CN115298364A

CN115298364A - Plating apparatus and plating method

Info

Publication number: CN115298364A
Application number: CN202080098522.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 王晖; 王坚; 杨宏超; 贾照伟
Original assignee: ACM Research Shanghai Inc
Current assignee: ACM Research Shanghai Inc
Priority date: 2020-03-23
Filing date: 2020-03-23
Publication date: 2022-11-04
Also published as: JP2023522576A; KR20230041647A; WO2021189181A1; US20230374691A1; TW202136593A

Abstract

The invention discloses an electroplating device and an electroplating method for metal deposition on a substrate with a pattern structure. In one embodiment, the plating apparatus includes a plating tank for containing a plating solution, a substrate holding module for holding a substrate, and at least one driving device for driving the substrate holding module to horizontally and/or vertically vibrate together with the substrate during immersion of the substrate in the plating solution to be plated. The invention can strengthen the mass transfer in the electroplating process of the substrate by vibrating the substrate holding module, thereby improving the electroplating speed and the electroplating uniformity on the pattern structure.

Description

Plating apparatus and plating method

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of semiconductor device manufacturing, in particular to a plating device with plating solution stirring and a plating method for improving the plating rate.

Background

In order to manufacture a semiconductor device, in a dual damascene process, an electroplating technique is generally used to form a metal film in an interconnect structure (e.g., trench, hole, through-silicon via, etc.), or to form a structure such as a bump in an advanced packaging process. With the rapid development of the technology, not only higher requirements on the quality of the plating layer are put forward, but also higher requirements on the plating rate are put forward. Since higher plating rates mean higher throughput, plating rates are becoming increasingly important in both dual damascene processes and advanced packaging processes.

Generally, the plating rate is related to several factors such as plating bath composition, plating bath temperature, and plating bath agitation, which is further related to physical quantities such as plating bath flow rate, rotation speed of the substrate to be plated, and vibration applied to the plating bath. There are several ways to increase the agitation of the plating solution to enhance mass transfer during the plating process to increase the plating rate. One way is to use flow forming plates in conjunction with flow diverters, flow port cross flow enhancement. Although this allows control of the plating solution flow dynamics to achieve efficient mass transfer during plating and thus higher plating uniformity. However, if the flow of the plating solution from side to side over the substrate is too strong, the plating solution flow can affect the additive distribution in the plating solution. Specifically, the plating solution is flowed at a high rate on one side near the flow port and at a low rate on the other side away from the flow port. Therefore, the flow rate of the plating liquid is not uniform from the center of the substrate to the edge area. More specifically, the flow rate of the plating solution is strong at the flow port at the edge of the substrate, and the flow rate of the plating solution becomes weaker as the plating solution flows through the center of the substrate to the other side away from the flow port. Many additives, especially plating levelers, are sensitive to the flow rate of the plating solution. If the flow rate of the plating solution is too high and the distribution of the flow rate of the plating solution across the substrate is not uniform, the leveler will more easily adhere to the surface of the substrate at a location corresponding to the higher flow rate of the plating solution, thereby resulting in poor plating uniformity. At the same time, the topography of microstructures, such as bump structures, on semiconductor devices can also be affected. Since the leveler is sensitive to the flow rate of the plating solution, the bump topography will become sloped. Although the non-uniformity can be compensated for by rotating the substrate, the rotational speed of the substrate can vary during the plating process (as is common in the industry), which can still result in non-uniformity of the plating.

Another method of enhancing plating bath agitation is to use paddles, which are vibrated to enhance plating bath agitation. The disadvantage of this approach is that, since the paddle is arranged between the diffusion disc and the substrate to be plated, the high speed movement of the paddle can cause bubbles in the plating solution, which can adhere to the substrate surface so that there is no plating, thereby causing plating quality problems. Another problem caused by the blades is: since the paddle has many openings, the shape and size of the openings affect the electric field distribution, which causes a problem of non-uniform plating of the substrate. In addition, when a paddle is used to agitate the fluid near the substrate surface, it can create shadows "(shadow)" of the electric field within the plating solution, causing problems of non-uniform plating on the substrate to be plated.

In addition, to achieve higher plating rates, plating solutions with higher plating rates have different formulations than plating solutions with lower plating rates. For example, for copper electroplating, the conventional plating rate is 2-5ASD, and for plating rates in excess of 8ASD, especially 8-30ASD, the copper ion concentration in the plating solution is higher and the additives are more complex. The higher the plating rate, the more difficult it is to control the morphology of the film or bump. And as device structures become more complex, such as a chip with both trenches and large liner structures, higher concentrations of the planarizing agent are required. Also, wafer level uniformity is difficult to control by high speed plating. Additives in the plating solution, such as accelerators, levelers and suppressors, need to work in concert with each other in order to achieve good plating results on the wafer level and within the die.

Thus, current methods of plating bath agitation suffer from various deficiencies. There is a need for a plating solution agitation method that improves plating rate and plating uniformity.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide an electroplating apparatus for performing metal deposition on a substrate having a pattern structure. The plating apparatus includes a plating tank for containing a plating solution, a substrate holding module for holding a substrate, and at least one driving device configured to drive the substrate holding module and the substrate to vibrate horizontally and/or vertically together during immersion of the substrate in the plating solution to be plated.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electroplating method for metal deposition on a substrate having a pattern structure. The method comprises the following steps: loading the substrate on the substrate holding module to be held thereby; immersing the substrate in an electroplating solution in an electroplating bath; the substrate holding module is driven to vibrate horizontally and/or vertically together with the substrate during the substrate being plated while being immersed in the plating solution.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an electroplating apparatus for performing metal deposition on a substrate having a pattern structure. The plating apparatus includes a plating tank for containing a plating solution, a substrate holding module for holding a substrate, a rotary actuator for driving the substrate holding module and the substrate to rotate together, and a controller configured to control the rotary actuator to rotate N turns and then rotate in reverse N turns, the process being alternately performed for a plurality of cycles, N being less than or equal to 3.0.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an electroplating method for metal deposition on a substrate having a patterned structure. The method comprises the following steps: loading the substrate on the substrate holding module to be held by it; immersing the substrate in an electroplating solution in an electroplating bath; in the process of electroplating a substrate immersed in the electroplating solution, the substrate holding module and the substrate are driven to rotate together by the rotary actuator, the rotary actuator is controlled to rotate for N circles and then reversely rotate for N circles, and the process is alternately executed for a plurality of cycles, wherein N is less than or equal to 3.0.

In summary, the present invention discloses a unique plating solution agitation during substrate plating process that vibrates the substrate holding module with the substrate, which enhances mass transfer and thus plating rate and plating uniformity. In addition, since the vibration of the substrate holding module is reciprocated, the vibration frequency is fast enough to uniformly distribute the additive inside the pattern structure. The mass transfer boundary layer of the plating solution becomes thinner and the exchange of additives absorbed into the pattern structure in the plating solution is very rapid and uniform, so that the uniformity of the plated metal in the pattern structure is improved, the defect of the inclination of the plated pillars or bumps is overcome, and the plating rate can be higher.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional electroplating apparatus;

FIGS. 2A-2C are schematic diagrams illustrating the tilt of plated metal pillars or bumps during metal deposition using a conventional electroplating apparatus;

FIGS. 3A-3C are schematic diagrams illustrating the tilt of plated metal pillars or bumps during metal deposition using a conventional electroplating apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an electroplating apparatus according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams illustrating rapid changes in relative velocity to achieve plating bath agitation;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of an electroplating apparatus according to another alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 7A-7B are schematic views of an electroplating apparatus according to yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 8A-8B and FIGS. 9A-9B are schematic views of a substrate holding module of the plating apparatus vibrating horizontally;

FIGS. 10A-10B and 11A-11B are schematic views of an electroplating apparatus according to yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 12A-12B are schematic diagrams of an electroplating apparatus according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 13A-13B and 14A-14B are schematic views of the substrate holding module of the electroplating apparatus vibrating vertically;

FIGS. 15A-15B and 16A-16B are schematic views of an electroplating apparatus according to yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 17A-17B are schematic illustrations of an electroplating apparatus according to yet another alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 18A-18C are schematic illustrations of an electroplating apparatus according to yet another alternative embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 19A to 19C and FIGS. 20A to 20C are schematic views showing the substrate holding module of the plating apparatus vibrating in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction at the same time;

FIG. 21 is a diagram of a vibration model;

FIG. 22 is a schematic view of an electroplating apparatus according to yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 23 is a schematic view of an electroplating apparatus according to yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1, a conventional electroplating apparatus 100 for metal deposition is illustrated. The plating apparatus 100 includes a plating tank 110 for containing a plating solution, a substrate holding module 120 for holding a substrate 130 and electrically connected to a conductive surface of the substrate 130, a rotary actuator 140 connected to the substrate holding module 120 and rotating the substrate holding module 120 along its axis, an anode 150 provided in the plating tank 110 and facing the conductive surface of the substrate 130, and a power source 160 electrically connected to the substrate holding module 120 and the anode 150. The plating apparatus 100 further includes a recess 170 disposed around the plating cell 110 for receiving the plating solution overflowing from the plating cell 110. The electroplating apparatus 100 further comprises a reservoir 190, and a pipe 180 connects the groove 170 and the reservoir 190, and the reservoir 190 is connected to the electroplating tank 110 through another pipe 180.

When the plating apparatus 100 is used to deposit a metal on the substrate 130 having the pattern structure 131, the substrate holding module 120 is driven to rotate about its axis by the rotary actuator 140, and the plating solution flows out from the center of the plating tank 110 and flows toward the edge of the substrate 130 via the center of the substrate 130. Generally, various additives, such as a leveler, an accelerator, a suppressor, etc., are added to the plating solution in order to deposit a metal on the substrate 130. Among other things, certain additives are sensitive to the flow rate of the plating solution. For example, in a copper electroplating solution, the leveler is more likely to adhere to the substrate surface at a faster plating solution flow rate, and thus when the leveler plays a major role in the electroplating, since the plating solution flows from the center of the substrate 130 to the edge, the leveler has more chance to stay at one side of the pattern structure 131, which may cause uneven distribution of the leveler in the pattern structure 131, cause uneven metal deposition in the pattern structure 131, and finally cause the metal pillars or bumps to be inclined, as shown in fig. 2A-2C. For another example, in a plating solution for copper electroplating, the accelerator is more sensitive to the flow rate of the plating solution. The accelerator is more likely to adhere to the substrate surface where the plating solution flow rate is faster. In another embodiment, when the accelerator is mainly used in electroplating, since the electroplating solution flows from the center to the edge of the substrate 130', the accelerator has more chance to stay on one side of the pattern structure 131' on the substrate 130', which may result in uneven distribution of the accelerator in the pattern structure 131', resulting in uneven metal deposition in the pattern structure 131', and finally in the metal pillar or bump inclination, as shown in fig. 3A-3C. When the plating speed is faster, the inclination is larger. In order to obtain a better bump profile at high speed plating, a new technique is needed.

In order to solve the problem and to obtain uniform metal deposition on a substrate having a pattern structure, the plating apparatus and the plating method disclosed in the present invention can make additives such as a leveler, an accelerator, and an inhibitor uniformly distributed in the pattern structure without being concentrated at one place by driving a substrate holding module to vibrate together with the substrate during the substrate is plated while being immersed in a plating solution, thereby reducing the inclination of plated metal pillars or bumps and obtaining the uniformity of metal deposition in the pattern structure. The high frequency vibrations may also reduce the thickness of the plating bath boundary layer. The thinner the boundary layer thickness, the higher the mass transfer rate and the higher the metal deposition rate.

Referring to fig. 4, an electroplating apparatus for metal deposition on a substrate having a patterned structure according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The plating apparatus 400 has a plating tank 401 for containing a plating solution, a substrate holding module 402 for holding a substrate 403 and electrically connected to a conductive surface of the substrate 403, a rotary actuator 404 for driving the substrate holding module 402 to rotate about an axis of the substrate holding module 402, and at least one driving device 405 for driving the substrate holding module 402 to vibrate horizontally and/or vertically. The driving device 405 may be a motor, a cylinder, or a vibrator. The electroplating apparatus 400 further includes at least one anode 406 disposed in the electroplating bath 401 and facing the conductive surface of the substrate 403, and a power source 407 electrically connected to the substrate holding module 402 and the anode 406. A groove 408 is provided around plating tank 401 to receive plating solution overflowing from plating tank 401. The electroplating apparatus 400 further comprises a sump 410, a pipe 409 connecting the groove 408 and the sump 410, and the sump 410 is connected to the electroplating tank 401 through another pipe 409.

Referring to fig. 5A and 5B, the substrate 403 has a pattern structure 4031. When depositing metal in the pattern structure 4031 using the plating apparatus 400, the substrate 403 is horizontally held by the substrate holding module 402, and then the substrate 403 is immersed in the plating solution to be plated, and at the same time, the substrate holding module 402 and the substrate 403 are driven by the driving apparatus 405 to perform a reciprocating motion including horizontal vibration and/or vertical vibration to agitate the plating solution, which can enhance mass transfer, so that metal ions, additives (e.g., a leveler, an accelerator, a suppressor) can be uniformly distributed in the pattern structure 4031 and no longer collected in one place during plating of the substrate 403 in the plating solution, thereby reducing the tilt of plated metal pillars or bumps and obtaining uniform metal deposition in the pattern structure 4031. Specifically, the substrate holding module 402 is driven by the rotary actuator 404 to rotate about the axis of the substrate holding module 402 during immersion of the substrate 403 in the plating solution for plating, the plating solution being at the flow rate V ₂ Flows out of the center of plating cell 401 and flows through the center of substrate 130 to the edge of substrate 130. The driving device 405 drives the substrate holding module 402 and the substrate 403 to V ₁ Is vibrated at a horizontal speed. V ₁ Not less than 0.2V ₂ . Preferably, V ₁ Greater than V ₂ . More preferably, V ₁ Ratio V ₂ 2 times larger. When the vibration direction is opposite to the plating liquid flowing direction, the relative velocity V is equal to V as shown in FIG. 5A ₁ +V ₂ . As shown in FIG. 5B, when the vibration direction is equal toThe relative speed V is equal to V when the flowing directions of the electroplating solution are the same ₁ －V ₂ . Due to the horizontal vibration of the substrate holding module 402, the relative velocity V rapidly changes, agitation of the plating solution is achieved, thereby improving mass transfer, improving the uniformity of distribution of the additives in the pattern structure 4031, and further improving the plating rate and plating uniformity.

Referring to fig. 6, an electroplating apparatus for metal deposition on a substrate having a patterned structure according to another alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The plating apparatus 600 has a plating tank 601 for containing a plating solution, a substrate holding module 602 for holding a substrate 603, and at least one driving device 605 for driving the substrate holding module 602 to vibrate horizontally and/or vertically. The driving device 605 may be a motor, a cylinder, or a vibrator. The electroplating apparatus 600 further comprises at least one anode 606 disposed in the electroplating tank 601 and facing the conductive surface of the substrate 603, and a power source 607 electrically connected to the conductive surface of the substrate 603 and the anode 606. A recess 608 is provided around the plating tank 601 for receiving the plating solution overflowing from the plating tank 601. The electroplating device 600 further comprises a reservoir 610, wherein a pipe 609 is connected to the groove 608 and the reservoir 610, and the reservoir 610 is connected to the electroplating bath 601 through another pipe 609.

In the present embodiment, the substrate 603 having a pattern structure is vertically held by the substrate holding module 602. The substrate holding module 602 and the substrate 603 are vertically immersed in a plating solution to perform metal deposition in a pattern structure. During the electroplating process, the driving device 605 drives the substrate holding module 602 and the substrate 603 to perform a reciprocating motion to agitate the plating solution, the reciprocating motion including horizontal vibration and/or vertical vibration can enhance mass transfer, and therefore, during the electroplating process in which the substrate 603 is immersed in the plating solution, metal ions, additives (e.g., leveler, accelerator, inhibitor) can be uniformly distributed in the pattern structure and not be accumulated in one place, so that the inclination of the plated metal columns or bumps can be reduced, and uniform metal deposition can be obtained in the pattern structure.

Referring to fig. 7A-9B, an electroplating apparatus for metal deposition on a substrate having a patterned structure according to yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The plating apparatus 700 includes a plating tank 701, a substrate holding module, a vibrating plate 715, a mounting plate 716, a support base 717, and a driving unit 705. The substrate holding module further comprises a substrate clamp 702, a support column 712, a fixture 713, a bracket 714 and a rotation actuator 704.

The plating tank 701 is used to contain a plating solution. Plating cell 701 may include an anode chamber and a cathode chamber for plating. The anode chamber and the cathode chamber are separated by an ionic membrane arranged on an ionic membrane skeleton. The anode chamber may be divided into a plurality of anode sections, each anode section housing an anode, each anode being connected to a respective independently controlled power supply. The anode may be made of a material such as copper, ti or a Pt coated Ti plate. At least one diffusion disk 711 having a plurality of small holes is disposed in the cathode chamber to control the uniformity of the electric field and the uniformity of the plating solution. A recess 708 is provided around the cathode chamber for receiving plating solution which overflows the cathode chamber.

The substrate holder 702 is used to hold a substrate. Support post 712 connects substrate clamp 702 and fixture 713. The bracket 714 is fixed to one side of the fixing member 713. The vibration plate 715 supports the substrate holding module. One end of the vibration plate 715 is connected to the bracket 714, and the other end of the vibration plate 715 is connected to the mounting plate 716. The mounting plate 716 is disposed on a support seat 717. The mounting plate 716 can move up and down along the support seat 717 under the driving of the vertical actuator, so as to drive the vibrating plate 715 to move up and down. The vibration plate 715 has one natural frequency. A rotation actuator 704 is provided on the fixing member 713 for driving the substrate holder 702 to rotate. The driving means 705 is provided on the support 714 for driving the substrate holding module to horizontally vibrate or resonate at the natural frequency of the vibration plate 715. The driving means 705 may be a vibrator, such as an inertial vibrator.

As shown in fig. 8A to 8B and fig. 9A to 9B, the driving device 705 may drive the substrate holder 702 to horizontally vibrate when the substrate is immersed in the plating liquid to be plated. The substrate holder 702 may be driven by a driving device 705 to perform a reciprocating motion. A pair of stop members 718 are used to limit the amplitude of the substrate holding module to prevent the bracket 714 from hitting the mounting plate 716. The pair of stop members 718 may be made of soft rubber. In one embodiment, the pair of position limiting parts 718 are provided on the bracket 714 and are disposed at both sides of the vibration plate 715. In another embodiment, the pair of position limiting parts 718 are provided on the mounting plate 716 and are disposed at both sides of the vibration plate 715.

The amplitude of the substrate holding module is related to the size of the pattern structure. Preferably, the amplitude of the substrate holding module is larger than the size of the pattern structure, so that the vibration effect above the metal deposit in the pattern structure can be improved. The amplitude of the substrate holding jig may be set to 25um to 2000um, preferably 100um to 500um.

The vibration frequency of the substrate holding module is correlated with the amplitude and vibration speed of the substrate holding module. Further, the vibration speed of the substrate holding module is correlated with the flow rate of the plating liquid. Preferably, the vibration speed of the substrate holding module is higher than the flow speed of the plating liquid from the center to the edge. The flow rate of the plating liquid is usually set to be between 0.01m/s and 0.2m/s depending on the initial flow rate of the plating liquid supply. The vibration frequency of the substrate holding module may be calculated according to the following calculation formula: f = V1/4A, where f is the vibration frequency of the substrate holding module, V1 is the vibration speed of the substrate holding module, and a is the amplitude of the substrate holding module. For example, if V1 is set to 0.02m/s and A is set to 0.5mm, then f is calculated to be 10Hz. This frequency is the resonance frequency of the substrate holding module and the vibration plate 715, and is also the natural frequency of the vibration plate 715 and the initial frequency of the driving device 705, and the vibration plate 715 is specifically a cantilever structure. The operating frequency of the inertial vibrator may be set to be between 0.1Hz and 500Hz, and preferably, to the resonant frequency of the vibration plate 715, so that the energy requirement for driving it is minimized.

Referring to fig. 21, a vibration model is shown. The size of the vibration plate 715 can be obtained by combining the vibration model and the following calculation formula.

k＝m*(2πf) ² (2)

In the calculation formulas (1) to (4), f is the vibration frequency of the substrate holding module, m is the weight of the substrate holding module, k is the stiffness coefficient of the vibrating plate, E is the elastic modulus of the material of the vibrating plate, H is the cross-sectional width of the vibrating plate, B is the cross-sectional height of the vibrating plate, and L is the length of the vibrating plate.

From the calculation formulas (1) to (4), the size of the vibration plate 715 can be obtained. The following table gives some examples.

M(kg)＝	30	30	30	30	30	30
							f1(Hz)＝	10	10	20	30	40	50
K1(N/m)＝	118435.2528	118435.2528	473741.0113	1065917.275	1894964.045	2960881.32
							π＝	3.141592654	3.141592654	3.141592654	3.141592654	3.141592654	3.141592654
E(Pa)＝	20600000000	20600000000	20600000000	2060000000	20600000000	20600000000
							H(m)＝	0.05	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
L(m)＝	0.024	0.024	0.024	0.024	0.024	0.024
							B1(m)＝	0.001852589	0.001470401	0.002334116	0.003058558	0.003705179	0.004299479

Referring to fig. 10A-11B, an electroplating apparatus for metal deposition on a substrate having a patterned structure according to another alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Compared to the plating apparatus of fig. 7A-9B, the driving device 705' in this embodiment may be a pair of motors or cylinders for driving the substrate holding module to vibrate horizontally and resonate with the vibration plate 715. The pair of motors or cylinders may be provided on the support 714 and divided at both sides of the vibration plate 715. Alternatively, the pair of motors or cylinders may be provided on the mounting plate 716, and separately provided at both sides of the vibration plate 715.

Referring to fig. 12A through 14B, an electroplating apparatus for metal deposition on a substrate having a pattern structure according to yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The plating apparatus 1200 includes a plating tank 1201, a substrate holding module, a pair of vibrating plates 1215, a mounting plate 1216, a support base 1217, and a driving apparatus 1205. The substrate holding module further includes a substrate holder 1202, a support post 1212, a fixture 1213, a bracket 1214, a rotary actuator 1204, a vertical link 1219, a horizontal link 1220, an elastic link 1221, and a frame 1222.

The plating bath 1201 is used to contain a plating solution. Plating cell 1201 may include a cathode chamber and an anode chamber for plating. The anode chamber and the cathode chamber are separated by an ionic membrane arranged on an ionic membrane skeleton. The anode chamber may be divided into a plurality of anode sections, each anode section housing an anode, each anode being connected to a respective independently controlled power supply. The anode may be made of a material such as copper, ti or Pt coated Ti plate. At least one diffusion disk 1211 having a plurality of apertures is disposed in the cathode chamber for controlling field uniformity and plating solution uniformity. A recess 1208 is provided around the cathode chamber for receiving plating solution which overflows the cathode chamber.

The substrate holder 1202 is for holding a substrate. Support posts 1212 connect substrate holder 1202 and fasteners 1213. Cradle 1214 is generally U-shaped having two arms and a base. The arms of the bracket 1214 are disposed at both sides of the fixing member 1213 and are connected to the corresponding vibration plates 1215, respectively. The pair of vibration plates 1215 are coupled to both sides of the fixing member 1213. The base of the bracket 1214 is attached to the mounting plate 1216. The mounting plate 1216 is disposed on the support base 1217. The mounting plate 1216 is driven by the vertical actuator to move up and down along the support 1217, thereby moving the substrate holding module up and down. To prevent the substrate holding module from sagging, the vertical connection member 1219 is connected to the base of the bracket 1214 and the horizontal connection member 1220, and the horizontal connection member 1220 is connected to the elastic connection member 1221, and the elastic connection member 1221 is connected to the frame 1222 fixed to the fixing member 1213. The rotary actuator 1204 is provided on the fixing member 1213 for driving the substrate holder 1202 to rotate.

The driving means 1205 is provided on the fixing member 1213 for driving the substrate holding module to vibrate vertically or resonate at the natural frequency of the vibrating plate 1215 during the substrate plating process, as shown in fig. 13A to 13B and fig. 14A to 14B. The driving means 1205 may be a vibrator.

The high frequency up and down motion of the substrate holder 1202 may generate a strong agitation effect in the space between the substrate and the diffusion plate 1211. When the substrate holder 1202 moves downward at a high speed, the liquid pressure in the space increases sharply, and the plating liquid is forced into the inside of the pattern structure by the pressure. The microfluidic flow speed in the patterned structure is very fast and the additive will penetrate uniformly into the patterned structure, thereby helping to overcome the bump tilt problem. On the other hand, when the substrate holder 1202 moves upward, the space becomes larger and larger, the hydraulic pressure therein is rapidly reduced, and the liquid in the minute pattern structure is drawn out. In high speed up and down motion, the hydraulic pressure changes rapidly and the mass transfer rate in the pattern structure is enhanced.

Referring to fig. 15A-16B, an electroplating apparatus for metal deposition on a substrate having a patterned structure according to another alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. In contrast to the plating apparatus of fig. 12A-14B, the driving means 1205' in this embodiment may be a motor or cylinder for driving the substrate holding module to vibrate vertically and resonate with the vibrating plate 1215. A motor or a cylinder may be provided on the horizontal connection member 1220.

Referring to fig. 17A-17B, an electroplating apparatus for metal deposition on a substrate having a patterned structure according to yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The plating apparatus 1700 includes a plating tank 1701, a substrate holding module, a vibration plate 1715, a mounting plate 1716, a support base 1717, and a vertical actuator. The substrate holding module further comprises a substrate gripper 1702, a support post 1712, a mount 1713 and a rotary actuator 1704.

The plating tank 1701 is used to accommodate a plating solution. Plating cell 1701 may include an anode chamber and a cathode chamber for plating. The anode chamber and the cathode chamber are separated by an ionic membrane arranged on an ionic membrane framework. The anode chamber may be divided into a plurality of anode sections, each anode section housing an anode, each anode being connected to a respective independently controlled power supply. The anode may be made of a material such as copper, ti or Pt coated Ti plate. At least one diffusion disk 1711 having a plurality of small holes is disposed in the cathode chamber to control the uniformity of the electric field and the uniformity of the plating solution. A recess 1708 is provided around the cathode chamber to receive plating solution which overflows from the cathode chamber.

The substrate holder 1702 is for holding a substrate. Support post 1712 connects substrate holder 1702 with mount 1713. The diaphragm 1715 is connected to one side of the fixing piece 1713 and the mounting plate 1716. The mounting plate 1716 is disposed on a support base 1717. The mounting plate 1716 can be driven by a vertical actuator to move up and down along the support base 1717, thereby driving the substrate holding module to move up and down. A rotation actuator 1704 is provided on the mount 1713 for driving the substrate chuck 1702 to rotate.

In this embodiment, the vertical actuator is used as a driving device for driving the substrate holding module to vibrate vertically or resonate at the natural frequency of the vibration plate 1715 during the substrate plating process.

Referring to fig. 18A-20C, an electroplating apparatus for metal deposition on a substrate having a patterned structure according to yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The plating apparatus 1800 includes a plating bath 1801, a substrate holding module, a first vibration plate 18151, a pair of second vibration plates 18152, a mounting plate 1816, a support base 1817, and a first driving apparatus 1805. The substrate holding module further comprises a substrate gripper 1802, a support column 1812, a fixture 1813, a bracket 1814, and a rotary actuator 1804.

The plating bath 1801 is for containing a plating solution. Plating cell 1801 may include an anode chamber and a cathode chamber for plating. The anode chamber and the cathode chamber are separated by an ionic membrane arranged on an ionic membrane skeleton. The anode chamber may be divided into a plurality of anode sections, each anode section housing an anode, each anode being connected to a respective independently controlled power supply. The anode may be made of a material such as copper, ti or Pt coated Ti plate. At least one diffusion disk 1811 having a plurality of small holes is disposed in the cathode chamber to control the uniformity of the electric field and the uniformity of the plating solution. A recess 1808 is provided around the cathode chamber to receive plating solution overflowing from the cathode chamber.

The substrate holder 1802 is used to hold a substrate. Support posts 1812 connect substrate fixture 1802 and fasteners 1813. The bracket 1814 is generally U-shaped having two arms and a base. The two arms of the bracket 1814 are disposed at both sides of the fixing member 1813 and are respectively connected to the corresponding second vibration plate 18152. The pair of second vibration plates 18152 are connected to both sides of the fixing member 1813. The base of the bracket 1814 is connected to one end of the first vibration plate 18151. The other end of the first vibration plate 18151 is connected to the mounting plate 1816. The mounting plate 1816 is disposed on the support base 1817. The mounting plate 1816 may be driven by the vertical actuator to move up and down along the support base 1817, thereby moving the substrate holding module up and down. A rotary actuator 1804 is provided on the mount 1813 for driving the substrate holder 1802 in rotation.

A first driving means 1805 is provided at the base of the support 1814 for driving the substrate holding module to horizontally vibrate or resonate at the natural frequency of the first vibration plate 18151. The vertical actuator serves as a second driving means for driving the substrate holding module to vibrate vertically or resonate at the natural frequencies of the two second vibration plates 18152. In this embodiment, the substrate holding module may be driven by the first driving device 1805 and the vertical actuator to simultaneously vibrate horizontally and vertically during the substrate plating process.

Referring to fig. 22, an electroplating apparatus for metal deposition on a substrate having a patterned structure according to yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The plating apparatus 2200 includes a plating tank 2201, a substrate holding module, a mounting plate 2216, a support 2217, and a driving device 2205. The substrate holding module further comprises a substrate holder 2202, a support column 2212, a connection plate 2225, a fixture 2213, a support 2214, a rotation actuator 2204, a shaft 2223, a bearing 2224, and a pair of elastic members 2226.

The plating tank 2201 is used to contain a plating solution. Plating cell 2201 may include a cathode chamber and an anode chamber for plating. The anode chamber and the cathode chamber are separated by an ionic membrane arranged on an ionic membrane skeleton. The anode chamber may be divided into a plurality of anode sections, each anode section housing an anode, each anode being connected to a respective independently controlled power supply. The anode may be made of a material such as copper, ti or Pt coated Ti plate. At least one diffusion disk 2211 having a plurality of small holes is disposed in the cathode chamber to control the uniformity of the electric field and the uniformity of the plating solution. A recess 2208 is provided around the cathode chamber for receiving plating solution overflowing from the cathode chamber.

The substrate holder 2202 holds a substrate. Support posts 2212 connect the substrate fixture 2202 with the connector board 2225. The rotary actuator 2204 is disposed on the mount 2213. The shaft 2223 passes through the fixing member 2213. One end of the shaft 2223 is connected to the rotary actuator 2204, and the other end of the shaft 2223 is connected to the connection plate 2225 through a bearing 2224. A pair of elastic members 2226 connect the shaft 2223 and the connection plate 2225. Bracket 2214 is secured to one side of mount 2213 and connected to mounting plate 2216. The mounting plate 2216 is disposed on the support base 2217. The mounting plate 2216 can move up and down along the support base 2217 under the driving of the vertical actuator, so as to drive the substrate holding module to move up and down. The driving device 2205 is disposed on the connection plate 2225.

During plating, the rotary actuator 2204 drives the shaft 2223 to rotate at the speed w1. Since the pair of elastic members 2226 connect the shaft 2223 and the connection plate 2225, the substrate holder 2202, the support column 2212, and the connection plate 2225 also rotate together with the shaft 2223 at a rotational speed w1. When the substrate holder 2202 is rotated for plating, the drive device 2205 drives the substrate holder 2202, the support columns 2212, and the webs 2225 to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise at a rotational speed w2, preferably w2 is greater than w1, so that the rotational speed of the substrate holder 2202 can be rapidly changed to achieve agitation of the plating solution. Thus, the uniformity of plating and plating rate are improved.

As described above, the present invention employs at least one driving device to drive the substrate to vibrate during the process of immersing the substrate in the plating solution for plating, so that the additives in the microstructure are uniformly distributed, thereby improving the uniformity of the plated metal in the microstructure. In addition, compared with the prior art that the paddle is adopted for stirring the electroplating solution, the invention does not arrange the shield such as the paddle between the substrate and the diffusion disc, so that the electric field distribution is more uniform and the problem of shadow (shadow) does not exist.

The invention also provides an electroplating method for metal deposition on a substrate with a pattern structure, which comprises the following steps:

loading the substrate into the substrate holding module to be held by the substrate holding module;

immersing the substrate in an electroplating solution in an electroplating bath;

the substrate holding module is driven to horizontally vibrate and/or vertically vibrate together with the substrate during immersion of the substrate in the plating solution to be plated.

In one embodiment, the substrate is horizontally clamped by the substrate holding module.

In one embodiment, the substrate is vertically clamped by the substrate holding module, and the substrate holding module and the substrate are vertically immersed in the plating solution.

In one embodiment, the plating solution has a flow rate V ₂ The substrate holding module and the substrate are driven by V ₁ Velocity vibration of V ₁ Not less than 0.2V ₂ 。

In one embodiment, the vibration frequency of the substrate holding module is set between 0.1Hz and 500Hz.

In one embodiment, the amplitude of the substrate holding module is greater than the size of the pattern structure.

In one embodiment, the amplitude of the substrate holding module is set between 25um and 2000um.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises the following steps: the substrate holding module and the substrate are driven to rotate during the substrate is immersed in the plating solution to be plated.

Referring to fig. 23, an electroplating apparatus for metal deposition on a substrate having a patterned structure according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. The plating apparatus 2300 includes a plating tank 2301 for containing a plating solution, a substrate holding module 2302 for clamping the substrate 2303 and electrically connecting with a conductive surface of the substrate 2303, and a rotation actuator 2304 for driving the substrate holding module 2302 to rotate along its axis. The electroplating apparatus 2300 further comprises a controller 2330, which controller 2330 is connected to the rotary actuator 2304 for controlling the rotary actuator 2304 to rotate N revolutions and then to rotate in reverse N revolutions, which are alternately performed for a number of cycles. N is less than or equal to 3.0. Preferably, N is 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0. The controller 2330 controls the rotational speed of the rotary actuator 2304 to be 120rpm or less. The electroplating apparatus 2300 further includes at least one anode 2306 disposed in the electroplating tank 2301 and facing the conductive surface of the substrate 2303, and a power source 2307 electrically connected to the substrate holding module 2302 and the anode 2306. A groove 2308 is provided around the plating tank 2301 for receiving the plating solution overflowing from the plating tank 2301. The electroplating device 2300 further comprises a reservoir 2310, and the conduit 2309 connects the groove 2308 and the reservoir 2310, and the reservoir 2310 is further connected to the electroplating tank 2301 through another conduit 2309.

In the electroplating process of this embodiment, the controller 2330 is used to control the rotary actuator 2304 to rotate N times and then rotate N times in reverse, and the rotation process is performed alternately for several cycles, wherein N is less than or equal to 3.0, which improves the uniformity of the electroplated metal in the pattern structure. In the process of the high-frequency oscillation movement of the substrate, the plating solution on the surface of the substrate is drastically changed in the process of changing the rotation direction. The abrupt change of the rotary actuator from clockwise to counterclockwise may produce a turbulent fluid motion, like a strong stream of water, that enhances agitation of the plating solution on the substrate surface. The rotary actuator adopts a point-to-point position control mode.

loading the substrate in the substrate holding module and clamping the substrate by the substrate holding module;

driving the substrate holding module to rotate together with the substrate by the rotary actuator in a process in which the substrate is immersed in the plating solution to be plated;

and controlling the rotary actuator to rotate for N circles and then reversely rotate for N circles, wherein the rotating process is alternately executed for a plurality of cycles, and N is less than or equal to 3.0.

In one embodiment, N is 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0. When N equals 0.5, the substrate holding module will rotate from 0 ° to 180 ° and then back again. The rotational speed remains unchanged and the frequency is very high. If the substrate holding module is rotated less than 180 deg., the substrate surface will have an asymmetric plating rate. The number of rotations needs to be 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0. If N is greater than 3.0, taking a rotation speed of 60rpm as an example, it takes 3s to rotate clockwise and then 3s to rotate counterclockwise, one cycle is 6s. If N is larger, the cycle length will increase and thus the agitation by the drastic changes described will be weaker.

In one embodiment, the rotational speed of the rotary actuator is controlled to be below 120 rpm.

All of the above embodiments of the present invention are applicable to electroless plating, such as electroless plating, to uniformly deposit metal on a substrate having a pattern structure.

All of the above embodiments of the invention are also applicable to electrochemical removal of metal from a substrate to achieve uniform topography.

The description of the invention has been presented for the purpose of illustrating the technology. The technical solution of the present invention is not limited to the specific form disclosed in the present embodiment. Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. Such modifications and variations that may be apparent to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined by the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. An electroplating apparatus for performing metal deposition on a substrate having a pattern structure, comprising:

a plating tank for accommodating a plating solution;

a substrate holding module for holding a substrate; and

at least one driving device for driving the substrate holding module to horizontally and/or vertically vibrate together with the substrate during the substrate is immersed in the plating solution to be plated.

2. A plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one driving means is a motor, a cylinder, or a vibrator.

3. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the substrate holding module horizontally holds the substrate.

4. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said substrate holding module vertically clamps the substrate, and wherein said substrate holding module and the substrate are vertically immersed in the plating solution.

5. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein a flow rate of said plating liquid is V ₂ Said at least one drive device driving the substrate holding module andthe substrate is coated with a coating material V ₁ Velocity vibration of V ₁ Not less than 0.2V ₂ 。

6. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one vibration plate, wherein the at least one driving device drives the substrate holding module to vibrate or resonate at a natural frequency of the at least one vibration plate.

7. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 6, further comprising a mounting plate and a support base, wherein the substrate holding module comprises a bracket, one end of the vibration plate is connected to the bracket, the other end of the vibration plate is connected to the mounting plate, and the mounting plate is disposed on the support base.

8. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said mounting plate is movable up and down along said support base.

9. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said driving means is provided on a support, and said driving means is a vibrator.

10. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 7, further comprising a pair of limiting members for limiting the amplitude of vibration of the substrate holding module driven.

11. A plating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the pair of stopper members are provided on a bracket and located on both sides of the vibration plate, respectively, or the pair of stopper members are provided on a mounting plate and located on both sides of the vibration plate, respectively.

12. A plating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the driving means is a pair of motors or a pair of cylinders provided on the bracket and located on both sides of the vibration plate, respectively, or a pair of motors or a pair of cylinders provided on the mounting plate and located on both sides of the vibration plate, respectively.

13. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 6, further comprising a mounting plate and a support base, wherein the substrate holding module comprises a fixing member and a bracket, wherein the at least one vibration plate comprises a pair of vibration plates, the bracket has two arms and a base, the two arms of the bracket are disposed on both sides of the fixing member and connected to the pair of vibration plates, the pair of vibration plates are connected to both sides of the fixing member, the base of the bracket is connected to the mounting plate, and the mounting plate is disposed on the support base.

14. A plating apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said mounting plate is movable up and down along said support base.

15. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the substrate holding module further comprises a vertical connecting member connected to the base portion of the bracket and the horizontal connecting member, a horizontal connecting member connected to the elastic connecting member, an elastic connecting member connected to the frame, and a frame fixed to the fixing member.

16. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein said driving means is provided on said fixing member, and said driving means is a vibrator.

17. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein said driving means is provided on said horizontal connecting member, said driving means being a motor or a cylinder.

18. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 6, further comprising a mounting plate and a support base, wherein the substrate holding module further comprises a fixing member, wherein the vibration plate is connected to one side of the fixing member and the mounting plate, and wherein the mounting plate is disposed on the support base, and wherein the driving device is a vertical actuator for driving the mounting plate to move up and down along the support base to vertically vibrate the substrate holding module.

19. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said at least one vibration plate comprises a first vibration plate and a pair of second vibration plates, and said at least one driving means comprises a first driving means for driving said substrate holding module to vibrate horizontally or resonate at a natural frequency of the first vibration plate and a second driving means for driving said substrate holding module to vibrate vertically or resonate at a natural frequency of said pair of second vibration plates.

20. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein said second driving means is a vertical actuator.

21. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 6, further comprising a rotary actuator for driving the substrate to rotate.

22. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the substrate holding module comprises a substrate chuck fixed to the connection plate for chucking the substrate, a rotary actuator having one end connected to the rotary actuator, a shaft having the other end connected to the connection plate through a bearing, a pair of elastic members connected to the shaft and the connection plate, a shaft driven by the rotary actuator and rotating the substrate chuck at a speed w1, and the driving means drives the substrate chuck to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise at a speed w2 when the substrate chuck is rotated for plating.

23. The electroplating apparatus of claim 22, wherein w2 > w1.

24. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein a vibration frequency of the substrate holding module is set to 0.1Hz to 500Hz.

25. Electroplating apparatus according to claim 1, the amplitude of the substrate holding module is larger than the size of the graph structure on the substrate.

26. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the amplitude of the substrate holding module is set to 25um to 2000um.

27. An electroplating method for metal deposition on a substrate having a pattern structure, comprising:

the substrate holding module is driven to horizontally vibrate and/or vertically vibrate together with the substrate during the substrate is plated while being immersed in the plating solution.

28. The plating method as recited in claim 27, wherein the substrate is held horizontally by the substrate holding module.

29. The plating method as recited in claim 27, wherein the substrate is vertically held by a substrate holding module, the substrate holding module and the substrate being vertically immersed in the plating solution.

30. The plating method as recited in claim 27, wherein the flow rate of the plating solution is V2, the substrate holding module and the substrate are driven to vibrate at a vibration speed of V1, and V1 is not less than 0.2V2.

31. The plating method as recited in claim 27, wherein a vibration frequency of the substrate holding module is set to 0.1Hz to 500Hz.

32. The plating method of claim 27, wherein the amplitude of the substrate holding module is larger than the size of the pattern structure on the substrate.

33. The plating method as recited in claim 27, wherein an amplitude of the substrate holding jig is set to 25um to 2000um.

34. The plating method as recited in claim 27, further comprising: the substrate is driven to rotate during the process of being plated while being immersed in the plating solution.

35. An electroplating apparatus for performing metal deposition on a substrate having a pattern structure, comprising:

a plating tank for containing a plating solution;

a substrate holding module for holding a substrate;

a rotation actuator for driving the substrate holding module to rotate together with the substrate; and

and a controller for controlling the rotary actuator to rotate for N turns and then rotate for N turns in the opposite direction, wherein the rotation process is alternately executed for a plurality of cycles, wherein N is less than or equal to 3.0.

36. The plating apparatus as recited in claim 35, wherein said N is 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0.

37. The electroplating apparatus of claim 35, wherein the rotational speed of the rotary actuator is below 120 rpm.

38. An electroplating method for metal deposition on a substrate having a pattern structure, comprising:

driving the substrate holding module to rotate together with the substrate by the rotary actuator in a process that the substrate is immersed in the plating solution to be plated;

39. The electroplating method of claim 38, wherein the N is 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0.

40. The electroplating method of claim 38, wherein the rotational speed of the rotary actuator is below 120 rpm.