Novellus Systems Incorporated

Lam Research Corporation

Tokyo Electron Limited

University of North Texas

Lam Research Comporation

Thomas Anand Ponnuswamy

Steven T Mayer

Bryan L Buckalew

Lee Peng Chua

David W Porter

Robert Rash

Jonathan David Reid

Jeyavel Velmurugan

Brian Paul Blackman

Haiying Fu

Santosh Kumar

Joseph Richardson

John H Sukamto

Chad Michael Hosack

Doug Higley

Hilton Diaz Camilo

Stephen J Banik

Justin Oberst

Bryan Pennington

Jae Shin

Seshasayee Varadarajan

Evan E Patton

Zhian He

Frank M Cerio, Jr

Edmund Minshall

Shigeru Mizuno

Michael John Janicki

Mark L Rea

Kari Thorkelsson

Timothy Patrick Cleary

Jacob Kurtis Blickensderfer

Seyang Park

Stephen J Banik, Ii

Clifford Raymond Berry

Huanfeng Zhu

Oliver M Chyan

Glenn Ibarreta

Steve Mayer

Harold D Perry

Ben Foley

Elizabeth Calora

Defu Liang

Patrick Breling

Direct copper-copper bonding at low temperatures is achieved by electroplating copper features on a substrate followed by electroplanarizing the copper features. The copper features are electroplated on the substrate under conditions so that nanotwinned copper structures are formed. Electroplanarizing the copper features is performed by anodically biasing the substrate and contacting the copper features with an electrolyte so that copper is electrochemically removed. Such electrochemical removal is performed in a manner so that roughness is reduced in the copper features and substantial coplanarity is achieved among the copper features. Copper features having nanotwinned copper structures, reduced roughness, and better coplanarity enable direct copper-copper bonding at low temperatures.

Low temperature direct copper-copper bonding

Systems and methods for electroplating are provided. An electroplating system may include an electroplating cell configured to contain an anode and an electroplating solution, a wafer holder configured to support a wafer within the electroplating cell, a reservoir configured to contain at least a portion of the electroplating solution, a recirculation flowpath that fluidically connects the reservoir and the electroplating cell, in which the recirculation flowpath includes a pump and is configured to circulate the electroplating solution between the reservoir and the electroplating cell, and a frother fluidically connected to one or more of the electroplating cell, the reservoir, and the recirculation flowpath. The frother may be configured to generate bubbles in the electroplating solution when the electroplating solution is present in the electroplating system, interfaced with the frother, and the frother is activated.

Byproduct removal from electroplating solutions

A method of electroplating metal into features of a partially fabricated electronic device on a substrate having high open area portions is provided. The method includes initiating a bulk electrofill phase with a pulse at a high level of current; reducing the current to a baseline current level; and optionally increasing the current in one or more steps until electroplating is complete.

TSV process window and fill performance enhancement by long pulsing and ramping

Systems and methods are provided for method for etch assisted gold (Au) through silicon mask plating (EAG-TSM). An example method comprises providing a seed layer on a substrate and providing a silicon mask on at least a portion of the seed layer on the substrate. The silicon mask includes one or more via to be filled with Au. The masked substrate is subjected to at least one processing cycle, each processing cycle including an Au plating sub-step and an etch treatment sub-step. The cycles are repeated until a selected via fill thickness is achieved.

Gold through silicon mask plating

In one example, an electroplating system comprises a first bath reservoir, a second bath reservoir, a clamp, a first anode in the first bath reservoir, a second anode in the second bath reservoir, and a direct current power supply. The first bath reservoir contains a first electrolyte solution that includes an alkaline copper-complexed solution. The second bath reservoir contains a second electrolyte solution that includes an acidic copper plating solution. The direct current power supply generates a first direct current between the clamp and the first anode to electroplate a first copper layer on the cobalt layer of the wafer submerged in the first electrolyte solution. The direct current power supply then generates a second direct current between the clamp and the second anode to electroplate a second copper layer on the first copper layer of the wafer submerged in the second electrolyte solution.

Copper electrodeposition sequence for the filling of cobalt lined features

Provided are cleaning methods and systems to remove unintended metallic deposits from electroplating apparatuses using reverse current deplating techniques. Such cleaning involves positioning a cleaning (deplating) disk in an electroplating cup similar to a regular processed substrate. The front surface of the cleaning disk includes a corrosion resistant conductive material to form electrical connections to deposits on the cup's surfaces. The disk is sealed in the cup and submerged into a plating solution. A reverse current is then applied to the front conductive surface of the disk to initiate deplating of the deposits. Sealing compression in the cup may change during cleaning to cause different deformation of the lip seal and to form new electrical connections to the deposits. The proposed cleaning may be applied to remove deposits formed during electroplating of alloys, in particular, tin-silver alloys widely used for semiconductor and wafer level packaging.

Cleaning electroplating substrate holders using reverse current deplating

In one example, an electroplating system comprises a bath reservoir, a holding device, an anode, a direct current power supply, and a controller. The bath reservoir contains an electrolyte solution. The holding device holds a wafer submerged in the electrolyte solution. The wafer comprises features covered by a cobalt layer. The anode is opposite to the wafer and submerged in the electrolyte solution. The direct current power supply generates a direct current between the holding device and the anode. A combination of forward and reverse pulses is applied between the holding device and the anode to electroplate a copper layer on the cobalt layer of the wafer.

Copper electrodeposition on cobalt lined features

An apparatus for continuous simultaneous electroplating of two metals having substantially different standard electrodeposition potentials (e.g., for deposition of Sn&#x2014;Ag alloys) comprises an anode chamber for containing an anolyte comprising ions of a first, less noble metal, (e.g., tin), but not of a second, more noble, metal (e.g., silver) and an active anode; a cathode chamber for containing catholyte including ions of a first metal (e.g., tin), ions of a second, more noble, metal (e.g., silver), and the substrate; a separation structure positioned between the anode chamber and the cathode chamber, where the separation structure substantially prevents transfer of more noble metal from catholyte to the anolyte; and fluidic features and an associated controller coupled to the apparatus and configured to perform continuous electroplating, while maintaining substantially constant concentrations of plating bath components for extended periods of use.

Protecting anodes from passivation in alloy plating systems

Systems and methods for achieving uniformity across a redistribution layer are described. One of the methods includes patterning a photoresist layer over a substrate. The patterning defines a region for a conductive line and a via disposed below the region for the conductive line. The method further includes depositing a conductive material in between the patterned photoresist layer, such that the conductive material fills the via and the region for the conductive line. The depositing causes an overgrowth of conductive material of the conductive line to form a bump of the conductive material over the via. The method also includes planarizing a top surface of the conductive line while maintaining the patterned photoresist layer present over the substrate. The planarizing is facilitated by exerting a horizontal shear force over the conductive line and the bump. The planarizing is performed to flatten the bump.

Systems and methods for achieving uniformity across a redistribution layer

Methods and apparatus for electroplating material onto a substrate are provided. In many cases the material is metal and the substrate is a semiconductor wafer, though the embodiments are no so limited. Typically, the embodiments herein utilize a porous ionically resistive plate positioned near the substrate, the plate having a plurality of interconnecting 3D channels and creating a cross flow manifold defined on the bottom by the plate, on the top by the substrate, and on the sides by a cross flow confinement ring. During plating, fluid enters the cross flow manifold both upward through channels in the 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 result in improved plating uniformity.

Enhancement of electrolyte hydrodynamics for efficient mass transfer during electroplating

Disclosed are pre-wetting apparatus designs and methods. In some embodiments, a pre-wetting apparatus includes a degasser, a process chamber, and a controller. The process chamber includes a wafer holder configured to hold a wafer substrate, a vacuum port configured to allow formation of a subatmospheric pressure in the process chamber, and a fluid inlet coupled to the degasser and configured to deliver a degassed pre-wetting fluid onto the wafer substrate at a velocity of at least about 7 meters per second whereby particles on the wafer substrate are dislodged and at a flow rate whereby dislodged particles are removed from the wafer substrate. The controller includes program instructions for forming a wetting layer on the wafer substrate in the process chamber by contacting the wafer substrate with the degassed pre-wetting fluid admitted through the fluid inlet at a flow rate of at least about 0.4 liters per minute.

Methods and apparatus for wetting pretreatment for through resist metal plating

Systems and methods for fabrication of a redistribution layer are described. There is no deposition of a seed layer, made from copper, on top of a substrate. The lack of the seed layer avoids a need for etching the seed layer. When the seed layer is not etched, the redistribution layer, also made from copper, is not etched.

Systems and methods for fabrication of a redistribution layer to avoid etching of the layer

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Sherwood, OR, United States of America

Thomas Anand Ponnuswamy