JP2007119923A - Methods and apparatus for holding and positioning semiconductor workpiece during electropolishing and/or electroplating of the workpiece - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wafer chuck capable of holding a wafer during electroplating and/or electropolishing of the wafer and applying an electric charge to the wafer. <P>SOLUTION: A wafer chuck assembly 1600 for holding the wafer 1602 during electroplating and/or electropolishing of the wafer 1602 includes the wafer chuck 1604 for receiving the wafer 1602. The wafer chuck assembly 1600 also includes an actuator assembly 1860 for moving the wafer chuck 1604 between a first position and a second position. When in the first position, the wafer chuck 1604 is opened. When in the second position, the wafer chuck 1604 is closed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for holding and positioning a semiconductor workpiece during processing of the semiconductor workpiece. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for holding and positioning a semiconductor workpiece during electroplating and / or electropolishing of the semiconductor workpiece.

  Semiconductor devices are generally manufactured or fabricated on a disk of semiconductor material called a wafer or slice. More specifically, a wafer is formed by first cutting from a silicon ingot. The wafer is then subjected to multiple masking, etching and deposition processes to form the electronic circuit structure of the semiconductor device.

  Over the past decade, the semiconductor industry has increased the output of semiconductor devices according to Moore's law. Moore's Law predicts that the output of a semiconductor device will double every 18 months. Such an increase in the output of semiconductor devices has been achieved, in part, due to a reduction in the external size of these semiconductor devices (i.e., the smallest dimension present on the devices). In fact, semiconductor device outline sizes have rapidly moved from 0.35 microns to 0.25 microns and now to 0.18 microns. Looking at this trend toward miniaturization of semiconductor devices, it is certain that a size below 0.18 microns will be realized.

  However, one factor that limits the development of higher power semiconductor devices is the interconnects (conductor lines connecting elements of a single semiconductor device and / or connecting several semiconductor devices together) Is an increase in signal delay. As the external size of a semiconductor device decreases, the density of interconnects on the device increases. However, due to the closeness of the interconnects, the capacitance between the lines of the interconnects increases, resulting in a large signal delay at the interconnects. It has been found that interconnect delay generally increases with the square of the reduction in outer size. In contrast, it has been found that the gate delay (ie, the delay in the gate or mesa of the semiconductor device) increases linearly with decreasing feature size.

  One conventional approach to compensate for this increase in interconnect delay has been to add more metal layers. However, such an approach has the disadvantage of increased manufacturing costs associated with additional metal layers. Furthermore, such additional metal layers generate additional heat. This heat is detrimental to both chip performance and reliability.

  Thus, the semiconductor industry has begun to use copper rather than aluminum to form metal interconnects. One advantage of copper is that it has a higher conductivity than aluminum. Moreover, copper has a lower resistance to electromigration than aluminum (that is, a line made of copper is less likely to become thin under a current load).

  However, new processing techniques are required before copper can be widely used by the semiconductor industry. More specifically, the copper layer can be formed on the wafer using an electroplating process and / or etched using an electropolishing process. In general, in an electroplating and / or electropolishing process, the wafer is held in an electrolyte and then a charge is applied to the wafer. Thus, the wafer chuck needs to hold the wafer and apply an electrical charge to the wafer during the electroplating and / or electropolishing process.

  In an embodiment of the present invention, a wafer chuck assembly for holding a wafer during electroplating and / or electropolishing of the wafer includes a wafer chuck for receiving the wafer. The wafer chuck assembly further includes an actuator assembly for moving the wafer chuck between the first position and the second position. In the first position, the wafer chuck is open. In the second position, the wafer chuck is closed.

  The subject matter of the invention is particularly pointed out in the appended claims. However, the invention can be best understood both in terms of structure and method of operation by referring to the following description, taken in conjunction with the claims and the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, similar parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  In order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention, a number of specific details, such as specific materials, parameters, etc., are described below. However, this description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, but is provided to enable a more complete and more complete description of the embodiments.

  In addition, the subject matter of the present invention is particularly suitable for use in connection with electroplating and / or electropolishing of semiconductor workpieces or wafers. As a result, embodiments of the present invention are described in that context. However, such description does not limit the application or applicability of the present invention. Rather, such descriptions are provided to enable a more thorough and more complete description of the embodiments.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a wafer processing tool 100 is configured for electroplating and / or electropolishing a semiconductor workpiece or wafer. In the exemplary embodiment, wafer processing tool 100 includes an electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102, a cleaning station 104, a wafer handling station 108, and a robot 106.

  Referring to FIG. 4, the processing steps performed by the wafer processing tool 100 are represented in flowchart form. Referring again to FIG. 1, an unprocessed semiconductor workpiece or wafer is obtained by robot 106 from wafer handling stations 108 and 110 (FIG. 4, block 402). The wafer is transferred by the robot 106 from the wafer handling stations 108 and 110 to the electroplating and / or electrolysis station 102 (FIG. 4, block 404). As described in detail below, the wafer is electroplated and / or electropolished at electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 (FIG. 4, block 406). The electroplated and / or electropolished wafer is transferred by the robot 106 to the cleaning station 104 (FIG. 4, block 408). The wafer is cleaned and dried at the cleaning station 104 (FIG. 4, block 410). The cleaned and dried wafer is returned by robot 106 to wafer handling stations 108 and 110 (FIG. 4, block 412). The entire process can then be repeated for another unprocessed wafer. However, various modifications can be made to the steps shown in FIG. 4 and described above without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 2, in this embodiment, electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 and cleaning station 104 have five electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 and five cleaning cells 114. . Thus, as many as five wafers can be electroplated and / or electropolished and cleaned at once. However, electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 and cleaning station 104 may have any number of electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 and cleaning cells 114 depending on the particular application. For example, for low volume applications, the electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 and the cleaning station 104 may each consist of one electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 and one cleaning cell. . In addition, the ratio of electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 to cleaning cell 114 can be varied depending on the particular application. For example, in applications where the electroplating and / or electropolishing process requires more processing time than the cleaning process, the wafer processing tool 100 uses more electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 than the cleaning cell 114. It may be configured to have. Alternatively, in applications where the electroplating and / or electropolishing process requires less processing time than the cleaning process, the wafer processing tool 100 uses fewer electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 than the cleaning cell 114. It may be configured to have.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 and the cleaning cell 114 are formed as vertical cells. In this way, the number of wafers processed can be increased without increasing the area of the wafer processing tool 100 (the total floor space occupied by). In the increasingly competitive semiconductor industry, it is advantageous to increase the percentage of wafers processed per square foot of production floor space occupied by the wafer processing tool 100.

  Referring again to FIG. 1, as described above, unprocessed wafers are obtained at wafer handling stations 108 and 110, and the processed wafers are then returned to wafer handling stations 108 and 110. More specifically, referring to FIG. 3, in this embodiment, wafer handling stations 108 and 110 (FIG. 1) have a wafer cassette 116 for holding wafers. As shown in FIG. 3, the robot 106 is configured to remove unprocessed wafers from the wafer cassette 116 and transport the wafers to any one of the electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 (FIG. 3). 2). Furthermore, the robot 106 is configured to return processed wafers from any one of the cleaning cells 114 (FIG. 2) to the wafer cassette 116. Although a single cassette 116 is shown in FIG. 3, the wafer handling stations 108 and 110 (FIG. 1) may have any number of wafer cassettes 116.

  Further, the wafer handling stations 108 and 110 may have a variety of configurations depending on the particular application. For example, the wafer handling stations 108 and 110 can each have at least one wafer cassette 116. In one form, a wafer cassette 116 containing unprocessed wafers is provided at the wafer handling station 108. This wafer is removed, processed, and then returned to the same wafer cassette 116 of the wafer handling station 108. Before processing of the wafers from the wafer cassette 116 of the wafer handling station 108 is completed, another wafer cassette 116 containing unprocessed wafers is provided in the wafer handling station 110. As soon as the wafers from the wafer cassette 116 of the wafer handling station 108 are processed, the wafer processing tool 100 can begin processing unprocessed wafers from the wafer cassette 116 of the wafer handling station 110. The processed wafers in the wafer handling station 108 wafer cassette can then be removed and replaced with another wafer cassette 116 containing unprocessed wafers. Thus, the wafer processing tool 100 can be operated continuously without inadvertent interruption.

  In another form, a wafer cassette 116 containing unprocessed wafers may be provided at the wafer handling station 108. The wafer handling station 110 may be provided with an empty wafer cassette 116. Unprocessed wafers from the wafer cassette 116 at the wafer handling station 108 can be processed and then returned to the empty wafer handling station 116 at the wafer handling station 110. Such a configuration also simplifies continuous operation of the processing tool 100. Moreover, such a configuration has the advantage that one of the two handling stations 108 and 110 can be formed for an unprocessed wafer and the other can be formed for a processed wafer. . In this way, the operator or robot is less likely to confuse the wafer cassette 116 containing processed wafers with a wafer cassette having unprocessed wafers, or vice versa.

  Referring again to FIG. 2, a wafer processing tool 100 includes a housing for housing electrical and mechanical components of the wafer processing tool 100, such as power supplies, filters, wires, lead pipes, chemical containers, pumps, valves, and the like. A unit 118 is included. Referring again to FIG. 1, the wafer processing tool 100 can also include a computer 132 for controlling the operation of the wafer processing tool 100. More specifically, the computer may be configured with a suitable software program for performing the processing steps shown in FIG. 4 and described above in connection with FIG.

  However, various modifications can be made to the configuration of the wafer processing tool 100 without departing from the spirit and / or scope of the present invention. In this regard, various alternative embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawings. However, these alternative embodiments are not intended to illustrate all of the variations that can be made to the present invention. Rather, these alternative embodiments are merely intended to illustrate some of the many possible variations.

  With reference to FIGS. 5-7, in an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the wafer processing tool 100 includes a wafer handling station 500. Referring to FIG. 7, the wafer handling station 500 includes a robot 502 formed to raise and lower the wafer cassette 116. Therefore, when the wafer is loaded into the wafer cassette 116 and unloaded from the wafer cassette 116, the movement of the robot 106 in the vertical direction can be reduced. In this way, the operating speed of the robot 106 can be increased and the overall processing speed of the wafer processing tool 100 can be promoted.

  Referring to FIG. 8, in another alternative embodiment of the present invention, the wafer processing tool 100 has a robot 800 configured to move laterally (in the direction indicated by x in FIG. 8). Yes. Therefore, the robot 800 need not rotate about its vertical axis.

  Referring to FIG. 9, in yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, the wafer processing tool 100 includes a stack 902 of electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 (FIG. 2) and cleaning cells 114 (FIG. 2). have. Therefore, the installation area of the processing tool 100 can be further reduced.

  Referring to FIGS. 10-12, in another alternative embodiment of the present invention, the wafer processing tool 100 includes an electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 (FIG. 12) and a cleaning cell 114 (FIG. 12). Two stacks 1002, 1004, 1006. It should be noted that the stacks 1002, 1004, 1006 may be configured to have a variety of different electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 combinations of electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 depending on the particular application. it can. For example, columns 1002 and 1006 can be formed with only electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112. The column 104 may be formed with only the wash cell 114. Alternatively, each column 1002, 1004 and 1006 can be formed by a combination of electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 and cleaning cell 114. The wafer processing tool 100 also has a robot 1008 formed so as to move laterally (in the direction indicated by symbol y in FIG. 10). Referring to FIG. 12, the wafer processing tool 100 has an additional wafer cassette 1202 to provide the additional processing capabilities of the wafer processing tool 100.

  So far, the wafer processing tool 100 has been described as having an electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 (FIG. 1) and a cleaning station 104 (FIG. 2). However, the wafer processing tool 100 may be formed with only an electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 (FIG. 1). For example, referring to FIG. 9, the wafer processing tool 100 may be formed to have a stack 902 with only electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 (FIG. 1). Accordingly, the wafer processing tool 100 electroplates and / or electropolishes the wafer without cleaning the wafer. The processed wafer can be cleaned in a separate wafer cleaning tool. Alternatively, the processed wafer can be cleaned at a cleaning station in another wafer processing tool.

  In addition, the wafer processing tool 100 may have other wafer processing stations. For example, referring to FIGS. 13-15, in another embodiment of the present invention, the wafer processing tool 100 has a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) 1302. Thus, in addition to electroplating and / or electropolishing and cleaning, the wafer can be planarized and / or polished. The detailed order in which these processes are performed can vary depending on the particular application. For example, in one application, the wafer can be electroplated at the electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102, cleaned at the cleaning station 104, and then planarized at the CMP station 1302. In another application, the wafer may first be electropolished at the electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102, cleaned at the cleaning station 104, and planarized at the CMP station 1302.

  Thus, while various embodiments of the wafer processing tool have been described, embodiments of the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 are described below. Referring to FIGS. 16 and 17, in one embodiment of the present invention, the wafer electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 includes an electrolyte container 1608, a wafer chuck 1604, and a wafer chuck assembly 1600. .

  Referring to FIG. 16, in this embodiment, an electrolytic solution container 1608 holds an electrolytic solution for electroplating and / or electropolishing the wafer 1602. Wafer chuck 1604 holds wafer 1602 during the electroplating and / or electropolishing process. Wafer chuck assembly 1600 positions wafer chuck 1604 within electrolyte container 1608. Wafer chuck assembly 1600 further rotates wafer chuck 1604 to increase the uniformity of the electroplating and / or electropolishing process.

  In this embodiment, referring to FIG. 17, the electrolyte container 1608 is advantageously divided into sections 1620, 1622, 1624, 1626, 1628, 1630 by section walls 1610, 1612, 1614, 1616 and 1618. However, the electrolyte container 1608 can be divided into any number of sections by any number of suitable sections, depending on the particular application.

  Referring to FIG. 16, in this embodiment, pump 1654 discharges electrolyte 1656 from reservoir 1658 into electrolyte container 1608. More specifically, electrolyte 1656 flows through pass filter 1652 and liquid mass flow controller (LMFC) 1646, 1648 and 1650. Pass filter 1652 removes contaminants and unwanted particles from electrolyte 1656. LMFCs 1646, 1648, 1650 control the flow of electrolyte 1656 into sections 1620, 1624 and 1628 (FIG. 17). However, electrolyte 1656 can be supplied using any convenient method depending on the particular application.

  As described above, the wafer chuck 1604 holds the wafer 1602 during the electroplating and / or electropolishing process. In this embodiment, robot 106 inserts or supplies wafer 1602 into wafer chuck 1604. As mentioned above, the robot 106 can obtain the wafer 1602 from the wafer cassette 116 (FIG. 3), or the previous processing station or processing tool. Wafer 1602 may be manually placed in wafer chuck 1604 by an operator depending on the particular application.

  As described in more detail below, after receiving wafer 1602, wafer chuck 1604 closes to hold wafer 1602. The wafer chuck assembly 1600 then positions the wafer chuck 1604 and wafer 1602 within the electrolyte container 1608. More specifically, in this example, wafer chuck assembly 1600 positions wafer chuck 1604 and wafer 1602 above partition walls 1610, 1612, 1614, 1616 and 1618 (FIG. 17) to provide wafer 1602 To the top of the section walls 1610, 1612, 1614, 1616 and 1618 (FIG. 17).

  In the present invention, electrolyte 1656 flows into sections 1620, 1624 and 1628 (FIG. 17) and contacts the bottom surface of wafer 1602. The electrolyte 1656 flows through the gap formed between the bottom surface of the wafer 1602 and the partition walls 1610, 1612, 1614, 1616 and 1618 (FIG. 17). Electrolyte 1656 then returns to reservoir 1658 through sections 1622, 1626 and 1630 (FIG. 17).

  As described in more detail below, wafer 1602 is connected to one or more power supplies 1640, 1642 and 1644. In addition, one or more electrodes 1632, 1634, and 1636 disposed in the electrolyte container 1608 are connected to the power feeding units 1640, 1642, and 1644. When the electrolyte 1656 contacts the wafer 1602, a circuit is formed to electroplate and / or electropolish the wafer 1602. If wafer 1602 is charged to have a negative potential relative to electrodes 1632, 1634, 1636, wafer 1602 is electroplated. If wafer 1602 is charged to have a positive potential relative to electrodes 1632, 1634, 1636, wafer 1602 is properly electropolished. In addition, when the wafer 1602 is electroplated, the electrolyte 1656 is advantageously a sulfuric acid solution. However, the electrolyte solution 1656 may have various chemical properties depending on the particular application.

  In addition, as described in detail below, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 can rotate and / or vibrate the wafer 1602 to facilitate more uniform electroplating and / or electropolishing of the wafer 1602. After the wafer 1602 is electroplated and / or electropolished, the wafer 1602 is removed from the electrolyte container 1608. More specifically, wafer chuck assembly 1600 lifts wafer chuck 1604 from electrolyte container 1608. Next, the wafer chuck 1604 is opened. Robot 106 removes wafer 1602 from wafer chuck 1604 and then supplies another wafer 1602 for electroplating and / or electropolishing. For a more detailed description of the electroplating and / or electropolishing process, US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 232,864, filed Jan. 15, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. No. “PLATING APPARATUS AND METHOD” and the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, PCT patent application PCT / US99 / 15506 filed “METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR” filed on August 7, 1999. Refer to “ELECTROPOLISHING METAL INTERCONNECTIONS ON SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES”.

  As suggested above, specific details regarding the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 are provided to enhance and complete the description of the present invention. The various forms of electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 themselves can be modified without departing from the spirit and / or scope of the present invention. For example, the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 has been shown and described as having an electrolyte container 1608 with multiple sections, however, the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 may be static electrolysis. You may have a static bath.

  Having described embodiments of electroplating and / or electropolishing cells and methods in this manner, examples of wafer chuck 1604 and wafer chuck assembly 1600 will now be described. First, for the sake of clarity, the wafer chuck 1604 and wafer chuck assembly 1600 will be described below in connection with semiconductor electroplating for the sake of clarity. However, wafer chuck 1604 and wafer chuck assembly 1600 may be used in connection with any convenient process such as electropolishing, cleaning, etching, and the like. In addition, the wafer chuck 1604 and wafer chuck assembly 1600 may be used in connection with processing a wide variety of workpieces other than semiconductor wafers.

  Referring to FIGS. 18A-18C, during the electroplating and / or electropolishing process as described above, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 positions the wafer chuck 1604 within the electrolyte container 1608 (FIG. 16). In addition, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 is configured to open and close the wafer chuck 1604 for insertion and removal of the wafer 1602.

  More particularly, in this embodiment, wafer chuck assembly 1600 includes an actuator assembly 1860 and a spring assembly 1894. Actuator assembly 1860 is configured to move wafer chuck 1604 between a first position and a second position. In this embodiment, actuator assembly 1860 is configured to move wafer chuck 1604 between a raised position and a lowered position. In the first position, spring assembly 1894 is configured to open wafer chuck 1604 to allow removal and insertion of wafer 1602. In the second position, the spring assembly 1894 is configured to close the wafer chuck 1604.

  In this embodiment, actuator assembly 1860 includes a motor 1828, gears 1822 and 1824, and a lead screw 1820. Motor 1828 is coupled to shaft 1802 via bracket 1816, lead screw 1820 and gears 1822 and 1824. More specifically, motor 1828 rotates lead screw 1820 through gears 1822 and 1824 to translate bracket 1816 along guide rail 1826. The bracket 1816 is attached to the shaft 1802. This shaft is firmly attached to the upper portion 1858 of the wafer chuck 1604. Thus, the motor 1828 can raise and lower the wafer chuck 1604. However, the wafer chuck 1604 can be raised and lowered using any convenient apparatus and method such as pneumatic actuators, magnetic forces, and the like. Moreover, the motor 1828 may include a DC servo motor, a step motor, and the like.

  A single guide rail 1826 is shown in FIGS. 18A-18C, however, any number of guide rails 1826 may be used depending on the particular application. In addition, referring to FIG. 19, in an alternative embodiment of the present invention, joints 1902 and 1904 are disposed between bracket 1816 and additional bracket 1906. These joints 1902 and 1904 allow movement of the brackets 1906 and 1816 as the lead screw 1820 raises and lowers the wafer chuck 1604. In this way, the bracket is unlikely to move on the guide rail 1826. In this embodiment, these joints 1902 and 1904 are universal joints. However, any convenient type of joint can be used to allow movement between brackets 1906 and 1816.

  With continued reference to FIGS. 18A-18C, the spring assembly 1894 includes a collar 1804, a plurality of rods 1806, and a plurality of springs 1808. The rod 1806 is firmly attached to the collar 1804 and the lower portion 1856 of the wafer chuck 1604. Spring 1808 is disposed about rod 1806 and between collar 1804 and upper portion 1858 of wafer chuck 1604. In addition, the collar 1804 is not attached to the shaft 1802. Thus, as shown in FIG. 18B, the collar 1804 comes into contact with the lid 1810 as the wafer chuck 1604 is raised. As shown in FIG. 18C, the rod 1806 prevents the lower portion 1856 of the wafer chuck 1604 from further rising. However, the spring 1808 is compressed to allow the upper portion 1858 of the wafer chuck 1604 to continue to rise. Accordingly, the wafer chuck 1604 is opened for insertion and removal of the wafer 1602.

  As described above and illustrated in FIGS. 18A-18B, a single operation to raise the wafer chuck 1604 opens the wafer chuck 1604. The reverse operation of lowering the wafer chuck 1604 closes the wafer chuck 1604. More specifically, starting from FIG. 18C, motor 1828 begins to lower wafer chuck 1604 when wafer 1602 is positioned within wafer chuck 1604. As shown in FIG. 18B, as motor 1828 lowers wafer chuck 1604, spring 1808 extends to close wafer chuck 1604.

  In addition to the force applied by the spring 1808, additional vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas can be applied to the hollow portion 1830 formed between the upper portion 1858 and the lower portion 1856 of the wafer chuck 1604. A force is applied to hold the wafer chuck 1604 together. More specifically, referring to FIG. 18B, wafer chuck assembly 1600 has a slip ring assembly 1838 formed with inlets 1870 and 1872. The slip ring assembly 1838 also has a plurality of seal members 1842 configured to form the hollow portions 1866 and 1868. In this embodiment, vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas is applied to hollow portion 1830 through inlet 1870, passage 1874 and conduit 1832. The wafer chuck 1604 also has a seal member 1878 disposed between the upper portion 1858 and the lower portion 1856 to assist in the sealing action of the hollow portion 1830.

  Further, referring to FIG. 18B, a charge is applied to the wafer 1602 during the electroplating and / or electropolishing process, as briefly described above and described in detail below. More specifically, in the present invention, the slip ring assembly 1838 includes a brush 1844, a spring 1846, and a screw 1848. In addition, as will be described in detail below, the wafer chuck 1604 includes a conductive element 1880 in electrical contact with the line 1850 and a spring member 1882 in electrical contact with the wafer 1602. Accordingly, charge is applied to the wafer 1602 via the screw 1848, the spring 1846, the brush 1844, the shaft 1802, the line 1850, the conductive element 1880 and the spring member 1882. Accordingly, the screw 1848, the spring 1846, the brush 1844, the shaft 1802, the line 1850, the conductive element 1880, and the spring member 1882 are made of a conductive material. In addition, since shaft 1802 is rotatable, brush 1844 is made of a conductive low friction material such as graphite.

  As described in detail below, the wafer chuck 1604 includes a seal member 1884 to assist in insulating the spring member 1882 and conductive element 1880 from the electrolyte during the electroplating and / or electropolishing process. Yes. In this embodiment of the present invention, positive pressure gas is supplied to the hollow portion 1892 to check the seal quality of the seal member 1884. More specifically, positive pressure gas is supplied through inlet 1872, passage 1876 and conduit 1852. Wafer chuck 1604 further includes seal members 1886 and 1888 to assist in sealing the hollow portion 1892. Alternatively, vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas may be applied to the hollow portion 1892 to check the seal quality of the seal member 1884. After the wafer chuck 1604 is removed from the electrolyte, a positive pressure gas can be supplied to the hollow portion 1892 to purge the electrolyte from the wafer chuck 1604.

  As suggested above, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 is configured to rotate the wafer chuck 1604 to enhance the uniformity of the electroplating and / or electropolishing process. More particularly, during the electroplating and / or electropolishing process, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 rotates the wafer chuck 1604 from about 5 revolutions per minute to about 100 revolutions per minute. However, the wafer chuck 1604 can be rotated at various speeds depending on the particular application.

  In addition, as described in detail below, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 rotates the wafer chuck 1604 to assist in removing electrolyte from the wafer chuck 1604 after the electroplating and / or electropolishing process. It is configured. During this process, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 rotates the wafer chuck 1604 from about 300 revolutions per minute to about 5000 revolutions per minute, preferably about 500 revolutions per minute. However, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 can rotate the wafer chuck 1604 at various speeds depending on the particular application. As shown in FIG. 20, during this process, the wafer chuck 1604 can be rotated when the wafer chuck 1604 is in the open position. Thus, in an alternative embodiment, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 has a bearing 2002 (FIG. 20). In this example, the bearing 2002 is shown as being disposed between the collar 1804 and the lid 1810. However, the bearing 2002 may be located at various positions depending on the particular application. For example, if the collar 1804 is removed or reduced in size, the bearing 2002 may be provided between the upper portion 1858 and the lid 1810. However, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 can rotate the wafer chuck 1604 at various speeds depending on the particular application.

  Referring to FIG. 18, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 includes a rotation assembly 1864 for rotating the wafer chuck 1604. In this embodiment, rotating assembly 1864 includes a motor 1836 and a drive belt 1834 coupled to shaft 1802. In this embodiment, the motor 1836 and the drive belt 1834 are disposed below the bracket 1816. However, the motor 1836 and drive belt 1834 can be located at various positions to rotate the shaft 1802. For example, referring to FIG. 21, wafer chuck assembly 1600 is shown having a motor 1836 and a drive belt 1834 disposed above bracket 1816. Alternatively, the motor 1836 may be coupled to the shaft 1802 via a gear instead of the drive belt 1834. The motor 1836 may be directly coupled to the shaft 1802. In this embodiment, the motor 1836 may include a DC servo motor, a step motor, and the like. In addition, the rotating assembly 1864 may include a wide variety of mechanisms for rotating the wafer chuck 1604. For example, the rotating assembly 1864 may be formed as an electromagnetic mechanism for rotating the wafer chuck 1604.

  Referring to FIGS. 18A-18B, in the present invention, shaft 1802 is made of a metal or a corrosion resistant metal alloy such as stainless steel. In order to reduce friction, the surface of shaft 1802 that contacts seal member 1842 and brush 1844 is machined to a finished surface roughness of less than about 5 microns, and preferably less than about 2 microns. In addition, in this embodiment, wafer chuck assembly 1600 includes bearings 1812 and 1814 disposed between shaft 1802 and lid 1810. Wafer chuck assembly 1600 also has a bearing 1818 disposed between shaft 1802 and bracket 1816. The bearings 1812, 1814, 1818 may include ball bearings, bushings, low friction materials, and the like.

  As described above, the slip ring assembly 1838 is configured to apply vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas, reduced pressure gas and electricity to the shaft 1802. Thus far, the slip ring assembly 1838 is shown as being secured to the bracket 1816, particularly as shown in FIGS. 18A-18C. In contrast, with reference to FIGS. 22A-22B, in an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 remains fixed when the wafer chuck 1604 is raised and lowered. have. More specifically, the shaft 1802 slides through the slip ring assembly 2200 as it is raised and lowered.

  In the following, various alternative embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these alternative embodiments do not include all possible modifications that may be made to the present invention. Rather, these alternative embodiments are intended to illustrate some of the possible changes.

  Referring to FIG. 23, in an alternative embodiment, conductive element 1880 of wafer chuck 1604 is shown without seal member 1888 (FIG. 18A). In addition, the spring 2302 applies a charge to the conductive element 1880. In contrast to wire 1890 shown in FIG. 18C, spring 2302 lifts away from conductive element 1880 when wafer chuck 1604 is opened.

  Referring to FIG. 24, in another alternative embodiment, the wafer chuck 1604 is shown with a seal member 1884 having a Z-shaped cross section. Compared to a seal member 1884 having an L-shaped cross-section (FIG. 18A), the Z-shaped cross-section can more securely hold the spring member 1882 in place. However, the seal member 1884 may be formed with a wide variety of cross sections. In this connection, these possible cross-sections are described below with reference to the drawings.

  Referring to FIG. 25, in yet another alternative embodiment, wafer chuck 1604 is shown with conduits 1832 and 1852 formed in upper portion 1858. However, conduits 1832 and 1852 may be formed in a variety of forms. For example, a notch can be formed along the top surface of the upper portion 1858. Lines 1832 and 1852 may be tubes inserted into the notches. In this way, the pipe lines 1832 and 1852 can be held more reliably.

  Referring to FIG. 26, in yet another alternative embodiment, the wafer chuck 1604 is shown with a rod 1806 attached to the lower portion 1856 using a nut 2602. The end of rod 1806 and the end of nut 2602 are sealed with a cap 2604 to protect them from the electrolyte during the electroplating and / or electropolishing process.

  Referring to FIG. 27, in an alternative embodiment, the embodiment shown in FIG. 26 is shown with a seal member 1884 having a Z-shaped cross section. As described above, this cross section can hold the spring member 1882 more reliably.

  Referring to FIG. 28, in another alternative embodiment, the wafer chuck 1604 is shown with a conduit 1852. Thus, when the wafer chuck 1604 is closed, a vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas is first applied to the line 1852 to increase the force that holds the wafer chuck 1604 together. Compressed gas can be supplied to line 1852 to assist in purging electrolyte from wafer chuck 1604 after electroplating and / or electropolishing processes.

  Referring to FIG. 29, in yet another alternative embodiment, wafer chuck 1604 includes a conduit 2902 for applying vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas and compressed gas to the surface of wafer 1602. It is shown in Thus, when the wafer chuck 1604 is closed, vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas is exerted on the lines 1852 and 2902 to increase the force holding the wafer chuck 1604 together. Compressed gas can be supplied to line 1852 to assist in purging electrolyte from wafer chuck 1604 after electroplating and / or electropolishing processes. The wafer chuck 1604 is then opened, preferably with a gap of about 1 millimeter to about 3 millimeters, preferably 1.5 millimeters. After the wafer chuck 1604 is opened, compressed gas can be supplied to line 2902 to assist in removing the wafer 1602.

  Referring to FIG. 30, in yet another embodiment, the wafer chuck 1604 is shown having a single conduit 3002. Accordingly, vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas and compressed gas are simultaneously applied to the hollow portion 3004 and the surface of the wafer 1602.

  With reference to FIGS. 31-33, further details of an embodiment of the electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 are shown. As described above, the electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 includes one or more electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112. More specifically, in this embodiment, electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 has three electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 provided on frame 3202. However, as suggested above, the frame 3202 may be provided with any number of electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 depending on the particular application.

  In this embodiment, the electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 further includes a guide rail 3204 and an air cylinder 3206 for moving the wafer chuck assembly 1600. More specifically, air cylinder 3206 translates wafer chuck assembly 1600 along guide rail 3204 attached to frame 3202. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 32A and 32B, wafer chuck assembly 1600 and wafer chuck 1604 may be used as an electrolyte container for the operation of electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 including wafer chuck assembly 1600 and wafer chuck 1604. 1608 can be withdrawn. More specifically, in FIG. 32B, electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 is shown with wafer chuck assembly 1600 retracted in the open position. In FIG. 32A, electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 is shown with wafer chuck assembly 1600 in a closed position above electrolyte container 1608. However, a wide variety of actuators may be used to retract the wafer chuck assembly 1600.

  Referring to FIGS. 31A, 32A and 33A, the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 includes an electrolyte container 1608 and a wafer chuck assembly 1600. As shown in FIG. 32A, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 has a lid 1810 for covering the electrolyte container 1608. The lid 1810 has an exhaust hole 3208 for removing vapor from the inside of the electrolyte container 1608. Thus, each electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 in the electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 can be individually evacuated. This reduces the need for a large ventilation system for overall electroplating and / or electropolishing (FIGS. 32A and 33A).

  As shown in FIGS. 31A and 32A, wafer 1602 can be inserted into and removed from electrolyte container 1608 through slot 1892. More specifically, the robot 106 carries the wafer 1602 into and out of the electrolyte container 1608. Although slot 1892 is shown as being formed in electrolyte container 1608, slot 1892 may be formed in lid 1810.

  As described above, the wafer 1602 is held by the wafer chuck 1604 (FIG. 18A). Referring to FIG. 31A, in this embodiment, wafer chuck assembly 1600 lowers wafer 1602 into electrolyte container 1608 for electroplating and / or electropolishing. After completion of the electroplating and / or electropolishing process, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 raises the wafer, removes it, and loads a new wafer 1602.

  Referring to FIG. 37, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 (FIG. 31A) includes a bracket 1816 as described above. In this embodiment, bracket 1816 is coupled to wafer chuck 1604 via shaft 1802 (FIG. 18A). More specifically, shaft 1802 is secured to upper portion 1858 of wafer chuck 1604, as will be described in detail below. In addition, the slip ring assembly 1838 is secured to the bracket 1816. Further, the shaft 1802 is disposed within the slip ring assembly 1838.

  Referring to FIG. 35, it can be seen that a portion of the wafer chuck assembly 1600 is located below the lid 1810. Referring to FIG. 34, in this embodiment, the bracket 1816 has a guide rail 1826. More specifically, in this embodiment, each guide rail 1826 includes a rod 3402 disposed within a bushing 3404. The rod 3402 is attached to the lid 1810. In addition, in this embodiment, four guide rails 1826 are provided. However, any number of guide rails 1826 may be used depending on the particular application.

  Thus, referring to FIG. 35, the motor 1828 is configured to move the bracket 1816 along the guide rail 1826. More specifically, motor 1828 is engaged with lead screw 1820 to move bracket 1816. In addition, as described above, in this embodiment, bracket 1816 is coupled to bracket 1906. More specifically, brackets 1816 and 1906 are coupled via joints 1902 and 1904 to allow movement between brackets 1816 and 1906. As previously mentioned, joints 1902 and 1904 reduce the likelihood that brackets 1816 and 1906 will move on guide rail 1826.

  Referring to FIG. 37, as described above, the wafer chuck 1604 is configured to rotate. Referring to FIG. 35, a motor 1836 is configured to rotate the wafer chuck 1604 (FIG. 37). More specifically, in this embodiment, motor 1836 rotates shaft 1802 via drive belt 1834. Referring again to FIG. 37, the shaft 1802 is secured to the upper portion 1858 of the wafer chuck 1604. In addition, shaft 1802 rotates within slip ring assembly 1838.

  With continued reference to FIG. 37, it has a plurality of spring assemblies 1894 configured to open and close the wafer chuck 1604 as described above. More specifically, in this embodiment, wafer chuck 1604 has six spring assemblies 1894. However, any number of spring assemblies 1894 may be used depending on the particular application.

  With continued reference to FIG. 37, in this embodiment, each spring assembly 1894 has a rod 1806 with one end formed to have a different head portion than the collar 1804 (FIG. 18A). ing. More specifically, referring to FIGS. 40A and 40B, one end of rod 1806 is secured to lower portion 1856 of wafer chuck 1604. The other end of the rod 1806 has a head portion 4002. In addition, a spring 1808 is disposed about the rod 1806 and between the upper portion 1858 and the head portion 4002. Thus, when the wafer chuck 1604 is in the lowered position, the spring 1808 is extended to apply a force to hold the upper portion 1858 and the lower portion 1856 closed. When the wafer chuck 1604 is raised, the head portion 4002 finally contacts the lower surface of the lid 1810 (FIG. 34). Thus, the spring 1808 becomes compressed and the rod 1806 separates the upper portion 1858 from the lower portion 1856 and opens the wafer chuck 1604.

  As described above, with reference to FIG. 37, in addition to the force applied by the spring assembly 1894, a vacuum and / or reduced pressure is applied to hold the wafer chuck 1604 together. Referring to FIG. 41, in this embodiment, a vacuum and / or reduced pressure is applied to the hollow portion 1830 formed by the seal member 4104. As previously described and as shown in FIGS. 18A-18B, the hollow portion 1830 is formed in the lower portion 185 and is sealed by a seal member 1878. In contrast, referring again to FIG. 41, the seal member 4104 is more easily mounted within the lower portion 1856 using any convenient fastening device and / or fastening method such as screws, bolts, adhesives, and the like. be able to. More specifically, in this embodiment, the seal member 4104 is attached using a ring 1406. The ring can be secured to the lower portion 1856 using any convenient securing device such as screws, bolts, and the like. Ring 1406 assists in distributing the force applied by the fixation device around seal member 4104. In addition, the use of the seal member 4104 is more cost-effective and more reliable than forming the hollow portion 1830 in the lower portion 1856. Seal member 4104 may comprise any flexible and compliant material such as Viton, (fluorocarbon) rubber, silicone rubber, and the like.

  Referring to FIG. 42, as described above, vacuum and / or reduced pressure can be supplied to the hollow portion 1892 to check and / or improve the sealability formed by the seal member 1884. . In addition, as described above, the sealing performance formed by the sealing member 1884 is checked, the sealing performance formed by the sealing member 1884 is improved, and the remaining electrolyte is purged. Therefore, compressed gas can be supplied to the hollow portion 1892.

  However, when vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas is applied to the hollow portion 1892, some vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas may ooze to the interface between the wafer 1602 and the upper portion 1852. In such a case, the wafer 1602 may remain attached to the upper portion 1852 when the wafer chuck 1604 (FIG. 37) is in the open position even if the vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas is stopped. It becomes more difficult to remove. 46-48, in order to prevent wafer 1602 (FIG. 42) from adhering to upper portion 1852 (FIG. 42), between wafer 1602 (FIG. 42) and upper portion (FIG. 42). A texture pad 4600 may be provided. In this embodiment, texture pad 4600 has a number of grooves 4602 formed in the entire surface that contacts wafer 1602 (FIG. 42). In this way, any vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas that oozes behind the wafer 1602 (FIG. 42) can be more easily escaped. Therefore, the possibility that the wafer 1602 (FIG. 42) adheres to the upper portion 1852 (FIG. 42) is reduced.

  Referring again to FIGS. 41 and 42, in this embodiment, vacuum, reduced pressure and / or compressed gas is passed through the mounting members 4102 (FIG. 41) and 4202 (FIG. 42) to form the hollow portions 1830 and 1892. Referring to FIG. 38, vacuum, reduced pressure and / or compressed gas is supplied from passageway 1874 through conduit 1832 to attachment member 4102 (FIG. 41) and from passageway 1876 through conduit 1852 to attachment member 4202. (FIG. 42).

  Referring to FIG. 43, vacuum, reduced pressure, and / or compressed gas is supplied through slip ring assembly 1838 to passages 1874 and 1876 formed in shaft 1802. As described above, the slip ring 1838 is configured to supply vacuum and / or reduced pressure into the shaft 1802 even when the shaft 1802 is rotating. More specifically, as described above, the seal member 1842 forms hollows 1866 and 1868 (FIG. 18B) between the shaft 1802 and the slip ring assembly 1838. In these cavities, a vacuum and / or reduced pressure can be introduced through inlets 1870 and 1872.

  Referring to FIG. 16, as described above, the uniformity of electroplating and / or electropolishing is maintained by maintaining the wafer 1602 in an electrolyte container 1608 aligned parallel to the level of the electrolyte 1656. Is improved. In this regard, with reference to FIG. 43, the bracket 1816 can be configured to be aligned parallel to the wafer chuck 1858.

  Referring to FIG. 44, the alignment of the bracket 1816 with respect to the slip ring 1838 can be adjusted by variously adjusting a number of screws 4312 and a number of set screws 4314. More specifically, the gap between bracket 1816 and slip ring assembly 1838 can be increased and decreased by adjusting screw 4312 and set screw 4314, respectively. In this embodiment, the use of at least three screws 4312 and three set screws 4314 allows the slip ring assembly 1838 to be kept substantially horizontal relative to the bracket 1816. However, various devices and methods may be employed to allow the alignment of the bracket 1816 and the slip ring assembly 1838 to be adjusted.

  Referring to FIG. 45, the alignment of the upper portion 1858 relative to the shaft 1802 can be adjusted by variously adjusting the plurality of screws 4304 and set screws 4306. In this embodiment, the alignment of the upper portion 1858 with respect to the stem member 4302 is adjusted by adjusting the screw 4304 and the set screw 4306. More specifically, the gap between upper portion 1858 and stem member 4302 can be adjusted using screws 4303 and set screws 4306. In this embodiment, the upper portion 1858 can be kept substantially parallel to the stem member 4302 by using three screws 4304 and placing a set screw 4306 in the center of the upper portion 1858 and the stem member 4302. become.

  In addition, in this embodiment, the stem member 4302 is attached to the shaft 1802 with a plurality of bolts 4308. Thus, upper portion 1858 can be removed from shaft 1802 without having to reset its alignment. As suggested above, the wafer chuck 1604 (FIG. 37) can be removed for various purposes such as inspection, repair, maintenance, and the like. For ease of realignment later, referring to FIG. 43, in this embodiment, the stem member 4302 and the shaft 1802 are joined using a mortise-mortise joint. In addition, the bolt 4308 is in contact only with the stem member 4302 and the shaft 1802. Accordingly, adjustment of the bolt 4308 does not affect the alignment of the upper portion 1858 with respect to the stem member 4302.

  Having thus described various embodiments of the wafer chuck assembly, various embodiments of the wafer chuck 1604 will now be described. Referring to FIG. 49, wafer chuck 1604 has a lower portion 1856 and an upper portion 1858. Lower portion 1856 is formed to have an opening for exposing the bottom surface of wafer 1602 during the electroplating and / or electropolishing process.

  In one embodiment, the lower portion 1856 and the upper portion 1858 are electrically insulated and have a convenient material that is acid and corrosion resistant, such as ceramics, polytetrafluoroethylene (commercially TEFLON®). For example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and polypropylene. Alternatively, the lower portion 1856 and the upper portion 1858 may be made of any conductive material (eg, metal, metal alloy, etc.). This conductive material is electrically insulated and is coated with a material having acid resistance and corrosion resistance. In this embodiment, the lower portion 1856 and the upper portion 1858 have a sandwich structure in which a metal layer is sandwiched between plastic layers. The metal layer provides structural integrity and strength. The plastic layer provides protection against the electrolyte.

  The wafer chuck 1604 according to various aspects of the present invention further includes a spring member 1882, a conductive element 1880, and a seal member 1884. As suggested above, the present invention is particularly suitable for use in connection with holding a semiconductor wafer. In general, a semiconductor wafer has a substantially circular shape. Accordingly, the various components of wafer chuck 1604 (ie, lower portion 1856, seal member 1884, conductive element 1880, spring member 1882 and upper portion 1858) are shown as having a generally circular shape. However, the various components of wafer chuck 1604 may have various shapes depending on the particular application. For example, referring to FIG. 67, wafer 6700 may be formed with a flat edge 6702. Accordingly, various components of the wafer chuck 1604 can be adapted to the flat edge 6702.

  Referring to FIG. 51, when the wafer 1602 is positioned between the lower portion 1856 and the upper portion 1858, the spring member 1882 is in contact with the wafer 1602 around the outer periphery in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. It is advantageous to have. The spring member 1882 is further advantageously in contact with the conductive element 1880. When the electric charge is applied to the conductive element 1880 in this way, the electric charge is transmitted to the wafer 1602 through the spring member 1882.

  As shown in FIG. 51, in this embodiment, the spring member 1882 is disposed between the wafer 1602 and the lip portion 1880 a of the conductive element 1880. Accordingly, the spring member 1882 is adapted to maintain electrical contact between the wafer 1602 and the conductive element 1880 when pressure is applied to hold the lower portion 1856 and the upper portion 1858 together. More specifically, the top and bottom of the coil of spring member 1882 are in contact with wafer 1602 and lip portion 1880a, respectively. In addition, spring member 1882 may be coupled to lip portion 1880a to form a better electrical contact using any convenient method such as soldering.

  The number of contacts formed between the wafer 1602 and the conductive element 1880 can be changed by changing the number of coils in the spring member 1882. In this way, the charge applied to the wafer 1602 can be distributed more uniformly around the outer periphery of the wafer 1602. For example, for a 200 millimeter (mm) wafer, a charge typically having about 1-10 amps is applied. If spring member 1882 forms about 1000 contacts with wafer 1602, for a 200 mm wafer, the applied charge is reduced to about 1 to about 10 milliamperes per contact.

  In this embodiment, conductive element 1880 has been shown and described as having a lip portion 1880a in this manner, but conductive element 1880 has a variety of shapes for making electrical contact with spring member 1882. It may be. For example, the conductive element 1880 can be formed without the lip portion 1880a. In such a shape, an electrical contact can be formed between the side of the conductive element 1880 and the spring member 1882. Further, the entire conductive element 1880 can be removed. The charge can be applied directly to the spring member 1882. However, in such a configuration, a hot spot may be formed in a portion of the spring member 1882 where a charge is applied.

  Spring member 1882 may be made of any convenient material that is electrically conductive and corrosion resistant. In this embodiment, spring member 1882 is made of a metal or metal alloy (such as stainless steel, spring steel, titanium, etc.). The spring member may be coated with a corrosion resistant material (such as platinum, gold, etc.). According to one aspect of the present invention, the spring member 1882 is formed as a coil spring formed in a ring shape. However, conventional coil springs typically have a cross section that can be varied over the entire length of the coil. More particularly, conventional coil springs generally have an elliptical cross section with a long diameter and a short diameter. In a portion of the coil, the long and short diameters of the elliptical cross section can be oriented in the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively. However, the elliptical cross-section typically twists or rotates along the length of the coil spring. Thus, in other parts of the coil spring, the long and short diameters of the elliptical cross section may be oriented in the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively. Such non-uniformity in the cross-section results in non-uniform electrical contact with the wafer 1602 and thus non-uniform electroplating.

  A coil spring having a uniform cross-section over its entire length is difficult to manufacture and is extremely expensive. Thus, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, spring member 1882 is comprised of a plurality of coil springs to maintain a substantially uniform cross-section. In one form of this embodiment, when the spring member 1882 is located on the top surface of the lip portion 1880a, the applied charge is transferred from the lip portion 1880a over the entire length of the spring member 1882. Therefore, in such a configuration, the plurality of coil springs do not need to be electrically coupled. However, as suggested above, in another form of the invention, the charge can be applied directly to the spring member 1882. In such a configuration, the plurality of coil springs are electrically coupled using a convenient method such as soldering, welding or the like. In this embodiment, spring member 1882 includes a plurality of coil springs, each coil spring having a length of about 1 to about 2 inches. However, the coil member 1882 may have any number of coil springs with any length, depending on the particular application. Further, as suggested above, the spring member 1882 may comprise any convenient conductive material that is compatible.

  Referring to FIGS. 50 and 51, the spring member 1882 may have a spring holder 5002. In this embodiment, when the spring member 1882 is a coil spring, the spring holder 5002 is formed as a rod passing through the center of the loop of the coil spring. The spring holder 1882 facilitates handling of the spring member 1882, particularly when the spring member 1882 includes a plurality of coil springs. In addition, spring holder 5002 provides structural support to reduce undesirable deformation of spring member 1882. In this embodiment, the spring holder 5002 is advantageously made of a rigid material (such as a metal, metal alloy, plastic, etc.). In addition, the spring holder 5002 is advantageously made of a corrosion resistant material (such as platinum, titanium, stainless steel, etc.). Further, the spring holder 5002 may be conductive or non-conductive.

  The conductive element 1880 may be made of any material that is conductive and non-corrosive. In this embodiment, conductive element 1880 is made of a metal (such as titanium, stainless steel, etc.) or a metal alloy and is coated with a corrosion resistant material (such as platinum, gold, etc.).

  Electric charge can be applied to the conductive element 1889 through the transmission line 5104 and the electrode 5102. Transmission line 5104 may comprise any convenient conductive medium. For example, the transmission line 5104 may include an electrical wire made of copper, aluminum, gold, or the like. In addition, the transmission line 5104 may be connected to the feeders 1640, 1642, 1644 using any convenient method. For example, as shown in FIG. 18A, the transmission line 5104 may extend through the upper portion 1858 and along the top surface of the upper portion 1858.

  The electrode 5102 is advantageously formed in a compliant manner. Thus, when pressure is applied to hold the lower portion 1856 and the upper portion 1858 together, the electrode 5102 follows to maintain electrical contact with the conductive element 1880. In this regard, electrode 5102 may comprise a leaf spring assembly, a coil spring assembly, and the like. Electrode 5102 may be made of any convenient conductive material (such as a metal, metal alloy, etc.). In this embodiment, electrode 5102 is made of a non-corrosive material (such as titanium, stainless steel, etc.). In addition, any number of electrodes 5102 may be disposed around the upper portion 1858 to apply a charge to the conductive element 1880. In this embodiment, four electrodes are disposed around the upper portion 1858 at approximately 90 ° intervals with a substantially uniform spacing.

  As described above, to electroplate the metal layer, the wafer 1602 is infiltrated into the electrolyte and a charge is applied to the wafer 1602. Wafer 1602 is charged at a potential greater than that of electrodes 1632, 1634, and 1636 (FIG. 16), and metal ions in the electrolyte move toward the surface of wafer 1602 to form a metal layer. However, if the spring member 1882 and / or the conductive element 1880 are exposed to the electrolyte when an electric charge is applied, a short circuit may occur. In addition, during the electroplating process, if the wafer 1602 has a metal seed layer, the metal seed layer can act as an anode and the spring member 1882 can act as a cathode. Thus, a metal layer is formed on the spring member 1882 and the seed layer of the wafer 1602 may be electropolished (ie removed). The short circuit of the spring member 1882 and the removal of the seed layer of the wafer 1602 may reduce the uniformity of the metal layer formed on the wafer 1602.

  Thereby, in accordance with various aspects of the present invention, seal member 1884 insulates spring member 1882 and conductive element 1880 from the electrolyte. The sealing member is advantageously formed from a non-corrosive material, such as Vuitton (fluorocarbon) rubber, silicone rubber or the like. Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 51, the seal member 1884 has an L-shaped cross section, but the seal member 1884 may have a variety of shapes and configurations depending on the particular application. . Some examples of various forms of seal member 1884 are shown in FIGS. 53A-53G. However, the various configurations shown in FIGS. 53A-53G are merely examples, and are not intended to illustrate all possible alternative configurations of the seal member 1884.

  As described above and shown in FIG. 51, the spring member 1882 and the seal member 1884 are in contact with the wafer 1602 around the outer periphery of the wafer 1602. More specifically, the spring member 1882 and the seal member 1884 are in contact with the width 5106 of the outer peripheral portion of the wafer. In general, this area of the wafer 1602 cannot be used later to form microelectronic structures or the like. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the width 5106 is maintained at a small percentage of the total surface area of the wafer 1602. For example, for a wafer of about 300 millimeters (mm), the width 5106 is kept between about 2 mm and about 6 mm. However, the width 5106 may occupy any proportion of the total surface area of the wafer 1602 depending on the particular application. For example, in one application, the amount of metal layer deposited on wafer 1602 may be more important than the usable area of wafer 1602. Thus, a large portion of the surface area of the wafer 1602 can be used to contact the spring member 1882 and seal member 1884 to receive a large charge.

  Referring to FIG. 54, the processing steps performed by wafer chuck 1604 (FIG. 51) are shown in flowchart form. Referring to FIG. 51, a wafer chuck 1604 is opened to receive a wafer 1602 to be processed (FIG. 54, block 5402). More specifically, the lower portion 1856 can be lowered relative to the upper portion 1858. Alternatively, the upper portion 1858 can be raised relative to the lower portion 1856. As suggested above, various methods such as air pressure, spring, vacuum, magnetism, etc. may be used to open the wafer chuck 1604.

  If the wafer chuck 1604 is empty (FIG. 54, YES branch of decision block 5404 to block 5408), a new wafer 1602 to be processed is supplied and inserted (FIG. 54, block 5408). However, if the wafer chuck 1604 has a previously processed wafer, this previously processed wafer is removed from the wafer chuck 1604 (FIG. 54, NO branch of decision block 5404 to block 5406) and then A new wafer 1602 is provided (FIG. 54, block 5408). As described above, the wafer 1602 can be handled by the robot 106 (FIG. 16). Further, the wafer 1602 can be obtained from the wafer cassette 116 (FIG. 3) and returned to the wafer cassette 116 (FIG. 3).

  After the wafer 1602 is fed into the wafer chuck 1604, the wafer chuck 1604 can be closed (FIG. 54, block 5410). As suggested above, the lower portion 1856 can be raised relative to the upper portion 1858. Alternatively, the upper portion 1858 can be lowered relative to the lower portion 1856. As described above, when the wafer chuck 1604 is closed, the spring member 1882 forms an electrical contact between the wafer 1602 and the conductive element 1880. In addition, conductive element 1880 forms an electrical contact with electrode 502.

  After the wafer chuck 1604 is closed, the wafer chuck 1604 is lowered into the electrolyte container (1608) (FIG. 54, block 5412). As described above, the wafer 1602 is infiltrated into the electrolyte. As also described above, seal member 1884 prevents electrolyte from contacting spring member 1882 and conductive element 1880.

  When the wafer 1602 is immersed in the electrolyte, an electric charge is applied to the wafer 1602 (FIG. 54, block 5414). More specifically, in this embodiment, charge is applied to wafer 1602 via transmission line 5104, conductor 5102, conductive element 1880 and spring member 1882. As described above, the spring member 1882 forms a plurality of contacts around the periphery of the wafer 1602 to facilitate more uniform distribution of the charge applied to the wafer 1602. In addition, as described above, the spring member 1882 forms a plurality of contacts with the conductive element 1880 to facilitate a more even distribution of the charge applied to the spring member 1882. The charge may be applied before or after the wafer chuck 1602 is lowered into the electrolyte container 1608 (FIG. 16).

  As suggested above, the wafer chuck 1604 can be rotated to facilitate more uniform electroplating of the metal layer on the wafer 1602 (FIG. 16). As suggested in FIG. 16, in this embodiment, the wafer chuck 1604 can be rotated about the z-axis. In addition, the wafer chuck 1604 can be vibrated in the xy plane.

  Referring to FIG. 51, after the wafer 1602 is electroplated and / or electropolished, the wafer chuck 1604 can be raised from the electrolyte container 1608 (FIG. 16). In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) is supplied to remove residual electrolyte. More specifically, referring to FIG. 52A, dry gas is supplied through nozzle 5202 to remove residual electrolyte from the joint between seal member 1884 and wafer 1602. Note that any number of nozzles 5202 can be used depending on the particular application. In addition, the wafer chuck 1604 can be rotated while dry gas is being supplied through the nozzle 5202. The nozzle 5202 itself may be stationary or movable.

  After the wafer chuck 1604 is raised, the chuck 1604 is opened (FIG. 54, block 5402). The processed wafer is then removed (FIG. 54, NO branch of decision block 5404 to block 5406). A dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) may be supplied to remove residual electrolyte. More specifically, referring to FIG. 52B, dry gas is supplied through nozzle 5404 to remove residual electrolyte from conductive element 1880, spring member 1882, and seal member 1884. In addition, the wafer chuck 1604 can be rotated while dry gas is supplied through the nozzle 5204.

  After a new wafer is supplied (FIG. 54, block 5408), the entire process is repeated. However, various modifications can be made to the steps shown in FIG. 54 without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

  Various alternative embodiments are described in accordance with various aspects of the invention as described below with reference to the associated drawings. However, these alternative embodiments are not intended to illustrate all of the various modifications that can be made to the present invention. Rather, these alternative embodiments are merely illustrative of some of the many changes that can be made without departing from the spirit and / or scope of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 55, in an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a wafer chuck 5500 in accordance with various aspects of the present invention includes a purge line 5506, a nozzle 5508, and a nozzle 5510. In this embodiment, purge line 5506 and nozzles 5508 and 5510 inject dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) into spring member 5514 and seal member 5504. Thus, after the wafer 1602 is processed, residual electrolyte can be purged from the spring member 5514 and the seal member 5504. As described above, maintaining the spring member 5514 in the absence of electrolyte makes it easier to perform a more uniform electroplating process. In addition, purging the electrolyte from the seal member 5504 facilitates better sealing when the next wafer is processed. As shown in FIG. 55, in this embodiment, a purge line 5506 and nozzles 5508 and 5510 are formed in the conductive element 5502. In addition, purge line 5506 can be connected to pressure line 1852 (FIG. 18A). However, the wafer chuck 5500 can be suitably configured to have a purge line 5506 and nozzles 5508 and 5510 in a variety of forms without departing from the spirit and / or scope of the present invention. Further, any number of purge lines 5506 and nozzles 5508 and 5510 may be formed in the wafer chuck 5500.

  Referring to FIG. 56, in another alternative embodiment of the present invention, a wafer chuck 5600 according to various aspects of the present invention includes a purge line 5602 and a plurality of nozzles 5604. In this embodiment, the purge line 5602 and the plurality of nozzles 5604 inject dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) onto the seal member 5606. Thus, after the wafer 1602 is processed and removed from the wafer chuck 5600, residual electrolyte can be purged from the top surface of the seal member 5606. As shown in FIG. 56, in this embodiment, a purge line and a plurality of nozzles 5604 are formed in the upper portion 5608. However, the wafer chuck 5600 can be suitably configured to have a purge line 5602 and a nozzle 5604 in various forms without departing from the spirit and / or scope of the present invention. Further, any number of purge lines 5602 and nozzles 5604 may be formed in the wafer chuck 5600.

  Referring to FIG. 57, in yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, a wafer chuck 5700 according to various aspects of the present invention includes a purge line 5702 and a plurality of nozzles 5704 and 5710. In this embodiment, the purge line 5702 and the plurality of nozzles 5704 and 5710 inject dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) into the seal member 5706 and the spring member 5712, respectively. Thus, after the wafer 1602 is processed and removed from the wafer chuck 5700, the residual electrolyte can be purged from the top surface of the seal member 5706 and the top surface of the spring member 5712. As shown in FIG. 57, in this embodiment, a purge line 5702 and a plurality of nozzles 5704 and 5710 are formed in the upper portion 5708. However, the wafer chuck 5700 can be suitably configured to have a purge line 5702 and a plurality of nozzles 5704 and 5710 in various forms without departing from the spirit and / or scope of the present invention. Further, any number of purge lines 5702 and nozzles 5704 and 5710 may be formed in the wafer chuck 5700.

  Referring to FIG. 58, in yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, a wafer chuck 5800 according to various aspects of the present invention includes a purge line 5802 and a plurality of seal rings 5804 and 5806. . In this embodiment, seal ring 5806 forms a seal between conductive element 5808 and lower portion 5810. Similarly, the seal ring 5804 forms a seal between the conductive element 5808 and the upper portion 5812. As a result, the quality of the seal between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 5814 can be checked by supplying positive pressure gas to the purge line 5802 and checking for leaks. Alternatively, the purge line 5802 can be pumped to generate a negative pressure to check the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 5814. If this latter process is used, pumping of the purge line 5802 is terminated after processing of the wafer 1602 and then the wafer 1602 is removed to prevent electrolyte from being drawn into the purge line 5802. Positive pressure must be injected through the purge line 5802. After the wafer 1602 is processed and removed from the wafer chuck 1200, residual gas is removed from the spring member 5816 and the seal member 5814 by injecting dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) through the purge line 5802. Can be purged.

  Referring to FIG. 59, in yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, a wafer chuck 5900 according to various aspects of the present invention includes a seal member 5902 having a trapezoidal shape. When the wafer chuck 5900 is rotated after processing the wafer 1602, the trapezoidal shape of the seal member 5902 makes it easy to remove the residual electrolyte from the seal member 5902. In this embodiment, the angle 5904 of the seal member 5902 may be in the range of about 0 ° to about 60 °, and is preferably about 20 °.

  Referring to FIG. 60, in yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, a wafer chuck 6000 according to various aspects of the present invention has a purge line 6002. In this embodiment, the purge line 6002 is formed through the bottom portion 6006 and the seal member 6004. By supplying positive pressure gas through the purge line 6002, the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6004 can be checked. Alternatively, the purge line 6004 can be pumped to generate a negative pressure to check the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6004. As described above, when the latter process is used, pumping of the purge line 6002 is terminated after processing of the wafer 1602 and then the wafer to prevent electrolyte from being drawn into the purge line 6002. A positive pressure must be injected through the purge line 6002 before the 1602 is removed.

  Referring to FIG. 61, in yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, a wafer chuck 6100 according to various aspects of the present invention includes a purge line 6102, a purge line 6108, a plurality of seal rings 6116 and 6106, and have. In this embodiment, seal ring 6116 forms a seal between conductive element 6118 and upper portion 6110. Similarly, seal ring 6104 forms a seal between conductive element 6118 and lower portion 6106. As a result, the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6112 can be checked using the purge line 6102 and / or the purge line 6108.

  More specifically, in one form, seal quality can be checked by supplying compressed gas to purge line 6102 and purge line 6108 to check for leaks. In another form, the purge line 6102 and the purge line 6108 can be pumped to generate a negative pressure to check the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6112. In yet another form, pressure can be supplied to one of purge line 6102 and purge line 6108, and the other purge line is pumped to generate a negative pressure. If negative pressure is used to check for leaks, pumping is terminated after processing of wafer 1602 to prevent electrolyte from being drawn into purge line 6102 and / or purge line 6108; A positive pressure must then be injected through the purge line 6102 and / or the purge line 6108 before removing the wafer 1602. After the wafer 1602 is processed and removed from the wafer chuck 6100, the residual electrolyte is removed from the seal member by injecting dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) through the purge line 6102 and / or the purge line 6108. Purge from 6112 and spring member 6114 can be performed.

  Referring to FIG. 62, in yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, a wafer chuck 6200 according to various aspects of the present invention includes a spring member 6208, a conductive element 6210, and a seal member 6206. Yes. In this embodiment, the spring member 6208 and the conductive element 6210 are disposed within the seal member 6206. The advantage of such a configuration is that the spring member 6208, the conductive element 6210, and the seal member 6206 can be pre-assembled.

  The wafer chuck 6200 further includes a purge line 6214, a plurality of nozzles 6212 formed through the seal member 6214, and a conductive element 6210. By supplying positive pressure gas through the purge line 6214, the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6206 can be checked. Alternatively, the purge line 6214 can be pumped to generate a negative pressure to check the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6206. As described above, when the latter process is used, the purge line 6214 is pumped after processing of the wafer 1602 to prevent electrolyte from being drawn into the purge line 6214 and then the wafer. Positive pressure must be injected through the purge line 6214 before the 1602 is removed.

  Referring to FIG. 63, in yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, a wafer chuck 6300 according to various aspects of the present invention includes a purge line 6302 and a plurality of nozzles 6304. In this embodiment, the purge line 6302 and the plurality of nozzles 6304 inject dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) onto the seal member 6310, the conductive element 6308, and the spring member 6306. Thus, after the wafer 1602 is processed and removed from the wafer chuck 6300, residual electrolyte can be purged from the top surfaces of the seal member 6310, conductive element 6308, and spring member 6306. As shown in FIG. 63, in this embodiment, the purge line 6302 and the plurality of nozzles 6304 are formed in the upper portion 6312. However, the wafer chuck 6300 can be suitably configured to have a purge line 6302 and a plurality of nozzles 6304 in a variety of forms without departing from the spirit and / or scope of the present invention. Further, any number of purge lines 6302 and nozzles 6304 may be formed in the wafer chuck 6300.

  Referring to FIG. 64, in yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, the wafer chuck 6400 includes a seal member 6402. In this embodiment, the seal member 6402 is formed with a square notch for receiving the spring member 6404 therein. The advantage of such a configuration is that the spring member can be received more reliably. However, the seal member 6402 may be formed to have a variety of shapes depending on the particular application.

  Referring to FIG. 65, in another alternative embodiment of the present invention, a wafer chuck 6500 according to various aspects of the present invention comprises a purge line 6502, a purge line 6508, and a seal ring 6506. Have. In this embodiment, seal ring 6506 forms a seal between lower portion 6504 and upper portion 6510. As a result, the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6512 can be checked using the purge line 6502 and / or the purge line 6508.

  More specifically, in one form, seal quality can be checked by supplying compressed gas to purge line 6502 and purge line 6508 to check for leaks. In another form, the purge line 6502 and the purge line 6508 can be pumped to generate a negative pressure to check the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6512. In yet another form, pressure can be supplied to one of purge line 6502 and purge line 6508, and the other purge line is pumped to generate a negative pressure. If negative pressure is used to check for leaks, pumping is terminated after processing of wafer 1602 to prevent electrolyte from being drawn into purge line 6502 and / or purge line 6508; A positive pressure must then be injected through purge line 6502 and / or purge line 6508 before removing wafer 1602. After the wafer 1602 is processed and removed from the wafer chuck 6500, the residual electrolyte is removed from the seal member by injecting dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) through the purge line 6502 and / or the purge line 6508. Purge can be performed from 6512 and spring member 6514.

  Referring to FIG. 66, in yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention, a wafer chuck 6600 according to various aspects of the present invention includes a seal member 6602 with a trapezoidal shape. When the wafer chuck 6600 is rotated after processing the wafer 1602, the trapezoidal shape of the seal member 6602 makes it easy to remove the residual electrolyte from the seal member 6602. In this embodiment, the angle 6604 of the seal member 6602 can range from about 0 ° to about 60 °, and is preferably about 20 °.

  While the invention has been described in connection with a number of alternative embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, as noted above, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and / or scope of the invention. Can be added. Accordingly, the present invention is not to be construed as limited to the specific form shown in the drawings and described above.

It is a top view which shows the Example of a wafer processing tool. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 1 along line 2-2. FIG. 3 is another cross-sectional view showing the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 1 along line 3-3. 2 is a flowchart for processing a wafer using the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a top view showing a selective form of the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 5 along line 6-6. FIG. 7 is another cross-sectional view of the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 5 taken along line 7-7. FIG. 2 is a top view illustrating another alternative form of the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a top view showing yet another alternative form of the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a top view showing yet another alternative form of the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 1. It is a cross-sectional view which shows the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 10 along the 11-11 line. FIG. 12 is another cross-sectional view of the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 10 taken along line 12-12. Figure 3 illustrates another alternative form of the wafer processing tool shown in Figure 1; FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 14-14 of the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. FIG. 15 is another cross-sectional view taken along line 15-15 of the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. It is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an electroplating and / or electropolishing cell. FIG. 17 is a top view showing a part of the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell shown in FIG. 16. It is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a wafer chuck assembly. It is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a wafer chuck assembly. It is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a wafer chuck assembly. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an alternative form of the wafer chuck assembly shown in FIGS. 18A-18C. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another alternative form of the wafer chuck assembly shown in FIGS. 18A-18C. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view illustrating yet another alternative form of the wafer chuck assembly shown in FIGS. 18A-18C. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view illustrating yet another alternative form of the wafer chuck assembly shown in FIGS. 18A-18C. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view illustrating yet another alternative form of the wafer chuck assembly shown in FIGS. 18A-18C. It is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a wafer chuck. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view showing a selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 23. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view showing another alternative form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 23. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view showing still another alternative form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 23. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view showing still another alternative form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 23. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view showing another alternative form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 23. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view showing still another alternative form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 23. FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view showing still another alternative form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 29. FIG. 17 is a side view showing an alternative configuration of the electroplating and / or electropolishing station shown in FIG. 16. FIG. 17 is a side view showing an alternative configuration of the electroplating and / or electropolishing station shown in FIG. 16. FIG. 31B is a top view showing the electroplating and / or electropolishing station shown in FIG. 31A. FIG. 31B is a top view showing the electroplating and / or electropolishing station shown in FIG. 31B. FIG. 31B is a front view showing the electroplating and / or electropolishing station shown in FIG. 31A. FIG. 31B is a front view showing the electroplating and / or electropolishing station shown in FIG. 31B. FIG. 34 is a top view showing an example of the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell shown in FIGS. 31 to 33. It is a side view which shows the Example of the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell shown in FIG. FIG. 35 is a top view showing a portion of the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell shown in FIG. 34. It is a side view of the part shown in FIG. FIG. 35 is a top view showing another portion of the electroplating and / or electropolishing shown in FIG. 34. It is a side view of the part shown in FIG. FIG. 39 is a transverse sectional view showing the part shown in FIG. FIG. 39 is a transverse sectional view showing the part shown in FIG. FIG. 39 is a transverse sectional view showing the part shown in FIG. FIG. 39 is another cross-sectional view showing the portion shown in FIG. 38 along line 42. FIG. 35 is a cross sectional view showing a part of the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell shown in FIG. 34. FIG. 35 is a perspective view showing another portion of the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell shown in FIG. 34. FIG. 35 is a perspective view showing still another part of the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell shown in FIG. 34. FIG. 35 is a bottom view showing still another part of the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell shown in FIG. 34. It is a side view of the part shown in FIG. It is an enlarged view which shows a part of side view shown in FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the Example of a wafer chuck. FIG. 50 is an exploded perspective view showing a selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 49. FIG. 50 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 49. FIG. 50 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 49. FIG. 50 is a cross-sectional view of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 49. FIG. 52 is a cross-sectional view showing a selective form of a part of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. FIG. 52 is a cross-sectional view showing a selective form of a part of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. FIG. 52 is a cross-sectional view showing a selective form of a part of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. FIG. 52 is a cross-sectional view showing a selective form of a part of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. FIG. 52 is a cross-sectional view showing a selective form of a part of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. FIG. 52 is a cross-sectional view showing a selective form of a part of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. FIG. 52 is a cross-sectional view showing a selective form of a part of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. FIG. 52 is a flowchart for handling a wafer using the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an alternative embodiment of a wafer chuck. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a second alternative embodiment of a wafer chuck. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a third alternative embodiment of a wafer chuck. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a fourth alternative embodiment of a wafer chuck. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a fifth optional embodiment of a wafer chuck. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a sixth alternative embodiment of a wafer chuck. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a seventh alternative embodiment of a wafer chuck. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an eighth optional embodiment of a wafer chuck. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a ninth alternative embodiment of a wafer chuck. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a tenth alternative embodiment of a wafer chuck. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an eleventh alternative embodiment of a wafer chuck. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a twelfth alternative embodiment of a wafer chuck. It is a top view of a wafer.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Wafer processing tool 102,112 Electroplating and / or electropolishing station 104 Cleaning station 106,800,1008 Robot 108,110,500 Wafer handling station 114 Cleaning cell 116, 1202 Wafer cassette 118 Housing unit 132 Computer 902,1002,1004 , 1006 Stack 1302 Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP)
1600 Wafer chuck assembly 1602 Wafer 1604 Wafer chuck 1608 Electrolyte container 1610, 1612, 1614, 1616, 1618 Partition wall 1632, 1634, 1636 Electrode 1640, 1642, 1644 Power feeding part 1646, 1648, 1650 Liquid mass flow controller (LMFC)
1652 Pass filter 1654 Pump 1802 Shaft 1804 Collar 1806 Rod 1808, 1846 Spring 1810 Lid 1812, 1814, 1818 Bearing 1816 Bracket 1820 Lead screw 1822, 1824 Gear 1826 Guide rail 1828 Motor 1834 Drive belt 1838, Slip ring assembly 1842 1884 1889 Seal member 1844 Brush 1848 Screw 1850 Line 1852 Pressure line 1860 Actuator assembly 1864 Rotating assembly 1866, 1868, 1892 Hollow part 1882 Spring member 1890 Wire 1894 Spring assembly 1902, 1904 Joint 1906 Bracket 2002 Bearing 2200 Slip ring assembly 2302 Spring 2602 Nut 2604 Cap 2902, 3002 Pipe line 3004 Hollow part 3202 Frame 3204 Guide rail 3206 Air cylinder 3208 Exhaust hole 3404 Bush 3402 Rod 4002 Head part 4104 Seal member 4600 Texture pad 4202 Mounting member 4302 Stem member 4303, 4304 Screw 4 Screw 4308 Bolt 5002 Holder 5104 Transmission line 5102 Electrode 5500, 5600, 5700, 5800, 5900, 6000, 6100, 6200, 6300, 6400, 6500, 6600, 6700, 6702 Wafer chuck 5514, 5712, 5816, 6208, 6306, 6404 6514 Spring member 5502, 5808, 6118, 62 0, 6210, 6308 Conductive element 5202, 5404, 5508, 5510, 5508, 5510, 5604, 5704, 5710, 6212, 6304 Nozzle 5506, 5602, 5702, 5802, 6002, 6102, 6108, 6214, 6302, 6502, 6508 Purge line 5804, 5806, 6106, 6116, 6506 Seal ring 5504, 5606, 5706, 5814, 5902, 6004, 6112, 6206, 6310, 6402, 6512, 6602 Seal member

Claims (107)

A wafer chuck assembly for holding a wafer includes a wafer chuck having a lower portion and a spring member disposed between the lower portion and the wafer, the spring member applying a charge to the wafer. Is formed as
A wafer chuck assembly for holding a wafer, further comprising an actuator assembly configured to move the wafer chuck.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 1, wherein the spring member is in contact with a portion of the outer periphery of the wafer such that the applied charge is distributed around a portion of the outer periphery of the wafer.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 1, wherein the spring member is comprised of a compliant conductive material.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 3, wherein the spring member is a coil spring formed as a ring.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 1, wherein the spring member comprises a plurality of springs formed as rings.   The top portion of claim 1 further comprising an upper portion disposed above the lower portion, the upper portion and the lower portion being configured to open to receive a wafer. Wafer chuck assembly.   Furthermore, the conductive element arrange | positioned between the said upper part and the said lower part is provided, This conductive element is formed so that an electric charge may be applied to the said spring member. Wafer chuck assembly.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 7, wherein the conductive element has a lip portion that contacts the bottom of the spring member.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 7, further comprising a driven electrode disposed on the upper portion, the driven electrode configured to apply a charge to the conductive element.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 7, further comprising a purge line formed in the conductive element and a plurality of nozzles. further,
A first seal ring disposed between the upper portion and the conductive element;
The wafer chuck assembly of claim 10, further comprising a second seal ring disposed between the lower portion and the conductive element.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 6, further comprising a purge line formed in the upper portion and a plurality of nozzles.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 6, wherein the actuator assembly is configured to move the wafer chuck between a first position and a second position.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 13, further comprising a spring assembly coupled to the upper portion and the lower portion for opening and closing the wafer chuck.   When the wafer chuck is moved to the first position, the spring assembly opens the upper part and the lower part, and when the wafer chuck is moved to the second position, the spring The wafer chuck assembly of claim 14, wherein the assembly is adapted to close the upper portion and the lower portion. The spring assembly comprises:
A rod having a first end and a second end, the first end being secured to the lower portion;
A spring disposed between the second end of the rod and the upper portion;
The wafer chuck assembly of claim 14.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 16, wherein the spring is adapted to extend to engage the upper portion with the lower portion when the wafer chuck is moved to the second position.   When the wafer chuck is moved to the first position, the rod separates the upper portion from the lower portion and the spring is between the second end of the rod and the upper portion. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 16, wherein the wafer chuck assembly is adapted to be compressed at the same time. further,
A shaft having a first end and a second end, the first end being fixed to the upper portion;
The wafer chuck assembly of claim 16, further comprising a bracket coupled to the second end of the shaft. The actuator assembly comprises:
A guide rail,
A lead screw coupled to the bracket;
A motor coupled to the lead screw for moving the bracket along the guide rail to move the wafer chuck between the first position and the second position The motor is adapted to rotate the lead screw.
The wafer chuck assembly of claim 19.   Furthermore, a lid is provided between the upper part and the lower part, and the lid moves the wafer chuck between the first position and the second position. 21. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 20, further comprising a shaft hole for allowing the shaft to slide relative to the lid.   In order to stop the movement of the lower part when the wafer chuck is moved to the first position, the second end of the rod contacts the lid, whereas the upper part 23. The wafer chuck of claim 21, wherein the wafer chuck is adapted to continue to move relative to the lower portion by compressing the spring between the upper portion and the second end of the rod. assembly.   The wafer according to claim 1, further comprising a seal member disposed between the lower portion and the wafer, wherein the seal member forms a seal between the lower portion and the wafer. Chuck assembly.   24. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 23, wherein the seal member has an L-shaped cross section.   24. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 23, wherein the seal member has a trapezoidal cross section.   24. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 23, further comprising a purge line formed in the lower portion and penetrating the seal member.   24. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 23, wherein the seal member is made of synthetic rubber.   24. The wafer chuck assembly according to claim 23, further comprising a conductive element disposed in a notch formed in the seal member, wherein the spring portion is disposed on a top surface of the conductive element.   29. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 28, further comprising a purge line formed through the lower portion, the seal member, and the conductive element.   30. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 28, wherein the notch formed in the seal member has a square cross section for receiving the spring member. In a wafer chuck assembly for holding a wafer,
A wafer chuck formed to open and close;
An actuator assembly configured to move the wafer chuck between a first position and a second position is provided, and is open when the wafer chuck is in the first position; A wafer chuck assembly for holding a wafer, wherein the wafer chuck assembly is closed when in position. The wafer chuck is
An upper part;
A lower portion, the lower portion having an opening for exposing a surface of the wafer when the wafer is held between the upper portion and the lower portion. 32. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 31.   The wafer of claim 32, wherein the wafer chuck further comprises a spring member disposed between the lower portion and the wafer, the spring member being configured to apply a charge to the wafer. Chuck assembly.   34. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 33, wherein the spring member is in contact with a portion of the outer periphery of the wafer such that the applied charge is distributed around a portion of the outer periphery of the wafer.   34. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 33, wherein the spring member is a coil spring.   36. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 35, further comprising a spring holder disposed within the coil spring.   The wafer chuck further includes a conductive element disposed between the upper part and the lower part, the conductive element being configured to apply a charge to the spring member. Item 34. The wafer chuck assembly according to Item 33.   The wafer chuck further comprises a seal member disposed between the lower portion and the wafer, the seal member forming a seal between the lower portion and the wafer. 34. The wafer chuck assembly according to 33.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 32, further comprising a spring assembly for opening and closing the wafer chuck. The spring assembly comprises:
A rod having a first end and a second end, the first end being secured to the lower portion;
A spring disposed between the second end of the rod and the upper portion;
40. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 39.   When the wafer chuck is moved to the first position, the rod separates the upper portion from the lower portion to open the wafer chuck, and the spring is the second end of the rod. 41. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 40, wherein the wafer chuck assembly is adapted to be compressed between a portion and the upper portion.   41. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 40, wherein when the wafer chuck is moved to the second position, the spring is adapted to extend to engage the upper portion with the lower portion.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 32, wherein the wafer chuck further comprises a vacuum chamber formed between the upper portion and the lower portion when the wafer chuck is closed.   44. The upper portion is configured to have a vacuum line for allowing vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas to act on the vacuum chamber when the wafer chuck is in the second position. Wafer chuck assembly.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 32, wherein the upper portion is formed with a compressed gas line.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 32, wherein the upper section and the lower section comprise an inner metal core with an outer plastic shell. further,
A shaft having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is fixed to the upper portion;
32. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 31, further comprising a bracket coupled to the second end of the shaft. The actuator assembly comprises:
A guide rail,
A lead screw coupled to the bracket;
A motor coupled to the lead screw, wherein the motor rotates the lead screw to move the bracket along the guide rail.
48. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 47. The actuator assembly further comprises:
A second bracket coupled between the first bracket and the lead screw;
49. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 48, comprising a plurality of joints disposed between the first bracket and the second bracket.   50. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 49, wherein the plurality of joints are universal joints.   48. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 47, further comprising a rotating assembly configured to rotate the wafer chuck.   52. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 51, wherein the rotating assembly is adapted to rotate the wafer chuck between about 5 revolutions per minute and about 5000 revolutions per minute. A drive belt coupled to the shaft, the rotating assembly;
52. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 51, comprising a motor coupled to the drive belt.   52. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 51, further comprising a bearing disposed between the shaft and the bracket.   52. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 51, further comprising a slip ring assembly coupled to the bracket.   56. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 55, wherein the slip ring assembly is configured to supply a charge to the shaft.   57. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 56, wherein the slip ring assembly includes a brush assembly configured to apply a charge to the shaft while the shaft is rotating.   56. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 55, wherein the slip ring assembly is configured to supply vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas and / or compressed gas into at least one inlet formed in the shaft. The slip ring assembly comprises:
At least one inlet formed in the slip ring assembly;
Disposed between the slip ring assembly and the shaft to form at least one sealed hollow between the inlet formed in the slip ring and the inlet formed in the shaft. 59. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 58, comprising a plurality of seal members. In a wafer chuck assembly for holding a wafer,
A wafer chuck having an upper portion and a lower portion;
And an actuator assembly configured to move the wafer chuck between a mounting position and a processing position, wherein the upper and lower portions open when the wafer chuck is in the mounting position. A wafer chuck assembly for holding a wafer, wherein the wafer chuck assembly is adapted to be separated so as to be closed when the wafer chuck is in the processing position.   61. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 60, further comprising a spring assembly configured to separate and engage the upper and lower portions. Each of the spring assemblies is
A rod having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is engaged with the lower portion;
62. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 61, comprising a spring disposed between the second end of the rod and the upper portion.   When the wafer chuck is moved to the processing position, the spring is adapted to extend to engage the upper portion with the lower portion, and the wafer chuck is moved to the loading position. The rod sometimes separates the upper portion from the lower portion so as to compress the spring between the second end of the rod and the upper portion. 63. The wafer chuck assembly according to 62.   64. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 63, wherein the wafer chuck further comprises a vacuum chamber formed between the upper portion and the lower portion.   68. The wafer of claim 64, wherein the upper portion is configured to have a vacuum line for applying vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas to the vacuum chamber when the wafer chuck is in the processing position. Chuck assembly. further,
A shaft having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is fixed to the upper portion;
61. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 60, further comprising a bracket coupled to the second end of the shaft. The actuator assembly comprises:
A guide rail,
A lead screw coupled to the bracket;
A motor coupled to the lead screw, and the motor rotates the lead screw to move the bracket along the guide rail.
68. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 66. The actuator assembly further comprises:
A second bracket coupled between the first bracket and the lead screw;
68. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 67, comprising a plurality of joints disposed between the first bracket and the second bracket.   69. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 68, wherein the plurality of joints are universal joints.   68. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 66, further comprising a rotating assembly configured to rotate the wafer chuck.   71. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 70, wherein the rotating assembly is adapted to rotate the wafer chuck between about 5 revolutions per minute and about 5000 revolutions per minute. A drive belt coupled to the shaft, the rotating assembly;
71. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 70, further comprising a motor coupled to the drive belt.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 70, further comprising a bearing disposed between the shaft and the bracket.   The wafer chuck assembly of claim 70, further comprising a slip ring assembly.   75. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 74, wherein the slip assembly is coupled to the bracket.   75. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 74, wherein the slip ring assembly is configured to supply a charge to the shaft.   77. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 76, wherein the slip ring assembly includes a brush assembly configured to apply a charge to the shaft while the shaft is rotating.   75. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 74, wherein the slip ring assembly is configured to supply vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas and / or compressed gas into at least one inlet formed in the shaft. The slip ring assembly comprises:
At least one inlet formed in the slip ring assembly;
Disposed between the slip ring assembly and the shaft to form at least one sealed hollow between the inlet formed in the slip ring and the inlet formed in the shaft. 80. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 78, comprising a plurality of seal members. In a wafer chuck assembly for holding a wafer,
A wafer chuck;
A spring assembly configured to open and close the wafer chuck;
An actuator assembly configured to move the wafer chuck between a first position and a second position is provided, the spring assembly moving the wafer chuck to the first position. A wafer chuck assembly for holding a wafer, wherein the wafer chuck is opened when the wafer chuck is moved, and the wafer chuck is closed when the wafer chuck is moved to the second position. The wafer chuck is
An upper part;
A lower portion, the lower portion having an opening for exposing a surface of the wafer when the wafer is held between the upper portion and the lower portion. 81. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 80. The spring assembly comprises:
A rod having a first end and a second end, the first end being secured to the lower portion;
A spring disposed between the second end of the rod and the upper portion;
The wafer chuck assembly of claim 81. further,
A shaft having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is fixed to the upper portion;
83. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 82, further comprising a bracket coupled to the second end of the shaft. The actuator assembly comprises:
A guide rail,
A lead screw coupled to the bracket;
A motor coupled to the lead screw, wherein the motor rotates the lead screw to move the bracket along the guide rail.
84. A wafer chuck assembly according to claim 83.   Furthermore, a lid is provided between the upper part and the lower part, and the lid moves the wafer chuck between the first position and the second position. 84. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 83, further comprising a shaft hole for allowing the shaft to slide relative to the lid.   In order to stop the movement of the lower part when the wafer chuck is moved to the first position, the second end of the rod contacts the lid, whereas the upper part 86. The wafer chuck of claim 85, wherein said wafer chuck continues to move relative to said lower portion by compressing said spring between said upper portion and said second end of said rod. assembly. The actuator assembly further comprises:
A second bracket coupled between the first bracket and the lead screw;
85. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 84, comprising a plurality of joints disposed between the first bracket and the second bracket.   90. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 87, wherein the plurality of joints are universal joints.   84. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 83, further comprising a rotating assembly configured to rotate the wafer chuck.   90. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 89, wherein the rotating assembly is adapted to rotate the wafer chuck between about 5 revolutions per minute and about 5000 revolutions per minute. A drive belt coupled to the shaft, the rotating assembly;
90. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 89, comprising a motor coupled to the drive belt.   90. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 89, further comprising a bearing disposed between the shaft and the bracket.   90. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 89, further comprising a slip ring assembly.   94. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 93, wherein the slip assembly is coupled to the bracket.   94. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 93, wherein the slip ring assembly is configured to supply a charge to the shaft.   96. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 95, wherein the slip ring assembly comprises a brush assembly configured to apply a charge to the shaft while the shaft is rotating.   94. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 93, wherein the slip ring assembly is configured to supply vacuum and / or reduced pressure gas and / or compressed gas into at least one inlet formed in the shaft. The slip ring assembly comprises:
At least one inlet formed in the slip ring assembly;
Disposed between the slip ring assembly and the shaft to form at least one sealed hollow between the inlet formed in the slip ring and the inlet formed in the shaft. 98. The wafer chuck assembly of claim 97, comprising a plurality of seal members.   98. The shaft is configured to have at least one passage for conveying vacuum, reduced pressure gas or compressed gas from the at least one inlet formed in the shaft to the upper portion. Wafer chuck assembly. In an electroplating and / or electropolishing station for electroplating and / or electropolishing a wafer,
Frame,
At least one electroplating and / or electropolishing cell attached to the frame is provided, the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell being suitable for covering the electrolyte container and the electrolyte container A lid formed,
In addition, a lid retracting assembly is provided that is configured to move the lid between a first position and a second position, and the electrolyte container when the lid is in the first position. Electroplating and / or electropolishing and / or electropolishing a wafer, wherein the lid is retracted from the electrolyte container when in the second position Electropolishing station. The electroplating and / or electropolishing cell further comprises:
A wafer chuck for holding the wafer;
101. The electroplating of claim 100, comprising a wafer chuck assembly for moving the wafer chuck between a first position and a second position when the lid is in the first position. And / or electropolishing station.   The wafer chuck assembly is configured to open the wafer chuck when the wafer chuck is in the first position and to close the wafer chuck when the wafer chuck is in the second position. 101. An electroplating and / or electropolishing station according to 101.   101. The electroplating and / or electropolishing station according to claim 100, further comprising at least two electroplating and / or electropolishing cells.   104. The electroplating and / or electropolishing station according to claim 103, wherein the at least two electroplating and / or electropolishing cells are stacked vertically on the frame. The lid retracting assembly comprises:
A guide rail attached to the lid and the frame;
101. The electroplating and / or 100 of claim 100, comprising an actuator attached to the guide rail configured to move the lid between the first position and the second position. Or electropolishing station.   106. The electroplating and / or electropolishing station of claim 105, wherein the actuator is an air cylinder.   102. The electroplating and / or electropolishing station of claim 101, wherein the wafer chuck has a texture pad attached to the upper portion.

Images