WO2022180780A1

WO2022180780A1 - Substrate holder storage method and plating device

Info

Publication number: WO2022180780A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/007332
Authority: WO
Inventors: 大輝石塚
Original assignee: 株式会社荏原製作所
Priority date: 2021-02-26
Filing date: 2021-02-26
Publication date: 2022-09-01
Also published as: JPWO2022180780A1; JP7097523B1

Abstract

The present invention removes a plating liquid remaining in a substrate holder after cleaning in a rinse module.　This method for storing a substrate holder in a device for plating a substrate includes: cleaning a substrate holder which is not holding a substrate by immersing, in a stocker for storing and/or temporarily storing substrate holders in a state of being immersed in water, the substrate holder in pre-stored water and by diffusing a plating liquid remaining in the substrate holder in the water; and reducing the concentration of oxygen dissolved in the water by loading an inert gas in the water and/or degassing the water while circulating same.

Description

Substrate holder storage method, plating equipment

This application relates to a substrate holder storage method and a plating apparatus.

Conventionally, wiring is formed in fine wiring grooves, holes, or resist openings provided on the surface of a semiconductor wafer, etc., or bumps (protruding shapes) electrically connected to package electrodes, etc., are formed on the surface of a semiconductor wafer, etc. electrodes) are being formed. Electroplating, vapor deposition, printing, ball bumping, and the like are known as methods for forming such wiring and bumps. With the recent increase in the number of I/Os and finer pitches of semiconductor chips, the electroplating method, which enables miniaturization and has relatively stable performance, has come into wide use.

Plating equipment used in electroplating may use a substrate holder that seals the end and back surfaces of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer and holds the surface (surface to be plated) exposed. When plating the substrate surface in this plating apparatus, the substrate holder holding the substrate is immersed in the plating solution. Further, after the plating process, the substrate is washed together with the substrate holder in a rinse module to wash off the remaining plating solution adhering to the substrate holder. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-71382 (Patent Document 1) discloses that a substrate holder holding a plated substrate is immersed in a rinse solution, and the rinse solution is agitated by bubbling, a paddle, or the like to wash the substrate and the substrate holder. It is stated that In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-19900 (Patent Document 2), the substrate holder is cleaned by immersing the substrate holder holding the dummy substrate in a cleaning liquid so that the contacts do not come into contact with water. It also describes that two cleaning tanks are provided for cleaning substrate holders holding dummy substrates, and that one of the cleaning tanks is used as a stocker by preventing liquid from flowing into one of the cleaning tanks.

JP 2019-71382 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-19900

After the plating process, the plating solution residue (for example, a liquid with a concentration of about 1%) that cannot be completely removed even by washing in the rinse module adheres to the substrate holder. In other words, the substrate holder carries water containing a plating solution with a concentration of about 1%. When the water evaporates and the plating solution components become concentrated, it damages the parts of the substrate holder. When the next substrate is transported, the plating solution components adhering to the substrate holder dissolve in the plating bath, causing particles on the substrate surface. There is a possibility that it will be. In the above-mentioned patent document, no consideration is given to countermeasures against the residual plating solution remaining and adhering to the substrate holder.

One of the purposes of the present invention is to remove the plating solution remaining on the substrate holder after cleaning in the rinse module. Another object of the present invention is to remove the plating solution remaining on the substrate holder after cleaning in the rinse module while suppressing a decrease in the throughput of the apparatus.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a method for storing a substrate holder in an apparatus for plating a substrate, comprising storing and/or temporarily placing the substrate holder without holding the substrate in a state of being immersed in water. In the stocker, the substrate holder is immersed in the water that has been stored in advance, and the plating solution remaining in the substrate holder is diffused into the water to wash the substrate holder, and the water is filled with an inert gas. and/or reducing the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water by degassing while circulating the water.

1 is an overall layout diagram of a plating apparatus according to one embodiment; FIG. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate holder; It is a schematic diagram showing a stocker. It is a schematic diagram showing another example of a stocker. It is a schematic diagram showing another example of a stocker. It is a flow chart of plating processing. It is a graph which shows the change of pH of the water in a stocker. It is an explanatory view explaining a mechanism of corrosion of metal parts. It is an experimental result of wire corrosion with inert gas bubbling. It is an experimental result of wire corrosion without inert gas bubbling.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or similar elements are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions of the same or similar elements may be omitted in the description of each embodiment. Also, the features shown in each embodiment can be applied to other embodiments as long as they are not mutually contradictory.

In this specification, "substrate" includes not only semiconductor substrates, glass substrates, liquid crystal substrates, and printed circuit boards, but also magnetic recording media, magnetic recording sensors, mirrors, optical elements, micromechanical elements, or partially manufactured substrates. Includes integrated circuits and any other object to be processed. Substrates include those of any shape, including polygonal and circular. In addition, expressions such as “front”, “rear”, “front”, “back”, “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “right” are used in this specification, but these are for convenience of explanation. The above shows the positions and directions on the paper surface of the illustrated drawings, and may differ in the actual arrangement when the apparatus is used.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is an overall layout diagram of a plating apparatus according to one embodiment. The plating apparatus 100 performs a plating process on a substrate (wafer) while the substrate is held by a substrate holder 11 (FIG. 2). The plating apparatus 100 is roughly divided into a load/unload station 110 that loads or unloads substrates onto or from the substrate holder 11, a processing station 120 that processes the substrates, and a cleaning station 50a. The processing station 120 includes a pre-processing/post-processing station 120A for pre-processing and post-processing of substrates, and a plating station 120B for plating substrates.

The loading/unloading station 110 has one or more cassette tables 25 and substrate loading/unloading modules 29 . The cassette table 25 mounts a cassette 25a containing substrates. The substrate loading/unloading module 29 is configured to load/unload a substrate onto/from the substrate holder 11 . A stocker 30 for storing the substrate holder 11 that does not hold the substrate is provided near (for example, below) the substrate attachment/detachment module 29 . The cleaning station 50a has a cleaning module 50 for cleaning and drying the plated substrate. The cleaning module 50 is, for example, a spin rinse dryer.

At a position surrounded by the cassette table 25, the substrate loading/unloading module 29, and the cleaning station 50a, a transport robot 27 that transports substrates between these units is arranged. The transport robot 27 is configured to be travelable by a travel mechanism 28 . The transport robot 27, for example, takes out the substrate before plating from the cassette 25a, transports it to the substrate attachment/detachment module 29, receives the plated substrate from the substrate attachment/detachment module 29, transports the plated substrate to the cleaning module 50, and cleans it. And the dried substrate is taken out from the cleaning module 50 and stored in the cassette 25a.

The pre-treatment/post-treatment station 120A has a pre-wet module 32, a pre-soak module 33, a first rinse module 34, a blow module 35, and a second rinse module 36. The pre-wet module 32 is configured to perform a pre-wet process that replaces (degases) the air in the pattern openings of the substrate with a processing liquid such as water. The pre-wet process replaces the processing liquid in the pattern openings with the plating liquid during plating, making it easier to supply the plating liquid into the pattern openings. For example, the presoak module 33 performs a presoak treatment for cleaning or activating the surface of the plating base by etching away an oxide film having a large electrical resistance existing on the surface of the seed layer of the substrate or the like with a treatment liquid such as sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid. configured to In the first rinse module 34, the pre-soaked substrate is washed together with the substrate holder 11 with a cleaning liquid (pure water or the like). In the blow module 35, liquid draining from the substrate after cleaning is performed. In the second rinsing module 36, the plated substrate is washed together with the substrate holder 11 with a cleaning liquid (pure water or the like). The pre-wet module 32, pre-soak module 33, first rinse module 34, blow module 35, and second rinse module 36 are arranged in this order. Note that this configuration is an example and is not limited to the configuration described above, and the pre-processing/post-processing station 120A can adopt other configurations.

The plating station 120B has a plating module 39 having a plurality of plating cells and an overflow tank 38. Each plating cell accommodates one substrate therein and immerses the substrate in a plating solution held therein to perform plating such as copper plating on the surface of the substrate. Here, the type of plating solution is not particularly limited, and various plating solutions are used depending on the application. This configuration of the plating station 120B is an example, and the plating station 120B can adopt other configurations.

The plating apparatus 100 has a conveying device 37 that is positioned to the side of each of these devices and that conveys the substrate holder 11 between each of these devices and that employs, for example, a linear motor system. The transfer device 37 includes one or more transporters 37A, and includes a substrate removal module 29, a stocker 30, a pre-wet module 32, a pre-soak module 33, a first rinse module 34, a blow module 35, a second rinse module 36, and plating station 120B.

The plating apparatus 100 configured as described above has a control module (controller) 175 as a control section configured to control each section described above. The controller 175 has a memory 175B storing a predetermined program and a CPU 175A executing the program in the memory 175B. A storage medium constituting the memory 175B stores various setting data, various programs including a program for controlling the plating apparatus 100, and the like. The program includes, for example, transfer control of the transfer robot 27, attachment/detachment control of the substrate to/from the substrate holder 11 in the substrate attachment/detachment module 29, transfer control of the transfer device 37, control of the stocker 30, control of processing in each processing module, plating module 39 and a program for controlling the cleaning station 50a. The storage media may include non-volatile and/or volatile storage media. As the storage medium, for example, a computer-readable memory such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory, and a known disk storage medium such as a hard disk, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and flexible disk can be used. .

The controller 175 is configured to be able to communicate with a host controller (not shown) that controls the plating apparatus 100 and other related devices, and can exchange data with a database owned by the host controller. A part or all of the functions of the controller 175 can be configured by hardware such as ASIC. A part or all of the functions of the controller 175 may be composed of a sequencer. Part or all of controller 175 may be located inside and/or outside the enclosure of plating apparatus 100 . A part or all of the controller 175 is communicably connected to each part of the plating apparatus 100 by wire and/or wirelessly.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a substrate holder. The substrate holder 11 includes a first holding member 12 and a second holding member 13 , and holds the substrate by sandwiching it between the first holding member 12 and the second holding member 13 . The second holding member 13 is connected to the first holding member 12 via a hinge, for example, and can be opened and closed with respect to the first holding member 12 . In addition, the second holding member 13 may be configured to move in translation so as to approach and separate from the first holding member 12 and sandwich and hold the substrate together with the first holding member 12 . Further, the first holding member 12 and the second holding member 13 are provided with a locking mechanism (not shown) that locks the first holding member 12 and the second holding member 13 with the substrate sandwiched therebetween. A plurality of contacts 41 indicated by dashed lines in the figure are provided on the rear surface of the second holding member 13 . These contacts 41 are connected to an external power supply via wiring (not shown) inside the substrate holder 11 . When held between the first holding member 12 and the second holding member 13, these contacts 41 come into contact with the seed layer of the substrate, allowing a plating current to flow from an external power supply to the substrate.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a stocker according to one embodiment. The stocker 30 is a module that stores and/or temporarily stores a plurality of substrate holders 11 that do not hold substrates. In this embodiment, the stocker 30 is configured as a wet stocker that stores the substrate holder 11 in a state where water (for example, pure water such as DIW) is stored. That is, the substrate holder 11 is stored and/or temporarily placed while being immersed in water until it is carried out for plating. In the following, the case where water is DIW will be described as an example.

The stocker 30 includes a stocker tank 60 and a gas supply device 62 arranged inside the stocker tank 60 . In addition, the stocker 30 is provided with a water supply section (water supply line) 61. DIW is supplied from the water supply section 61 into the stocker tank 60, and DIW is stored in the stocker tank 60. there is Further, the stocker 30 may be provided with a discharge port (not shown) for discharging the DIW. The DIW water level in the stocker tank 60 is set to a height at which the entire substrate holders 11 are immersed. The acidity pH of DIW in the stocker tank 60 (initial stocker tank) before the plated substrate holder 11 is carried in is about 6. A controller 175 controls the stocker 30 and each part of the device associated with the stocker 30 (including the water supply part 61 and the valve 64 ).

The gas supply device 62 is composed of, for example, a tubular body having one or a plurality of discharge ports 62a, and is fluidly connected to the gas supply source 63 via a channel 65. The gas supply source 63 is a supply source that supplies inert gas. The inert gas can be a noble gas such as nitrogen, argon, or the like. When nitrogen is used as the inert gas, the DIW can be filled with the inert gas relatively safely and inexpensively. A valve 64 consisting of an on-off valve or a flow control valve may be provided on the flow path 65 . The supply of the inert gas from the gas supply device 62 is controlled by the controller 175 by controlling the opening/closing or the degree of opening of the valve 64, for example. The inert gas supplied from the gas supply source 63 to the gas supply device 62 is supplied from one or a plurality of discharge ports 62a of the gas supply device 62 into the DIW in the stocker tank 60, and the inert gas bubbles in the DIW. and bubble the DIW. Bubbling with an inert gas is performed at a supply rate of, for example, 12.5 L/min.

In this embodiment, the gas supply device 62 functions as a dissolved oxygen concentration adjustment device that operates to suppress or reduce the dissolved oxygen concentration of water in the wet stocker 30 . The gas supply device 62 is arranged below the substrate holder 11 or at the bottom of the stocker tank 60, and generates bubbles from bottom to top. By continuously filling the DIW in the stocker tank 60 with an inert gas, the dissolved oxygen in the DIW is replaced with the inert gas, the dissolved oxygen concentration in the DIW is lowered, and the DIW is converted into deoxygenated water. do. At this time, the arrangement of the discharge port 62a of the gas supply device 62 is adjusted so that the inert gas bubbles enter between the adjacent substrate holders 11, thereby reducing the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the entire DIW around each substrate holder. make it It is preferable that the inert gas be supplied to the DIW continuously while the DIW is stored in the stocker tank 60 and the substrate holder 11 is accommodated. The inert gas may be supplied intermittently according to changes in the acidity of DIW.

In this stocker 30, the plated substrate holder 11 is immersed in DIW in the stocker tank 60 to dilute and /or Diffusion into DIW due to concentration differential for cleaning. Further, when the cleaned substrate holder 11 is taken out from the stocker 30 , the water level in the stocker tank 60 is kept constant by supplying DIW for the volume of the taken out substrate holder 11 from the water supply unit 61 .

On the other hand, every time the residual plating solution adhering to the substrate holder 11 dissolves into the DIW, a phenomenon occurs in which the DIW in the stocker tank 60 gradually becomes acidic (lowering in pH). In one example, 7.9 mL of plating solution with a copper sulfate concentration of 1% per substrate holder is brought into the stocker 30 and the pH of the DIW is lowered to about 5.1. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the DIW in the tank is continuously filled with an inert gas by the gas supply device 62 to lower the dissolved oxygen concentration in the DIW, and the metal parts of the substrate holder 11 are made of highly acidic DIW. I try to suppress the reaction that corrodes. That is, the corrosion of the metal parts of the substrate holder 11 is suppressed by replacing the oxygen dissolved in the DIW, which is involved in the corrosion reaction, with an inert gas that is not involved in the corrosion reaction.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing changes in pH of water in the stocker. In the figure, the vertical axis indicates the pH of DIW in the stocker 30, and the horizontal axis indicates the number of processed substrates (wafers), that is, the number of substrate holders 11 carried into the stocker 30 after plating and post-treatment. In this example, the pH of the original plating solution (the plating solution in the plating module 39) is 0.5, the pH of the DIW in the stocker 30 before the substrate holder 11 after plating and post-treatment is brought in is 6, and the substrate holder It is assumed that the amount of the plating solution carried out per substrate holder is 7.9 mL, and the plating solution of 1% copper sulfate concentration and 7.9 mL of plating solution is brought into the stocker 30 per substrate holder. In the stocker 30, the DIW of 9.59 L excluding the volume of the substrate holder 11 was used to dilute the remaining plating solution in the substrate holder 11, and the stocker 30 dropped every time the substrate holder 11 was unloaded. It was assumed that water DIW (pH=6) was replenished. As shown in FIG. 7, as the number of processed substrates (the number of plated substrate holders carried into the stocker 30) increases, the pH of the DIW in the stocker 30 decreases (tilts toward the acidic side), and pH= It was found to converge at about 5.1.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the mechanism of corrosion of metal parts. The drawing shows contacts 41 of the substrate holder 11 , wiring (wires) 42 electrically connected to the contacts 41 , and screws and washers 43 for fixing the wires 42 to the contacts 41 . In this example, the material of the contact 41 is SUS, and the surface is plated with gold-cobalt. The material of the wire 42 is annealed copper, which is plated with gold on a base of nickel. The material of the screw and washer 43 is SUS. As shown in the figure, when a metal having a standard electrode potential comes into contact with a solution (conductivity) Q containing copper sulfate, a local battery is formed, and electrons are exchanged between dissimilar metals. At this time, the metal with a low standard electrode potential emits electrons to the metal with a high standard electrode potential, becomes ions (Ni ⁺ in the figure) and dissolves, and dissolved oxygen in the solution receives electrons e ⁻ , resulting in hydroxylation. A reaction occurs to form the product ion OH ⁻ . The standard electrode potential (when hydrogen is 0) is -0.257 (V) for nickel, +0.342 (V) for copper, and SUS is about the same as the standard electrode potential for copper.

Although the surface of the wire 42 is gold-plated, it may be physically damaged or peeled off at the bent portion or the portion where it is tightened to the contact 41 by the screw and washer 43, exposing the underlying nickel. At this time, the underlying nickel of the wire 42 and the SUS of the screw and washer 43 come into contact with each other. Since nickel has a lower standard electrode potential than SUS, it emits electrons and dissolves in the liquid. As a result, peeling of the underlying nickel occurs and the annealed copper is exposed. As a countermeasure, the dissolved oxygen concentration in the solution can be lowered to slow down the reaction rate of nickel dissolution. As described above, in the present embodiment, the DIW in the stocker 30 is continuously filled with the inert gas, and the dissolved oxygen in the DIW is replaced with the inert gas, thereby lowering the dissolved oxygen concentration in the DIW. , peeling of the film (undercoat, plating) of the metal parts of the substrate holder 11 can be suppressed.

In addition, when the dissolved oxygen concentration in the solution is high, the local battery effect due to the dissolved oxygen concentration gradient may cause a phenomenon in which annealed copper dissolves into the solution. Since it lowers the oxygen concentration, it also has the effect of suppressing the local battery effect due to the dissolved oxygen concentration gradient.

Fig. 9 shows the experimental results of wire corrosion when inert gas bubbling was performed. FIG. 10 shows experimental results of wire corrosion when inert gas bubbling was not performed. This example shows the results of immersing the same wire component (material: annealed copper, base: nickel, surface: gold plating) as the wire 42 in water containing copper sulfate plating solution (adjusted to pH 5) for 4 weeks. As shown in FIG. 10, when bag ringing with an inert gas was not performed, a portion A where annealed copper of the material was exposed was generated in the wire part. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, when bubbling with an inert gas was performed, there was no exposed portion of annealed copper in the wire component. From this result, it was found that the corrosion of metal parts can be effectively suppressed by bubbling with an inert gas in an acidic solution.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the plating process. Control by this flow is controlled by the controller 175 . In step S<b>10 , the substrate holder 11 stored or temporarily placed in the DIW in the stocker 30 is taken out from the stocker 30 and transported to the substrate attachment/detachment module 29 . In step S<b>20 , the substrate is attached to the substrate holder 11 in the substrate attaching/detaching module 29 . In step S30, the substrate held by the substrate holder 11 is subjected to pretreatment (pre-wet module 32, pre-soak module 33, first rinse module 34). In step S40, the substrate held by the substrate holder 11 is plated (plating station 120B). In step S50, the substrate held by the substrate holder 11 is subjected to post-processing (second rinse module 36, blow module 35). In step S<b>60 , the substrate is removed from the substrate holder 11 in the substrate attaching/detaching module 29 . In step S70, the substrate holder 11 is stored in the stocker 30, and is immersed in DIW previously stored in the stocker tank 60 for storage or temporary placement. Diffusion in DIW cleans. As a result, the plating solution remaining on the substrate holder 11 after being washed by the second rinse module 36 is diluted and/or diffused and washed. At this time, as described above, the DIW is continuously filled with an inert gas, and the dissolved oxygen concentration in the DIW is maintained at a low level, thereby suppressing corrosion of the metal parts of the substrate holder 11 . A series of these processes are performed on a plurality of substrate holders in the stocker. In one example, a set of a plurality of (for example, two) substrate holders is removed from the stocker 30 , subjected to the above series of processes, and returned to the stocker 30 .

According to the above embodiment, by immersing the substrate holder after plating and cleaning in the rinse module in DIW in the stocker 30, the plating solution remaining on the substrate holder that cannot be completely removed by the rinse module can be removed. . As a result, it is possible to prevent the plating solution remaining on the substrate holder from damaging the substrate holder. In addition, it is possible to suppress the decomposition of the substrate holder caused by the plating solution remaining in the substrate holder from spreading to each processing module during the next substrate transfer and generating particles on the substrate surface.

Further, according to the above embodiment, the dissolved oxygen in the DIW in the stocker 30 is replaced with an inert gas to lower the dissolved oxygen concentration in the DIW. Corrosion of 11 metal parts can be suppressed.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the stocker 30 according to the second embodiment. Note that only points different from the above embodiment will be described, and the same or similar configurations will be given the same reference numerals as in the above embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, the stocker 30 is connected to a circulation flow path 73 on which a pump 71 and a first module 72 are provided. The first module 72 functions as a dissolved oxygen concentration adjustment device that operates to suppress or reduce the dissolved oxygen concentration of water in the wet stocker. The first module 72 is a degassing module that removes oxygen-containing gas from the DIW using a vacuum pump or the like, or a replacement module that replaces oxygen-containing gas with an inert gas. The DIW in the stocker tank 60 is led out to the circulation flow path 73 by the pump 71 , degassed or replaced with inert gas in the first module 72 , and circulated so as to be returned to the stocker tank 60 . That is, the DIW in the stocker tank 60 is degassed or replaced with an inert gas while being circulated. The water level of the DIW, which drops due to the unloading of the substrate holder 11, is replenished from the water supply unit 61 to the stocker tank 60 in the same manner as described above. The stocker 30 and each part of the apparatus associated with the stocker 30 (including the water supply section 61 , the pump 71 and the first module 72 ) are controlled by the controller 175 . According to this configuration, the DIW in the stocker tank 60 is deaerated or replaced with an inert gas by the first module 72, so that the dissolved oxygen concentration in the DIW can be lowered. Similar effects are obtained.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the stocker 30 according to the third embodiment. In this embodiment, a piezoelectric element 81 is provided inside the stocker tank 60 of the stocker 30 . The piezoelectric element 81 functions as a dissolved oxygen concentration adjusting device that operates to suppress or reduce the dissolved oxygen concentration of water in the wet stocker. The piezoelectric element 81 is connected to an AC voltage source 82 via wiring 83 . Piezoelectric element 81 receives an AC voltage from AC voltage source 82 and generates or provides ultrasonic waves into the DIW in stocker tub 60 . The piezoelectric element 81 is preferably made of an acid-resistant material that can withstand the acidity of the DIW in the stocker tank 60, or is preferably coated with an acid-resistant material. The water level of the DIW, which drops due to the unloading of the substrate holder 11, is replenished from the water supply unit 61 to the stocker tank 60 in the same manner as described above. A controller 175 controls the stocker 30 and each part of the device associated with the stocker 30 (including the water supply part 61 , the piezoelectric element 81 , and the AC voltage source 82 ). In this embodiment, a pressure difference (high-pressure part and low-pressure part) is formed in DIW by ultrasonic waves, and dissolved oxygen in DIW can be removed to lower the dissolved oxygen concentration. It works and works.

(Other embodiments)
(1) In the above-described embodiment, the substrate holder for a circular substrate has been described as an example, but the above-described embodiment can be applied to a substrate holder for a substrate having a polygonal shape such as a square or any other shape.

(2) In the above embodiment, the plating apparatus (so-called dipping type) in which the substrate is plated by immersing the substrate holder in the plating solution has been described as an example. The above-described embodiments may be applied to a plating apparatus (so-called face-down type or cup type) that plate a substrate by contact.

The present invention can also be described as the following forms.
According to the first embodiment, there is provided a method for storing a substrate holder in an apparatus for plating a substrate, wherein the substrate holder that does not hold the substrate is stored and/or temporarily placed in a state of being immersed in stored water. In the stocker, the substrate holder is immersed in the water that has been stored in advance, and the plating solution remaining in the substrate holder is diffused into the water to clean the substrate holder, and the water is filled with an inert gas. and/or reducing the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water by degassing while circulating the water.

According to this aspect, the stocker for storing and/or temporarily placing the substrate holder is configured as a wet stocker that stores water. In this stocker, the substrate holders are stored and/or temporarily placed in the stocker while being immersed in water. According to this configuration, the substrate holder is immersed in pre-stored water, and while the substrate holder is stored and/or temporarily placed in the stocker, the plating solution remaining in the substrate holder (after washing with the rinse module after plating) Plating solution residue that could not be completely removed) can be diffused in water and washed.

In addition, even if the acidity of the water increases due to the acidic components accumulated by cleaning the substrate holder, the water in the stocker is subjected to inert gas replacement treatment or degassing treatment to lower the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the reaction in which the metal of the substrate holder component dissolves into water due to the difference in the standard electrode potential, thereby suppressing the corrosion of the substrate holder component. Further, even when almost no plating solution remains on the substrate holder, the substrate holder component can be maintained in good condition by maintaining the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water at a low level.

In addition, since the substrate holder immediately after removal of the plated substrate is stored and/or temporarily placed in a stocker containing water, the plating solution remaining in the substrate holder is prevented from being left in a dry state for a long time. As a result, it is possible to prevent the components in the plating solution from solidifying or the components of the substrate holder from being disassembled.

In addition, since plating residues can be cleaned while the substrate holder is being stored and/or temporarily placed in the stocker, it is possible to suppress a decrease in throughput and an increase in footprint. Since plating residue can be cleaned while the substrate holder is stored and/or temporarily placed in the stocker, there is no need to install a separate substrate holder cleaning device, or the frequency of use of the substrate holder cleaning device can be reduced, resulting in lower throughput. can be suppressed.

According to a second embodiment, in the method of the first embodiment, the substrate holder in the stocker is plated while being held by the substrate holder, and the substrate holder holding the substrate is washed with a rinse module. After that, it is performed on the substrate holder from which the substrate is removed.

According to this aspect, the plating solution remaining on the substrate holder that has not been completely removed after washing in the rinsing module after plating is diffused into water and washed while the substrate holder is stored and/or temporarily placed in the stocker. be able to.

According to a third aspect, in the method of the first or second aspect, by supplying the inert gas to the water from a gas supply device arranged at the bottom in the stocker, Generating a bubble of inert gas directed upwards.

According to this form, inert gas bubbles can be supplied from the bottom to the top inside the stocker, and the dissolved oxygen in the water in the stocker can be efficiently replaced with the inert gas.

According to a fourth aspect, in the method of the first or second aspect, deaeration or inert gas replacement processing is performed on the water by a module arranged on a circulation flow path for circulating the water of the stocker. reduces the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water.

According to this method, the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water in the stocker can be reduced by performing degassing or inert gas replacement processing on the water in the stocker in the module arranged on the circulation flow path. In addition, since the modules are installed outside the stocker, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the stocker.

According to a fifth aspect, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the inert gas is nitrogen.

According to this form, inert gas replacement can be performed relatively safely and inexpensively by using nitrogen as the inert gas.

According to the sixth mode, in the method of the first or second mode, the piezoelectric element arranged in the stocker generates ultrasonic waves in the water to deaerate the water.

According to this form, the water in the stocker can be efficiently degassed by the ultrasonic waves generated by the piezoelectric element.

According to the seventh embodiment, there is provided an apparatus for plating while holding a substrate in a substrate holder, wherein the stocker stores and/or temporarily stores the substrate holder that does not hold the substrate while immersed in water. a gas supply device arranged in the stocker for supplying an inert gas to the water and generating bubbles of the inert gas upward from below the substrate holder; and a carrier for carrying the substrate holder An apparatus is provided, comprising: an apparatus; and a control module for controlling the transfer device to immerse the substrate holder in water pre-stored in the stocker. The stocker is a wet stocker. The gas supply device is a dissolved oxygen concentration adjusting device that operates to fill water in the wet stocker with an inert gas to lower the dissolved oxygen concentration of the water.

According to this embodiment, the effects described in the first embodiment are obtained, and inert gas bubbles are generated in the water in the stocker from the bottom to the top, so that the dissolved oxygen in the water in the stocker is efficiently rendered inert. It can be replaced by active gas.

According to the eighth form, an apparatus for plating while holding a substrate in a substrate holder, wherein the stocker stores and/or temporarily stores the substrate holder that does not hold the substrate while immersed in water. a circulation channel connected to the stocker to circulate the water; a first module arranged on the circulation channel to deaerate or replace the water with an inert gas; and the substrate holder. An apparatus is provided that includes a transport device that transports substrates, and a control module that controls the transport device to immerse the substrate holder in water that has been stored in advance in the stocker. The stocker is a wet stocker. The first module is a dissolved oxygen concentration adjusting device that operates to reduce the dissolved oxygen concentration of water by performing degassing or inert gas replacement treatment on water in the wet stocker.

According to this method, the effects described in the first embodiment are obtained, and the water in the stocker is degassed or replaced with an inert gas by the module arranged on the circulation flow path. Dissolved oxygen concentration can be lowered. In addition, since the modules are installed outside the stocker, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the stocker.

According to a ninth form, in the device of the seventh or eighth form, the inert gas is nitrogen.

According to the tenth form, an apparatus for plating while holding a substrate in a substrate holder, wherein the substrate holder that does not hold the substrate is stored and/or temporarily placed in a state of being immersed in water. a stocker, a piezoelectric element that is arranged in the stocker and generates ultrasonic waves in the water, a transport device that transports the substrate holder, and a substrate holder that is immersed in water previously stored in the stocker and a control module for controlling the transport device. The stocker is a wet stocker. The piezoelectric element is a dissolved oxygen concentration adjusting device that operates to degas the water in the wet stocker and reduce the dissolved oxygen concentration of the water.

According to this embodiment, the action and effect described in the first embodiment can be obtained, and the water in the stocker can be efficiently degassed by the ultrasonic waves generated by the piezoelectric element.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments of the present invention are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and the present invention includes equivalents thereof. In addition, any combination of the embodiments and modifications is possible within the scope of solving at least part of the above-described problems or achieving at least part of the effects, and is described in the scope of claims and the specification. Any combination or omission of each component is possible. The entire disclosure, including the specification, claims, drawings and abstract of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2019-71382 (Patent Document 1) and 2014-19900 (Patent Document 2), is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. incorporated into.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 substrate holder 12 first holding member 13 second holding member 25 cassette table 25a cassette 27 transport robot 28 travel mechanism 29 substrate removal/removal module 32 pre-wet module 33 pre-soak module 34 first rinse module 35 blow module 36 second rinse module 37 Conveyor 38 Overflow tank 39 Plating module 41 Contact 42 Wiring (wire)
43 screw 50 cleaning module 50a cleaning station 60 stocker tank 61 water supply unit 62 gas supply device 63 gas supply source 64 valve 65 channel 71 pump 72 first module 73 circulation channel 81 piezoelectric element 82 AC voltage source 83 wiring 100 plating device 110 load/unload station 120 treatment station 120A pre-treatment/post-treatment station 120B plating station 175 control module (controller)
175B Memory 175A CPU

Claims

A method of storing a substrate holder in an apparatus for plating a substrate, comprising:
In a stocker for storing and/or temporarily placing a substrate holder that does not hold a substrate in a state of being immersed in reserved water, the substrate holder is immersed in the water that has been reserved in advance, and is attached to the substrate holder. washing the substrate holder by diffusing the remaining plating solution into the water;
Reducing the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water by filling the water with an inert gas and/or degassing the water while circulating it;
method including.
The method of claim 1, wherein
The cleaning of the substrate holder in the stocker is carried out by performing plating while the substrate is held in the substrate holder, cleaning the substrate holder holding the substrate with a rinse module, and then cleaning the substrate holder from which the substrate has been removed. A method that is carried out.
3. The method of claim 1 or 2,
A method of generating bubbles of the inert gas in the water from bottom to top by supplying the inert gas to the water from a gas supply device located at the bottom in the stocker.
3. The method of claim 1 or 2,
A method of reducing the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water by subjecting the water to degassing or inert gas replacement by means of a module arranged on a circulation flow path for circulating the water of the stocker.
3. The method of claim 1 or 2,
A method in which ultrasonic waves are generated in the water by a piezoelectric element arranged in the stocker to deaerate the water.
A device for plating while holding a substrate in a substrate holder,
a stocker for storing and/or temporarily placing the substrate holder that does not hold the substrate while being immersed in water;
a gas supply device disposed in the stocker for supplying inert gas to the water and generating bubbles of the inert gas from below to above the substrate holder;
a transport device that transports the substrate holder;
a control module for controlling the transfer device so as to immerse the substrate holder in the water stored in advance in the stocker;
A device comprising
A device for plating while holding a substrate in a substrate holder,
a stocker for storing and/or temporarily placing the substrate holder that does not hold the substrate while being immersed in water;
a circulation channel connected to the stocker for circulating the water;
a first module disposed on the circulation flow path and performing degassing or inert gas replacement processing on the water;
a transport device that transports the substrate holder;
a control module for controlling the transfer device so as to immerse the substrate holder in the water stored in advance in the stocker;
A device comprising
A device for plating while holding a substrate in a substrate holder,
a stocker for storing and/or temporarily placing the substrate holder that does not hold the substrate while being immersed in water;
a piezoelectric element disposed in the stocker for generating ultrasonic waves in the water;
a transport device that transports the substrate holder;
a control module for controlling the transfer device so as to immerse the substrate holder in the water stored in advance in the stocker;
A device comprising