least two opposing sides of the substrate ,
The plating apparatus includes a substrate holding unit having a swing mechanism that moves the plurality of chuck mechanisms, each of which grips the substrate, back and forth in a horizontal direction as a unit . a transport unit that transports the substrate in a horizontal direction while supporting the substrate from below,
The plating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the chuck mechanism holds the substrate at the same vertical position as the position of the substrate supported by the transport unit. the transport unit transports the substrate in a direction parallel to two of the sides of the substrate that are parallel to each other,
The plating apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the chuck mechanisms is disposed on each of the two parallel sides. The plating apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least one chuck mechanism is disposed on each of the two parallel sides and at least one side other than the two parallel sides. A plating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein two or more chuck mechanisms are arranged along one side of the substrate. A plating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the substrate holding unit has a plurality of chuck mechanisms that are identical in structure and shape. The plating apparatus of claim 6, wherein the substrate holding unit has a support member to which multiple chuck mechanisms are attached, and the support member is capable of changing at least one of the positions and number of the chuck mechanisms. Each of the chuck mechanisms comprises:
a first member abutting on the one main surface of the substrate;
a second member that abuts against the other main surface of the substrate opposite to the one main surface;
7. The plating apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the first member and the second member relative to each other to grip and release the substrate, and the cathode electrode is attached to the underside of the first member. The plating apparatus of claim 8, wherein an annular sealing member surrounding the cathode electrode is provided on the underside of the first member. 9. The plating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein each of the chuck mechanisms has an advancing/retracting mechanism that moves the second member relatively to the first member in a horizontal direction. 9. The plating apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the second member is provided with a positioning member that abuts against an end face of the substrate to determine the horizontal position of the substrate. The plating apparatus of claim 11, wherein the side of the positioning member facing the substrate is tapered downward so that it becomes farther away from the substrate. a transport roller that transports the substrate in a horizontal direction by rotating while supporting the substrate from below,
2. The plating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the swinging mechanism reciprocates the chuck mechanism, the transport roller changes its rotation direction in synchronization with the reciprocating movement. the lifting mechanism lifts and lowers the first member and the second member between a lower position where the first member and the second member enter the treatment tank and come into contact with the plating solution, and an upper position where the first member and the second member are retracted above the treatment tank;
9. The plating apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a cleaning mechanism that sprays at least one of an airflow and a cleaning liquid onto said first member and said second member in said upper position. the substrate holding unit has a moving mechanism that moves the chuck mechanism in a horizontal direction,
The plating apparatus of claim 14, wherein the cleaning mechanism is provided along a path of movement of the chuck mechanism by the moving mechanism, and sprays at least one of the air flow and the cleaning liquid onto the first member and the second member passing through a position opposite the cleaning mechanism. two sets of the substrate holders, each set having a plurality of the chuck mechanisms;
the moving mechanism provided on one of the two sets of substrate holding parts and the moving mechanism provided on the other of the two sets of substrate holding parts selectively position the chuck mechanisms provided on each of the two sets of substrate holding parts above the processing tank;
The plating apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the cleaning mechanism sprays at least one of the air flow and the cleaning liquid against the first member and the second member of the chuck mechanism that is different from the chuck mechanism positioned above the processing tank. The plating apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein one of the two sets of substrate holders is provided with a retraction mechanism that retracts the chuck mechanism in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement by the movement mechanism. A plating method for plating at least one main surface of a rectangular substrate, comprising:
In a treatment tank containing a plating solution, the substrate is held in a horizontal position with the one main surface facing upward by a substrate holder and immersed in the plating solution;
the substrate holding unit has a plurality of chuck mechanisms each having a cathode electrode and configured to hold the substrate while bringing the cathode electrode into contact with the one main surface;
At least one chuck mechanism is disposed on each of at least two opposing sides of the substrate,
the substrate holding unit is provided with a swinging mechanism that moves the plurality of chuck mechanisms, each of which grips the substrate, back and forth in a horizontal direction together;
a plating method in which the one main surface is plated by passing current between an anode electrode that is in contact with the plating solution in the processing tank and the cathode electrode while the swinging mechanism swings the substrate in the processing tank by reciprocating the chuck mechanism .