International Business Machines Corporation

Dean S Chung

Erick G Walton

Hariklia Deligianni

Peter Stevens Locke

James Edward Fluegel

Soon-Cheon Seo

Panayotis Constantinou Andricacos

Keith Thomas Kwietniak

Josef W Korejwa

Cyprian Emeka Uzoh

David V Horak

Daniel C Edelstein

Andrew Herbert Simon

Darryl D Restaino

Christopher Carr Parks

Wilma Jean Horkans

Steven H Boettcher

Philippe Mark Vereecken

William E Corbin, Jr

Lara Sandra Collins

An improved method of stabilizing wet chemical baths is disclosed. Typically such baths are used in processes for treating workpieces, for example, plating processes for plating metal onto substrates. In particular, the present invention relates to copper plating baths. More particularly, the present invention relates to the stability of copper plating baths. More particularly, the present invention relates to prevention of void formation by monitoring the accumulation of deleterious by-products in copper plating baths.

Void-free damascene copper deposition process and means of monitoring thereof

Interconnect structures with copper conductors being at least substantially free of internal seams or voids are obtained employing an electroplating copper bath containing dissolved cupric salt wherein the concentration of the salt is at least about 0.4 molar and up to about 0.5 molar concentration of an acid. Also provided are copper damascene structures having an aspect ratio of greater than about 3 and a width of less than about 0.275 &#x3bc;m and via openings filled with electroplated copper than is substantially free of internal seams or voids.

Electroplated copper interconnection structure, process for making and electroplating bath

The present invention provides a method of selectively inhibiting the deposition of a conductive material within desired regions of a semiconductor device. A seed layer is rendered ineffective to the electroplating in select regions of the substrate, by either the removal or the poisoning of the seed layer in select regions.

Selective deposition of a conductive material

A method and apparatus are provided for the electroplating of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer which provides a uniform electroplated surface and minimizes bum-through of a seed layer used on the substrate to initiate electroplating. The method and apparatus of the invention uses a specially defined multistep electroplating process wherein, in one aspect, a voltage below a predetermined threshold voltage is applied to the anode and cathode for a first time period followed by applying a current to the anode and cathode for a second time period the current producing a voltage below the predetermined threshold voltage. In another aspect of the invention, a current is applied to the anode and cathode substrate which current is preprogrammed to ramp up to a current value from a first current value which current produces a voltage below a predetermined threshold voltage. Electroplated articles including copper electroplated semiconductor wafers made using the apparatus and method of the invention are also provided.

Multi-step potentiostatic/galvanostatic plating control

A metal plating apparatus is described which includes a compressible member having a conductive surface covering substantially all of the surface of the substrate to be plated. The plating current is thereby transmitted over a wide area of the substrate, rather than a few localized contact points. The compressible member is porous so as to absorb the plating solution and transmit the plating solution to the substrate. The wafer and compressible member may rotate with respect to each other. The compressible member may be at cathode potential or may be a passive circuit element.

Electroplating apparatus and method using a compressible contact

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Essex Junction, VT, United States of America

Dean S Chung