Sealing Detection Device and Method

Abstract

The present invention provides a sealing detection device and method. The sealing detection device includes: a first electrode, a second electrode, a current detection module connecting the first electrode and the second electrode, and a judgment module connecting the current detection module; the surface of the substrate held by the electroplating equipment is divided into a first region and a second region by a sealing member; the first electrode is in contact connection with the first region, the second electrode is connected to the second region through electroplating solution, and a detection loop is formed among the first electrode, the substrate, the second electrode and the current detection module; the current detection module is energized to detect the actual current value of the detection loop, and the judgment module obtains the actual current value and judges the sealing performance of the sealing member. By introducing the current detection module to detect the sealing performance of the sealing member, the present invention realizes the automatic detection of the sealing performance of the sealing member, avoids the missed detection and misdetection caused by visual inspection in the prior art, and improves the process stability and operation rate of the electroplating equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and particularly to a sealing detection device and method. Background Art

[0002] In the process of integrated circuit manufacturing, the metal electroplating process is widely used due to its good uniformity and applicability. In addition to the copper interconnect structure in the back-end process, in the field of advanced wafer-level packaging, such as in the processes of copper pillars, RDL (Redistribution Layer), TSV, and interposer, the metal electroplating process has also been commonly used.

[0003] Currently, there are two types of electroplating equipment on the market: horizontal spray cup plating and vertical hanging plating. Among them, in hanging plating, the wafer is vertically immersed in the plating solution, and multiple wafers can be electroplated simultaneously in one plating tank. Cup plating is to cover the wafer in a cup-shaped plating tank, and the electroplating process is carried out in a one-cup-one-wafer manner. Compared with hanging plating, the single-piece process of cup plating is more controllable and is an important development direction for high-quality electroplating processes. In advanced cup plating processes, generally, sealing components such as sealing rings are required to isolate the substrate to be electroplated, so that the plating solution cannot reach the edge of the front side of the substrate and the inside of the substrate chuck for fixing the substrate. Otherwise, in addition to the electroplating area on the front side of the substrate, the edge area will also be plated with metal, thus affecting the stability of the electroplating process.

[0004] However, in existing cup plating equipment, rubber sealing rings often break during use, resulting in a decline in sealing performance. This will not only cause the plating solution to invade the non-electroplating area and deteriorate the uniformity of the obtained metal film, but also the plating solution will invade and contaminate the internal components of the substrate chuck. For the detection of sealing ring breakage, currently, manual visual inspection is generally used, which is not only time-consuming and laborious, but also may have missed detections and false detections. This not only increases the production and maintenance costs, but also poses a risk of decline in product yield.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to propose a new sealing detection device and method to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a sealing detection device and method for solving the problem of poor sealing detection effect of cup plating equipment in the prior art.

[0007] To achieve the above purpose and other related purposes, the present invention provides a sealing detection device for detecting the sealing performance of a sealing component of an electroplating equipment, characterized in that it includes:

[0008] A first electrode, a second electrode, a current detection module, and a judgment module;

[0009] Among them, the current detection module for detecting the current value is respectively connected to the first electrode and the second electrode through wires, and the judgment module is connected to the current detection module and obtains the current value;

[0010] The surface of the substrate held by the electroplating equipment is separated into a first region and a second region by the seal; the first electrode contacts and connects to the first region, and the second electrode is connected to the second region through the electroplating solution to form a detection loop between the first electrode, the substrate, the second electrode, and the current detection module; the current detection module is energized and detects the actual current value in the detection loop, and the judgment module obtains the actual current value from the current detection module and judges the tightness of the seal for the electroplating solution according to the actual current value.

[0011] As an optional solution of the present invention, the seal detection device further includes an upper limit current value setting module; the upper limit current value setting module is used to set and store the upper limit current value; the judgment module is connected to the upper limit current value setting module to obtain the upper limit current value, and judges the tightness of the seal for the electroplating solution according to the comparison result between the upper limit current value and the actual current value.

[0012] As an optional solution of the present invention, the substrate includes an intrinsic silicon wafer, and the setting range of the upper limit current value is between 5 and 15 mA.

[0013] As an optional solution of the present invention, the current detection module is in a constant voltage mode when energized.

[0014] As an optional solution of the present invention, the seal detection device further includes an alarm module; the alarm module is connected to the judgment module and the electroplating equipment, and is used to issue an alarm when the judgment module judges that the seal tightness fails, stop the electroplating equipment and switch to the maintenance mode.

[0015] The present invention also provides a seal detection method, which is characterized in that it includes the following steps:

[0016] Load the substrate on the electroplating equipment, and the seal of the electroplating equipment separates the surface of the substrate into a first region that does not contact the electroplating solution and a second region that contacts the electroplating solution;

[0017] Form a detection loop through the first region, the second region, and the electroplating solution, energize the detection loop and detect the actual current value of the detection loop;

[0018] Judge the tightness of the seal for the electroplating solution according to the actual current value.

[0019] As an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the sealing performance of the seal for the electroplating solution is determined according to the comparison result between the set upper limit current value and the actual current value.

[0020] As an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the substrate comprises an intrinsic silicon wafer, and the set upper limit current value ranges from 5 mA to 15 mA.

[0021] As an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the detection circuit is energized in a constant voltage mode.

[0022] As an alternative embodiment of the present invention, after determining the sealing performance of the seal for the electroplating solution according to the actual current value, it further includes a step of inspecting the surface of the seal.

[0023] As described above, the present invention provides a seal detection device and method, which have the following beneficial effects:

[0024] By introducing a current detection module to detect the sealing performance of the seal, the present invention realizes the automatic detection of the sealing performance of the seal, avoids the missed detection and false detection caused by visual inspection in the prior art, and improves the process stability and operation rate of the electroplating equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 It shows a front view of the substrate chuck of the electroplating equipment provided in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 a cross-sectional view taken along the AA direction in

[0027] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 a partial enlarged view of region B in

[0028] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 a partial enlarged view of region C in

[0029] Figure 5 It shows a connection relationship diagram of the seal detection device and the electroplating equipment provided in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0031] 100 Seal

[0032] 101 First electrode

[0033] 102 Second electrode

[0034] 103 Current detection module

[0035] 104 Judgment module

[0036] 105 Chuck

[0037] 106 Electroplating solution

[0038] 107 Upper limit current value setting module

[0039] 108 Alarm module

[0040] 109 Substrate chuck

[0041] 110 Electroplating tank

[0042] 111 Pressing plate Detailed implementation manners

[0043] The following uses specific specific examples to illustrate the implementation manners of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific implementation manners. Various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0044] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5 . It should be noted that the diagrams provided in this embodiment only illustrate the basic concept of the present invention in a schematic manner. Although only the components related to the present invention are shown in the diagrams, rather than being drawn according to the number, shape, and size of the components in actual implementation, the form, quantity, and ratio of each component in actual implementation can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout form of its components may also be more complex.

[0045] Embodiment 1

[0046] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5 . This embodiment provides a seal detection device for detecting the sealing performance of the seal 100 of the electroplating equipment, including:

[0047] A first electrode 101, a second electrode 102, a current detection module 103, and a judgment module 104;

[0048] Among them, the current detection module 103 for detecting the current value is respectively connected to the first electrode 101 and the second electrode 102 through wires, and the judgment module 104 is connected to the current detection module 103 and obtains the current value;

[0049] The surface of the substrate 105 clamped by the electroplating equipment is separated into a first region and a second region by the seal 100; the first electrode 101 contacts and connects to the first region, and the second electrode 102 connects to the second region through the electroplating solution 106 to form a detection circuit among the first electrode 101, the substrate 105, the second electrode 102, and the current detection module 103; the current detection module 103 is powered on and detects the actual current value in the detection circuit, and the judgment module 104 obtains the actual current value from the current detection module 103 and judges the sealing performance of the seal 100 for the electroplating solution 106 according to the actual current value.

[0050] As Figure 1 shown, it is the substrate chuck 109 of the electroplating equipment, Figure 2 which Figure 1 is the cross-sectional view in the AA direction in Figure 3 and Figure 2 is the partial enlarged view of area B in Figure 4 and Figure 3 is the partial enlarged view of area C in Figure 2 . For the cup electroplating equipment, the substrate 105 generally places its front area to be electroplated downward, is fixed on the substrate chuck 109, and is immersed downward into the electroplating tank for electroplating operations. Specifically, as Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 4 shown, the pressing plate 111 part of the substrate chuck 109 presses the substrate 105 from above, and the seal 100 clamps the edge area of the substrate 105, thereby fixing the substrate 105 and also ensuring that the electroplating solution does not invade the edge area of the substrate 105 and the inside of the substrate chuck 109. As Figure 4 shown, at the contact position between the seal 100 and the substrate 105, the substrate 105 is separated into a left first region and a right second region by the seal 100. Among them, the first region is the edge area of the substrate 105 and is also the area connecting the internal space of the substrate chuck 109; the second region is the area to be electroplated on the surface of the substrate 105 and is also the area directly contacting the electroplating solution during electroplating. It can also be seen from

[0051] that Figure 5 in this embodiment, the first electrode 101 directly contacts the substrate 105 from the edge of the substrate 105. Figure 5Among them, the substrate chuck 109 is installed below the driving structure of the electroplating equipment. During the electroplating process, the driving structure drives the substrate chuck 109 to immerse the substrate 105 fixed thereon into the electroplating solution 106 in the electroplating tank 110 for electroplating. A second electrode 102 is also provided on the inner wall of the electroplating tank 110. The second electrode 102 is connected to the substrate 105 through the electroplating solution 106 to form a detection circuit among the first electrode 101, the substrate 105, the second electrode 102, and the current detection module 103. During the sealing detection, the current detection module 103 is powered on and detects the actual current value in the detection circuit. The judgment module 104 obtains the actual current value from the current detection module 103 and judges the sealing performance of the seal 100 for the electroplating solution 106 based on the actual current value.

[0052] For the detection circuit, under the condition of constant voltage, it will have different current values according to whether the electroplating solution 106 invades the first region. When the electroplating solution 106 does not invade the first region, the detection circuit must pass through the substrate 105, that is, the substrate 105 connects the first electrode 101 and is connected to the second electrode 102 through the electroplating solution 106. If the resistivity of the substrate 105 is relatively large, the detection circuit will have a relatively small current value; when the electroplating solution 106 invades the first region, it is conducted between the first region and the second region through the electroplating solution 106, that is, the first electrode 101 and the second electrode 102 are directly conducted through the electroplating solution 106. Compared with the substrate 105, its resistivity is relatively small, so the detection circuit will have a relatively large current value. According to the change in the measured current value in the detection circuit, the seal detection device of this embodiment will intuitively judge whether the electroplating solution 106 invades the first region, that is, whether the electroplating solution 106 invades the edge region of the substrate 105 and the inner region of the substrate chuck 109, which also directly characterizes whether the seal 100 is damaged.

[0053] It should be noted that Figure 5 only briefly shows the main structures related to the present invention in the electroplating equipment. In an actual electroplating equipment, structures such as the electroplating tank 110, the upper structure connecting the substrate chuck 109, the sealing structure, and the electrodes may have more complex structures, which does not affect the implementation of the present invention. The electroplating equipment should also have Figure 4 other necessary structures such as a wafer transfer device, a cleaning device, and an electroplating solution filtration and circulation device that are not shown in

[0054] In addition, when the seal detection device of the present invention is integrated into the electroplating equipment, at least any one of the first electrode 101, the second electrode 102, and the current detection module 103 is directly constituted by an existing component in the electroplating equipment. For example, the first electrode 101 and the second electrode 102 can be respectively the electroplating contact electrodes that energize the substrate 105 and the electroplating solution 106 during electroplating in the electroplating equipment, and the current detection module 103 can be an electroplating power supply device with power supply and current detection functions. Optionally, the current detection module 103 is in a constant voltage mode when the detection circuit is energized, that is, the current detection module 103 supplies power under a constant voltage state and detects the current change in the detection circuit.

[0055] As an example, as Figure 5 shown, the seal detection device further includes an upper limit current value setting module 107; the upper limit current value setting module 107 is used to set and store the upper limit current value; the judgment module 104 is connected to the upper limit current value setting module 107 to obtain the upper limit current value, and judges the sealing performance of the seal 100 for the electroplating solution 106 according to the comparison result between the upper limit current value and the actual current value. When the actual current value is greater than the upper limit current value, it can be considered that there is a problem with the sealing performance of the seal 100, and the electroplating solution 106 has leaked. Optionally, the substrate 105 includes an intrinsic silicon wafer, and the setting range of the upper limit current value is between 5 and 15 mA. The intrinsic silicon wafer can be an undoped and unmetallized silicon substrate wafer, which has a large resistivity and can be regarded as insulating. Compared with the relatively small resistivity of the electroplating solution 106, it can significantly characterize whether there is a problem with the sealing performance of the seal 100. Of course, in addition to the intrinsic silicon wafer, the substrate 105 can also be made of other materials with a large resistivity, such as inorganic non-metallic materials or polymer materials with good insulation performance.

[0056] As an example, as Figure 5 shown, the seal detection device further includes an alarm module 108; the alarm module 108 is connected to the judgment module 104 and the electroplating equipment, and is used to issue an alarm when the judgment module 104 judges that the sealing performance of the seal 100 fails, stop the electroplating equipment and switch it to the maintenance mode, and the equipment maintenance personnel can check and maintain the seal 100 in time.

[0057] Through the sealing detection device provided by this embodiment, the sealing performance of the seal 100 can be automatically detected, avoiding the missed detection and misdetection caused by manual visual inspection in the prior art, and timely maintaining the electroplating equipment with poor sealing performance. Introducing a standardized operation process for sealing spot inspection of electroplating equipment through the sealing detection device will help improve the process stability and operation rate of electroplating equipment.

[0058] Embodiment 2

[0059] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5 , this embodiment provides a sealing detection method, including the following steps:

[0060] 1) Load the substrate 105 onto the electroplating equipment. The seal 100 of the electroplating equipment divides the surface of the substrate 105 into a first area that does not contact the electroplating solution 106 and a second area that contacts the electroplating solution 106.

[0061] 2) Form a detection circuit through the first area, the second area, and the electroplating solution 106, energize the detection circuit, and detect the actual current value of the detection circuit.

[0062] 3) Judge the sealing performance of the seal 100 for the electroplating solution 106 according to the actual current value.

[0063] In step 1), as Figures 1 to 4 shown, load the substrate 105 onto the electroplating equipment. The seal 100 of the electroplating equipment divides the surface of the substrate 105 into a first area that does not contact the electroplating solution 106 and a second area that contacts the electroplating solution 106. Specifically, as Figures 1 to 4 shown, for the cup plating electroplating equipment, the substrate 105 is face down and fixed on the substrate chuck 109. The pressing plate 111 of the substrate chuck 109 presses the substrate 105 from above, and the seal 100 clamps the edge area of the substrate 105 to fix the substrate 105. As Figure 4 shown, at the contact position between the seal 100 and the substrate 105, the seal 100 divides the substrate 105 into a first area on the left and a second area on the right. Among them, the first area is the edge area of the substrate 105 and is also the area communicating with the internal space of the substrate chuck 109; the second area is the area to be electroplated on the surface of the substrate 105 and is also the area that directly contacts the electroplating solution during electroplating.

[0064] In step 2), as Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, a detection circuit is formed by the first region, the second region, and the electroplating solution 106. The detection circuit is energized and the actual current value of the detection circuit is detected.

[0065] In Figure 5 the composition of the detection circuit is specifically shown. The first electrode 101 contacts and connects to the first region, and the second electrode 102 is connected to the second region through the electroplating solution 106 to form a detection circuit among the first electrode 101, the substrate 105, the second electrode 102, and the current detection module 103. It can also be seen from Figure 4 that in this embodiment, the first electrode 101 directly contacts the substrate 105 from the edge of the substrate 105. After the detection circuit is formed, the detection circuit is energized by the current detection module 103 and the actual current value of the detection circuit is detected. Optionally, the detection circuit is energized in a constant voltage mode.

[0066] In step 3), as Figure 5 shown, the tightness of the seal 100 with respect to the electroplating solution 106 is judged according to the actual current value. Specifically, under constant voltage conditions, for a substrate 105 with a given resistance value, for the two states where the electroplating solution 106 invades and does not invade the first region, the detection circuit will have different current values. Since the resistance value of the electroplating solution 106 is much smaller than that of the substrate 105 and is equivalent to a wire, once the electroplating solution 106 invades the first region, the actual current detected by the current detection module 103 will be significantly larger. Thus, according to the actual current value measured in the detection circuit, it can be intuitively judged whether the electroplating solution 106 has invaded the first region located at the edge area of the substrate chuck 109 and whether the seal 100 is damaged.

[0067] Optionally, in this embodiment, an upper limit current value setting module 107 is used to set and store the upper limit current value. The judgment module 104 judges the tightness of the seal 100 with respect to the electroplating solution 106 according to the comparison result between the set upper limit current value and the actual current value. When the actual current value is greater than the upper limit current value, it can be considered that there is a problem with the tightness of the seal 100 and the electroplating solution 106 has leaked. Optionally, the substrate 105 includes an intrinsic silicon wafer, and the setting range of the upper limit current value is between 5 and 15 mA.

[0068] As an example, after judging the tightness of the seal 100 against the electroplating solution 106 according to the actual current value in step 3), it further includes a step of inspecting the surface of the seal 100. In addition to defects such as breakage that can cause leakage of the electroplating solution 106, a conductive material layer may also adhere to the surface of the seal 100 during the electroplating process, thereby causing the seal 100 to lose its insulating and isolating function. For example, in tin electroplating, some divalent tin ions in the tin electroplating solution will gradually oxidize into tetravalent tin ions and form tin sludge (mainly composed of tin dioxide) suspended in the electroplating solution. After multiple electroplating processes, it will gradually adhere to the surface of the seal 100 and gradually increase until it contacts the first electrode 101. Since tin dioxide is a conductive material, when performing the seal detection as provided in this embodiment, the current will conduct through the tin dioxide layer on the seal 100 and the first electrode 101, causing the actual current value to exceed the upper limit current value (for example, 10 mA), thereby causing the alarm module 108 to give an alarm. Therefore, when an alarm occurs, in addition to checking whether the seal 100 is damaged, it is also necessary to check whether a conductive material layer is deposited on the surface of the seal 100. After removing the conductive material layer through equipment maintenance, the seal detection is performed again. If the actual current value does not exceed the upper limit current value, it indicates that the sealing performance of the seal 100 is good and the fault has been eliminated. Otherwise, it indicates that the seal 100 still has defects such as breakage and needs to be replaced.

[0069] In summary, the present invention provides a sealing detection device and method for detecting the sealing performance of a seal of an electroplating device. The sealing detection device includes: a first electrode, a second electrode, a current detection module, and a judgment module. Among them, the current detection module for detecting the current value is respectively connected to the first electrode and the second electrode through wires, and the judgment module is connected to the current detection module and obtains the current value. The surface of the substrate held by the electroplating device is divided into a first area and a second area by the seal. The first electrode contacts and connects to the first area, and the second electrode is connected to the second area through the electroplating solution to form a detection circuit among the first electrode, the substrate, the second electrode, and the current detection module. The current detection module is powered on and detects the actual current value in the detection circuit, and the judgment module obtains the actual current value from the current detection module and judges the sealing performance of the seal for the electroplating solution according to the actual current value. The sealing detection method includes the following steps: loading the substrate on the electroplating device, and the seal of the electroplating device divides the surface of the substrate into a first area that does not contact the electroplating solution and a second area that contacts the electroplating solution; forming a detection circuit through the first area, the second area, and the electroplating solution, powering on the detection circuit and detecting the actual current value in the detection circuit; judging the sealing performance of the seal for the electroplating solution according to the actual current value. By introducing a current detection module to detect the sealing performance of the seal, the present invention realizes the automatic detection of the sealing performance of the seal, avoids the missed detection and misdetection caused by visual inspection in the prior art, and improves the process stability and operation rate of the electroplating device.

[0070] The above embodiments are only illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention, and are not used to limit the present invention. Any person familiar with this technology can modify or change the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes completed by those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field without departing from the spirit and technical ideas disclosed by the present invention should still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sealing detection device for detecting the sealing performance of seals of electroplating equipment, characterized in that, Including: A first electrode, a second electrode, a current detection module, and a judgment module; Among them, the current detection module for detecting the current value is respectively connected to the first electrode and the second electrode through wires, and the judgment module is connected to the current detection module and obtains the current value; The electroplating equipment includes a substrate chuck, and the pressing plate of the substrate chuck is used to press the substrate from above and clamp the edge area of the substrate through the seal to fix the substrate; The surface of the substrate is divided into a first area and a second area by the seal. The first area is the edge area of the substrate, and the second area is the area to be electroplated on the surface of the substrate; the first electrode contacts and connects the first area, and the second electrode is connected to the second area through the electroplating solution to form a detection circuit between the first electrode, the substrate, the second electrode, and the current detection module; the current detection module is powered on and detects the actual current value in the detection circuit, and the judgment module obtains the actual current value from the current detection module and judges the tightness of the seal for the electroplating solution according to the actual current value.

2. The sealing detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The seal detection device further includes an upper limit current value setting module; the upper limit current value setting module is used to set and store the upper limit current value; the judgment module is connected to the upper limit current value setting module to obtain the upper limit current value and judges the tightness of the seal for the electroplating solution according to the comparison result between the upper limit current value and the actual current value.

3. The sealing detection device according to claim 2, wherein, The substrate includes an intrinsic silicon wafer, and the setting range of the upper limit current value is between 5 and 15 mA.

4. The sealing detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The current detection module is in a constant voltage mode when powered on and working.

5. The sealing detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that The seal detection device further includes an alarm module; the alarm module is connected to the judgment module and the electroplating equipment, and is used to give an alarm when the judgment module judges that the tightness of the seal fails, stop the electroplating equipment and switch it to the maintenance mode.

6. A sealing detection method, characterized in that, Including the following steps: Load the substrate on the substrate chuck of the electroplating equipment. The pressing plate of the substrate chuck presses the substrate from above and clamps the edge area of the substrate through the seal to fix the substrate; the seal of the electroplating equipment divides the surface of the substrate into a first area that does not contact the electroplating solution and a second area that contacts the electroplating solution; The first area is the edge area of the substrate, and the second area is the area to be electroplated on the surface of the substrate; Form a detection circuit through the first area, the second area, and the electroplating solution, power on the detection circuit and detect the actual current value of the detection circuit; Judge the tightness of the seal for the electroplating solution according to the actual current value.

7. The seal detection method according to claim 6, wherein Judge the tightness of the seal for the electroplating solution according to the comparison result between the set upper limit current value and the actual current value.

8. The sealing detection method according to claim 7, wherein The substrate includes an intrinsic silicon wafer, and the setting range of the upper limit current value is between 5 and 15 mA.

9. The seal detection method according to claim 6, wherein Power on the detection circuit in the constant voltage mode.

10. The seal detection method according to claim 6, wherein After judging the tightness of the seal for the electroplating solution according to the actual current value, it further includes the step of inspecting the surface of the seal.

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