Sealed substrate carrier for electroplating
View Patent ↗One embodiment relates to a substrate carrier for use in electroplating a plurality of substrates. The substrate carrier includes a non-conductive carrier body on which the substrates are held, and conductive lines are embedded within the carrier body. A conductive bus bar is embedded into a top side of the carrier body and is conductively coupled to the conductive lines. A thermoplastic overmold covers a portion of the bus bar, and there is a plastic-to-plastic bond between the thermoplastic overmold and the non-conductive carrier body. Other embodiments, aspects and features are also disclosed.
1. A substrate carrier for use in electroplating a plurality of substrates, the substrate carrier comprising:
a non-conductive carrier body on which the substrates are held;
conductive lines embedded within the carrier body;
a conductive bus bar is embedded into a top side of the carrier body and is conductively coupled to the conductive lines;
a thermoplastic overmold covering a portion of the bus bar; and
a plastic-to-plastic bond between the thermoplastic overmold and the non-conductive carrier body.
2. The substrate carrier of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic overmold spans a horizontal length of the top side of the carrier body so as to seal the top side.
3. The substrate carrier of claim 1 , further comprising:
a thermoplastic overcoat encasing at least a portion of the conductive lines; and
a plastic-to-plastic bond between the thermoplastic overcoat and the carrier body.
4. The substrate carrier of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of conductive clip attachment parts, the clip attachment parts being coupled to the conductive lines embedded within the carrier body; and
a thermoplastic layer deposited on the conductive lines so as to surround the conductive clip attachment parts.
5. The substrate carrier of claim 4 , further comprising:
a plurality of contact clips attached to the clip attachment parts, the contact clips holding the substrates in place and conductively connecting the substrates with the conductive lines.
6. The substrate carrier of claim 1 , wherein the non-conductive carrier body and the thermoplastic overmold both comprise a chlorinated polyvinyl chloride material.
7. The substrate carrier of claim 6 , wherein a chlorinated polyvinyl chloride solvent cement is used to form said plastic-to-plastic bond.
8. The substrate carrier of claim 1 , further comprising:
substrate holding areas arranged in a plurality of rows on each outer face of the substrate carrier.
9. The substrate carrier of claim 8 , further comprising:
a circular opening through the substrate carrier at a center of each substrate holding area.
10. The substrate carrier of claim 8 , further comprising:
substrate alignment features around a perimeter of each substrate holding area.
11. The substrate carrier of claim 8 , further comprising:
raised horizontal bars on the carrier body between said rows, wherein the raised horizontal bars have a tapered profile.
12. The substrate carrier of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of stacking features on the carrier body, the stacking features configured so as to maintain alignment and separation between stacked carrier bodies.
13. The substrate carrier of claim 1 , further comprising:
support ribs on a plurality of sides of the carrier body.
14. A method of electroplating a plurality of substrates, the method comprising:
mechanically holding the plurality of substrates onto a substrate carrier having a non-conductive carrier body and an electrically-conductive path through the carrier body to substrates;
mounting the substrate carrier on a work arm using a metal bus bar having a lower thermoplastically-encased portion embedded into a top side of the non-conductive carrier body so as to form a hermetic seal at the top side;
dipping the carrier body with the hermetically-sealed top side into an electroplating bath; and
applying a voltage to the substrates via the electrically-conductive path.