Patent ID: 9187837
Filing Date: 2015-11-17
Classification: C25D

Abstract:
1. A plating apparatus comprising: a plating bath; an insoluble anode located in the plating bath; a plating electric power supply being configured to apply a voltage between the insoluble anode and a member to be plated; an anode-displacement mechanism being configured to move the insoluble anode in the plating bath and to hold the insoluble anode at a predetermined position in the plating bath; a controller having an anode-position controller being configured to generate a control signal for controlling an action of the anode-displacement mechanism and to output the control signal to the anode-displacement mechanism; a measurement instrument being configured to measure at least one of a current flowing through the insoluble anode and an electric potential of the insoluble anode with respect to the member to be plated while a voltage is applied from the plating electric power supply; a circulation mechanism for circulating a plating solution in the plating bath, the circulation mechanism having a plating solution-suctioning portion, a pump, and a plating solution-ejecting portion; a circulation controller contained in the controller, the circulation controller being configured to generate a control signal for controlling an action of the circulation mechanism and to output the control signal to the circulation mechanism; an ejecting portion-displacement mechanism being configured to move the ejecting portion in the plating bath and to hold the ejecting portion at a predetermined position in the plating bath; and an ejecting portion-position controller contained in the controller, the ejecting portion-position controller being configured to generate a control signal for controlling an action of the ejecting portion-displacement mechanism and to output the control signal to the ejecting portion-displacement mechanism, wherein the ejecting portion-position controller is configured to generate the control signal for controlling an action of the ejecting portion-displacement mechanism based on a result measured by the measurement instrument, wherein the circulation mechanism has an ejecting-volume adjusting mechanism being configured to adjust a plating solution ejecting-volume ejected from the plating solution-ejecting portion, and wherein the circulation controller comprises an ejecting-volume controller being configured to generate a control signal for controlling an action of the ejecting-volume adjusting mechanism based on a result measured by the measurement instrument and to output the control signal to the ejecting-volume adjusting mechanism.