Method and device for the electrochemical treatment with treatment liquid of an item to be treated

US6071400A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Atotech Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG · DE

Inventors

• Rolf Schroder · Wuppertal, DE
• Reinhard Schneider · Cadolzburg, DE
• Lorenz Kopp · Altdorf, DE
• Thomas Rydlewski · Nürnberg, DE
• Horst Steffen · Geldern, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 29, 1998
• Grant date: Jun 6, 2000
• Expiry date: Sep 29, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H05K3/241
• WIPO field: Surface technology, coating
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and device for the electrochemical treatment of electrically mutually insulated, electrically conductive areas on an item to be treated by means of a treatment liquid. Insulated, for example etched structures on circuit boards cannot be treated electrochemically with known methods since there exists no electrical connection to the bath current source from individual areas. According to the invention, this connection is produced by brushes which touch the structured surfaces to be treated with their electrically conductive and thin fibres. A large number of brushes which are arranged transversely to the direction of transportation take care of the fact that all the electrically conductive areas on the item to be treated which are arranged in an insulated manner from one another are contacted electrically at least one after another and that the achieved contact time is sufficiently long. Counter-electrodes, which may be also designed as movable brushes, are situated preferably between the brush electrodes. In electrochemical processes, in which metal is deposited, the brushes are deplated cyclically. For this purpose, various possible solutions are p…