Plating device for improving plating quality and preventing gloss deterioration of objects to be plated

Abstract

The present invention relates to a plating device for improving plating quality and preventing gloss deterioration of an object to be plated. An object of the present invention is to improve both plating quality and manufacturing yield of a vertical continuous plating bath or a general dip-type plating bath. In an embodiment, the present invention provides a plating device for improving plating quality and preventing gloss deterioration of an object to be plated, wherein the plating device includes a plating bath, an e-duct, a substrate mounting bar, and a mounting bar moving unit. Thus, the inventive plating device injects pressure through the e-duct while moving the to-be-plated object in the forward/rearward, left/right, and upward/downward directions within the plating bath, so that the influence of the e-duct can be evenly applied to to-be-plated objects with different aspect ratios and thicknesses.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plating device for improving plating quality and preventing gloss deterioration of objects to be plated, wherein the plating device comprises:
 a plating bath ( 110 ) configured to allow a plating solution to be filled therein;   an e-duct ( 120 ) configured to be supported at its upper end by an e-duct support ( 121 ) mounted at an upper portion of the plating bath ( 110 ), and mounted on the inner sidewalls of the plating bath ( 110 ) so as to be movable in the left/right direction (i.e., x-axis direction) of the plating bath, the e-duct being connected to a circulation pump ( 122 ), which sucks in and discharges the plating solution in the plating bath ( 110 ), by means of a connection tube ( 123 ) so as to inject the plating solution discharged from the circulation pump ( 122 ) into the plating bath ( 110 ) under high pressure;   a substrate mounting bar ( 130 ) disposed at the upper portion of the plating bath ( 110 ) so as to be movable in the left/right direction (i.e., x-axis direction) and the forward/rearward direction (i.e., y-axis direction) of the plating bath, and configured to grip an object ( 101 ) to be plated to allow the object to be moved and electrically conducted in the left/right and forward/rearward directions within the plating bath ( 110 ); and   a mounting bar moving unit ( 140 ) disposed on an upper portion of the substrate mounting bar ( 130 ), and configured to independently move the substrate mounting bar ( 130 ) in the left/right and forward/rearward directions of the plating bath, respectively, so as to adjust the position of the to-be-plated object ( 101 ) within the plating bath ( 110 ) or the separation distance between the e-duct ( 120 ) and the to-be-plated object ( 101 ),   wherein the mounting bar moving unit  140  comprises:   a base frame ( 141 ) comprising a plurality of vertical supports ( 141   a ) which are respectively installed on the left and right sides of both the front and rear of the outer periphery of the plating bath so as to be opposed to each other on the left and right sides to perform a vertical supporting function, and a plurality of horizontal supports ( 141   b ) configured to horizontally interconnect the respective vertical supports in the forward/rearward and left/right directions thereof;   an upper support ( 142 ) installed to extend vertically upward from the top surfaces of the left and right horizontal supports ( 141   b ) of the base frame ( 141 ), the upper support being opposed to each other on the left and right sides at a position retracted from the front by a predetermined distance;   a y-axis moving support ( 143 ) respectively installed on the left and right sides thereof, and configured to horizontally interconnect the intermediate portions of the left and right upper supports ( 142 );   a y-axis driving cylinder ( 144 ) respectively installed underneath each of the left and right y-axis moving supports ( 143 ) along the longitudinal direction of the y-axis moving support ( 143 ), and connected to a second motor ( 144   a ) and a second cam ( 144   b ) so as to be operated in cooperation with the y-axis moving support ( 143 ) by the rotational movement of the second motor ( 144   a ) and the linear movement of the second cam ( 144   b ), allowing the y-axis driving cylinder  144  and the y-axis moving support ( 143 ) to reciprocate simultaneously along the forward/rearward direction (i.e., y-axis) of the plating bath;   a y-axis moving bar ( 145 ) horizontally disposed above the plating bath and is vertically fixed at both ends to the left and right y-axis driving cylinders ( 144 ) to allow the y-axis moving bar ( 145 ) to be horizontally moved in the forward/rearward direction (i.e., y-axis) of the plating bath by the simultaneous reciprocating movement of the left and right y-axis driving cylinders ( 144 );   an x-axis moving bar ( 146 ) coupled to the underside of the y-axis moving bar ( 145 ) by means of a third motor ( 146   a ), a third cam ( 146   b ), and an x-axis driving cylinder ( 146   c ) so that the x-axis moving bar ( 146 ) can be horizontally moved in the forward/rearward direction (i.e., y-axis) of the plating bath together with the y-axis moving bar ( 145 ), and further can reciprocate along the second x-axis (i.e., an x-axis positioned at a different height from the first x-axis, while being oriented in the left/right direction of the plating bath) in cooperation with the y-axis moving bar ( 145 ) through the linear movement of the third cam ( 146   b ), which is caused by the rotational movement of the third motor ( 146   a ), and the reciprocating movement of the x-axis driving cylinder ( 146   c ); and   a V-saddle assembly ( 147 ) respectively detachably mounted to the left and right ends of the x-axis moving bar ( 146 ), and configured to support the substrate mounting bar ( 130 ) at both the left and right ends of the x-axis moving bar ( 146 ) so as to be movable along the second x-axis of the plating bath ( 110 ) at a position higher than that of the e-duct support ( 121 ),   whereby the mounting bar moving unit ( 140 ) independently moves the substrate mounting bar ( 130 ) in the left/right (i.e., second x-axis) and forward/rearward (i.e., y-axis) directions of the plating bath ( 110 ), respectively, so as to adjust the position of the to-be-plated object ( 101 ) within the plating bath ( 110 ) or the separation distance between the e-duct ( 120 ) and the to-be-plated object ( 101 ).   
     
     
         2 . The plating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the plating bath ( 110 ) is one of a general dip-type plating bath and a vertical continuous plating bath, where copper (Cu), gold (Au), or nickel (Ni) is electroplated on a single or multiple to-be-plated objects ( 101 ). 
     
     
         3 . The plating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the e-duct ( 120 ) is arranged in such a manner as to be equidistantly spaced apart from each other, extending downward from the e-duct support ( 121 ) and oriented perpendicular to the upper portion of the plating bath ( 110 ), and
 wherein the e-duct ( 120 ) comprises a first nozzle ( 120   a ) and a second nozzle ( 120   b ), which are different in the diameter of the injection hole and the intensity of the injection pressure, and are alternatively arranged adjacent to each other.   
     
     
         4 . The plating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the e-duct ( 120 ) is mounted on the front and rear inner sidewalls of the plating bath ( 110 ) so as to be opposed to each other in order to improve the ability to remove air adhered to the to-be-plated object ( 101 ) or the ability to stir, filter, and circulate the plating solution. 
     
     
         5 . The plating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the e-duct ( 120 ) is connected to the circulation pump ( 122 ) by means of the flexible connection tube ( 123 ) in order to allow for the smooth movement of the e-duct support ( 121 ). 
     
     
         6 . The plating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the e-duct support ( 121 ) is supported at its left and right ends by a mounting bar moving unit ( 140 ), and comprises:
 a first motor ( 121   a ) and a first cam ( 121   b ), which are installed at one side thereof, to provide a power necessary for the horizontal movement thereof in the first x-axis direction; and   a plurality of first cylinders ( 121   c ) interposed between the e-duct support ( 121 ) and the horizontal support ( 141   b ) to reciprocate in the first x-axis direction,   whereby the e-duct support ( 121 ) is horizontally moved in the first x-axis direction of the plating bath  110  by the rotational movement of the first motor ( 121   a ), the linear movement of the first cam ( 121   b ), and the reciprocating movement of the first cylinder ( 121   c ).   
     
     
         7 . The plating device according to  claim 1 , wherein the mounting bar moving unit  140  further comprises a z-axis moving bar ( 148 ) coupled to the top of the y-axis moving bar ( 145 ) by means of a fourth motor ( 148   a ), a fourth cam ( 148   b ), and a z-axis driving cylinder ( 148   c ) in a state of being supported at both ends by the upper supports ( 142 ) so as to be liftable orthogonally to the upper supports ( 142 ) so that the z-axis moving bar  148  can reciprocate in the upward/downward direction (i.e., z-axis) of the plating bath in cooperation with the y-axis moving bar ( 145 ) through the rotational movement of the fourth motor  148   a , the linear movement of the fourth cam  148   b , and the reciprocating movement of the z-axis driving cylinder  148   c,  
 whereby the mounting bar moving unit moves the substrate mounting bar ( 130 ) in the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions of the plating bath ( 110 ) above the plating bath ( 110 ). 
 
     
     
         8 . The plating device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a shield ( 150 ) disposed in front of the e-duct ( 120 ) so as to be spaced apart from the e-duct ( 120 ) inwardly from the inner sidewalls of the plating bath ( 110 ) in such a manner as to be positioned beyond the size of the to-be-plated object ( 101 ), the shield being configured to block the migration of metal irons caused by the e-duct ( 120 ) at the position beyond the size of the to-be-plated object ( 101 ), thereby preventing excessive plating at the edge of the to-be-plated object ( 101 ). 
     
     
         9 . The plating device according to  claim 8 , wherein the shield ( 150 ) is disposed in pairs on both the left and right sides within the plating bath ( 110 ). 
     
     
         10 . The plating device according to  claim 8 , wherein the shield ( 150 ) is disposed in pairs on both the front and rear sides of the substrate mounting bar ( 130 ) within the plating bath ( 110 ) so as to be opposed to each other. 
     
     
         11 . The plating device according to  claim 8 , wherein the shield ( 150 ) comprises:
 a shield plate mounting bar ( 151 ) with a rectangular frame shape, which is mounted at both ends on the V-saddle assembly ( 147 ) of the mounting bar moving unit ( 140 );   a plurality of plates ( 150   a ,  150   b ) fixedly shield supported by the shield plate mounting bar ( 151 ) so as to be horizontally movable along the x-axis of the plating bath, and respectively disposed on both the front and rear sides of the substrate mounting ( 130 ), the bar shield plates being configured to block the flow of the plating solution high-pressure injected from the e-duct ( 120 ) respectively mounted on the front and rear inner sidewalls of the plating bath ( 110 ); and   a plurality of fastening members ( 153 ) configured to fasten the plurality of shield plates ( 150   a  and  150   b ) to the shield plate mounting bar ( 151 ) in a horizontally movable manner.   
     
     
         12 . The plating device according to  claim 11 , wherein each of the shield plates ( 150   a  and  150   b ) comprises a slot-shaped fastening member through-hole ( 150   c ) horizontally formed at an upper end thereof,
 wherein the shield plate mounting bar ( 151 ) comprises a slot-shaped shield plate engaging hole ( 151   a ) formed along the longitudinal direction thereof,   whereby the shield ( 150 ) is configured as a foldable type structure in which the plurality of shield plates ( 150   a  and  150   b ) can be folded or unfolded to adjust their width or size depending on the size of the to-be-plated object ( 101 ) by the plurality of fastening members ( 153 ) through the fastening member through-hole ( 150   c ) and the shield plate engaging hole ( 151   a ), thereby enabling the overall area or size of the shield to be adjusted.