Plating apparatus

Abstract

A plating apparatus according to the present invention has a plating tank for holding a plating solution, an anode disposed so as to be immersed in the plating solution in the plating tank, a regulation plate disposed between the anode and a plating workpiece disposed so as to face the anode, and a plating power supply for supply a current between the anode and the plating workpiece to carry out plating. The regulation plate is disposed so as to separate the plating solution held in the plating tank into a plating solution on the anode side and a plating solution on the plating workpiece side, and a through-hole group having a large number of through-holes is formed in the regulation plate.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
   
   
       27 . A method for plating a workpiece, comprising:
 disposing a plating workpiece vertically in a plating tank so as to be immersed in  5  a plating solution in said plating tank;   disposing an anode vertically in said plating tank so as to be immersed in the plating solution in said plating tank and face the plating workpiece;   disposing a regulating plate vertically between the workpiece and said anode so as to separate the plating solution held in said plating tank into a plating solution on said  10  anode side and a plating solution on the plating workpiece side; and   supplying a current between said anode and the plating workpiece to carry out plating while agitating the plating solution on the workpiece side and regulating an electric filed in said plating tank, which is produced between said anode and the plating workpiece, by the regulation plate.   
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said electric filed in said plating tank is regulated by promoting leakage of said electric filed through a large number of through-holes provided in said regulation plate while preventing the plating solution from passing through said through-holes, thereby spreading the leaked electric filed uniformly. 
   
   
       29 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein said through holes are formed in a circular area corresponding to the shape of the workpiece so as to form the through-hole group. 
   
   
       30 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said electric field in said plating tank is regulated by passing said electric filed uniformly through a cylindrical member connected to a surface of said regulation plate continuously with a hole formed in said regulation plate. 
   
   
       31 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein said hole has an inside diameter corresponding approximately to an outside diameter of a surface of the plating workpiece. 
   
   
       32 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein said cylindrical member has an inside diameter corresponding approximately to an outside diameter of a surface of the plating workpiece. 
   
   
       33 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising:
 supplying the plating solution into said plating tank from a bottom of said plating tank while allowing the plating solution to overflow an upper end of an overflow weir of said plating tank.   
   
   
       34 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein said agitating of the plating  15  solution is performed by reciprocating a paddle in parallel to the plating workpiece. 
   
   
       35 . The method according to  claim 28 , further comprising:
 supplying the plating solution into said plating tank from a bottom of said plating tank while allowing the plating solution to overflow an upper end of an overflow weir of said plating tank.   
   
   
       36 . The method according to  claim 30 , further comprising:
 supplying the plating solution into said plating tank from a bottom of said plating tank while allowing the plating solution to overflow an upper end of an overflow weir of said plating tank.   
   
   
       37 . The method according to  claim 28 , wherein said agitating of the plating solution is performed by reciprocating a paddle in parallel to the plating workpiece. 
   
   
       38 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein said agitating of the plating solution is performed by reciprocating a paddle in parallel to the plating workpiece.