Electroplating transmission device and electroplating system
By using the electroplating transmission device during the TSV plating process, the solution contamination and air bubble diffusion of wafers between different electroplating stages is solved, more uniform filling is achieved and the electroplating efficiency is improved, ensuring the electrical performance and reliability of the device sex.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202421187441.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-27
- Publication Date
- 2025-01-10
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-05-27
AI Technical Summary
During the TSV plating process, the electroplating solution contamination and air bubble diffusion of the wafer between different plating stages lead to uneven filling, hollows and joints, affecting the electrical performance and reliability of the device.
An electroplating transmission device is designed, including a transmission bridge panel, a movable ring and a protective panel. The transmission of wafers between different plating chambers is controlled through the opening and closing of the movable ring, and the electroplating solution and the water inlet are discharged to inject cleaning liquid. Ensure solution circulation and pre-moisturization to avoid solution contamination and air bubble diffusion.
It effectively avoids solution contamination and void problems between wafers during different electroplating stages, improves electroplating efficiency and filling quality, and reduces filling defects.
Smart Images
Figure CN222332107U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The embodiments of the utility model relate to the field of electroplating equipment, and in particular to an electroplating transmission device and an electroplating system. Background Art
[0002] Through Silicon Via (TSV) electroplating is one of the longest steps in the manufacturing process, and it is also the most core and difficult process in the entire TSV process. People hope to increase the current density to achieve higher yields, but faster and uncontrolled electroplating often results in incomplete filling of the through silicon vias and voids. TSV is usually filled with copper (Cu), usually obtained by electrodeposition. Because the microstructure of TSV is too small (usually 5-40 microns in width and 10-200 microns in depth), the flow field, concentration field and electric field distribution in the local area of the micro-via are uneven, resulting in uneven filling rate between the TSV opening and the bottom, especially TSV with high aspect ratio (AR). This non-uniformity may lead to filling defects, voids and seams, and ultimately lead to poor electrical performance and reliability problems of TSV, thus affecting the life of the device.
[0003] In 3D-IC manufacturing, TSV electroplating usually places the wafer in an electrolyte (with additives) at a negative potential. In order to shorten the total electroplating time, the TSV electroplating process usually uses a "two-step" strategy. However, when transferring the wafer from the first electroplating stage to the second electroplating stage, the solution on the surface of the wafer in the first electroplating stage may contaminate the solution in the second electroplating stage, and if the wafer is exposed to air during the transfer process, air bubbles may diffuse into the semi-filled through-holes and cause voids. Utility Model Content
[0004] The technical problem mainly solved by the embodiments of the utility model is to provide a method which can avoid the problem of electroplating solution contamination of wafers between different electroplating stages and the problem of filling voids caused by transfer.
[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, a technical solution adopted by the utility model is: to provide an electroplating transmission device, including: a transmission bridge panel arranged between a first electroplating chamber and a second electroplating chamber; a first movable ring, arranged at the connection between the transmission bridge and the first electroplating chamber; a second movable ring, arranged at the connection between the transmission bridge and the second electroplating chamber; a first protective panel and a second protective panel are respectively arranged on both sides of the transmission bridge panel, the first protective panel is provided with a water inlet, and the second protective panel is provided with a water outlet; when the first movable ring is opened, the wafer to be electroplated is transferred from the first electroplating chamber to the transmission bridge panel; when the second movable ring is opened, the wafer to be electroplated placed on the transmission bridge panel is transferred to the second electroplating chamber; the water outlet is used to discharge the electroplating solution and the cleaning liquid in the transfer process of the wafer to be electroplated, and the water inlet is used to inject the cleaning liquid and the electroplating solution that plays a pre-wetting role.
[0006] In some embodiments, the electroplating transmission device also includes: a driving source for providing power; and an actuator connected to the driving source for controlling the first movable ring and the second movable ring to open or close according to the power provided by the driving source.
[0007] In some embodiments, the electroplating transfer device further includes: a positioning structure for detecting the positions of the first movable ring and the second movable ring.
[0008] In some embodiments, the positioning structure includes a limit switch, a position sensor, and a pressure sensor.
[0009] In some embodiments, the water inlet and the water outlet are arranged opposite to each other.
[0010] In some embodiments, the first movable ring is semicircular; the second movable ring is semicircular.
[0011] In some embodiments, a minimum distance between the first movable ring and the second movable ring is greater than a diameter of a wafer to be electroplated.
[0012] In order to solve the above technical problems, another technical solution adopted by the utility model is: to provide an electroplating system, including: a plurality of first electroplating chambers; a plurality of second electroplating chambers; a plurality of electroplating transmission devices as described above; each first electroplating chamber is connected to at least one second electroplating chamber through an electroplating transmission device.
[0013] In some embodiments, the electroplating system further comprises:
[0014] A control module, wherein the control modules are respectively connected to the actuators of a plurality of electroplating transmission devices; the control module is used to output a control signal to drive the corresponding actuator to control the corresponding first movable ring or the second movable ring to open or close.
[0015] In some embodiments, the first electroplating chamber is connected to a second electroplating chamber through a plating transmission device; or the first electroplating chamber is connected to two second electroplating chambers through two electroplating transmission devices; or the first electroplating chamber is connected to three second electroplating chambers through three electroplating transmission devices; or the first electroplating chamber is connected to four second electroplating chambers through four electroplating transmission devices.
[0016] The beneficial effect of the embodiment of the utility model is that, different from the prior art, the embodiment of the utility model can avoid filling voids caused by transfer of wafers between different electroplating stages by setting a transmission device between the first electroplating chamber and the second electroplating chamber, thereby reducing the wafer transfer time and improving the electroplating efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of an electroplating transmission device provided by an embodiment of the utility model;
[0018] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of the first electroplating chamber combination provided by an embodiment of the utility model;
[0019] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of a second electroplating chamber combination provided by an embodiment of the utility model;
[0020] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of a third electroplating chamber combination provided by an embodiment of the utility model;
[0021] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of a fourth electroplating chamber combination provided in an embodiment of the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] In order to facilitate the understanding of the utility model, the utility model is described in more detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that when an element is described as "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on the other element, or there can be one or more centered elements therebetween. When an element is described as "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or there can be one or more centered elements therebetween. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only.
[0023] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as those commonly understood by technicians in the technical field of the present invention. The terms used in this specification are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not used to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.
[0024] There are three main types of TSV electroplating filling: low current density seam defect filling, medium current density defect-free filling, and high current density void defect filling. In industry, defect-free filling is the preferred result, seam defect filling is acceptable, and void defect filling should be avoided. Therefore, a relatively low current density should be used to prevent voids, but this will require a longer deposition time and lower yield.
[0025] In 3D-IC manufacturing, TSV electroplating usually involves placing the wafer in an electrolyte (with additives) at a negative potential. The TSV electroplating process usually uses a "two-step" strategy, namely: the first electroplating stage and the second electroplating stage. The first electroplating stage is to place the wafer to be plated in the first electroplating chamber of a low-concentration solution, and use a low current to perform a "bottom-up" slow electroplating on the wafer to be plated to prevent void defects; the second electroplating stage is to place the wafer to be plated after the first electroplating stage in the second electroplating chamber of a high-concentration solution, and use a high current to electroplate the wafer to be plated to completely fill the through-silicon via.
[0026] However, when transferring the wafer to be plated from the first plating stage to the second plating stage, the solution on the surface of the wafer in the first stage may contaminate the solution in the second stage, and the wafer to be plated is exposed to the air during the transfer process, and air bubbles may diffuse into the semi-filled through-holes to cause voids.
[0027] Based on the above situation, the embodiment of the present application provides an electroplating transmission device, which is applied to the first electroplating chamber 20 in the first electroplating stage and the second electroplating chamber 30 in the second electroplating stage. Figure 1 As shown, the electroplating transmission device includes: a transmission bridge panel 110, a first protective panel 120, a second protective panel 130, a first movable ring 140, a second movable ring 150, a water outlet 160 and a water inlet 170.
[0028] The transmission bridge panel 110 serves as a bridge connecting the first electroplating chamber 20 and the second electroplating chamber 30, and is used to carry the wafer to be electroplated and transfer between the two electroplating chambers. It is arranged between the first electroplating chamber 20 and the second electroplating chamber 30, and is used to transfer the wafer to be electroplated. The transmission bridge panel 110 is a flat and smooth metal plate to facilitate the movement of the wafer. In some embodiments, a positioning device, such as a position sensor, is also provided on the transmission bridge panel 110 to obtain the position of the wafer to be electroplated in real time.
[0029] The first movable ring 140 is located at the connection between the transmission bridge panel 110 and the first electroplating chamber 20, and is a mechanical device that can be opened and closed. When the first movable ring 140 is opened, the wafer to be electroplated can be transferred from the first electroplating chamber 20 to the transmission bridge panel 110. In the embodiment of the present application, the first movable ring 140 is semicircular so that the wafer to be electroplated can pass smoothly, and at the same time, an effective seal is provided to prevent the first electroplating solution from overflowing from the first electroplating chamber 20.
[0030] The second movable ring 150 is located at the connection between the transmission bridge panel 110 and the second electroplating chamber 30, and is a mechanical device that can be opened and closed. When the second movable ring 150 is opened, the wafer to be electroplated can be transferred from the transmission bridge panel 110 to the second electroplating chamber 30. In the embodiment of the present application, the second movable ring 150 is semicircular so that the wafer to be electroplated can pass smoothly, and at the same time, an effective seal is provided to prevent the second electroplating solution from overflowing from the second electroplating chamber 30.
[0031] A first protective panel 120 and a second protective panel 130 are respectively provided on both sides of the transmission bridge panel 110. The second protective panel 130 is provided with a water inlet 170 for introducing electroplating solution or other liquids, such as cleaning liquid for cleaning the transmission bridge panel 110 and the wafers to be electroplated. The first protective panel 120 is provided with a water outlet 160 for discharging the electroplating solution or other liquids. The first protective panel 120 and the second protective panel 130 are used to protect the transmission bridge panel 110 and its connecting parts to prevent splashing of the electroplating liquid or interference from other external factors.
[0032] In the embodiment of the present application, the water inlet 170 and the water outlet 160 are arranged relative to each other, which helps to form a closed loop of water flow in the device, thereby achieving effective cleaning or recycling of liquid.
[0033] It should be noted that the minimum distance between the first movable ring 140 and the second movable ring 150 is greater than the diameter of the wafer to be electroplated, so as to ensure that the wafer to be electroplated can stay on the transmission bridge deck 110 .
[0034] In some embodiments, the electroplating transmission device also includes a driving source for providing power, an actuator connected to the driving source, and a positioning structure for detecting the positions of the first movable ring and the second movable ring, and the actuator is used to control the opening or closing of the first movable ring and the second movable ring according to the power provided by the driving source.
[0035] The driving source includes an electric motor (such as a servo motor or a stepper motor) and a hydraulic source (such as a hydraulic cylinder and a hydraulic pump), etc. The actuator includes a gear box and a mechanical arm, etc. The positioning structure includes a limit switch, a position sensor and a pressure sensor, etc. The specific setting method of the driving source, the actuator and the positioning structure depends on the specific structure. If the actuator is a mechanical arm with sufficient degrees of freedom, the opening and closing of the first movable ring and the second movable ring can be controlled by the end effector of the mechanical arm, such as a clamp or a gripper, and the mechanical arm only needs to be set at a position sufficient to control the first movable ring and the second movable ring; if the positioning structure is a limit switch, the limit switch can be installed on the first movable ring and the second movable ring or the corresponding transmission shaft to provide absolute position information, which is not affected by power failure. Those skilled in the art can derive the corresponding setting method according to the specific structure, so the remaining setting methods will not be repeated.
[0036] Specifically, when the electroplating conveying device is in a standby state, the first movable ring 140 is located at the exit of the first electroplating chamber 20, and the second movable ring 150 is located at the entrance of the second electroplating chamber 30. The first movable ring 140 and the second movable ring 150 are both in a closed state to keep the first electroplating chamber 20 and the second electroplating chamber 30 sealed.
[0037] When the wafer to be plated completes the electroplating process in the first electroplating chamber 20, the control module of the electroplating system sends a first control signal to instruct the first movable ring 140 to open. Specifically, the driving source drives the actuator to push or rotate the first movable ring 140 in response to the control signal to open a sufficiently large opening to allow the wafer to be plated to pass through. After the wafer to be plated passes through the first movable ring 140, the control module sends a second control signal to instruct the first movable ring 140 to close, so as to isolate the first electroplating chamber 20 and the second electroplating chamber 30 to prevent contamination of the electroplating solution.
[0038] The wafer to be plated is transferred from the first plating chamber 20 to the transmission bridge panel 110 along with the first plating solution. After the first movable ring 140 is closed, the first plating solution on the transmission bridge panel 110 is discharged through the water outlet 160 on the first protective panel 120. After the first plating solution is emptied, the control module will also control the water delivery device to inject cleaning liquid into the transmission bridge panel 110 through the water inlet 170 on the second protective panel 130 to clean the wafer to be plated and prevent the first plating solution remaining on the wafer to be plated from entering the second plating chamber 30. After the wafer to be plated is cleaned, the cleaning liquid on the transmission bridge panel 110 is emptied, and then the second plating solution is input into the transmission bridge panel 110 through the water inlet 170 to pre-wet the wafer to be plated.
[0039] After the pre-wetting of the wafer to be plated is completed, the control system sends a first control signal to instruct the second movable ring 150 to open. Specifically, the driving source drives the actuator to push or rotate the second movable ring 150 in response to the control signal, so that it opens a sufficiently large opening to allow the wafer to be plated to pass through. After the wafer to be plated passes through the second movable ring 150, the control module sends a second control signal to instruct the second movable ring 150 to close, so as to isolate the first plating chamber 20 and the second plating chamber 30 to prevent contamination of the plating solution. After the wafer to be plated passes through the second movable ring 150 and enters the second plating chamber 30, the second plating stage is started.
[0040] Different from the prior art, the embodiment of the utility model can avoid the problem of voids caused by air bubbles diffusing into half-filled through holes due to transfer of the wafer between different electroplating stages by setting a transmission device between the first electroplating chamber and the second electroplating chamber, and can also avoid the problem of electroplating solution contamination caused by transfer.
[0041] Based on the above electroplating transmission device, the embodiment of the present application also provides an electroplating system, which includes a plurality of first electroplating chambers; a plurality of second electroplating chambers; a plurality of electroplating transmission devices as described above and a control module. The control module is respectively connected to the actuators of the plurality of electroplating transmission devices; the control module is used to output a control signal to drive the corresponding actuator to control the corresponding first movable ring or the second movable ring to open or close.
[0042] Each first electroplating chamber is connected to at least one second electroplating chamber via an electroplating transmission device to form an electroplating chamber combination. Figure 2 A first electroplating chamber combination is shown, in which a first electroplating chamber 20 is connected to a second electroplating chamber 30 via an electroplating transmission device 10 . Figure 3 A second electroplating chamber combination is shown, in which the first electroplating chamber 20 is connected to two second electroplating chambers 30 respectively through two electroplating transmission devices 10 . Figure 4A third electroplating chamber combination is shown, in which the first electroplating chamber 20 is connected to three second electroplating chambers 30 respectively through three electroplating transmission devices 10 . Figure 5 A fourth electroplating chamber combination is shown, in which the first electroplating chamber 20 is connected to four second electroplating chambers 30 respectively through four electroplating transmission devices 10 .
[0043] It should be noted that the preferred embodiments of the utility model are given in the specification and drawings of the utility model, but the utility model can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described in the specification. These embodiments are not used as additional restrictions on the content of the utility model. The purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosure of the utility model more thorough and comprehensive. In addition, the above-mentioned technical features continue to be combined with each other to form various embodiments not listed above, which are all regarded as the scope of the description of the utility model; further, for ordinary technicians in this field, they can be improved or transformed according to the above description, and all these improvements and transformations should belong to the scope of protection of the claims attached to the utility model.
Claims
1. An electroplating transmission device, characterized in that: include: a transmission bridge panel disposed between the first electroplating chamber and the second electroplating chamber; A first movable ring, arranged at the connection between the transmission bridge and the first electroplating chamber; A second movable ring is arranged at the connection between the transmission bridge and the second electroplating chamber; A first protective panel and a second protective panel are respectively provided on both sides of the transmission bridge deck, the first protective panel is provided with a water outlet, and the second protective panel is provided with a water inlet; When the first movable ring is opened, the wafer to be electroplated is transferred from the first electroplating chamber to the transfer bridge deck; When the second movable ring is opened, the wafer to be electroplated placed on the transmission bridge panel is transferred to the second electroplating chamber; The water outlet is used to discharge the electroplating solution and the cleaning solution in the process of transferring the wafer to be electroplated, and the water inlet is used to inject the cleaning solution and the electroplating solution that plays a pre-wetting role.
2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: A driving source for providing power; The actuator connected to the driving source is used to control the opening or closing of the first movable ring and the second movable ring according to the power provided by the driving source.
3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that Also includes: A positioning structure is used to detect the positions of the first movable ring and the second movable ring.
4. The device according to claim 3, characterized in that The positioning structure includes a limit switch, a position sensor and a pressure sensor.
5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The water inlet and the water outlet are arranged opposite to each other.
6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The first movable ring is semicircular; the second movable ring is semicircular.
7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The minimum distance between the first movable ring and the second movable ring is greater than the diameter of the wafer to be electroplated.
8. An electroplating system, characterized in that: include: A plurality of first electroplating chambers; a plurality of second electroplating chambers; Several electroplating transmission devices as described in any one of claims 1 to 7; Each first electroplating chamber is connected to at least one second electroplating chamber via an electroplating transmission device.
9. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that Also includes: A control module, wherein the control modules are respectively connected to the actuators of a plurality of electroplating transmission devices; The control module is used to output a control signal to drive the corresponding actuator to control the corresponding first movable ring or the second movable ring to open or close.
10. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that The first electroplating chamber is connected to a second electroplating chamber via an electroplating transmission device; Or the first electroplating chamber is connected to the two second electroplating chambers respectively through two electroplating transmission devices; Or the first electroplating chamber is connected to the three second electroplating chambers respectively through three electroplating transmission devices; Or the first electroplating chamber is connected to the four second electroplating chambers respectively through four electroplating transmission devices.