Edge Flow Element For Electroplating Apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to an edge flow element for an electroplating apparatus, and the embodiments herein relate to methods and apparatus for electroplating one or more materials onto a substrate. In many cases the material is a metal and the substrate is a semiconductor wafer, though the embodiments are no so limited. Typically, the embodiments herein utilize a channeled plate positioned near the substrate, creating a cross flow manifold defined on the bottom by the channeled plate, on the top by the substrate, and on the sides by a cross flow confinement ring. Also typically present is an edge flow element configured to direct electrolyte into a corner formed between the substrate and substrate holder. During plating, fluid enters the cross flow manifold both upward through the channels in the channeled plate, and laterally through a cross flow side inlet positioned on one side of the cross flow confinement ring. The flow paths combine in the cross flow manifold and exit at the cross flow exit, which is positioned opposite the cross flow inlet. These combined flow paths and the edge flow element result in improved plating uniformity, especially at the periphery of the substrate.

Description

technical field [0001] Embodiments of the invention relate to methods and apparatus for controlling electrolyte fluid dynamics during electroplating. More specifically, the methods and apparatus described in this invention are particularly useful for plating metals on semiconductor wafer substrates, e.g., small micro-raised features (e.g., copper, nickel, tin, etc.) and tin alloy solder) and through resist plating of copper through-silicon via (TSV) features. Background technique [0002] Electrochemical deposition processes are well established in modern integrated circuit fabrication. The shift from aluminum to copper wire interconnects in the early 21st century has driven the need for increasingly complex plating processes and plating tools. Most complex processes have evolved in response to the need for smaller current-carrying lines in the device metallization layers. These copper lines are formed by electroplating metal into very narrow, high aspect ratio trenches a...

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In the face of these challenges, WLP applications must compete with traditional and potentially cheaper pick-and-place continuous routing operations

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