Apparatus for electro-forming and apparatus for horizontal electro-forming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11530489-B2
Application number	US-201916730582-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2019
Priority date	Dec 31, 2018
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus for electro-forming. The apparatus for electro-forming includes a plating bath which is a space where a substrate is plated and a clamp disposed within the plating bath and configured to grasp the substrate disposed in a horizontal direction. The apparatus for electro-forming further includes an assembly including an anode spaced above the substrate and connected to an external power supply and a plating solution supply unit spaced above the substrate and configured to supply a plating solution. The apparatus for electro-forming also includes a driving unit configured to reciprocate the assembly in a horizontal direction at a distance from the substrate. The assembly further includes an insulator between the anode and the plating solution supply unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a plating bath configured to receive a substrate to be plated;
a clamp disposed within the plating bath and configured to grasp the substrate disposed in a first direction;
an assembly including:
an anode spaced above the plating bath and electrically connected to an external power supply, the anode having a first end surface facing the plating bath;
a plating solution supply spaced above the substrate and configured to supply a plating solution; and
an insulator between the anode and the plating solution supply, the insulator being formed as a distinct structure separate from the anode and the plating solution supply, the insulator having a first end surface facing the plating bath; and

a driving structure configured to reciprocate the assembly in the first direction at a distance from the substrate,
wherein the first end surface of the anode and the first end surface of the insulator are coplanar with each other.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the insulator
has a second end spaced from the first end, opposite the plating bath and a width of the first end surface of the insulator is greater than a width of the second end surface of the insulator.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further including a spray nozzle coupled to the plating solution supply and configured to spray plating solution towards the substrate.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the clamp to fix the substrate in the first direction operates as a cathode.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the clamp pairs up with another clamp and a pair of clamps are disposed facing each other and grasp each end of the substrate.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a controller, wherein as the anode of the assembly moves, the controller controls a sum of a current flowing between the anode and the clamp as well as the current flowing between the anode and the another clamp to be constant.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a controller for regulating a current density to be applied to the clamp and the another clamp depending on a position of the anode moving between the clamp and the another clamp.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the insulator is made of a polymer.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the insulator is made of an inorganic material.

10. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the spray nozzle has an end surface facing the plating bath, the end surface of spray nozzle being coplanar with the first end surface of the insulator and the first end surface of the anode.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plating solution supply is located at each of front and rear ends of the assembly in a movement direction of the assembly and disposed with the anode interposed between the plating solution supply units located at front and rear ends of the assembly.

12. An apparatus comprising:
a plating bath;
an anode spaced above the plating bath and electrically connected to an external power supply, the anode having a first end surface facing the plating bath;
a plating solution supply source spaced above the substrate and configured to supply a plating solution to the plating bath;
a spray nozzle coupled to the plating solution supply and configured to spray plating solution into the plating bath, the spray nozzle having an end surface facing the plating bath; an insulator between the anode and the plating solution supply, the insulator being formed as a distinct structure separate from the anode and the plating solution supply, the insulator having a first end surface facing the plating bath;
wherein the end surface of the spray nozzle is in the same plane as the first end surface of the anode and the first end surface of the insulator.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further including:
a clamp disposed within the plating bath and configured to grasp a substrate disposed in the plating bath.

Assignees

• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoo Byeongsun
• Kim Woochan
• Kim Gotae

Classifications

• C25D1/00

  Electroforming · CPC title

• C25D17/12 Primary

  Shape or form (C25D17/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05D1/02

  performed by spraying · CPC title

• C25D1/10

  Moulds; Masks; Masterforms · CPC title

• C25D17/005

  Contacting devices · CPC title