US 12,221,714 B2
Plating method and plating apparatus
Ryuya Koizumi, Tokyo (JP); Masashi Shimoyama, Tokyo (JP); and Mizuki Nagai, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to EBARA CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by EBARA CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Feb. 17, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/674,276.
Application 17/674,276 is a division of application No. 16/842,423, filed on Apr. 7, 2020, granted, now 11,286,577.
Application 16/842,423 is a division of application No. 15/915,939, filed on Mar. 8, 2018, granted, now 10,648,099, issued on May 12, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2017-049044 (JP), filed on Mar. 14, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0170175 A1, Jun. 2, 2022
Int. Cl. C25D 17/02 (2006.01); C25D 17/00 (2006.01); C25D 17/06 (2006.01); C25D 21/12 (2006.01); C25D 21/14 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01); C25D 3/38 (2006.01)
CPC C25D 21/14 (2013.01) [C25D 17/001 (2013.01); C25D 17/02 (2013.01); C25D 17/06 (2013.01); C25D 21/12 (2013.01); H01L 21/67173 (2013.01); H01L 21/6723 (2013.01); C25D 3/38 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A plating apparatus comprising:
a plurality of plating tanks having a plurality of plating cells and a plurality of overflow tanks;
a transporter configured to transport a plurality of substrates to the plurality of plating tanks;
a post-processing tank configured to perform post-processing of the plurality of substrates that have been plated in the plurality of plating tanks;
a failure detector configured to detect a failure of the plurality of plating tanks, the transporter, and the post-processing tank;
a plurality of plating-solution supply lines coupled to the plurality of plating tanks, respectively;
a plurality of plating-solution discharge lines coupled to the plurality of plating tanks, respectively; and
a plurality of preservative-liquid supply lines coupled to the plurality of plating tanks, respectively;
a plurality of bypass lines extending from the plurality of plating-solution supply lines to the plurality of plating-solution discharge lines;
a plurality of plating-solution supply valves attached to the plurality of plating-solution supply lines, respectively;
a plurality of bypass valves attached to the plurality of bypass lines, respectively;
a plurality of preservative-liquid supply valves attached to the plurality of preservative-liquid supply lines, respectively; and
an operation controller configured to close one or more of the plurality of plating-solution supply valves and open one or more of the plurality of bypass valves to discharge a plating solution from the one or more of the plurality of plating tanks when the operation controller receives, from the failure detector, an alarm signal indicating an occurrence of failure in any of the plurality of plating tanks, the transporter, and the post-processing tank and then open one or more of the plurality of preservative-liquid supply valves to supply a preservative liquid into one or more of the plurality of plating tanks.