FR3039564A1 - SUPPORT DEVICE FOR SUBSTRATE TO BE PROCESSED IN PARTICULAR BY CHEMICAL OR ELECTROCHEMICAL - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a support device (1) for substrate (2) to be treated chemically or electro-chemically, comprising a support (3) having a through opening (37), a seal (40) intended for apply against the edge of the substrate and housed in a groove of the housing (6) of the support and giving on the opening, and inflatable deformable means, characterized in that the inflatable deformable means are distinct from the applied seal and are consisting of at least one inflatable deformable element (41) disposed around said seal (40), opposite the opening. The tightening of the substrate may be caused by pneumatic overpressure of the inflatable element or a return to atmospheric pressure of the inflatable element. The cooperation of the sealing means ensures the hermeticity between the support and the edge of the substrate thus maximizing the surface of the substrate to be treated.

Description

SUPPORT DEVICE FOR SUBSTRATE TO BE PROCESSED IN PARTICULAR BY CHEMICAL OR ELECTROCHEMICAL MEANS The invention relates in particular to the field of the electrolytic treatment of substrates with a view to etching or deposition of material. The invention relates more particularly to a support device for a substrate provided with a conductive or semiconductor material and intended to undergo electrochemical treatment, the support device comprising peripheral sealing means.

Electrochemical treatment is commonly used in the structuring of conductive or semiconducting surfaces for many applications, particularly in the field of microelectronics, or relating to sensors, electrodes, filter membranes, microdiffusers, optical or thermal reflectors, thermal or electrical insulation supports etc ...

In the context of semiconductors, mention may be made of the electrochemical texturing of silicon wafers. The invention will be more particularly described with respect to this application, without being limited thereto.

A known technique for performing an electrochemical treatment is to place the substrate to be treated in an electrolyte bath comprising an electrode placed at a distance from the substrate, the substrate being intended to constitute a second electrode. The electrode and the substrate are connected to two respective opposite polarities, the substrate forming anode or cathode depending on whether it is respectively a removal or deposition of material.

Another known technique consists in placing the substrate between two separate electrolyte baths each comprising an electrode placed at a distance from the substrate, the circulation of the electrolysis current between the two electrodes being forced through the substrate. A seal between the two baths and between the two opposite faces of the substrate is then imperative.

Today, the device for implementing a treatment method by electrolytic bath (s) comprises a frame having a cavity filled with an electrolytic solution, a wafer holder that accommodates the substrate to be treated, named platelet, and which is disposed in the electrolyte solution. Once the wafer holder hosting the substrate in place, it delimits two baths in the electrolytic solution (the two baths may contain the same solution or two different solutions), which should also be sealed one compared to each other. In this respect, sealing means are provided between the wafer holder and the frame.

In addition, sealing means are provided within the wafer holder and arranged to circumscribe the surface of one of the faces of the wafer, in particular the face of the wafer intended to be chemically or electronically treated. chemically.

The wafer holder and the various wafer holder / frame and holder / wafer / substrate thus have the role of separating the two electrolytic solutions and being able to polarize differently the two opposite faces of the substrate.

More particularly, most wafer holders are generally composed of two removable parts that sandwich the wafer. Each portion internally forms a flat surface and includes a central opening. The openings of the two parts of the wafer holder are intended to be placed opposite and delimit the surface of the area of the wafer to be treated, the periphery of the wafer being taken integrally sandwiched between the two flat surfaces of the wafer holder as small as possible (a few millimeters or less if possible) so as to minimize the untreated surface of the wafer. The wafer with its peripheral sealing means are housed in a groove of the wafer holder. When the two parts of the wafer holder are closed on the wafer, the sealing means are thus compressed against the two opposite faces of the substrate and around the area to be treated of the substrate, thus ensuring a seal between the two opposite faces of the wafer.

Such a known device has certain disadvantages, in particular: - The introduction and removal of a wafer sandwiched inside the wafer holder take time due to having to separate / reassemble the two parts of the wafer holder , which are generally associated by screwing, which does not promote industrial implementation. - The area to be treated is limited to the through opening of the wafer holder; The platelet holder covers a non-negligible platelet portion, thereby reducing the possibility of treatment in this region. - During disassembly, after the separation of the two parts, the wafer still rests on one of the two parts of the wafer holder and can sometimes remain stuck by capillarity where the need to take off the sealing means before being able to manipulate and move it.

With regard to the sealing means between the substrate and the wafer holder, the European patent application EP0597428 proposes sealing means able to deform under the effect of a gas introduced into said means so as to adjust the surface supporting the sealing means against the edge of the substrate by advantageously limiting at least the cover of the surface to be treated. The object of the invention is therefore to propose a substrate support device to be treated, in particular electro-chemically, provided with sealing means, which proves to be simple and quick to implement, in particular allowing a quick and easy assembly of the substrate, which ensures a firm hold of the substrate to be carried and effective sealing while maximizing the surface to be treated substrate and which ensures a quick and effortless removal of the substrate.

According to the invention, the device for supporting at least one substrate to be electrochemically treated comprises: a support provided with at least one through opening, the opening being intended to receive a substrate to be treated, and extending in a general plane which is intended to be parallel to the plane of the surface or surfaces to be treated, - at least one wall seal housed in a housing of the support, extending along a perimeter encircling the opening, and intended for applied against the substrate when the latter is housed in the opening, inflatable deformable means to ensure the application seal to exert transverse compression forces to the edge of the frame of the support and directed towards the opening , so as to press the gasket against the edge of the substrate, and is characterized in that the inflatable deformable means are distinct from the gasket and consist of at least one el inflatable deformable element disposed around said seal applied opposite the opening.

The wall seal is non-inflatable.

The wall seal is easily removable without disassembling the support. The inflatable element comprises a hollow chamber capable of being filled with pressurized fluid for the expansion of said element.

The housing has an entrance turned in a plane transverse to the general plane of the opening. The inflatable element is able to exert and / or transmit compressive forces in the direction transverse to the edge of the frame of the support and directed towards the opening. The inflatable element and the gasket are intended to ensure a seal between said support and the edge of the substrate.

Therefore, the inflatable deformable element cooperates with the seal application being able to transmit to it compressive forces for clamping against the substrate. The wall seal is passive by undergoing the compressive forces of the inflatable deformable element. These compressive forces are transmitted in the direction of the seal that transmits them in turn transversely to the edge of the frame of the support towards the opening housing the substrate, that is to say that for a walled frame by As an annular example, the compressive forces are radial and directed towards the center of the opening. Thus, when a substrate is positioned inside an opening, the compression seal compressed by the deformable element is able to transmit compressive forces against the edge of the substrate, in planes parallel to the plane faces of the substrate.

The present invention is distinguished from the prior art by the presence of an inflatable deformable element from compressing the seal applied in contact with the substrate. This cooperation offers additional advantages, as opposed to direct pneumatic compression by a single deforming seal.

This embodiment of the invention, without the application seal being inflatable, makes it easier to control the homogeneity of the clamping around the periphery of the substrate without the risk of damaging it, particularly with regard to the size of the compressive forces. and the distribution of these forces.

In the prior art, the clamping is ensured by the pneumatic pressurization of the "tubeless" type seal (English expression commonly used in French to designate a hollow chamber seal without a tube), which It does not allow for easy replacement to accommodate different forms of substrates, in contrast to the use of the independent seal of the inflatable element of the present invention. On the other hand, the use of an independent inflatable element, said inflatable element comprising a closed chamber, avoids any risk of infiltration of electrolyte or electrolyte vapor into the pneumatic circuit irrespective of the clamping position or the rest of the seal of application, unlike a compressive tightening of a gasket applied directly pushed by a gas.

The device may comprise, preferably in the same support, several openings each intended to accommodate a substrate to be treated, each opening being provided at the periphery of a housing comprising a seal for applying to a substrate, the device comprising at least an inflatable deformable member adapted to cooperate by compression / decompression all around each seal application, preferably the inflatable element being also housed in said support.

The openings in the support delimit frames that each accommodate a substrate. The substrate will be held by its seal when the inflatable deformable element will exert its compression.

In addition, the frame-like shape of the support, and this cooperation of the seal applied with the substrate according to the edge of the latter, limit the area of overlap of the seal on the main flat faces of the substrate, thus maximizing the zone that can be treated.

The geometry of the frame is adapted to the shape of the substrate to be worn.

In the remainder of the description, the term "rest position" relative to the seal is understood to mean the position for which no compressive force is exerted by the inflatable element, and by "clamping position" the position in wherein the applique seal transmits a compressive force so as to firmly hold the substrate in its holder and seal between the two opposite faces of the substrate.

In a preferred embodiment, the clamping position will be obtained by placing the inflatable deformable element in overpressure.

In an alternative embodiment, the seal is applied in the clamping position by atmospheric pressure repositioning of the deformable deformable element previously contracted by depressurization. The advantage of such a method of clamping is to be able to maintain the tightening of a substrate even in the event of a pressure fault in the network evacuating the inflatable element. Thus, once the substrate is tightened, even in the event of malfunction of the depressurization system, clamping of the substrate remains assured.

Thus, two variants define the state of the inflatable element in the absence of substrate. The inflatable deformable element, in the absence of a substrate, is: - either in the deflated or slightly inflated state, that is to say sufficiently retracted so as not to exert a compression on the seal of application, the substrate can then be put in place in the opening and it is necessary to inflate the element (pressurize the element by injecting a fluid under pressure into the hollow body of the element), so that the inflatable element expands and generates compressive forces against the seal applied which in turn cooperates with the edge of the substrate by intimate contact to thereby ensure sealing; - In the inflated state bearing against the seal applied; it is then necessary to depressurize the inflatable element so that it shrinks and stops compressing the gasket so that the substrate can be inserted and then releasing the depressurization in the inflatable member so that it relaxes and compresses the seal again so as to rest against the edge of the substrate making the seal.

The device of the invention allows a flat and effortless positioning of the substrate in the opening plane of said seal at rest, that is to say when no compressive force is applied to said seal.

Pneumatic clamping via the inflatable element associated with the seal applies to gain speed of association of the substrate. The substrate is directly positioned flat in the plane of the frame by flush-fitting the joint of coplanar. There is no need, for example, to introduce the edge of the substrate into a specific groove which houses two diametrically opposed and open facing joints with V-shaped profiles. The supply of the substrate and its arrangement are therefore very simple. without the need to open the support in two or dissociate the two-part wall seal, as in the prior art to introduce the substrate by the wafer coplanarly to the joint in the manner of a guillotine insertion .

In the present invention, the action on the inflatable member acts on the seal that is perimeter closed and in turn encapsulates or immediately release the edge of the substrate.

The sealing means formed by the combination of the inflatable deformable element and the seal applied are intended to cooperate with a pressurization system or depressurization, preferably a pneumatic system, which provides a tightening / loosening (pneumatic ) guaranteeing rapid assembly / disassembly of the substrate of its support and maintaining a firm and reliable position of the substrate, while ensuring the desired sealing.

The sealing means are capable of exerting compression forces of transverse direction or substantially transverse to the edge of the frame of the support and directed towards the opening, that is to say that for a wall frame for example annular, the compression forces are radial or substantially radial and directed towards the opening. Thus, when the substrate is positioned inside the opening, the seal is able to apply compressive forces against the edge of the substrate, in planes almost parallel to the flat faces of the substrate.

The seal is therefore intended to cooperate by strapping around the substrate and thus to ensure clamping forces against its edge.

The seal is able to deform to ensure a cooperation with the substrate by compression transmitted by the inflatable deformable element.

In the case of the first variant, the volume of the housing accommodating the inflatable element is adapted, in particular is such that the inflatable element has a smaller volume than the volume of the housing when the inflatable element is not suitable for inflation. an inflated and expanded state, so that when the inflatable element is in the inflated and expanded state, its volume expansion causes compression of the seal applied. Thus, the inflatable element has a smaller volume than the volume of the housing when no pneumatic pressure is applied in the chamber of said inflatable element, so that the pneumatic overpressure of the chamber of said inflatable member causes an expansion. volume of said element and a compression of the seal of applique. In the second variant, the inflatable element has a smaller volume than the volume of the cavity when a depressurization is performed in the chamber of said inflatable element, so that a resetting of atmospheric pressure inside said chamber causes a expanding the volume of said element and compressing the gasket.

The wall seal has a profile and hardness such that it is intended to fit according to its inner edge, perfectly the edge of the substrate while minimizing the overlap of the flat faces of the substrate. The covering may for example not exceed a few tenths of millimeters. Advantageously, this makes it possible to minimize the overlap surface while guaranteeing the seal between the opposite faces of the substrate.

As a reminder, a silicon wafer has a thickness generally between 200 .mu.m and 1 mm or more, with diameters of between 50 mm (2 inches) and 300 mm (12 inches).

The seal is adapted to the length and geometric shape of the perimeter of the substrate, so that the profile of the inner edge of said seal is intended to conform hermetically to the surface of the edge of the substrate by compression of said seal.

In particular, beyond its shape to fit the edge of the substrate, the seal may have, on the periphery of its inner edge intended to be applied against the substrate, asperities or concavities to fill a particular relief in the thickness of the edge of the substrate. This will, for example, be the case for the treatment of silicon wafers comprising a notch serving as a marker for ideally positioning said wafers in their subsequent uses. This notch, also called "notch", will be filled during the clamping of the wafer by a protruding lug on the inner edge of the seal.

The application seal of the present invention, intended to be directly applied against the substrate, has elastic properties and has a closed perimeter body with a profile that can be locally adapted to the particular shape of a substrate. Thus the sealing of the face to be treated with respect to the liquid in contact with the other face is securely guaranteed all around the substrate. The inflatable deformable member is made of an impervious and elastic material, and is of the closed-chamber inflatable seal, such that said inflatable member is adapted to co-operate tightly with the compression-type seal.

When the inflatable element is intended to work under overpressure, the pressure supplied by the pneumatic system is adapted so that the seal applied, combined with its profile, exerts on the edge of the substrate an appropriate compression to guarantee the sealing without compressing the substrate too much, otherwise damaging it.

When the tightening of the substrate occurs during the release of the depressurization of the inflatable element, the latter inflates by taking volume binding in turn the seal applied with a compressive force all the more important that the hardness of the inflatable element will be large. Depressurization can be partial.

The overpressure or the depressurization exerted by the pneumatic system can be controlled and readjusted in case of drift of the electrolytic treatment conditions, due for example to a deformation of the substrate or even to an increase of the residual leakage current at the level of the joint / substrate interface. Thus, in the event of detection of deformation of the substrate during the treatment, care will be taken to release the stress exerted by the inflatable element and therefore the pressure exerted by the seal. In case of detected leakage current, it will be possible firstly to act on the compression of the seal to further increase the intimate contact clamping said seal on the substrate.

Therefore, advantageously, the device gives the opportunity to control the quality of the seal and to limit the possible deformation of the pads by acting on the level of pneumatic pressure applied in the chamber of the inflatable element during treatment . The invention, by using an inflatable element separate from the gasket, has the following advantages in particular: the gasket, which wears faster in contact with the electrolyte solution and the substrate, can be easily replaced ; the inflatable element does not have to present the particularities of shape and hardness of the wall seal which is in contact with the substrate; - A solid wall seal will be easier and cheaper to manufacture an inflatable type inflatable seal closed chamber manufactured by extrusion and welding; it is easy to adapt to all types of peripheral profile and diameter of the substrate independently of the inflatable deformable element and the support. Only a profile and an internal perimeter are to be provided that are suitable for the contact seal in contact with the substrate, this seal being easily interchangeable according to the profile of the substrate; the pneumatic circuit is constantly isolated from the electrolytic environment, which completely preserves the risks of corrosion by rising liquids or vapors, unlike the prior art where only the gasket separates the pneumatic circuit from the electrolytic environment; the inflatable element makes it possible to work in two tightening modes: by overpressuring the chamber of the inflatable element initially deflated or by rising to atmospheric pressure in the chamber of the previously depressurized inflatable element.

The sealing means (inflatable element pair and seal applied) are removable relative to the frame so as to be able to change them, for example when they are worn, and to be able to adapt the seal to a new profile. substrate.

The wall seal is removable relative to the frame and its introduction or removal in the housing is done without having to disassemble the frame mechanically, especially when the frame is made of two half frames assembled.

The housing of the support frame comprises a cavity in which is housed the inflatable element, and a groove opening on one side on said cavity and on the opposite side on the opening of the support frame, the groove housing the seal of applique.

The cavity of the housing comprises walls constituting abutments vis-à-vis the expansion of the inflatable element, said walls being intended to limit the compression exerted on the seal applied in the groove of said housing.

When the tightening mode occurs during the pneumatic overpressure of the inflatable element, the seal applies to the state of rest before said overpressure and occupies only part of the cavity, thus providing a space allowing the seal to apply a portion protruding into said cavity space. The space further allows the inflatable member when inflated to distribute the compressive forces against the outer edge of the press seal to be squeezed, and the walls of the cavity serve as a kind of expansion stops. inflatable element limiting and distributing the compression forces transmitted by the inflatable element towards the seal of applique. Conversely, when the clamping occurs after a prior depressurization of the inflatable element, the return of the inflatable element to the rest state by releasing the depressurization will tend to fill the entire cavity and exert forces compressive on the wall joint.

The volume of the cavity in which the inflatable element expands may differ locally on the outline of the frame in order to adapt the expansion volume of said element and cause a displacement stroke of the applied seal to the substrate which will differ locally. The volume of the cavity surrounding the opening of the support can therefore be locally increased / reduced so as to locally increase / decrease the volume available for the expansion of the inflatable element and to increase / reduce the displacement path of the seal . This local control combined with the local control of the profile of the wall seal allows very advantageously to adapt to the specificities of the periphery of the substrates, such as the presence of flats, notches, etc ... contact with the substrate thus perfectly matches the profile of the substrate. For example, in the presence of a notch on the edge of the substrate, the lug that will present the seal applied can be inserted deeper and more intimate in the notch and withdraw equally quickly and easily.

Thus, in general, the housing accommodating the sealing means comprises stops constituting abutments vis-à-vis the expansion of said sealing means.

According to another characteristic, the device comprises wedging means which are intended to maintain the position of the substrate in the plane of opening of the applied seal at rest by applying a face of the substrate against said means, preferably said wedging means being integral with the support or the seal.

Preferably, the wedging means may be integral with the body of the support. In a variant, the wedging means may be integral, or even constituted, by the wall seal, itself intended to match the edge of the substrate, via a suitable profile. For example, the profile of the wall seal may comprise a recess or a protruding lip allowing a direct insertion flat and a setting of the substrate in the plane of the opening of the support. The invention also relates to an assembly comprising the support device of the aforementioned invention and a pneumatic overpressure or depressurization system which is associated with the chamber of the inflatable element, in particular the assembly comprising means for control of pneumatic pressurization or depressurization, leakage failures and / or deformations of substrates detected during the treatment.

The sealing means comprise at least one inflatable deformable element which comprises at least one chamber which is adapted to receive a pressurized gas from the overpressure system, or else capable of being emptied by depressurization, thus generating the deformation of bedroom.

The pneumatic system connected to the inflatable element is arranged to be always preserved from the electrolytic corrosive, liquid or gaseous environment in which the support is intended to be immersed.

In use, the device of the invention can be indifferently arranged vertically or horizontally and thus adapt to the type of frame.

According to the invention, the support device is in particular used to support a substrate, of the silicon wafer type, to be treated, in particular to structure electrochemically on at least one of its planar faces. By way of non-limiting examples, mention may be made of monocrystalline or multi-crystalline or mixed insulator / semiconductor wafers, and of various shapes and sizes, such as circular ones of 2 to 12 inches in diameter and more, square or rectangular shapes, with or without rounded corners, for photovoltaic applications for example.

Therefore, the clamping of the substrate can be caused by a pneumatic overpressure of the inflatable element or a return to atmospheric pressure of the inflatable element. The cooperation of the sealing means ensures the hermeticity between the support and the edge of the substrate thus maximizing the surface of the substrate to be treated. The cooperation of the sealing means also makes it possible to easily change the seal of application according to the shape of the substrate to be treated without having to modify the inflatable element which continues as for him to preserve the pneumatic circuit of setting overpressure / depressurization of any risk of corrosion by infiltration of liquids or vapors.

The present invention is now described with the aid of examples which are only illustrative and in no way limit the scope of the invention, and from the attached illustrations, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the support device of the invention on one of its faces, without the sealing means;

Figure 2 is a view of Figure 1, the device carrying a substrate for processing;

Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view with a middle section of one half of the device of Figure 2 without the substrate;

Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view in section of the device of the invention carrying a substrate and arranged in association with a frame so as to separate two electrolytic media;

Figure 5 is a schematic sectional view of an embodiment of the housing of the support housing the sealing means before the compression of the seal applied;

Figure 6 corresponds to Figure 5 after a compression of the seal application;

Figure 7 is a partial schematic sectional view of a variant of the application seal of the device of the invention.

The support device 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 is intended to support a substrate 2, such as a silicon wafer, to be treated electro-chemically, in particular electrolytically.

The substrate 2 is plane.

Referring to Figure 5, it has two main faces 20 and 21 parallel and opposite and a peripheral edge 22 connecting the two faces. The song can be curved, outwardly convex.

The support device 1 comprises a support 3 which is intended, when the substrate 2 is associated with it and provided with its sealing means, to constitute a sealed barrier between two electrolytic baths 10 and 11 so as to hermetically isolate the opposite faces 20 and 21 of the substrate, the bath in contact with one of the faces of the substrate not to be in contact with the opposite face of the substrate in contact with the other bath. For this purpose, the support device comprises sealing means 4 which are associated with the support 3 and are intended to cooperate with the substrate 2.

The support 3 comprises additional sealing means 5 arranged on at least one external side of said support which is intended to bear against the frame 12. A peripheral housing is preferably provided in the outer face 34 of the frame 30 to insert therein the additional sealing means 5. The support 3 is pressed against the frame 12 with the additional sealing means 5 in interface, and this by any appropriate pressure means acting on said support 3 according to a force perpendicular to the plane of the substrate 2.

With reference to the figures, in particular 1 and 2, the support 3 according to the invention has a main body in the form of a frame 30, here of circular shape but which could be of different geometry such as rectangular, square, or other.

The support 3 comprises the sealing means 4 comprising a seal of application 40, and an inflatable deformable element 41 associated with the seal of application and intended to transmit compression forces to the seal applied for its clamping against the substrate 2 when the latter is housed in the frame 30. The gasket 40 is the sealing element cooperating directly with the substrate, while the inflatable element 41 is on the opposite side to the substrate. The gasket 40 is thus disposed between the inflatable element 41 and the substrate 2.

The frame 30 may be monobloc, or as illustrated, preferably formed of two half-frame 31 and 32 fixed to each other removably, which makes it easier to arrange the sealing means 4 in this context and to change them later if necessary. When two half-frames are associated, they are assembled for example by clipping or tightening screws. The closure / assembly means are adapted to withstand the compressive forces exerted by the inflatable element 41 on the inner walls of the half-frames during clamping of the wafer. These two half-frames are just for the purpose of being able to access, change the inflatable element 41 more easily but bring nothing with regard to the combination of the substrate.

The frame 30 comprises two opposite and parallel outer faces 33 and 34, an outer edge 35, and an edge or inner wall 36. The frame 30, in particular its inner wall 36, defines an opening 37 which is intended to receive the substrate 2 The opening 37 extends in a general plane parallel to the two faces 33 and 34 of the frame, in particular in the median plane joining the two half-frames.

The substrate 2 is housed in this opening 37 so that its two opposite faces 20 and 21 are parallel to the general plane of the opening.

According to the invention (with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6), the seal between the two opposite faces 20 and 21 of the substrate 2 is formed by the seal of application 40 which cooperates with the edge or edge 22 of said substrate.

The wall seal 40 is associated with the inner wall 36 of the frame 30. It is more particularly accommodated in a housing 6 formed in said wall 36.

The housing 6 is adapted to the size and shape of the gasket 40 and the inflatable element 41 adapted to cooperate with the gasket 40. It has a general shape of groove which extends over the entire periphery of the wall.

In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 6 comprises, with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, a cavity 60 formed in the thickness of the frame and a radial groove 61. The groove 61 extends the cavity 60 more narrowly and according to the general plan of the opening, to lead to said opening 37.

The sealing ring 40 encircles the opening 37. It forms, at least for its portion intended to be in contact with the wafer 22 of the substrate, a closed continuous line.

The sealing means 4 shown in the embodiment of Figures 3 to 6, therefore comprise two sealing elements 40 and 41 arranged radially side by side and aligned in the general plane of the opening, that intended to be in contact with the substrate being referred to as a gasket.

The wall seal 40 is preferably solid and is intended to be applied against the substrate, while the inflatable element 41 is able to expand and deform to compress the wall seal 40. The inflatable element 41 is capable of expanding, deforming to compress the seal of application 40. It comprises an internal chamber 43 intended to be filled with fluid under pressure.

There are two variants of implementation so that the inflatable deformable element 41 can exert compressive forces on the seal of application 40, namely a so-called pressurization mode and a depressurization mode. The example of Figures 5 and 6 illustrates the pressurization mode. When no pneumatic pressure is applied in the chamber 43 of the inflatable element 41, the gasket 40 closest to the substrate has an inner perimeter larger than the perimeter of the substrate, to position the substrate without effort in the opening 37 of the frame 3. When the deformable element 41 is inflated (fluid under pressure in the chamber 43), the latter compresses the seal of application on its adjacent side to transmit a compression to its opposite side of so as to press against the edge 22 of the substrate and marry it. The wall seal then perfectly encloses the substrate.

In the depressurization mode not shown, the inflatable element 41 is initially inflated and expanded, and relies on the seal applied while there is no substrate. To insert the substrate 22 in the opening 37, this is only possible by depressurizing the chamber 43 of the inflatable element 41. As long as the depressurization is maintained, the gasket 40 remains in its rest position thus allowing easy placement of the substrate. By releasing the depressurization in the chamber 43 of the inflatable element 41 to atmospheric pressure, said element expands again by compressing at the same time the gasket 40.

This embodiment of the invention via the separate inflatable element of the seal application makes it easier to control the homogeneity of the clamping around the entire periphery of the substrate without risk of damaging it, especially with regard to the size of the compressive forces and the distribution of these forces.

When the frame is formed of two half-frames, it is not necessary to open the frame, that is to say to separate the half-frames, to associate the seal of apply 40 to the frame, the seal can be directly introduced into the throat 61.

The width and the hardness (transverse dimension to the faces 31 and 32 of the support 3) of the seal applied to be in compression against the edge 22 of the substrate, as well as the pneumatic compression force and the hardness of the material constituting the inflatable deformable element, are adapted to completely cover the width of the edge 22 of the substrate (when the plane of the substrate is parallel to the plane of the seal) and limit the overflow of the seal of application 40 on the faces 20 and 21 of said substrate as shown in Figure 6.

The positioning of the substrate in the general plane of the opening in relation to the gasket 40 is facilitated by means of the abutments 38 secured to the half-frame 31 of the support 3.

As a variant, the stops for positioning the substrate correctly in the plane of the opening could correspond to specific portions of the wall seal 40. As can be seen in FIG. 7, the wall seal 40 is profiled comprising a recess. 44 forming on the one hand a coplanar volume at the receiving opening of the substrate and on the other hand an abutment against which the substrate 2 is supported for its flat positioning in order to retain the substrate in the plane of the opening before the tightening operation.

With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the inflatable element 41 has an annular inner chamber 43 extending over the entire perimeter of said element. Pressurized gas may be injected into this chamber 43 or be removed by depressurization so as to deform the walls of the inflatable element 41. The pressures applied depend on the hardness of the materials used for the manufacture of the inflatable seal. The pressure will be, for example, a few bars in a preferred clamping mode by placing the inflatable element 41 in overpressure.

The device of the invention comprises (FIGS. 2 to 6) at least one inlet / outlet 7 for supplying gas under pressure (or depressurization) cooperating with the inflatable element 41, and passing through the frame 30 via the orifice 8 The inlet / outlet 7 is connected, from a termination, to the chamber 43 of the seal, and at its opposite end, is intended to be connected to a pneumatic system 70.

The housing 6 of the frame accommodating the inflatable element 41, in particular the cavity 60 housing said element, has a space delimited by walls, which is adapted to the increase in volume of said element and to the main direction of deformation to be imposed on the an applied seal 40, that is to say radially towards the opening 37 to exert thrust forces mainly against said seal applied to the substrate direction.

In addition, the cavity 60 (FIGS. 5 and 6) of the frame 30 advantageously communicates with the annular radial groove 61 at a narrowing 62 formed by the walls 63 and 64 transverse to the faces 33 and 34 of the frame 30 of the support 3 and coplanar or substantially coplanar with the outer edge 40A of the sealing ring 40 against which the inflatable element 41 rests. These transverse walls 63 and 64 constitute stops for the expansion of the inflatable element, thus making it possible to effectively fix a limit of maximum stress applicable on the wall joint. Thus, if the compression induced by the inflatable element 41 becomes too great, these stops 63 and 64 ensure that the seal of application 40, and therefore the substrate, undergo a constant stress.

In the tightening mode by placing the inflatable element 41 under pressure, as long as the pneumatic system has not been started, the gasket 40 does not come to grip the substrate 2. The substrate 2 is then provisionally maintained at the opening 37 by means of wedging means 38 (Figures 1 to 6) provided on the inner periphery of the frame or directly associated with the seal of application 40 by a suitable profile (Figure 7).

In the depressurizing clamping mode of the chamber 43 of the inflatable element 41 by the pneumatic system 70, the substrate 2 will be gripped by the gasket 40 only after atmospheric pressure has been re-established in the chamber 43.

Therefore, the support device of the invention for substrate to be treated for example electrochemically allows, by the general shape of the support body frame, by the presence of two sealing means including an inflatable deformable element and a seal non-inflatable applique disposed on the inner periphery of the frame, by the ability of the inflatable element to expand, in particular under pneumatic pressure or depressurization, by the possibility of positioning a substrate directly flat in the opening of the frame without having to open the support in several parts, to mount / dismount the substrate to this support quickly and repeatedly for industrial application, provide an effective seal between the two opposite faces of the substrate while maximizing the surface to be treated of the substrate, avoid any risk of rising electrolyte or electrolyte vapor in the pneumatic clamping circuit.

Claims (10)

1. Support device (1) for at least one substrate to be treated electro-chemically, comprising: - a support having at least one through opening (37), the opening being intended to receive a substrate (2) to treating, and extending in a general plane which is intended to be parallel to the plane of the surface or surfaces to be treated, - at least one seal applied (40) received in a housing (6) of the support, extending according to a perimeter encircling the opening, and intended to be applied against the substrate when the latter is housed in the opening, - inflatable deformable means to ensure the applied seal to exert transverse direction compression forces to the edge of the support frame and directed towards the opening, so as to press the seal applied against the edge of the substrate, characterized in that the inflatable deformable means are separate from the seal and apply consist of at least one él inflatable deformable element (41) disposed around said seal (40), opposite the opening. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the seal (40) has elastic properties and has a unitary body perimeter closed and in that the seal (40) is adapted to the length and to the geometrical shape of the perimeter of the substrate (2). 3. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inflatable deformable element (41) is made of a tight and elastic material, and is of the inflatable seal type with a closed chamber, so that said inflatable element (41 ) is intended to cooperate tightly with the compression seal (40). 4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the volume of the housing (6) accommodating the inflatable element (41) is adapted, in particular is such that the inflatable element has a smaller volume than the housing volume when the inflatable element is not in the inflated and expanded state. 5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the housing (6) of the support frame comprises a cavity (60) in which is housed the inflatable element (41), said cavity having walls (63). 64) constituting abutments with respect to the expansion of the inflatable element (41). 6. Device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the volume of the cavity in which the inflatable element expands differs locally on the contour of the frame to adapt the expansion volume of said inflatable member and generate a displacement stroke from the applied seal to the substrate which differs locally. 7. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises wedging means (38, 44) for ensuring the position of the substrate in the opening plane of the seal (40). ) at rest by applying a face of the substrate against said means, preferably said wedging means being integral with the support (3) or the seal (40). 8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the seal (40) is removable relative to the frame (30) and in that its establishment or removal in the housing (6) is done without having to mechanically disassemble the frame, especially when the frame is made of two half frames assembled. An assembly comprising the support device according to any one of the preceding claims and a pneumatic pressurizing / depressurizing system (70) which is associated with the inflatable deformable element (41), in particular the assembly comprising means control of the pressurization or pneumatic depressurization, sealing failures and / or deformations of substrates detected during the treatment. 10. An assembly according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the pneumatic system (70) connected to the inflatable closed chamber element (41) is arranged to be always preserved from the corrosive electrolyte environment, liquid or gaseous in which the support (3) is intended to be immersed.