U.S. patent application number 14/676253 was filed with the patent office on 2015-10-08 for electrode for electrolytic plating and electrolytic plating apparatus including the same.
The applicant listed for this patent is OCI COMPANY LTD.. Invention is credited to Sung-Koo KANG, Hyung-Rak KIM, Ki-Hoon KIM, Min-Kyung OH.
Application Number | 20150284870 14/676253 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54209251 |
Filed Date | 2015-10-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150284870 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KANG; Sung-Koo ; et
al. |
October 8, 2015 |
ELECTRODE FOR ELECTROLYTIC PLATING AND ELECTROLYTIC PLATING
APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME
Abstract
Disclosed are an electrode for electrolytic plating and an
electrolytic plating apparatus including the same. A contact area
between a surface of an object to be plated and an electrode can be
minimized using an electrode for electrolytic plating having a
non-conductive pattern partially formed thereon. Generation of a
metal composite having multiple cores due to simultaneous contact
between plural objects to be plated and the conductive region being
not covered with non-conductive pattern can be prevented. Since the
surface of the object to be plated can be coated with different
kinds of metals before galvanic corrosion occurs, a metal composite
having a core-shell structure can have improved reliability,
quality and stability. Various different kinds of metals can be
coated onto the surface of the object to be plated without
limitation as the object to be plated.
Inventors: |
KANG; Sung-Koo;
(Seongnam-si, KR) ; KIM; Ki-Hoon; (Seongnam-si,
KR) ; OH; Min-Kyung; (Seongnam-si, KR) ; KIM;
Hyung-Rak; (Seongnam-si, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
OCI COMPANY LTD. |
Seoul |
|
KR |
|
|
Family ID: |
54209251 |
Appl. No.: |
14/676253 |
Filed: |
April 1, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
204/273 ;
204/242; 204/290.01; 204/290.14 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C25D 17/22 20130101;
C25D 7/00 20130101; C25D 17/10 20130101; C25D 17/12 20130101; C25D
21/10 20130101 |
International
Class: |
C25D 17/10 20060101
C25D017/10; C25D 17/12 20060101 C25D017/12 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 2, 2014 |
KR |
10-2014-0039418 |
Claims
1. An electrode for electrolytic plating comprising: a
non-conductive pattern partially formed on a surface of a
conductive material, wherein an exposed surface of the conductive
material being not covered with non-conductive pattern is brought
into contact with an object to be plated so as to achieve plating
on a surface of the object to be plated.
2. The electrode for electrolytic plating according to claim 1,
wherein the exposed surface of the conductive material being not
covered with non-conductive pattern is prevented from
simultaneously contacting plural objects to be plated.
3. The electrode for electrolytic plating according to claim 1,
wherein the exposed surface of the conductive material being not
covered with non-conductive pattern is formed in a mesh or opening
shape having a size 0.5 to 2 times a diameter of the object to be
plated.
4. The electrode for electrolytic plating according to claim 1,
wherein the conductive material is an electroconductive metal.
5. The electrode for electrolytic plating according to claim 4,
wherein the electroconductive metal comprises at least one selected
from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Al, Ni, Cu, and Pt.
6. The electrode for electrolytic plating according to claim 1,
wherein the conductive material has at least one shape selected
from the group consisting of a sheet shape, a wire shape, a disc
shape, a rod shape, and a foil shape.
7. The electrode for electrolytic plating according to claim 1,
wherein the non-conductive pattern has at least one shape selected
from the group consisting of a mesh shape, a stripe shape, a spiral
shape, and a spherical shape.
8. The electrode for electrolytic plating according to claim 1,
wherein the non-conductive pattern is an embossed pattern.
9. The electrode for electrolytic plating according to claim 1,
wherein the non-conductive pattern is formed by coating at least
one material selected from the group consisting of non-conductive
metallic oxide, methylpentene polymer, polyamide,
polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyisoprene,
polyurethane, polycarbonate, polyimide, polystyrene, polysulfone,
polyvinylchloride, and polyvinylidene chloride.
10. The electrode for electrolytic plating according to claim 1,
wherein a ratio of a total area of non-conductive regions generated
by the non-conductive pattern formed on the surface of the
conductive material to a total area of conductive regions being not
covered with non-conductive pattern is 20:80 to 95:5.
11. The electrode for electrolytic plating according to claim 1,
wherein the conductive material has engraved regions formed on the
surface thereof, and the non-conductive pattern is formed by
coating a non-conductive material on the engraved regions.
12. The electrode for electrolytic plating according to claim 1,
wherein the object to be plated is a metal powder.
13. An electrolytic plating apparatus comprising: a reaction
chamber; an electrode for electrolytic plating according to claim
1, the electrode for electrolytic planting being disposed in the
reaction chamber; and a power source for applying voltage to the
electrode for electrolytic plating.
14. The electrolytic plating apparatus according to claim 13,
wherein the reaction chamber includes an agitation unit.
15. The electrolytic plating apparatus according to claim 13,
wherein the reaction chamber is a cylindrical barrel, and the
electrode for electrolytic plating is disposed along an inner
peripheral surface of the cylindrical barrel type reaction chamber.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2014-0039418, filed on Apr. 2, 2014, entitled
"ELECTRODE FOR ELECTROLYTIC PLATING AND ELECTROLYTIC PLATING
APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME", which is hereby incorporated by
reference in its entirety into this application.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The present invention relates to an electrode for
electrolytic plating and an electrolytic plating apparatus
including the same, and more particularly, to an electrode for
electrolytic plating having a non-conductive pattern partially
formed on a surface of a conductive material and an electrolytic
plating apparatus including the same.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] The present invention relates to an electrode for
electrolytic plating and an electrolytic plating apparatus
including the same, wherein the electrode and the apparatus are
used to form a metal composite having a core-shell structure by
coating a surface of metal powder with different kinds of
metals.
[0006] A metal composite having a core-shell structure or a metal
powder material formed of a metal composite may be applied to
various fields such as conductive pastes for electronic packaging,
solar batteries, mobile electronic devices and the like and
electromagnetic shielding pastes for blocking electromagnetic waves
from electronic devices.
[0007] Technical development for improving price competitiveness,
reliability, quality and stability of metal composites has been
continuously required in the related art.
[0008] In general, a method for forming a metal composite having a
core-shell structure may include electroless plating or galvanic
displacement reaction.
[0009] Electroless plating means displacement plating, contact
plating, non-catalytic chemical plating or catalytic chemical
plating. Typically, electroless plating means catalytic chemical
plating, in which metal ions in a metal salt aqueous solution are
autocatalytically reduced by a reducing agent without receiving
electric energy and the metal is deposited on a surface of an
object to be plated. However, the process of forming a core-shell
composite by electroless plating has problems such that reaction
conditions for forming a core portion and a shell portion with
different kinds of metals must be strictly set and various reducing
agents and chelating agents are used, thereby generating waste
water and increasing manufacture costs.
[0010] Galvanic displacement reaction is a voluntary reaction which
occurs by a potential difference between two metals. If a potential
difference is generated between a metal to be plated and different
kinds of metal ions in a solution, the metal to be plated is
dissolved into an ion state in the solution and different metal
ions in the solution are reduced and coated onto the surface of the
metal to be plated.
[0011] Electroless plating and galvanic displacement reaction are
competitive reactions that can occur at the same time under the
same conditions. Therefore, if a thickness of a shell portion
corresponding to a coating layer of a metal powder is relatively
large or proper reaction conditions cannot be found on a reaction
scale, there is a very high possibility of pore generation in the
composite (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 2, use of the composite
having a core-shell structure with pores therein as an electronic
material can cause quality deterioration, such as blistering, low
conductivity, solvent absorption, and the like.
[0012] Electrolytic plating is suggested to solve such problems of
electroless plating and galvanic displacement reaction. However, a
typical electrolytic plating apparatus has a problem in that plural
metal powders are likely to be coated together and aggregated,
instead of being individually coated.
[0013] Such an aggregated composite has two or more cores like
peanuts instead of a single core, which can increase a possibility
of pore generation in the aggregated composite and thus cause
quality deterioration, such as blistering, low conductivity,
solvent absorption, and the like.
[0014] Korean Patent Laid-open Publication Nos. 1998-079372 and
2004-0072704 disclose a plating treatment method and plating
treatment apparatus using the same. However, these documents do not
provide innovative ways to solve the aforementioned technical
issues.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0015] For a long time, the present inventors have tried to develop
a plating method and a plating electrode to improve reliability,
quality and stability of a metal composite having a core-shell
structure formed by various methods known in the art, and finally
developed a plating method capable of improving reliability,
quality and stability of a metal composite having a core-shell
structure and a plating electrode applicable to the plating
method.
[0016] It is one aspect of the present invention to provide a
plating electrode for use in a plating method capable of improving
reliability, quality and stability of a metal composite having a
core-shell structure.
[0017] It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a
plating apparatus including a plating electrode capable of
improving reliability, quality and stability of a metal composite
having a core-shell structure.
[0018] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an
electrode for electrolytic plating includes: a non-conductive
pattern partially formed on a surface of a conductive material,
wherein an exposed surface of the conductive material being not
covered with non-conductive pattern is brought into contact with an
object to be plated so as to achieve plating on a surface of the
object to be plated.
[0019] The exposed surface of the conductive material being not
covered with non-conductive pattern may be prevented from
simultaneously contacting plural objects to be plated.
[0020] The exposed surface of the conductive material being not
covered with non-conductive pattern may be formed in a mesh or
opening shape having a size 0.5-2 times a diameter of the object to
be plated.
[0021] The conductive material may be an electroconductive
metal.
[0022] The electroconductive metal may include at least one
selected from the group consisting of Ag, Au, Al, Ni, Cu, and
Pt.
[0023] The conductive material may have at least one shape selected
from the group consisting of a sheet shape, a wire shape, a disc
shape, a rod shape, and a foil shape.
[0024] The non-conductive pattern may have at least one shape
selected from the group consisting of a mesh shape, a stripe shape,
a spiral shape, and a spherical shape.
[0025] The non-conductive pattern may be an embossed pattern.
[0026] The non-conductive pattern may be formed by coating at least
one material selected from the group consisting of non-conductive
metallic oxide, methylpentenepolymer, polyamide,
polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyisoprene,
polyurethane, polycarbonate, polyimide, polystyrene, polysulfone,
polyvinylchloride, and polyvinylidene chloride.
[0027] A ratio of a total area of non-conductive regions generated
by the non-conductive pattern formed on the surface of the
conductive material to a total area of conductive regions being not
covered with non-conductive pattern may be 20:80 to 95:5.
[0028] The conductive material may have engraved regions formed on
the surface thereof, and the non-conductive pattern may be formed
by coating a non-conductive material on the engraved regions.
[0029] The object to be plated may be a metal powder.
[0030] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
an electrolytic plating apparatus includes: a reaction chamber; an
electrode for electrolytic plating disposed in the reaction
chamber; and a power source for applying voltage to the electrode
for electrolytic plating.
[0031] The reaction chamber may include an agitation unit.
[0032] The reaction chamber may be a cylindrical barrel and the
electrode for electrolytic plating may be disposed along an inner
peripheral surface of the cylindrical barrel type reaction
chamber.
[0033] As described above, embodiments of the invention provide an
electrode for electrolytic plating and an electrolytic plating
apparatus including the same, in which a contact area between a
surface of an object to be plated and an electrode can be minimized
using an electrode for electrolytic plating having a non-conductive
pattern partially formed thereon. Accordingly, generation of a
metal composite having multiple cores due to simultaneous contact
between plural objects to be plated and the conductive region being
not covered with non-conductive pattern can be prevented.
[0034] Further, since the surface of the object to be plated can be
coated with different kinds of metals before galvanic corrosion
occurs, the metal composite having a core-shell structure can have
improved reliability, quality and stability.
[0035] In addition, various different kinds of metals can be coated
onto the surface of the object to be plated without limitation as
the object to be plated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the
present invention will become apparent from the detailed
description of the following embodiments in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0037] FIG. 1 is a view showing a process in which pores are
generated in a metal composite having a core-shell structure
manufactured by electroless plating or galvanic displacement
reaction;
[0038] FIG. 2 is an SEM picture of a metal composite having a
core-shell structure manufactured by electroless plating or
galvanic displacement reaction;
[0039] FIGS. 3 and 4 are views showing an electrode for
electrolytic plating having a non-conductive pattern partially
formed on a surface of a conductive material according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0040] FIGS. 5 to 8 are sectional views of an electrode for
electrolytic plating according to an embodiment of the present
invention; and
[0041] FIG. 9 is a view of an electrolytic plating apparatus
according to one embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0042] All terms and words used herein should not be construed as
limited to common or lexical definitions and should be interpreted
as having definitions and concepts corresponding to the spirit and
scope of the present invention based on the principle that
inventors may pertinently define concepts of the terms in order to
describe their own disclosures in the best way. As used herein, the
singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the
plural forms as well, unless context clearly indicates
otherwise.
[0043] Hereinafter, an electrode for electrolytic plating and an
electrolytic plating apparatus including the same according to
embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with
reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood
that the present invention is not limited to the following
embodiments and may be embodied in different ways.
[0044] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an
electrode for electrolytic plating includes a non-conductive
pattern partially formed on a surface of a conductive material in
which the exposed surface of the conductive material being not
covered with non-conductive pattern is brought into contact with an
object to be plated, when plating on a surface of the object to be
plated.
[0045] According to one embodiment, the exposed surface of the
conductive material being not covered with non-conductive pattern
may be prevented from simultaneously contacting plural objects to
be plated. The object to be plated may directly contact a
conductive region and ions of different kinds of metals contained
in a plating solution are reduced to form a coating layer as a
shell portion on the surface.
[0046] Since the non-conductive pattern is partially formed on the
surface of the conductive material, the surface of the conductive
material being not covered with non-conductive pattern (i.e. a
surface not covered with the non-conductive pattern) may be exposed
in the form of a mesh or opening. The mesh or opening-shaped
surface of the conductive material not covered with the
non-conductive pattern does not always need to be formed in an
engraved shape.
[0047] In the specification, although the mesh or opening may be
variously referred to as a region of the surface of the conductive
material being not covered with non-conductive pattern, a region
not covered with the non-conductive pattern, a surface of the
conductive material exposed between the non-conductive patterns, or
a conductive region, all these terms have the same meaning. This
will be more clearly understood throughout the accompanying
drawings.
[0048] The surface of the conductive material not covered with the
non-conductive pattern and exposed in the form of a mesh or opening
is brought into contact an object to be plated, whereby a coating
layer can be formed on the surface of the object to be plated.
[0049] Herein, the surface of the conductive material exposed in
the form of a mesh or opening does not simultaneously contact
plural objects to be plated, and the size of the mesh or opening is
limited such that the respective objects to be plated individually
contact the exposed surface.
[0050] In other words, if plural objects to be plated
simultaneously contact the conductive region, this can cause
cohesion of a composite as the plural objects to be plated are
coated at the same time, which results in generation of a metal
composite having multiple cores. Since such a metal composite
having multiple cores has an uneven structure and shape, it is
impossible to obtain a metal composite having a uniform properties,
and thus reliability, quality and stability of a metal composite
cannot be guaranteed.
[0051] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to minimize
a contact area between the surface of the object to be plated and
the electrode made of the conductive material using the electrode
for electrolytic plating having a non-conductive pattern partially
formed thereon. Such an object can be achieved by adjusting the
size of the non-conductive pattern so as to prevent plural objects
to be plated from simultaneously contacting the exposed surface of
the conductive material being not covered with non-conductive
pattern.
[0052] As a result, the size of the non-conductive pattern may be
adjusted to determine a desirable size of the conductive region
which is the exposed surface of the conductive material being not
covered with non-conductive pattern. This can achieve a coating
process by allowing a single object to be plated to contact the
conductive region being not covered with non-conductive pattern,
thereby preventing generation of a metal composite having multiple
cores due to simultaneous contact of the conductive region with
plural objects to be plated.
[0053] As described above, since the non-conductive pattern is
partially formed on the surface of the conductive material, the
surface of the conductive material not covered with the
non-conductive pattern may be exposed in the form of a mesh or
opening.
[0054] According to one embodiment, the size of the mesh or opening
of the exposed surface of the conductive material being not covered
with non-conductive pattern may be 0.5 to 2 times the diameter of
the object to be plated.
[0055] The object (core) to be plated used to form a core-shell
composite preferably has a micrometer scale, but is not limited
thereto. Therefore, the conductive region which is the exposed
surface of the conductive material being not covered with
non-conductive pattern, i.e. the mesh or opening, also preferably
has a micrometer scale, but is not limited thereto. The size of the
mesh or opening of the exposed surface of the conductive material
being not covered with non-conductive pattern is preferably 0.5 to
2 times, more preferably 0.5 to 1.5 times the diameter of the
object to be plated.
[0056] In other words, the size of the non-conductive pattern
and/or the mesh size or opening size of the conductive region which
is the exposed surface of the conductive material being not covered
with non-conductive pattern may vary according to the size of the
object to be plated used to form a core-shell composite.
Preferably, the size is determined so as to achieve a coating
process by allowing only a single object to be plated to contact
the conductive region being not covered with non-conductive
pattern.
[0057] According to one embodiment, the conductive material may
include at least one selected from the group consisting of
electroconductive metals, for example, Ag, Au, Al, Ni, Cu, and Pt,
and may have at least one shape selected from the group consisting
of a sheet shape, a wire shape, a disc shape, a rod shape, and a
foil shape, without being limited thereto.
[0058] Accordingly, since the kind and shape of the conductive
material can be variously adjusted and changed according to the
purpose and condition of use of the electrode for electrolytic
plating according to the embodiment of the present invention,
various different kinds of metals can be coated onto the surface of
the object to be plated without limitation as the object to be
plated.
[0059] Herein, the kind and shape of the object to be plated can be
variously adjusted and changed according to the purpose and
condition of use of the electrode for electrolytic plating
according to the embodiment of the present invention. Specifically,
the shape of the object to be plated may be non-restrictively
selected from the group consisting of a powder shape, a sheet
shape, a wire shape, a disc shape, a rod shape, and a foil shape,
and is preferably a spherical powder shape.
[0060] In general, an electrode for electrolytic plating is
disposed in a reaction chamber of an electrolytic plating
apparatus. Voltage having a constant magnitude is applied to the
electrode from a power source, whereby constant current flows to
the electrode.
[0061] As described above, the present invention is characterized
in that a non-conductive pattern, i.e. an insulation pattern, is
partially formed on the surface of the conductive material.
Therefore, current generated by voltage having a constant magnitude
applied to the conductive material from the power source may be
restrictively supplied to an object to be plated, which contacts
the exposed surface of the conductive material being not covered
with non-conductive pattern, i.e. the conductive region.
[0062] According to one embodiment, the non-conductive pattern may
have at least one shape selected from the group consisting of a
mesh shape, a stripe shape, a spiral shape, and a spherical shape.
However, the shape may be variously adjusted and changed according
to the purpose and condition of use of the electrode for
electrolytic plating. The non-conductive pattern may be formed by
coating at least one material selected from the group consisting of
a non-conductive material and/or an insulation material, for
example, non-conductive metallic oxide, methylpentenepolymer,
polyamide, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, polypropylene,
polyisoprene, polyurethane, polycarbonate, polyimide, polystyrene,
polysulfone, polyvinylchloride, and polyvinylidene chloride.
[0063] Referring to FIG. 3, which shows an electrode for
electrolytic plating having a non-conductive pattern partially
formed on a surface of a conductive material according to one
embodiment of the present invention, the electrode may have a
structure in which a non-conductive pattern 302 is coated onto a
surface of a conductive material 301 having a wire shape and thus
the exposed surface of the conductive material being not covered
with non-conductive pattern, i.e. a conductive region 303, is
formed in a spherical shape.
[0064] Referring to FIG. 4, the plating electrode may also have a
structure in which a non-conductive pattern 403 is coated in a mesh
(net) shape on a surface of a conductive material 401 having a wire
shape and thus a conductive region 402 being not covered with
non-conductive pattern is formed in a quadrilateral shape.
[0065] Herein, the conductive region is distinguished from a
conductive through-hole typically formed in an electrode for
electrolytic plating for smooth circulation of a plating solution.
In other words, the conductive region is not a part through which
the plating solution passes, but refers to the exposed surface of
the conductive material being not covered with non-conductive
pattern.
[0066] By allowing the object to be plated to directly contact the
conductive region which is the exposed surface of the conductive
material being not covered with non-conductive pattern, ions of the
different kinds of metals contained in the plating solution are
reduced and form a shell portion on the surface of the object to be
plated.
[0067] For example, if the object to be plated is a metal powder,
ions of the different kinds of metals contained in the plating
solution are reduced and form a shell portion on the surface of the
metal powder, thereby forming a composite having a core-shell
structure.
[0068] The mesh size or opening size of the conductive region on
the surface of the conductive material being not covered with
non-conductive pattern, more particularly, the mesh size or opening
size of a portion 303 or 402 of the conductive material exposed
between the non-conductive patterns is determined by the size of
the object to be plated. Preferably, the mesh or opening has a size
that can prevent plural objects to be plated from simultaneously
contacting a single mesh or opening. Therefore, the mesh size or
opening size is preferably 0.5 to 2 times the diameter of the metal
powder which is the object to be plated. For example, if the
diameter of the metal powder which is the object to be plated is 20
.mu.m, the mesh size or opening size of a part of the conductive
material exposed between the non-conductive patterns may be 10 to
40 .mu.m, preferably 10 to 30 .mu.m.
[0069] The present invention is characterized in that the
non-conductive pattern, i.e. the insulation pattern, is partially
formed on the surface of the conductive material. Therefore,
current generated by voltage having a constant magnitude applied to
the conductive material from the power source may be restrictively
supplied to the object to be plated, which contacts the conductive
region being not covered with non-conductive pattern, preferably,
to a micrometer scale metal powder.
[0070] According to the present invention, by partially forming the
non-conductive pattern on the surface of the conductive material,
contact between the conductive region and the micrometer scale
metal powder can be minimized, thereby preventing generation of a
metal composite having multiple cores which may be formed due to
simultaneous coating of plural metal powders.
[0071] In one embodiment, a ratio of the total area of the
non-conductive regions generated by the non-conductive pattern
formed on the surface of the conductive material to the total area
of the conductive regions being not covered with non-conductive
pattern may be 20:80 to 95:5.
[0072] As described above, the present invention has a purpose of
minimizing contact between the conductive region and the metal
powder having a micro-unit size by partially forming the
non-conductive pattern on the surface of the conductive material.
However, if the ratio of the conductive regions is less than 5%,
coating efficiency on the surface of the object to be plated is
abruptly decreased. Therefore, this is not appropriate to
manufacture a core-shell composite. On the other hand, if the ratio
of the conductive regions exceeds 80%, there is a high probability
that plural metal powders are coated simultaneously. Therefore, it
becomes meaningless to partially form the non-conductive pattern on
the conductive material.
[0073] Further, as described above, since the non-conductive
pattern is partially formed on the surface of the conductive
material, the surface of the conductive material being not covered
with non-conductive pattern, i.e., the surface not covered with the
non-conductive pattern, may be exposed in the form of a mesh or
opening.
[0074] Referring to FIG. 5 showing a sectional view of the
electrode for electrolytic plating according to an embodiment of
the present invention, a non-conductive pattern 501 partially
formed on a surface of a conductive material 502 may be embossed.
The conductive material is exposed at the bottom of the engraved
region defined by the embossed non-conductive pattern 501, and the
exposed conductive material is subjected to contact with the object
to be plated.
[0075] Although FIG. 5 shows that the exposed surface of the
conductive material 502 not covered with the non-conductive pattern
has a planar shape, the exposed surface may be formed in a convex
or concave shape.
[0076] Referring to FIG. 6 showing a sectional view of an electrode
for electrolytic plating according to another embodiment of the
present invention, a non-conductive pattern 601 partially formed on
a surface of a conductive material 602 may be embossed. The
conductive material is exposed at the bottom of the engraved region
defined by the embossed non-conductive pattern 601, and the exposed
conductive material contacts the object to be plated.
[0077] Different from the electrode for electrolytic plating shown
in FIG. 5, the electrode for electrolytic plating shown in FIG. 6
is structured such that the conductive material 602 has its own
engraved regions formed on the surface thereof and the
non-conductive pattern 601 formed by coating a non-conductive
material on the engraved regions may be higher than the embossed
regions of the conductive material 602.
[0078] In FIG. 6, the exposed surface of the conductive material
602 not covered with the non-conductive pattern may be formed in a
convex or concave shape as well as a planar shape.
[0079] Referring to FIG. 7, which is a sectional view of an
electrode for electrolytic plating according to a further
embodiment of the present invention, a conductive material 702 has
engraved regions formed on a surface thereof and a non-conductive
pattern 701 formed by coating a non-conductive material onto the
engraved regions may have the same height as that of part or
embossed regions 703 of the conductive material 702. Accordingly,
the embossed regions 703 of the conductive material 702 are exposed
and contact an object to be plated. Herein, the part or the
embossed regions 703 of the conductive material 702 may be a
concave surface.
[0080] Referring to FIG. 8, which is a sectional view of an
electrode for electrolytic plating according to yet another
embodiment of the present invention, a conductive material 802 has
own engraved regions formed on a surface thereof and a
non-conductive pattern 801 formed by coating a non-conductive
material onto the engraved regions may have the same height as that
of part or embossed regions 803 of the conductive material 802.
Accordingly, the embossed regions 803 of the conductive material
802 are exposed and contact an object to be plated. Different from
the electrode for electrolytic plating shown in FIG. 7, the part or
the embossed regions 803 of the conductive material 802 may be a
convex surface.
[0081] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an electrolytic plating apparatus, which includes
a reaction chamber 901, an electrode for electrolytic plating 902
disposed in the reaction chamber, and a power source for applying
voltage to the electrode for electrolytic plating. Herein, the
electrode for electrolytic plating 902 is characterized in that a
non-conductive pattern is partially formed on a surface of a
conductive material so as to expose only a part 903 of the
conductive material.
[0082] Referring to FIG. 9, which show an electrolytic plating
apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention, the
reaction chamber 901 may include an agitation unit 904. The
agitation unit 904 functions to mix an object to be plated with a
plating solution.
[0083] In one embodiment of the invention, the reaction chamber 901
may be a cylindrical barrel, but is not limited thereto. The
reaction chamber 901 may have other shapes, such as a spherical
shape or the like, suitable for constructing the electrolytic
plating apparatus.
[0084] In one embodiment of the invention, the electrode for
electrolytic plating may be disposed along an inner peripheral
surface of the cylindrical barrel type reaction chamber. In another
embodiment, the electrode for electrolytic plating may be
additionally provided to the agitation unit 904. With this
structure, the agitation unit may have a function of the electrode
for electrolytic plating as well as a function of mixing an object
to be plated with a plating solution.
[0085] Although some embodiments have been described herein, it
should be understood by those skilled in the art that these
embodiments are given by way of illustration only, and that various
modifications, variations, and alterations can be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore,
the scope of the invention should be limited only by the
accompanying claims and equivalents thereof.
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