Patent ID: 7736474

Claim:
A plating apparatus, comprising: a substrate holder for holding a substrate; a cathode section having a seal member for contact with a peripheral portion of a surface, to be plated, of the substrate held by said substrate holder to watertightly seal the peripheral portion, and a cathode electrode for contact with the substrate to supply an electric current to the substrate; a vertically-movable anode disposed in a position facing the surface, to be plated, of the substrate; a porous member composed of a water-retentive material, disposed between said vertically-movable anode and the surface, to be plated, of the substrate; a constant-voltage control section for controlling a voltage applied between the cathode electrode and said vertically-movable anode at a constant value; a current monitor section for monitoring an electric current flowing between the cathode electrode and said vertically-movable anode, and feeding back a detection signal to said constant-voltage control section so that the supply of the electric current between the cathode electrode and said vertically-movable anode is stopped when the electric current becomes constant; and a driving mechanism for producing a vibrational movement of at least one of said porous member and the substrate for providing a repetition of contact and non-contact between said porous member and the surface, to be plated, of the substrate.