# US 2013/0154061 A1 · Anodizing apparatus, an anodizing system having the same, and a semiconductor wafer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0154061 A1 - Document ID: US20130154061A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/688,645 - Filed: 2012-11-29 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-11-30 - Assignees: Solexel, Inc.; Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Noriyuki HAYASHI; Yasuyoshi MIYAJI; Seiichi YONEHARA; Takamitsu INAHARA; Takao YONEHARA; Mehrdad MOSLEHI; Subramanian TAMILMANI; Karl-Josef KRAMER; Jay ASHJAEE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154061A1 ## CPC - C25D 17/001: {Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic coating of wafers, e.g. semiconductors or solar cells} - C25D 11/005: {Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic conversion coating (apparatus in general for electrolytic coating C25D17/00)} - C25D 17/06: Suspending or supporting devices for articles to be coated - C25D 17/08: {Supporting} racks {, i.e. not for suspending} - C25D 17/10: Electrodes {, e.g. composition, counter electrode} - H10D 62/10: Shapes, relative sizes or dispositions of the regions of the semiconductor bodies; Shapes of the semiconductor bodies - H10P 72/0456: {in-line arrangement} - H10P 72/0476: {comprising at least one plating chamber} - H10P 72/3311: {Horizontal transfer of a batch of workpieces} - H10P 72/7602: {the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance} - H10P 90/00: Preparation of wafers not covered by a single main group of this subclass, e.g. wafer reinforcement - C25D 11/32: of semiconducting materials - C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract An anodizing apparatus for causing an anodizing reaction to substrates immersed in an electrolyte solution. The apparatus includes a storage tank for storing the electrolyte solution, a holder for holding a plurality of substrates in liquid-tight contact with circumferential surfaces of the substrates, a moving mechanism for moving the holder between a transfer position outside the storage tank and a treating position inside the storage tank, and a closing device disposed in the storage tank for cooperating with the holder to complete a liquid-tight closure of the circumferential surfaces of the substrates held by the holder. Chemical reaction treatment is carried out with the circumferential surfaces of the substrates placed in a liquid-tight state. After the chemical reaction treatment is completed, the closing device is made inoperative and the holder is moved away from the treating position to unload the substrates from the storage tank. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An anodizing apparatus for causing an anodizing reaction to substrates immersed in an electrolyte solution, comprising: a storage tank for storing the electrolyte solution; a holding device for holding a plurality of substrates in liquid-tight contact with circumferential surfaces of the substrates; a moving mechanism for moving the holding device between a transfer position outside the storage tank and a treating position inside the storage tank; and a closing device disposed in the storage tank for cooperating with the holding device to complete a liquid-tight closure of the circumferential surfaces of the substrates held by the holding device; wherein chemical reaction treatment is carried out with the circumferential surfaces of the substrates placed in a liquid-tight state by moving the holding device holding the substrates to the treating position, and operating the closing device, and after the chemical reaction treatment is completed, the closing device is made inoperative and the holding device is moved away from the treating position to unload the substrates from the storage tank. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the holding device is arranged to hold the substrates as aligned at predetermined intervals. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the storage tank has electrodes arranged adjacent one end and the other end in an aligning direction of the substrates held by the holding device, the electrodes being opposed to principal planes of substrates at opposite ends having the circumferential surfaces closed by the holding device and the closing device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the holding device includes a first holder unit for contacting one side of the circumferential surfaces of the substrates, a second holder unit for contacting the other side of the circumferential surfaces of the substrates, and an opening and closing driver for moving the first holder unit and the second holder unit toward each other to hold the substrates, and moving the first holder unit and the second holder unit away from each other to release the substrates. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the holding device includes a first holder unit for contacting one side of the circumferential surfaces of the substrates, a second holder unit for contacting the other side of the circumferential surfaces of the substrates, and an opening and closing driver for moving the first holder unit and the second holder unit toward each other to hold the substrates, and moving the first holder unit and the second holder unit away from each other to release the substrates. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the holding device includes a first holder unit for contacting one side of the circumferential surfaces of the substrates, a second holder unit for contacting the other side of the circumferential surfaces of the substrates, and an opening and closing driver for moving the first holder unit and the second holder unit toward each other to hold the substrates, and moving the first holder unit and the second holder unit away from each other to release the substrates. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the closing device has a closing member for contacting, in a liquid-tight state, parts of the circumferential surfaces of the substrates left out of contact with the holding device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the closing device includes a first closing member fixed inside the storage tank. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the closing device includes a second closing member for pressing upon the circumferential surfaces of the substrates held by the holding device to maintain the liquid-tight state. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the holding device and the closing device have elastic members as parts thereof for contacting the circumferential surfaces of the substrates. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the elastic members have an electrical insulating property, and the parts for contacting the substrates are formed uniformly over the entire circumferential surfaces of the substrates. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 10 wherein each of the elastic members has a two-layer structure including a first member located to face the circumferential surfaces of the substrates, and a second member located outside the first member, the first member having a smaller coefficient of elasticity than the second member. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising a pressing mechanism for pressing the second closing member upon the first holder unit and the second holder unit in the treating position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 13 wherein: the first holder unit and/or the second holder unit have/has a first slope or slopes formed thereon and inclined outward and downward; the second closing member has a second slope or slopes formed in a position or positions corresponding to the first slope or slopes and inclined outward and downward; and when the second closing member is pressed upon the first holder unit and/or the second holder unit in the treating position, the first slope or slopes and the second slope or slopes engage each other to push the first holder unit and the second holder unit toward each other. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 13 wherein: the first holder unit and/or the second holder unit have/has a third slope or slopes formed thereon and inclined outward and upward; the first closing member has a fourth slope or slopes formed in a position or positions corresponding to the third slope or slopes and inclined outward and upward; and when the second closing member is pressed upon the first holder unit and/or the second holder unit in the treating position, the first holder unit and/or the second holder unit is/are pressed upon the first closing member, and the third slope or slopes and the fourth slope or slopes engage each other to push the first holder unit and the second holder unit toward each other. ### Claim 16 (depends on 3) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each of the electrodes is formed of highly compact, high-density, high-purity carbon. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 9 wherein: the second closing member has a plurality of exhaust passages formed between the substrates in plan view, and extending from an inner ceiling surface to an outer surface of the second closing member, with upper openings located above a liquid level in the storage tank; and the elastic member has a plurality of elastic member passages formed in positions corresponding to the exhaust passages to communicate with the exhaust passages. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 17 wherein: the second closing member has an exhaust passage block between the inner ceiling surface and an upper surface of the elastic member; the exhaust passage block including a plate-like member having a plurality of block passages formed therein and communicating with the exhaust passages and the elastic member passages, and partitions formed on the plate-like member as arranged between the block passages and projecting toward the elastic member, with only lower ends of the partitions thrust into the elastic member. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising a switching circuit for alternately switching polarities of direct voltage to the electrode adjacent one end and the electrode adjacent the other end. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: an aligning rack for supporting the substrates as aligned parallel to one another; and an aligning rack moving mechanism for moving the aligning rack between the transfer position and an external transfer position different from the transfer position; wherein the moving mechanism transports the substrates to the storage tank after the holding device receives the substrates from the aligning rack in the transfer position. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The anodizing apparatus according to claim 20 further comprising a cleaning mechanism disposed adjacent a moving path of the aligning rack moving mechanism for supplying a cleaning liquid to the substrates on the aligning rack in the moving path. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) An anodizing system comprising: the anodizing apparatus according to claim 1; a standby tank disposed adjacent and upstream of the anodizing apparatus and having the aligning table; a loader disposed upstream of the standby tank for storing substrates to be treated; a cleaning tank disposed downstream of the anodizing apparatus for cleaning the substrates having received chemical reaction treatment; a drying tank disposed downstream of the cleaning tank for drying the substrate cleaned; an unloader disposed downstream of the drying tank for receiving the substrates treated; a first transport mechanism for transporting the substrates between the loader and the standby tank; a second transport mechanism having the holding device and the moving mechanism for transporting the substrates between the standby tank and the anodizing apparatus and between the anodizing apparatus and the cleaning tank; a third transport mechanism for transporting the substrates between the cleaning tank and the drying tank; and a fourth transport mechanism for transporting the substrates between the drying tank and the unloader. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) An anodizing system comprising: a plurality of the anodizing apparatus according to claim 21; a loader disposed upstream of the plurality of the anodizing apparatus for storing substrates to be treated; a drying tank disposed downstream of the plurality of the anodizing apparatus for drying the substrates having received chemical reaction treatment and cleaned; an unloader disposed downstream of the drying tank for receiving the substrates treated; a first transport mechanism for transporting the substrates between the loader and each external transfer position; a second transport mechanism for transporting the substrates between the each external transfer position and the drying tank; and a third transport mechanism for transporting the substrates between the drying tank and the unloader. ### Claim 24 An anodizing apparatus for causing an anodizing reaction to substrates immersed in an electrolyte solution, comprising: a storage tank for storing the electrolyte solution; a holding device for forming a hollow portion therein having a section of similar shape to the substrates, and holding the substrates with circumferential surfaces of the respective substrates placed in a liquid-tight state; a pair of electrodes arranged at opposite ends of the hollow portion formed in the holding device; an electric circuit for applying direct current to the pair of electrodes; and a moving mechanism for moving the holding device between a transfer position outside the storage tank and a treating position inside the storage tank; wherein chemical reaction treatment is carried out with the circumferential surfaces of the substrates placed in the liquid-tight state and electrically separated and insulated, by moving the holding device holding the substrates to the treating position, and filling the hollow portion with the electrolyte solution, and after the chemical reaction treatment is completed, the holding device is moved from the treating position to unload the substrates from the storage tank. ### Claim 25 (depends on 19) A semiconductor wafer having porous layers of uniform thickness, pore size and pore density formed over both front and back surfaces of the semiconductor wafer, by carrying out anodizing treatment using the anodizing apparatus according to claim 19.