Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080217165 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESSING OF MICROELECTRONIC WORKPIECES - An apparatus and method for electrochemical processing of microelectronic workpieces in a reaction vessel. In one embodiment, the reaction vessel includes: an outer container having an outer wall; a distributor coupled to the outer container, the distributor having a first outlet configured to introduce a primary flow into the outer container and at least one second outlet configured to introduce a secondary flow into the outer container separate from the primary flow; a primary flow guide in the outer container coupled to the distributor to receive the primary flow from the first outlet and direct it to a workpiece processing site; a dielectric field shaping unit in the outer container coupled to the distributor to receive the secondary flow from the second outlet, the field shaping unit being configured to contain the secondary flow separate from the primary flow through at least a portion of the outer container, and the field shaping unit having at least one electrode compartment through which the secondary flow can pass while the secondary flow is separate from the primary flow; an electrode in the electrode compartment; and an interface member carried by the field shaping unit downstream from the electrode, the interface member being in fluid communication with the secondary flow in the electrode compartment, and the interface member being configured to prevent selected matter of the secondary flow from passing to the primary flow. | 09-11-2008 |
20080217166 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESSSING OF MICROELECTRONIC WORKPIECES - An apparatus and method for electrochemical processing of microelectronic workpieces in a reaction vessel. In one embodiment, the reaction vessel includes: an outer container having an outer wall; a distributor coupled to the outer container, the distributor having a first outlet configured to introduce a primary flow into the outer container and at least one second outlet configured to introduce a secondary flow into the outer container separate from the primary flow; a primary flow guide in the outer container coupled to the distributor to receive the primary flow from the first outlet and direct it to a workpiece processing site; a dielectric field shaping unit in the outer container coupled to the distributor to receive the secondary flow from the second outlet, the field shaping unit being configured to contain the secondary flow separate from the primary flow through at least a portion of the outer container, and the field shaping unit having at least one electrode compartment through which the secondary flow can pass while the secondary flow is separate from the primary flow; an electrode in the electrode compartment; and an interface member carried by the field shaping unit downstream from the electrode, the interface member being in fluid communication with the secondary flow in the electrode compartment, and the interface member being configured to prevent selected matter of the secondary flow from passing to the primary flow. | 09-11-2008 |
20080217167 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESSING OF MICROELECTRONIC WORKPIECES - An apparatus and method for electrochemical processing of microelectronic workpieces in a reaction vessel. In one embodiment, the reaction vessel includes: an outer container having an outer wall; a distributor coupled to the outer container, the distributor having a first outlet configured to introduce a primary flow into the outer container and at least one second outlet configured to introduce a secondary flow into the outer container separate from the primary flow; a primary flow guide in the outer container coupled to the distributor to receive the primary flow from the first outlet and direct it to a workpiece processing site; a dielectric field shaping unit in the outer container coupled to the distributor to receive the secondary flow from the second outlet, the field shaping unit being configured to contain the secondary flow separate from the primary flow through at least a portion of the outer container, and the field shaping unit having at least one electrode compartment through which the secondary flow can pass while the secondary flow is separate from the primary flow; an electrode in the electrode compartment; and an interface member carried by the field shaping unit downstream from the electrode, the interface member being in fluid communication with the secondary flow in the electrode compartment, and the interface member being configured to prevent selected matter of the secondary flow from passing to the primary flow. | 09-11-2008 |
20100078334 | ELECTRO-CHEMICAL PROCESSOR - An electro-chemical processor for making porous silicon or processing other substrates has first and second chamber assemblies. The first and second chamber assemblies include first and second seals for sealing against a wafer, and first and second electrodes, respectively. The first seal is moveable towards and away from a wafer in the processor, to move between a wafer load/unload position, and a wafer process position. The first electrode may move along with the first seal. The processor may be pivotable from a substantially horizontal orientation, for loading and unloading a wafer, to a substantially vertical orientation, for processing a wafer. | 04-01-2010 |
20100116671 | Apparatus and method for electrochemically depositing metal on a semiconductor workpiece - A process for metallization of a workpiece, such as a semiconductor workpiece. In an embodiment, an alkaline electrolytic copper bath is used to electroplate copper onto a seed layer, electroplate copper directly onto a barrier layer material, or enhance an ultra-thin copper seed layer which has been deposited on the barrier layer using a deposition process such as PVD. The resulting copper layer provides an excellent conformal copper coating that fills trenches, vias, and other microstructures in the workpiece. When used for seed layer enhancement, the resulting copper seed layer provide an excellent conformal copper coating that allows the microstructures to be filled with a copper layer having good uniformity using electrochemical deposition techniques. Further, copper layers that are electroplated in the disclosed manner exhibit low sheet resistance and are readily annealed at low temperatures. | 05-13-2010 |
20110042224 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESSING OF MICROFEATURE WAFERS - Apparatus and methods for electrochemically processing microfeature wafers. The apparatus can have a vessel including a processing zone in which a microfeature wafer is positioned for electrochemical processing. The apparatus further includes at least one counter electrode in the vessel that can operate as an anode or a cathode depending upon the particular plating or electropolishing application. The apparatus further includes a supplementary electrode and a supplementary virtual electrode. The supplementary electrode is configured to operate independently from the counter electrode in the vessel, and it can be a thief electrode and/or a de-plating electrode depending upon the type of process. The supplementary electrode can further be used as another counter electrode during a portion of a plating cycle or polishing cycle. The supplementary virtual electrode is located in the processing zone, and it is configured to counteract an electric field offset relative to the wafer associated with an offset between the wafer and the counter electrode in the vessel when the wafer is in the processing zone. | 02-24-2011 |
20120199475 | PROCESSING APPARATUS WITH VERTICAL LIQUID AGITATION - A substrate or semiconductor wafer processing apparatus has an agitator plate adjacent to an upper end of a process vessel. A workpiece holder holds a workpiece in the vessel at a processing position above the agitator plate. A vertical actuator assembly supporting the agitator plate oscillates the agitator plate vertically. The agitator plate may also rotate while oscillating vertically. In one design, the agitator plate has a spiral vane and a spiral slot. In a related metal plating apparatus, electrodes and a dielectric field shaping unit are in the vessel, below the agitator plate, and a shield ring is adjacent to the upper end of the vessel, above the agitator plate. | 08-09-2012 |
20120292179 | ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESSOR - An electrochemical processor may include a head having a rotor configured to hold a workpiece, with the head moveable to position the rotor in a vessel. Inner and outer anodes are in inner and outer anolyte chambers within the vessel. An upper cup in the vessel, has a curved upper surface and inner and outer catholyte chambers. A current thief is located adjacent to the curved upper surface. Annular slots in the curved upper curved surface connect into passageways, such as tubes, leading into the outer catholyte chamber. Membranes may separate the inner and outer anolyte chambers from the inner and outer catholyte chambers, respectively. | 11-22-2012 |
20120292181 | ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESSOR - An electrochemical processor may include a head having a rotor configured to hold a workpiece, with the head moveable to position the rotor in a vessel. Inner and outer anodes are in inner and outer anolyte chambers within the vessel. An upper cup in the vessel, has a curved upper surface and inner and outer catholyte chambers. A current thief is located adjacent to the curved upper surface. Annular slots in the curved upper curved surface connect into passageways, such as tubes, leading into the outer catholyte chamber. Membranes may separate the inner and outer anolyte chambers from the inner and outer catholyte chambers, respectively. | 11-22-2012 |
20130075265 | APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESSING OF MICROFEATURE WAFERS - Methods for electrochemically processing microfeature wafers using at least one counter electrode in a vessel, a supplementary electrode and a supplementary virtual electrode. The supplementary electrode is configured to operate independently from the counter electrode in the vessel, and it can be a thief electrode and/or a de-plating electrode depending. The supplementary electrode can further be used as another counter electrode during a portion of a plating cycle or polishing cycle. The supplementary virtual electrode is located in the processing zone, and it is configured to counteract an electric field offset relative to the wafer associated with an offset between the wafer and the counter electrode. | 03-28-2013 |
20130134035 | CONTACT RING FOR AN ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESSOR - An electro-processing apparatus includes a rotor in a head, and a contact ring assembly on the rotor. The contact ring assembly may have one or more strips of contact fingers on a ring base, with contact fingers clamped into position on the ring base. The strips may have spaced apart projection openings, with the projections on the ring base extending into or through the projection openings. A shield ring may be attached to the ring base, to clamp the contact fingers in place, and/or to provide an electric field shield over at least part of the contact fingers. The contact fingers may be provided as a plurality of adjoining forks, with substantially each fork including at least two contact fingers. | 05-30-2013 |
20130146447 | ELECTRO PROCESSOR WITH SHIELDED CONTACT RING - In an electro processor for plating semiconductor wafers and similar substrates, a contact ring has a plurality of spaced apart contact fingers. A shield at least partially overlies the contact fingers. The shield changes the electric field around the outer edge of the workpiece and the contact fingers, which reduces or eliminates the negative aspects of using high thief electrode currents and seed layer deplating. The shield may be provided in the form of an annular ring substantially completely overlying and covering, and optionally touching the contact fingers. | 06-13-2013 |
20130299343 | ELECTROPLATING PROCESSOR WITH GEOMETRIC ELECTROLYTE FLOW PATH - An electroplating processor includes an electrode plate having a continuous flow path formed in a channel. The flow path may optionally be a coiled flow path. One or more electrodes are positioned in the channel. A membrane plate is attached to the electrode plate with a membrane in between them. Electrolyte moves through the flow path at a high velocity, preventing bubbles from sticking to the bottom surface of membrane. Any bubbles in the flow path are entrained in the fast moving electrolyte and carried away from the membrane. The electroplating processor may alternatively have a wire electrode extending through a tubular membrane formed into a coil or other shape, optionally including shapes having straight segments. | 11-14-2013 |
20130299354 | ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESSOR - An electrochemical processor may include a head having a rotor configured to hold a workpiece, with the head moveable to position the rotor in a vessel. Inner and outer anodes are in inner and outer anolyte chambers within the vessel. An upper cup in the vessel, has a curved upper surface and inner and outer catholyte chambers. A current thief is located adjacent to the curved upper surface. Annular slots in the curved upper curved surface connect into passageways, such as tubes, leading into the outer catholyte chamber. Membranes may separate the inner and outer anolyte chambers from the inner and outer catholyte chambers, respectively. | 11-14-2013 |
20140061053 | ELECTROPLATING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HIGH SHEET RESISTANCE SUBSTRATES - In an electroplating process, electric current is applied to two or more electrodes, with the current varying over time according to a multi-variable function. The multi-variable current function is integrated over time, for each electrode, to determine a net plating charge delivered. A plating profile of a plated-on layer of material is compared to a target plating profile. Deviations between the actual plating profile and the target plating profile are identified and used to determine new net plating charges for each electrode. One or more variables of the multi-variable function is changed to provide as new multi-variable function. The new net plating charges are distributed according to the new multi-variable current function, and are used to electroplate a layer of material on a second substrate. | 03-06-2014 |
20140266219 | DETECTING ELECTROLYTE MENISCUS IN ELECTROPLATING PROCESSORS - A detection fixture is provided with a processor for electroplating a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, to detect the level of electrolyte in a bowl of the processor. The detected electrolyte level is used in controlling entry of the substrate into the electrolyte, to achieve desired electrolyte wetting characteristics. The processor has a substrate holder supported on a lifter for lowering the substrate holder into the bowl. The detection fixture may emulate a substrate and be held by the substrate holder in the same way that the substrate holder holds a substrate. The lifter lowers the detection fixture until it makes contact with the electrolyte, with the position of the fixture indicative the electrolyte level. The detection fixture is then removed from the processor. | 09-18-2014 |
20140367264 | AUTOMATIC IN-SITU CONTROL OF AN ELECTRO-PLATING PROCESSOR - In an electroplating processor having at least one anode and one thief electrode, reference electrodes are used to measure a voltage gradient in the electrolyte near the edge of the wafer. The voltage gradient is used to calculate the current at the wafer surface using a control volume/current balance technique. The fraction of the total wafer current flowing to the edge region of the wafer is determined and compared to a target value. The processor controller changes at least one of the anode and thief currents to bring the actual edge region current toward the target current. | 12-18-2014 |
20150075976 | ELECTROPLATING PROCESSOR WITH GEOMETRIC ELECTROLYTE FLOW PATH - An electroplating processor includes an electrode plate having a continuous flow path formed in a channel. The flow path may optionally be a coiled flow path. One or more electrodes are positioned in the channel. A membrane plate is attached to the electrode plate with a membrane in between them. Electrolyte moves through the flow path at a high velocity, preventing bubbles from sticking to the bottom surface of membrane. Any bubbles in the flow path are entrained in the fast moving electrolyte and carried away from the membrane. The electroplating processor may alternatively have a wire electrode extending through a tubular membrane formed into a coil or other shape, optionally including shapes having straight segments. | 03-19-2015 |