JP6745103B2 - Lip seals and contact elements for semiconductor electroplating equipment - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electroplating apparatus used for forming damascene wiring of an integrated circuit and manufacturing the integrated circuit.

Electroplating is a common technique used to deposit one or more layers of conductive metals in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In some manufacturing processes, it is used to deposit single or multiple layers of copper wiring between various substrate features (structures). Apparatus for electroplating generally comprises an electroplating cell having an electrolyte bath/bath and a clamshell designed to hold a semiconductor substrate during electroplating.

During operation of the electroplating apparatus, a semiconductor substrate is immersed in an electrolyte bath so that one side of the substrate is exposed to the electrolyte. Current is passed through the electroplating cell using one or more electrical contacts formed with the substrate surface to deposit metal on the substrate surface from the resulting metal ions in the electrolyte. Generally, an electrical contact element is used to form an electrical connection between the substrate and the busbar that acts as a current source. However, in some configurations, the conductive seed layer on the substrate that is contacted by the electrical connection may be thinned toward the edge of the substrate, making it more difficult to establish an optimal electrical connection with the substrate. Making it difficult.

Another problem that occurs with electroplating is that the electroplating solution can be corrosive. Therefore, in many electroplating systems, the clam is used to prevent electrolyte leakage and contact with elements of the electroplating system other than the interior of the electroplating cell and the surface of the substrate being electroplated. A lip seal is used at the interface between the shell and the substrate.

Disclosed herein is a lip seal assembly for engaging a semiconductor substrate in an electroplating clamshell and for supplying electrical current to the semiconductor substrate during electroplating. In some embodiments, the lip seal assembly comprises an elastomeric lip seal for engaging the semiconductor substrate and one or more contact elements for supplying electrical current to the semiconductor substrate during electroplating. be able to. In some embodiments, the elastomeric lipseal, when engaged, substantially excludes the plating solution from the peripheral region of the semiconductor substrate.

In some embodiments, the one or more contact elements are structurally integrated with the elastomeric lip seal and contact the peripheral region of the substrate when the lip seal is engaged with the substrate. Has an exposed part. In some embodiments, the one or more contact elements may further have a second exposed portion for electrically connecting with a current source. In some of such embodiments, the current source may be an electroplating clamshell busbar. In some embodiments, the one or more contact elements may further include a third exposed portion connecting the first and second exposed portions. In some of such embodiments, the third exposed portion can be structurally integrated onto the surface of the elastomeric lip seal.

In some embodiments, the one or more contact elements can have a non-exposed portion connecting the first and second exposed portions, the non-exposed portion being structurally below the surface of the elastomeric lip seal. Can be integrated into. In some of such embodiments, the elastomeric lip seal is overmolded onto the unexposed portion.

In some embodiments, the elastomeric lip seal can have a first inner diameter that defines a generally circular perimeter for excluding plating solution from the peripheral region, and can have a first inner diameter of one or more contact elements. The exposed portion may define a second inner diameter that is larger than the first inner diameter. In some of such embodiments, the magnitude of the difference between the first inner diameter and the second inner diameter is about 0.5 mm or less. In some of such embodiments, the magnitude of the difference between the first inner diameter and the second inner diameter is about 0.3 mm or less.

In some embodiments, the lip seal assembly can include one or more flexible contact elements for supplying electrical current to the semiconductor substrate during electroplating. In some of such embodiments, at least a portion of the one or more flexible contact elements can be conformally disposed on the top surface of the elastomeric lip seal, the flexible contact elements being in contact with the semiconductor substrate. It can be configured to flex when engaged to form a conformal contact surface that makes a contact bond with a semiconductor substrate. In some of such embodiments, the conformal contact surface contacts and contacts the bevel edge of the semiconductor substrate.

In some embodiments, the one or more flexible contact elements may have a portion that is not configured to contact the substrate when the lip seal assembly engages the substrate. In some of such embodiments, the non-contact portion comprises non-conformal material. In some embodiments, the conformal contact surface forms a continuous interface with the semiconductor substrate, while in some embodiments, the conformal contact surface has a gap and is non-contact with the semiconductor substrate. Form a continuous interface. In some of such latter embodiments, the one or more flexible contact elements may include a plurality of wire tips, or wire mesh, disposed on the surface of the elastomeric lip seal. In some embodiments, the one or more flexible contact elements conformally disposed on the top surface of the elastomeric lip seal comprises one or more selected from chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, electroplating. Conductive deposits formed using the techniques of. In some embodiments, the one or more flexible contact elements conformally disposed on the top surface of the elastomeric lip seal may include a conductive elastomeric material.

Further disclosed herein is an elastomeric lip seal used in an electroplating clamshell to support, align, and seal a semiconductor substrate in the electroplating clamshell. In some embodiments, the lip seal comprises a flexible elastomeric support edge and a flexible elastomeric top located above the flexible elastomeric support edge. In some embodiments, the flexible elastomeric support edge has sealing protrusions configured to support and seal the semiconductor substrate. In some of such embodiments, when sealing the substrate, the sealing protrusions define a perimeter for exclusion of the plating solution. In some embodiments, the flexible elastomeric upper portion has an upper surface configured to be squeezed and an inner surface located external to the sealing protrusion. In some of such embodiments, the inner surface can be configured to move inward to align the semiconductor substrate when the upper surface is compressed, and in some embodiments, the upper surface is It can be configured to move about 0.2 mm or at least 0.2 mm inward when compressed. In some embodiments, the inner surface is sufficiently outward so that the semiconductor substrate can be lowered through the flexible elastomeric top without contacting the top and placed over the sealing protrusions when the top surface is uncompressed. However, when the semiconductor substrate is placed on the sealing protrusion and the upper surface is pressed, the inner surface comes into contact with the semiconductor substrate and presses the semiconductor substrate in the electroplating clamshell. Align the board.

Further disclosed herein is a method of aligning and sealing a semiconductor substrate in an electroplating clamshell having an elastomeric lip seal. In some embodiments, the method opens the clamshell, feeds the substrate into the clamshell, lowers the substrate through the top of the lip seal and over the sealing protrusions of the lip seal, and the lip to align the substrate. Pressing the top surface of the top of the seal and pressing the substrate to form a seal between the sealing protrusion and the substrate. In some embodiments, pressing the top surface of the top of the lip seal causes the substrate to be pressed by the inside surface of the top of the lip seal, aligning the substrate within the clamshell. In some embodiments, pressing the top surface to align the substrate includes pressing the top surface with a first side of a clamshell cone to press the substrate to form a seal. This includes pressing the substrate against the second side of the clamshell cone.

In some embodiments, pressing the top surface to align the substrate comprises pressing the top surface with a first pressing element of the clamshell, pressing the substrate to form a seal. Includes pressing the substrate with a second pressing element of the clamshell. In some of such embodiments, the second pressure element can be movable independently of the first pressure element. In some of such embodiments, compressing the upper surface includes adjusting the pressing force exerted by the first pressing element based on the diameter of the semiconductor substrate.

Further disclosed herein is a cup assembly for holding and sealing a semiconductor substrate and for powering the semiconductor substrate during electroplating. The cup assembly includes a cup bottom element having a body and a moment arm, an elastomer sealing element disposed on the moment arm, and an electrical contact element disposed on the elastomer sealing element. The elastomeric sealing element can be sealed to the substrate so as to define a peripheral area of the substrate where the plating solution is substantially excluded during electroplating when the semiconductor substrate is pressed, and the electrical contact element Can contact the substrate in the peripheral area when the sealing element is sealing against the substrate, which allows the contact element to power the substrate being electroplated. In some embodiments, the body portion flexes little when the semiconductor substrate is pressed against the moment arm.

In some embodiments, the body is rigidly fixed to the other features of the cup structure, and the ratio of the average vertical thickness of the body to the average vertical thickness of the moment arm is about 5. Larger than that, the body portion hardly bends when the semiconductor substrate is pressed against the moment arm. In some embodiments, the electrical contact element has a generally flat flexible contact located on a generally horizontal portion of the elastomeric sealing element. In some embodiments, the elastomeric sealing element is integrated with the cup bottom element during manufacture.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wafer holding and positioning device for electrochemically processing a semiconductor wafer. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a clamshell assembly having a contact ring composed of a plurality of flexible fingers. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a clamshell assembly with a lip seal assembly having integrated contact elements. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of another clamshell assembly with a different lip seal assembly having integrated contact elements. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a lip seal assembly having flexible contact elements. FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the lip seal assembly of FIG. 4A showing forming a conformal contact surface for contact bonding with a semiconductor substrate. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a lip seal assembly configured to align a semiconductor substrate within a clamshell assembly. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the lip seal assembly of FIG. 5A pressing the top surface of the lip seal assembly with the face of the cone of the clamshell assembly. 5C is a cross-sectional view of the lip seal assembly of FIGS. 5A and 5B pressing both the top surface of the lip seal and the semiconductor substrate with the face of the cone of the clamshell assembly. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of electroplating a semiconductor substrate. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a cup assembly having a cup bottom element, an elastomer ring, and a contact ring. FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 7A. FIG. 7B is a perspective view of the cross section shown in FIG. 7A. FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a generally annular portion of the cup assembly shown in FIGS. FIG. 7D is an enlarged perspective view of the cup assembly shown in FIG. 7D, showing a cross section of the annular portion. 7D-7E are further enlarged perspective views of the cup assembly shown in FIGS. FIG. 7D is an exploded view similar to the perspective view shown in FIGS. 7D-7F, but showing the contact ring elements separated (vertically) from the rest of the cup assembly. FIG. 7D is an exploded view similar to the perspective view shown in FIGS. 7D-7F, but showing the contact ring elements separated (vertically) from the rest of the cup assembly. FIG. 7D is an exploded view similar to the perspective view shown in FIGS. 7D-7F, but showing the contact ring elements separated (vertically) from the rest of the cup assembly.

In the following description, various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the concepts presented. The concepts presented may be implemented without some or all of those specific details. Also, well-known process steps have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the described concepts. Although some concepts are described in connection with specific embodiments, it should be understood that those embodiments are not limiting.

To provide background for the various embodiments of lip seals and contact elements disclosed herein, an exemplary electroplating apparatus is presented in FIG. Specifically, FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a wafer holding and positioning device 100 for electrochemically processing semiconductor wafers. The apparatus 100 comprises wafer engaging components, which are sometimes referred to as "clamshell components" or "clamshell assemblies", or simply "clamshells". The clamshell assembly comprises a cup 101 and a cone 103. As shown in the figures below, the cup 101 holds the wafer and the cone 103 fixes and clamps the wafer in the cup. Other cup-cone designs than those specifically illustrated here can be used. Common features are a cup with an internal area in which the wafer rests and a cone that presses against the cup to hold the wafer in place.

In the illustrated embodiment, the clamshell assembly (comprising cup 101 and cone 103) is supported by struts 104 connected to top plate 105. This assembly (101, 103, 104, 105) is driven by a motor 107 via a spindle 106 connected to an upper plate 105. The motor 107 is attached to a mounting bracket (not shown). Spindle 106 transmits torque (from motor 107) to the clamshell assembly to rotate the wafer (not shown in this figure) held therein during plating. An air cylinder (not shown) within the spindle 106 also provides a vertical force for the cup 101 to engage the cone 103. Once the clamshell is disengaged (not shown), a wafer with an end effector arm can insert the wafer between cup 101 and cone 103. After the wafer is inserted, the cone 103 is engaged with the cup 101, thereby exposing the work surface on one side of the wafer in contact with the electrolyte (without exposing the other side). The wafer is fixed in the apparatus 100 so that it does not move.

In some embodiments, the clamshell assembly has a spray skirt 109 that protects the cone 103 from splashing electrolyte. In the illustrated embodiment, the spray skirt 109 includes a vertical circumferential sleeve and a circular cap portion. Spacer member 110 maintains the separation between spray skirt 109 and cone 103.

For the purposes of this discussion, the assembly including components 101-110 will be collectively referred to as the "wafer holder" (or "substrate holder") 111. However, the concept of a "wafer holder"/"substrate holder" is broadly generic to various combinations and sub-combinations of components that engage and move a wafer/substrate and that can be positioned. It should be noted.

A tilting assembly (not shown) can be connected to the wafer holder to allow tilted dipping (as opposed to flat horizontal dipping) of the wafer into the plating solution. In some embodiments, a drive mechanism and an array of plates and pivot joints are used to move the wafer holder 111 along an arcuate path (not shown) so that the proximal end of the wafer holder 111 (ie, cup- Tilt the cone assembly).

Further, the entire wafer holder 111 is vertically raised or lowered by an actuator (not shown) so that the base end portion of the wafer holder is immersed in the plating solution. In this way, the two-component positioning mechanism makes it possible to move the wafer in a vertical direction along a trajectory perpendicular to the liquid surface of the electrolytic solution and to move the wafer out of a horizontal (that is, parallel to the liquid surface of the electrolytic solution) posture. Tilting movement (tilting wafer immersion function) and both are provided.

It should be noted that the wafer holder 111 is used with a plating cell 115 having a plating chamber 117 containing an anode chamber 157 and a plating solution. The anode compartment 157 holds an anode 119 (eg, a copper anode) and can include a membrane or other separator designed to maintain different electrolytes in the anode compartment and the cathode compartment. In the illustrated embodiment, a diffuser 153 is employed to direct the electrolyte upward with a uniform front towards the spinning wafer. In some embodiments, the flow diffuser is a high resistance virtual anode (HRVA) plate composed of a solid piece of insulating material (eg, plastic) with a large number (eg, 4,000 to 15,000). Has a one-dimensional small hole (0.01 to 0.050 inch (0.254 to 1.27 millimeters) in diameter) connected to the cathode chamber above the plate. The total cross-sectional area of the holes is less than about 5% of the total projected area, which introduces sufficient flow resistance into the plating cell to help improve the plating uniformity of the system. Further description of high resistance virtual anode plates and corresponding apparatus for electrochemically processing semiconductor wafers is provided in US patent application Ser. No. 12/291,356 filed Nov. 7, 2008. Which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. The plating cell can further include a diaphragm to control and generate separate electrolyte flow patterns. In other embodiments, the membrane is used to define an anode chamber containing an electrolyte that is substantially free of inhibitors, promoters, or other organic plating additives.

The plating cell 115 can further include tubing or tubing connections for circulating electrolyte through the plating cell and to the workpiece to be plated. For example, the plating cell 115 includes an electrolyte injection tube 131 that extends perpendicularly to the center of the anode chamber 157 through a hole in the center of the anode 119. In another embodiment, the cell includes an electrolyte injection manifold (not shown) in the cathode chamber below the diffuser/HRVA plate that introduces fluid at the peripheral wall of the cathode chamber. In some cases, injection tube 131 includes outlet nozzles on both sides (anode side and cathode side) of membrane 153. With this configuration, the electrolytic solution is supplied to both the anode chamber and the cathode chamber. In another embodiment, the anode and cathode chambers are separated by a flow resistant membrane 153, each chamber having a separate flow cycle of separated electrolyte. As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, an injection nozzle 155 supplies electrolyte to the anode side of the membrane 153.

Further, the plating cell 115 includes a cleaning water drain line 159 and a plating solution return line 161, which are directly connected to the plating chamber 117. The wash water nozzle 163 also provides deionized wash water for cleaning the wafers and/or cups during normal operation. The plating solution typically fills most of the plating chamber 117. In order to reduce the scattering and generation of air bubbles, the plating chamber 117 includes an inner dam 165 for returning the plating solution and an outer dam 167 for returning the cleaning water. In the illustrated embodiment, these weirs are circumferential vertical slots in the walls of the plating chamber 117.

As mentioned above, electroplating clamshells generally include a lip seal and one or more contact elements to provide sealing and electrical connection functions. The lip seal can be made of an elastomeric material. The lip seal forms a seal with the surface of the semiconductor substrate to exclude electrolyte from the peripheral region of the substrate. This peripheral region does not cause deposition and is not used to form IC devices, that is, it is not part of the work surface. This area is also referred to as the edge exclusion area because the electrolyte is excluded from this area. The peripheral region is used to support and seal the substrate during processing and to make electrical connections with the contact elements. In general, it is desirable to increase the machined surface, so the peripheral area should be as small as possible while maintaining the above function. In some embodiments, the peripheral region is between about 0.5 millimeters and 3 millimeters from the edge of the substrate.

During installation, the lip seal and contact element are assembled with the other components of the clamshell. Those skilled in the art will appreciate the difficulty of this task, especially when the peripheral area is small. The overall aperture provided by the clamshell is comparable to the size of the substrate (eg, an aperture to accommodate 200 mm wafers, 300 mm wafers, 450 mm wafers, etc.). The substrate also has its own dimensional tolerances (e.g. +/- 0.2 mm for a standard 300 mm wafer according to the SEMI standard). A particularly difficult task is the alignment of the elastomeric lip seal and the contact element, as both are constructed of relatively soft materials. These two components need to be placed in relative positions with extremely high precision. If the sealing edge of the lip seal and the contact element are placed too far apart from each other, will the electrical connection made between the contact and the substrate be insufficient during operation of the clamshell? , Or may not be formed. On the other hand, if the sealing edge is located too close to the contact, the contact may obstruct the sealing and cause leakage to the peripheral area. For example, conventional contact rings often consist of a plurality of flexible "fingers" that act like springs to allow the clamshell assembly of FIG. As shown at 203, lip seal 212), it is pressed against the substrate to establish an electrical connection. Not only are these flexible fingers 208 very difficult to align with respect to the lip seal 212, but they are also susceptible to damage during installation, and if the electrolyte enters the peripheral area, it will be cleaned. Difficult to do.

Lip Seal Assembly With Integrated Contact Elements A novel lip seal assembly with contact elements integrated into an elastomeric lip seal is presented herein. Rather than mounting and aligning two separate sealing and electrical components (eg, lip seal and contact ring) in the field, the two components are aligned and integrated during manufacture of the assembly. .. This alignment is maintained both during mounting and when operating the clamshell. Therefore, it is only necessary to set and inspect the alignment once, that is, when the assembly is manufactured.

FIG. 3A is a schematic illustration of a portion of a clamshell 300 with a lip seal assembly 302 according to some embodiments. The lip seal assembly 302 comprises an elastomeric lip seal 304 for engaging a semiconductor substrate (not shown). The lip seal 304 forms a seal with the substrate, as described elsewhere in this document, to exclude the plating solution from the peripheral region of the semiconductor substrate. The lip seal 304 can have a protrusion 308 that extends upward toward the substrate. The protrusions can be compressed and deform to some extent to form a seal. The lip seal 304 has an inner diameter that defines a perimeter for excluding plating solution from the peripheral area.

The lip seal assembly 302 further comprises one or more contact elements 310 structurally integrated with the lip seal 304. As mentioned above, the contact elements 310 are used to supply current to the semiconductor substrate during electroplating. The contact element 310 has an exposed portion 312 that defines a second inner diameter greater than the first inner diameter of the lip seal 304 so as not to interfere with the sealing properties of the lip seal assembly 302. The contact element 310 generally has another exposed portion 313 for electrically connecting to a current source, such as an electroplating clamshell bus bar 316. However, other connection schemes are possible. For example, the distribution bus 314, which may be connected to the bus bar 316, and the contact element 310 may be interconnected.

As mentioned above, the integration of the one or more contact elements 310 into the lip seal 304 is performed during manufacture of the lip seal assembly 302 and maintained during installation and operation of the assembly. This integration can be implemented in various ways. For example, an elastomeric material can be overmolded onto the contact element 310. Also, other elements, such as the current supply bus 314, may be integrated into the assembly to enhance the rigidity, conductivity, and other functionality of the assembly 302.

The lip seal assembly 302 shown in FIG. 3A comprises a contact element 310 having a non-exposed intermediate portion located between two exposed portions 312 and 313 to connect the two exposed portions. This unexposed portion extends through the body of the elastomeric lip seal 304, is completely surrounded by the elastomeric lip seal 304, and is structurally integrated beneath the surface of the elastomeric lip seal. This type of lip seal assembly 302 can be formed, for example, by overmolding an elastomeric lip seal 304 over the unexposed portion of the contact element 310. Such contact elements may be particularly easy to clean because only a small portion of contact element 310 extends and is exposed to the surface of lip seal assembly 302.

FIG. 3B shows another embodiment, where the contact element 322 extends over the surface of the elastomeric lip seal 304 and has an intermediate region surrounded by the lip seal assembly. Absent. In some embodiments, the intermediate region can be considered a structurally integrated third exposed portion of the contact element on the surface of the elastomeric lip seal, which is the first exposed portion of the contact element. It is located between the two exposed parts 312 and 313 and connects these two parts. This embodiment is, for example, by pressing the contact element 322 into the surface, or by molding it into the surface, or by adhering it to the surface, or otherwise attaching it to the surface. Can be configured as follows. Regardless of how the contact element is integrated into the elastomeric lip seal, the point or surface at which the contact element electrically connects to the substrate is aligned with respect to the point or surface at which the lip seal forms a seal with the substrate. Priority is maintained. The contact element and the other part of the lip seal can be movable relative to each other. For example, the exposed portion of the contact element that electrically connects to the busbar can move relative to the lip seal.

Referring again to FIG. 3A, the first inner diameter defines the peripheral region, while the second inner diameter defines the overlap between the contact element and the substrate. In some embodiments, the magnitude of the difference between the first and second inner diameters is about 0.5 millimeters (mm) or less, which means that the exposed portion 312 of the contact element 310 is not exposed to the electrolyte. It is meant to be separated by about 0.25 mm or less. This small separation distance allows having a relatively small peripheral area while maintaining sufficient electrical connection to the substrate. In some of such embodiments, the magnitude of the difference between the first and second inner diameters is about 0.4 mm or less, or about 0.3 mm or less, or about 0.2 mm or less, Or about 0.1 mm or less. In other embodiments, the magnitude of these diameter differences can be about 0.6 mm or less, or about 0.7 mm or less, or about 1 mm or less. In some embodiments, the contact element is configured to energize at least about 30 amps, and more specifically at least about 60 amps. The contact element can have a plurality of fingers, each contact tip of the fingers being fixed with respect to the edge of the lip seal. In the same or other embodiments, the exposed portion of one or more contact elements comprises a plurality of contacts. These contacts may extend away from the surface of the elastomeric lip seal. In another embodiment, the exposed portion of one or more contact elements comprises a continuous surface.

Lip Seal Assembly with Flexible Contact Elements Forming Conformal Contact Surfaces By increasing the contact surface between the contact elements and the substrate, electrical sealing during and after sealing the substrate in the clamshell assembly. The electrical connection to the substrate during plating can be significantly improved. Conventional contact elements (eg, the "fingers" shown in Figure 2) are designed to only "point contact" with substrates that have a relatively small contact area. When the tips of the contact fingers touch the substrate, the fingers bend and impart a force against the substrate. This force may help alleviate the contact resistance to some extent, but in many cases there is still sufficient contact resistance to cause problems during electroplating. Also, the contact fingers may be damaged over time due to repeated bending operations.

Described herein is a lip seal assembly that includes one or more flexible contact elements conformally disposed on the top surface of an elastomeric lip seal. These contact elements flex when engaged with the semiconductor substrate and form a conformal contact surface for contact bonding with the semiconductor substrate when the substrate is supported, engaged, and sealed by the lip seal assembly. Is configured. A conformal contact surface is formed when the substrate is pressed against the lip seal, similar to how a seal is formed between the substrate and the lip seal. In this case, pressing the substrate against the contact element may squeeze the elastomeric material in which the contact element is placed and exert a reaction force, such as a spring, to encourage the contact element to conform to the shape of the substrate. You can It should be noted that although the elastomeric material on which the contact elements are disposed is continuous with the elastomeric material that forms the sealing interface in some embodiments, the sealing interface is generally between the contact element and the substrate. It must be distinguished from the conformal contact surface formed in step 1, even if the two surfaces are formed adjacent to each other. Also, when the conformal contact element is described herein as "fitting" to the shape of the substrate, or more specifically "fitting" to the shape of the edge bevel region of the substrate, or electrical connection When forming is described as including "fitting" the contact element to the shape of the substrate, it is understood that this will match the shape of the contact element to a portion of the shape of the substrate. The contact, but with adjustment, does not mean that the overall shape of the contact element is adjusted to the shape of the substrate, or that the shape of the contact element fits the entire radial edge profile of the substrate. It should also be noted that it merely means that at least part of the shape of the element changes to approximately match part of the shape of the substrate.

FIG. 4A illustrates a lip seal assembly with a flexible contact element 404 disposed on top of an elastomeric lip seal 402 prior to positioning and sealing a substrate 406 onto the lip seal 402, according to some embodiments. 400 is shown. FIG. 4B illustrates the lip seal assembly 400 after the substrate 406 has been positioned and sealed with the lip seal 402, according to some embodiments. Specifically, it is shown that the flexible contact element 404 flexes to form a conformal contact surface at the interface with the substrate 406 when the substrate is held/engaged with the lip seal assembly. The electrical interface between the flexible contact element 404 and the substrate 406 may extend on the (flat) front surface of the substrate and/or the beveled end surface of the substrate. Overall, by providing the conformal contact surface of the flexible contact element 404 at the interface with the substrate 406, a larger contact interface area is formed.

At the interface with the substrate, the conformality of the flexible contact element 404 is important, but the rest of the flexible contact element 404 can also be conformal to the lip seal 402. For example, the flexible contact element 404 can conformally extend along the surface of the lip seal. In other embodiments, the remainder of the flexible contact element 404 can be constructed of other (eg, non-conformal) materials and/or have different (eg, non-conformal) configurations. be able to. Thus, in some embodiments, the one or more flexible contact elements can have a portion that is not configured to contact the substrate when the substrate is engaged with the lipseal assembly, The non-contact portion can include a conformal material or can include a non-conformal material.

It should also be noted that while a conformal contact surface can form a continuous interface between the flexible contact element 404 and the semiconductor substrate 406, forming a continuous interface is not essential. For example, in some embodiments, the conformal contact surface has a gap that forms a discontinuous interface with the semiconductor substrate. Specifically, a discontinuous conformal contact surface can be formed with flexible contact elements 404 that include multiple wire tips and/or wire meshes disposed on the surface of an elastomeric lip seal. The conformal contact surface follows the shape of the lip seal, even if it is discontinuous, due to the deformation of the lip seal when the clamshell is closed.

The flexible contact element 404 can be mounted on the top surface of the elastomer lip seal. For example, the flexible contact element 404 may be press fit, glued, molded, as described above with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B (although not in the specific context of a flexible contact element forming a conformal contact surface). , Or otherwise, can be attached to the surface. In other embodiments, the flexible contact element 404 can be placed on the top surface of the elastomeric lip seal without any particular bonding characteristics therebetween. In either case, the force exerted on the flexible contact element 404 by the semiconductor substrate (when the clamshell is closed) causes compression of the elastomer under the contact element, and like a spring provided thereby. The reaction force increases the conformability of the flexible contact element to the shape of the substrate.

Also, the portion of the flexible contact element 404 that makes contact with the substrate 406 (forming the conformal contact surface) is the exposed surface, while the other portion of the flexible contact element 404 is exposed. Instead, for example, it can be integrated below the surface of an elastomeric lip seal in a manner somewhat similar to the non-conformal but integrated lip seal assembly shown in FIG. 3B.

In some embodiments, the flexible contact element 404 has a conductive layer of conductive deposit deposited on the top surface of the elastomeric lip seal. The conductive layer of the conductive deposit may be formed/deposited using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and/or physical vapor deposition (PVD), and/or (electro)plating. In some embodiments, flexible contact element 404 can be constructed of a conductive elastomeric material.

Substrate Alignment and Lip Seals As mentioned above, the peripheral area of the substrate where the plating solution is excluded must be small, which requires careful and precise alignment of the semiconductor substrate before closing and sealing the clamshell. Becomes Misalignment can cause leakage on the one hand and/or unnecessarily cover/occlude the processing area of the substrate on the other hand. Alignment can be made more difficult by tight tolerances on the substrate diameter. In some cases, the alignment may be provided by the transfer mechanism (eg, depending on the accuracy of the robot handoff mechanism) and also by use of alignment features such as snubbers located on the sidewalls of the clamshell cup. However, in order to obtain repeatable precision substrate positioning, the transfer mechanism is precisely installed and aligned with respect to the cup when installed (ie, "trained" with respect to the relative positions of other components). ")It is necessary. This robot education and alignment process is fairly difficult to implement, labor intensive, and requires highly skilled personnel. Further, the snubber function is difficult to mount, and a large number of parts are arranged between the lip seal and the snubber, which tends to increase the tolerance stackup.

Disclosed herein is a lip seal that is used not only to support and seal the substrate in the clamshell, but also to align the substrate within the clamshell prior to sealing. .. The various functions of such a lip seal are described below with reference to Figures 5A-5C. Specifically, FIG. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a clamshell portion 500 with a lip seal 502 supporting a substrate 509 prior to compressing a portion of the lip seal 502, according to some embodiments. The lip seal 502 has a flexible elastomeric support edge 503 that includes a sealing protrusion 504. The sealing protrusion 504 is configured to engage the semiconductor substrate 509 to provide support and form a seal. The sealing protrusion 504 defines a perimeter for excluding the plating solution and may have a first inner diameter (see FIG. 5A) that defines the expulsion perimeter. It should be noted that when sealing the substrate against the elastomer lip seal, the deformation of the sealing protrusion 504 may cause the peripheral edge and/or the first inner diameter to change slightly.

The lip seal 502 further has a flexible elastomer top 505 located above the flexible elastomer support edge 503. The flexible elastomeric upper portion 505 can have an upper surface 507 configured to be squeezed and also an inner surface 506. The inner side surface 506 is located outside of the sealing projection 504 (meaning that the inner side surface 506 is located farther from the center of the semiconductor substrate held by the elastomer lip seal than the sealing projection 504). And can be configured to move inward (towards the center of the semiconductor substrate being held) when the upper surface 507 is squeezed by other components of the electroplating clamshell. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the inner surface is at least about 0.1 mm, or at least about 0.2 mm, or at least about 0.3 mm, or at least about 0.4 mm, or at least about 0.5 mm, inside. It is configured to move to. This inward movement causes the inner surface 506 of the lip seal to contact the edge of the semiconductor substrate resting on the sealing protrusion 504 and press the substrate toward the center of the lip seal, thereby Can be aligned within the electroplating clamshell. In some embodiments, the flexible elastomeric upper portion 505 defines a second inner diameter (see FIG. 5A) that is greater than the first inner diameter (described above). When the upper surface 507 is not compressed, the second inner diameter is larger than the diameter of the semiconductor substrate 509, which causes the semiconductor substrate 509 to descend through the flexible elastomer upper portion 505, and the flexible elastomer support edge 503. It can be loaded into the clamshell assembly by resting on the sealing protrusion 504 of the.

The elastomeric lip seal 502 can further include contact elements 508 that are integrated or otherwise attached. In other embodiments, the contact element 508 can be a separate component. In any event, if contact element 508 is provided on the inner surface 506 of lip seal 502, whether as a separate component or not, that contact element 508 may also be involved in substrate alignment. Thus, in these examples, if it has the contact element 508, it is considered to be part of the inner surface 506.

Squeezing the upper surface 507 of the elastomeric top 505 (to align and seal the semiconductor substrate within the electroplating clamshell) can be accomplished in a variety of ways. The top surface 507 can be squeezed, for example, by a portion of a clamshell cone or other component. 5B is a schematic illustration of the same clamshell portion shown in FIG. 5A just prior to being compressed with cone 510, according to some embodiments. When the cone 510 is used to press the upper surface 507 of the upper part 505 to deform the upper part and to press the substrate 509 to seal the substrate 509 against the sealing protrusion 504, the cone has a specific shape. It may have two faces 511 and 512 offset with respect to each other. Specifically, the first surface 511 is configured to press the upper surface 507 of the upper portion 505, while the second surface 512 is configured to press the substrate 509. The substrate 509 is generally aligned before sealing the substrate 509 to the sealing protrusion 504. Therefore, the first surface 511 may need to press the upper surface 507 before the second surface 512 presses the substrate 509. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the first surface 511 contacts the upper surface 507, there may be a gap between the second surface 512 and the substrate 509. This gap may depend on the deformation of the top 505 needed to obtain the alignment.

In another embodiment, the upper surface 507 and the substrate 509 are pressed by separate components of the clamshell whose vertical positioning can be independently controlled. This configuration may allow the deformation of the top 505 to be independently controlled before pressing the substrate 509. For example, some substrates may have larger diameters than others. Such alignment of the larger substrate may be necessary, and in some embodiments the smaller initial clearance between the larger substrate and the inner surface 506 may result in less than the smaller substrate. However, less deformation may further be required.

FIG. 5C is a schematic diagram of the same clamshell portion shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B after sealing the clamshell, according to some embodiments. When the upper surface 507 is deformed by pressing the upper surface 507 of the upper surface 505 by the first surface 511 (or another pressing member) of the cone 510, the inner surface 506 is moved inward, and the semiconductor substrate 509 is moved. The semiconductor substrate 509 is aligned within the clamshell by contacting and pressing. Although FIG. 5C shows a cross section of only a portion of the clamshell, one skilled in the art will appreciate that this alignment process is performed simultaneously around the entire perimeter of substrate 509. In some embodiments, when the upper surface 507 is compressed, a portion of the inner surface 506 is at least about 0.1 mm, or at least about 0.2 mm, or at least about 0.3 mm toward the center of the lip seal. , Or at least about 0.4 mm, or at least about 0.5 mm.

Method of Aligning and Encapsulating a Substrate in a Clamshell Further disclosed herein is a method of aligning and encapsulating a semiconductor substrate in an electroplating clamshell with an elastomer lip seal. The flow chart of Figure 6 illustrates some of these methods. For example, the method of some embodiments includes opening the clam shell (block 602), feeding the substrate to the electroplating clam shell (block 604), and passing the sealing lip of the lip seal through the top of the lip seal. Descending the substrate up (block 606) and pressing the top surface of the top of the lip seal to align the substrate (block 608). In some embodiments, in operation 608, pressing the top surface of the top of the elastomeric lip seal causes the inner surface of the top to contact the semiconductor substrate, pressing the substrate and aligning it within the clamshell. To do.

After aligning the semiconductor substrate in operation 608, in some embodiments, the method continues in operation 610 by pressing the semiconductor substrate to form a seal between the sealing protrusion and the semiconductor substrate. .. In some embodiments, pressing the top surface continues while pressing the semiconductor substrate. For example, in some of such embodiments, pressing the top surface and pressing the semiconductor substrate can be performed by two different sides of the clamshell cone. In that case, the first side of the cone can press against the top side and the second side of the cone can press against the substrate to form a seal with the elastomer lip seal. .. In other embodiments, pressing the top surface and pressing the semiconductor substrate are performed independently by two different components of the clamshell. The two pressing members of the clamshell are typically moveable independently of each other so that the other pressing member presses the substrate to seal against the lip seal, Squeezing the top surface can be stopped. Also, the level of compression of the upper surface can be adjusted based on the diameter of the semiconductor substrate by independently changing the pressing force applied to it by the pressing member associated therewith.

These operations can be part of a larger electroplating process, also shown in the flow chart of FIG. 6 and described briefly below.

First, the clamshell lip seal and contact area can be washed and dried. Open the clamshell (block 602) and load the substrate into the clamshell. In some embodiments, the contact tips are located slightly above the plane of the sealing lip, where the substrate is supported by an array of contact tips along the perimeter of the substrate. The clam shell is then closed and sealed by moving the cone downward. During this closing operation, electrical contacts and seals are made according to the various embodiments described above. In addition, the lower corner portion of the contact can be pressed against the elastic lip seal base, which will exert additional force between the chip and the front side of the wafer. The sealing lip can be slightly squeezed to ensure a seal around the entire circumference. In some embodiments, only the sealing lip contacts the front surface when the substrate is first placed in the cup. In this example, electrical contact between the tip and the front surface is established while squeezing the sealing lip.

Once the seals and electrical contacts are made, the substrate held by the clamshell is immersed in the plating bath and plated in the bath while held in the clamshell (block 612). A typical composition of the copper plating solution used in this treatment has a concentration in the range of about 0.5-80 g/L, more specifically about 5-60 g/L, and more specifically about 18-. It contains 55 g/L of copper ions and sulfuric acid at a concentration of about 0.1 to 400 g/L. The less acidic copper plating solution typically contains about 5-10 g/L sulfuric acid. The medium and high acidity solutions contain about 50-90 g/L and 150-180 g/L sulfuric acid, respectively. The concentration of chloride ion can be about 1-100 mg/L. Some copper-plated organic additives, such as Enthone Viaform, Viaform NexT, Viaform Extreme (available from Enthone, Inc., West Haven, Conn.) known to those skilled in the art, or other accelerators, inhibitors, And leveling agents can be used. Examples of plating processes are described in more detail in US patent application Ser. No. 11/564,222, filed Nov. 28, 2006, which is for all purposes but notably plating. For purposes of describing processing, it is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Once the plating is complete and the appropriate amount of material has been deposited on the front side of the substrate, the substrate is then removed from the plating bath. The substrate and clamshell are then rotated in order to remove most of the residual electrolyte remaining on the surface of the clamshell due to surface tension and adhesion. Then, the clam shell is washed while being continuously rotated, thereby diluting the entrained electrolytic solution and washing it from the clam shell and the substrate surface as much as possible. At this time, some cleaning waste liquid is removed by stopping the cleaning liquid and rotating the substrate for a while, usually for at least about 2 seconds. The process can then open the clamshell (block 614) and remove the processed substrate (block 616). As shown in FIG. 6, the operation blocks 604-616 can be repeated multiple times with a new wafer substrate.

Stiffened cup assembly, more precise sealing member manufacturing, and reduced tolerance buildup Clamshell cup-cone designs for electroplating are often manufactured separately from the other components of the clamshell. Often used is an elastomeric lip seal, i.e., the lip seal is often manufactured as a separate part that is later incorporated into the clamshell during assembly for operation. Primarily, this is a separate component of the clamshell, as it is generally a rigid component made of metal or hard plastic rather than elastomeric material. Due to the molding or manufacturing process used. On the other hand, since the lip seal is composed of a flexible elastomeric material, it also has a thin (and possibly delicate) shape (as described above and below with reference to FIG. 2, for example). As such, molding lip seals may be less accurate than manufacturing rigid clamshell components. Moreover, the assembly process of attaching the lip seal to the bottom of the cup (“cup bottom”) can lead to further variations in the shape and size of the lip seal and can contribute to increased tolerance “stack-up” variation. Substrate profit per wafer is often directly dependent on the effective surface area of the substrate, and thus the size of the edge exclusion area of the wafer defined by the radial position of the seal formed by the lip seal with respect to the substrate is , Directly affect the "net profit" profitability associated with each wafer substrate. On the other hand, the lip seals should be well inside the substrate edge (with electroplating current sources and The peripheral area of the substrate surface (used for making electrical connections) must be sealed. Therefore, it is important to design and manufacture elastomeric sealing elements with reasonably feasible accuracy.

The current approach for manufacturing cup assemblies and sealing members can be improved by manufacturing elastomer sealing elements in conjunction with manufacturing the cup bottom elements of electroplating clamshell design cup assemblies. it can. That is, it may be beneficial to integrally manufacture the cup sealing element, particularly the cup bottom element, and the elastomer sealing element. One way of achieving this is to mold the elastomer sealing element directly to the cup bottom element (molded to the cup bottom element, overmolded to the cup bottom element, etc.). This is relative to the wafer edge area when the elastomeric sealing element is more physically small, for example, not radially outwardly into the cup assembly as in a more general design. It may be easier and especially effective to form the smaller size sealing element in place over the cup bottom element when it has a more local radial profile. On the other hand, in some embodiments, the smaller size elastomeric sealing element is provided by bonding, gluing, gluing, or otherwise attaching the sealing element to the cup bottom element to provide the elastomeric sealing. It should also be noted that even if the element is not molded directly into the cup bottom element, it may be possible to control it precisely to achieve the above-mentioned effects and to allow an integral manufacture with the cup bottom. In either case, the integral manufacturing of the elastomer sealing element with a reduced radial profile and the cup bottom element may allow the elastomer sealing element to be more precisely manufactured and positioned within the cup bottom. As a result, the size of the edge exclusion area of the wafer substrate can be relatively reduced as compared with other designs.

Also, elastomeric sealing elements that are manufactured integrally with the cup bottom may employ substrate electrical contact elements that differ from those often used in other cup assembly designs. For example, cup assemblies using separately manufactured lip seals may employ contact fingers as the contact elements, which flex when the clam shell is closed and make electrical point or line contact with the substrate. (For example, about 0.0005 to 0.005 inch (0.0127 to 0.127 millimeters) thick) forming a hardened sheet metal. Such contacts can have an "L" shape at the contact ends and they can function as cantilevers. An example of such an embodiment is shown schematically in FIG. FIG. 2 shows the contact fingers 208 attempting to flex to form an electrical point or line contact with the displayed substrate when the cone 203 is lowered (ie, the clamshell is closed). However, contact fingers, such as contact finger 208 of FIG. 2, can flex, causing radial variations in the electrical point or line contact they make with the substrate. Further, the variation is due to the accumulation of tolerances among various components of the clamshell design for electroplating shown in FIG. It may also be caused by the variation in the orientation of the contact finger 208 in the above-mentioned manner, and the variation in the bending of the contact finger 208 which comes into contact with the substrate.

The cup assemblies with integrated elastomer sealing elements disclosed herein can employ different types of electrical contact elements with different characteristics. Rather than using angled L-shaped contact fingers as cantilevers formed of hardened sheet metal as shown in FIG. 2, these cup assemblies were placed over a portion of the elastomeric sealing element. A substantially flat contact element made of a thin plate-shaped uncured sheet metal material can be employed. Such an electrical contact element is sufficiently thin and sufficiently soft/flexible to be slightly deformed by pressure from the substrate when pressed against the underlying elastomeric sealing element by the cone. Can be In some embodiments, the pressure from the substrate when the contact element is sandwiched between the substrate and the sealing element causes the contact element to deform to a degree that completely (or slightly) matches the shape of the substrate. obtain. In some embodiments, the soft and flexible sheet metal contacts can deform sufficiently to fit the beveled area of the wafer. In this case, the electrical contact force is provided by the compression of the elastomeric sealing element below the contact element rather than by the spring force of the hardened sheet metal as in the cantilever contact finger design shown in FIG.

An example of a cup assembly with these and various other features is schematically illustrated in Figures 7A-7I. The illustrated cup assembly 700 comprises a flat flexible electrical contact element 705 that can conform to a substrate edge shape, such as the beveled area of a wafer substrate. This electrical contact element is shown in the drawing as being disposed on an elastomeric sealing element 703 that is integral with the cup bottom element 701. The elastomeric sealing element may be molded into (or in, on, or within) the cup bottom element or otherwise joined to the cup bottom element during manufacture of the cup assembly, as described above. / Can be worn. The present cup assembly design has several features that differ from the designs shown in FIGS. 2-5 above, and the design described with respect to FIGS. 7A-7I (as shown in FIGS. 7A-7I) Can be considered as an alternative embodiment of the cup assembly design shown in.

Overall, FIGS. 7A-C are cross-sectional and isometric views of a cup assembly 700 with an integrated elastomeric sealing element 703 as described above. Each of these figures shows a schematic view of a cup assembly 700 with a cup bottom element 701 having an elastomeric sealing element 703 and an electrical contact element 705. Specifically, FIG. 7A shows an extensive cross-sectional view of the annulus section over these elements, and FIG. 7B shows in detail the portion of the cup bottom element that supports the elastomeric sealing element 703 and electrical contact element 705. 7B illustrates an enlarged portion of the view shown in FIG. 7A, of interest. Similarly, FIG. 7C shows a perspective view of the cup assembly portion enlarged in FIG. 7B. It should be understood from the ring segment shown in these figures that each of the cup bottom element, the elastomeric sealing element, and the electrical contact element is substantially annular. Thus, an elastomeric sealing element may be referred to herein as, for example, an elastomer ring, and likewise, an electrical contact element may be referred to herein as a contact ring, but of course, , These elements, although annular, may have an angular dependence in their design, such as the contact fingers of contact ring 705 having fingers 706 as shown in FIG. 7F (described in more detail below). Should be understood. Each of these figures further shows a substrate 731 that is pressed against the sealing element 703 by a cone 727, as well as a bus bar 721, which may also be referred to herein as a bus ring, which contacts during electroplating. Power is supplied to the element 705.

In the broader view of the cup assembly shown in FIG. 7A, a bolt 723 may extend through the electrical busbar (or ring) 721 for mounting the busbar on the cup bottom element 701 of the cup assembly 700. It is shown that. 7A further illustrates that an annular insulating element 725 that surrounds the outer edge of the cup assembly can be included in the cup assembly. The annular insulating element 725 prevents the conductive bus bar 721 from coming into contact with the electrolytic solution.

The enlarged views of cup assembly 700 shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C more specifically focus on cup bottom element 701 and its elastomeric sealing element 703 and electrical contact element 705. Furthermore, the contact between the sealing element 703 and the substrate 731 is also shown. It should also be understood that the features shown in the cross-sections of Figures 7A-C are part of an annular structure, the cross-section being obtained by radial section. 7B (enlarged view) and 7C (and a perspective view) show a semiconductor substrate 731 mounted within the cup assembly 700 with a cone 727 in contact with the backside of the substrate. Thus, these figures show the features of both the cup and cone of the clamshell substrate holder design, with the substrate loaded and attempting to make electrical contact with the substrate. From the magnified views of FIGS. 7B and 7C, the cone 727 is in contact with the backside of the semiconductor substrate 731 in an attempt to exert sufficient pressure to press the substrate into physical contact with the electrical contact element 705. I know that Further, in Figures 7B and 7C it can be seen that the elastomeric sealing element 703 compresses only slightly due to the formation of this electrical contact.

7B and 7C show that the cup bottom element 701 has a body 711 and a moment arm 713. The moment arm 713 is a relatively thin (radially inward) extension from the body of the cup bottom element 701 that accommodates the elastomeric sealing element 703 as well as the electrical contact element 705 disposed above the sealing element. Functions to support. The moment arm 713 supports these elements and is relatively thin so that they can flex to some extent under the pressure exerted by the cone 727 as the cone presses the substrate into its sealing and electrical contact configuration. Is from).

On the other hand, the body portion 711 of the cup bottom 701 is designed to be relatively thick (much thicker than the moment arm 713). This makes it possible for the body portion to hardly bend when the semiconductor substrate is pressed against the moment arm. Also, the body of the cup bottom element is not only rigid in its own right, but in some embodiments, the body is further rigidly secured to other features of the cup structure. It can also be designed to. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7A, the bolt 723 causes the cup bottom 701 to move the bus bar/bus bar/maintenance so that the body portion 711 remains substantially rigidly fixed to the other rigid portion of the cup assembly 700. It is firmly fixed to the ring 721.

Thus, the body of the cup bottom element remains substantially rigid during operation, and the force/pressure from cone 727 is applied to it via substrate 731, contact element 705, sealing element 703, and finally moment arm 713. Withstands any flexing as it is transmitted. Moment arm 713, on the other hand, is designed as a component of cup bottom 701 that flexes when sufficient pressure is applied to the substrate. However, the moment arm can still be designed as short as possible, so that it does not flex too much and is still sufficiently radial to support the electrical contact element 705 and the elastomeric sealing element 703. 7A (see FIG. 7A, for example, comparing the relative size and thickness of the cup bottom body 711 to its moment arm 713).

7B and 7C show in detail the geometry of the engagement of the substrate 731 with the elastomeric sealing element 703 as well as the contact element 705. For example, these figures show that the radially innermost point of the contactor (more specifically, the contact ring) corresponds to the substrate 731 and the peripheral region of the substrate where the plating solution is substantially excluded and electrical contact is formed. Between the defining sealing element 703 and. Substantially pressing the substrate 731 against the sealing element 703 (by the cone 727) creates a liquid tight seal by compressing the sealing element and further with the electrical contact element 705 slightly radially outside of the contact by the seal. The sealing element 703 is sufficiently deformed to form the contact.

Further, as mentioned above, this pressure from the substrate 731 can also cause a portion of the elastomeric seal 703 under the contact element 705 to compress, creating an elastic reaction force under the contact element, which results in contact. The element is deflected to conform to the shape of the substrate portion that contacts it. Specifically, in some embodiments, when the elastomer under the contact element is squeezed, the contact element may flex and adjust its shape to match the profile of the edge beveled region of the substrate. it can. Again, this property can be enhanced by the fact that the contact elements are relatively thin and composed of a flexible conductive material (rather than a hardened metal that behaves like a spring).

Details Regarding the Cup Bottom Element As mentioned above, the cup bottom element 701 withstands considerable deflection when the wafer is pushed down, except for the small moment arm. This may be because the cup bottom element 701 has a relatively thick body 711 and a relatively short and thin moment arm 713 on which the sealing element 703 is located.

The cup bottom element 701 may be generally annularly shaped and sized to accommodate a standard size semiconductor substrate, such as a 200 mm wafer, a 300 mm wafer, or a 450 mm wafer. The inner edge of the cup bottom element, and more specifically the inner edge of the moment arm 713 in FIGS. 7A-7C, engages the outer circumference of the substrate (731 in FIGS. 7A-7C), but generally There is no touch. Instead, as mentioned above, the elastomeric sealing element and the electrical contact element are in physical contact with the substrate. In some embodiments, the cup bottom element is designed to provide an exclusion area of about 1 mm or less. The exclusion area is a peripheral area of the substrate surface that is substantially excluded from contact with the electroplating solution/electrolyte during the electroplating process.

As described and illustrated in FIGS. 7A-7C, the cup bottom element 701 has a body 711 and a moment arm 713. These elements can be combined to form a unitary structure. That is, the separate labeling of these elements, as described herein, means that these elements, the body and the moment arm, are not necessarily joined together to form the cup bottom element. Should not be construed as meaning two physically distinct, separately manufactured components. More generally, the cup bottom body and the moment arm are one element (for example, they are glued, seamed, etc.), although it is feasible to separate them later and to join them together. Manufactured without joining). Labeling these parts of the cup, more specifically the "moment arm" and the bottom of the cup as the "body", does not mean that they are manufactured separately and then joined together, but by the cone. This is done to emphasize that their behavior is different as a result of applying pressure (by pressing the substrate) on. That is, as described above, the moment arm is thin and designed to be slightly bent when pressure is applied, while the main body is thick and designed to be firmly and substantially maintained. Has been done.

Another detailed view of the cup bottom element is shown in Figures 7D-7I. These figures show the cup bottom element 701, along with the elastomeric sealing element 703 and the electrical contact element 705, separated from the other components (and cone 727) of the cup assembly 700 shown in FIGS. 7A-7C. For example, FIG. 7D shows a perspective view of the cup bottom element, more precisely about half of the entire cup bottom element 701 taken near the central axis, separated from other cup assembly components. , Thereby showing an annular region of about 180 degrees, i.e. approximately half the circumference of the cup bottom. Thus, this figure shows that the cup bottom element is of generally annular construction. Further, this figure shows bolt holes 724 that may be used to attach this particular cup bottom structure to the rest of the cup assembly 700, such as by bolts 723 as shown in FIG. 7A. Also as shown in FIG. 7A, in this particular embodiment, the cup bottom element 701 is designed to be bolted to the electric bus bar 721. Also, a cup bottom, such as an engagement mechanism that uses a clip to clip the cup bottom to the rest of the cup assembly, or an adhesive mechanism that uses an adhesive to adhere the cup bottom to the rest of the cup assembly. Other mechanisms for joining the elements to the cup assembly are also envisioned.

FIG. 7E shows an enlarged view of FIG. 7D, focusing on the cross-section of the cup bottom element from FIG. 7D, which also shows a central axis cut section of the cup bottom, also cut away from the other components of the cup assembly, This view is further magnified in FIG. 7F, with particular attention to the moment arm 713 (having the elastomeric seal 703 and contact element 705 thereon). These figures show that the moment arm 713 extends radially inward from the rest of the cup bottom element, as well as the arrangement of the elastomeric sealing element 703 and the electrical contact element 705 disposed thereon. .. The view of FIG. 7E further shows the relative proportions of the moment arm 713 of the cup bottom element and the body 711. Again, it can be seen that the moment arm 713 is actually much smaller than the body 711 both in the radial direction and in its height (ie, vertical thickness). According to this embodiment, the radial width of the moment arm, ie the horizontal distance between its radially inner (distal) end and the point where it joins the body of the cup bottom element, is It can be up to about 0.3 inches, or up to about 0.1 inches, or in some embodiments between about 0.04 and 0.3 inches. It should be noted that the radial width of the moment arm must be designed to meet the exclusion zone requirements. Therefore, it should be at least as long as the exclusion zone (eg, at least 1 mm) in some embodiments.

The moment arm is generally designed to accommodate substantially all of the deflection of the cup bottom element when mounting the semiconductor substrate on the cup. Thus, in some embodiments, the moment arm is between about 0.010 and 0.1 inches (0.254 and 2.54 millimeters), and more specifically between about 0.015 and 0.025. A thickness between inches (0.381-0.635 millimeters), ie the distance between the top and bottom of the moment arm in the wafer insertion direction at the thinnest part of the moment arm (ie its vertical height in FIG. 7A), Have.

This vertical height/thickness can be very thin relative to the thickness of the body of the cup bottom element, as is best shown in FIG. 7E, because the body is It may be designed to remain substantially rigid when the arm may flex and/or to continue to flex and/or deform when the cone presses the substrate against the sealing element and the moment arm. Because. In this case, the moment arm may take the shape of a flat annular horizontal surface as a whole, whereas the body as a whole is substantially thicker in the vertical direction and has a substantially trapezoidal and/or polygonal shape and/or a curved cross section. It can have any shape. Further, the cup bottom element 701 may be made of a stiff material to increase resistance to flexure and/or deformation.

Also, in some embodiments, the body portion has a maximum thickness (radial direction) of at least about 0.2 inches (5.08 millimeters), and more specifically at least about 0.3 inches (7.62 millimeters). Vertical height), which in some embodiments may have a maximum vertical height of between about 0.2-1 inch. With respect to average vertical height/thickness, in some embodiments, the body portion is at least about 0.1 inches, or at least about 0.3 inches, or at least about 0.5 inches, and more specifically at least It can have an average vertical height of about 1.0 inch. In some embodiments, the average vertical height of the body can be between about 0.1 and 1.0 inches, and more specifically between about 0.2 and 0.5 inches. ..

Also, according to this embodiment, the ratio of the average vertical height/thickness of the body of the cup bottom element to the average vertical height/thickness of the moment arm can be greater than about 3, and Specifically, the ratio can be greater than about 5, and more specifically greater than about 20, according to this embodiment.

Similarly, the radial width of the body of the cup bottom element can be between about 0.5 and 3 inches, or between about 0.75 and 1.5 inches. In general, it is effectively sized to allow solid structural integration with other elements of the cup.

Further, in FIG. 7E, in some embodiments, the body portion 711 of the cup bottom element 701 tapers (radially inward) toward the point where it joins the moment arm 713. Is shown. That is, as shown in FIG. 7E, in some embodiments, the cup bottom element 701 extends over a relatively short distance from the thicker portion of the body portion 711 to the flat structure of the moment arm 713 (radially inward). It has a sharp taper shape. In some embodiments, the taper from the thickest portion of body 711 to moment arm 713 is less than about 0.5 inches, more specifically less than about 0.1 inches, or about .0. It spans a distance between 1 and 0.5 inches. Also, as further shown in FIGS. 7A and 7E, in the particular embodiment illustrated, a majority of the body 711 is vertically above the moment arm 713.

In this case, the moment arm 713 can be considered as extending inwardly from the body 711 of the cup bottom element 701 toward the substrate, and thus in some embodiments it is further electroplated. Prior to (and even during the electroplating process itself), it can be considered to work in a cantilever manner to physically support the edge of the substrate received in the cup.

In addition to physically supporting the substrate, the moment arm supports the sealing element and properly positions it to form a leak tight seal with respect to the edge of the substrate, thereby allowing the edge of the substrate to The above-mentioned electrolyte exclusion area is formed in the vicinity.

In this case, the moment arm is shaped to accommodate an annular sealing element, typically located between the moment arm and the wafer being processed, such as annular sealing element 703 shown in these figures. You can In some embodiments, the moment arm has a generally straight or straight horizontal shape with no salient vertical features. In some embodiments, the moment arm at the bottom of the cup and the adjacent (radially outer) portion of the body portion may be fitted with an elastomeric sealing element, such as by molding by polymerizing a precursor (as described in more detail below). It is shaped to form a mold for direct formation in the bottom.

The material forming the cup bottom element is typically a relatively hard material. Moreover, it can be composed of electrically conductive or insulating materials. In some embodiments, the cup bottom element is composed of a metal such as titanium or titanium alloy or stainless steel. In some embodiments, the conductive material can be coated with an insulating material if it is composed of a conductive material. In other embodiments, the cup bottom element is constructed of a non-conductive material such as plastic such as PPS or PEEK. In another embodiment, the cup bottom is composed of a ceramic material. In some embodiments, the cup bottom element is characterized by a Young's modulus between about 300,000 and 55,000,000 psi, and more specifically between about 450,000 and 30,000,000 psi. Has rigidity.

Details Regarding the Sealing Element (Lip Seal) Overall, the elastomeric sealing element is an annular element that fits tightly on the upper surface of the moment arm and, in some cases, rests on the radially inner edge of the body of the cup bottom. In some embodiments, the sealing element is about 0.5 inches or less, or about 0.2 inches or less, or between about 0.05 and 0.2 inches, or about 0.06-0. It has a radial width of between .10 inches. The overall radial width is generally selected to be sufficient to accommodate the wafer edge exclusion area associated with the use of the device. Similarly, the diameter of the elastomeric sealing element is generally appropriately selected to accommodate standard wafer substrates such as 200 mm wafers, 300 mm wafers, or 450 mm wafers.

The vertical thickness of the elastomeric sealing element can be between about 0.005 and 0.050 inches, and more specifically between about 0.010 and 0.025 inches. The thickness and shape of the sealing element are selected to facilitate a substantially continuous contact between the sealing element and the substrate edge to form a substantially leaktight seal between the sealing element and the substrate. be able to.

In some embodiments, the sealing element has an L-shape (or a substantially L-shape), with the “L” short side extending upwardly at the inner diameter of the sealing element. For example, referring to FIGS. 7B and 7C, in this particular embodiment, the sealing element 703 is shown to have an upwardly directed protuberance 704 at its radially innermost portion, where the electrical contact element is located. It is radially inward of the substantially horizontal portion of the sealing element and vertically above the substantially horizontal portion of the sealing element (before the wafer substrate is pressed and the projections are compressed as described below).

This upward pointing prong can engage the wafer to provide a leak tight seal. In this example shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, compression of this upward protrusion 704 not only creates a leak-tight seal radially inside electrical contact element 705, but compression of the upward protrusion causes electrical contact with the edge of the substrate. It can be seen that contact with element 705 is possible. In some embodiments, such contact may be aided by bending or flexing of the moment arm itself, or a cantilever-like action. In some embodiments, depending on the degree of compression of the sealing element, its geometry, as well as the geometry of the electrical contact element, as well as the deflection associated with the moment arm, with the upward protrusion (possibly bending/deflection of the moment arm) 3.) The compression may allow the electrical contact element to contact the edge beveled region of the substrate. In addition, in embodiments where the elastomeric sealing element is below the electrical contact element, compression of the portion of the sealing element below the contact element causes the contact element to, for example, assume the shape of the radial profile of the edge bevel region of the wafer substrate. It may be possible to deform into the shape of the wafer substrate, such as the contact elements adapted to. According to this embodiment, the vertical height of the above-described upward protrusions of the sealing element (eg, in the case of an L-shaped or L-shaped elastomeric sealing element) is about 0.005-0.040 inches. More specifically, between about 0.010 and 0.025 inches.

Electrical Contact Element The electrical contact element is constructed of a conductive material so that it can supply an electrical current to the substrate during the electroplating process. Typically, the electrically conductive material is any metal, alloy, etc., that portion of the sealing element that forms a leak-tight seal with the substrate on the upper surface of the moment arm, typically above the sealing element. The shape and size are to be arranged on the outer side in the radial direction of. Such a configuration is shown in Figures 7B and 7C. In some embodiments, the contact ring is composed of a flexible and/or deformable metal or other flexible and/or deformable conductive material, which is substantially flat. , Thereby contacting the seed layer of the wafer over a relatively large contact area. Further, in some embodiments, by positioning/locating a thin, flexible contact element over a portion of the elastomeric sealing element, the contact element ensures that when the substrate is pressed thereon. It may be possible to deform slightly to fit the portion of the substrate surface that contacts it and form a conformal contact surface. Thus, conforming to the shape of the substrate surface in contact with it, e.g., conforming to the profile of the edge beveled region of the substrate, is the decompression force (upwardly) exerted on the contact element by the portion of the elastomeric sealing element below it. Power). As a result, the quality, consistency, and/or uniformity of the electrical connection between the substrate and the electrical contact element can be improved.

In some embodiments, the electrical contact elements can be thin, but can be formed with contact fingers oriented radially inwardly around the perimeter of the contact elements. These contact fingers are more vertically deformable when pressure is applied to them by the substrate than if solid strips of conductive material were employed (even if thin). Being deflectable may help improve the quality, consistency, and/or uniformity of the electrical connection (in some embodiments, the latter may also be suitable to provide the required electrical connection). Conceivable).

As mentioned above, the electrical contact element as a whole is of substantially annular radial symmetry so that it can symmetrically contact the substrate to be electroplated, in particular its surface in contact with the substrate. It can be symmetric over the part. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to herein as a contact ring. The radial shape of an example contact ring is shown in exploded views of cup bottom element 701 shown in FIGS. 7G-7I, which are similar to the non-exploded views of cup bottom element shown in FIGS. 7D-7E. In later figures 7G-7I, the electrical contact element 705 is shown separated from the cup bottom element 701 so that its shape can be determined. FIG. 7G specifically shows approximately half of the annular structure of one example of electrical contact element 705, vertically separated from the rest of cup bottom element 701. FIG. 7H is an enlargement of one end of the cross-section section of the cup bottom element shown in FIG. 7G, and FIG. FIG.

It is noted in these figures that the radial symmetry of the contact ring 705 can be broken outside the actual substrate contact portion of the ring, which is believed to have less of an effect on its operation. This is because this radially outer part does not form an electrical connection to the substrate. This is shown in the exploded view of the cup bottom element of FIG. 7I, where the contact ring 705 has a locking element 707 that fits into the groove 709 of the cup bottom element 701 during assembly for operation. You can see that Of further note is the fact that even the radially inner part of the contact ring that actually contacts the substrate, even if the symmetry is broken over a small angle, for example due to the presence of electrical contact fingers, the overall Only in the radial direction is symmetric. These contact fingers are shown in FIG. 7I and more clearly in FIG. 7F.

The electrical contact element/ring 705 has a diameter that accommodates the outer region of the seed layer of a standard semiconductor wafer substrate such as a 200 mm wafer, a 300 mm wafer, or a 450 mm wafer. It can be sized so that it is laid flat on the top surface of the elastomeric sealing member 703. In some embodiments, it has a diameter of about 0.500 inches or less, or between about 0.040 and 0.500 inches, and more specifically between about 0.055 and 0.200 inches. It can have a width in the direction. The radial width of the contact ring is the radial width from the radial outer edge of the contact ring to its radial inner edge, for example defined by the radial inner limit of the contact fingers shown in the contact rings of FIGS. 7F and 7I. Defined as distance. The vertical thickness of the contact ring is typically between about 0.0005 and 0.010 inches, and more specifically between about 0.001 and 0.003 inches.

In some embodiments, such as the exemplary embodiments shown in FIGS. 7F and 7I, the contact ring comprises a plurality of radially inwardly projecting projections for contacting the edge of the substrate when held on the cup bottom. With fingers. These fingers can have a radial width of between about 0.01 and 0.100 inches, and more specifically between about 0.020 and 0.050 inches. The contact fingers can have a center-to-center pitch of between about 0.02 and 0.10 inches, or between about 0.04 and 0.06 inches. In some embodiments, this pitch is constant over the circumference of the contact ring. In other embodiments, this pitch may vary around the perimeter of the contact ring. The pitch can be defined on the inner circumference of the contact ring. For contact fingers that lie flat on the elastomeric sealing element, their pitch can be defined by the angle of the surface of the elastomeric sealing element.

In some embodiments, the contact ring is substantially flat and can be disposed substantially flat on the elastomeric sealing element, which elastomeric sealing element itself is disposed flatly on the moment arm. Can be done. This design should generally be distinguished from the design in which the contact ring has an L-shaped structure and extends upward so that the short side of L contacts the substrate and is also shown in FIG. 3A. It must also be distinguished from designs that employ cantilevered contact fingers, such as the ones. It is believed that these designs, which employ contact fingers that lie substantially flat over the elastomeric sealing element, may (in some embodiments) provide improved electrical contact with the periphery of the seed layer of the wafer. Since the contact ring is substantially flat, the extra tolerance build-up requirements resulting from, for example, variations in the degree of bending of the cantilevered contact fingers are eliminated. Therefore, the substantially flat electrical contact element allows for more precise positioning and control of the electrical contact patch between it and the substrate surface, thus designing the contact patch to be positioned closer to the edge of the substrate. Can be adopted. And this makes it possible to employ a sealing element that defines the peripheral area (where the electroplating solution is substantially excluded on the substrate surface) more radially outward, which is smaller than in the electroplating process. Edge exclusion distance can be realized.

Although the contact ring is shown in FIGS. 7A-7I as being completely flat, in some embodiments, the contact elements that are substantially flat at the radially inner portion that contacts the wafer may be, for example, busbars and It may have an angled portion radially outward for contact. However, in such an embodiment, the portion of the contact ring on the moment arm may still be substantially flat. Also, as mentioned above, the contact fingers of the contact element may be provided with a slight pitch, but nevertheless the contact element and its contact fingers as a whole are arranged substantially flat over the elastomeric sealing element. I can say.

The electrical contact elements/rings may be bent and/or adapted to accommodate the shape of the substrate and underlying elastomeric sealing element when the substrate is pressed against the moment arm during (or before) the electroplating process. It can be composed of a relatively flexible conductive material that is deformable. For example, the electrical contact elements/rings can be constructed of thin uncured sheet metal. In this case, the portion of the contact element that contacts the substrate has a thickness of about 0.01 inches or less, more specifically about 0.005 inches or less, or even about 0.002 inches or less. It can be a thin sheet of flexible and/or deformable metal of less thickness. The metal composing the contact ring may include stainless steel. In some embodiments, the metal can include a noble metal alloy. Such alloys can include palladium alloys, such as palladium-silver alloys, optionally containing gold and/or platinum. Palinery 7 manufactured by DERINGER-NEY is an example.

Integrated manufacture of cup assembly and elastomeric sealing element The elastomeric sealing element used to seal the substrate in the electroplating clamshell is often installed by the user in the clamshell prior to the electroplating process. In contrast to the separate components provided, in various embodiments disclosed herein, the cup assembly and its sealing element are integrated in the manufacturing process. In such cases, the elastomeric sealing element may be attached to the cup bottom element during manufacture by gluing, molding, or any other suitable process that prevents the elastomeric sealing element from disengaging from the cup bottom element. it can. In this case, the elastomeric sealing element can be considered a permanent feature of the cup assembly rather than a separate component.

In some embodiments, the elastomeric sealing element can be formed in situ inside the cup bottom element, for example, by molding it directly into the cup bottom element. In this approach, the chemical precursors of the elastomeric material that make up the formed sealing element are placed at the positions of the moment arms where the formed sealing element should be and the polymerization, curing, or desired end of the sealing element. The desired elastomeric material is formed by treating the chemical precursor, such as by another mechanism that converts the chemical precursor into a formed elastomeric material having a structural shape.

In other embodiments, the sealing element is preformed to its desired final shape and then, in the manufacture of the cup assembly, by the adhesive, glue, etc., or other suitable mounting mechanism, the moment of the cup bottom element. It is integrated with the rigid (plastic or metal) cup bottom element by mounting the sealing element in the appropriate position on the arm.

The integral manufacturing of the cup assembly and its elastomeric sealing element allows the sealing element to be more precise than that typically achieved by manufacturing the cup assembly and the sealing element as separate components. , Can be formed into its desired shape and can be more precisely positioned within the structure of the cup bottom element of the cup assembly. Together with this, the rigid support of the cup bottom element allows for precise positioning of the part of the sealing element that contacts the substrate. Therefore, the smaller positioning error margin required allows the use of a sealing element with a reduced radial profile, which allows the sealing element to contact the substrate within the cup assembly much closer to the edge of the substrate. Can be designed to reduce the edge exclusion area during the electroplating process. For example, a thinner inner edge that merges the sealing element with the cup bottom (specifically, its moment arm) improves on-wafer plating performance, for example, by minimizing/eliminating bubble entrapment.

System Controller In some embodiments, a system controller is used to control process conditions during clamshell encapsulation and/or substrate processing. A system controller generally comprises one or more memory devices and one or more processors. The processor may include a CPU or computer, analog and/or digital input/output connections, stepper motor controller board, and the like. The instructions to implement the appropriate control operations are executed on the processor. These instructions may be stored in a memory device associated with the controller or may be provided over a network.

In some embodiments, a system controller controls all of the operation of the processing system. The system controller executes system control software that includes a set of instructions for controlling the timing of the above processing steps and other parameters of a particular process. Other computer programs, scripts, or routines stored in a memory device associated with the controller may be employed in some embodiments.

Generally, the system controller has an associated user interface. The user interface may include a display screen, graphic software for displaying process conditions, and a user input device such as a pointing device, a keyboard, a touch screen, and a microphone.

The computer program code for controlling the above operations can be written in any conventional computer readable programming language such as assembly language, C, C++, Pascal, Fortran, or the like. By executing the compiled object code or script by the processor, the task indicated by the program is executed.

Signals for monitoring the process can be provided by analog and/or digital input connections of the system controller. The signals for controlling the process are output to the analog and digital output connections of the processing system.

Lithographic Patterning The apparatus/process described above can be used with a lithographic patterning tool or process, eg, for the manufacture or fabrication of semiconductor devices, displays, LEDs, solar panels, and the like. Generally, such tools/processes, although not necessarily, are used or implemented together in a common manufacturing facility. Lithographic patterning of films typically involves some or all of the following steps, each step being accomplished using a number of possible tools. (1) use a spin or spray tool to apply photoresist onto the work piece or substrate, (2) cure the photoresist using a hot plate or oven or UV cure tool, (3) ) A photoresist such as a wafer stepper is used to expose the photoresist with visible light, ultraviolet rays, or X-rays. Forming a pattern, (5) using a dry or plasma assisted etching tool to transfer the resist pattern to the underlying film or workpiece, (6) using a tool such as RF or microwave plasma resist stripper, Strip the resist.

OTHER EMBODIMENTS Illustrative embodiments and applications of the invention are shown and described herein, but many variations and modifications may be made without departing from the concept, scope and spirit of the invention. It is possible and their variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this application. Accordingly, the described embodiments are to be considered illustrative, not limiting, and the invention is not limited to the details presented herein, but rather the scope and equivalents of the appended claims. It can be changed within the range.
Application Example 1: A cup assembly for holding and sealing a semiconductor substrate and supplying power to the semiconductor substrate during electroplating, comprising:
(A) The cup bottom element having a body and a moment arm, and the body are rigidly fixed to other features of the cup structure, when the semiconductor substrate is pressed against the moment arm. The ratio of the average vertical thickness of the body to the average vertical thickness of the moment arm is greater than about 5 so that the body does not substantially bend.
(B) an elastomeric sealing element disposed on the moment arm to define a peripheral area of the substrate when the semiconductor substrate is pressed and when plating solution is substantially excluded during electroplating. And an elastomeric sealing element for sealing the substrate,
(C) an electrical contact element disposed on the elastomeric sealing element, the sealing element sealing the substrate so that the contact element can supply power to the substrate during electroplating. An electrical contact element that contacts the substrate in the peripheral region when the cup assembly is engaged.
Application example 2: the peripheral region is substantially symmetrical in the radial direction and is characterized by a first radial inner diameter, the contact region between the substrate and the electrical contact element being substantially radial. The cup assembly according to Application 1, wherein the cup assembly is symmetrical and is characterized by a second radial inner diameter, the second radial inner diameter being greater than the first radial inner diameter.
Application Example 3: The cup assembly of Application Example 2, wherein the magnitude of the difference between the first and second radial inner diameters is less than about 0.5 mm.
Application 4: The cup according to any one of Applications 1 to 3, wherein the moment arm of the cup bottom element has a maximum radial width of about 0.5 inches (12.7 millimeters). assembly.
Application 5: The cup assembly of Application 4, wherein the body of the cup bottom element has an average vertical height of at least about 0.2 inches (5.08 millimeters).
Application Example 6: A cup assembly for holding and sealing a semiconductor substrate and supplying power to the semiconductor substrate during electroplating,
(A) a cup bottom element having a body and a moment arm, and the body does not substantially bend when the semiconductor substrate is pressed against the moment arm,
(B) an elastomeric sealing element disposed on the moment arm to define a peripheral region of the substrate when pressed by the semiconductor substrate and where plating solution is substantially eliminated during electroplating. And an elastomeric sealing element for sealing the substrate,
(C) an electrical contact element having a substantially flat flexible contact disposed in a substantially horizontal portion of the elastomeric sealing element, the contact element supplying power to the substrate being electroplated. A cup assembly, wherein the contact portion deforms by contacting the substrate in the peripheral region when pressed by the substrate while the sealing element seals the substrate.
Application 7: The cup assembly of Application 6, wherein the elastomeric sealing element has a radial width of about 0.5 inch (12.7 millimeters) or less.
Application Example 8: The cup assembly of Application Example 7, wherein the elastomeric sealing element has a vertical thickness of between about 0.005 and 0.050 inches (0.127 and 1.27 millimeters).
Application 9: The substantially flat flexible contact portion of the electrical contact element has a radial width between about 0.01 and 0.5 inches (0.251 and 12.7 millimeters). The cup assembly described in Example 7.
Application Example 10: Deformation of the contact portion of the electrical contact element by being pressed by the substrate comprises the contact element adapting to a portion of the shape of the substrate, the adapting being 10. The cup assembly of any one of Applications 6-9, wherein the elastomeric sealing element in position is facilitated by a spring-like reaction force resulting from the compression.
Application 11: The cup assembly of Application 10, wherein conforming the contact element to the shape of the substrate comprises conforming to a portion of a profile of an edge beveled region of the substrate.
Application Example 12: The elastomeric sealing element has an upward protrusion that contacts and seals the semiconductor substrate when the substrate is pressed against the sealing element, the upward protrusion being the electrical contact element. 10. The cup assembly of any one of Applications 6-9, which is radially inward of the substantially horizontal portion of the sealing element in which is disposed.
Application Example 13: The upward protrusion of the sealing element compresses when sealing the substrate, and the compression enables contact between the substrate and the electrical contact element, and before compression, the 13. The cup assembly of Application 12, wherein the upward protrusion of the sealing element is vertically above the generally horizontal portion of the sealing element.
Application 14: The cup assembly of any one of Applications 6-9, wherein the electrical contact element comprises a sheet of uncured metal.
Application Example 15: The cup assembly of Application Example 14, wherein the uncured metal is a palladium-silver alloy.
Application Example 16: The cup assembly of Application Example 14, wherein the uncured metal comprises palladium, silver, gold, and platinum.
Application 17: The cup assembly of Application 14, wherein the uncured metal comprises platinum.
Application 18: The cup assembly of Application 14, wherein the uncured metal comprises stainless steel.
Application Example 19: The cup assembly of Application Example 14, wherein the uncured metal sheet is no more than about 0.005 inches (0.127 millimeters) thick.
Application Example 20: A cup assembly for holding and sealing a semiconductor substrate and supplying power to the semiconductor substrate during electroplating, comprising:
(A) a cup bottom element having a body and a moment arm, and the body does not substantially bend when the semiconductor substrate is pressed against the moment arm,
(B) an elastomeric sealing element that is integrated with the cup bottom element during manufacturing so as to be located on the moment arm of the cup bottom element, when the semiconductor substrate is pressed. An elastomeric sealing element that seals the substrate so as to define a peripheral region of the substrate where plating solution is substantially excluded during electroplating;
(C) an electrical contact element disposed on the elastomeric sealing element, the sealing element sealing the substrate so that the substrate can be powered during electroplating. An electrical contact element that contacts the substrate in the peripheral region.
Application 21: Manufacturing the cup assembly includes molding the elastomeric sealing element and then mounting it on the moment arm of the cup bottom element. The described cup assembly.
Application 22: The cup assembly of Application 20, wherein manufacturing the cup assembly comprises molding the elastomer sealing element directly to the moment arm of the cup bottom element.

Claims (20)

A cup assembly for engaging a semiconductor substrate during electroplating, comprising:
(A) a cup bottom element having makes the chromophore at the distal end over placement arm out extending from the inner end of the body portion and the body portion radially inwardly,
(B) an elastomeric sealing element arranged on the moment arm,
Said body portion, said being rigidly fixed to other features of the cup assembly, the average vertical thickness ratio of the body portion with respect to the average vertical thickness before liver over placement arm is greater than 5 , The radial width of the main body is 0 . 5 inches (12.7 mm) or al 3 inches is between (76.2 mm), the radial width of the front liver over placement arm is 0 at the maximum. 1 inch (2.54 mm),
It said elastomeric sealing element is supported by the front liver over placement arm, when the semiconductor substrate is pressed, so as to define a peripheral region of the substrate plating solution during electroplating is substantially eliminated, the substrate sealing, and the upper portion of said elastomeric sealing element is configured to receive electrical contact elements, said electrical contact elements, said elastomeric such that the electrical contact element communicates the with the substrate electrically in electroplating - contacting the substrate at the peripheral area when the sealing element seals the said substrate, mosquito-up assembly. The peripheral region is substantially symmetrical in the radial direction and is characterized by a first radial inner diameter, and the contact region between the substrate and the electrical contact element is substantially symmetrical in the radial direction. , The second radial inner diameter is greater than the first radial inner diameter, and the second radial inner diameter is greater than the first radial inner diameter. The magnitude of the difference between the first and second radial inner diameters is 0 . The cup assembly of claim 2, which is less than 5 mm. A cup assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising the electrical contact element disposed on the top of the elastomeric sealing element. The main portion of the cup bottom element, also less 0. The cup assembly of claim 4, having an average vertical height of 2 inches (5.08 millimeters). A device,
A elastomeric sealing element that is configured to be supported by being placed on the cup bottom of M o placement arm, when the semiconductor substrate is pressed, the periphery of the substrate plating solution during electroplating is substantially eliminated An elastomeric sealing element sealing the substrate to define an area ,
Substantially horizontal top of the previous SL elastomeric sealing element is configured to receive an electrical contact element having a substantially flat, flexible contact section, the substrate and electrically so as to communicate with said electrical contact element during electroplating And the electrical contact element deforms by contacting the substrate in the peripheral region when pressed by the substrate while the elastomeric sealing element is sealing the substrate,
The cup bottom is provided with a liver chromatography instrument arm before extending from the inner end of the body portion and the body portion radially inward to be rigidly fixed to the other features of the cup assembly, prior to liver The ratio of the average vertical thickness of the main body to the average vertical thickness of the measurement arm is greater than 5 , and the radial width of the main body is 0 . 5 inches (12.7 mm) or al 3 inches is between (76.2 mm), the radial width of the front liver over placement arm is 0 at the maximum. A device that is 1 inch (2.54 millimeters). The elastomeric sealing element is 0 . 7. The device of claim 6, having a vertical thickness of between 005 and 0.050 inches (0.127 and 1.27 millimeters). The elastomeric sealing element has an upward protrusion that contacts and seals the semiconductor substrate when the semiconductor substrate is pressed against the elastomeric sealing element, the upward protrusion being substantially the same as the sealing element. 7. The device of claim 6, which is radially inward of the horizontal portion. The upward protrusions of the elastomeric sealing element contract when sealing the substrate, and before the contraction, the upward protrusions of the elastomeric sealing element are more than the substantially horizontal portion of the elastomeric sealing element. 9. The device of claim 8 also being vertically above. Wherein M o placement arm supports the elastomer sealing element and the electrical contact elements, according to any one of claims 6 9. Further comprising the electrical contact element having the substantially flat flexible contact portion, the substantially flat flexible contact portion being shaped and dimensioned to be disposed on the substantially horizontal upper portion of the elastomeric sealing element. 10. The device according to any one of claims 6-9. A device,
Flexible conductive material, substantially comprises a flat electrical contact element which is shaped and dimensioned is positioned M o placement arm mosquito-up bottom,
When the M o placement arm is configured to support the elastomeric sealing element between the electrical contact elements and prior to liver chromatography instrument arm, said elastomeric sealing element which the semiconductor substrate is pressed, the plating solution during electroplating Sealing the substrate so as to define a peripheral region of the substrate where
The cup bottom is provided with a liver chromatography instrument arm before extending from the inner end of the body portion and the body portion radially inward to be rigidly fixed to the other features of the cup assembly, prior to liver The ratio of the average vertical thickness of the main body to the average vertical thickness of the measurement arm is greater than 5 , and the radial width of the main body is 0 . 5 inches (12.7 mm) or al 3 inches is between (76.2 mm), the radial width of the front liver over placement arm is 0 at the maximum. 1 inch (2.54 millimeters), the electrical contact element being in the peripheral region when the elastomeric sealing element is sealing the substrate so as to be in electrical communication with the substrate during electroplating. An apparatus configured to contact the substrate. Further comprising the elastomeric sealing element which is arranged before the liver over placement arm, an upper portion of said elastomeric sealing element, for supporting the electrical contact elements, according to claim 12. Wherein M o placement arm supports the elastomer sealing element and the electrical contact elements, according to claim 13. 15. The device of claim 14, wherein the elastomeric sealing element is integral with the cup bottom. 16. The device of any of claims 12-15, wherein the elastomeric sealing element has a vertical thickness of between 0.005 and 0.050 inches (0.127 and 1.27 millimeters). The electrical contact element is configured to at least partially conform to a portion of the shape of the substrate by a reaction force from contraction of the elastomeric sealing element in which the electrical contact element is disposed. Item 16. The device according to any one of items 12 to 15. The elastomeric sealing element has an upward projection that contacts and seals the substrate when the substrate is pressed against the elastomeric sealing element, the upward projection being the 16. A device according to any one of claims 12 to 15, which is radially inside the substantially horizontal portion. 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the electrical contact element, which is substantially flat, is shaped and dimensioned to be placed in the generally horizontal portion of the elastomeric sealing element. 16. The device of any of claims 12-15, wherein the flexible conductive material comprises palladium, silver, gold, platinum, stainless steel, or a combination thereof.