Novellus Systems Incorporated

Lam Research Corporation

Frederick Dean Wilmot

Shantinath Ghongadi

Zhian He

Jingbin Feng

Jonathan David Reid

Bryan L Buckalew

David W Porter

R Marshall Stowell

Manish Ranjan

Douglas Hill

Robert Rash

Robert Marshall Stowell

Steven T Mayer

Haiying Fu

Matthew S Thorum

Richard S Hill

Stephen J Banik

Tighe A Spurlin

Mark J Willey

Gabriel Hay Graham

Lee J Brogan

James E Duncan

Ludan Huang

Marshall Stowell

Charles Lorenzo Merrill

Johanes H Sukamto

Hyosang S Lee

Nirmal Shankar Sigamani

A cell to process a substrate includes at least one chamber wall, a membrane frame, and a membrane. The at least one chamber wall is arranged to form a cavity below a holder of the substrate. The membrane frame is disposed on the at least one chamber wall and across the cavity. The membrane is supported by the membrane frame and separating a first electrolyte from a second electrolyte. The membrane includes a surface extending from a center of the cavity radially outward at an angle relative to a reference plane, and wherein the angle is greater than or equal to 0° and less than or equal to 3°.

Low angle membrane frame for an electroplating cell

Methods described herein manage wafer entry into an electrolyte so that air entrapment due to initial impact of the wafer and/or wafer holder with the electrolyte is reduced and the wafer is moved in such a way that an electrolyte wetting wave front is maintained throughout immersion of the wafer also minimizing air entrapment.

Wetting wave front control for reduced air entrapment during wafer entry into electroplating bath

Electroplating results can be improved by dynamically controlling the pressure in different parts of an electroplating apparatus. For example, a number of plating problems can be avoided by ensuring that the pressure in an anode chamber always remains slightly above the pressure in an ionically resistive element manifold, both during electroplating and during non-electroplating operations. This pressure differential prevents the membrane from stretching downward into the anode chamber.

Method and apparatus for synchronized pressure regulation of separated anode chamber

Disclosed herein are lipseal assemblies for use in electroplating clamshells which may include an elastomeric lipseal for excluding plating solution from a peripheral region of a semiconductor substrate and one or more electrical contact elements. The contact elements may be structurally integrated with the elastomeric lipseal. The lipseal assemblies may include one or more flexible contact elements at least a portion of which may be conformally positioned on an upper surface of the elastomeric lipseal, and may be configured to flex and form a conformal contact surface that interfaces with the substrate. Some elastomeric lipseals disclosed herein may support, align, and seal a substrate in a clamshell, and may include a flexible elastomeric upper portion located above a flexible elastomeric support edge, the upper portion having a top surface and an inner side surface, the later configured to move inward and align the substrate upon compression of the top surface.

Lipseals and contact elements for semiconductor electroplating apparatuses

Apparatus and methods for electroplating are described. Apparatus described herein include anode supports including positioning mechanisms that maintain a consistent distance between the surface of the wafer and the surface of a consumable anode during plating. Greater uniformity control is achieved. The consumable anode in one implementation has a plurality of through channels and at least one depression on its surface (e.g., a depression surrounding a channel) that is configured for registering with a protrusion on a component of an anode assembly, such as with a support plate. Fasteners may pass through the channels in the anode and attach it to a charge plate.

Front referenced anode

Disclosed herein are cups for engaging wafers during electroplating in clamshell assemblies and supplying electrical current to the wafers during electroplating. The cup can comprise an elastomeric seal disposed on the cup and configured to engage the wafer during electroplating, where upon engagement the elastomeric seal substantially excludes plating solution from a peripheral region of the wafer, and where the elastomeric seal and the cup are annular in shape, and comprise one or more contact elements for supplying electrical current to the wafer during electroplating, the one or more contact elements attached to and extending inwardly towards a center of the cup from a metal strip disposed over the elastomeric seal. A notch area of the cup can have a protrusion or an insulated portion on a portion of a bottom surface of the cup where the notch area is aligned with a notch in the wafer.

Plating cup with contoured cup bottom

Methods, systems, and apparatus for plating a metal onto a work piece are described. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a plating chamber, a substrate holder, an anode chamber housing an anode, an ionically resistive ionically permeable element positioned between a substrate and the anode chamber during electroplating, an auxiliary cathode located between the anode and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element, and an insulating shield with an opening in its central region. The insulating shield may be movable with respect to the ionically resistive ionically permeable element to vary a distance between the shield and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element during electroplating.

Dynamic current distribution control apparatus and method for wafer electroplating

Apparatus and methods for electroplating metal onto substrates are disclosed. The electroplating apparatus comprise an electroplating cell and at least one oxidization device. The electroplating cell comprises a cathode chamber and an anode chamber separated by a porous barrier that allows metal cations to pass through but prevents organic particles from crossing. The oxidation device (ODD) is configured to oxidize cations of the metal to be electroplated onto the substrate, which cations are present in the anolyte during electroplating. In some embodiments, the ODD is implemented as a carbon anode that removes Cu(I) from the anolyte electrochemically. In other embodiments, the ODD is implemented as an oxygenation device (OGD) or an impressed current cathodic protection anode (ICCP anode), both of which increase oxygen concentration in anolyte solutions. Methods for efficient electroplating are also disclosed.

Method and apparatus for electroplating semiconductor wafer when controlling cations in electrolyte

Apparatus and methods for electroplating are described. Apparatus described herein include anode supports including positioning mechanisms that maintain a consistent distance between the surface of the wafer and the surface of a consumable anode during plating. Greater uniformity control is achieved.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for plating a metal onto a work piece are described. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a plating chamber, a substrate holder, an anode chamber housing an anode, and an ionically resistive ionically permeable element positioned between a substrate and the anode chamber during electroplating. The anode chamber may be movable with respect to the ionically resistive ionically permeable element to vary a distance between the anode chamber and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element during electroplating. The anode chamber may include an insulating shield oriented between the anode and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element, with opening in a central region of the insulating shield.

Growing community of inventors

Gladstone, OR, United States of America

Frederick Dean Wilmot