Lam Research Corporation

Cian Sweeney

Shantinath Ghongadi

Zhian He

Jingbin Feng

Manish Ranjan

Quan Ma

Hyungjun Hur

Quang Nguyen

Rezaul Karim

Douglas Hill

Aaron Louis LaBrie

Robert Lynden Braendle

Jonathan David Reid

Jian Zhou

Methods and electroplating systems for controlling plating electrolyte concentration on an electrochemical plating apparatus for substrates are disclosed. A method involves: (a) providing an electroplating solution to an electroplating system; (b) electroplating the metal onto the substrate while the substrate is held in a cathode chamber of an electroplating cell of electroplating system; (c) supplying the make-up solution to the electroplating system via a make-up solution inlet; and (d) supplying the secondary electroplating solution to the electroplating system via a secondary electroplating solution inlet. The secondary electroplating solution includes some or all components of the electroplating solution. At least one component of the secondary electroplating solution has a concentration that significantly deviates from its target concentration.

Controlling plating electrolyte concentration on an electrochemical plating apparatus

A determination is made of a real-time azimuthal position of a notch alignment feature located on a support surface of a substrate holder relative to a fixed reference ray extending perpendicularly away from a rotational axis of the substrate holder as the substrate holder rotates about the rotational axis. A determination is made of an approach initiation azimuthal position of the notch alignment feature relative to the fixed reference ray at which vertical movement of the substrate holder should initiate in order to have the notch alignment feature located at a prescribed azimuthal position relative to the fixed reference ray when the substrate holder reaches a prescribed vertical position. A determination is made of a time delay required to have the notch alignment feature located at the approach initiation azimuthal position. Vertical movement of the substrate holder is initiated in accordance with the determined time delay.

Systems and methods for controlling substrate approach toward a target horizontal plane

A chuck useful for supporting a wafer during an edge bevel removal (EBR) process comprises a rotatable center hub having a plurality of support arms extending outwardly from the rotatable center hub, support pins on ends of the support arms, gas passages extending through upper surfaces of the support pins, and gas conduits in the support arms. The gas conduits supply gas to the gas passages or apply a vacuum to the gas passages. The support arms can include alignment cams which are rotatable from an outer non-alignment position away from a periphery of the wafer to an inner alignment position at which the wafer is centered. During centering, the wafer is floated on a gas cushion which reduces wear of the support pins.

Chuck for edge bevel removal and method for centering a wafer prior to edge bevel removal

Disclosed are methods of preparing a semiconductor substrate having a metal seed layer for a subsequent electroplating operation. In some embodiments, the methods may include contacting the surface of the semiconductor substrate with a plasma to treat the surface by reducing metal oxides thereon and thereafter measuring a post-plasma-contact color signal from said surface, the color signal having one or more color components. The methods may then further include estimating the extent of the oxide reduction due to the plasma treatment based on the post-plasma contact color signal. In some embodiments, estimating the extent of the oxide reduction due to the plasma treatment is done based on the b* component of the post-plasma contact color signal. Also disclosed are plasma treatment apparatuses which may implement the foregoing methods.

Methods and apparatuses for estimating on-wafer oxide layer reduction effectiveness via color sensing

Various embodiments herein relate to methods and apparatus for electroplating metal onto substrates. The apparatus used to practice electroplating may be designed to have a geometric configuration that makes it difficult for air to travel and become trapped under the substrate. By using such apparatus, electroplating can occur at higher rates of substrate rotation than would otherwise be acceptable. The higher rate of substrate rotation allows electroplating to occur at higher limiting currents, which in turn increases throughput. The disclosed embodiments are particularly useful in the context of electrolytes that otherwise exhibit a relatively low limiting current (e.g., electrolytes having a low concentration of metal ions), though the embodiments are not so limited.

Geometry and process optimization for ultra-high RPM plating

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Cian Sweeney