Electroplating device and method

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for the electrolytic coating of at least one electrically conductive substrate ( 8 ) or a structured or full-surface electrically conductive surface on a nonconductive substrate ( 8 ), which comprises at least one bath, one anode and one cathode ( 1 ), the bath containing an electrolyte solution containing at least one metal salt, from which metal ions are deposited on electrically conductive surfaces of the substrate to form a metal layer while the cathode is brought in contact with the surface to be coated of the substrate and the substrate is transported through the bath. The cathode comprises at least one band ( 2 ) having at least one electrically conductive section ( 12 ), which is guided around at least two rotatable shafts ( 3 ). The invention furthermore relates to a method for the electrolytic coating of at least substrate, which is carried out in a device according to the invention, the band resting on the substrate for the coating and being circulated with a circulation speed which corresponds to the speed with which the substrate is guided through the bath. Lastly, the invention also relates to a use of the device according to the invention for the electrolytic coating of electrically conductive structures on an electrically nonconductive support.

1 - 29 . (canceled) 
   
   
       30 . A device for the electrolytic coating of an electrically conductive surface, the device comprising:
 a bath of an electrolyte solution containing at least one metal salt;   an anode in contact with the bath; and   a cathode comprising at least one band having at least one electrically conductive section, the at least one band being guided around at least two rotatable shafts, wherein while the electrically conductive surface is transported through the bath and the cathode is brought in contact with the electrically conductive surface, metal ions from the metal salt are deposited on the electrically conductive surface.   
   
   
       31 . The device as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein at least one of the shafts is electrically conductive, and voltage is supplied via the electrically conductive shafts. 
   
   
       32 . The device as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein at least two of the bands are arranged offset in series. 
   
   
       33 . The device as claimed in  claim 32 , wherein respectively successive bands arranged offset are guided via at least one common shaft. 
   
   
       34 . The device as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein at least one of the bands is in the form of a network. 
   
   
       35 . The device as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein the band comprises sections of at least one of different mesh widths, different mesh shapes, and offset meshes. 
   
   
       36 . The device as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein at least one of the bands includes a plurality of holes. 
   
   
       37 . The device as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein the band comprises sections with at least one of differently sized holes, differently shaped holes, and offset holes. 
   
   
       38 . The device as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the at least one band alternately comprises conductive sections and nonconductive sections. 
   
   
       39 . The device as claimed in  claim 38 , wherein the band is guided around at least one anodically connected shaft. 
   
   
       40 . The device as claimed in  claim 39 , wherein a length (L) of the conductive sections is greater than or equal to a distance (h) between any two cathodically connected shafts and less than a distance (d) between any cathodically connected shaft and any neighboring anodically connected shaft. 
   
   
       41 . The device as claimed in  claim 30 , further comprising an apparatus adapted to rotate the electrically conductive surface, the apparatus being disposed either inside or outside the bath. 
   
   
       42 . The device as claimed in  claim 30 , the cathode comprising at least two bands, wherein two of the bands are arranged so that the substrate is guided between the two bands and the two bands respectively contact an upper side and a lower side of the electrically conductive surface. 
   
   
       43 . The device as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the shafts are connectable both cathodically and anodically and are adapted to be raised from the electrically conductive surface and lowered onto it. 
   
   
       44 . The device as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the conductive sections of the at least one band and the shaft surfaces are made of an electrically conductive material which does not pass into the bath during operation. 
   
   
       45 . The device as claimed in  claim 30 , the electrically conductive surface comprising a flexible support which is unwound from a first roll and wound onto a second roll, and the cathode comprising a plurality of bands guided around at least two shafts, wherein the flexible support is passed through the bands in a meandering fashion. 
   
   
       46 . The device as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the shafts are constructed from a plurality of electrically conductive segments which are respectively separated from one another by nonconductive segments, the electrically conductive segments being connectable both cathodically and anodically and the at least one band being constructed from conductive sections and nonconductive sections and being positioned on the shafts so that a nonconductive section of the band rests on a nonconductive segment of the shaft. 
   
   
       47 . The device as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the electrically conductive surface comprises a substrate. 
   
   
       48 . The device as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the electrically conductive surface comprises at least one of a structured or full-surface electrically conductive surface on a non-conductive substrate. 
   
   
       49 . A method for the electrolytic coating of an electrically conductive surface,
 the method comprising:   transporting the electrically conductive surface through a bath of an electrolyte solution containing at least one metal salt;   placing an anode in contact with the bath;   placing a cathode in contact with the electrically conductive surface, wherein the cathode comprises at least one band having at least one electrically conductive section, the at least one band being guided around at least two rotatable shafts and being placed in contact with the electrically conductive surface to deposit metal ions from the metal salt onto the electrically conductive surface.   
   
   
       50 . The method as claimed in  claim 49 , the at least one band being circulated with a circulation speed which corresponds to a speed with which the electrically conductive surface is transported through the bath. 
   
   
       51 . The method as claimed in  claim 49 , further comprising supplying the at least one band with voltage via at least one shaft. 
   
   
       52 . The method as claimed in  claim 49 , wherein at least one of the shafts is connected cathodically, and at least one of the shafts is connected anodically. 
   
   
       53 . The method as claimed in  claim 52 , further comprising raising cathodically connected shafts and connecting the cathodically connected shafts anodically for demetallization. 
   
   
       54 . The method as claimed in  claim 52 , raising cathodically connected shafts and connecting the cathodically connected shafts anodically for demetallization, and lowering anodically connected shafts and connect the anodically connected shafts cathodically. 
   
   
       55 . The method as claimed in  claim 52 , wherein the at least one band runs around at least one further shaft which is anodically connected, the at least one band having alternating conductive and nonconductive sections, the length of the conductive sections being less than the distance between any shafts anodically connected and any shafts cathodically connected, the band contacting the electrically conductive surface between two cathodically connected shafts. 
   
   
       56 . The method as claimed in  claim 49 , further comprising anodically connecting the shafts for demetallization during a production pause. 
   
   
       57 . The method as claimed in  claim 49 , further comprising transporting the electrically conductive surface through the bath multiple times and rotating the electrically conductive surface through a predetermined angle after each pass. 
   
   
       58 . The method as claimed in  claim 49 , further comprising adjusting a contact time between the at least one band and the electrically conductive surface. 
   
   
       59 . The method as claimed in  claim 58 , wherein adjusting the contact time includes adjusting a transport speed of the electrically conductive surface through the bath.