Pre-treatment unit for electrolyte membrane and pre-treatment method therefor

Abstract

A pre-treatment unit includes a cutting device in which a cut position is set, in which a strip-shaped electrolyte membrane is cut to have a predetermined length; a boiling device including a fixing jig for detachably fixing a plurality of pieces of an electrolyte membrane with a gap therebetween; and a pair of clips attached to the strip-shaped electrolyte membrane across a width direction of the strip-shaped electrolyte membrane. The fixing jig is provided with locking portions that lock the pair of clips attached to each piece of the electrolyte membrane to the fixing jig such that the plurality of pieces of the electrolyte membrane is stretched with a gap therebetween.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pre-treatment unit for an electrolyte membrane used in a film forming apparatus that forms a metal film on a surface of a substrate via the electrolyte membrane by electroplating, with the electrolyte membrane brought into contact with the substrate,
 the pre-treatment unit comprising:   a cutting device including a path forming member that forms a transfer path on which a strip-shaped electrolyte membrane is horizontally paid off from a rolled-up electrolyte membrane and a leading end portion of the strip-shaped electrolyte membrane is vertically hung down, wherein a cut position is set, in which the strip-shaped electrolyte membrane is cut into a plurality of pieces of the electrolyte membrane in a horizontally extending portion of the strip-shaped electrolyte membrane, each piece having a predetermined length;   a boiling device including a fixing jig for detachably fixing the plurality of pieces of the electrolyte membrane with a gap therebetween, and a boiling tank for immersing the plurality of pieces of the electrolyte membrane together with the fixing jig and boiling the plurality of pieces of the electrolyte membrane; and   a pair of clips attached to the leading end portion of the strip-shaped electrolyte membrane before cut and a portion adjacent to the cut position, across a width direction of the strip-shaped electrolyte membrane, so as to be arranged at opposite ends in a length direction of each piece of the electrolyte membrane cut by the cutting device,   wherein the fixing jig is provided with locking portions that lock the pair of clips attached to each piece of the electrolyte membrane to the fixing jig such that the plurality of pieces of the electrolyte membrane is stretched with a gap therebetween.   
     
     
         2 . The pre-treatment unit for the electrolyte membrane according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the film forming apparatus includes an apparatus body having a housing recess in which a plating solution is contained, and a frame attached to the apparatus body together with the electrolyte membrane to cover the housing recess with the electrolyte membrane,   wherein the frame includes an inner frame on which the electrolyte membrane is stretched, and an outer frame that sandwiches a peripheral edge of the electrolyte membrane with the inner frame,   the pre-treatment unit further comprising a film tensioning device for stretching the electrolyte membrane on an opening to cover the opening of the inner frame with the boiled electrolyte membrane from above,   wherein the film tensioning device has a mount base on which the inner frame is placed, and   wherein a length of the mount base along a horizontal direction is shorter than a length of the electrolyte membrane such that tension acts on the electrolyte membrane due to a weight of the pair of clips attached to the opposite ends, with the opening of the inner frame covered with the electrolyte membrane from above.   
     
     
         3 . The pre-treatment unit for the electrolyte membrane according to  claim 2 , wherein the mount base includes an engagement projection that engages the inner frame to fill an internal space of the inner frame from below. 
     
     
         4 . The pre-treatment unit for the electrolyte membrane according to  claim 3 , wherein the film tensioning device further includes a guide mechanism that guides the outer frame to the inner frame to fit the outer frame to the inner frame from above, with the opening of the inner frame covered with the electrolyte membrane from above. 
     
     
         5 . A pre-treatment method for the electrolyte membrane using the pre-treatment unit according to  claim 4 , the pre-treatment method comprising:
 attaching the clips to the leading end portion of the strip-shaped electrolyte membrane and the portion adjacent to the cut position and cutting the strip-shaped electrolyte membrane in the cut position with tension applied to the strip-shaped electrolyte membrane with a weight of the clip attached to the leading end portion;   stretching the plurality of pieces of the electrolyte membrane with a gap therebetween by locking the pair of clips attached to each piece of the electrolyte membrane to the locking portions of the fixing jig, and immersing the plurality of pieces of the electrolyte membrane together with the fixing jig in the boiling tank and boiling the plurality of pieces of the electrolyte membrane; and   applying tension to the electrolyte membrane with the weight of the pair of clips attached to the opposite ends by covering the opening of the inner frame with the electrolyte membrane from above while an engagement projection is engaged with the inner frame to fill the internal space of the inner frame from below, sandwiching the electrolyte membrane between the outer frame and the inner frame by guiding the outer frame to the inner frame by the guide mechanism, and stretching the electrolyte membrane on the opening of the frame.