Patent ID: 8048282

Claim:
An apparatus for plating a substrate having a plating surface to be plated, said apparatus comprising: a plating vessel for accommodating a plating solution, said plating vessel having an anode therein and a lateral opening; a substrate holder for holding the substrate while exposing the plating surface to the plating solution within said plating vessel and sealing the substrate to prevent infiltration of plating solution to a surface of the substrate other than the exposed plating surface; and a holder driving assembly for driving said substrate holder to a position where said plating surface covers said opening of said plating vessel; wherein said plating vessel comprises a vertically movable weir member movable between a lowered position in which said weir member forms a reservoir surrounding said anode within said plating vessel, which reservoir can contain plating solution therein to immerse said anode in the plating solution, and a raised position.