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Electroplating apparatusRelated Patent Categories: Chemistry: Electrical And Wave Energy, Apparatus, Electrolytic, CellsElectroplating apparatus description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060237304, Electroplating apparatus. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the foreign priority benefit under Title 35, United States Code, .sctn.119(a)-(d) of Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-125538, filed on Apr. 22, 2005 in the Japan Patent Office, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to an electroplating apparatus for performing electroplating and anodic oxidation on surfaces of, for example, wafers, glass substrates, and ceramic substrates. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] In recent years, electroplating technologies are applied to various kinds of technical fields, including wiring technologies in semi-conductors. In the field of semi-conductors, wiring pitches are required to be reduced to accomplish high integration and performance. For example, in a wiring technology employed in latest years, an interlayer insulated film is formed, and then dry etching process is performed on the interlayer insulated film to form wiring grooves into which wiring material is electroplated and filled. [0006] To achieve such an electroplating technology, it is required to electroplate wiring material evenly in grooves which are formed on an object to be electroplated. For this purpose, the applicant has proposed an electroplating apparatus which forms an even electroplating film on a surface to be electroplated of an object to be electroplated. (Refer to JP 2003-301299A, for example.) [0007] In the above-mentioned electroplating apparatus, a cathode plate, which is the object to be electroplated, and an anode plate are placed to face each other in a solution tank inside which electroplating solution is poured. A power source is connected to the cathode plate and the anode plate in order to generate electric field between the cathode plate and the anode plate to electroplate a surface of the cathode plate. [0008] By the way, in the electroplating apparatus described in JP 2003-301299A, bubbles mainly composed of hydrogen are generated from the surface to be electroplated of the cathode plate while the cathode plate is being electroplated. Then, the bubbles rise along the surface to be electroplated of the cathode plate one after another since the cathode plate, as well as the anode plate, is placed vertically in the solution tank. Accordingly, a thickness of an electroplating film formed on the surface to be electroplated of the cathode plate becomes uneven since the bubbles go along the surface to be electroplated of the cathode plate. As a result, there is a problem that high quality of the electroplating film cannot be always assured. [0009] To solve such a problem, in a well-known method, an electroplating apparatus is rotated by 90 degrees after a cathode plate and an anode plate are installed vertically. Then, the cathode plate in a lower position and the anode plate in a higher position are held horizontally to prevent bubbles from going directly along the surface of the cathode plate. However, such a method requires another device to rotate the electroplating apparatus. Accordingly, there is a problem that the whole electroplating apparatus becomes large and complicated. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] In view of such a background, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electroplating apparatus which is able to form an electroplating film with an even thickness all over a surface to be electroplated so as to improve quality of the electroplating film, as well as to downsize and simplify the whole electroplating apparatus. [0011] To solve the above-mentioned problem, in one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electroplating apparatus including a solution tank which has at least a bottom plate and a side plate, and inside which electroplating solution is poured, and a cathode plate and an anode plate which are horizontally placed so as to face each other in the electroplating solution in the solution tank. In the electroplating apparatus, one plate of the cathode plate and the anode plate is an object to be electroplated and placed in a lower position than the other plate. In addition, an opening through which the cathode plate and the anode plate are inserted into the solution tank is provided in the side plate of the solution tank. Furthermore, a shield plate which is detachable shields the opening of the solution tank. [0012] In such a configuration, when the cathode plate and the anode plate are installed, the cathode plate and the anode plate are inserted into the solution tank through the opening provided in the side plate of the solution tank. Accordingly, it is easy to install the cathode plate and the anode plate horizontally and parallel each other in the solution tank. In addition, the one plate of the cathode plate and the anode plate, which is an object to be electroplated, is placed in the lower position than the other plate. Therefore, it is possible to let bubbles which are mainly composed of hydrogen and generated from a surface to be electroplated of the one plate, go up directly to outside without going along the surface to be electroplated of the one plate. Moreover, it is also easy to install the cathode plate and the anode plate horizontally in the solution tank as described above. Consequently, a large scale device which rotates the whole solution tank by 90 degrees described in the well-known method is not required. In the present invention, the object to be electroplated may be connected to a negative electrode of a power source in order that the surface of the object to be electroplated is electroplated. Moreover, the object to be electroplated may be also connected to a positive electrode of the power source in order that an anodic film, which is an oxide film, is formed on the surface of the object to be electroplated. [0013] In the electroplating apparatus, a slot which holds the cathode plate and/or the anode plate horizontally may be provided in the side plate of the solution tank. [0014] In such a configuration, it is required only to engage the cathode plate and/or the anode plate in the slot provided in the side plate of the solution tank in order to hold the cathode plate and/or the anode plate horizontally in the solution tank. Accordingly, it is easy to install the cathode plate and/or the anode plate. [0015] In the electroplating apparatus, a plurality of the slots which hold the cathode plate and/or the anode plate horizontally may be vertically arranged in the side plate of the solution tank in order to adjust a height of the cathode plate and/or the anode plate. [0016] In such a configuration, it is possible to change a vertical installation position of the cathode plate and/or the anode plate so as to change a distance between the cathode plate and the anode plate. Therefore, it is possible to properly control, for example, a thickness of an electroplating film formed on the surface to be electroplated of the cathode plate (or the anode plate) which is the object to be electroplated. [0017] In the electroplating apparatus, the slots may be used to adjust a height of the other plate. In addition, a conductive member which conducts electricity to the other plate may be inserted downward from above toward inside of the solution tank into the other plate so as to be electrically connected to the other plate. Moreover, the conductive member may be supported in the solution tank in such a manner that a height of the conductive member is adjustable corresponding to the height of the other plate. [0018] In such a configuration, the conductive member is inserted downward from above toward inside of the solution tank. Thus, an end of the conductive member can be electrically connected to the other plate, which is placed in the higher of two positions of the cathode plate and the anode plate. Moreover, when the height of the other plate in the higher position is changed, the height of the conductive member is adjusted corresponding to the height of the other plate in the higher position. Consequently, it is easy to engage and electrically connect the conductive member to the other plate in the higher position. [0019] In the electroplating apparatus, the one plate may be cantilevered and attached to the shield plate. [0020] In such a configuration, to install the one plate, which is placed in the lower of two positions of the cathode plate and the anode plate, the one plate is attached to the shield plate in advance and then installed in the solution tank. Accordingly, the one plate can be easily cantilevered and attached to the shield plate. Thus, a worker does not need to bother to extend his/her hand into the opening of the solution tank to install the one plate in the lower position. Moreover, to install the shield plate to the solution tank, only one edge of the one plate in the lower position needs to be cantilevered. After the shield plate has been installed in the solution tank, the other edge of the one plate in the lower position can be, for example, hung on a portion of the solution tank which faces the shield plate or engaged in a slot formed in the solution tank so that both sides of the one plate can be supported. Therefore, the one plate in the lower position is stably held in the solution tank. In addition, a bolt having a head may be attached to the lower side of the other end of the one plate in the lower position in order to support the other end of the one plate with the head of the bolt being touched on the bottom of the solution tank. [0021] In the electroplating apparatus, a conductive member which conducts electricity to the one plate may pass through the shield plate horizontally toward inside of the solution tank so as to be electrically connected to the one plate. Continue reading about Electroplating apparatus... 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