Film forming apparatus for forming metal film and film forming method for forming metal film

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023122871-A1
Application number	US-202218045512-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 11, 2022
Priority date	Oct 14, 2021
Publication date	Apr 20, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a film forming apparatus and a film forming method capable of forming a homogenous metal film by suppressing accumulation of an electrolytic solution between a solid electrolyte membrane and a substrate. A film forming apparatus for forming a metal film includes an anode; a solid electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and a substrate; a power supply that applies a current between the anode and the substrate; a mount base including a housing recess according to a shape of the substrate that is housed therein; and a housing including a storing chamber that stores an electrolytic solution together with the anode and having the solid electrolyte membrane attached thereto to seal the storing chamber. The mount base includes a liquid discharge portion that discharges the electrolytic solution having passed through the solid electrolyte membrane from a position facing an end face of a side wall of the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A film forming apparatus for forming a metal film, comprising:
an anode; a solid electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and a substrate that serves as a cathode; a power supply configured to apply a current between the anode and the substrate; a mount base on which the substrate is placed; and a housing including a storing chamber that stores an electrolytic solution together with the anode and having the solid electrolyte membrane attached thereto so as to seal the storing chamber, wherein the current is applied in a state where the solid electrolyte membrane is pressed against the substrate with a fluid pressure of the electrolytic solution in the storing chamber to form a metal film from metal ions contained in the electrolytic solution on a surface of the substrate, and the mount base includes a liquid discharge portion configured to discharge the electrolytic solution having passed through the solid electrolyte membrane from a position facing an end face of a side wall of the housing.

2 . The film forming apparatus for forming a metal film according to claim 1 ,
wherein the mount base includes a housing recess that is formed in accordance with a shape of the substrate as a recess for placement, the liquid discharge portion includes a liquid discharge groove, and the liquid discharge groove is formed to surround the housing recess with a distance from an edge of the housing recess.

3 . The film forming apparatus for forming a metal film according to claim 1 , wherein a suction pump that sucks the electrolytic solution from the liquid discharge portion is coupled to the liquid discharge portion.

4 . The film forming apparatus for forming a metal film according to claim 3 , wherein the power supply is configured to apply a current between the anode and the substrate such that a current applied between the anode and the substrate is kept constant during formation of the metal film, the film forming apparatus for forming a metal film further comprising:
a voltmeter configured to measure a voltage across the anode and the substrate; and a control device configured to control starting and stopping of the suction pump, wherein during the formation of the metal film, the control device starts the suction pump when a voltage measured by the voltmeter is equal to or higher than a predetermined voltage value, and stops the suction pump after a lapse of a time set in advance after the suction pump is started.

5 . A film forming method for forming a metal film from metal ions contained in an electrolytic solution on a surface of a substrate by applying a current between an anode and the substrate that serves as a cathode in a state where a solid electrolyte membrane is pressed against the substrate with a fluid pressure of the electrolytic solution stored in a storing chamber, the film forming method comprising:
placing the substrate on a mount base; bringing the solid electrolyte membrane into contact with the substrate placed on the mount base and pressing the solid electrolyte membrane against the substrate with the fluid pressure; and in a state where the solid electrolyte membrane is pressed against the substrate, applying a current between the anode and the substrate to form the metal film on the substrate, wherein in the forming the metal film, the electrolytic solution having passed through the solid electrolyte membrane is discharged from the surface of the mount base at a position facing an end face of a side wall of a housing including the storing chamber.

6 . The film forming method for forming a metal film according to claim 5 ,
wherein the mount base includes a housing recess that is formed in accordance with a shape of the substrate and a liquid discharge groove that is formed to surround the housing recess with a distance from an edge of the housing recess, in the placing the substrate on the mount base, the substrate is placed on the mount base such that the substrate is housed in the housing recess, and in the forming the metal film, discharge of the electrolytic solution is performed through the liquid discharge groove.

7 . The film forming method for forming a metal film according to claim 5 , wherein in the forming the metal film, the discharge of the electrolytic solution is performed while sucking the electrolytic solution by a suction pump.

8 . The film forming method for forming a metal film according to claim 7 , wherein in the forming the metal film, a voltage across the anode and the substrate is measured while the current is kept constant, when a measured voltage is equal to or higher than a predetermined voltage value, suction of the electrolytic solution by the suction pump is started, and after a lapse of a time set in advance after start of the suction, the suction by the suction pump is stopped.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kondoh Haruki

Classifications

• C25D17/02

  Tanks; Installations therefor · CPC title

• C25D5/08

  Electroplating with moving electrolyte e.g. jet electroplating {(using locally applied jets of electrolyte C25D5/026)} · CPC title

• C25D5/22 Primary

  Electroplating combined with mechanical treatment during the deposition · CPC title

• C25D21/12 Primary

  Process control or regulation (controlling or regulating in general G05) · CPC title

• C25D17/004

  Sealing devices · CPC title