The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 14, 2017
Filed:
Jan. 22, 2015
Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US);
Burhanuddin Kagajwala, Hillsboro, OR (US);
Bryan L. Buckalew, Tualatin, OR (US);
Steven T. Mayer, Lake Oswego, OR (US);
Lee Peng Chua, Beaverton, OR (US);
Aaron Berke, Portland, OR (US);
James Isaac Fortner, Newberg, OR (US);
Robert Rash, West Linn, OR (US);
Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for electroplating metal on a substrate while controlling plating uniformity includes in one aspect: a plating chamber having anolyte and catholyte compartments separated by a membrane; a primary anode positioned in the anolyte compartment; an ionically resistive ionically permeable element positioned between the membrane and a substrate in the catholyte compartment; and a secondary electrode configured to donate and/or divert plating current to and/or from the substrate, wherein the secondary electrode is positioned such that the donated and/or diverted plating current does not cross the membrane separating the anolyte and catholyte compartments, but passes through the ionically resistive ionically permeable element. In some embodiments the secondary electrode is an azimuthally symmetrical anode (e.g., a ring positioned in a separate compartment around the periphery of the plating chamber) that can be dynamically controlled during electroplating.