Method and Apparatus for Performing Immersion Tin Process or Copper Plating Process in the Production of a Component Carrier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021108315-A1
Application number	US-202016948969-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 8, 2020
Priority date	Oct 10, 2019
Publication date	Apr 15, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of performing an immersion tin process in the production of a component carrier is provided which includes immersing at least a part of a copper surface of the component carrier in a composition containing Sn(II) in an immersion tin unit, while passing a non-oxidizing gas through the immersion tin unit, wherein at least part of the non-oxidizing gas is recycled. In addition, an apparatus for performing an immersion tin process in the production of a component carrier, a method of performing a copper plating process in the production of a component carrier and an apparatus for performing a copper plating process in the production of a component carrier are provided.

First claim

1 . A method of performing an immersion tin process in the production of a component carrier, the method comprising:
immersing at least a part of a copper surface of the component carrier in a composition containing Sn(II) in an immersion tin unit, while passing a non-oxidizing gas through the immersion tin unit, wherein at least part of the non-oxidizing gas is recycled.

2 . The method of performing an immersion tin process in the production of a component carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the composition containing Sn(II) further contains a complexing agent for copper and an acid.

3 . The method of performing an immersion tin process in the production of a component carrier according to claim 2 , wherein the complexing agent for copper comprises thiourea and/or wherein the acid comprises methanesulfonic acid.

4 . The method of performing an immersion tin process in the production of a component carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the immersing step is carried out at a temperature of from 50 to 95° C., in particular 60 to 85° C., in particular 70 to 75° C.; and/or
wherein the immersing step is carried out under elevated gas pressure, in particular 1.02 to 1.2 times atmospheric pressure.

5 . The method of performing an immersion tin process in the production of a component carrier according to claim 1 , wherein the non-oxidizing gas comprises at least 95 vol % of nitrogen.

6 . The method of performing an immersion tin process in the production of a component carrier according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the non-oxidizing gas is recycled and re-used, in particular re-introduced into the immersion tin unit.

7 . The method of performing an immersion tin process in the production of a component carrier according to claim 1 , further comprising:
circulating at least part of the non-oxidizing gas through at least one of a fluid driving unit, a gas-gas heat exchanger, a gas-water heat exchanger, a water removing unit, and/or a H 2 S removing unit.

8 . An apparatus for performing an immersion tin process in the production of a component carrier, the apparatus comprising:
at least one non-oxidizing gas generation unit; at least one immersion tin unit; at least one fluid driving unit; at least one gas-gas heat exchanger; at least one gas-water heat exchanger; at least one water removing unit upstream and/or downstream of the gas-water heat exchanger; at least one H 2 S removing unit.

9 . The apparatus for performing an immersion tin process in the production of a component carrier according to claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is configured for circulating more than 100 m 3 /h, in particular more than 200 m 3 /h, of non-oxidizing gas; and/or
wherein the at least one non-oxidizing gas generation unit and the at least one immersion tin unit are located in the same compartment.

10 . A method of performing a copper plating process in the production of a component carrier, the method comprising:
plating at least a part of a surface of the component carrier with copper in a copper plating unit, while passing a non-oxidizing gas through the copper plating unit, wherein at least part of the non-oxidizing gas is recycled.

11 . The method of performing an immersion tin process in the production of a component carrier according to claim 10 , wherein the plating step is carried out under elevated gas pressure, in particular 1.02 to 1.2 times atmospheric pressure; and/or
wherein the non-oxidizing gas comprises at least 95 vol % of nitrogen.

12 . The method of performing an immersion tin process in the production of a component carrier according to claim 10 , wherein at least part of the non-oxidizing gas is recycled and re-used, in particular re-introduced into the copper plating unit.

13 . An apparatus for performing a copper plating process in the production of a component carrier, the apparatus comprising:
at least one non-oxidizing gas generation unit; at least one copper plating unit; and at least one fluid driving unit.

14 . The apparatus for performing a copper plating process in the production of a component carrier according to claim 13 , further comprising at least one of:
at least one gas-water heat exchanger; at least one water removing unit; at least one gas filter unit; and at least one cooling water supply unit.

15 . The apparatus for performing a copper plating process in the production of a component carrier according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one non-oxidizing gas generation unit and the at least one copper plating unit are located in the same compartment.

Assignees

• At & S Austria Tech & Systemtechnik Ag

Inventors

• Trischler Heinrich

Classifications

• H05K3/3465

  Application of solder · CPC title

• C25D3/38

  of copper · CPC title

• C23C18/1619

  Apparatus for electroless plating · CPC title

• C25D17/00

  Constructional parts, or assemblies thereof, of cells for electrolytic coating · CPC title

• C23C18/1664 Primary

  with additional means during the plating process · CPC title