Lam Research Corporation

Novellus Systems Incorporated

Ludan Huang

Shantinath Ghongadi

Jonathan David Reid

Tighe A Spurlin

Lee J Brogan

Manish Ranjan

Bryan Pennington

Clifford Raymond Berry

Steven T Mayer

David W Porter

Haiying Fu

Matthew S Thorum

Frederick Dean Wilmot

Mark J Willey

Tariq Majid

Robert Marshall Stowell

Yuichi Takada

James E Duncan

Charles Lorenzo Merrill

Hyosang S Lee

Doyeon Kim

Methods and apparatus for determining whether a substrate includes an unacceptably high amount of oxide on its surface are described. The substrate is typically a substrate that is to be electroplated. The determination may be made directly in an electroplating apparatus, during an initial portion of an electroplating process. The determination may involve immersing the substrate in electrolyte with a particular applied voltage or applied current provided during or soon after immersion, and recording a current response or voltage response over this same timeframe. The applied current or applied voltage may be zero or non-zero. By comparing the current response or voltage response to a threshold current, threshold voltage, or threshold time, it can be determined whether the substrate included an unacceptably high amount of oxide on its surface. The threshold current, threshold voltage, and/or threshold time may be selected based on a calibration procedure.

Monitoring surface oxide on seed layers during 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

Certain embodiments disclosed herein pertain to methods and apparatus for electrodepositing material on a substrate. More particularly, a novel membrane for separating the anode from the cathode/substrate, and a method of using such a membrane are presented. The membrane includes at least an ion exchange layer and a charge separation layer. The disclosed embodiments are beneficial for maintaining relatively constant concentrations of species in the electrolyte over time, especially during idle (i.e., non-electroplating) times.

Membrane design for reducing defects in electroplating systems

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King City, OR, United States of America

Ludan Huang