Electroplating apparatus

Abstract

The application provides an electroplating device, which comprises a rectifier plate and a center cap. The rectifier plate is provided with a plurality of first holes, and a center opening is arranged at the center of the rectifier plate. The center cap is provided with a plurality of second holes, and the center of the center cap coincides with the center of the center opening. The electroplating device has strong adaptability. When the flow field adaptability of the electroplating solution is adjusted, the center cap arranged in the center area of the rectifier plate only needs to be replaced, and the target can be achieved by adjusting the configuration mode. Therefore, the manufacturing cost and time cost can be greatly saved, and the electroplating production efficiency and quality can be effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and specifically relates to an electroplating device. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor electroplating processes, the uniformity of the flow field in the plating chamber is a key factor in achieving consistent metal film thickness on the substrate surface. The flow field design of a conventional plating chamber typically includes core components such as a liquid supply structure and a rectifier plate. After the plating solution enters the chamber through the liquid supply structure, it needs to be evenly distributed to the substrate surface by the rectifier plate to ensure that the electroplating reaction rate is approximately uniform across different regions of the substrate.

[0003] However, the following technical problems still urgently need to be solved in the existing technology:

[0004] Central region flow field distortion: Due to the physical design differences between the central and other regions of the liquid supply structure, the flow distribution of the plating solution at the center of the substrate deviates significantly from the surrounding areas. This flow field inhomogeneity can cause abnormal film thickness at the center of the substrate, severely affecting product yield.

[0005] Low efficiency in flow field adjustment: Existing technologies generally rely on rectifiers to adjust the flow field distribution. If the flow field in the central region needs to be optimized, the entire rectifier must be redesigned and replaced. This method is not only costly to manufacture, but also has a long manufacturing cycle, making it difficult to quickly respond to process parameter adjustment needs, which severely restricts production flexibility and also seriously affects maintenance efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art described above, the purpose of this application is to provide an electroplating device.

[0007] An electroplating apparatus, comprising:

[0008] A rectifier plate, wherein the rectifier plate has a plurality of first holes and a central opening is provided at the center; and

[0009] A central cap, wherein a plurality of second holes are provided on the central cap, and the center of the central cap coincides with the center of the central opening.

[0010] According to one specific implementation of the embodiments of this application, the center cap is disposed above the rectifier plate, or the center cap is disposed below the rectifier plate.

[0011] According to one specific implementation of this application, the projected area of ​​the central opening along the vertical direction is smaller than the projected area of ​​the central cap along the vertical direction.

[0012] According to one specific implementation of an embodiment of this application, the central cap is embedded within the central opening.

[0013] According to one specific implementation of this application, the upper surface of the center cap is flush with the upper surface of the rectifier plate.

[0014] According to a specific implementation of an embodiment of this application, the sidewall of the center cap is threadedly connected to the sidewall of the center opening of the rectifier plate.

[0015] According to a specific implementation of an embodiment of this application, a sleeve is further included, the first end of which is fixed to the lower end face of the center cap.

[0016] According to one specific implementation of an embodiment of this application, the second end of the sleeve is connected to the central opening of the rectifier plate.

[0017] According to a specific implementation of an embodiment of this application, the electroplating equipment further includes:

[0018] A liquid supply frame for supplying electroplating solution, wherein the liquid supply frame has a through hole in the center;

[0019] The second end of the sleeve is connected to the through hole so that the liquid supply frame supplies electroplating solution to the second hole of the center cap through the sleeve.

[0020] According to a specific implementation of an embodiment of this application, the electroplating equipment further includes:

[0021] A height adjustment component, fixedly connected to the center cap, is used to adjust the relative height of the center cap relative to the rectifier plate.

[0022] The electroplating equipment of this application is configured such that the center of the rectifier plate coincides with the center of the center cap. The configuration of the center cap and the rectifier plate can be flexibly adjusted according to actual process requirements. The configuration includes, but is not limited to, the assembly position of the center cap relative to the rectifier plate and the arrangement of the second hole on the center cap. This ensures that the flow field of the electroplating liquid flowing through the central opening of the rectifier plate meets the flow field requirements of the central region of the substrate during the electroplating process, thereby providing a stable and uniform flow field to the substrate. This ensures the uniformity of the coating on the substrate and guarantees the quality of the electroplating operation.

[0023] This electroplating equipment has strong adaptability. Furthermore, when adjusting the electroplating solution flow field, it is only necessary to replace different center caps or adjust the assembly position of the center caps to achieve the desired result. This can save manufacturing costs and time costs to a great extent and effectively help improve the efficiency and quality of electroplating production.

[0024] Other features and advantages of this application will be set forth in the following description and will be apparent in part from the description or may be learned by practicing the application. The objectives and other advantages of this application may be realized and obtained by means of the structures pointed out in the description and the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the electroplating equipment structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the rectifier plate and center cap assembly structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0028] Figure 3 A top view of the rectifier plate structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the central cap structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0030] Figure 5 A top view of the rectifier plate and center cap assembly according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0031] Figure 6 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a structure in which the center cap is disposed above the rectifier plate according to an embodiment of this application.

[0032] Figure 7 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the center cap embedded in the rectifier plate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 8 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the center cap embedded in the rectifier plate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the structure of the center cap disposed below the rectifier plate according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0035] Figure 10 This application shows a top view of the rectifier plate and center cap assembly structure with different aperture distributions in embodiments of this application; and

[0036] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of an electroplating apparatus according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0037] 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.

[0038] Coating uniformity is a key indicator of electroplating quality. However, in actual processes, the thickness of the electroplated film in the central region of the substrate often differs significantly from that in other areas. Analysis has revealed that the strength of the flow field on the substrate surface is a crucial factor affecting film thickness. A stronger flow field results in a higher electroplating rate, while a weaker flow field leads to a lower rate. Therefore, to accommodate the varying flow field strength requirements of different substrates and processes in the central region, an electroplating system capable of flexibly adjusting the flow field of the electroplating solution in the central region is needed.

[0039] To achieve the above objectives, this application proposes an electroplating apparatus, comprising: a rectifier plate with multiple first holes and a central opening at its center; and a central cap with multiple second holes, the center of which coincides with the center of the central opening. In actual operation, the configuration of the central cap and the rectifier plate can be adjusted according to process requirements to ensure that the flow field of the electroplating solution flowing through the central opening of the rectifier plate meets the flow field requirements of the central region of the substrate during electroplating. This provides a stable and uniform flow field to the substrate, ensuring the uniformity of the coating on the substrate and guaranteeing the quality of the electroplating operation.

[0040] Specifically, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the electroplating equipment structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the electroplating equipment includes an electroplating chamber 100 for containing an electroplating solution. A supply frame 101 is disposed within the electroplating chamber 100 for supplying the electroplating solution, such as a catholyte. An ion exchange membrane 1011 is disposed on the supply frame 101, dividing the interior of the electroplating chamber 100 into an anode chamber 102 and a cathode chamber 103 by the ion exchange membrane 1011. The anode chamber 102 is located below the supply frame 101 and is used to contain the anode and anolyte. The cathode chamber 103 is located above the supply frame 101 and is used to contain the catholyte. The ion exchange membrane 1011 ensures that metal ions in the anolyte in the anode chamber 102 pass through the ion exchange membrane 1011 into the cathode chamber 103, thereby replenishing the cathode chamber 103 with metal ions, such as Cu. 2+ The electroplating equipment also includes a substrate holding device 104, used to hold the substrate so that it can be electroplated within the cathode cavity 103. It should be noted that the anolyte and catholyte are collectively referred to as electroplating solutions.

[0041] The electroplating equipment of this application also includes: a rectifier plate 105 and a center cap 106 disposed above the liquid supply frame 101. Specifically, please refer to the following... Figures 2 to 5 , Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the rectifier plate and center cap assembly structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 3 A top view of the rectifier structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the central cap structure according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 5 A top view schematic diagram of the rectifier plate and center cap assembly according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 3 As shown, the rectifier plate 105 has a central opening 1051 at its center, and multiple first holes 1052 are formed on the rectifier plate 105. Figure 4 As shown, the center cap 106 has multiple second holes 1061. Figure 5 As shown, the center of the center cap 106 coincides with the center of the center opening 1051, meaning the center of the center cap 106 coincides with the center of the rectifier plate 105. This coincidence of the center cap 106 and the rectifier plate 105 ensures that the center cap 106 accurately corresponds to the central region of the substrate. This facilitates adjustments to the flow field in the central region of the substrate by changing the configuration of the center cap 106 to meet the varying requirements of different processes. It should be understood that in this application, the shape of the center cap 106 and the shape of the center opening 1051 of the rectifier plate 105 can be the same or different, and the choice is made according to the specific requirements during the actual process.

[0042] It is worth noting that the configuration of the center cap and the rectifier plate includes, but is not limited to, the mounting position of the center cap relative to the rectifier plate and the flow parameter settings of the center cap.

[0043] In some embodiments, the flow field received in the central region of the substrate can be changed by altering the mounting position of the center cap 106 on the rectifier plate 105. For example, the center cap 106 may be disposed above the rectifier plate 105 (see [link to documentation]). Figure 6 Alternatively, the center cap 106 may be positioned below the rectifier plate 105 (see [reference]). Figure 9 Alternatively, the center cap 106 can be embedded within the center opening 1051 of the rectifier plate 105 (see...). Figure 7 and Figure 8When the center cap 106 is embedded within the central opening 1051 of the rectifier plate 105, the sidewall of the center cap 106 is threadedly connected to the sidewall of the central opening 1051. It should be understood that the closer the center cap 106 is to the substrate, the shorter the distance the electroplating solution needs to travel to the corresponding area of ​​the substrate via the center cap 106, the more concentrated the flow field, the stronger the flow field of the electroplating solution received by the corresponding area of ​​the substrate, the more abundant the supply of metal ions, and the thicker the electroplating thickness within the same time period. Conversely, the farther the center cap 106 is from the substrate, the lower the concentration of the flow field, and the thinner the electroplating thickness in the area of ​​the substrate corresponding to the center cap 106 within the same time period. Therefore, in actual process operations, the assembly position of the center cap 106 can be appropriately changed according to the required strength of the flow field.

[0044] In other embodiments, the center cap 106 with different flow parameters can be replaced according to process requirements, so that the center of the center cap 106 coincides with the center of the center opening 1051 of the rectifier plate 105, thereby adjusting the flow field through the region of the center opening 1051 of the rectifier plate 105. Flow parameters include, but are not limited to, the aperture of the second hole 1061, the hole arrangement density, and the hole layout. In this application, only the center cap 106 needs to be replaced, without redesigning and replacing the entire rectifier plate. This can greatly save processing costs and time costs.

[0045] It is worth noting that the diameters of the first hole 1052 on the rectifier plate 105 and the second hole 1061 on the center cap 106 can be set to be equal or unequal.

[0046] In this application, all holes opened on the rectifier plate 105 are collectively referred to as first holes 1052, and the configuration of the plurality of first holes 1052 on the rectifier plate 105 is any one of the following:

[0047] (a) Multiple first holes 1052 have the same aperture;

[0048] (b) Multiple first holes 1052 are divided into at least two first hole groups, and the at least two first hole groups have different hole diameters. The distribution position of each first hole group is determined according to the requirements of the target electroplating solution flow field.

[0049] In some embodiments, the aperture size of the first hole 1052 is 0.3-3.5 mm.

[0050] In this application, all holes opened on the center cap 106 are collectively referred to as second holes 1061, and the multiple second holes 1061 on the center cap 106 are configured in any of the following ways:

[0051] (a) Multiple second holes 1061 have the same aperture;

[0052] (b) Multiple second holes 1061 are divided into at least two second hole groups, the at least two second hole groups having different hole diameters, and the distribution position of each second hole group is determined according to the requirements of the target electroplating solution flow field.

[0053] In some embodiments, the diameter of the second hole 1061 is 0.3-2.5 mm.

[0054] For example, please continue to refer to Figure 5 The first hole 1052 on the rectifier plate 105 has the same diameter and is 1mm in diameter. The first hole 1052 is evenly distributed in a ring. The second hole 1061 on the center cap 106 has the same diameter and is 1mm in diameter. That is, the diameter of the second hole 1061 is equal to the diameter of the first hole 1052.

[0055] In another embodiment, please refer to Figure 10 , Figure 10 This diagram illustrates a top view of the rectifier plate and center cap assembly with different aperture distributions in embodiments of this application. Figure 10 As shown, the first hole 1052 on the rectifier plate 105 adopts a grouped aperture configuration and has two first hole groups, namely Region 1 and Region 2. Region 1 is located on the periphery of Region 2. The aperture of the first hole group in Region 1 of the rectifier plate 105 is 1.3 mm, and the aperture of the first hole group in Region 2 of the rectifier plate 105 is 1 mm. The holes in both regions are evenly distributed in a ring. The second hole 1061 on the top of the center cap 106 also adopts a grouped aperture configuration and has two second hole groups. The aperture of the second hole group in Region 3 of the center cap 106 is 1 mm, and the aperture of the second hole group in Region 4 of the center cap 106 is 0.8 mm. Region 3 is located on the periphery of Region 4. The grouped aperture configuration of both the rectifier plate 105 and the center cap 106 can adapt to more complex electroplating liquid flow field requirements. Especially when the flow field requirements corresponding to the central region of the substrate change, the center cap 106 can be directly separated from the rectifier plate 105 for convenient replacement.

[0056] It should be understood that in the actual process, the assembly position of the center cap 106 relative to the rectifier plate 105 can be changed separately to adjust the flow field of the electroplating solution flowing through the area of ​​the center opening 1051. Alternatively, the flow parameters of the center cap 106 can be changed to adjust the flow field of the electroplating solution flowing through the area of ​​the center opening 1051. Or, the assembly position of the center cap 106 relative to the rectifier plate 105 and the flow parameters of the center cap 106 can be changed simultaneously to more flexibly adapt to the needs of different process requirements for the flow field of the electroplating solution.

[0057] Furthermore, when the center cap 106 is positioned above or below the rectifier plate 105, the projected area of ​​the central opening 1051 of the rectifier plate 105 in the vertical direction is smaller than the projected area of ​​the center cap 106 in the vertical direction. In this case, the center cap 106 and the rectifier plate 105 have an overlapping area in the vertical direction. Within this overlapping area, the second hole 1061 on the center cap 106 and the first hole 1052 on the rectifier plate 105 can be centrally aligned, completely offset, or partially offset. It should be understood that the electroplating solution flow field intensity is greater when centrally aligned than when partially offset than when completely offset. In the actual process, the flow field of the electroplating liquid supplied to the substrate via the center cap 106 can be adjusted by the setting state between the second hole 1061 and the first hole 1052 in the overlapping area, so that the flow field of the electroplating liquid received by the substrate is more in line with the actual needs, and finally the surface deposition uniformity of the substrate is significantly improved.

[0058] In another embodiment, please refer to Figure 11 , Figure 11 A partial structural schematic diagram of an electroplating apparatus according to another embodiment of this application is shown. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the electroplating equipment also includes a sleeve 107. The first end of the sleeve 107 is fixed below the center cap 106, and the second end of the sleeve 107 can be connected to either the center opening 1051 of the rectifier plate 105 or the liquid supply frame 101. The liquid supply frame 101 has a through hole 1010 at its center. When the second end of the sleeve 107 is connected to the liquid supply frame 101, the second end of the sleeve 107 is connected to the through hole 1010. In this embodiment, the sleeve 107 is connected to the through hole 1010 of the liquid supply frame 101. The liquid supply frame 101 supplies electroplating solution to the second hole 1061 of the center cap 106 through the sleeve 107, thereby supplying the electroplating solution to the substrate to be plated. By changing the length of the sleeve 107, the assembly height of the center cap 106 can be adjusted, and the height difference between the center cap 106 and the upper surface of the rectifier plate 105 can be configured to be variable. This further adjusts the distance between the center cap 106 and the substrate, thereby adjusting the flow field of the electroplating solution supplied to the substrate through the center cap 106.

[0059] In some embodiments, the electroplating equipment further includes a height adjustment component. The height adjustment component is fixedly connected to the center cap 106 and is used to adjust the relative height between the center cap 106 and the rectifier plate 105, thereby adjusting the distance between the center cap 106 and the substrate. This adjusts the flow field of the electroplating solution flowing through the central opening 1051 of the rectifier plate 105, and further adjusts the flow field of the electroplating solution supplied from the central opening 1051 to the central region of the substrate, ensuring that the flow field of the electroplating solution received by the substrate meets the process requirements. For example, the height adjustment component is a sleeve 107. The outer wall of the sleeve 107 is threaded. The sleeve 107 is threaded to the inner wall of the central opening 1051 of the rectifier plate 105, or to the inner wall of the through hole 1010 of the liquid supply frame 101, enabling a variable height difference configuration between the center cap 106 and the upper surface of the rectifier plate 105. According to these embodiments, the process environment for wafer electroplating is further improved, effectively addressing the problem of film thickness uniformity on the substrate being plated, and improving the quality of the electroplated products. It should be understood that the height adjustment component can also be other structures that can change length, including but not limited to: telescopic sleeves, etc.

[0060] It should be understood that, due to the complexity and diversity of actual application scenarios, it is difficult to enumerate and exhaustively list all possible solutions within the technical solution system described in this application. However, it should be clarified that the scope of protection covered by this application includes not only the specific implementation methods already described in detail, but also any other inventive and practical combinations of solutions derived from these disclosed solutions. Any technical solution formed under the guidance of the core technical ideas of this application through reasonable transformation, combination, and improvement of relevant technical features should be considered to fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0061] Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. An electroplating device, characterized in that, include: A rectifier plate, wherein the rectifier plate has a plurality of first holes and a central opening is provided at the center; and A central cap, wherein a plurality of second holes are provided on the central cap, and the center of the central cap coincides with the center of the central opening.

2. The electroplating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The center cap is positioned above the rectifier plate, or the center cap is positioned below the rectifier plate.

3. The electroplating equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The projected area of ​​the central opening along the vertical direction is smaller than the projected area of ​​the central cap along the vertical direction.

4. The electroplating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central cap is embedded within the central opening.

5. The electroplating equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The upper surface of the center cap is flush with the upper surface of the rectifier plate.

6. The electroplating equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sidewall of the center cap is threadedly connected to the sidewall of the center opening of the rectifier plate.

7. The electroplating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a sleeve, the first end of which is fixed to the lower end face of the center cap.

8. The electroplating equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second end of the sleeve is connected to the center opening of the rectifier plate.

9. The electroplating equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: A liquid supply frame for supplying electroplating solution, wherein the liquid supply frame has a through hole in the center; The second end of the sleeve is connected to the through hole so that the liquid supply frame supplies electroplating solution to the second hole through the sleeve.

10. The electroplating equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A height adjustment component, fixedly connected to the center cap, is used to adjust the relative height of the center cap relative to the rectifier plate.

Images