A Study of a Plating Hanger for a Vertical Copper Electroplating Machinery

Semiconductor technology plays a crucial role in the advancement of technology. The creation of powerful microchips has made our lives easier by automating tasks, improving communication, and providing access to vast arrays of information. Industries are being transformed through automation and digital innovation. This creates new opportunities and challenges along the way. Semiconductor manufacturers are becoming smarter by constantly improving the processes by which they manufacture and produce these microchips. One effective strategy to increase production and maximize efficiency is to ensure that these machines are regularly maintained and are constantly improved to guarantee the quality and quantity of the products. During the deposition process, the vertical continuous copper electroplating machinery runs nonstop to meet the demands of the manufacturing company. Due to continuous usage, the copper plating hanger's mechanical components encounter unavoidable deformation due to stress and strain, which causes the hanger's components to be misaligned and damaged. In this study, the researcher has redesigned the mechanical components of a copper plating hanger used in vertical continuous copper electroplating machinery, which is a critical piece of machinery utilized in semiconductor manufacturing. The copper plating hanger has three main critical mechanical components, namely the brass conductor, the stainless-steel horizontal bar, and the stainless-steel insulating clips. These components encounter the greatest deformation during continuous usage in the production line, which becomes damaged and unsalvageable after several usages during production; therefore, it is inefficient, unsustainable, and not cost-worthy. Actual mechanical design experiments were conducted to compare the standardized fixed measurements of the copper plating hanger before and after it was used in the production line. The gathered data was used to analyze the misalignments that have occurred after being utilized in the production line. Thereafter, simulations through Finite Element Analysis (FEA) were performed to understand the stress, strain, and displacement behaviors of these components under different parameters and boundary conditions used in the actual design experiments. Comparing results of the aforesaid experiment yielded better design results. Such is useful to develop a more effective and efficient mechanical design. Therefore, design improvements were made for the copper plating hanger following the mechanical design principles from the mechanical engineering discipline. Design improvements were made through the fabrication of newly designed components such as the conductor guide for the brass conductor, the middle bracket for the stainless-steel horizontal bar, and the flange guide for the stainless-steel insulating clips. These newly designed components will improve the stability, precision, and accuracy of the copper plating hanger's three main critical mechanical components, as well as the overall precision of the copper plating hanger, which will contribute to the overall efficiency of the vertical continuous copper electroplating machinery.