US20060000708A1 - Noble metal contacts for plating applications - Google Patents
Noble metal contacts for plating applications Download PDFInfo
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- US20060000708A1 US20060000708A1 US11/221,607 US22160705A US2006000708A1 US 20060000708 A1 US20060000708 A1 US 20060000708A1 US 22160705 A US22160705 A US 22160705A US 2006000708 A1 US2006000708 A1 US 2006000708A1
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- support ring
- shanks
- contacting
- shank
- contact
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C25D17/00—Constructional parts, or assemblies thereof, of cells for electrolytic coating
- C25D17/10—Electrodes, e.g. composition, counter electrode
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
- H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic System or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
- H01L21/28—Manufacture of electrodes on semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/268
- H01L21/283—Deposition of conductive or insulating materials for electrodes conducting electric current
- H01L21/288—Deposition of conductive or insulating materials for electrodes conducting electric current from a liquid, e.g. electrolytic deposition
- H01L21/2885—Deposition of conductive or insulating materials for electrodes conducting electric current from a liquid, e.g. electrolytic deposition using an external electrical current, i.e. electro-deposition
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- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C25D—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- C25D17/00—Constructional parts, or assemblies thereof, of cells for electrolytic coating
- C25D17/001—Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic coating of wafers, e.g. semiconductors or solar cells
Definitions
- the present invention generally relates to semiconductor substrate processing systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus for performing an electrochemical plating process in a semiconductor substrate processing system.
- the multilevel interconnects are formed by filling the interconnect features (i.e., trenches, vias, and the like) with a metal, such as copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), and the like. Copper is the wiring material of choice in the interconnecting networks of advanced IC devices. In addition to superior electrical conductivity, copper is more resistant than aluminum (Al) to electromigration that, in operation, may destroy a thin film conductive line that carries an electrical current.
- the ECP process is, generally, a two-step process.
- a seed layer e.g., copper seed layer
- the seed layer may extend from a device surface (i.e., plating surface) of the substrate around the beveled edges to a backside (i.e., non-plating) surface of the substrate.
- the seed layer is deposited using a CVD, PVD, evaporation, and the like process.
- the substrate is exposed to a plating solution, while an electrical bias is simultaneously applied between the substrate and an anode electrode positioned within the plating solution.
- the plating solution is rich in ions of the metal to be plated onto the substrate (i.e., copper) and, as such, the electrical bias causes ions of such metal to be urged out of the plating solution and deposited onto the seed layer.
- the electrical bias is provided to the substrate using a plurality of electrical contacts.
- the same contacts are also used to provide a support to the substrate during the ECP process.
- such contacts are collectively bonded to a conductive support ring and engage the seed layer of the substrate.
- the electrical contacts apply a voltage to the seed layer, creating a current path through the plating solution.
- Such current path has an associated electrical resistance.
- the contacting surface of the tip of the electrical contact i.e., portion of the contact having a contact with the seed layer
- the resistance of the current path changes when a mechanical and electrical interface formed between the tip and a shank of the contact is degraded by the plating solution.
- the contacting tip may be coated with a protective layer of noble metals, such as platinum (Pt), indium (In), and the like, or with a layer of an alloy of such metals.
- the contacting tip is attached to a shank of the contact using fasteners, such as screws and the like.
- the electrical contacts of the prior art have limited service life and variable contact resistance, e.g., due to the thinness of the protective coating, deterioration of the interface between the tip and shank of the contact, and the like. The changes in the contact resistance of the electrical contact result in the non-uniformity of the film plated upon the substrate and may cause the ECP process to be defective.
- the present invention is an apparatus for electrochemical plating, comprising a support ring having a plurality of inwardly directed shanks extended from an inner circumference of the ring, wherein each of the shanks comprises a contacting tip brazed to the distal end the shank.
- the contacting tip is formed from a platinum/iridium alloy and is brazed to the shank using a palladium/cobalt alloy.
- the shanks are formed from a metal, such as niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), and the like, that oxidizes in a plating solution and produces a protective oxide layer upon the shank.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic, partial perspective and sectional view of an exemplary plating apparatus according to one application of the present invention
- FIGS. 2A and 2B are, respectively, schematic, cross-sectional and top plan views of an exemplary support ring according to one embodiment of the present invention
- FIGS. 3-5 are schematic, cross-sectional views of contacts of the support ring of FIGS. 2A, 2B according to embodiments of the present invention.
- FIGS. 6A-6F illustrate an exemplary support ring at different steps of fabricating the contacts of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
- the present invention is an apparatus for providing an electrical bias to a substrate in a processing system performing an electrochemical plating process.
- the apparatus e.g., support ring
- the apparatus comprises a conductive annular body supplied with a plurality of flexible current-carrying electrical contacts.
- the contacts are a part of or conductively bonded to the support ring.
- Each contact comprises a shank and a contacting tip that is brazed to the shank.
- the contacting tips engage a peripheral portion of the substrate.
- a plurality of such flexible electrical contacts may be formed using, e.g., a pre-formed ring of the platinum/iridium alloy that is brazed into the support ring and then machined to define the individual contacts.
- the contacting tips are formed from an alloy comprising at least two noble metals (e.g., a platinum/iridium (Pt/In) alloy and the like).
- shanks are formed from a metal, such as niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), and the like, that oxidizes in a plating solution and produces a protective oxide layer upon the shank.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic, partial perspective and sectional view of an exemplary electrochemical plating (ECP) apparatus 100 utilizing a support ring 150 with flexible electrical contacts 156 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGS. 2A and 2B are, respectively, schematic, cross-sectional and top plan views of the support ring 150 .
- FIGS. 1, 2A and 2 B The images in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2 B are simplified for illustrative purposes and are not depicted to scale.
- the ECP apparatus 100 generally includes a head assembly 102 , a substrate securing assembly 110 , and a plating bath assembly 161 .
- the head assembly 102 is attached to a base 104 using a support arm 106 .
- the head assembly 102 defines the position and movements of the substrate securing assembly 110 that places a substrate 120 in a plating solution 165 for plating.
- the plating bath assembly 161 includes an inner basin 167 that is contained within a larger outer basin 163 , and an anode assembly 170 .
- a plating solution (electrolyte) 165 is supplied to the inner basin 167 through an inlet 166 at a bottom 169 of the basin.
- the inlet 166 is generally connected to a supply line to a reservoir (not shown) for the plating solution 165 .
- the outer basin 163 collects the plating solution from the inner basin 167 and drains the solution through a fluid drain 168 back to the reservoir.
- the anode assembly 170 is positioned within a lower region of the inner basin 167 and provided with a diffusion plate 172 (e.g., a porous ceramic member or the like) positioned above the anode assembly 170 .
- a diffusion plate 172 e.g., a porous ceramic member or the like
- An electrical connection to the anode assembly 170 is provided using an anode contact 174 formed from a conductive material that is insoluble in the plating solution (e.g., platinum, platinum-coated steel, and the like).
- the anode contact 174 extends through the bottom 169 and is coupled to an anode terminal of an electrical power supply (not shown), while a cathode terminal of the power supply is coupled to a support ring 150 (see discussion in reference to the substrate securing assembly 110 below).
- the power supply provides an electrical bias between the anode assembly 170 and the substrate 120 .
- an electrical ionic current (represented by current flux lines 180 ) flows from the anode assembly 170 to a plating surface 122 of the substrate 120 .
- the electrical ionic current deposits the plating material onto the surface 122 and, as such, metallized the interconnecting features on the substrate 120 .
- the substrate securing assembly 110 comprises a mounting plate 146 , a thrust plate 144 , a seal plate 142 , a housing 116 , and a support ring 150 .
- the substrate securing assembly 110 may also comprise an optional inflatable bladder assembly or o-ring (not shown) that applies an evenly distributed downward force to a non-plating surface 124 of a substrate 120 .
- the mounting plate 146 and thrust plate 144 couple the substrate securing assembly 110 to the head assembly 102 .
- the support ring 150 comprises a plurality of flexible electrical contacts 156 that support the substrate 120 .
- the contacts 156 are disposed around an inner circumference of the support ring 150 in a circular pattern and extend from the circumference substantially radially inward.
- Each contact 156 comprising a shank 301 and a contacting tip 316 .
- the contacting tips 316 engage the substrate 120 around the edge of the substrate.
- the shank 301 extends from a midpoint 320 of the support ring 150 that is thicker than the shank.
- the shank 301 may be coplanar with either an upper surface 322 or a bottom surface 324 of the support ring 150 .
- the support ring 150 is further supplied with an optional protective coating 130 to protect the contacts 156 from the plating solution 165 .
- the protective coating 130 may comprise at least one layer of material that is chemically resistant to the plating solution, e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene-based material, such as AFLON®, TEFZEL®, KALREZ®, VITON®, and the like. Such materials are available from AG Fluoropolymers USA, Inc., Pennsylvania and other suppliers.
- the housing 116 may also be provided with such protective coating (not shown).
- the housing 116 is formed from an electrically conductive material (e.g., stainless steel) coated with an insulator. As such, the housing 116 may be used to couple the support ring 150 to the power supply that facilitates the plating process. Therefore, electrical power (e.g., in a form of a controlled DC current) may be supplied to the contacts 156 by coupling the power supply either to the housing 116 or directly to the support ring 150 .
- the contact 156 conducts an electrical current from the support ring 150 to a seed layer deposited on the substrate 120 .
- the electrical current is supplied to the contacts 156 cooperatively. Alternatively, the current may be supplied to groups of the contacts, or to individual contacts that are electrically isolated one from another.
- the support ring 150 may further comprise scallops (not shown) that are disposed along the bottom surface 324 of the ring to increase uniformity of the flux towards the plating surface 122 of the substrate 120 .
- scallops are described in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/278,527, filed Oct. 22, 2002, which is incorporated herein by reference.
- FIGS. 3-5 depict schematic, cross-sectional views of exemplary embodiments of contacts of the support ring 150 .
- the reader should simultaneously refer to FIGS. 3-5 .
- the images in FIGS. 3-5 are simplified for illustrative purposes and are not depicted to scale. Those skilled in the art will understand that the scope of the invention is not limited to such exemplary embodiments.
- FIG. 3 depicts a flexible contact 350 where the contacting tip 316 is brazed into a recess 314 at the distal end of the shank 301 .
- FIG. 4 depicts a flexible contact 450 where the contacting tip 316 is brazed to a sidewall 328 of the shank 301
- FIG. 5 depicts a flexible contact 550 where the contacting tip 316 is supplied with a shoulder 330 that is brazed to a sidewall 502 of the shank 301 .
- the support ring 150 and the shanks 301 are formed from a single piece of material, such as a stainless steel (e.g., steel “ 302 ”) and the like.
- the stainless steel shanks 301 may be bonded to the support ring 150 using, e.g., welding, brazing, and the like.
- the protective coating 130 is applied to protect, in operation, the contacts and support ring from the plating solution.
- the shanks 301 may be formed from such a metal (e.g., niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), and the like) that will oxidize in the plating solution 165 and produce a protective oxide layer (not shown) upon the shank.
- the protective coating 130 is considered optional.
- the shank 301 has a length and cross-sectional form factor that are selected such that the contact 156 provides support and electrical contact to the substrate 120 , however, causes no damage to the surface of the substrate.
- a length 306 , thickness 308 , and width 309 of the shank 301 are about 2 to 10 mm, 0.2 to 1 mm, and 0.5 to 10 mm, respectively.
- the contacting tip 316 has a length 310 (measured on a contact surface 313 ), thickness 312 (measured from a surface 311 of the shank 301 to the contact surface 313 ), and width 315 of about 0.05 to 1 mm, 0.1 to 1 mm, and 0.5 to 10 mm, respectively.
- the width 309 of the shank 301 and the width 315 of the contacting tip 316 are the same, however, in other embodiments, the widths 309 and 315 may be different.
- a number of the contacts 156 may vary, for example, according to a diameter and weight of the substrate 120 .
- the support ring 150 and the shanks 301 were formed from a single piece of stainless steel “ 302 ”, and the support ring comprised 500 contacts 350 .
- Each shank was 4 mm long, 0.8 mm thick, and 0.5 mm wide and comprised a contacting tip that was 0.2 mm long, 0.4 mm thick, and 0.5 mm wide.
- the contacting tip 316 may be formed from an alloy that comprises at least two noble metals (e.g., platinum/indium (Pt/In) alloy having about 85% of platinum and about 15% of indium) and then bonded to the shank 301 .
- the contacting tip 316 is brazed to the shank 301 using, e.g., a palladium/cobalt (Pd/Co) alloy comprising about 65% of palladium and about 35% of cobalt.
- the plating solution may cause corrosion of a contact, as well as corrosion and electrical degradation of the contacting tip and interface between the tip and shank.
- the entire contacting tip 316 is formed from a chemically resistant alloy and then brazed to the shank 301 using also a chemically resistant alloy. Brazing facilitates a high quality mechanical and electrical interface between the tip and shank.
- a position of a brazed interface is moved away from a contact surface 313 of the contacting tip 316 and, as such, from the plating solution.
- the shank is covered with the protective coating 130 , as discussed above.
- the shank 301 may be formed from such a metal (e.g., tantalum or niobium) that, when exposed to the plating solution, develops a protective oxide layer on the shank in lieu of using a separate protective coating 130 .
- a metal e.g., tantalum or niobium
- the contacts 156 provide greater longevity (service life), reliability, and performance (e.g., stability ands low value of electrical resistance) than other contacts used in the ECP apparatuses.
- FIGS. 6A-6F depict a support ring at different steps of fabricating the contacts of FIG. 3 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
- uniform contact resistance promotes uniform plating thickness.
- a process of fabricating the contacts intends to ensure that the contacts being formed have uniform contact resistance.
- the views in FIGS. 6B-6E are taken along a centerline 6 - 6 in FIG. 6A .
- FIGS. 6A-6F The images in FIGS. 6A-6F are simplified for illustrative purposes and are not depicted to scale.
- FIG. 6A depicts a top plan view of a support ring 450 before the process of fabricating the contacts begins.
- the support ring 450 comprises an outer region 402 and inner region 404 .
- the regions 402 and 404 are formed from an annular piece of a conductive material, e.g., stainless steel “ 302 ”.
- the outer region 402 is thicker than the inner region 404 .
- the inner region 404 has a thickness 412 that is equal to the thickness of a contact 428 being formed, while a width 414 of the inner region 404 is generally greater than a length 411 of the contact (discussed in reference to FIG. 6E below).
- the inner region 404 is disposed at a midpoint 406 of the outer region 402 (discussed in reference to FIG. 6B below).
- the inner region 404 may be coplanar (not shown) with either upper ( 408 ) or bottom ( 410 ) surface of the outer region 402 .
- FIG. 6B depicts a portion of the support ring 450 after a groove 416 is formed in the distal portion of the inner region 404 .
- the groove 416 has a depth 418 of about 0.3 to 0.1 mm and a width 420 of about 0.5 to 10 mm.
- the groove 416 is adapted to receive a pre-formed ring 426 (discussed in reference to FIG. 6D below).
- FIG. 6C depicts a schematic, cross-sectional view of a portion of the support ring 450 having a brazing material 422 placed and melted in the groove 416 .
- a melting temperature of the brazing material is below melting temperatures of materials of the support ring 450 and contacting tip (discussed in reference to FIG. 6D below).
- the brazing material forms a layer 424 in the groove 416 .
- the brazing material comprises a palladium/cobalt alloy having about 65% of palladium and about 35% of cobalt.
- Such brazing material wets stainless steel “302” (inner region 404 ) and platinum/indium alloy (ring 426 ) and possesses high corrosion resistance to the plating solution, high purity, and a low vapor pressure at the brazing temperature.
- the palladium/cobalt alloy has a melting temperature of approximately 1220 degrees Celsius that is substantially below the melting temperature of the stainless steel “ 302 ” (approximately 1620 degrees Celsius).
- FIG. 6D depicts a schematic, cross-sectional view of a portion of the support ring 450 after the pre-formed ring 426 is positioned in the groove 416 on a layer 424 of melted brazing material 472 .
- the ring 426 fits into the groove 416 .
- the pre-formed ring 426 comprises, for example, a platinum/indium alloy having about 85% of platinum and about 15% of indium. Such alloy has a melting temperature of approximately 2230 degrees Celsius.
- a width 440 of the pre-formed ring 426 is selected to fit into the groove 416 and a height 444 of the ring is selected such that a height 442 of an exposed portion of the ring is equal to that of the contacting tip 425 (discussed in reference to FIG. 6E below).
- an extending inwardly portion of the inner region 404 (portion 430 ) is generally machined off to prevent, in operation, shielding of the edge of the substrate from the plating solution.
- the annular portion 430 may be removed using an EDM process (discussed in reference to FIGS. 6E and 6F below).
- the pre-formed ring 426 may also be machined, e.g., the edges and upper surface of the ring may be rounded or polished, and the like.
- FIGS. 6E and 6F depict, respectively, schematic, cross-sectional and top plan views of a portion of the support ring 450 after a contact 428 is formed in the inner region 404 .
- the contact 428 may be formed using, for example, an electric discharge machining (EDM) technique and the like.
- EDM electric discharge machining
- the EDM process removes portions 446 , 448 , and the like of the inner region 404 between the adjacent contacts (e.g., contacts 428 a , 428 b , and 428 c ).
- the EDM process provides surface finishing to the contacts and/or contacting tips.
- the remaining portions of the inner region 404 and ring 426 form shanks 432 (e.g., shanks 432 a , 432 b , and 432 c ) and contacting tips 425 (e.g., contact tips 425 a , 425 b , 425 c ).
- shanks 432 e.g., shanks 432 a , 432 b , and 432 c
- contacting tips 425 e.g., contact tips 425 a , 425 b , 425 c .
- the contacts shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be fabricated using techniques that are similar to the described above in reference to the contact of FIG. 3 .
- the inner portion 404 of the support ring 450 may be formed from tantalum or niobium, respectively.
Abstract
Apparatus for electrochemical plating, comprising a support ring and a plurality of inwardly directed shanks extended from an inner circumference of the ring, wherein each of the shanks comprises a contacting tip brazed to the distal end the shank.
Description
- This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/349,761, filed on Jan. 22, 2002, entitled NOBLE METAL CONTACTS FOR PLATING APPLICATIONS.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention generally relates to semiconductor substrate processing systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus for performing an electrochemical plating process in a semiconductor substrate processing system.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- In ultra large scale integration integrated circuit (IC) devices (i.e., devices having more than one million logic gates), the multilevel interconnects are formed by filling the interconnect features (i.e., trenches, vias, and the like) with a metal, such as copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), and the like. Copper is the wiring material of choice in the interconnecting networks of advanced IC devices. In addition to superior electrical conductivity, copper is more resistant than aluminum (Al) to electromigration that, in operation, may destroy a thin film conductive line that carries an electrical current.
- As dimensions of the interconnect features decrease and the aspect ratios increase, a void-free metal fill using conventional metallizing techniques, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), and the like, becomes increasingly difficult. As a result thereof, during manufacturing of advanced IC devices, electrochemical plating (ECP) has emerged as a production-worthy process for metallizing interconnect features.
- The ECP process is, generally, a two-step process. During a first step, a seed layer (e.g., copper seed layer) is formed upon the interconnect features, as well as elsewhere on the substrate. The seed layer may extend from a device surface (i.e., plating surface) of the substrate around the beveled edges to a backside (i.e., non-plating) surface of the substrate. Generally, the seed layer is deposited using a CVD, PVD, evaporation, and the like process. Then, during a second step, the substrate is exposed to a plating solution, while an electrical bias is simultaneously applied between the substrate and an anode electrode positioned within the plating solution. The plating solution is rich in ions of the metal to be plated onto the substrate (i.e., copper) and, as such, the electrical bias causes ions of such metal to be urged out of the plating solution and deposited onto the seed layer.
- The electrical bias is provided to the substrate using a plurality of electrical contacts. Typically, the same contacts are also used to provide a support to the substrate during the ECP process. Generally, such contacts are collectively bonded to a conductive support ring and engage the seed layer of the substrate. In operation, the electrical contacts apply a voltage to the seed layer, creating a current path through the plating solution. Such current path has an associated electrical resistance. The contacting surface of the tip of the electrical contact (i.e., portion of the contact having a contact with the seed layer) erodes as a result of exposure to the plating solution. Similarly, the resistance of the current path changes when a mechanical and electrical interface formed between the tip and a shank of the contact is degraded by the plating solution.
- In the prior art, to extend longevity of the electrical contacts, the contacting tip may be coated with a protective layer of noble metals, such as platinum (Pt), indium (In), and the like, or with a layer of an alloy of such metals. Generally, the contacting tip is attached to a shank of the contact using fasteners, such as screws and the like. Still, the electrical contacts of the prior art have limited service life and variable contact resistance, e.g., due to the thinness of the protective coating, deterioration of the interface between the tip and shank of the contact, and the like. The changes in the contact resistance of the electrical contact result in the non-uniformity of the film plated upon the substrate and may cause the ECP process to be defective.
- Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved electrical contact that provides an electrical bias to a substrate during an electrochemical plating process.
- The present invention is an apparatus for electrochemical plating, comprising a support ring having a plurality of inwardly directed shanks extended from an inner circumference of the ring, wherein each of the shanks comprises a contacting tip brazed to the distal end the shank.
- In one embodiment, the contacting tip is formed from a platinum/iridium alloy and is brazed to the shank using a palladium/cobalt alloy. In another embodiment, the shanks are formed from a metal, such as niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), and the like, that oxidizes in a plating solution and produces a protective oxide layer upon the shank.
- The teachings of the present invention can be readily understood by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
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FIG. 1 is a schematic, partial perspective and sectional view of an exemplary plating apparatus according to one application of the present invention; -
FIGS. 2A and 2B are, respectively, schematic, cross-sectional and top plan views of an exemplary support ring according to one embodiment of the present invention; -
FIGS. 3-5 are schematic, cross-sectional views of contacts of the support ring ofFIGS. 2A, 2B according to embodiments of the present invention; and -
FIGS. 6A-6F illustrate an exemplary support ring at different steps of fabricating the contacts ofFIG. 3 according to one embodiment of the present invention. - To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures.
- It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only exemplary embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
- The present invention is an apparatus for providing an electrical bias to a substrate in a processing system performing an electrochemical plating process. The apparatus (e.g., support ring) comprises a conductive annular body supplied with a plurality of flexible current-carrying electrical contacts. The contacts are a part of or conductively bonded to the support ring. Each contact comprises a shank and a contacting tip that is brazed to the shank. In operation, the contacting tips engage a peripheral portion of the substrate. A plurality of such flexible electrical contacts may be formed using, e.g., a pre-formed ring of the platinum/iridium alloy that is brazed into the support ring and then machined to define the individual contacts.
- In one embodiment, the contacting tips are formed from an alloy comprising at least two noble metals (e.g., a platinum/iridium (Pt/In) alloy and the like). In another embodiment, shanks are formed from a metal, such as niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), and the like, that oxidizes in a plating solution and produces a protective oxide layer upon the shank.
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FIG. 1 is a schematic, partial perspective and sectional view of an exemplary electrochemical plating (ECP)apparatus 100 utilizing asupport ring 150 with flexibleelectrical contacts 156 according to one embodiment of the present invention.FIGS. 2A and 2B are, respectively, schematic, cross-sectional and top plan views of thesupport ring 150. For best understanding of the invention, the reader should refer simultaneously toFIGS. 1, 2A and 2B. The images inFIGS. 1, 2A and 2B are simplified for illustrative purposes and are not depicted to scale. - The
ECP apparatus 100 generally includes ahead assembly 102, asubstrate securing assembly 110, and aplating bath assembly 161. Thehead assembly 102 is attached to abase 104 using asupport arm 106. In operation, thehead assembly 102 defines the position and movements of thesubstrate securing assembly 110 that places asubstrate 120 in aplating solution 165 for plating. - The plating
bath assembly 161 includes aninner basin 167 that is contained within a largerouter basin 163, and ananode assembly 170. A plating solution (electrolyte) 165 is supplied to theinner basin 167 through aninlet 166 at a bottom 169 of the basin. Theinlet 166 is generally connected to a supply line to a reservoir (not shown) for theplating solution 165. Theouter basin 163 collects the plating solution from theinner basin 167 and drains the solution through afluid drain 168 back to the reservoir. - The
anode assembly 170 is positioned within a lower region of theinner basin 167 and provided with a diffusion plate 172 (e.g., a porous ceramic member or the like) positioned above theanode assembly 170. An electrical connection to theanode assembly 170 is provided using ananode contact 174 formed from a conductive material that is insoluble in the plating solution (e.g., platinum, platinum-coated steel, and the like). - The
anode contact 174 extends through the bottom 169 and is coupled to an anode terminal of an electrical power supply (not shown), while a cathode terminal of the power supply is coupled to a support ring 150 (see discussion in reference to thesubstrate securing assembly 110 below). As such, the power supply provides an electrical bias between theanode assembly 170 and thesubstrate 120. In operation (i.e., when asubstrate 120 is immersed into the plating solution), in response to the bias, an electrical ionic current (represented by current flux lines 180) flows from theanode assembly 170 to a plating surface 122 of thesubstrate 120. The electrical ionic current deposits the plating material onto the surface 122 and, as such, metallized the interconnecting features on thesubstrate 120. - The
substrate securing assembly 110 comprises a mountingplate 146, athrust plate 144, aseal plate 142, ahousing 116, and asupport ring 150. Thesubstrate securing assembly 110 may also comprise an optional inflatable bladder assembly or o-ring (not shown) that applies an evenly distributed downward force to anon-plating surface 124 of asubstrate 120. The mountingplate 146 and thrustplate 144 couple thesubstrate securing assembly 110 to thehead assembly 102. - The
support ring 150 comprises a plurality of flexibleelectrical contacts 156 that support thesubstrate 120. Thecontacts 156 are disposed around an inner circumference of thesupport ring 150 in a circular pattern and extend from the circumference substantially radially inward. Eachcontact 156 comprising ashank 301 and a contactingtip 316. Generally, the contactingtips 316 engage thesubstrate 120 around the edge of the substrate. In the depicted embodiment, theshank 301 extends from amidpoint 320 of thesupport ring 150 that is thicker than the shank. In other embodiments, theshank 301 may be coplanar with either anupper surface 322 or abottom surface 324 of thesupport ring 150. - The
support ring 150 is further supplied with an optionalprotective coating 130 to protect thecontacts 156 from theplating solution 165. Theprotective coating 130 may comprise at least one layer of material that is chemically resistant to the plating solution, e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene-based material, such as AFLON®, TEFZEL®, KALREZ®, VITON®, and the like. Such materials are available from AG Fluoropolymers USA, Inc., Pennsylvania and other suppliers. Alternatively, thehousing 116 may also be provided with such protective coating (not shown). - Generally, the
housing 116 is formed from an electrically conductive material (e.g., stainless steel) coated with an insulator. As such, thehousing 116 may be used to couple thesupport ring 150 to the power supply that facilitates the plating process. Therefore, electrical power (e.g., in a form of a controlled DC current) may be supplied to thecontacts 156 by coupling the power supply either to thehousing 116 or directly to thesupport ring 150. Thecontact 156 conducts an electrical current from thesupport ring 150 to a seed layer deposited on thesubstrate 120. Generally, the electrical current is supplied to thecontacts 156 cooperatively. Alternatively, the current may be supplied to groups of the contacts, or to individual contacts that are electrically isolated one from another. - The
support ring 150 may further comprise scallops (not shown) that are disposed along thebottom surface 324 of the ring to increase uniformity of the flux towards the plating surface 122 of thesubstrate 120. Such scallops are described in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/278,527, filed Oct. 22, 2002, which is incorporated herein by reference. -
FIGS. 3-5 depict schematic, cross-sectional views of exemplary embodiments of contacts of thesupport ring 150. For best understanding of these embodiments, the reader should simultaneously refer toFIGS. 3-5 . The images inFIGS. 3-5 are simplified for illustrative purposes and are not depicted to scale. Those skilled in the art will understand that the scope of the invention is not limited to such exemplary embodiments. -
FIG. 3 depicts aflexible contact 350 where the contactingtip 316 is brazed into arecess 314 at the distal end of theshank 301. Accordingly,FIG. 4 depicts aflexible contact 450 where the contactingtip 316 is brazed to asidewall 328 of theshank 301, andFIG. 5 depicts aflexible contact 550 where the contactingtip 316 is supplied with ashoulder 330 that is brazed to a sidewall 502 of theshank 301. - In depicted embodiments, the
support ring 150 and theshanks 301 are formed from a single piece of material, such as a stainless steel (e.g., steel “302”) and the like. In an alternative embodiment, thestainless steel shanks 301 may be bonded to thesupport ring 150 using, e.g., welding, brazing, and the like. Further, theprotective coating 130 is applied to protect, in operation, the contacts and support ring from the plating solution. In a further alternative embodiment, theshanks 301 may be formed from such a metal (e.g., niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), and the like) that will oxidize in theplating solution 165 and produce a protective oxide layer (not shown) upon the shank. When thesupport ring 150 comprised such oxidized shanks, theprotective coating 130 is considered optional. - The
shank 301 has a length and cross-sectional form factor that are selected such that thecontact 156 provides support and electrical contact to thesubstrate 120, however, causes no damage to the surface of the substrate. In one exemplary embodiment, alength 306,thickness 308, andwidth 309 of theshank 301 are about 2 to 10 mm, 0.2 to 1 mm, and 0.5 to 10 mm, respectively. In this embodiment, the contactingtip 316 has a length 310 (measured on a contact surface 313), thickness 312 (measured from asurface 311 of theshank 301 to the contact surface 313), andwidth 315 of about 0.05 to 1 mm, 0.1 to 1 mm, and 0.5 to 10 mm, respectively. In the depicted embodiment, thewidth 309 of theshank 301 and thewidth 315 of the contactingtip 316 are the same, however, in other embodiments, thewidths - A number of the
contacts 156 may vary, for example, according to a diameter and weight of thesubstrate 120. In one particular embodiment, to support a 300 mm silicon (Si) wafer, thesupport ring 150 and theshanks 301 were formed from a single piece of stainless steel “302”, and the support ring comprised 500contacts 350. Each shank was 4 mm long, 0.8 mm thick, and 0.5 mm wide and comprised a contacting tip that was 0.2 mm long, 0.4 mm thick, and 0.5 mm wide. - The contacting
tip 316 may be formed from an alloy that comprises at least two noble metals (e.g., platinum/indium (Pt/In) alloy having about 85% of platinum and about 15% of indium) and then bonded to theshank 301. In one embodiment, the contactingtip 316 is brazed to theshank 301 using, e.g., a palladium/cobalt (Pd/Co) alloy comprising about 65% of palladium and about 35% of cobalt. - In operation, the plating solution may cause corrosion of a contact, as well as corrosion and electrical degradation of the contacting tip and interface between the tip and shank. However, in the
contacts 156, the entire contactingtip 316 is formed from a chemically resistant alloy and then brazed to theshank 301 using also a chemically resistant alloy. Brazing facilitates a high quality mechanical and electrical interface between the tip and shank. Additionally, in embodiment shown inFIG. 5 , a position of a brazed interface is moved away from acontact surface 313 of the contactingtip 316 and, as such, from the plating solution. In each embodiment, the shank is covered with theprotective coating 130, as discussed above. In an alternative embodiment, theshank 301 may be formed from such a metal (e.g., tantalum or niobium) that, when exposed to the plating solution, develops a protective oxide layer on the shank in lieu of using a separateprotective coating 130. As such, in either embodiment, thecontacts 156 provide greater longevity (service life), reliability, and performance (e.g., stability ands low value of electrical resistance) than other contacts used in the ECP apparatuses. -
FIGS. 6A-6F depict a support ring at different steps of fabricating the contacts ofFIG. 3 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In operation, uniform contact resistance promotes uniform plating thickness. As such, a process of fabricating the contacts intends to ensure that the contacts being formed have uniform contact resistance. The views inFIGS. 6B-6E are taken along a centerline 6-6 inFIG. 6A . For best understanding of this embodiment of the invention, the reader should simultaneously refer toFIGS. 6A-6F . The images inFIGS. 6A-6F are simplified for illustrative purposes and are not depicted to scale. -
FIG. 6A depicts a top plan view of asupport ring 450 before the process of fabricating the contacts begins. Thesupport ring 450 comprises anouter region 402 andinner region 404. In the depicted embodiment, theregions outer region 402 is thicker than theinner region 404. In one embodiment, theinner region 404 has athickness 412 that is equal to the thickness of acontact 428 being formed, while awidth 414 of theinner region 404 is generally greater than alength 411 of the contact (discussed in reference toFIG. 6E below). Generally, theinner region 404 is disposed at amidpoint 406 of the outer region 402 (discussed in reference toFIG. 6B below). Alternatively, theinner region 404 may be coplanar (not shown) with either upper (408) or bottom (410) surface of theouter region 402. -
FIG. 6B depicts a portion of thesupport ring 450 after agroove 416 is formed in the distal portion of theinner region 404. In one embodiment, thegroove 416 has adepth 418 of about 0.3 to 0.1 mm and awidth 420 of about 0.5 to 10 mm. Generally, thegroove 416 is adapted to receive a pre-formed ring 426 (discussed in reference toFIG. 6D below). -
FIG. 6C depicts a schematic, cross-sectional view of a portion of thesupport ring 450 having abrazing material 422 placed and melted in thegroove 416. A melting temperature of the brazing material is below melting temperatures of materials of thesupport ring 450 and contacting tip (discussed in reference toFIG. 6D below). When melted, the brazing material forms alayer 424 in thegroove 416. In one embodiment, the brazing material comprises a palladium/cobalt alloy having about 65% of palladium and about 35% of cobalt. Such brazing material wets stainless steel “302” (inner region 404) and platinum/indium alloy (ring 426) and possesses high corrosion resistance to the plating solution, high purity, and a low vapor pressure at the brazing temperature. The palladium/cobalt alloy has a melting temperature of approximately 1220 degrees Celsius that is substantially below the melting temperature of the stainless steel “302” (approximately 1620 degrees Celsius). -
FIG. 6D depicts a schematic, cross-sectional view of a portion of thesupport ring 450 after thepre-formed ring 426 is positioned in thegroove 416 on alayer 424 of melted brazing material 472. In one embodiment, thering 426 fits into thegroove 416. Thepre-formed ring 426 comprises, for example, a platinum/indium alloy having about 85% of platinum and about 15% of indium. Such alloy has a melting temperature of approximately 2230 degrees Celsius. - When heated above its melting temperature (i.e., above of approximately 1220 degrees Celsius), the platinum/indium alloy wets a
bottom surface 415 of thegroove 416 and abottom surface 428 of thepre-formed ring 426. In the depicted embodiment, awidth 440 of thepre-formed ring 426 is selected to fit into thegroove 416 and aheight 444 of the ring is selected such that aheight 442 of an exposed portion of the ring is equal to that of the contacting tip 425 (discussed in reference toFIG. 6E below). - After the platinum/indium alloy is then cooled below its melting temperature, the alloy bonds the
pre-formed ring 426 to thegroove 426. The brazing process develops a high strength mechanical and high quality electrical interface between thepre-formed ring 426 andinner region 402. After brazing thepre-formed ring 426 into thegroove 416, an extending inwardly portion of the inner region 404 (portion 430) is generally machined off to prevent, in operation, shielding of the edge of the substrate from the plating solution. Alternatively, theannular portion 430 may be removed using an EDM process (discussed in reference toFIGS. 6E and 6F below). In a further embodiment, thepre-formed ring 426 may also be machined, e.g., the edges and upper surface of the ring may be rounded or polished, and the like. -
FIGS. 6E and 6F depict, respectively, schematic, cross-sectional and top plan views of a portion of thesupport ring 450 after acontact 428 is formed in theinner region 404. Thecontact 428 may be formed using, for example, an electric discharge machining (EDM) technique and the like. The EDM process removesportions inner region 404 between the adjacent contacts (e.g.,contacts - After the EDM process, the remaining portions of the
inner region 404 andring 426 form shanks 432 (e.g.,shanks tips contacts 428 of thesupport ring 450 are fabricated as described above. - Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the contacts shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5 may be fabricated using techniques that are similar to the described above in reference to the contact ofFIG. 3 . Similarly, to fabricate thecontacts 428 having the tantalum orniobium shanks 432, theinner portion 404 of thesupport ring 450 may be formed from tantalum or niobium, respectively. - While foregoing is directed to the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow.
Claims (20)
1. Apparatus for electrochemical plating, comprising:
a support ring;
a plurality of contacting tips disposed radially inwards of the support ring; and
a plurality of shanks, each of the shanks having a first end coupled to the support ring and a second end brazed to a respective one of the contacting tips, wherein at least a partial layer of brazing material is disposed between each of the plurality of shanks and the respective one of the contacting tips.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support ring and the shanks are formed from a single piece of the same material.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shanks are bonded to the support ring.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shanks are formed from stainless steel.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shanks are formed from a metal forming a protective oxide layer when exposed to a plating solution.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the metal is tantalum or niobium.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the contacting tip is brazed to a recess of the shank.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the contacting tip is brazed to a sidewall of the shank.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the contacting tip further comprises:
a first portion having a first end brazed to a sidewall of the shank and extending inward to a second end; and
a second portion extending upward from the second end of the first portion to a contact surface adapted to support a substrate thereon.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support ring comprises a coating protecting the support ring from a plating solution.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the coating comprises at least one layer of a polytetrafluoroethylene-based material.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the contacting tip is formed from a platinum/indium alloy comprising about 85% of platinum and about 15% of indium.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the brazing material is a palladium/cobalt alloy comprising about 65% of palladium and about 35% of cobalt.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the contacting tip has a length of about 0.5 to 10 mm, a width of about 0.05 to 1 mm, and a thickness of at least about 0.5 mm.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shank has a length of about 2 to 10 mm, a width of about 0.5 to 10 mm, and a thickness of about 0.2 to 1 mm.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the contacting tip is fabricated from at least two noble metals.
17. Apparatus for electrochemical plating, comprising:
a support ring;
a plurality of electrically conductive shanks coupled to the support ring and having a distal end extending radially inward of an inner circumference of the support ring; and
a plurality of electrical contact elements, each contact element having a first portion brazed to the distal end of a respective one of the plurality of shanks by a layer of brazing material and a second portion extending radially inward and upward of the first end to a contact tip that is adapted to support a substrate thereon, wherein the layer of brazing material facilitates a high quality mechanical and electrical interface between the shank and the contact element.
18. Apparatus for electrochemical plating, comprising:
a conductive support ring;
a plurality of flexible electrical contacts extending inward of an inner circumference of the conductive support ring and configured to support a substrate around an outer edge; and
a plurality contacting tips each brazed on one of the plurality of flexible electrical contacts and configured to contact the substrate.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising a layer of brazing material disposed between each contacting tip and a respective contact.
20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the contacting tip is fabricated from at least two noble metals.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/221,607 US20060000708A1 (en) | 2003-01-22 | 2005-09-08 | Noble metal contacts for plating applications |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/349,761 US20040140217A1 (en) | 2003-01-22 | 2003-01-22 | Noble metal contacts for plating applications |
US11/221,607 US20060000708A1 (en) | 2003-01-22 | 2005-09-08 | Noble metal contacts for plating applications |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US10/349,761 Continuation US20040140217A1 (en) | 2003-01-22 | 2003-01-22 | Noble metal contacts for plating applications |
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US20060000708A1 true US20060000708A1 (en) | 2006-01-05 |
Family
ID=32712775
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US10/349,761 Abandoned US20040140217A1 (en) | 2003-01-22 | 2003-01-22 | Noble metal contacts for plating applications |
US11/221,607 Abandoned US20060000708A1 (en) | 2003-01-22 | 2005-09-08 | Noble metal contacts for plating applications |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US10/349,761 Abandoned US20040140217A1 (en) | 2003-01-22 | 2003-01-22 | Noble metal contacts for plating applications |
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US (2) | US20040140217A1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR200347745Y1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN2725320Y (en) |
TW (1) | TWM256879U (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20110186424A1 (en) * | 2008-04-10 | 2011-08-04 | Rec Solar As | Contacting device |
Families Citing this family (5)
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US20060078457A1 (en) * | 2004-10-12 | 2006-04-13 | Heraeus, Inc. | Low oxygen content alloy compositions |
US7675166B2 (en) | 2005-05-11 | 2010-03-09 | Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. | Integrated circuit package device comprising electrical contacts making solderless and bondless electrical-mechanical connection |
US8987898B2 (en) * | 2011-06-06 | 2015-03-24 | International Rectifier Corporation | Semiconductor wafer with reduced thickness variation and method for fabricating same |
CN102912406B (en) * | 2012-11-12 | 2015-06-24 | 上海华力微电子有限公司 | Protecting cover for process cavity |
CN111455438B (en) * | 2020-03-11 | 2022-07-15 | 贵州振华群英电器有限公司(国营第八九一厂) | Local electroplating fixture for relay base |
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- 2003-01-22 US US10/349,761 patent/US20040140217A1/en not_active Abandoned
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- 2004-01-20 TW TW093201169U patent/TWM256879U/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2004-01-20 KR KR20-2004-0001656U patent/KR200347745Y1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2004-01-29 CN CNU2004200016001U patent/CN2725320Y/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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US20110186424A1 (en) * | 2008-04-10 | 2011-08-04 | Rec Solar As | Contacting device |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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CN2725320Y (en) | 2005-09-14 |
TWM256879U (en) | 2005-02-11 |
US20040140217A1 (en) | 2004-07-22 |
KR200347745Y1 (en) | 2004-04-17 |
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Owner name: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC., CALIFORNIA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:HERCHEN, HARALD;REEL/FRAME:016974/0292 Effective date: 20030122 |
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
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