Novellus Systems Incorporated

Steven W Taatjes

Jonathan David Reid

Evan E Patton

Robert J Contolini

John Floyd Ostrowski

A plating cell has an inner plating bath container for performing electroplating on a work piece (e.g., a wafer) submerged in a solution contained by the inner plating bath container. A reclaim inlet funnels any solution overflowing the inner plating bath container back into a reservoir container to be circulated back into the inner plating bath container. A waste channel is also provided having an inlet at a different height than the inlet of the reclaim channel. After electroplating, the wafer is lifted to a position and spun. While spinning, the wafer is thoroughly rinse with, for example, ultra pure water. The spin rate and height of the wafer determine whether the water and solution are reclaimed through the reclaim channel or disposed through the waste channel.

Electroplating process chamber and method with pre-wetting and rinsing capability

Electroplating process including pre-wetting and rinsing

A dynamic chuck for holding a semiconductor wafer or other substrate includes a plurality of clamping arms mounted radially about a central axis of rotation of the wafer or other substrate. Each of the arms is mounted such that it is free to pivot about a horizontal axis. As the chuck rotates the substrate, a centrifugal force acts on each of the arms, causing it to pivot about its axis of rotation and thereby forcing a holding surface of the arm against a peripheral edge of the substrate. The dynamic chuck is applicable to any type of device in which a semiconductor wafer or other substrate must be held in a centered positioned while it is being spun, including wafer cleaning and rinsing apparatus.

Dynamic chuck for semiconductor wafer or other substrate

Electroplating chamber with rotatable wafer holder and pre-wetting and

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West Linn, OR, United States of America

Steven W Taatjes