An electrolytic plating apparatus includes a plating tank that is filled with plating liquid; a moving mechanism configured to vertically move a processing target substrate in a direction normal to a surface of the plating liquid; a seal member that is disposed at a peripheral edge portion of a processing target surface of a processing target substrate and is configured to seal the plating liquid to a center side of the processing target surface when the processing target substrate is immersed in the plating tank; and a contact member that is separated from the seal member and is electrically connected to the processing target surface.

In a flow down type surface treating apparatus, a scattering amount of a processing solution is reduced. A film forming mechanism 110 is provided on an inlet side and an outlet side of each treatment chamber. The film forming mechanism 110 ejects a continuous laminar liquid under pressure of about 0.01 MPa at a flow rate of 5 to 10 L/min. Such a liquid film prevents droplets reflected on a surface of an antiscattering member 60 from splashing and entering the adjacent treatment chamber. When a plate-like work 10 is shaken to collide with the liquid film, the film flows down along the plate-like work 10 since the film formed by the film forming mechanism 110 is liquid. Thereby, a shake of the plate-like work 10 is converged. An amount of air flowing in toward a transport direction in each treatment chamber is reduced.

In a flow down type surface treating apparatus, a scattering amount of a processing solution Q is reduced. A honeycomb member 60 is provided vertically below a transport hanger 16. The honeycomb member 60 consists of a plurality of tubular members with hexagonal holes connected together. When the processing solution Q falls in a vertical direction (in the direction of an arrow α), the processing solution Q passes through through-holes of the honeycomb member 60. When the processing solution Q hits liquid level H, a part of it is reflected. Since a part of the reflected processing solution Q is reflected obliquely, it collides with an inner wall of the through-hole of the honeycomb member 60. As a result, the amount of the treatment liquid Q that emerges again on an upper surface of the through-holes is reduced. Thereby, the honeycomb member 60 exhibits a scattering prevention function.

Arrangement for electroless metallization of a target surface (3) of at least one workpiece (2), comprisinga container (5) for holding a metallization solution (7), an inlet (8) for the metallization solution (7) arranged in the bottom (6) of the container, an outlet for the metallization solution (7) arranged on the top of the container (5), a holder (11) for holding (11) the at least one workpiece (2), wherein the holder is arranged to be movable in at least two dimensions relative to the container (5) by means of a movement device (13).

A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holder configured to horizontally hold and rotate a substrate which has a recess and a base metal layer exposed from a bottom surface of the recess; and a pre-cleaning liquid supply configured to supply a pre-cleaning liquid such as dicarboxylic acid or tricarboxylic acid onto the substrate being held and rotated by the substrate holder, to thereby pre-clean the base metal layer. A temperature of the pre-cleaning liquid on the substrate is equal to or higher than 40 C.

A substrate W having a non-plateable material portion 31 and a plateable material portion 32 formed on a surface thereof is prepared, and then, a catalyst is imparted selectively to the plateable material portion 32 by supplying a catalyst solution N1 onto the substrate W. Thereafter, a plating layer 35 is selectively formed on the plateable material portion 32 by supplying a plating liquid M1 onto the substrate W. A pH of the catalyst solution N1 is previously adjusted such that the plating layer 35 is suppressed from being precipitated on the non-plateable material portion 31 while being facilitated to be precipitated on the plateable material portion 32.

An assembly for electroless metallization of a target surface (11) of at least one workpiece (10), comprisinga container (13) for receiving an electrolyte solutionan inlet for the electrolyte solution, said inlet arranged in the base (15) of the container (13), wherein the inlet (20) is designed as an inlet port (21) with a diffuser plate (24) comprising inlet openings (25) arranged in concentric circlesan outlet (30) which is arranged on an upper side of the container (13)a receiving area for holding the at least one workpiece (10), wherein the diffuser plate (24) is formed as a first assembly (31) and a second assembly (32), which is identical to the first assembly, of a respective plurality of inlet openings (25), wherein the assemblies at least partially but not completely overlap, and the inlet (20) has at least two inlet ports (21, 22).

A process and apparatus that enable selective passivation of electroless nickel to control formation and growth of undesired nickel plating between traces without inhibiting plating on the required features is provided. In some embodiments activity of a passivating agent is increased. In some embodiments, activity is increased by agitation using one or more eductors to increase fluid flow velocity of the passivating agent near to introduction into plating bath. One or more baffles can confine the mass-transfer zone. The process and apparatus are also particularly applicable where voltage is not able to control nodule formation, such as in electroless nickel plating.

A surface treatment apparatus for subjecting a workpiece immersed at least partly in a solution to a surface treatment has: a spray nozzle facing the workpiece for spraying a treatment solution towards a working surface of the workpiece. The surface treatment apparatus has at least one of: a spray nozzle rotator to rotate the spray nozzle in a plane parallel to the working surface of the workpiece; or a workpiece rotator to rotate the workpiece in a plane perpendicular to a spraying direction of the treatment solution sprayed from the spray nozzle.

A metal wiring layer can be formed within a recess of a substrate and an unnecessary plating layer is not left on a surface of the substrate. A metal wiring layer forming method includes forming a first plating layer 7 as a protection layer at least on a tungsten or tungsten alloy 4 formed on a bottom surface 3a of a recess 3 of a substrate 2; removing an unnecessary plating layer 7a formed on a surface 2a of the substrate 2; and forming a second plating layer 8 on the first plating layer 7 within the recess 3.