US 5,326,455 A · Method of producing electrolytic copper foil and apparatus for producing same

Abstract

In a method of producing an electrolytic copper foil by passing an electrolyte between a rotating cathode drum and anode located opposite to the cathode drum, the thickness of the resulting copper foil is made uniform throughout. The anode has a structure including a main portion and an end portion, the end portion being divided widthwise into n foil thickness-uniformizing sub-anodes. Electricity is supplied to the main anode and the sub-anodes at a preset current density D (A/dm.sup.2) to attain a target foil thickness T (g/m.sup.2). Variations of thickness in the direction of the width of the resulting copper foil are measured as the thicknesses Tm (g/m.sup.2) where m=1-n in the direction of the width of the copper foil corresponding to the n sub-anodes, and the quantities of electricity being supplied to the n sub-anodes are individually controlled at current densities Dm (A/dm.sup.2) where m=1-n so that Tm values are made equal to the target foil thickness T (g/m.sup.2). Alternatively, a pattern of thickness deviations of a copper foil produced per revolution of the cathode drum is divided into m sections where m=1-n widthwise and k sections lengthwise, the foil thicknesses Tm-k (g/m.sup..sup.2) where m=1-n of the m .times.k sections corresponding to the angle of rotation from a reference point of the cathode drum as determined by an encoder are measured, and the quantities of electricity supplied to the n sub-anodes at current densities Dm-k (A/dm.sup.2) where m=1-n are controlled individually correspondingly to the angle of rotation from the reference point of the cathode drum so that Tm-k becomes equal to the target foil thickness T.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A method of producing an electrolytic metallic foil comprising the steps of:

(a) providing electrolyte between a rotating cathode drum and at least one anode structure in the configuration of a sheet, the rotating cathode drum having an outer surface, the anode structure located opposite to the cathode drum outer surface and having a side facing the outer surface of the drum, the anode structure spaced from and along the drum so as to form a gap therebetween and having a width parallel to the rotational axis of the drum and a total length, the anode structure being defined by a main portion serving as a main anode and an end portion, the main portion defined by a first portion of the total length of the anode structure and the end portion defined by a second portion of the total length of the anode structure, the main portion being undivided widthwise, the end portion being divided widthwise into n foil thickness-uniformizing sub-anodes, the main portion and the sub-anodes being electrically insulated from each other;
(b) electrolytically depositing metal on the cathode drum outer surface by supplying electricity to the main anode at a current density D and supplying electricity to the foil thickness-uniformizing sub-anodes at current densities Dm, the current density D and densities Dm being set to attain a target foil thickness T;
(c) peeling off the resulting metallic deposition as a metallic foil from the cathode drum;
(d) measuring variations of thickness in the direction of the width of the resulting metallic foil as n thicknesses Tm corresponding to the n foil thickness-uniformizing sub-anodes, the foil width being the foil's dimension parallel to the rotational axis of the drum;
and
(e) individually increasing or decreasing the quantities of electricity being supplied to the n foil thickness-uniformizing sub-anodes at the current densities Dm in response to the measured thicknesses Tm, so that the n foil thicknesses Tm are made to approach the target foil thickness T.

3 more elements

An apparatus for forming a metallic foil from an electrolyte comprising:

(a) a rotating cathode drum having an outer surface;
(b) at least one anode structure in the configuration of a sheet located opposite to the cathode drum outer surface and having a side facing the outer surface of the drum, the anode structure spaced from and along the drum so as to form a gap therebetween and having a width parallel to the rotational axis of the drum and a total length, the anode structure including
(i) a main portion serving as a main anode, the main portion defined by a first portion of the total length of the anode structure and being undivided widthwise;
and
(ii) an end portion defined by a second portion of the total length of the anode structure and divided widthwise into n foil thickness-uniformizing sub-anodes, the main portion and the sub-anodes being electrically insulated from each other;
(c) means for applying electrical potentials to the main anode and individual ones of the n foil thickness-uniformizing sub-anodes, the electrical potential applied to the main anode being independent of the electrical potentials applied to the sub-anodes, the electrical potentials being set to attain a target foil thickness T;
(d) means for passing an electrolyte between the rotating cathode drum and the anode structure, thereby electrolytically depositing metal on the cathode drum outer surface;
(e) means for peeling off the metal from the drum, thereby forming a resulting metallic foil;
(f) means for measuring variations of thickness in the direction of the width of the resulting metallic foil as n thicknesses Tm corresponding to the n foil thickness-uniformizing sub-anodes, the foil width being the foil's dimension parallel to the rotational axis of the drum;
and
(g) means for individually controlling the electrical potential applied to the individual n foil thickness-uniformizing sub-anodes in response to the measured thicknesses Tm, thereby causing the n foil thicknesses Tm to approach the target foil thickness T.

8 more elements

A method of producing an electrolytic metallic foil comprising the steps of:

(a) providing electrolyte between a rotating cathode drum and at least one anode structure in the configuration of a sheet, the rotating cathode drum having an outer surface, the anode structure located opposite to the cathode drum outer surface and having a side facing the outer surface of the drum, the anode structure spaced from and along the drum so as to form a gap therebetween and having a width parallel to the rotational axis of the drum and a total length, the anode structure being defined by a main portion serving as a main anode and an end portion, the main portion defined by a first portion of the total length of the anode structure and the end portion defined by a second portion of the total length of the anode structure, the main portion being undivided widthwise, the end portion being divided widthwise into n foil thickness-uniformizing sub-anodes, the main portion and the sub-anodes being electrically insulated from each other;
(b) electrolytically depositing metal on the cathode drum outer surface by supplying electricity to the main anode at a current density D and supplying electricity to the foil thickness-uniformizing sub-anodes at current densities Dm-k, the current density D and densities Dm-k being set to attain a target foil thickness T;
(c) peeling off the resulting metallic deposition as a metallic foil from the cathode drum;
(d) dividing a pattern of thickness deviations of the metallic foil produced per revolution of the cathode drum into m sections widthwise where m=1-n and k sections lengthwise, thus forming m .times.k sections, the widthwise sections corresponding to the foil's dimension parallel to the rotational axis of the drum;
(e) measuring foil thicknesses Tm-k of the m .times.k sections corresponding to the angle of rotation from a reference point of the cathode drum;
and
(f) individually increasing or decreasing the quantities of electricity being supplied to the n foil thickness-uniformizing sub-anodes at the current densities Dm-k in response to the measured thicknesses Tm-k and the angle of rotation from the reference point of the cathode drum, so that the foil thicknesses Tm-k of the divided sections are made to approach the target foil thickness T.

4 more elements

An apparatus for forming a metallic foil from an electrolyte comprising:

(a) a rotating cathode drum having an outer surface;
(b) at least one anode structure in the configuration of a sheet located opposite to the cathode drum outer surface and having a side facing the outer surface of the drum, the anode structure spaced from and along the drum so as to form a gap therebetween and having a width parallel to the rotational axis of the drum and a total length, the anode structure including
(i) a main portion serving as a main anode, the main portion defined by a first portion of the total length of the anode structure and being undivided widthwise;
and
(ii) an end portion defined by a second portion of the total length of the anode structure and divided widthwise into n foil thickness-uniformizing sub-anodes, the main portion and the sub-anodes being electrically insulated from each other;
(c) means for applying electrical potentials to the main anode and individual ones of the n foil thickness-uniformizing sub-anodes, the electrical potential applied to the main anode being independent of the electrical potentials applied to the sub-anodes, the electrical potentials being set to attain a target foil thickness T;
(d) means for passing an electrolyte between the rotating cathode drum and the anode structure, thereby electrolytically depositing metal on the cathode drum outer surface;
(e) means for peeling off the metal from the drum, thereby forming a resulting metallic foil;
(f) means for dividing a pattern of thickness deviations of the metallic foil produced per revolution of the cathode drum into m sections widthwise where m=1-n and k sections lengthwise, thus forming m .times.k sections, the widthwise sections corresponding to the foil's dimension parallel to the rotational axis of the drum;
(g) means for measuring resulting metallic foil thicknesses Tm-k of the m .times.k sections corresponding to the angle of rotation from a reference point of the cathode drum;
(h) means for measuring the angle of rotation from the reference point of the cathode drum;
and
(i) means for individually controlling the electrical potential applied to the individual n foil thickness-uniformizing sub-anodes in response to the measured thicknesses Tm-k, thereby causing the foil thicknesses Tm-k of the divided sections to approach the target foil thickness T.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of producing electrolytic copper foil and apparatus for producing same

Life of this patent

Method of producing electrolytic copper foil and apparatus for producing same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25