Electroplating module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns and electroplating method

Abstract

The application provides an electroplating module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns and an electroplating method.The electroplating module comprises a spraying assembly and an electroplating assembly.The spraying assembly is internally provided with a spraying channel for spraying electroplating liquid and a suction channel for sucking electroplating liquid.By simultaneously spraying and sucking electroplating liquid, the ion concentration in the electroplating liquid is improved, and the uniformity of the plated layer of a production board or wafer is improved.By controlling the flow of the spraying and sucking of the electroplating liquid, the local area of the production board or wafer can be electroplated, so that the plated layer of the production board or wafer is uniform.The electroplating assembly comprises multiple anode columns.The anode columns are movably and independently adjusted in the spraying assembly, the distance between each anode column and the production board or wafer can be independently adjusted, the electric field strength is improved, and the problem of uneven plated layer caused by edge effect is improved.The anode columns can be adjusted according to different microstructures, the local flow field is accurately controlled, and the production board or wafer of multiple designs can be adapted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment technology, and in particular to an electroplating module and electroplating method based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns. Background Technology

[0002] In high-precision electroplating processes for semiconductors, with the rapid development of integrated circuit technology, the size of microstructures (such as holes or wiring) on ​​wafers or substrates has gradually shrunk to the nanometer scale, making the requirements for coating uniformity increasingly stringent. In existing technologies, electroplating of substrates or wafers typically suffers from the following problems: for example, edge effects cause the current density at the periphery of the substrate or wafer to be higher than in the central region, resulting in uneven current density distribution and excessive differences in coating thickness; in copper electroplating, the high current density at the edges leads to a significant increase in the thickness of the outer coating, while the central region suffers from insufficient current and a thinner coating; for TSVs or microbumps with an aspect ratio exceeding 5:1, the electroplating solution diffusion layer has difficulty penetrating the bottom of the micropore, resulting in insufficient copper deposition within the pore.

[0003] Non-uniformity in coating not only directly affects the consistency of device electrical performance, but may also lead to subsequent process failures. For example, in the chemical mechanical polishing stage, thickness differences can cause over-grinding or residual defects, thereby reducing yield. At the same time, with the rise of 3D integration and advanced packaging technologies, the density of microstructures on the wafer surface has increased, and edge effects have been further amplified, resulting in decreased reliability between devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this application provides an electroplating module and electroplating method based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides an electroplating module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns, the electroplating module including a spray assembly and an electroplating assembly;

[0006] The spray assembly is provided with a spray channel for spraying electroplating solution and a suction channel for absorbing electroplating solution; the electroplating assembly includes multiple anode columns; each anode column is installed in the spray assembly in a movable and independently adjustable manner to adjust the distance between the anode column and the production board or wafer.

[0007] In some embodiments of this application, the spray assembly includes a spray body and a cover plate; the cover plate is disposed at one end of the spray body where the electroplating liquid is sprayed.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, the electroplating assembly further includes a conductive component; the conductive component includes a conductive part and a conductive post; the conductive part is disposed between the spray body and the cover plate, the anode post passes through the conductive part and is electrically connected to the conductive part; the conductive post passes through the spray body and one end is electrically connected to the conductive part.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the electroplating assembly further includes an adjustment assembly for driving the anode column to move; the adjustment assembly includes a fixing plate, a connecting rod, and an adjustment unit; the fixing plate is disposed on the spray body, and the adjustment unit is disposed on the fixing plate; the connecting rod passes through the spray body, with one end connected to the anode column and the other end connected to the adjustment unit.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, the adjustment unit may be an adjustment bolt or a linear drive unit.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the injection channels are in multiple sets, each set including multiple injection channels arranged at uniform intervals.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the inhalation channels are in multiple sets, each set including multiple inhalation channels arranged at even intervals.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, the injection channel, the suction channel, and the anode column are arranged alternately along a preset direction.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, the cross-sectional dimensions of the injection channel and the suction channel may be the same or different.

[0015] A second aspect of this application provides an electroplating method utilizing an electroplating module based on independently adjustable multi-anode columns, the electroplating method comprising the following steps:

[0016] Step S1: Based on the preset electroplating distance, configure a suitable distance between the electroplating module and the production board or wafer;

[0017] Step S2: Based on the distribution of the microstructure on the production board or wafer, adjust the distance between the anode pillar and the production board or wafer;

[0018] Step S3: Electroplating solution is sprayed onto the production board or wafer through the electroplating solution spraying channel and drawn into the electroplating solution through the electroplating solution suction channel.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages and beneficial effects: The electroplating module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns of this application includes a spray assembly and an electroplating assembly; the spray assembly is provided with a spray channel for spraying electroplating solution and a suction channel for absorbing electroplating solution; by simultaneously spraying and absorbing electroplating solution, the concentration of ions in the electroplating solution is improved, and the uniformity of the plating layer on the production board or wafer is improved. At the same time, by controlling the flow rate of electroplating solution spraying and electroplating solution suction, local areas of the production board or wafer can be electroplated to further make the plating layer on the production board or wafer uniform; the electroplating assembly includes multiple anode columns; each anode column is installed in the spray assembly in a movable and independently adjustable manner, so that the distance between each anode column and the production board or wafer can be independently adjusted, improving the electric field strength and improving the problem of uneven plating layer caused by edge effect; at the same time, the anode columns can be adjusted for different microstructures to achieve precise control of the local flow field and adapt to production boards or wafers with various designs.

[0020] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and explanatory, and do not limit this document. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this document, are used to provide a further understanding of the document. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions herein are used to explain the document and do not constitute an undue limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0022] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of an electroplating module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electroplating module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of an electroplating module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of an electroplating module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electroplating module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of an electroplating module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns provided in an exemplary embodiment of this application.

[0028] In the picture:

[0029] 11. Sprayer body; 12. Cover plate; 13. Spray channel; 14. Suction channel; 21. Anode column; 22. Conductive part; 23. Connecting rod; 24. Conductive column; 25. Fixing plate; 26. Adjustment unit. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

[0031] In high-precision electroplating processes for semiconductors, with the rapid development of integrated circuit technology, the microstructure dimensions on wafers or substrates have gradually shrunk to the nanometer scale, making the requirements for coating uniformity increasingly stringent. Existing technologies for substrate or wafer electroplating typically suffer from the following problems: for example, edge effects cause higher current densities at the periphery of the substrate or wafer compared to the central region, resulting in uneven current density distribution and excessive differences in coating thickness; in copper electroplating, high current densities at the edges lead to significantly thicker coatings at the periphery, while the central region suffers from insufficient current and a thinner coating; for TSVs or microbumps with an aspect ratio exceeding 5:1, the electroplating solution diffusion layer struggles to penetrate the bottom of the micropores, resulting in insufficient copper deposition within the pores.

[0032] Non-uniformity in coating not only directly affects the consistency of device electrical performance, but may also lead to subsequent process failures. For example, in the chemical mechanical polishing stage, thickness differences can cause over-grinding or residual defects, thereby reducing yield. At the same time, with the rise of 3D integration and advanced packaging technologies, the density of microstructures on the wafer surface has increased, and edge effects have been further amplified, resulting in decreased reliability between devices.

[0033] Based on this, an exemplary embodiment of this application provides an electroplating module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns. The electroplating module includes a spray assembly and an electroplating assembly. The spray assembly is internally provided with a spray channel for spraying electroplating solution and a suction channel for absorbing electroplating solution. By simultaneously spraying and absorbing electroplating solution, the concentration of ions in the electroplating solution is improved, thereby improving the uniformity of the plating layer on the production board or wafer. At the same time, by controlling the flow rate of electroplating solution spraying and electroplating solution suction, local areas of the production board or wafer can be electroplated to further improve the uniformity of the plating layer on the production board or wafer. The electroplating assembly includes multiple anode columns. Each anode column is installed in the spray assembly in a movable and independently adjustable manner. In this way, the distance between each anode column and the production board or wafer can be independently adjusted to improve the electric field strength and improve the problem of uneven plating layer caused by edge effects. At the same time, the anode columns can be adjusted for different microstructures to achieve precise control of the local flow field and adapt to production boards or wafers with various designs.

[0034] Example 1:

[0035] An exemplary embodiment of this application provides an electroplating module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns, such as... Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the electroplating module includes a spray assembly and an electroplating assembly. The spray assembly is provided with a spray channel 13 for spraying electroplating liquid and a suction channel 14 for absorbing electroplating liquid. The spray assembly includes a spray body 11 and a cover plate 12. The cover plate 12 is located at one end of the spray body 11 where the electroplating liquid is sprayed, and is sealed to the spray body 11. The spray body 11 and the cover plate 12 are each provided with a corresponding spray channel 13 and suction channel 14. At the same time, a connecting channel is provided on the circumferential surface of the spray body 11 or on the end face away from the cover plate 12, so that the spray channel 13 and the suction channel 14 can realize the spraying or suction of electroplating liquid.

[0036] Preferably, in this application, there are multiple sets of spray channels 13, each set including multiple spray channels 13 evenly spaced apart; there are multiple sets of suction channels 14, each set including multiple suction channels 14 evenly spaced apart. The spray channels 13 in the same set are interconnected, allowing individual control of the spray pressure, spray speed, or spray flow rate of each set of spray channels 13. This enables electroplating of different areas of the production board or wafer, or electroplating of specific areas of the production board or wafer, further ensuring uniform plating on the production board or wafer. Similarly, the suction channels 14 in the same set are interconnected, allowing individual control of the suction flow rate or suction speed of each set of suction channels 14. This allows for regional adjustment of the microstructure on the production board or wafer, resulting in uniform plating on the production board or wafer.

[0037] For example, such as Figure 2As shown, when the spray assembly is cylindrical, it can be adapted to perform electroplating on wafers. In this case, a ring of spray channels 13 distributed along the circumference can be considered as one group, and a ring of suction channels 14 distributed along the circumference can be considered as another group; multiple groups of spray channels 13, suction channels 14, and anode pillars 21 are arranged alternately in the radial direction. For example, the outermost first group is spray channels 13, the second group is anode pillars 21, the third group is suction channels 14, and the fourth group is spray channels 13, arranged in the above order.

[0038] like Figure 5 As shown, when the spray assembly is cuboid, it can be adapted to the production board for electroplating. In this case, the spray channels 13 or suction channels 14, which are evenly distributed along the horizontal or vertical direction, can be a group, and multiple groups of spray channels 13, suction channels 14, and anode columns 21 can be arranged alternately along the horizontal or vertical direction. For example, along the horizontal direction, from top to bottom, the first group is the spray channels 13, the second group is the anode columns 21, the third group is the suction channels 14, and the fourth group is the spray channels 13, arranged in the above order.

[0039] The cross-sectional dimensions of the spray channel 13 and the suction channel 14 can be the same or different. For example, when the cross-sectional dimension of the spray channel 13 is larger than that of the suction channel 14, the flow rate of each set of spray channels 13 and suction channels 14 can be controlled according to the different ion concentrations in the electroplating solution, ensuring a balanced ion concentration in the electroplating solution and thus resulting in a uniform plating layer on the production board or wafer. When the cross-sectional dimension of the spray channel 13 is smaller than that of the suction channel 14, the larger suction channel 14 allows for a gentler intake of the electroplating solution, while the smaller spray channel 13 has a higher spray pressure, resulting in a more vigorous mixing of the sprayed electroplating solution with the electroplating solution in the spray tank. This allows the sprayed electroplating solution to mix evenly with the electroplating solution in the spray tank, resulting in a more uniform ion concentration in the electroplating solution and improving the uniformity of the plating layer. When the cross-sectional size of the spray channel 13 is equal to the cross-sectional size of the suction channel 14, the flow rate of the electroplating solution sucked in by each suction channel 14 and the flow rate of the electroplating solution sprayed out by each spray channel 13 can be controlled according to the different concentrations of the electroplating solution at different locations in the spray tank, so as to ensure that the ion concentration at each location in the spray tank is kept within a certain range, and the plating layer of the production board or wafer is uniform.

[0040] like Figure 3 and 6As shown, the electroplating assembly includes multiple anode pillars 21. Each anode pillar 21 is movably and independently adjustable within the spray assembly to adjust the distance between the anode pillar 21 and the production board or wafer. Each anode pillar 21 can be independently adjusted in distance from the production board or wafer, allowing for differentiated settings of the distance between the anode pillar 21 and the production board or wafer for different regions, such as edge regions and central regions. This improves local electric field strength and current density, mitigating the problem of uneven coating caused by edge effects. For example, shortening the distance between the edge position and the anode pillar 21 can reduce the edge current density from 1.5 times that of the central region to 1.1 times, achieving coating uniformity. Simultaneously, the anode pillars 21 can be adjusted for different microstructures to achieve precise control of the local flow field, adapting to various production board or wafer designs. For example, for different aperture ratios, the distance of the anode pillar 21 can be adjusted individually to change ion mobility and improve the bottom-hole deposition rate.

[0041] For example, the electroplating assembly also includes a conductive component that can be electrically connected to the anode column 21 and an external electric field to provide power to the anode column 21. The conductive component includes a conductive part 22 and a conductive column 24. The conductive part 22 is disposed between the spray body 11 and the cover plate 12. The end of the spray body 11 near the cover plate 12 is recessed to form an installation space for mounting the conductive part 22. The cover plate 12 covers the spray body 11. The conductive part 22 also has a corresponding spray channel 13, a suction channel 14, and a channel for the anode column 21 to move. The anode column 21 passes through the conductive part 22 and is electrically connected to the conductive part 22. The conductive column 24 passes through the spray body 11 and is electrically connected to the conductive part 22 at one end. The other end of the conductive column 24 is fixed to the spray body 11. The end of the conductive column 24 exposed on the spray body 11 is connected to an external power source, thus enabling the provision of power to the anode column 21.

[0042] The electroplating assembly also includes an adjustment assembly for driving the anode column 21 to move; the adjustment assembly includes a fixed plate 25, a connecting rod 23, and an adjustment unit 26; the fixed plate 25 is disposed on the spray body 11 at one end away from the cover plate 12, and the adjustment unit 26 is disposed on the fixed plate 25; the connecting rod 23 passes through the spray body 11, with one end connected to the anode column 21 and the other end connected to the adjustment unit 26. The adjustment unit 26 can be an adjustment bolt or a linear drive unit.

[0043] When the adjustment unit 26 is an adjustment bolt, the adjustment bolt can be manually adjusted to adjust the distance between the anode post 21 and the production board or wafer. When the adjustment unit 26 is a linear drive unit, such as a linear drive motor, the distance between the anode post 21 and the production board or wafer can be automatically adjusted through the control system. At the same time, during the electroplating process, the distance between the anode post 21 and the production board or wafer can be dynamically adjusted in response to fluctuations in current density, reducing the difference in plating thickness on the production board or wafer and improving the uniformity of the plating.

[0044] Preferably, sealing elements are provided between the anode column 21 and the spray body 11, between the connecting rod 23 and the spray body 11, and between the conductive column 24 and the spray body 11, so as to seal the anode column moving channel and the conductive column channel.

[0045] Example 2:

[0046] An exemplary embodiment of this application provides an electroplating method utilizing the electroplating module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns as described in Embodiment 1. The electroplating method includes the following steps:

[0047] Step S1: Based on the preset electroplating distance, configure a suitable distance between the electroplating module and the production board or wafer;

[0048] Step S2: Based on the distribution of microstructures on the production board, adjust the distance between the anode post 21 and the production board or wafer;

[0049] In step S3, electroplating solution is sprayed onto the production board or wafer through the electroplating solution spraying channel 13 and drawn into the wafer through the electroplating solution suction channel 14. The electroplating solution spraying channel 13 is connected to the spray tank, and the suction channel 14 is connected to a pump to circulate the drawn-in electroplating solution back into the spray tank. In step S3, the spray tank is equipped with ion concentration detection sensors, current density detection sensors, etc., which can monitor the ion concentration, current density, and other data at multiple locations within the spray tank in real time. This allows the control system to adjust the distance between the anode column 21 and the production board or wafer in real time based on the acquired ion concentration, current density, and other data, thereby adjusting the flow rate of the sprayed electroplating solution and the flow rate of the drawn-in electroplating solution.

[0050] In this application, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that an article or device that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such an article or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the article or device that includes said element.

[0051] Although preferred embodiments of this application have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this application.

[0052] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, the intent of this application also includes these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A plating module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns, characterized by, The electroplating assembly comprises a spraying component and an electroplating component. The spraying component is internally provided with spraying channels (13) for spraying electroplating liquid and suction channels (14) for sucking electroplating liquid. Each of the anode columns (21) is movably and independently adjusted in the spraying component to adjust the distance between the anode column (21) and the production board or wafer. Each group of the spraying channels (13) comprises a plurality of uniformly spaced spraying channels (13), and the spraying channels (13) in the same group are interconnected. The spraying component comprises a spraying main body (11) and a cover plate (12).

2. The galvanic module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electroplating component further comprises an electrically conductive component.

3. The galvanic module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns according to claim 2, characterized in that, The electrically conductive component comprises an electrically conductive part (22) and an electrically conductive column (24).

4. The multi-anode column independent adjustment based electroplating module of claim 1, wherein, The electrically conductive part (22) is arranged between the spraying main body (11) and the cover plate (12), and the anode column (21) penetrates through the electrically conductive part (22) and is electrically connected with the electrically conductive part (22).

5. A method of electroplating using the electroplating module based on independent adjustment of multiple anode columns according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The electroplating component further comprises an adjusting component for driving the anode column (21) to move. The adjusting component comprises a fixed plate (25), a connecting rod (23) and an adjusting unit (26). The adjusting unit (26) can be an adjusting bolt or a linear driving unit. The cross-sectional size of the spraying channel (13) and the suction channel (14) can be the same or different. The electroplating method comprises the following steps: Step S1: based on a preset electroplating distance, configuring appropriate distance for the electroplating module and the production board or wafer; Step S2: based on the distribution of the microstructure on the production board or wafer, adjusting the distance between the anode column (21) and the production board or wafer; Step S3: spraying electroplating liquid to the production board or wafer through the electroplating liquid spraying channel (13) and sucking the electroplating liquid through the electroplating liquid suction channel (14).

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