Electroplating apparatus and electroplating method

Abstract

Provided is an electroplating apparatus including an electroplating tank, an anode and a cathode, a power supply, and a regulating plate. The electroplating tank accommodates electrolyte. Both the anode and the cathode are disposed in the electroplating tank. The power supply is electrically connected to the anode and the cathode. The regulating plate is disposed between the anode and the cathode. The regulating plate includes a plurality of mesh openings and a plurality of metal sheets, and at least part of the metal sheets is electrically connected with the cathode. An electroplating method is also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electroplating apparatus, comprising:
 an electroplating tank, accommodating electrolyte;   an anode and a cathode, both disposed in the electroplating tank;   a power supply, electrically connected to the anode and the cathode; and   a regulating plate, disposed between the anode and the cathode, and comprising a plurality of mesh openings and a plurality of metal sheets, wherein at least part of the metal sheets is electrically connected with the cathode.   
     
     
         2 . The electroplating apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the mesh openings are part of an insulating mesh panel, the metal sheets are disposed on the insulating mesh panel, and the metal sheets are all electrically connected with the cathode. 
     
     
         3 . The electroplating apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein channels are only formed by the mesh openings. 
     
     
         4 . The electroplating apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of wires connecting to the metal sheets one-to-one. 
     
     
         5 . The electroplating apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprising a controller connected to the wires, wherein currents of the wires are collected to the cathode by the controller. 
     
     
         6 . The electroplating apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein a shape of the mesh openings are complementary to a shape of the metal sheets. 
     
     
         7 . The electroplating apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the mesh openings are part of an insulating mesh panel, the metal sheets are disposed into arrays on the insulating mesh panel, part of the metal sheets is electrically connected to the cathode, and an other part of the metal sheets is not electrically connected to the cathode. 
     
     
         8 . The electroplating apparatus as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein each of the metal sheets comprises at least one hole, and the at least one hole and the mesh openings form channels. 
     
     
         9 . The electroplating apparatus as claimed in  claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of wires connecting to the metal sheets one-to-one. 
     
     
         10 . The electroplating apparatus as claimed in  claim 9 , further comprising a controller connected with the wires, wherein the controller is configured to control electrical connection states of the regulating plate. 
     
     
         11 . An electroplating method, comprising:
 providing an electroplating apparatus, wherein the electroplating apparatus comprises:
 an electroplating tank, accommodating electrolyte; 
 an anode and a cathode, both disposed in the electroplating tank; 
 a power supply, electrically connected to the anode and the cathode; 
 a regulating plate, disposed between the anode and the cathode, and comprising a plurality of mesh openings and a plurality of metal sheets, wherein at least part of the metal sheets is electrically connected to the cathode; 
   fixing a to-be-plated substrate on the cathode;   after the power supply supplies power, forming a plurality of power lines between the anode and the cathode, wherein the power lines move from the anode to the cathode;   forming a first metal plating layer on the to-be-plated substrate, as part of the power lines drives part of metal ions in the electrolyte to pass through the regulating plate; and   forming a second metal plating layer on the regulating plate, as another part of the power lines drives another part of the metal ions in the electrolyte.   
     
     
         12 . The electroplating method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the mesh openings are part of an insulating mesh panel, the metal sheets are disposed on the insulating mesh panel, and the metal sheets are all electrically connected with the cathode to form the second metal plating layer on all of the metal sheets. 
     
     
         13 . The electroplating method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein a shape of the mesh openings are complementary to a shape of the metal sheets. 
     
     
         14 . The electroplating method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the electroplating apparatus further comprises a plurality of wires connecting to the metal sheets one-to-one. 
     
     
         15 . The electroplating method as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the electroplating apparatus further comprises a controller connected with the wires, wherein currents of the wires are collected to the cathode by the controller. 
     
     
         16 . The electroplating method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the to-be-plated substrate comprises a dry film having a plurality of openings, and the mesh openings are aligned with the openings. 
     
     
         17 . The electroplating method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the mesh openings are part of an insulating mesh panel, the metal sheets are disposed into arrays on the insulating mesh panel, and only part of the metal sheets is electrically connected to the cathode to form the second metal plating layer only on part of the metal sheets. 
     
     
         18 . The electroplating method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein each of the metal sheets comprises at least one hole, and the at least one hole of the metal sheets without the second metal plating layer forms channels with the mesh openings. 
     
     
         19 . The electroplating method as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the electroplating apparatus further comprises a plurality of wires electrically connected to the metal sheets one-to-one. 
     
     
         20 . The electroplating method as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the electroplating apparatus further comprises a controller configured to control electrical connection states of the wires.