Plating apparatus and plating method

Abstract

A plating apparatus employs a dipping method with good gas-bubble releasability and, by regulating the flow of plating solution in a plating tank, can enhance the in-plane uniformity of a thickness of a plated film. The plating apparatus includes a plating tank for holding a plating solution, a plating solution jet nozzle having a slit-like plating solution jet orifice for jetting the plating solution toward a surface to be plated of an object to be plated disposed in the plating tank, and a plating solution supply section for supplying the plating solution to the plating solution jet nozzle.

1 . A plating apparatus comprising: 
 a plating tank for holding a plating solution;    a plating solution jet nozzle having a slit-like plating solution jet orifice for jetting the plating solution toward a surface to be plated of an object to be plated disposed in the plating tank; and    a plating solution supply section for supplying the plating solution to the plating solution jet nozzle.    
   
   
       2 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the plating solution jet nozzles is disposed in parallel with each other in the plating tank.  
   
   
       3 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a flow rate distribution section for distributing the flow rate of the plating solution to the plurality of plating solution jet nozzles in consideration of the flow conductance of the plating solution.    
   
   
       4 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a nozzle movement mechanism for moving the plating solution jet nozzle parallel to the surface to be plated of the object to be plated.  
   
   
       5 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the plating apparatus further comprises a flow rate control section for controlling the flow rate of the plating solution jetted from the plating solution jet orifice, and the plating solution jet orifice has a width of 0.05 to 1.0 mm.  
   
   
       6 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the velocity of the plating solution, jetted from the plating solution jet orifice of the plating solution jet nozzle, is 5 to 20 m/sec in the vicinity of the plating solution jet orifice.  
   
   
       7 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a flow rate monitor section for monitoring the flow rate of the plating solution jetted from the plating solution jet orifice and/or a pressure monitor section for monitoring the pressure in the plating solution jet nozzle.  
   
   
       8 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising; 
 a flow rate sensor for detecting the flow rate of the plating solution jetted from the plating solution jet orifice and/or a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in the plating solution jet nozzle; and    a plating solution flow rate regulation section for regulating the flow rate of the plating solution by feeding back a detection signal of the flow rate sensor and/or the pressure sensor to the plating solution supply section.    
   
   
       9 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the distance between the front end of the plating solution jet orifice and the object to be plated is 1 to 30 mm.  
   
   
       10 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an anode disposed between the plating solution jet nozzle and the object to be plated.  
   
   
       11 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an anode disposed in the plating solution jet nozzle.  
   
   
       12 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the plating solution supply section includes a pump for feeding out the plating solution discharged from the plating tank, and a plating solution supply pipe connecting the pump with the plating solution jet nozzle, and at least part of the plating solution supply pipe is formed of a flexible material so that it can follow a movement of the plating solution jet nozzle.  
   
   
       13 . A plating method comprising: 
 disposing an object to be plated and a plating solution jet nozzle having a slit-like plating solution jet orifice opposite to each other in a plating solution in a plating tank; and    jetting the plating solution from the plating solution jet orifice while moving the plating solution jet nozzle parallel to a surface to be plated of the object to be plated.    
   
   
       14 . A plating apparatus comprising: 
 a plating tank for holding a plating solution;    a holder for holding an object to be plated, feeding electricity to the object to be plated, and bringing a surface to be plated of the object to be plated into contact with the plating solution in the plating tank;    an anode disposed in the plating solution in the plating tank;    a plating solution stirring section, disposed between the anode and the object to be plated held by the holder, for stirring the plating solution in the plating tank; and    a plating power source for periodically applying a voltage between the object to be plated and the anode;    wherein the plating solution is stirred by the plating solution stirring section when no voltage is applied between the object to be plated and the anode, whereas the stirring of the plating solution by the plating solution stirring section is stopped when the voltage is applied between the object to be plated and the anode.    
   
   
       15 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the plating solution stirring section is comprised of a paddle which reciprocates parallel to the surface to be plated of the object to be plated held by the holder.  
   
   
       16 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the plating solution stirring section is comprised of a plating solution jet nozzle for jetting the plating solution toward the surface to be plated of the object to be plated held by the holder.  
   
   
       17 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the voltage is applied between the object to be plated and the anode so that the current density becomes 0.1 to 0.8 A/dm 2 .  
   
   
       18 . A plating method comprising: 
 disposing an object to be plated and an anode opposite to each other in a plating solution in a plating tank;    periodically applying a voltage between the object to be plated and the anode; and    stirring the plating solution between the object to be plated and the anode when no voltage is applied between the object to be plated and the anode, and stopping the stirring of the plating solution between the object to be plated and the anode when the voltage is applied between the object to be plated and the anode.    
   
   
       19 . The plating method according to  claim 18 , wherein the plating solution is stirred by reciprocating a paddle, disposed between the object to be plated and the anode, parallel to the object to be plated, and the stirring of the plating solution is stopped by stopping the movement of the paddle.  
   
   
       20 . The plating method according to  claim 18 , wherein the plating solution is stirred by jetting the plating solution from a plating solution jet nozzle, disposed between the object to be plated and the anode, toward the object to be plated, and the stirring of the plating solution is stopped by stopping the jetting of the plating solution from the plating solution jet nozzle.  
   
   
       21 . The plating method according to  claim 18 , wherein the voltage is applied between the object to be plated and the anode so that the current density becomes 0.1 to 0.8 A/dm 2 .