Contact, chuck and electroplating apparatus

Abstract

The application provides a contact piece, a chuck and an electroplating device, relates to the technical field of semiconductor electroplating, and the contact piece extends along a straight line and comprises a mounting base and a contact base. The mounting base comprises a plurality of mounting portions arranged at intervals. The plurality of mounting portions are distributed along the length direction of the mounting base. The adjacent mounting portions are separated by a first hollow area. A guide portion protruding from the mounting base is arranged on each mounting portion. The contact base is provided with a plurality of second hollow areas distributed at intervals along the length direction. The contact base is connected with the mounting base and used for contacting a substrate. The contact piece provided by the application has higher material utilization, generates less waste, has higher output rate, has lower processing cost, has good bending performance, and can be bent into a ring for use in the state of extending along a straight line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor electroplating technology, and more specifically, to a contact element, a clamping plate, and an electroplating apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing, chemical electroplating of wafers is an essential process for producing high-quality integrated circuits. In electroplating equipment, wafers are held in place by chucks, and the contacts are key components that interact with the seed layer of the wafer within the chucks. The contacts are made of a conductive metal material with a certain degree of elasticity, and their structure and the physical properties of the material are crucial factors in determining the quality of the electroplating process.

[0003] The initial processing shape of the existing contact is arc-shaped. However, since the processing substrate is not arc-shaped, the arc-shaped structure usually generates more waste during the processing, requiring more processing materials, which in turn makes the processing cost higher. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems in the prior art, the present invention provides a contact element and a clamping plate. The contact element can be processed along a straight line during the processing, resulting in less waste, effectively reducing processing costs, and possessing excellent bending performance.

[0005] The present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems through the following technical solutions:

[0006] A contact element extending in a straight line, comprising:

[0007] The mounting base includes a plurality of mounting portions spaced apart, the plurality of mounting portions being distributed along the length direction of the contact member, adjacent mounting portions being separated by a first hollow area, and each mounting portion being provided with a guide portion protruding from the mounting base;

[0008] The contact substrate has a plurality of second hollow areas spaced apart along the length of the contact element. The contact substrate is connected to the mounting substrate and is used to contact the substrate.

[0009] Preferably, the mounting base further includes a connecting portion that extends along the length direction of the contact member, and the connecting portion includes a first end face and a second end face disposed opposite to each other;

[0010] The first end face is connected to the mounting base, and the mounting base extends outward from the first end face along the width direction of the contact element;

[0011] The second end face is connected to the contact substrate, and the contact substrate extends outward from the second end face along the width direction of the contact element.

[0012] Preferably, the inner surface of the end of the first hollowed-out region extends to the first end face, and / or the inner surface of the end of the second hollowed-out region extends to the second end face.

[0013] Preferably, the guide portion is located at the end of the mounting portion away from the connecting portion.

[0014] Preferably, the contact element is rectangular in shape.

[0015] Preferably, the contact substrate includes a plurality of extensions distributed along the length direction of the contact member, a second hollow area is provided between adjacent extensions, the first end of each extension is connected to the mounting substrate, and the end of each extension is provided with a contact portion for contacting the substrate.

[0016] Preferably, the contact portion is raised relative to the horizontal plane and the angle between the contact portion and the horizontal plane is 0-20°.

[0017] Preferably, the extension and the mounting base form an arc transition.

[0018] A clamp for holding a substrate, the clamp including an inner pressure ring, a frame and contacts as described above, each mounting portion of the contacts being fitted to the inner circumferential surface of the frame, the inner circumferential surface of the frame being provided with an annular groove, each guide portion of the contacts being disposed in the annular groove, and the contacts being pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the frame by the inner pressure ring.

[0019] Preferably, a gap is provided between the contact base of the contact element and the inner peripheral surface of the skeleton.

[0020] Preferably, the contact base of the contact member includes a plurality of extensions, the plurality of extensions extending along the length direction of the mounting base, a second hollow area is provided between adjacent extensions, the first end of each extension is connected to the mounting base, the end of each extension is provided with a contact portion, the contact portion is used to contact the substrate, and a gap is provided between the extension and the inner peripheral surface of the skeleton.

[0021] An electroplating apparatus, comprising a clamping plate as described above.

[0022] The positive and progressive effects of this invention are as follows: In this invention, the contact element extends along a straight line, so it can be processed along a straight line during manufacturing. With the same area of ​​material, compared to the ring-shaped contact element in the prior art, the material utilization rate is higher, less waste is generated, and the output rate of the contact element is higher. Therefore, the processing cost of the contact element provided by this invention is lower. Furthermore, by providing multiple mounting portions distributed along the length direction of the contact element and separating adjacent mounting portions by a first hollow area, the first hollow area can reduce the stiffness and strength of the edge material of the mounting base, making deformation of the edge material easier during bending. Moreover, the first hollow area can reduce its moment of inertia, improving the bending performance of the contact element. Similarly, the setting of the second hollow area can further improve the bending performance of the contact element, making it easier to bend the contact element from its straight-line extension state into a ring shape for use. The guide portion protrudes from the mounting portion. During use, it can guide the contact element to bend into a ring shape. Furthermore, by contacting other components, the guide portion can counteract the rebound generated by the contact element during bending, which helps the contact element maintain its bent state and thus improves the stability of the contact element. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The features and performance of the present invention are further described by the following embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the processing of contact parts in the prior art is shown;

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the processing of the contact element in Embodiment 1 of the present invention is disclosed;

[0026] Figure 3 A partial structural schematic diagram of the contact element in its usage state in Embodiment 1 of the present invention is disclosed;

[0027] Figure 4 A front view structural schematic diagram of the contact element in Embodiment 1 of the present invention is shown;

[0028] Figure 5 A partially enlarged structural schematic diagram of the contact element in Embodiment 1 of the present invention is disclosed;

[0029] Figure 6 A side view of the contact element in Embodiment 1 of the present invention is shown;

[0030] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the overall structure of the clamping disc in Embodiment 2 of the present invention is shown;

[0031] Figure 8 An exploded view of the clamping disc in Embodiment 2 of the present invention is shown;

[0032] Figure 9 A cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the exploded structure of the clamp in Embodiment 2 of the present invention is provided.

[0033] Figure 10 Revealed Figure 9 Enlarged structural diagram at point A;

[0034] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the chuck in the assembled state in Embodiment 2 of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To illustrate the technical content, structural features, objectives, and effects of the present invention in detail, the following description will be provided in conjunction with the embodiments and accompanying drawings. However, this does not limit the present invention to the scope of the embodiments described.

[0036] In the wafer chuck of electroplating equipment, contacts, as conductive components, are used to contact the seed layer on the front side of the wafer. Wafers are generally circular in shape. To adapt to the wafer's shape and ensure uniform contact with the seed layer on the front side, the contacts need to be of a ring structure. Therefore, in existing technologies, contacts are typically arc-shaped after processing, and multiple arc-shaped contacts are then joined together to form a complete ring-shaped contact. The contact processing procedure is as follows... Figure 1 As shown, several arc-shaped structures are cut from a square substrate, and then further processed into arc-shaped contact parts 200'. Due to its arc-shaped structure, a lot of waste is generated during the processing, resulting in low material utilization and high processing costs.

[0037] To reduce its processing cost, the present invention provides a bendable rectangular contact member 200, the processing of which is as follows: Figure 2 As shown. During processing, a rectangular structure is used, resulting in less waste and a higher yield of contact parts 200. More contact parts 200 can be processed from the same area of ​​substrate, significantly reducing processing costs. In use, as... Figure 3 (Only a portion of the structure of contact 200 is shown; it is actually ring-shaped.) As shown, it can be bent into a ring shape for use without affecting its performance. A detailed description of the rectangular contact 200's structure is as follows.

[0038] like Figure 4 (To more clearly illustrate the structure of contact 200, only a portion of its structure is shown.) Figure 5As shown, the contact 200 extends along a straight line. Because the contact 200 extends along a straight line, it can be processed along a straight line during the manufacturing process. With the same area of ​​material, compared with the arc-shaped contact 200' in the prior art, the material utilization rate is higher, less waste is generated, and the output rate of the contact 200 is higher. Therefore, the processing cost of the contact 200 provided by the present invention is lower.

[0039] The contact element 200 includes a mounting base 210, a contact base 220, and a connecting portion 214. The connecting portion 214 extends along the length direction L of the contact element 200 and includes a first end face and a second end face disposed opposite to each other. The first end face of the connecting portion 214 is connected to the mounting base 210, and the mounting base 210 extends outward from the first end face of the connecting portion 214 along the width direction W of the contact element 200. The second end face of the connecting portion 214 is connected to the contact base 220, and the contact base 220 extends outward from the second end face of the connecting portion 214 along the width direction W of the contact element 200. The mounting base 210 and the contact base 220 can be fixed together by the connecting portion 214 to form a whole. Simultaneously, the connecting portion 214 can also withstand a certain tensile or compressive force during the connection process to ensure a firm and stable connection between the mounting base 210 and the contact base 220, thereby improving the service life of the contact element 200.

[0040] Specifically, the mounting base 210 includes a plurality of spaced-apart mounting portions 211, which are distributed along the length direction L of the contact member 200. Adjacent mounting portions 211 are separated by a first hollow region 212. Each mounting portion 211 has a guide portion 213 protruding from the mounting base 210. The first hollow region 212 reduces the stiffness and strength of the edge material of the mounting base 210, making deformation of the edge material easier during bending. Furthermore, the first hollow region 212 reduces the moment of inertia of the mounting base 210, improving the bending performance of the contact member 200. The guide portion 213 protrudes from the mounting portion 211, and during use, it guides the contact member 200 to bend into a ring shape. Figure 10 The guide part 213 is inserted into the annular groove 310 provided on the clamp, which can counteract the reaction force generated by the contact member 200 during bending, which helps the contact member 200 to maintain the bent state, thereby improving the stability of the contact member 200.

[0041] Furthermore, the inner surface of the end of the first hollow region 212 extends to the first end face of the connecting portion 214, and the inner surface of the end of the second hollow region 223 extends to the second end face of the connecting portion 214. The first hollow region 212 and the second hollow region 223 have large areas and do not affect the connecting portion 214, thus enabling the contact member 200 to have both bending properties and a certain degree of strength. Of course, in other embodiments, the extension distance of the ends of the first hollow region 212 and the second hollow region 223 is not limited to this and can be flexibly set as needed.

[0042] In one example, the guide portion 213 is located at the end of the mounting portion 211 away from the connecting portion 214. The greater the distance between the guide portion 213 and the connecting portion 214, the larger the torque it generates, making it easier for the contact member 200 to bend into a ring shape.

[0043] In this embodiment, the contact substrate 220 includes a plurality of extensions 221, which are distributed along the length direction L of the contact member 200. A second cutout area 223 is provided between adjacent extensions 221. The beginning end of each extension 221 is connected to the mounting substrate 210, and the end of each extension 221 is provided with a contact portion 222, which is used to contact the wafer.

[0044] By employing multiple extensions 221 and providing contact portions 222, the number of contact points between the contact 200 and the wafer is effectively increased, improving the contact quality between the wafer and the contact substrate 220. Furthermore, the contact area between the wafer and the contact substrate 220 is maximized, allowing the wafer to be stably placed on the contact substrate 220, which is beneficial for improving the uniformity of conductivity. A second hollow area 223 is provided between adjacent extensions 221. This improves the bending performance of the contact 200, making it easier to bend from a straight-line extension into a ring shape for use. Simultaneously, it reduces the frictional force between the contact substrate 220 surface and the wafer, effectively reducing wafer damage and lowering the product manufacturing defect rate.

[0045] In one example, the contact 200 is rectangular in shape. A rectangular contact 200 is easier to process, has a simple shape, is less prone to deformation during processing, reduces waste during cutting, further lowers processing costs, and improves processing efficiency and production effectiveness.

[0046] In this embodiment, as Figure 6As shown, the contact portion 222 is tilted relative to the horizontal plane and has an included angle α of 6° with the horizontal plane. In other embodiments, the value of the included angle α can be in the range of 0-20°, flexibly selected according to the material of the contact portion 222. Simulation analysis using 306 stainless steel shows that the reaction force of a single contact portion 222 on the wafer at different angles is as follows: when α is 6°, the reaction force is 0.0339N; when α is 12°, the reaction force is 0.0513N; when α is 15°, the reaction force is 0.0516N; and when α is 18°, the reaction force is 0.0520N.

[0047] After the electroplating process, the wafer is prone to adhering to the contact 200. In this invention, the contact portion 222 is raised relative to the horizontal plane. As the included angle α increases, the reaction force on the wafer also gradually increases, making it less likely for the wafer to adhere. However, if the raised angle is too large, the wafer is easily scratched when placed on the contact portion 222. Therefore, the included angle α is controlled within 20°. On the one hand, the wafer is less likely to be scratched by the contact portion 222 when it comes into contact with it; on the other hand, after the contact portion 222 deforms, it can provide a rebound force for the wafer, preventing the wafer from adhering to the contact 200 after the electroplating process.

[0048] In this embodiment, the extension 221 and the mounting base 210 form a rounded transition. Traditional sharp-angle connections are prone to stress concentration, which can easily lead to safety hazards such as cracks or fractures at the connection between the extension 221 and the mounting base 210. The rounded transition in this embodiment can effectively reduce stress concentration and also reduce fatigue and deformation, thereby improving the service life of the contact 200.

[0049] In addition, in other embodiments, the connecting part 214 may not be provided. Instead, multiple mounting parts 211 in the mounting base 210 may be connected to each other, or multiple extensions 221 in the contact base 220 may be connected to each other.

[0050] After clarifying the structure of the contact element 200 of the present invention, its production method can be carried out by mature processes, such as processing by wire cutting and stamping. The specific processing method will not be described in detail here.

[0051] Example 2

[0052] This embodiment provides a clamp, which is an important component of semiconductor electroplating equipment. The clamp has a accommodating space in the middle for holding a substrate (not shown in the figure). In this embodiment, the substrate is a wafer, but it can also be other workpiece structures that need to be electroplated.

[0053] Specifically, such as Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the clamp includes an inner pressure ring 100, a frame 300, and a contact element 200 as in Embodiment 1. The contact element 200 is composed of... Figure 4 The rectangular contact element is bent into a ring shape. The upper surface of the inner pressure ring 100 is provided with a first mounting hole 110, and the frame 300 is provided with a matching second mounting hole 320. The contact element 200 is pressed onto the frame 300 by the inner pressure ring 100, and the inner pressure ring 100 can be locked onto the frame 300 by fasteners, thereby fixing the contact element 200 onto the frame 300.

[0054] Further, refer to Figures 9 to 11 The inner circumferential surface of the frame 300 is provided with an annular groove 310. The guide portion 213 of the contact member 200 is disposed within the annular groove 310, and the mounting portion 211 is fitted against the inner circumferential surface of the frame 300. Through the cooperation between the guide portion 213 and the annular groove 310, the contact member 200 can be guided to become annular along the annular groove 310, matching the inner circumferential surface of the frame 300. Furthermore, under the action of the inner pressure ring 100, the contact member 200 can be stably fixed on the inner circumferential surface of the frame 300.

[0055] Of course, in other embodiments, the contact 200 can also be bent into an arc shape first, and then spliced ​​into a ring by multiple arc-shaped contact components.

[0056] In this embodiment, as Figure 11 As shown, a gap is provided between the extension 221 of the contact substrate 220 and the inner peripheral surface of the skeleton 300. The advantages of providing a gap are twofold: firstly, when the wafer is placed on the contact substrate 220, the contact substrate 220 will move towards the inner peripheral surface of the skeleton 300, which can act as a buffer, making soft contact between the wafer and the contact substrate 220, and the wafer is less likely to break; secondly, the contact substrate 220 will undergo elastic deformation within the gap, so that when the wafer separates from the contact substrate 220, the contact substrate 220 will generate a reaction force on the wafer, making adhesion less likely.

[0057] Example 3

[0058] This embodiment also provides an electroplating apparatus, which includes the clamping plate from Embodiment 2.

[0059] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art should understand that these are merely illustrative examples, and various changes or modifications can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A contact, comprising: The contact member extends along a straight line and comprises: a mounting base comprising a plurality of mounting portions arranged at intervals and distributed along a length direction of the contact member, adjacent mounting portions being separated by a first hollowed region, each mounting portion being provided with a guide portion protruding from the mounting base; a contact base provided with a plurality of second hollowed regions arranged at intervals along the length direction of the contact member, the contact base being connected to the mounting base and configured to contact a substrate.

2. The contact of claim 1, wherein a connecting portion extending along the length direction of the contact member, the connecting portion comprising first and second end faces arranged oppositely; the first end face is connected to the mounting base, and the mounting base extends outwardly from the first end face along a width direction of the contact member; the second end face is connected to the contact base, and the contact base extends outwardly from the second end face along the width direction of the contact member.

3. The contact of claim 2, wherein, an end inner surface of the first hollowed region extends to the first end face, and / or an end inner surface of the second hollowed region extends to the second end face.

4. The contact of claim 2, wherein, the guide portion is arranged at an end of the mounting portion away from the connecting portion.

5. The contact of claim 1, wherein, the contact member has a rectangular shape.

6. The contact of claim 1, wherein the contact base comprises a plurality of extension portions distributed along the length direction of the contact member, adjacent extension portions being separated by one of the second hollowed regions, a leading end of each extension portion being connected to the mounting base, and a trailing end of each extension portion being provided with a contact portion configured to contact the substrate.

7. The contact of claim 6, wherein, the contact portion is tilted relative to a horizontal plane and has an angle of 0-20° with the horizontal plane.

8. The contact of claim 6, wherein, the extension portion and the mounting base are transitioned by a circular arc.

9. A chuck for holding a substrate, characterized by, the chuck comprises an inner compression ring, a skeleton, and the contact member according to any one of claims 1-8, each mounting portion of the contact member being attached to an inner circumferential surface of the skeleton, the inner circumferential surface of the skeleton being provided with an annular groove, each guide portion of the contact member being arranged in the annular groove, and the contact member being compression-bonded to the inner circumferential surface of the skeleton by the inner compression ring.

10. The chuck of claim 9 wherein, a gap is arranged between the contact base of the contact member and the inner circumferential surface of the skeleton.

11. The chuck of claim 10 wherein, the contact base of the contact member comprises a plurality of extension portions extending along a length direction of the mounting base, adjacent extension portions being separated by one of the second hollowed regions, a leading end of each extension portion being connected to the mounting base, and a trailing end of each extension portion being provided with a contact portion configured to contact the substrate, a gap being arranged between the extension portion and the inner circumferential surface of the skeleton.

12. An electroplating apparatus, characterized by, the chuck according to any one of claims 9-11.

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