Plating apparatus and method

A plating apparatus comprising:

• a plating vessel for holding a plating bath containing at least metal ions;
• a conveying device for conveying a long conductive substrate and immersing the long conductive substrate in the plating bath;
• a facing electrode disposed in the plating bath so as to face one surface of the conductive substrate;
• voltage application means for performing plating on the one surface of the conductive substrate by applying a voltage between the conductive substrate and said facing electrode;
• and
• a member fixedly disposed in said plating vessel so that at least a portion of said member contacts a surface of the conductive substrate opposite to the one surface, at least the portion being conductive,
• wherein said member comprises a plurality of first members and a plurality of second members in a longitudinal direction of the conductive substrate, each of said first members being a flat plate,
• wherein a plurality of said first members are disposed with a gap between adjacent ones of said members and are fixed by supporting members, and wherein each of said second members is dispersed over upper surfaces of two adjacent first members,
• wherein a surface of said first member facing a surface of the conductive substrate is substantially flat, wherein said second member includes a projection for filling the gap, and wherein a surface of said projection facing the conductive substrate and a surface of said first member facing the conductive member are disposed on substantially the same plane, and
• wherein said second member is detachable from said member.