# US 12,180,606 B2 · Plating apparatus

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- Number: US 12,180,606 B2
- Document ID: US12180606B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/617,135
- Filed: 2021-02-22
- Published: 2023-05-18
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2021-02-22
- Assignees: Ebara Corporation
- Applicants: Ebara Corporation
- Inventors: Masaya Seki; Masaki Tomita; Shao Hua Chang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180606B2

## CPC

- C25D 17/06: Suspending or supporting devices for articles to be coated
- C25D 17/004: {Sealing devices}
- C25D 21/10: Agitating of electrolytes; Moving of racks
- C25D 21/12: Process control or regulation (controlling or regulating in general G05)
- C25D 3/38: of copper
- C25D 17/001: {Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic coating of wafers, e.g. semiconductors or solar cells}
- C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR

## Abstract

Provided is a technique that ensures suppressed invasion of particles generated at a bearing of a rotation mechanism into a plating tank. A plating apparatus 1000 includes a labyrinth seal member 50. The labyrinth seal member includes an inner labyrinth seal 53 arranged below a bearing 33 to seal the bearing, an outer labyrinth seal 54 arranged outside in a radial direction of the rotation shaft 32 with respect to the inner labyrinth seal, a delivery port 55 configured to supply air to an inner seal space 60 formed inside in the radial direction with respect to the inner labyrinth seal, and a suction port 56 configured to suction air in an outer seal space 65 formed outside in the radial direction with respect to the inner labyrinth seal and inside in the radial direction with respect to the outer labyrinth seal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A plating apparatus comprising:
a plating tank configured to accumulate a plating solution and include an anode arranged inside the plating tank;
a substrate holder arranged above the anode and configured to hold a substrate as a cathode;
a rotation mechanism arranged above the substrate holder, the rotation mechanism including a rotation shaft for connecting to the substrate holder and a bearing pivotally supporting the rotation shaft;
a labyrinth seal member that includes:
an inner labyrinth seal arranged below the bearing to seal the bearing;
an outer labyrinth seal arranged outside in a radial direction of the rotation shaft with respect to the inner labyrinth seal;
a delivery port configured to supply air to an inner seal space formed inside in the radial direction with respect to the inner labyrinth seal; and
a suction port configured to suction air in an outer seal space formed outside in the radial direction with respect to the inner labyrinth seal and inside in the radial direction with respect to the outer labyrinth seal; and
a control module configured to perform control processing of supplying air from the delivery port and suctioning air from the suction port at least in a case where the rotation mechanism rotates the rotation shaft.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the labyrinth seal member further includes an upper plate and a lower plate arranged below the upper plate,
the inner labyrinth seal and the outer labyrinth seal are arranged so as to be sandwiched between the upper plate and the lower plate, and
the delivery port and the suction port are disposed in the upper plate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The plating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
the rotation mechanism includes an outer cylindrical member arranged outside in the radial direction of the bearing,
the outer cylindrical member is configured not to rotate even in a case where the rotation shaft rotates, and
the upper plate is connected to a lower end of the outer cylindrical member, and the lower plate is connected to the rotation shaft.