KR102453908B1 - Lipseals and contact elements for semiconductor electroplating apparatuses - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are cup assemblies for holding, sealing, and providing electrical power to a semiconductor substrate during electroplating, the cup assemblies comprising a main body portion and a cup bottom element having a moment arm, an elastic disposed on the moment arm. a polymer sealing element, and an electrical contact element disposed on the elastomeric sealing element. The main body portion may not substantially flex when the substrate is pressed against the moment arm, and the main body portion may be securely attached to another feature of the cup structure. The ratio of the average vertical thickness of the main body portion to the average vertical thickness of the moment arm may be greater than about 5. The electrical contact element may have a substantially flat but flexible contact portion disposed on a substantially horizontal portion of the sealing element. The elastomeric sealing element may be integrated with the cup bottom element during fabrication.

Description

LIPSEALS AND CONTACT ELEMENTS FOR SEMICONDUCTOR ELECTROPLATING APPARATUSES

This invention relates to the formation of damascene interconnects for integrated circuits, and to electroplating apparatuses used during integrated circuit fabrication.

Electroplating is a common technique used in integrated circuit (IC) fabrication to deposit one or more layers of conductive metal. In some manufacturing processes, depositing single or multiple levels of copper interconnections between various substrate features is used. Apparatus for electroplating typically comprises an electroplating cell with a pool/bath of electrolyte and a clamshell designed to hold a semiconductor substrate during electroplating.

During operation of the electroplating apparatus, the semiconductor substrate is deeply immersed in the electrolyte pool such that one surface of the substrate is exposed to the electrolyte. One or more electrical contacts established with the substrate surface are employed to drive a current through the electroplating cell and deposit metal on the substrate surface from metal ions available in the electrolyte. Typically, electrical contact elements are used to form an electrical connection between a substrate and a bus bar serving as a current source. However, in some configurations, the conductive seed layer on the substrate contacted by the electrical connections may become thinner towards the edge of the substrate, making it more difficult to establish an optimal electrical connection with the substrate.

Another issue that arises in electroplating is the potentially corrosive properties of the electroplating solution. Accordingly, in many electroplating apparatuses, lipseals are used for the purpose of preventing leakage of electrolyte and contact with elements of the electroplating apparatus other than the side of the substrate designed for electroplating and the interior of the electroplating cell. It is used at the interface between the substrate and the clamshell.

Lipseal assemblies for use in an electroplating clamshell for engaging and energizing a semiconductor substrate during electroplating are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the lipseal assembly may include an elastomeric lipseal for engaging the semiconductor substrate and one or more contact elements for supplying a current to the semiconductor substrate during electroplating. In some embodiments, upon engagement, the elastomeric lip seal substantially excludes the plating solution from the boundary region of the semiconductor substrate.

In some embodiments, the one or more contact elements are structurally integrated with the elastomeric lip seal and include a first exposed portion that contacts a boundary region of the substrate upon engagement of the lip seal with the substrate. In some embodiments, the one or more contact elements may further include a second exposed portion to form an electrical connection with the current source. In certain such embodiments, the current source may be a bus bar of an electroplated clamshell. In some embodiments, the one or more contact elements may further include a third exposed portion connecting the first and second exposed portions. In certain such embodiments, the third exposed portion may be structurally integrated on the surface of the elastomeric lipseal.

In some embodiments, the one or more contact elements may include an uncovered portion connecting the first and second exposed portions, the unexposed portion may be structurally integrated below the surface of the elastomeric lipseal. have. In certain such embodiments, the elastomeric lip seal is molded over the uncovered portion.

In some embodiments, the elastomeric lip seal may include a first inner diameter defining a substantially circular boundary for exclusion of the plating solution from the boundary region, the first exposed portion of the one or more contact elements having the first inner diameter A larger second inner diameter may be defined. In certain such embodiments, the magnitude of the difference between the first inner diameter and the second inner diameter is about 0.5 mm or less. In certain such embodiments, the magnitude of the difference between the first inner diameter and the second inner diameter is about 0.3 mm or less.

In some embodiments, the lipseal assembly may include one or more flexible contact elements for supplying current to the semiconductor substrate during electroplating. In certain such embodiments, at least a portion of the one or more flexible contact elements may be conformally deposited on the top surface of the elastomeric lip seal, and upon engagement with the semiconductor substrate, the flexible contact elements are semiconductor It may be configured to flex and form a conformal contact surface that interfaces with the substrate. In certain such embodiments, the conformal contact surface interfaces with the bevel edge of the semiconductor substrate.

In some embodiments, the one or more flexible contact elements may have a portion that is not configured to contact the substrate when the substrate is engaged by the lipseal assembly. In certain such embodiments, the non-contacting portion comprises a non-conformable material. In some embodiments, the conformal contact surface forms a continuous interface with the semiconductor substrate, whereas in some embodiments, the conformal contact surface forms a non-continuous interface with the semiconductor substrate having gaps. . In certain such later embodiments, the one or more flexible contact elements may include a plurality of wire tips or wire mesh disposed on the surface of the elastomeric lipseal. In some embodiments, the one or more flexible contact elements conformally disposed on the top surface of the elastomeric lipseal include a conductive deposit formed using one or more techniques selected from chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, and electroplating. include those In some embodiments, one or more flexible contact elements conformally disposed on the top surface of the elastomeric lipseal may include an electrically conductive elastomeric material.

Also disclosed herein are elastomeric lip seals for use in an electroplating clamshell for supporting, aligning, and sealing a semiconductor substrate within the electroplating clamshell. In some embodiments, the lip seal includes a flexible elastomeric support edge and a flexible elastomeric upper portion positioned over the flexible elastomeric support edge. In some embodiments, the flexible elastomeric support edge has a sealing protrusion configured to support and seal the semiconductor substrate. In certain such embodiments, upon sealing the substrate, the sealing protrusion defines a boundary to exclude plating solution. In some embodiments, the flexible elastomeric upper portion includes a top surface configured to be compressed, and an inner side surface positioned outwardly relative to the sealing protrusion. In certain such embodiments, the inner side surface may be configured to move the semiconductor substrate inward and align the semiconductor substrate upon compression of the top surface, in some embodiments about 0.2 mm or more upon compression of the top surface. It may be configured to move inwardly by at least 0.2 mm. In some embodiments, when the top surface is not compressed, the inner side surface is positioned sufficiently outward to cause the semiconductor substrate to be lowered through the flexible elastomeric upper portion and onto the sealing protrusion without contacting the upper portion. However, upon placement of the semiconductor substrate on the sealing protrusion and compression of the top surface, the inner side surface contacts the semiconductor substrate and pushes the semiconductor substrate to align the semiconductor substrate within the electroplating clamshell.

Also disclosed herein are methods for aligning and sealing a semiconductor substrate in an electroplating clamshell having an elastomeric lip seal. In some embodiments, the methods include opening the clamshell, providing the substrate to the clamshell, lowering the substrate through the upper portion of the lipseal and onto the sealing protrusion of the lipseal, aligning the substrate compressing the top surface of the upper portion of the lip seal, and pressing the substrate to form a seal between the sealing protrusion and the substrate. In some embodiments, compressing the top surface of the upper portion of the lip seal causes the inner side surface of the upper portion of the lip seal to push the substrate to align the substrate within the clamshell. In some embodiments, compressing the top surface to align the substrate comprises pressing the top surface against a first surface of the cone of the clamshell, and pressing the substrate to form a seal a second surface of the cone of the clamshell pressing the substrate to the surface.

In some embodiments, compressing the top surface to align the substrate comprises pushing the top surface with a first pressing component of the clamshell, and pressing the substrate to form a seal a second pressing of the clamshell and pressing the substrate with the component. In certain such embodiments, the second pressing component may move independently relative to the first pressing component. In certain such embodiments, compressing the top surface includes adjusting the pressing force applied by the first pressing component based on the diameter of the semiconductor substrate.

Also disclosed herein is a cup assembly for holding, sealing, and providing electrical power to a semiconductor substrate during electroplating, the cup assembly comprising a cup bottom element comprising a main body portion and a moment arm, a moment arm an elastomeric sealing element disposed thereon, and an electrical contact element disposed on the elastomeric sealing element. The elastomeric sealing element may seal to the substrate such that, when pressed by the semiconductor substrate, the plating solution defines a boundary region of the substrate that is substantially excluded during electroplating, wherein the electrical contact element is configured such that the contact element is removed during electroplating. A sealing element may contact the substrate at the boundary region when sealing against the substrate so as to provide power to the substrate. In some embodiments, the main body portion does not substantially flex when the semiconductor substrate is pressed towards the moment arm.

In some embodiments, the main body portion is securely attached to another feature of the cup structure and is relative to the average vertical thickness of the moment arm, such that the main body portion does not substantially flex when the semiconductor substrate is pressed against the moment arm. The ratio of the average vertical thicknesses of the main body portion is greater than about 5. In some embodiments, the electrical contact element has a substantially flat but flexible contact portion disposed on a substantially horizontal portion of the elastomeric sealing element. In some embodiments, the elastomeric sealing element is integrated with the cup bottom element during fabrication.

1 is a perspective view of a wafer holding and positioning apparatus for electrochemically processing semiconductor wafers.
2 is a cross-sectional schematic view of a clamshell assembly having contact rings made of a plurality of flexible fingers;
3A is a cross-sectional schematic view of a clamshell assembly having a lipseal assembly with integrated contact elements;
3B is a cross-sectional schematic view of another clamshell assembly with a different lip seal assembly with integrated contact elements.
4A is a cross-sectional schematic view of a lipseal assembly with flexible contact elements;
FIG. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the lip seal assembly of FIG. 4A shown forming a conformal contact surface for interfacing with a semiconductor substrate;
5A is a cross-sectional schematic view of a lipseal assembly configured to align a semiconductor substrate within a clamshell assembly;
FIG. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the lipseal assembly of FIG. 5A with the surface of the cone of the clamshell assembly pressing against the top surface of the lipseal assembly;
5C is a schematic cross-sectional view of the lipseal assembly of FIGS. 5A and 5B with the top surface of the lipseal and the surface of the cone of the clamshell assembly pushing the semiconductor substrate.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of electroplating a semiconductor substrate.
7A is a cross-sectional schematic view of a cup assembly with a cup bottom element, an elastomeric ring, and a contact ring.
Fig. 7b shows an enlarged view of the cross-sectional schematic view shown in Fig. 7a.
Fig. 7c shows a perspective view of the cross section shown in Fig. 7a;
7D shows an enlarged perspective view of a substantially annular portion of the cup assembly shown in FIGS. 7A-7C ;
7E shows an enlarged perspective view of the cup assembly shown in FIG. 7D showing a cross-section of the annular portion;
Fig. 7f shows a more enlarged perspective view of the cup assembly shown in Figs. 7d and 7e;
7G-7I show exploded views similar to the perspective views shown in FIGS. 7D-7F , but showing the contact ring element separated (vertically) from the rest of the cup assembly.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the concepts presented. The concepts provided may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known process operations have not been described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the described concepts. While some concepts will be described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it will be understood that these embodiments are not intended to be limiting.

An exemplary electroplating apparatus is presented to provide some context for the various lipseal and contact element embodiments disclosed herein. In particular, FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a wafer holding and positioning apparatus 100 for electrochemically processing semiconductor wafers. Apparatus 100 includes wafer-engage components, sometimes referred to as “cramshell components” or “cramshell assembly” or simply “cramshell”. The clamshell assembly includes a cup 101 and a cone 103 . As shown in the following figures, the cup 101 holds the wafer and the cone 103 clamps the wafer tightly within the cup. Other cup and cone designs beyond those specifically shown herein may be used. A common feature is a cup with an inner region in which the wafer resides and a cone that presses the wafer against the cup to hold the cup in place.

In the embodiment shown, the clamshell assembly (comprising the cup 101 and cone 103 ) is supported by struts 104 , which are connected to the top plate 105 . The assemblies 101 , 103 , 104 , and 105 are driven via a spindle 106 connected to a top plate 105 by a motor 107 . The motor 107 is attached to a mounting bracket (not shown). Spindle 106 transmits torque (from motor 107) to the clamshell assembly that causes rotation of the wafer (not shown in this figure) held therein during plating. An air cylinder (not shown) in spindle 106 also provides a normal force to engage cone 103 and cup 101 . When the clamshell is disengaged (not shown), a robot with an end effector arm can insert a wafer between the cup 101 and the cone 103 . After the wafer is inserted, the cone 103 is engaged with the cup 101, which leaves a working surface on one side (but not the other side) of the wafer exposed for contact with the electrolyte solution ( 100) to immobilize the wafer.

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

For purposes of this discussion, an assembly including components 101 - 110 is collectively referred to as a “wafer holder” (or “substrate holder”) 111 . Note, however, that the concept of "wafer holder"/"substrate holder" is generally extended to various combinations and sub-combinations of components, engaging the wafer/substrate and allowing movement and positioning of the wafer/substrate. .

A tilting assembly (not shown) may be connected to the wafer holder to allow biased immersion (as opposed to flat horizontal immersion) of the wafer into the plating solution. The drive mechanism and arrangement of plates and pivot joints, in some embodiments, move the wafer holder 111 along an arcuate path (not shown) and, as a result, the wafer holder 111 (ie, the cup and cone assembly). ) is used to tilt the proximal end of

Further, the entire wafer holder 111 is lifted vertically up or down to immerse the proximal end of the wafer holder into the plating solution via an actuator (not shown). Thus, the two-component positioning mechanism is both a vertical movement along a trajectory normal to the electrolyte surface and a tilting movement (biased-wafer immersion capability) that allows deviation from a horizontal orientation relative to the wafer (i.e., parallel to the electrolyte surface). provides

Note that the wafer holder 111 is used with a plating cell 115 having an anode chamber 157 and a plating chamber 117 housing a plating solution. Chamber 157 may include membranes or other separators designed to hold an anode 119 (eg, a copper anode) and maintain different electrolyte chemistries in the anode compartment and cathode compartment. In the illustrated embodiment, the diffuser 153 is employed to direct the electrolyte upwards towards the rotating wafer in the uniform front. In certain embodiments, the flow diffuser is a rigid piece of insulating material (eg plastic) having a greater number (eg 4,000 to 15,000) of one-dimensional small holes (0.01 to 0.050 inches in diameter). It is a high resistance vitual anode (HRVA) plate, made of and connected to the cathode chamber above the plate. The total cross-sectional area of the holes is less than about 5 percent of the total projected area, thus introducing significant flow resistance into the plating cell which helps to improve the plating uniformity of the system. Additional descriptions of HRVA plates and corresponding apparatus for electrochemically processing semiconductor wafers are described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 12/, filed November 7, 2008, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 291,356. The plating cell may also include a separate membrane for controlling and creating separate electrolyte flow patterns. In another embodiment, the membrane is employed to define an anode chamber containing an electrolyte substantially free of inhibitors, accelerators, or other organic plating additives.

The plating cell 115 may also include tubing or tubing contacts for circulating the electrolyte through the plating cell - and to the work piece being plated. For example, the plating cell 115 includes an electrolyte inlet tube 131 extending vertically into the center of the anode chamber 157 through a hole in the center of the anode 119 . In other embodiments, the cell includes an electrolyte inlet manifold that introduces fluid into the cathode chamber below the diffuser/HRVA plate at the boundary wall of the chamber (not shown). In some cases, the inlet tube 131 includes outlet nozzles on both sides (anode side and cathode side) of the membrane 153 . The device delivers electrolyte to both the anode chamber and the cathode chamber. In other embodiments, the anode and cathode chambers are separated by a flow resistant membrane 153 , each having a separate flow cycle of electrolyte separated. As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the inlet nozzle 155 provides electrolyte to the anode-side of the membrane 153 .

The plating cell 115 also includes a rinse drain line 159 and a plating solution return line 161 , each directly connected to the plating chamber 117 . The rinse nozzle 163 also delivers deionized rinse water to clean the wafer and/or cup during normal operation. The plating solution usually fills most of the chamber 117 . To alleviate the sprashing and creation of bubbles, the chamber 117 includes an inner weir 165 for plating solution return and an outer weir 167 for rinse water return. In the illustrated embodiment, these weirs are circumferential vertical slots in the wall of the plating chamber 117 .

As noted above, electroplated clamshells typically include a lip seal and one or more contact elements to provide a sealing function and an electrical connection function. The lip seal may be made of an elastomeric material. The lip seal forms a seal with the surface of the semiconductor substrate and excludes electrolyte from the boundary region of the substrate. No deposition occurs in this boundary region and is not used to form IC devices, ie, the boundary region is not part of the working surface. Sometimes this zone is also referred to as an edge exclusion zone because electrolyte is excluded from the zone. The boundary region is used to support and seal the substrate during processing, as well as to form electrical connections with contact elements. Since it is generally desirable to increase the working surface, the boundary zone needs to be as small as possible while maintaining the functions described above. In certain embodiments, the boundary zone is between about 0.5 mm and 3 mm from the edge of the substrate.

During installation, the lip seal and contact elements are assembled together with the other components of the clamshell. A person skilled in the art will understand the difficulty of this operation, especially when the boundary zone is small. The overall opening provided by this clamshell is comparable to the size of the substrate (eg, opening to receive 200 mm wafers, 300 mm wafers, 450 mm wafers, etc.). Also, the substrates have intrinsic size tolerances (eg, ± 0.2 mm for a typical 300 mm wafer according to the SEMI specification). A particularly difficult task is the alignment of the elastomeric lipseal and contact elements, since both the elastomeric lipseal and contact elements are made of relatively flexible materials. These two components need to have a very precise relative position. When the sealing edge of the lip seal and the contact elements are placed too far apart from each other, an insufficient electrical connection may or may not be formed between the contacts and the substrate during operation of the clamshell. At the same time, when the sealing edge is placed very close to the contacts, the contacts may interface with the seal and cause leakage into the boundary region. For example, conventional contact rings are spring-like on a substrate to establish electrical connections (notice cup 201, cone 203, and lip seal 212) as shown in the clamshell assembly of FIG. It often consists of a plurality of flexible “fingers” that are pressed into action. Not only are these flexible fingers 208 very difficult to align with respect to the lip seal 212 , the flexible fingers 208 are also easily damaged during installation and if the electrolyte enters the boundary area and the electrolyte becomes boundary Difficult to clean when entering the area.

integrated contact the elements have lip seal assemblies

Provided herein are novel lipseal assemblies having contact elements incorporated into elastomeric lipseals. Instead of installing and aligning two separate sealing and electrical components (eg, lip seal and contact ring) in the field, the two components are aligned and integrated during manufacture of the assembly. This alignment is maintained during installation as well as during operation of the clamshell. As such, the alignment needs to be set up and checked only once, ie during manufacture of the assembly.

3A is a schematic diagram of a portion of a clamshell 300 with a lipseal assembly 302 , in accordance with certain embodiments. The lipseal assembly 302 includes an elastomeric lipseal 304 for engaging a semiconductor substrate (not shown). The lip seal 304 forms a seal with the substrate and excludes plating solution from the boundary region of the semiconductor substrate as described elsewhere in this document. The lip seal 304 may include a projection 308 that extends upwardly relative to and towards the substrate. The protrusions may be compressed or deformed to install the seal to a certain degree. Lipseal 304 has an inner diameter that defines a boundary for excluding plating solution from the boundary region.

The lipseal assembly 302 also includes one or more contact elements 310 structurally integrated within the lipseal 304 . As mentioned above, the contact element 310 is used to supply current to the semiconductor substrate during electroplating. The contact element 310 includes an exposed portion 312 that defines a second inner diameter greater than the first inner diameter of the lip seal 304 to prevent interference with sealing characteristics of the lip seal assembly 302 . . The contact element 310 generally includes another exposed portion 313 to form an electrical connection with a source of current, such as a bus bar 316 of an electroplated clamshell. However, other connection schemes are also possible. For example, the contact element 310 may be interconnected with a distribution bus 314 , which may be coupled to a bus bar 316 .

As noted above, the integration of the lip seal 304 with the one or more contact elements 310 is performed during manufacture of the lip seal assembly 302 and is preserved during installation and operation of the assembly. This integration may be performed in various ways. For example, an elastomeric material may be molded over the contact element 310 . Other elements, such as the current distribution bus 314 , may also be incorporated into the assembly to improve strength, conductivity, and other functions of the assembly 302 .

The lip seal assembly 302 illustrated in FIG. 3A has a contact element 310 positioned between two exposed portions 312 and 313 and having an intermediate unexposed portion connecting the two exposed portions. . This unexposed portion extends through the body of the elastomeric lipseal 304 and is completely surrounded by an elastomeric lipseal 304 that is structurally integrated below the surface of the elastomeric lipseal. This type of lip seal assembly 302 may be formed, for example, by molding an elastomeric lip seal 304 over an unexposed portion of the contact element 310 . Such a contact element may be particularly easy to clean because only a small portion of the contact element 310 extends and is exposed to the surface of the lipseal assembly 302 .

3B illustrates another embodiment in which the contact element 322 extends on the surface of the elastomeric lipseal 304 and does not have an intermediate region surrounded by the lipseal assembly. In some embodiments, the intermediate region is structurally integrated on the surface of the elastomeric lip seal and is located between the first two exposed portions 312 and 313 of the contact element and connects the two portions. , can be seen as the third exposed portion of the contact element. This embodiment is implemented by pressing the contact element 322 into a surface, or by molding the contact element 322 into the surface, or by attaching the contact element 322 to the surface, or otherwise attaching the contact element 322 to the surface. It can also be assembled by attaching. Regardless of how the contact elements are integrated into the elastomeric lip seal, the point or surface of the contact element that forms an electrical connection to the substrate will preferentially align its alignment with the point or surface of the lip seal that forms the seal with the substrate. will keep as The contact element and other portions of the lip seal may move relative to each other. For example, an exposed portion of the contact element that forms an electrical connection to the bus bar may move relative to the lip seal.

Returning to FIG. 3A , the first inner diameter defines a boundary region while the second inner diameter defines the overlap between the contact element and the substrate. In certain embodiments, the magnitude of the difference between the first inner diameter and the second inner diameter is no more than about 0.5 millimeters, which means that the exposed portion 312 of the contact element 310 is no more than about 0.25 mm from the electrolyte solution. means to be separated. This small separation allows to have a relatively small boundary area while maintaining sufficient electrical connection to the substrate. In certain such embodiments, the magnitude of the difference between the first inner diameter and the second inner diameter is about 0.4 mm or less, or about 0.3 mm or less, or about 0.2 mm or less, or about 0.1 mm or less. In other embodiments, the magnitude of the difference between these diameters may be about 0.6 mm or less, or about 0.7 mm or less, or about 1 mm or less. In certain embodiments, the contact elements are configured to conduct at least about 30 amps, or, more specifically, at least about 60 amps. The contact element may include a plurality of fingers such that each of the contacting tips of these fingers is secured against an edge of the lip seal. In the same or other embodiments, the exposed portion of the one or more contact elements includes a plurality of contact points. These contact points may extend away from the surface of the elastomeric lip seal. In other embodiments, the exposed portion of the one or more contact elements comprises a continuous surface.

conformal forming a contact surface flexibility contact the elements have lip seal assemblies

The electrical connection to the substrate may be significantly improved by increasing the contact surface between the contact elements and the substrate during sealing of the substrate in the clamshell assembly and subsequent electroplating. Conventional contact elements (eg, “fingers” shown in FIG. 2 ) are designed to form only “point contact” with a substrate having a relatively small contact area. When the tip of the contact finger touches the substrate, the finger bends to provide a force against the substrate. Although this force may help reduce the contact resistance somewhat, there is often still enough contact resistance to create problems during electroplating. Also, contact fingers may be damaged over time by many repetitions of the bending action.

Described herein are lip seal assemblies having one or more flexible contact elements conformally disposed on a top surface of an elastomeric lip seal. These contact elements are configured to flex upon engagement with the semiconductor substrate and form a conformal contact surface that interfaces with the semiconductor substrate when the substrate is supported, engaged, and sealed by the lip-seal assembly. A conformal contact surface is created when the substrate is pressed against the lip seal in a manner similar to the way a seal is created between the substrate and the lip seal. Thus, urging the substrate against the contact element causes the elastomeric material upon which the contact element is disposed to compress and exert a spring-like opposing force that may facilitate conforming the contact element to the shape of the substrate. You may. However, in some embodiments notwithstanding the elastomeric material having a contact element thereon disposed in series with the elastomeric material forming the sealing interface, the sealing interface may be formed adjacent to each other, although the contact element may be formed adjacent to each other in some embodiments. It should be generally distinguished from the conformal contact surface formed between the element and the substrate. Either the conformal contact element “conforms” to the shape of the substrate, or more specifically “conforms” to the shape of the edge bevel region of the substrate, or the formation of the electrical connection causes the “conformation” of the contact element to the shape of the substrate. When referred to herein as including, the shape of the overall contact element is adjusted relative to the shape of the substrate, although this involves the shape of the contact element being adjusted to match some portion of the shape of the substrate, or a radial edge of the entire substrate. The profile is matched by the shape of the contact element; It should also be noted that instead, it should be understood that only at least a portion of the shape of the contact element is changed to approximately match some portion of the shape of the substrate.

4A illustrates a flexible contact element 404 disposed on a top surface of an elastomeric lip seal 402 prior to sealing and positioning a substrate 406 on the lip seal 402, in accordance with certain embodiments. A lip-seal assembly 400 is illustrated. 4B illustrates the same lipseal assembly 400 after a substrate 406 has been placed and sealed with a lipseal 402 , in accordance with certain embodiments. In particular, the flexible contact element 404 is shown flexing and forming a conformal contact surface at the interface with the substrate 406 when the substrate is held/engaged by the lipseal assembly. The electrical interface between the flexible contact element 404 and the substrate 406 may extend over the (flat) front surface of the substrate and/or the beveled edge surface of the substrate. Generally, the larger contact interface area is formed by providing a conformal contact surface of the flexible contact element 404 at the interface with the substrate 406 .

Although the conformal nature of the flexible contact element 404 is important at the interface with the substrate, the remainder of the flexible contact element 404 may also be conformal to the lipseal 402 . For example, the flexible contact element 404 may extend conformally along the surface of the lip seal. In other embodiments, the remaining portion of flexible contact element 404 may be made from other (eg, non-conformal) materials and/or have a different (eg, non-conformal) configuration. may have Accordingly, in some embodiments, one or more flexible contact elements may have a portion that is not configured to contact the substrate when the substrate is engaged by the lip-seal assembly, the non-contacting portion being conformable. It may contain materials or may contain materials that are not matched.

It should also be noted that although a conformal contact surface may form a continuous interface between the flexible contact element 404 and the semiconductor substrate 406 , forming a continuous interface is not required. For example, in some embodiments, the conformal contact surface has gaps that form a non-continuous interface with the semiconductor substrate. In particular, the non-continuous conformal contact surface may be formed from a flexible contact element comprising a wire mesh and/or a plurality of wire tips disposed on the surface of the elastomeric lip seal. Although non-continuous, the conformal contact surface follows the shape of the lip seal while the lip seal deforms during closure of the clamshell.

A flexible contact element 404 may be attached to the top surface of the elastomeric lip seal. For example, the flexible contact element 404 is pressed against a surface, as described above with respect to FIGS. 3A and 3B (even not in the specific context of flexible contact elements forming a conformal contact surface) and , pasted, molded, or otherwise attached. In other embodiments, the flexible contact element 404 may be disposed over the top surface of the elastomeric lip seal without providing any specific bonding features between the two. In either case, the force exerted by the semiconductor substrate on the flexible contact element (when the clamshell is closed) provides a spring-like counter force that facilitates conformality of the flexible contact element to the shape of the substrate. causing compression of the elastomer under the contact element.

Also, although the portion of the flexible contact element 404 that interfaces with the substrate 406 (which forms a conformal contact surface) is an exposed surface, other portions of the flexible contact element 404 may, for example, Although not formal, it may not be integrated and exposed beneath the surface of the elastomeric lipseal, in a manner somewhat similar to the integrated, lipseal assembly illustrated in FIG. 3B .

In certain embodiments, the flexible contact element 404 includes a conductive layer of conductive deposits deposited on the top surface of the elastomeric lipseal. The conductive layer of the conductive deposits may be formed/deposited using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and/or physical vapor deposition (PVD), and/or (electro)plating. In some embodiments, the flexible contact element 404 may be made of an electrically conductive elastomeric material.

substrate alignment lip seals

As previously described, the boundary region of the substrate from which the plating solution is excluded needs to be small, which requires careful and precise alignment of the semiconductor substrate before closing and sealing the clamshell. Misalignment may cause leakage on the one hand, and/or may cause unnecessary covering/blocking of substrate working areas on the other hand. Tight substrate diameter tolerances may cause additional obstacles during alignment. Some alignment may be provided by the transport mechanism (eg, depending on the accuracy of the robotic handoff mechanism) and by using alignment features such as snubbers disposed within the side walls of the clamshell cup. However, the transport mechanism needs to be installed and aligned correctly (ie, “training” the approximate relative positions of the other components) during installation to the cup to provide accurate and repeatable positioning of the substrates. This robotic training and alignment process is rather difficult to perform, labor intensive and requires highly skilled personnel. Also, snubber features are difficult to install because there are many parts disposed between the lip seal and snubbers and tend to have large tolerance stack-ups.

Accordingly, disclosed herein are lip seals used to support and seal a substrate within the clamshell as well as to align a substrate within the clamshell prior to sealing. Various features of these lip seals will now be described with respect to FIGS. 5A-5C . In particular, FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional schematic view of a clamshell portion 500 having a lip seal 502 supporting a substrate 509 prior to compressing a portion of the lip seal 502 , in accordance with certain embodiments. The lip seal 502 includes a flexible elastomeric support edge 503 that includes a sealing protrusion 504 . The sealing protrusion 504 is configured to engage the semiconductor substrate 509 , provides support, and forms a seal. The sealing protrusion 504 defines a boundary for excluding the plating solution, and may have a first inner diameter (see FIG. 5A ) defining an exclusion boundary. It should be noted that the boundary and/or first inner diameter may change slightly during sealing of the substrate to the elastomeric lip seal due to deformation of the sealing protrusion 504 .

The lipseal 502 also includes a flexible elastomeric upper portion 505 positioned over the flexible elastomeric support edge 503 . The flexible elastomeric upper portion 505 may include a top surface 507 configured to be compressed and also an inner side surface 506 . The inner lateral surface 506 may be positioned outwardly relative to the sealing protrusion 504 (the inner lateral surface 506 is further away from the center of the semiconductor substrate held by the elastomeric lip seal than the sealing protrusion 504 ). (meaning positioned) the top surface 507 may be configured to move inward (toward the center of the semiconductor substrate being held) when compressed by another component of the electroplating clamshell. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the medial lateral surface is configured to move inwardly by at least about 0.1 mm, or at least about 0.2 mm, or at least about 0.3 mm, or at least about 0.4 mm, or at least about 0.5 mm. This inward movement may cause the inner side surface 506 of the lip seal to contact the edge of the semiconductor substrate that rests on the sealing protrusion 504, pushing the substrate towards the center of the lip seal and thus electroplating the substrate. Sort within the shell. In some embodiments, flexible elastomeric upper portion 505 defines a second inner diameter (see FIG. 5A ) that is greater than the first inner diameter (described above). When the top surface 507 is not compressed, lowering the substrate through the flexible elastomeric upper portion 505 and placing the substrate on the sealing protrusion 504 of the flexible elastomeric support edge 503; The second inner diameter is larger than the diameter of the semiconductor substrate 509 so that 509 may be loaded into the clamshell assembly.

The elastomeric lip seal 502 may also have an integrated or otherwise attached contact element 508 . In other embodiments, the contact element 508 may be a separate component. In any case, if the contact element 508 is provided on the inner side surface 506 of the lip seal 502 , whether the contact element is a separate component or not, then the contact element 508 may also be involved in the alignment of the substrate. have. Thus, in these examples, the contact element 508 , if present, is considered to be part of the inner side surface 506 .

Compression of the top surface 507 of the elastomeric upper portion 505 (to align and seal the semiconductor substrate within the electroplating clamshell) may be accomplished in a variety of ways. For example, top surface 507 may be compressed by some other component of the clamshell or part of a cone. FIG. 5B is a schematic view of the same clamshell portion shown in FIG. 5A just before being compressed into a cone 510 , in accordance with certain embodiments. The cone 510 presses the top surface 507 of the upper portion 505 to deform the upper portion as well as to press the substrate 509 to seal the substrate 509 against the sealing protrusion 504 . If used, then the cone may have two surfaces 511 and 512 offset with respect to each other in a certain way. In particular, the first surface 511 is configured to press the top surface 507 of the upper portion 505 while the second surface 512 is configured to press the substrate 509 . The substrate 509 is generally aligned prior to sealing the substrate 509 against the sealing protrusion 504 . Accordingly, the first surface 511 may need to press the top surface 507 before the second surface 512 presses the substrate 509 . As such, a gap may exist between the second surface 512 and the substrate 509 when the first surface 511 contacts the top surface 507 , as shown in FIG. 5B . This gap may depend on the necessary deformation of the upper portion 505 to provide alignment.

In other embodiments, top surface 507 and substrate 509 are pressed by different components of the clamshell, which may have independently controlled vertical positioning. This configuration may allow independent control of the deformation of the upper portion 505 prior to pressing the substrate 509 . For example, some substrates may have larger diameters than others. Alignment of such larger substrates may require less strain than smaller substrates and may even require less deformation than, in certain embodiments, because there is a smaller initial gap between the larger substrates and the inner side surface 506 . It may require little modification.

5C is a schematic view of the same clamshell portion shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B after the clamshell has been sealed, in accordance with certain embodiments. Compression of the top surface 507 of the upper portion 505 by the first surface 511 of the cone 510 (or some other compression components) causes the upper portion ( It contacts the semiconductor substrate 509 and pushes the semiconductor substrate 509 to cause deformation of the 505 and align the semiconductor substrate 509 within the clamshell. Although FIG. 5C illustrates a cross-section of a small portion of the clamshell, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that this alignment process occurs simultaneously around the entire perimeter of the substrate 509 . In certain embodiments, a portion of the inner side surface 506 is at least about 0.1 mm, or at least about 0.2 mm, or at least about 0.3 mm, or at least about, toward the center of the lip seal when the top surface 507 is compressed. configured to move by 0.4 mm, or at least about 0.5 mm.

Clamshell align the substrate in sealing methods

Also disclosed herein are methods for aligning and sealing a semiconductor substrate in an electroplating clamshell having an elastomeric lip seal. The flowchart of FIG. 6 illustrates some of these methods. For example, in some embodiments, methods include opening a clamshell (block 602), providing a substrate to an electroplating clamshell (block 604), sealing the lipseal through an upper portion of the lipseal and lowering the substrate onto the protrusion (block 606), and compressing the top surface of the upper portion of the lipseal to align the substrate (block 608). In some embodiments, compressing the top surface of the upper portion of the elastomeric lip seal during operation 608 causes the inner side surface of the upper portion to contact the semiconductor substrate and push the substrate to align the substrate within the clamshell.

After aligning the semiconductor substrate during operation 608, in some embodiments, the method proceeds by pressing the semiconductor substrate in operation 610 to form a seal between the sealing protrusion and the semiconductor substrate. In certain embodiments, compressing the top surface continues while pressing the semiconductor substrate. For example, in certain such embodiments, pressing the top surface and pressing the semiconductor substrate may be performed by two different surfaces of the cone of the clamshell. Accordingly, the first surface of the cone may press the top surface to compress the top surface, and the second surface of the cone may press the top surface to form a seal with the elastomeric lip seal. In other embodiments, pressing the top surface and pressing the semiconductor substrate are performed independently by two different components of the clamshell. These two pressing components of the clamshell can normally move independently of each other, thus stopping the compression of the top surface if the substrate is pressed onto and sealed against the lip seal by another pressing component. . Further, the compression level of the top surface may be adjusted based on the diameter of the semiconductor substrate by independently varying the pressing force applied on the substrate by its associated pressing component.

These operations may be part of a larger electroplating process, which is also shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 and briefly described below.

Initially, the contact area and lip seal of the clamshell may be cleaned and dried. The clamshell is opened (block 602) and the substrate is loaded into the clamshell. In certain embodiments, the contact tips lie slightly above the plane of the sealing lip, in which case the substrate is supported by an array of contact tips around the substrate boundary. The clamshell is then closed and sealed by moving the cone downwards. During this closing operation, electrical contacts and seals are installed in accordance with the various embodiments described above. Also, the bottom corners of the contacts may be forced down against the resilient lip seal base, which creates an additional force between the tips and the front side of the wafer. The sealing lip may be compressed slightly to ensure a seal around the entire perimeter. In some embodiments, only the sealing lip contacts the front surface when the substrate is initially placed into the cup. In this example, electrical contact between the tips and the front surface is established during compression of the sealing lip.

Once the seals and electrical contacts are installed, the clamshell carrying the substrate is immersed into the plating bath and plated in the bath while held in the clamshell (block 612). A typical composition of the copper plating solution used in this operation is copper ions in a concentration range of about 0.5 to 80 g/L, more specifically about 5 to 60 g/L, and even more specifically about 18 to 55 g/L. and sulfuric acid at a concentration of about 0.1 to 400 g/L. Low-acid copper plating solutions typically contain about 5-10 g/L sulfuric acid. The medium-acid solution and the high-acid solution contain about 50-90 g/L and 150-180 g/L sulfuric acid, respectively. The concentration of chloride ions may be between about 1 and 100 mg/L. A plurality of copper plating organic additives, such as Enthone Viaform, Viaform NexT, Viaform Extreme (available from Enthone Corporation of West Haven, Connecticut) known to those skilled in the art, or other accelerators, inhibitors, and levelers can be used Examples of plating operations are given in more detail in US Patent Application Serial No. 11/564,222, filed Nov. 28, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes, but particularly for the purpose of describing plating operations. is described Once plating is complete and an appropriate amount of material is deposited on the front surface of the substrate, the substrate is then removed from the plating bath. The substrate and clamshell are then spun to remove most of the residual electrolyte on the clamshell surfaces remaining there due to surface tension and adhesion. The clamshell is then rinsed while continuing to spin to dilute and flush as much entrained electrolyte fluid as possible from the clamshell and substrate surfaces. The substrate is then spun with the rinsing liquid turned off for some time, usually at least about 2 seconds, to remove some remaining rinsate. The process may proceed by opening the clamshell (block 614) and removing the processed substrate (block 616). Operation blocks 604-616 may be repeated multiple times for new wafer substrates, as shown in FIG. 6 .

improved strength, more accurate sealing component manufacturing, and reduced Cup assemblies with tolerance stack-up

Often, cup-and-cone electroplated clamshell designs use an elastomeric lip seal that is fabricated separately from the other components of the clamshell - that is, the lip seal is later incorporated into the clamshell when assembled for operational use. They are often fabricated as separate components for bonding. Primarily, this means that other clamshell components are not usually composed of elastomeric material - more precisely rigid pieces made of metals or hard plastics - so typically a separate molding or manufacturing process is used for the clamshell components. due to the fact However, because the lip seal is made of a flexible elastomeric material, and because of the thin (and possibly elaborate) shape of the lip seal (see, eg, FIG. 2 as described above and below), molding of the lip seal is It may be less precise than the manufacture of rigid clamshell components. Also, the assembly process - mounting the lip seal within the bottom of the cup ("cup bottom") - may cause additional variations in the shape and dimensions of the lip seal, as well as tolerance "stack-up". may contribute to additional volatility. Profit margins per wafer substrate are directly determined according to the usable surface area of the substrate; Thus, the size of the edge exclusion zone of the wafer - defined by the radial position of the seal formed by the lipseal relative to the substrate - directly affects the "bottom line" yield rate associated with each wafer substrate. Nevertheless, the lipseal must be positioned sufficiently inwardly to the edge of the substrate (with the source of electroplating current and The boundary regions of the surface of the substrate (used to form electrical connections) must be sealed. Therefore, it is important that the elastomeric sealing element is designed and fabricated to be feasible and fit as precisely as possible.

Current methods for manufacturing the cup assembly and sealing component may be improved by fabricating an elastomeric sealing element with fabrication of the cup bottom element of the cup assembly of an electroplated clamshell design. That is, it may be advantageous to manufacture the cup assembly, and in particular the cup bottom element and the elastomeric sealing element, in an integrated manner. One way to accomplish this is to mold the elastomeric sealing element directly to the cup bottom element (on, over, etc.). This means that if the elastomeric sealing element is physically smaller - for example, more localized radially to the wafer edge region as opposed to extending very far outwardly radially into the cup assembly as in more conventional designs. Having a profile - which may be particularly effective and a smaller sized sealing element is easier to form in place on the cup bottom element. However, in some embodiments the smaller sized elastomeric sealing element is attached to the cup bottom element in a precisely controlled manner to achieve the benefits described above, even if the elastomeric sealing element is not directly molded into the cup bottom element. Also note that bonding, gluing, attaching, or otherwise attaching the sealing element using an adhesive may allow for integrated fabrication with the cup bottom. In either case, the integrated fabrication of the cup bottom element and the elastomeric sealing element with a reduced radial profile allows the former to be more precisely fabricated and positioned within the cup bottom and thus of the wafer substrate for other designs. It is also possible to reduce the size of the edge exclusion zone.

An elastomeric sealing element fabricated in an integrated manner with the cup bottom may also employ different substrate electrical contact elements than those often used in other cup assembly designs. For example, using a separately fabricated lip seal, cup assemblies can be made of cured sheet metal (e.g., about 0.0005 to 0.005 inches thick) that flexes and forms point or line electrical contact with the substrate upon closure of the clamshell. Contact fingers may be employed as contact elements made of These contacts may have an “L” shape at the contacting ends and may act as cantilevers. An example of such an embodiment is schematically illustrated in FIG. 2 . 2 shows the contact fingers 208 ready to flex and form point or line electrical contacts with the displayed substrate upon lowering of the cone 203 (ie, closure of the clamshell). However, flexing of contact fingers, such as contact fingers 208 of FIG. 2 , may cause radial fluctuations in the points or lines of electrical connection formed with the substrate. Variations also include tolerance stack-up between the various components of the electroplated clamshell design shown in FIG. 2 - variation in manufacture of lip seal 212, positioning of lip seal within cup 201, lip seal 212 It may be due to the orientation of the contact fingers 208 on the phase, and the flexing of the contact fingers 208 to contact the substrate.

Cup assemblies disclosed herein with integrated elastomeric sealing elements may employ different types of electrical contact elements with different features. Rather than using L-shaped contact fingers formed from hardened sheet metal and skewed as cantilevers as illustrated in FIG. 2 , these cup assemblies are formed from uncured thin, flat sheet metal disposed on the top portion of an elastomeric sealing element. It is also possible to employ generally planar contact elements made of material. This electrical contact element may be thin enough and/or soft enough/flexible to deform slightly against pressure from the substrate as it is pressed by the cone from underneath the substrate towards the elastomeric sealing element. In some embodiments, the contact element is to such an extent that upon such pressure from the substrate, it conforms uniformly (or somewhat conforms) to the shape of the substrate because the contact element is sandwiched between the substrate and the sealing element. may be deformed. In some embodiments, the friable flexible sheet metal contacts may deform sufficiently to conform to the bevel region of the wafer. Thus, the electrical contact force is provided by compression of the elastomeric sealing element under the contact element rather than by the spring force of the hardened sheet metal as in the cantilever contact finger design shown in FIG. 2 .

Examples of such cup assemblies with these and various other features are schematically illustrated in FIGS. 7A-7I . The illustrated cup assembly 700 includes a flexible, flat electrical contact element 705 that may conform to the shape of an edge of a substrate, such as a bevel region of a wafer substrate. This electrical contact element is shown in the figures to be deposed on top of an elastomeric sealing element 703 that is incorporated into the cup bottom element 701 . The elastomeric sealing element may be molded into (or into or onto, etc.) the cup bottom element or otherwise bonded/attached to the cup bottom element during fabrication of the cup assembly, as described above. This cup assembly design thus has certain features different from the designs shown in FIGS. 2-5 discussed above, and the design described (and shown) with respect to FIGS. 7A-7I is the cup assembly design shown above. It can also be seen as an alternative embodiment to these.

In general, FIGS. 7A-7C are cross-sectional and isometric views of a cup assembly 700 with an integrated elastomeric sealing element 703 described above. Each of the figures shows a schematic view of a cup assembly 700 with a cup bottom element 701 with an elastomeric sealing element 703 and an electrical contact element 705 . In particular, FIG. 7A shows a broad cross-sectional view of an annular slice through these elements, and FIG. 7B shows an enlarged portion of the view shown in FIG. 7A , an elastomeric sealing element 703 and an electrical contact element 705 . Focus on the details of some of the cup bottom elements that support the Likewise, FIG. 7C shows a perspective view of a portion of the cup assembly of FIG. 7B , enlarged. It should be understood from the annular slices shown in these figures that each of the cup bottom, elastomeric sealing, and electrical contact elements are generally ring-shaped. Because of this, an elastomeric sealing element may, for example, be referred to herein as an elastomeric ring, and likewise, an electrical contact element may be referred to herein as a contact ring, although these elements may be ring-shaped. . . Each of these figures shows a sealing element 703 by a cone 727 as well as a bus bar 721 - which may also be referred to herein as a bus ring - that supplies power to the contact element 705 during electroplating. Also shown is a substrate 731 being pushed into.

The broader view of the cup assembly shown in FIG. 7A shows that a bolt 723 may extend through an electrical bus bar (or ring) 721 to attach the bus bar to the cup bottom element 701 of the cup assembly 700 . exemplify 7A also illustrates that included in the cup assembly may be a ring-shaped insulating element 725 defining an outer edge of the cup assembly. The ring-shaped insulating element 725 prevents the conductive bus bar 721 from contacting the electrolyte.

The enlarged views of the cup assembly 700 shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C are more specific to the cup bottom element 701 , as well as the elastomeric sealing element 703 and electrical contact element 705 of the cup bottom element 701 . focus on The contact of the sealing element 703 to the substrate 731 is also illustrated. Again, it should be understood that the features shown in the cross-section of FIGS. 7A-7C are part of the annular structure, and that the cross-section is taken through a radial slice. 7B (close-up view) and 7C (additional perspective view) show a semiconductor substrate 731 placed in a cup assembly 700 with a cone 727 in contact with the backside of the substrate. Accordingly, these figures show both cup and cone features of a clamshell-type substrate holder design with a substrate loaded and ready for electrical contact with the substrate. A cone 727 is positioned in contact with the backside of the semiconductor substrate 731 ready to apply sufficient pressure to push the substrate into contact with the cone 727 and press against the substrate and in physical contact with the electrical contact element 705 . It can be seen from the close-up views of FIGS. 7b and 7c that there is. It can also be seen from 7b and 7c that the elastomeric sealing element 703 will only be slightly compressed to make this electrical contact.

7B and 7C illustrate that the cup bottom element 701 includes a main body portion 711 and a moment arm 713 . The moment arm 713 is a (radially-inwardly) of the main body of the cup bottom element 701 that serves to support the elastomeric sealing element 703 as well as the electrical contact element 705 disposed on the sealing element. )) is a relatively thin extension. Because the moment arm supports these elements, and because the moment arm is relatively thin, the moment arm 713 responds to the pressure exerted by the cone 727 when the substrate is pressed by the cone into its sealing and electrical contact device. It can also flex to a certain degree in response (hence the name).

In contrast, the main body portion 711 of the cup bottom 701 is designed to be relatively thick (much thicker than the moment arm 713 ). As a result, the main body portion may not substantially flex when the semiconductor substrate is pressed against the moment arm. Also, not only is the main body portion of the cup bottom element itself rigid, but in some embodiments the main body portion may also be designed to be securely attached to another feature of the cup structure. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7A , the bolt 723 is a bus bar such that the main body portion 711 is substantially fixed and rigid relative to other rigid portions of the cup assembly 700 . Attach the cup bottom 701 to the /ring 721 firmly.

Thus, the main body portion of the cup bottom element is secured substantially rigidly during operation and force/pressure from the cone 727 passes through the substrate 731 , the contact element 705 , the sealing element 703 , and ultimately Withstands any flexing when transmitted through the moment arm 713 to the main body portion. On the other hand, the moment arm 713 is designed to be a component of the flexing cup bottom 711 when sufficient pressure is applied to the substrate. However, the moment arm may still be designed to be as short as possible so that the moment arm does not exhibit too much flex while still providing a radially sufficient horizontal surface to support the electrical contact element 705 and the elastomeric sealing element 703 . . (In FIG. 7A, for example, compare the relative sizes and thicknesses of the main body portion 711 at the bottom of the cup with the moment arm 713 at the bottom of the cup.)

7B and 7C illustrate in detail the geometry of engagement between the substrate 731 and the elastomeric sealing element 703 and also with the contact element 705 . For example, the figures show a sealing element 703 wherein the radially innermost point of the contact (more specifically, the ring of contact) defines a boundary region of the substrate where the plating solution is substantially excluded and the electrical contact is formed; It is illustrated that it is between the substrates 731 . Sufficient pressurization (by the cone 727 ) of the substrate 731 into the sealing element 703 compresses the sealing element to form a liquid-tight seal, and also the contact only radially of contact with the seal. The sealing element 703 is sufficiently deformed to form with the electrical contact element 705 outwardly.

Also, as noted, this pressure from the substrate 731 also affects the portion of the elastomeric seal 703 under the contact element 705, causing the contact element to contact the contact element in the shape of the portion of the substrate. It may also create an offsetting elastic force under the contact element that allows it to conform and flex to and compress. In particular, in some embodiments, when the elastomer is compressed under the contact element, the contact element may flex and adjust the shape of the contact element to conform to the profile of the edge bevel region of the substrate. Once again, this feature may be facilitated by a relatively thin contact element or formed of a flexible conductive material (as opposed to hardened metal, which exhibits spring-like behavior).

cup bottom on the element details about

As mentioned, the cup bottom element 701 withstands significant flexing, with the exception of the small moment arm, when the wafer is pushed down. This may be because the cup bottom element 701 has a relatively short and thin moment arm 713 on which a sealing element 703 is disposed and a relatively thick main body portion 711 .

The cup bottom element 701 is generally ring-shaped and sized to accommodate standard sized semiconductor substrates, such as 200 mm, 300 mm wafers or 450 mm wafers. The inner edge of the cup bottom element - more specifically the moment arm 713 of FIGS. 7A-7C - engages the outer boundary of the substrate (731 in FIGS. 7A-7C), but typically the inner edge of the cup bottom element is It does not actually touch the substrate. Instead, as described above, there are elastomeric sealing elements and electrical contact elements in physical contact with the substrate. In some embodiments, the cup bottom element is designed to provide an exclusion zone of about 1 mm or less. The exclusion zone is a boundary zone of the surface of the substrate that is substantially excluded from contacting the electroplating/electrolyte solution during the electroplating operation.

7A-7C , the cup bottom element 701 includes a main body portion 711 and a moment arm 713 . Together these elements may form a monolithic structure. That is, the separate labeling of these elements as described herein is necessarily two physically separate and separately manufactured components that are joined together such that these elements - the main body portion and the moment arm - form the cup bottom element. should not be taken to imply Although it is feasible for the elements to be separate and then coupled together, more typically, the cup bottom main body portion and moment arm are manufactured as one element (eg, without bonds, shims, etc. joining them). Rather than a separate manufacture and later joining, which entails, these parts of the cup, and more specifically, the labeling of the bottom of the cup as "moment arm" and "main body part", indicates that these parts of the cup are It is done to emphasize that they behave differently as a result of the pressure applied to the cup by the cone). That is, as noted above, the moment arm is thin and designed to flex somewhat when pressure is applied, while the main body portion is thick and designed to hold substantially tight.

Other details of the cup bottom element are shown in FIGS. 7D-7I . These figures show the cup, with the elastomeric sealing element 703 and electrical contact element 705 separated from the other components of the cup assembly 700 (and cone 727) shown in FIGS. 7A-7C . The bottom element 701 is shown. For example, FIG. 7D shows a perspective view of the cup bottom element, more specifically approximately half of the entire cup bottom element 701 sliced through its central axis, illustrating an annular region of about 180 degrees, separated from other cup assembly components. - ie approximately half of the circumference of the bottom of the cup - shows a drawing. Accordingly, the figure illustrates a generally ring-shaped structure of the cup bottom element. The figure also shows bolt holes 724 that may be used to attach this particular cup bottom structure to the remainder of the cup assembly 700 - such as by bolts 723 as shown in FIG. 7A . As also shown in FIG. 7A , in this particular embodiment, the cup bottom element 701 is designed to be bolted to the electrical bus bar 721 . Other mechanisms for coupling the cup bottom element to the cup assembly employ clips to clip the bottom of the cup to the remainder of the cup assembly, or are also contemplated, such as an engagement mechanism that uses an adhesive to bond the bottom of the cup to the remainder of the cup assembly. do.

FIG. 7E shows an enlarged view of FIG. 7D , focusing on a cross-section of the cup bottom element from FIG. 7D , showing a slice along the central axis of the cup bottom and separate from other components of the cup assembly again; 7F, with particular focus on moment arm 713 (along with contact element 705 and elastomeric seal 703 over the arm), is enlarged further in FIG. 7F . These figures show the expansion of the moment arm 713 radially inward from the rest of the cup bottom element as well as the placement of the elastomeric sealing element 703 and the electrical contact element 705 disposed thereon. The view of FIG. 7E also illustrates the relative proportions of the moment arm 713 and the main body portion 711 of the cup bottom element. It can be seen again that the moment arm 713 - both radially and in terms of the height (ie thickness in the vertical direction) of the moment arm - is clearly much smaller than the main body portion 711 . According to an embodiment, the radial width of the moment arm—the horizontal distance between the radially inwardly (distal) tip of the moment arm and the point at which it engages the main body portion of the cup bottom element—is at most about 0.3 inches, or at most about 0.1 inches, or in certain embodiments, about 0.04 to 0.3 inches. Note that the radial width of the moment arm must be designed to meet the exclusion zone requirements. Thus, in certain embodiments, the radial width of the moment arm must be at least as long as the exclusion area (eg, at least 1 mm).

The design of the moment arm allows the moment arm to generally accommodate substantially all deflection of the cup bottom element during placement of the semiconductor substrate onto the cup. Thus, in certain embodiments, the moment arm is about 0.010 to 0.1 inches, or more specifically about 0.015 to 0.025 inches—the distance between the top and bottom of the moment arm in the wafer insertion direction in the thinnest section of the moment arm (i.e., , its vertical height in Fig. 7a) - has a thickness.

This vertical height/thickness is such that, while the moment arm may flex, the main body portion is substantially rigidly secured and/or deflects and/or deforms when the substrate is pushed by the cone against the sealing element and the moment arm. As it may be designed to withstand, it may be quite thin relative to the thickness of the main body portion of the cup bottom element, as well illustrated in FIG. 7E . Thus, while a moment arm may generally take the shape of a flat ring-shaped horizontal surface, the main body portion is generally substantially thicker in the vertical direction and is generally trapezoidal and/or polygonal in shape, and/or in cross-section. It may take a shape with curved surfaces. Resistance to deflection and/or deformation may also be improved by manufacturing the cup bottom element 701 from stored rigid materials.

Moreover, in certain embodiments, the main body portion may have a maximum thickness (perpendicular to radial direction, vertical height, top to bottom) of at least about 0.2 inches, or more specifically at least about 0.3 inches; In some embodiments, the main body portion may have a maximum vertical height of about 0.2 to 1 inch. In terms of average vertical height/thickness, in certain embodiments, the main body portion has an average vertical height of at least about 0.1 inches, or at least about 0.3 inches, or at least about 0.5 inches, or more particularly at least about 1.0 inches. may have In some embodiments, the average vertical height of the main body portion may be between about 0.1 and 1.0 inches, or more specifically between about 0.2 and 0.5 inches.

Moreover, depending on the embodiment, the ratio of the average vertical height/thickness of the main body portion of the cup bottom element to the average vertical height/thickness of the moment arm may be greater than about 3, or more specifically, the ratio is dependent on the embodiment. Accordingly, it may be greater than about 5, or more specifically greater than about 20.

Likewise, the radial width of the main body portion of the cup bottom element may be between about 0.5 and 3 inches or between about 0.75 and 1.5 inches. In general, it is advantageously sized to allow for tight structural integration with other elements of the cup.

It can also be seen in FIG. 7E that, in certain embodiments, the main body portion 711 of the cup bottom element 701 tapers abruptly (radially inwardly) to the point where it contacts the moment arm 713 . That is, as shown in FIG. 7E , in some embodiments, the cup bottom element 701 moves a relatively short distance (radially inward) from the thick section of the main body portion 711 to the flat structure of the moment arm 713 . ) tapers directly above it. In certain embodiments, the taper from the thickest section of main body portion 711 to moment arm 713 is less than about 0.5 inches, or more specifically less than about 0.1 inches, or over a distance of about 0.1 to 0.5 inches. . Also, as further shown in FIGS. 7A and 7E , in the particular illustrated embodiment, most of the main body portion 711 is positioned vertically above the moment arm 713 .

Accordingly, the moment arm 713 may be seen to extend inwardly towards the substrate from the main body portion 711 of the cup bottom element 101 and thus, in some embodiments, the moment arm 713 is subjected to an electroplating operation. It may further appear to operate in a cantilever fashion to physically support the edge of the substrate as it is received into the cup before (as well as during the electroplating operation itself).

In addition to physically supporting the substrate, the moment arm supports the sealing element and installs a leak-tight seal to properly position the sealing element relative to the edge of the substrate to form the aforementioned electrolyte exclusion zone near the edge of the substrate. make it

Accordingly, the moment arm may be shaped to receive a ring-shaped sealing element, such as the ring-shaped sealing element 703 shown in the figures, that typically sits between the moment arm and the wafer during operation. In certain embodiments, the moment arm has a substantially straight or linear horizontal shape, without significant vertical features. In certain embodiments, the adjacent (radially outward) portion of the main body section of the bottom of the cup and the moment arm are elastically within the bottom of the cup—such as through molding via precursor polymerization (as further described below). It is molded to form a mold to form a polymer sealing element.

The material from which the cup bottom element is formed is typically a relatively hard material. The cup bottom element may also be made of a conductive or insulating material. In some embodiments, the cup bottom element is made of a metal such as titanium, or a titanium alloy, or stainless steel. In some embodiments, if the cup bottom element is made of a conductive material, the conductive material may be coated with an insulating material. In other embodiments, the cup bottom element is made of a bar-conducting material such as a plastic such as PPS or PEEK. In other embodiments, the cup bottom is made of a ceramic material. In certain embodiments, the cup bottom element has a strength characterized by a Young's modulus of between about 300,000 and 55,000,000 psi, or more specifically between about 450,000 and 30,000,000 psi.

sealing element ( lip seal ) about the details

Generally, the elastomeric sealing element is a ring-shaped element that fits snugly against a radial edge that is inside the main body portion of the cup bottom and, optionally, on the top of the moment arm. In certain embodiments, the sealing element has a radial width of about 0.5 inches or less, or about 0.2 inches or less, or about 0.05 to 0.2 inches, or about 0.06 to 0.10 inches. The overall radial width will generally be selected sufficient to accommodate the wafer edge exclusion zone associated with the use of the apparatus. Likewise, the diameter of the elastomeric sealing element will generally be appropriately selected to accommodate standard wafer substrates such as 200 mm, 300 mm wafers or 450 mm wafers.

The vertical thickness of the elastomeric sealing element may be between about 0.005 and 0.050 inches, or more specifically between about 0.010 and 0.025 inches. The thickness and shape of the sealing element may be selected to facilitate substantially continuous contact between the sealing element and the substrate edge to form a substantially leak-tight seal therebetween.

In certain embodiments, the sealing element has an L-shape (or substantially L-like shape), wherein the small arm of "L" extends upwardly at the inner radius of the sealing element. For example, for this particular embodiment, the sealing element 703 is disposed on top of the electrical contact element (before it is compressed when the protrusion is pressed by the wafer substrate as described below) and the sealing element's 7b, which shows having a small upward protrusion 704 on its radially innermost portion, radially inward of a substantially horizontal portion of a sealing element disposed vertically above the substantially horizontal portion; and FIG. 7C.

This small upward projection may engage the wafer to provide a leak-tight seal. Not only does compression of this upward projection 704 create a leak-tight seal radially inwardly of the electrical contact element 705, but also compression of the upward projection closes the contact between the edge of the substrate and the electrical contact element 705. It can be seen in this example shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C that it will enable. In some embodiments, this contacting may be assisted by flexing, or defection, of the moment arm, or cantilever-like movement of the moment arm itself. In certain embodiments, depending on the degree of compression of the sealing element, the geometry of the sealing element, as well as the geometry of the electrical contact element and any flex associated with the moment arm (possibly the flex/deflection of the moment arm) ) compression of the upward protrusion may cause the electrical contact element to contact the edge bevel region of the substrate. Further, in embodiments where the elastomeric sealing element is electrically contact element sub-embodiments, compression of the portion of the sealing element under the contact element causes the contact element to conform to the shape of the radial profile of, for example, an edge bevel region of the wafer substrate. The shape of the wafer substrate may be deformed, such as the conforming of the contact element to the surface. According to an embodiment, the vertical height of the aforementioned upward protrusion (eg, for an L-shaped or L-shaped elastomeric sealing element) of the sealing element is about 0.005 to 0.040 inches, or more specifically , from about 0.010 to 0.025 inches.

electrical contact element

The electrical contact element is made of a conductive material such that the electrical contact element can provide a current to the substrate during electroplating operations. Typically, the conductive material will be some kind of metal, alloy, etc. and the portion of the sealing element that forms a substantially leak-tight seal with the substrate, but on the top surface of the moment arm, typically on the top of the sealing element. will be sized and shaped to lie radially outward of the Such a configuration is illustrated in FIGS. 7B and 7C . In certain embodiments, the contact ring is made of a substantially flat flexible and/or deformable metal or other flexible and/or deformable conductive material such that the contact ring contacts the wafer seed layer over a relatively large contact area. Moreover, in some embodiments, positioning/disposing a flat thin flexible contact element on top of a portion of an elastomeric sealing element causes the contact element to deform slightly when the substrate is pressed on the contact element, and the contact The portion of the substrate surface that is in contact with the element - forming a conformal contact surface - may be allowed to conform. This conforming to the shape of the substrate surface in contact with the contact element - for example conforming to the profile of the edge bevel region of the substrate - is applied on the contact element by the portion of the elastomeric sealing element underneath it. It may be enhanced by a compressive force in the opposite direction (upward force). As a result, the quality, consistency, and/or uniformity of the electrical connection between the substrate and the electrical contact element may be improved.

In some embodiments, the electrical contact element may be flat and thin, but may be formed within the contact fingers that are oriented so that the contact fingers are oriented radially inward around the circumference of the contact element. The contact fingers are placed on the contact fingers by the substrate than if a solid strip of conductive material (even thin or flat) is employed (although, in some embodiments, a solid strip is also suitable to provide the necessary electrical connection). It may help improve the quality, consistency, and/or uniformity of the electrical connection by being more vertically deformed and/or flexible than when pressure is applied to it.

As mentioned above, the electrical contact element is generally substantially radially symmetrical and ring-shaped such that the electrical contact element may symmetrically contact the electroplated substrate, and particularly over the portion of its surface in contact with the substrate. It is symmetrical. For this reason, the electrical contact element may be referred to herein as a contact-ring. The radial shape of an exemplary contact-ring is illustrated in an exploded view of the cup bottom element 101 shown in FIGS. 7G-7I , similar to the non-exploded views of the cup bottom element shown in FIGS. 7D-7E . In later drawings - FIGS. 7G-7I - the electrical contact element 705 is shown separated from the cup bottom element 101 so that its shape can be distinguished. In particular, FIG. 7G shows approximately half of the ring-shaped structure of an exemplary electrical contact element 705 vertically separated from the rest of the cup bottom element 701 . FIG. 7H enlarges one end of the cross-sectional slice through the cup bottom element shown in FIG. 7G and FIG. 7I is again on a cross-section of the cup bottom element, with the electrical contact ring 705 separated from the cup bottom element 701 . It is a more enlarged drawing with a focus on

It can be seen from these figures that the radial symmetry of the contact ring 705 may be broken outwardly of the actual substrate contact portion of the ring, which has less effect on its operation, since the radially outward portion does not form an electrical connection to the substrate. Note that there may be This is shown in an exploded view of the cup bottom element of FIG. 7i , showing the contact ring 705 having a securing element 707 that fits into the groove 709 of the cup bottom element 701 when assembled for operation. Also note that, for example, only the radially inward portion of the contact ring that contacts the substrate is generally radially symmetrical, because the presence of electrical contact fingers breaks symmetry over small angles. These contact fingers are shown in FIG. 7I , and even more clearly shown in FIG. 7F .

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

In certain embodiments, such as the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 7F and 7I , the contact ring has a plurality of radially inwardly projecting fingers for contacting the edge of the substrate when held at the bottom of the cup. These fingers may have a radial width of about 0.01 to 0.100 inches, or more specifically about 0.020 to 0.050 inches. The contact fingers may have a center-to-center pitch of about 0.02 to 0.10 inches or about 0.04 to 0.06 inches. In certain embodiments, the pitch is constant around the circumference of the contact ring. In other embodiments, the pitch may vary over the circumference of the contact ring. The pitch may be determined at the inner circumference of the contact ring. For contact fingers laid flat on an elastomeric sealing element, the pitch of the contact fingers may be determined by the angle of the surface of the elastomeric sealing element.

In certain embodiments, the contact ring may lie substantially flat on an elastomeric sealing element, which may itself be substantially flat and lie flat on the moment arm. This design is a design with an L-shaped structure with a small leg of L extending upward so that the contact ring makes contact with the substrate, and also designs employing cantilever-like contact-fingers such as those shown in FIG. 3A . should be generally distinguished from It is believed that in these designs employing contact fingers that lie substantially flat on top of an elastomeric sealing element, improved electrical contact with the outer boundary of the wafer seed layer (in some embodiments) may be achieved. Because the contact ring is substantially flat, any extra tolerance stack-up requirement resulting from variations in the degree of bending of, for example, cantilever-like contact fingers is eliminated. Thus, with a substantially flat electrical contact element, the electrical contact patch between the electrical contact element and the substrate surface may be more precisely positioned and controlled, and thus the design employs positioning the contact patch closer to the edge of the substrate. it might be This in turn enables the adoption of a sealing element that defines a more radially outward boundary region (on the substrate surface from which the electroplating solution is substantially excluded) such that a smaller edge exclusion distance may be achieved during electroplating operations.

Although the contact ring is shown to be completely flat in FIGS. 7A-7I , in some embodiments a contact element that is substantially flat over a radially inward portion that contacts the wafer is, for example, radially outward for contacting a bus bar. It may have a part that is biased toward . Nevertheless, it may be in such embodiments that the portion of the contact ring present on the moment arm is still substantially flat. As described above, although it may still be said that the contact element, and its contact fingers, are substantially flat on top of the elastomeric sealing element, there may also be some pitch of the contact fingers of the contact element.

The electrical contact element/ring is a relatively flexible conductive material that can be bent and/or deformed to accommodate the shape of the substrate and the underlying elastomeric sealing element when the substrate is pressed against the moment arm during (or before) an electroplating operation. may be made of For example, the electrical contact element/ring may be made of a thin uncured sheet metal. Accordingly, the portion of the contact element in contact with the substrate may be a thin sheet of flexible and/or deformable metal that is less than or equal to about 0.01 inches thick, or more specifically less than or equal to about 0.005 inches thick, or even less than or equal to about 0.002 inches thick. may be The metal comprising the contact ring may include stainless steel. In some embodiments, the metal may include a noble metal alloy. Such alloys may include alloys of palladium, including palladium-silver alloys optionally containing gold and/or platinum. Palinery 7 manufactured by DERINGER-NEY INC is an example.

cup assembly and elastomer sealing of element integrated production

While the elastomeric sealing element often used to seal the substrate in the electroplating clamshell is a separate component that is user-installed into the clamshell prior to the electroplating operation, in various embodiments disclosed herein the cup assembly and its The sealing element is integrated during the manufacturing process. In such cases, the elastomeric sealing element may be attached to the cup bottom element during fabrication by gluing, molding, or another suitable process representing disengagement of the elastomeric sealing element from the cup bottom element. As such, the elastomeric sealing element may be viewed as a permanent feature of the cup assembly rather than a separate component.

In some embodiments, the elastomeric sealing element may be formed in situ into the cup bottom element, for example, by molding the elastomeric sealing element directly into the cup bottom element. A chemical precursor to an elastomeric material comprising a sealing element formed in this manner is disposed within the position of the moment arm in which the formed sealing element is present, and then the chemical precursor - eg, polymerizes, cures, or seals the chemical precursor material. processed to form the desired elastomeric material - by another mechanism that transforms it into a formed elastomeric material having the desired final structural shape of the ring element.

In other embodiments, the sealing element is pre-formed to its desired final shape and then attached to an appropriate location on the moment arm of the cup bottom element via adhesive, glue, etc., or some other suitable attachment mechanism. During fabrication of the cup assembly, a rigid (plastic or metal) cup bottom element is incorporated.

Through the integrated fabrication of the cup assembly and its elastomeric sealing element, the sealing element can be more precisely formed into its desired shape, which is normally achieved with the fabrication of the cup assembly and sealing elements as separate components. It can be more precisely positioned within the structure of the cup bottom element of the cup assembly. This, together with the rigid support of the cup bottom element, allows for precise positioning of the portion of the sealing element in contact with the substrate. Accordingly, sealing elements with reduced radial profiles may be employed, as less margin for positioning error is required, which in turn causes the sealing element to contact the substrate in the cup assembly significantly closer to the substrate edge. allow it to be designed to, and reduce the edge exclusion zone during electroplating operations. The combined thinner inner edge of the cup bottom (especially its moment arm) and seal element will improve on-wafer plating performance, for example by minimizing/removing trapped air bubbles.

system controllers

In certain embodiments, the system controller is used to control process conditions during sealing of the clamshell and/or during processing of the substrate. The system controller will typically include one or more memory devices and one or more processors. A processor may include a CPU or computer, analog and/or digital input/output connections, stepper motor controller boards, and the like. Instructions for implementing the appropriate control operations are executed on the processor. These instructions may be stored on memory devices associated with the controller or the instructions may be provided over a network.

In certain embodiments, the system controller controls all activities of the processing system. The system controller executes system control software comprising sets of instructions for controlling the timing of the processing steps listed above and other parameters of a particular process. Other computer programs, scripts or routines stored on memory devices associated with the controller may be employed in some embodiments.

There is typically a user interface associated with the system controller. The user interface may include a display screen, graphics software, and user input devices such as pointing devices, keyboards, touch screens, microphones, and the like to display process conditions.

The computer program code for controlling the above operations may be written in any conventional computer readable programming language such as, for example: assembly language, C, C++, Pascal, Fortran, or others. The compiled object code or script is executed by the processor to perform the tasks identified within the program.

Signals for monitoring the processes may be provided by analog and/or digital input connections of the system controller. Signals for controlling the processes are output on analog and digital connections of the processing system.

lithography patterning

The apparatuses/processes described above herein may be used in conjunction with lithographic patterning tools or processes, for example, for the fabrication or fabrication of semiconductor devices, displays, LEDs, optoelectronic panels, and the like. Typically, but not necessarily, such tools/processes will be used or practiced together within a common manufacturing facility. Lithographic patterning of a film typically includes some or all of the following steps, each realized using a number of possible tools, which steps include: (1) a workpiece using a spin-on or spray-on tool, i.e. , applying a photoresist to the substrate; (2) curing the photoresist using a hot plate or furnace or UV curing tool; (3) exposing the photoresist to visible or ultraviolet or x-ray light using a tool such as a wafer stepper; (4) developing the resist to selectively remove and pattern the resist using a tool such as a wet bench; (5) transferring the resist pattern to the underlying film or workpiece by using a dry or plasma assisted etching tool; and (6) removing the resist using a tool such as an RF or microwave plasma resist stripper.

Different Examples

While exemplary embodiments and applications of the invention have been shown and described herein, many variations and modifications are possible that fall within the spirit, scope, and spirit of the invention, and these variations will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading this application. it will become clear Accordingly, the present embodiments are to be considered illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not limited to the details provided herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims (22)

A cup assembly for engaging a semiconductor substrate during electroplating comprising:
The cup assembly comprises:
(a) a cup bottom element comprising a main body portion and a radially inwardly projecting moment arm extending radially inwardly from an inner edge of the main body portion, wherein the main body portion is attached to another feature of the cup assembly and , the ratio of the average vertical thickness of the main body portion to the average vertical thickness of the radially inwardly projecting moment arm is greater than 5, and the radial width of the main body portion is 0.5 to 3 inches and the radially inwardly projecting the cup bottom element having a radial width of at most 0.1 inches; and
(b) an elastomeric sealing element disposed on the radially inwardly projecting moment arm, the elastomeric sealing element being supported by the radially inwardly projecting moment arm, the elastomeric sealing element comprising: seals against the substrate to define a peripheral region of the substrate from which plating solution is substantially excluded during electroplating when pressed against the semiconductor substrate, the upper portion of the elastomeric sealing element being in electrical contact wherein the elastomeric sealing element is configured to receive the electrical contact element in contact with the substrate at the boundary region when the elastomeric sealing element seals against the substrate such that the element is in electrical communication with the substrate during electroplating. A cup assembly comprising an element. The method of claim 1,
wherein said boundary zone is substantially radially symmetrical and is characterized by a first radial inner diameter,
the region of contact between the substrate and the electrical contact element is substantially radially symmetrical and characterized by a second radial inner diameter;
and the second radial inner diameter is greater than the first radial inner diameter. 3. The method of claim 2,
and the magnitude of the difference between the first radial inner diameter and the second radial inner diameter is less than 0.5 mm. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
(c) the electrical contact element disposed on the top portion of the elastomeric sealing element. 5. The method of claim 4,
and the main body portion of the cup bottom element has an average vertical height of at least 0.2 inches. an elastomeric sealing element disposed on the radially inwardly projecting moment arm of the cup bottom portion and configured to be supported by the radially inwardly projecting moment arm;
The elastomeric sealing element seals against the substrate so as to define a boundary region of the substrate from which plating solution is substantially excluded during electroplating when pressed against the semiconductor substrate, the elastomeric sealing element being substantially horizontal A top portion of the element is configured to receive an electrical contact element having a contact portion that is substantially flat but flexible, the electrical contact element having the elastomeric sealing element relative to the substrate such that the electrical contact element is in electrical communication with the substrate during electroplating. contacting and deforming when pressed by the substrate at the boundary region when sealing;
The cup bottom portion includes a main body portion rigidly attached to another feature of the cup assembly and the radially inwardly projecting moment arm extending radially inwardly from an inner edge of the main body portion, the radially inwardly projecting moment the ratio of the average vertical thickness of the main body portion to the average vertical thickness of the arm is greater than 5, and the radial width of the main body portion is between 0.5 and 3 inches and the radial width of the radially inwardly projecting moment arm is at most 0.1 inches, the device. 7. The method of claim 6,
wherein the elastomeric sealing element has an upwardly protrusion that contacts and seals the semiconductor substrate when the substrate is pressed against the elastomeric sealing element, the upward projection of the elastomeric sealing element being substantially horizontal. radially inward of the upper portion. 8. The method of claim 7,
The upward projection of the elastomeric sealing element is compressed when sealing against the substrate, and prior to compression, the upward projection of the elastomeric sealing element is substantially horizontal the top of the elastomeric sealing element. Part vertically great, the device. 9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8,
and the radially inwardly projecting moment arm supports the elastomeric sealing element and the electrical contact element. 9. The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8,
and the electrical contact element comprising the substantially flat but flexible contact portion, wherein the substantially flat but flexible contact portion is shaped to be disposed on the top portion of the substantially horizontal elastomeric sealing element. and sized, the device. an electrical contact element comprising a flexible conductive material;
The electrical contact element is substantially flat and shaped and sized to be disposed on a radially inwardly projecting moment arm of a cup bottom end, the radially inwardly projecting moment arm comprising the electrical contact element and the radially inwardly projecting moment arm. configured to support an elastomeric sealing element therebetween,
the elastomeric sealing element seals against the substrate to define a boundary region of the substrate from which plating solution is substantially excluded during electroplating when pressed against the semiconductor substrate;
The cup bottom portion includes a main body portion rigidly attached to another feature of the cup assembly and the radially inwardly projecting moment arm extending radially inwardly from an inner edge of the main body portion, the radially inwardly projecting moment the ratio of the average vertical thickness of the main body portion to the average vertical thickness of the arm is greater than 5, and the radial width of the main body portion is between 0.5 and 3 inches and the radial width of the radially inwardly projecting moment arm is at most 0.1 inch, and wherein the electrical contact element is configured to contact the substrate at the boundary region when the elastomeric sealing element seals against the substrate to be in electrical communication with the substrate during electroplating. 12. The method of claim 11,
and the elastomeric sealing element disposed on the radially inwardly projecting moment arm, wherein a top portion of the elastomeric sealing element supports the electrical contact element. 13. The method of claim 12,
and the cup bottom comprising the main body portion and the radially inwardly projecting moment arm, the radially inwardly projecting moment arm supporting the elastomeric sealing element and the electrical contact element. 14. The method of claim 13,
and the elastomeric sealing element is integrated with the cup bottom. 15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14,
The elastomeric sealing element has an upwardly projecting portion that contacts and seals the substrate when the substrate is pressed against the elastomeric sealing element, the upward projection of the substantially horizontal portion of the elastomeric sealing element. Radially inward, the device. 16. The method of claim 15,
wherein the substantially planar electrical contact element is shaped and sized to be disposed on the substantially horizontal portion of the elastomeric sealing element. 15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14,
The flexible conductive metal comprises palladium, silver, gold, platinum, stainless steel, or a combination thereof. A cup assembly for engaging a semiconductor substrate during electroplating comprising:
The cup assembly comprises:
A cup bottom element comprising a main body portion and a radially inwardly projecting moment arm, the main body portion attached to another feature of the cup assembly, the thickness of the moment arm being determined by placement of a semiconductor substrate onto the cup assembly. the cup bottom element configured to receive substantially all of the deflection of the cup bottom element during operation; and
an elastomeric sealing element disposed on the radially inwardly projecting moment arm, the elastomeric sealing element being supported by the radially inwardly projecting moment arm, the elastomeric sealing element being attached to the semiconductor substrate. seals against the semiconductor substrate to define a boundary region of the semiconductor substrate from which plating solution is substantially excluded during electroplating, when pressed against the semiconductor substrate, wherein the top portion of the elastomeric sealing element prevents the electrical contact element during electroplating wherein the elastomeric sealing element is configured to receive the electrical contact element in contact with the semiconductor substrate at the boundary region when the elastomeric sealing element seals against the semiconductor substrate in electrical communication with the semiconductor substrate. Including, cup assembly. an elastomeric sealing element disposed on the radially inwardly projecting moment arm of the cup bottom portion and configured to be supported by the radially inwardly projecting moment arm;
The elastomeric sealing element seals against the substrate so as to define a boundary region of the substrate from which plating solution is substantially excluded during electroplating when pressed against the semiconductor substrate, the elastomeric sealing element being substantially horizontal A top portion of the element is configured to receive an electrical contact element having a contact portion that is substantially flat but flexible, the electrical contact element having the elastomeric sealing element relative to the substrate such that the electrical contact element is in electrical communication with the substrate during electroplating. contacting and deforming when pressed by the substrate at the boundary region when sealing;
The cup bottom includes a main body portion rigidly attached to another feature of the cup assembly and the radially inwardly projecting moment arm, the thickness of the moment arm being the thickness of the cup bottom portion during placement of the semiconductor substrate onto the cup assembly. A device configured to accommodate substantially any deflection. an electrical contact element comprising a flexible conductive material;
The electrical contact element is substantially flat and shaped and sized to be disposed on a radially inwardly projecting moment arm of a cup bottom end, the radially inwardly projecting moment arm comprising the electrical contact element and the radially inwardly projecting moment arm. configured to support an elastomeric sealing element therebetween,
the elastomeric sealing element seals against the semiconductor substrate to define a boundary region of the semiconductor substrate from which plating solution is substantially excluded during electroplating when pressed against the semiconductor substrate;
The cup bottom includes a main body portion rigidly attached to another feature of the cup assembly and the radially inwardly projecting moment arm, the thickness of the moment arm being the thickness of the cup bottom portion during placement of the semiconductor substrate onto the cup assembly. configured to receive substantially all deflection, and wherein the electrical contact element is in electrical communication with the semiconductor substrate during electroplating with the semiconductor substrate at the boundary region when the elastomeric sealing element seals against the semiconductor substrate. A device configured to make contact. delete delete

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