Roll-to-roll electroless plating system with liquid flow bearing

Abstract

A roll-to-roll electroless plating system includes a web advance system for advancing a web of media through a tank containing plating solution where a plating substance in the plating solution is plated onto predetermined locations on the web of media. The web advance system includes a web-guiding roller that is at least partially submerged within the plating solution in the tank. A roller mount is provided for supporting the web-guiding roller while allowing free rotation of the web-guiding roller. A pump is configured to cause plating solution to flow between a bearing surface on the web-guiding roller and a bearing surface on the roller mount.

1 . A roll-to-roll electroless plating system, comprising:
 a tank containing a plating solution;   a web advance system for advancing a web of media in an in-track direction along a web transport path from an input roll through the plating solution in the tank to a take-up roll, wherein a plating substance in the plating solution is plated onto predetermined locations on a surface of the web of media as it is advanced through the plating solution in the tank, and wherein the web advance system includes:
 a web-guiding roller for guiding the web of media, the web-guiding roller being at least partially submerged within the plating solution in the tank; and 
 a roller mount for supporting the web-guiding roller while allowing free rotation of the web-guiding roller, wherein the web-guiding roller and the roller mount include corresponding bearing surfaces; and 
   a pump configured to cause plating solution to flow between the bearing surface of the web-guiding roller and the bearing surface of the roller mount.   
     
     
         2 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 1 , wherein the web-guiding roller includes an axial recess in an end of the web-guiding roller, and the roller mount includes a non-rotating hollow shaft that is disposed within the axial recess of the web-guiding roller, and wherein the web-guiding roller rotates around the hollow shaft. 
     
     
         3 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 2 , wherein the axial recess is cylindrical and has a cylindrical recess surface with a recess diameter, and the hollow shaft has an inner surface and a cylindrical outer surface with an outer shaft diameter, the recess diameter of the axial recess being greater than the outer shaft diameter of the hollow shaft, and wherein the cylindrical recess surface of the axial recess is the bearing surface of the web-guiding roller and the cylindrical outer surface of the hollow shaft is the bearing surface of the roller mount. 
     
     
         4 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 3 , wherein the pump pumps plating solution through the hollow shaft and between the bearing surface of the web-guiding roller and the bearing surface of the roller mount. 
     
     
         5 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 4 , wherein the hollow shaft includes a plurality of holes around the circumference of the hollow shaft which enable plating solution to pass radially outward from the inner surface to the outer surface of the hollow shaft. 
     
     
         6 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 4  wherein the pump draws plating solution from the tank. 
     
     
         7 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 4 , wherein the pump draws plating solution from a reservoir to provide replenished plating solution. 
     
     
         8 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 1 , wherein the web-guiding roller includes an axial shaft protruding from an end of the web-guiding roller, and the roller mount includes a non-rotating hollow shaft, the axial shaft of the web-guiding roller being disposed within the hollow shaft, and wherein the axial shaft of the web-guiding roller rotates within the hollow shaft. 
     
     
         9 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 8 , wherein the axial shaft has a cylindrical outer surface with an axial shaft diameter, and the hollow shaft has a cylindrical inner surface with an inner diameter, the axial shaft diameter of the axial shaft being less than the inner diameter of the hollow shaft, and wherein the cylindrical outer surface of the axial shaft is the bearing surface of the web-guiding roller and the cylindrical inner surface of the hollow shaft is the bearing surface of the roller mount. 
     
     
         10 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 9 , wherein the pump pumps plating solution through the hollow shaft so that it passes between the bearing surface of the web-guiding roller and the bearing surface of the roller mount. 
     
     
         11 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 10  wherein the pump draws plating solution from the tank. 
     
     
         12 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 9 , wherein the pump draws plating solution from a reservoir to provide replenished plating solution. 
     
     
         13 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 1 , wherein the web-guiding roller includes a hollow cavity that extends from an opening on a first end of the web-guiding roller to an opening on a second end of the web-guiding roller, and wherein the plating solution is pumped into the hollow cavity through one or both of the openings on the first and second ends of the web-guiding roller and the plating solution passes out of the hollow cavity by passing between the bearing surface of the web-guiding roller and the bearing surface of the roller mount. 
     
     
         14 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 13 , wherein the roller mount includes a non-rotating hollow shaft that is disposed within the hollow cavity of the web-guiding roller, and wherein the web-guiding roller rotates around the hollow shaft. 
     
     
         15 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 14 , wherein the hollow cavity includes a cylindrical portion within which the hollow shaft is disposed, the cylindrical portion having a cylindrical cavity surface with a cavity diameter, and the hollow shaft having a cylindrical outer surface with an outer shaft diameter, the cavity diameter being greater than the outer shaft diameter, and wherein the cylindrical cavity surface of the cylindrical portion of the hollow shaft is the bearing surface of the web-guiding roller and the cylindrical outer surface of the hollow shaft is the bearing surface of the roller mount. 
     
     
         16 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 1 , further including a return pipe from the pump to the tank for recirculation of the plating solution. 
     
     
         17 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 1 , further including a filter disposed downstream of the pump. 
     
     
         18 . The roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 1 , wherein the plating substance includes copper, silver, gold, nickel or palladium. 
     
     
         19 . An article having features that were plated using the roll-to-roll electroless plating system of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . The article of  claim 19 , wherein at least some of the features have widths between 2 microns and 10 microns.