Lam Research Corporation

Gabriel Hay Graham

Bryan L Buckalew

Lee Peng Chua

Robert Rash

Aaron Berke

Stephen J Banik

John Floyd Ostrowski

Sean Wilbur

Alfred Bostick

Steven T Mayer

Gregory Kearns

Stephen J Banik, Ii

Frederick Dean Wilmot

Jacob Lee Hiester

James Isaac Fortner

Nirmal Shankar Sigamani

Boon Kang Ong

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

The embodiments herein relate to apparatuses and methods for electroplating one or more materials onto a substrate. Embodiments herein utilize a cross flow conduit in the electroplating cell to divert flow of fluid from a region between a substrate and a channeled ionically resistive plate positioned near the substrate down to a level lower than level of fluid in a fluid containment unit for collecting overflow fluid from the plating system for recirculation. The cross flow conduit can include channels cut into components of the plating cell to allow diverted flow, or can include an attachable diversion device mountable to an existing plating cell to divert flow downwards to the fluid containment unit. Embodiments also include a flow restrictor which may be a plate or a pressure relief valve for modulating flow of fluid in the cross flow conduit during plating.

Cross flow conduit for foaming prevention in high convection plating cells

An electroplating apparatus includes an electrode at the bottom of a chamber, an ionically resistive element with through holes arranged horizontally at the top of the chamber, with a membrane in the middle. One or more panels extend vertically and parallelly from the membrane to the element and extend linearly across the chamber, forming a plurality of regions between the membrane and the element. A substrate with a protuberance extending along a chord of the substrate and contacting a top surface of the element is arranged above a first region. An electrolyte flowed between the substrate and the element descends into the first region via the through holes on a first side of the protuberance and ascends from the first region via the through holes on a second side of the protuberance, forcing air bubbles out from a portion of the element associated with the first region.

Removing bubbles from plating cells

Removing bubbles from plating cell

The embodiments herein relate to methods and apparatus for electroplating one or more materials onto a substrate. In many cases the material is a metal and the substrate is a semiconductor wafer, though the embodiments are no so limited. Typically, the embodiments herein utilize a channeled plate positioned near the substrate, creating a cross flow manifold defined on the bottom by the channeled plate, on the top by the substrate, and on the sides by a cross flow confinement ring. Also typically present is an edge flow element configured to direct electrolyte into a corner formed between the substrate and substrate holder. During plating, fluid enters the cross flow manifold both upward through the channels in the channeled plate, and laterally through a cross flow side inlet positioned on one side of the cross flow confinement ring. The flow paths combine in the cross flow manifold and exit at the cross flow exit, which is positioned opposite the cross flow inlet. These combined flow paths and the edge flow element result in improved plating uniformity, especially at the periphery of the substrate.

Dynamic modulation of cross flow manifold during electroplating

Various embodiments herein relate to methods and apparatus for electroplating material onto substrates. Often the substrate is a semiconductor substrate. Various techniques described herein utilize a number of different electroplating stages, where the convection conditions vary between the different electroplating stages. In many cases, at least one ultra-low convection stage is used. The ultra-low convection stage may be paired with an initial stage and a final stage that have higher convection conditions. By controlling the convection conditions as described herein, very uniform plating results can be achieved, even when differently sized and/or shaped features are provided on a single substrate.

Convection optimization for mixed feature electroplating

Edge flow element for electroplating apparatus

An apparatus for electroplating metal on a semiconductor substrate with improved azimuthal uniformity includes in one aspect: a plating chamber configured to contain an electrolyte and an anode; a substrate holder configured to hold the semiconductor substrate; an ionically resistive ionically permeable element ('the element') configured to be positioned proximate the substrate; and a shield configured for providing azimuthally asymmetrical shielding and positioned between the substrate holder and the element such that the closest distance between the substrate-facing surface of the shield and the working surface of the substrate is less than 2 mm. In some embodiments there is an electrolyte-filled gap between the substrate-facing surface of the element and the shield during electroplating. The substrate-facing surface of the shield may be contoured such that the distance from different positions of the shield to the substrate is varied.

Apparatus and method for modulating azimuthal uniformity in electroplating

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Gabriel Hay Graham