IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,840,770
Granted Patent B2
US 11,840,770 · App. 17/523,591 · Granted Dec 12, 2023

Film formation apparatus and film formation method for forming metal film

Inventors: Akira Kato (Toyota, JP); Haruki Kondoh (Okazaki, JP); Soma Higashikozono (Toyota, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
C25D17/002C25D17/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,840,770
App. No.
17/523,591
Granted
Dec 12, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A film formation apparatus for forming a metal film includes an anode, a solid electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and a substrate that serves as a cathode, a power supply device that applies a voltage between the anode and the cathode, a solution container that contains a solution between the anode and the solid electrolyte membrane, the solution containing metal ions, and a pressure device that pressurizes the solid electrolyte membrane to the cathode side with a fluid pressure of the solution. The film formation apparatus includes an auxiliary cathode disposed in a peripheral area of the film formation region when the surface of the substrate is viewed in plain view, the auxiliary cathode having an electric potential lower than an electric potential of the anode.

Claims (22)

1. A film formation apparatus for forming a metal film, comprising:

an anode;

a substrate serving as a cathode, the substrate having a film forming region that is located on a surface of the substrate;

an auxiliary cathode;

a solid electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and the substrate;

a power supply device that applies a voltage between the anode and the cathode;

a solution container that contains a solution between the anode and the solid electrolyte membrane, the solution containing metal ions; and

a pressure device that pressurizes the solid electrolyte membrane to the cathode side with a fluid pressure of the solution,

wherein the auxiliary cathode is disposed into a frame shape in a peripheral area of the film formation region when the surface of the substrate is viewed in plan view,

wherein the auxiliary cathode is provided outside of the solution container,

wherein, when a relative value of a Q-B distance from the center Q to the outer periphery B of the film formation region is set to 1 as a standard value, a relative value of a P-A distance from the center P to the outer periphery A in the surface of the anode is within a range of 0.95 to 1.09, a relative value of a B-C distance from the outer periphery B of the film formation region to the inner periphery C of the surface of the auxiliary cathode is within a range of 0 to 0.2, a relative value of a C-D distance from the inner periphery C to the outer periphery D in the surface of the auxiliary cathode is within a range of 0.05 to 0.17, and a relative value of a P-Q distance from the center P in the surface of the anode to the center Q of the film formation region is within a range of 0.15 to 0.32.

2. The film formation apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the auxiliary cathode is at the same electric potential as an electric potential of the cathode.

3. The film formation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary cathode is provided integrally with the substrate such that the auxiliary cathode masks a region in the peripheral area of the film formation region.

4. The film formation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the substrate and the surface of the auxiliary cathode are parallel.

5. The film formation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the substrate and the surface of the auxiliary cathode are flush with one another.

6. The film formation apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the cathode and the auxiliary cathode are grounded.

7. A method for forming a metal film with the film formation apparatus according to claim 1 , the method comprising

disposing the solid electrolyte membrane between the anode and the substrate; and

forming the metal film on the film formation region by applying a voltage between the anode and the cathode while pressurizing the film formation region in the surface of the substrate by the solid electrolyte membrane with a fluid pressure of the solution to deposit metal ions internally contained in the solid electrolyte membrane, wherein the metal film is formed by applying the voltage such that an electric potential of the auxiliary cathode is lower than an electric potential of the anode.

8. The method according to claim 7 ,

wherein the auxiliary cathode is at the same electric potential as an electric potential of the cathode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2021
From: KATO, AKIRA; KONDOH, HARUKI; HIGASHIKOZONO, SOMA
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 058101/0381 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-192288 · Nov 19, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220154362A1 · May 19, 2022