Electrode structure, substrate holder, and method for forming anodic oxidation layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9315916-B2
Application number	US-201113990208-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2011
Priority date	Nov 30, 2010
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

An electrode structure of the present invention includes: an aluminum electrode which is to be in contact with a surface of an aluminum base; a fixing member for fixing the aluminum electrode on the surface of the aluminum base; an elastic member provided between the fixing member and the aluminum base; a lead wire which is electrically connected to the aluminum electrode at least under a certain condition; and a cover member which is tightly closed with the lead wire penetrating through an opening.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrode structure for anodizing a surface of an aluminum base, comprising:
an aluminum electrode which is to be in contact with the surface of the aluminum base;
a fixing member for fixing the aluminum electrode on the surface of the aluminum base;
an elastic member provided between the fixing member and the aluminum base;
a lead wire which is electrically connected to the aluminum electrode at least under a certain condition; and
a cover member which has an opening, the cover member covering at least part of the aluminum electrode, the cover member being tightly closed with the lead wire penetrating through the opening of the cover member.

2. The electrode structure of claim 1 , wherein the electrode structure includes a plurality of electrode portions each of which includes the aluminum electrode, the fixing member, the elastic member, the lead wire, and the cover member.

3. The electrode structure of claim 2 , wherein
the aluminum base has a shape of a circular hollow cylinder or a circular solid cylinder, and
the plurality of electrode portions are attached to an outside surface of the aluminum base.

4. The electrode structure of claim 1 , wherein
the fixing member has an opening, and
the aluminum electrode includes
a contact region which is provided between the aluminum base and the elastic member, and
a connection region which is electrically connected to the contact region via the opening of the fixing member.

5. The electrode structure of claim 4 , wherein the aluminum electrode includes a continuous electrically-conductive film of the contact region and the connection region.

6. The electrode structure of claim 1 , wherein the lead wire is insulated from the aluminum electrode under another condition.

7. The electrode structure of claim 6 , further comprising
a threaded portion which is formed in the cover member,
an insulative screw which is screwed into the threaded portion,
an electrically-conductive member which is electrically connected to the lead wire inside the cover member, and
a bearing which is provided in the electrically-conductive member for supporting a tip end of the screw.

8. The electrode structure of claim 7 , wherein
when the screw is tightened, the electrically-conductive member comes into contact with the aluminum electrode so that the electrically-conductive member is electrically connected to the aluminum electrode, and
when the screw is loosened, the electrically-conductive member is separated from the aluminum electrode so that the electrically-conductive member is insulated from the aluminum electrode.

9. The electrode structure of claim 1 , wherein the opening of the cover member is provided with a rubber plug.

10. The electrode structure of claim 1 , wherein the cover member is secured to the fixing member using a screw.

11. The electrode structure of claim 1 , wherein the fixing member includes a resin layer.

12. The electrode structure of claim 1 , wherein the cover member is integrally formed with the fixing member.

13. The electrode structure of claim 12 , wherein the cover member and the fixing member are formed by a resin layer.

14. The electrode structure of claim 12 , wherein
the elastic member has an opening, and
the aluminum electrode is electrically connected to the aluminum base via the opening of the elastic member.

15. The electrode structure of claim 12 , wherein in the electrode structure before the electrode structure is attached to the aluminum base, the aluminum electrode is arranged such that a surface of the aluminum electrode is protruding above a surface of the elastic member.

16. A method for forming an anodized layer, comprising the steps of:
providing an aluminum base;
attaching an electrode structure to the aluminum base, the aluminum base including an aluminum electrode which is to be in contact with a surface of the aluminum base, a fixing member for fixing the aluminum electrode on the surface of the aluminum base, an elastic member provided between the fixing member and the aluminum base, a lead wire which is electrically connected to the aluminum electrode at least under a certain condition, and a cover member which has an opening, the cover member covering at least part of the aluminum electrode, the cover member being tightly closed with the lead wire penetrating through the opening of the cover member; and
performing anodization with the surface of the aluminum base being in contact with an electrolytic solution.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein in the step of providing the aluminum base, the aluminum base has a shape of a circular hollow cylinder or a circular solid cylinder.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein in the step of attaching the electrode structure, the electrode structure includes a plurality of electrode portions each of which includes the aluminum electrode, the fixing member, the elastic member, the lead wire, and the cover member, the aluminum electrode of each of the plurality of electrode portions includes a contact region which is provided between the aluminum base and the elastic member, and a connection region which is electrically connected to the contact region via the opening of the fixing member, and the contact regions of the plurality of electrode portions are in a ring arrangement.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of performing etching on the aluminum base after the anodization is performed.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein
the step of performing anodization is carried out with the lead wire and the aluminum electrode being electrically connected to each other, and
the step of performing etching is carried out with the lead wire and the aluminum electrode being insulated from each other.

Assignees

• Hayashi Hidekazu
• Minoura Kiyoshi
• Isurugi Akinobu
• Sharp Kk

Inventors

• Hayashi Hidekazu
• Minoura Kiyoshi
• Isurugi Akinobu

Classifications

• C25D11/005 Primary

  Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic conversion coating (apparatus in general for electrolytic coating C25D17/00) · CPC title

• C25D11/04

  of aluminium or alloys based thereon · CPC title

• C25D11/24

  Chemical after-treatment · CPC title

• C25D17/005 Primary

  Contacting devices · CPC title

• C25D17/10

  Electrodes {, e.g. composition, counter electrode} · CPC title