Plating Method and Apparatus

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for continually processing flat workpieces for metal exchange. More particularly, the invention finds its utility in the plating or deplating of printed circuit boards.

Printed circuit boards, for electronic applications, are normally formed of a relatively inert material such as fiberglass reinforced board. Initially using the common subtractive process they are clad, primarily with a thin coat of copper. This cladding is normally on both sides. Thereafter in order to form the circuit a photoresist is applied to one or both sides of the board. The photoresist is essentially inert to the plating processes, and after exposing and developing defines by voids in the photoresist the circuit which is to be plated. Thereafter the boards are electrically charged becoming a cathode target, and placed in a solution carrying the metal to be deposited. Usually this is copper, tin lead, tin, nickel, or gold. After the metal has been deposited to the predetermined thickness, as in the case of copper, the boards are then washed and subsequently the plated portion is again plated with a tin lead type solder. The tin lead covering is usually plated in essentially the same manner as the copper.

Subsequently the photoresist is removed, and the cladded copper layer is etched off the board. Remaining is the circuit which has been plated to the board covered with the tin lead which is an etch resist since it is not dissolved by the etchant. In some applications, the tin lead may be reflowed, or stripped (removed). In other applications it serves as a solderable surface for joining other electronic components to the printed circuit board.

The above processes are presently carried out in a batch fashion, the boards being positioned (vertically inside) of a plating tank. Considerable handling and monitoring of the processes is required to produce uniformly consistent boards. Depending upon the concentrations of fluid in the plating tanks, and the extent to which they are evenly agitated, and the anode-cathode relationship, the plating can be uneven and non-uniform. Spoilage can result from thumb prints or other marks left by the handling as the boards are moved from station-to-station.

The present invention deals with the continuous metal exchange for workpieces such as a printed circuit board. The workpieces are conveyorized for continuous horizontal transport while oriented vertically into and out of a plating tank. Opposite ends of the tank are provided with vertical slots to receive and discharge the workpieces and are sealed, in the instance illustrated, by opposed rollers. The workpieces are suspended at their upper portion by a non-conductive hanger, the lower portion of which is rendered conductive. When the workpiece enters the plating tank the conductive portion of the hanger suspending the workpiece from the conveyor is energized thereby converting the workpiece to a cathode (or anode if metal is to be removed). A plating solution is inside of the tank and provided with anodes or cathodes energized for metal exchange.

The method is directed to conveyorizing workpieces for continuous horizontal transport while vertically oriented, sealing the opposite ends of a tank while providing for passing the workpieces through the seal at the ends of the tank, rendering the workpieces conductive to a power supply while in the tank, and providing a fluid in the tank for metal exchange in intimate contact with the workpiece.

The alternate method and apparatus is directed to conveyorizing the workpieces for continuous horizontal transport while vertically oriented, then conveying the workpieces downward into a tank of metal exhange solution and upward out of the tank, thus eliminating any sealing at the tank ends, then continuing to convey the workpieces to other processing stations.

In view of the foregoing it is a primary object of the present invention to provide for continuous metal exchange of flat workpieces such as printed circuit boards in a modular station which can be coupled by means of its conveyor to other processing stations.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a plating method and apparatus in which higher plating current densities in the range of 100 to 500 amps per square foot can be employed, thus increasing plating speeds without sacrificing quality. In the prior art current densities employed for plating printed circuit boards are less than 100 amps per square foot. The processing speeds as well as high current density are achieved by a high agitation rate and flow rate of the plating solution.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a plating station and method which insures uniformity of plating or deplating in a continuous fashion by conveying the workpiece through the solution and anodes or cathodes resulting in an averaging effect and more uniform metal exchange, thus plating, a more evenly distributed thickness of plated metal, also the high and uniform solution flow from the spargers (90% to workpiece-10% to the anodes) allow higher current densities, resulting in a much greater plating speed.

Another object of the present invention is to minimize the handling of workpieces such as printed circuit boards thereby reducing the possibility of damage during the processing which can result in rejected product.

A further but also significant object of the present invention is to provide a chain plate on the work hangers for the printed circuit boards which becomes a continuous travelling lid over the unit thereby minimizing vapors and spray mist from leaving the process cells. This substantially reduces the open slot area on the process cells to reduce ventilation needs where the method and apparatus are employed to a very low level. This results in an energy efficient as well as environmentally acceptable process.

Another and important object of the present invention is to provide for the continuous metal exchange with workpieces such as printed circuit boards which achieves the above objectives and is economical and efficient to operate.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description of an illustrative embodiment proceeds taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective diagrammatic view of an illustrative station, coupled with other modules, in this instance for first copper plating, rinsing, and then tin lead plating of printed circuit boards;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section view of the interior portion of the plating station;

FIG. 3 is a perspective partially diagrammatic view of the electrical contact track and shoes for energizing the workpiece, shown as a printed circuit board;

FIG. 4 is a perspective partially diagrammatic view of the end of the station showing the opposed rollers and diagrammatically illustrating the position of anode baskets and plating spargers, also the solution level control gates;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the subject plating station;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the roller assembly;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the roller assembly shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the roller assembly shown in FIG. 6, illustrating the gears in dotted lines;

FIG. 9 is a further perspective view, partially broken away, illustrating the cover plate of the tanks and the means by which the various racks and floating lids are secured in sealed relationship to the tanks;

FIG. 10 is a front elevation, partially diagrammatic, showing an alternative embodiment of the apparatus and method using a single conventional type of plating tank (shown in cross-section);

FIG. 11 is an enlarged section of the left-hand portion of FIG. 10 illustrating in greater detail the curved section on the conveyor.

Shown in FIG. 1 is a modular organization of the subject plating station 10 along with two further stations, the second for rinsing or otherwise processing the plated printed circuit board 11, and a further station substantially identical with the plating station 10 which, rather than plating copper, is used to plate a tin lead over the copper plated printed circuit board 11. The PC boards 11 are suspended by means of a work hanger 12 and are passed to the inner plating tank 14 by means of the horizontal conveyor 15. The horizontal conveyor 15 is desirably supported by the conveyor frames 16 which support not only the conveyor, but the outer tank 19, inner plating tank 14, conveyor 15 and workpiece hanger 12 in fixed coordinated relationship. Plastic chain plates 17 (shown in FIG. 9) are provided to prevent fumes from escaping from the process chambers. The plastic chain plates ride on the surface of the process chamber closing the gap which allows the workpiece hanger to extend into the process chamber. In order to reduce the length of the illustrative plating station 10 and maximize the utilization in the plating tank 14, a roller seal assembly 20 is provided at each end of the inner plating tank. The roller seal assembly includes a pair of rollers 21 and 22 positioned vertically and in flanking relationship with the entry slot 24 provided at each end of the inner plating tanks 14. Hard disc wear surfaces 18 (see FIG. 4) are provided at the lower end of the two rollers 21 and 22 to be in constant contact thereby minimizing leakage and friction at the lower portion of the roller assembly 20. Some leakage is contemplated as the printed circuit boards 11 drivingly pass between the rollers 21 and 22, and spread the elastomeric surface of the rollers somewhat in order to pass through the roller seal assembly 20.

When the work hanger 12 passes adjacent the entry slot 24, a contact track assembly 25 as shown in FIG. 3 is engaged. A contact shoe assembly 30 is provided at a position on the work hanger 12 having opposed contact springs 31 provided with rounded ends 32. As the work hanger 12, carried along by the conveyor 15 to position the printed circuit board 11 for passing through the roller seal assembly 20, the contact shoe assembly is received by the flaired ends 28 of each of the contact bars 26. The upper non-conductive connector 34 which is fastened to the conveyor 15 suspends the lower conductive portion of the work hanger 12 so that the contact shoe assembly 30 frictionally engages the contact track assembly 25. The PC board 11 is secured and energized by means of a clip 35 on the lower conductive portion of the work hanger 12. The contact track assembly 25 is energized by means of the track bus bars 36. At the discharge end of the contact track 25 similar flaired ends 28 permit the contact shoe assembly to pass out of the contact track assembly 25 and thereafter become electrically neutral.

To be noted in FIG. 9 is the chain plate assembly 17, made up of individual chain links 33. The chain links 33 are provided to overlap the slot 66 in the outer tank cover 68 to prevent fumes from escaping from the process chambers. The plastic chain links 33 ride on the surface, thus closing the gap or slot 66 and yet allowing the workpiece hangers 12 to extend into the process chambers in oriented fashion, further shielding the contact track assembly 25 and the contact shoe assembly 30 from such fumes and their attendent corrosive effects. A pin 46 (shown in FIG. 3) is positioned transversely of the workpiece hangers 12 beneath the chain link slot 64 and extends a distance less than the width of the cover slot 66.

While the means for shielding has been shown and described the form of a plastic link 17 overlying the slot 66 and the cover 68, it will be appreciated that other means may be employed. For example, flexible wipers may be positioned and secured adjacent the slot 66 to overlap the same, and flexibly permit the passage of the work hanger 12 and its workpiece 11. Alternatively, a pair of longitudinal manifolds flanking on each side of the central slot 66, and directing a flow of pressurized air down into the slot will significantly impede the passage of spray, fumes, contaminants and the like into the ambient air.

The contact track assembly 25 and contact shoe assembly 30 are electrically activated by the negative bussing 38 (see FIG. 2). The positive bussing 37 is directed to the anode baskets 50. The track buss 36 is fed by the negative bussing 38.

Turning now to FIG. 4, it will be seen that the inner plating tank 14 has its entry slot 24 positioned centrally at one end of the tank 14. The roller seal assembly 20 is secured by means of a back plate assembly 40 to the end of the plating tank 14. At the lower portion of the roller seal assembly 20 a gear housing 41 is provided, and the disk seals 18, preferably formed of teflon or polyethylene, are keyed to their respective rollers 21 and 22 for constant tangential frictional contact. As pointed out above, the spring loaded rollers themselves are provided with an elastomer which will give sufficiently to pass the printed circuit board 11, providing a minor source of leakage of the plating solution through the entry slot 24 (as well as the opposite exit slot). A drive shaft 42 is provided for one of the rollers 21, the gear housing 41 providing for a coordinated driving relationship of the opposite roller 22. The surface speed, in turn, is coordinated with the speed of the conveyor 15.

Turning now to FIGS. 7 and 8, in greater detail, it will be seen that the bottom mount 43, along with the rollers 21, 22 includes a seal plate 47, one on each roller 21, 22 to further reduce leakage. Seal roller bearings 39 are provided at the top and the bottom as well, respectively spring loadedly urging the rollers 21, 22 as well as the gears 53, 53 into operative relationship.

In a ten foot inner plating tank 14, six printed circuit boards 11 (18" wide with 2" between) can be processed at one time at two feet per minute permitting five minutes of plating. Again in FIG. 7, it will be seen that an additional wiper seal assembly 45 is provided, in addition to the rollers 21 and 22, in this instance as shown at the exit slot 49 end of the inner plating tank 14.

The inner plating tank 14, as shown in FIG. 4 (and in more detail in FIG. 2) has spaced anode baskets 50. Two bus brackets 51 are provided at the top of each anode basket 50 and are secured in electrical contact with the anode bus 52 which also serves to support the anode basket 50 including its load of copper chips 54. Also insoluable anodes may be used in replacement of anode baskets when metal replacement of the metal exchange solution is provided with chemicals instead of soluable anode metals.

Vertical tubular spargers 55 are provided on alternate spacings at a mid-position between the anode baskets. The spargers 55 are provided with a vertical row of holes 58 directed to the anodes (see FIG. 2) and another vertical row of holes (56) directed toward the cathodes target or printed circuit board 11. The spargers 55 are fed by means of the manifold assembly 62 to which they are connected, the manifold assembly 62 in turn being supplied by the plating solution pump 13 through the plating solution lines 23.

In a typical commercial operation the fluid employed in the inner plating tank 14 is made up in 250 gallon batches. A typical copper plating station may consist of the following analysis:

A fluid plating pump solution 13 shown in FIG. 2 with a capacity of 300-500 gallons per minute is employed to constantly circulate the fluid through the spargers 55 to pass out through the overflow slots 60 in the inner tank 14, and drop to the bottom of the outer tank 19. Adjusting radial gates (61) are placed in the tank sides to control the solution level and the amount of solution overflow through slots (60). Drainage of the fluid leaking through the roller seal assembly 20 (as shown in FIG. 4) is passed by means of the drain pipe 48 into the pumping circuit plating reservoir 27 for continuously pumping the fluid in the inner tank 14.

By modularizing in eight foot units, and conveyorizing the printed circuit boards 11, it will be seen that they can (as shown in FIG. 1) be subsequently passed through a rinsing station 65, and thereafter to a tin lead plating station 70. In addition, the conveyor 15, being essentially endless, continues to transport the printed circuit boards 11 by means of the work hanger 12 into many other operational stations such as resist stripping, copper etching, tin lead reflowing, cleaning, spray rinsing, hot air drying, oxidizing, etc., thus completing the processing of the printed circuit board 11.

The method contemplated by the present invention commences with the step of conveyorizing a workpiece such as a printed circuit board 11 for continuous horizontal transport while oriented vertically. A plating tank is provided, which the method contemplates sealing at both ends for the passage of a printed circuit board 11 through an entry slot and exit slot 24, 49. The workpiece is energized electrically while in the plating tank and in the plating solution. The fluid in the tank is also energized for metal exchange, the fluid being in intimate wetting contact with the workpiece. Additional specifics of the method include drivingly engaging the PC board 11 by means of opposed driven vertical rollers in timed relationship to the transport of the conveyor 15, and passing the workpiece through the inner plating tank 14. Voltages in the order of 1-12 volts are employed with current densities as high as 500 Amps/f.sup.2 in a typical plating cell. It will be appreciated that the current density will vary in accordance with the speed of transport of the PC boards 11 a range of between 100 to 500 Amps/f.sup.2 being desired. The agitation of the plating cells is approximately 300 gallons per minute. This agitation is desirably spread over an eight foot plating cell, although where a five foot plating cell is employed the same agitation rate exists. In most cases the maximum loading of the plating cell is 32 square feet of printed circuit board per eight foot cell. Nozzle pressures approximate 20-30 psi thus providing a high rate of fluid contact and agitation in combination with the high current densities per square foot to avoid polarization where such high current densities exist.

The alternative embodiment and method are illustrated in FIGS. 10-11. The same reference numerals are noted as in the primary embodiment and method. The principal distinction between the alternative embodiment and the principal embodiment just described is the provision of a curved section 67 in the conveyor 15 which, because the plating tank is lengthened, permits dipping the PC boards 11 into the fluid in a conventional plating tank 63. The contact track assembly 25 begins and ends at a position remote from the two ends of the inner plating tank 14. The contact bars 26 are provided with flared ends 28, in the same fashion as shown partially diagrammatically in FIG. 3. The plastic chain links 33 are the same as shown in the principal embodiment, as well as the cover 68, the position of the spargers 55, and the anode basket 50. For purposes of illustration, the section shown in FIG. 2 is appropriate for this embodiment. Optionally lateral guides (not shown) may be desirable and fixed in dependent form from the curved portion 67 of the conveyor to stabilize the PC boards 11 prior to total immersion, and to guide the same for the entry of the contact shoe assembly 30 into the contact track assembly 25. With the exception of the distinctions just outlined, both the method and the apparatus of the alternative embodiment are substantially the same that shown and described in greater detail in the first embodiment and method described above.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in full here, there is no intention to thereby limit the invention to the details of such embodiments. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternatives, embodiments, usages and equivalents of the subject invention as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, specification and the appended claims.