Development of novel electroplating tank layout by computer simulations and verification tests

Abstract

A novel modular tank layout, which flexibly adapts to various electroplating processes, is introduced and its feasibility has been studied by a three-dimensional simulation model. The new layout uses floor space and process volume more effectively and brings necessary novelty to the electroplating industry which partially suffers from outdated process equipment and low competitiveness. Trivalent chromium plating has been chosen as a test process in the simulation model since replacing hexavalent chromium is an important issue in the industry. The simulation model has been verified by conducting an extensive series of experimental coating thickness measurements and supplementing the model with these results. The results of the simulations support the feasibility of the new tank layout and show that it is possible to obtain good coating thickness uniformity when running separate coating processes simultaneously in one tank with different plating currents and surface areas of the objects to be plated.

Statistical approaches in surface finishing. Part 1. Introductory review and parametric hypothesis testing

“…The tertiary current distributions on rotating electrodes have been studied using a computerised numerical simulation method. 23 Chemometrics has been successfully applied to functional chromium electroplating by pulse plating techniques by Imaz et al, 24 and development of a novel electroplating tank layout by a three-dimensional simulation model, using commercial finite element software, and verification tests has been carried out by Laitinen et al 25 This growing evidence of increasing wide usage of statistical tools to design surface finishing research experiments and analyse the data from them has led to a feeling that the time is right for illustrative articles with the emphasis on surface finishing examples, showing the most useful and appropriate tools to use.…”

Improvement of plating uniformity for copper patterns of IC substrate with multi-physics coupling simulation

“…The uniformity improvement of copper deposition was reported in many previous studies (Chen et al , 2017; Dow et al , 2007; Kumar and Panda, 2017; Pantleon et al , 2005; Yang et al , 2017). The uniformity of current distribution could be enhanced by the optimization of geometric construction of plating tank, as the primary current distribution was dependent on geometry of plating tank (Garich et al , 2016; Ji et al , 2015; Laitinen et al , 2014; Yang et al , 2013b). The secondary current distribution based on electrochemical adopt pulse waveform current was another way to refine uniformity (Nikolić and Branković, 2010).…”

“…Electrodeposition is a multi-physical process which involves ionic transfer, deposited layer evolution, electric current, fluid flow, heat transfer and other physical phenomena. The numerical simulation described in detail are conducted to calculate the current density and electrodeposition thickness with respect to diffusion, electrical migration and convection (Laitinen et al , 2014; Pantleon et al , 2005; Zhang et al , 2015). Finite element method with high accuracy is widely applied for electric plating material research (Crisfield, 1978; Fan, 2014; Moës et al , 2015; Neto et al , 2015; Whiting and Jansen, 2015).…”