Electrolytic plating equipment

Abstract

The present invention discloses an electrolytic plating apparatus including a processing chamber, a substrate holding device, a first cover body, a second cover body, a gas supply unit and an exhaust unit. An electrolytic plating solution is accommodated in the inner chamber of the processing chamber, and the inner chamber has an opening. The substrate holding device is used to hold a substrate, and the substrate holding device enters and exits the inner chamber through the opening. The first cover body is connected to the substrate holding device after the substrate holding device is carried into the inner chamber to close the opening, and the inner chamber is in a closed state. The second cover body is used to close the opening and close the inner chamber again after the substrate holding device is carried out of the inner chamber. The gas supply unit introduces an inert gas into the inner chamber, and the exhaust unit exhausts air from the inner chamber. Thus, the electrolytic plating apparatus can prevent oxidation of the electrolytic plating solution, maintain the stability of the electrolytic plating solution, extend the service life of the electrolytic plating solution, and save the cost of the electrolytic plating solution.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and more particularly to electrolytic plating equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] In electrolytic plating processes, the stability of the composition of the electrolytic plating solution is particularly important for the reliability of the electrolytic plated products.

[0003] During the electrolytic plating process, the lifting drive device in the electrolytic plating apparatus drives and lowers the substrate, and immerses it in the electrolytic plating solution in the processing chamber via the substrate holding device, and electrolytic plating is performed on the substrate. After the electrolytic plating process, the lifting drive device raises the substrate, and transports it out of the processing chamber via the substrate holding device.

[0004] However, when electroplating is not performed or when electroplating is performed, problems may occur with the stability of the electroplating solution in the treatment chamber. For example, the sulfite ions in the gold plating solution are easily oxidized by oxygen in the air, which makes the technical parameters of gold plating unstable and shortens the service life, thus causing inconvenience in production and management. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the problem of the stability of the electrolytic plating solution in the processing chamber in the prior art. Therefore, the present invention provides an electrolytic plating apparatus which has the advantage of preventing oxidation of the electrolytic plating solution and maintaining the stability of the electrolytic plating solution.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention proposes an electrolytic plating apparatus comprising: a process chamber having an interior chamber for holding an electrolytic plating solution, the interior chamber having an opening; a substrate holding device for holding a substrate, the substrate holding device being carried in and out of the inner chamber through the opening; and a first cover body connected to the substrate holding device and configured to close the opening after the substrate holding device is carried into the inner chamber so that the inner chamber is in a closed state; a second cover body that closes the opening after the substrate holding device is removed from the inner chamber so that the inner chamber is in a closed state; a gas supply unit that introduces an inert gas into the inner chamber; An exhaust section for exhausting air from the interior chamber.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first cover body is a rotation drive device that drives the substrate holding device to rotate around an axis of the rotation drive device within the inner chamber. When the substrate holding device is carried into the inner chamber, the rotation drive device covers the opening to close it.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, a surrounding is provided along the circumferential direction of the lower surface of the first cover body toward the opening. When the first cover body covers the opening, the surrounding contacts the edge of the opening.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, a seal ring is provided at a position where the opening is combined with the first cover body or the second cover body.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the second cover body includes two cover bodies that are linked to each other and are on the same plane. When the substrate holding device is removed from the inner chamber, the two cover bodies move toward the center of the opening and close the opening.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the exhaust section comprises a first exhaust section and a second exhaust section, the first exhaust section being provided in the first cover body, and the second exhaust section being provided in the second cover body.

[0012] In one embodiment of the invention, the process chamber comprises a shield, the gas supply is disposed on the shield, and the gas supply comprises a plurality of gas inlet channels, the plurality of gas inlet channels being spaced apart circumferentially around the shield and penetrating a sidewall of the shield.

[0013] In one embodiment of the invention, the gas inlet channels extend diagonally downwards in a direction towards the interior chamber.

[0014] In one embodiment of the invention, the gas supply further comprises a static pressure chamber, each gas inlet channel having an inlet and an outlet. The static pressure chamber extends around the shield and covers the inlets of the gas inlet channels. When an inert gas is injected into the static pressure chamber, the inert gas enters the inner chamber sequentially from the inlets and the outlets of the gas inlet channels.

[0015] In one embodiment of the invention, the diameter of the gas inlet channel close to the inlet gradually increases in a direction towards the static pressure chamber.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the gas supply unit further comprises a control element connected to the static pressure chamber for controlling the flow rate and / or pressure of the inert gas flowing into the static pressure chamber.

[0017] As described above, the electrolytic plating apparatus of the present invention has the following advantages.

[0018] By disposing the first cover body and the second cover body, the opening of the processing chamber can be closed by the first cover body after the substrate holding device and the substrate are simultaneously carried into the processing chamber. By closing the opening of the processing chamber with the second cover body after the substrate holding device and the substrate are simultaneously carried out of the processing chamber, the inert gas is restricted in the closed space, and the outside air can be reliably prevented from entering the inner chamber, and the electrolytic plating solution in the inner chamber can be effectively prevented from being oxidized both when electrolytic plating is not being performed and when electrolytic plating is being performed. Therefore, the electrolytic plating apparatus provided by the present invention can maintain the stability of the electrolytic plating solution, extend the service life of the electrolytic plating solution, save the cost of the electrolytic plating solution, and facilitate production and management.

[0019] Other features of the present invention and corresponding beneficial effects are described hereinafter, and it should be understood that at least some of the beneficial effects will be apparent from the description of the present invention in its entirety. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an electrolytic plating apparatus according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the electrolytic plating apparatus according to the present invention when the second cover body closes the opening. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the electrolytic plating apparatus provided by the present invention when the first cover body is closing the opening. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the electrolytic plating apparatus according to the present invention, showing the first cover body closing the opening. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the upper surface structure after the opening of the processing chamber of the electrolytic plating apparatus provided by the present invention has been closed by the second cover body. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the top structure of the electrolytic plating apparatus provided by the present invention when the opening of the processing chamber is open, and shows a schematic diagram of the top structure of the gas inlet channel. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an electrolytic plating apparatus provided by the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described through specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention has been introduced with the above preferred embodiments, it should be recognized that the features of the present invention should not be considered as limiting the present invention. On the contrary, the purpose of presenting the present invention in combination with the embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that can be expanded based on the claims of the present invention. In order to deeply understand the present invention, the following description includes some specific details. The present invention can be practiced without these details. Furthermore, some specific details are omitted from the description to avoid confusing or obscuring the focus of the present invention. It should be noted that the embodiments of the present invention and the features of the embodiments can be combined with each other without contradiction. It should be noted that in this specification, similar names and letters indicate similar terms in subsequent drawings, so that once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and described in subsequent drawings.

[0022] The technical proposal of the present invention is clearly and completely described in combination with the accompanying drawings. It is clear that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and are not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts are included in the protection scope of the present invention.

[0023] It should be noted that in the description of the present invention, terms such as "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate orientations or positional relationships based on orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are intended only to facilitate and simplify the description of the present invention, and do not suggest or imply that the devices or elements shown have a particular orientation and must be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limitations of the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only, and are not to be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0024] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified and defined, the terms "installed", "linked" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, may be fixedly connected, may be detachably connected, or may be integrally connected; may be mechanically connected or electrically connected; may be directly linked, indirectly linked via an intermediate medium, or may be linked within two components. Those skilled in the art can particularly understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention.

[0025] In order to make the objectives, technical schemes and advantages of the present invention clearer, the embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0026] 1 to 3, an electrolytic plating apparatus 10 provided by the present invention includes a processing chamber 100, a substrate holding device 200, a first cover body 300, a second cover body 400, a gas supply unit 130, and an exhaust unit.

[0027] The inner chamber 110 of the processing chamber 100 is used to hold a plating solution and has an opening 111. The gas supply unit 130 injects an inert gas into the inner chamber 110, and the exhaust unit exhausts the air in the inner chamber 110, thereby forming a uniform positive pressure in the inner chamber 110 by the inert gas, and preventing moisture and oxygen in the air from contacting the electrolytic plating solution. In this embodiment, the exhaust unit includes a first exhaust unit 311 and a second exhaust unit 411. The first exhaust unit 311 is disposed on the first cover body 300, and the second exhaust unit 411 is disposed on the second cover body 400. The inert gas used in this embodiment is nitrogen, but other inert gases such as argon, helium, and neon can also be used as necessary.

[0028] The substrate holding device 200 is used to hold a substrate, and the substrate holding device 200 is carried into or out of the inner chamber 110 through the opening 111. When electrolytic plating is required, the substrate holding device 200 carries the substrate into the inner chamber 110 through the opening 111 and immerses the substrate in an electrolytic plating solution. After electrolytic plating, the substrate holding device 200 carries the substrate out of the inner chamber 110 through the opening 111, and the substrate moves to the next process.

[0029] The first cover body 300 is connected to the substrate holding device 200, and after the substrate holding device 200 is carried into the inner chamber 110, the first cover body 300 moves in synchronization with the substrate to close the opening 111 and close the inner chamber 110. In this embodiment, the process in which the substrate holding device 200 is carried into the inner chamber 110 is the process in which the substrate holding device 200 carries the substrate vertically downward and carries it out into the inner chamber 110.

[0030] The process of the substrate holding device 200 being removed from the inner chamber 110 is until the substrate holding device 200 vertically lifts the substrate and removes it from the inner chamber 110 after the electrolytic plating is completed. At the same time, the first cover body 300 also moves away from the opening 111. At this time, since the second cover body 400 is used to close the opening 111, the inner chamber 110 is also in a closed state when the electrolytic plating is not being performed. The inert gas is trapped in the sealed space, and the oxidation of the electrolytic plating solution is effectively prevented.

[0031] Therefore, when the substrate holding device 200 is carried into the inner chamber 110, and when the substrate holding device 200 is carried out from the inner chamber 110, the inner chamber 110 is in a closed state. The air in the inner chamber 110 is pushed out by the inert gas, and a uniform positive pressure is formed in the inner chamber 110. This prevents moisture and oxygen in the air from coming into contact with the electrolytic plating solution, prevents oxidation of the electrolytic plating solution, maintains the stability of the electrolytic plating solution, extends the service life of the electrolytic plating solution, and saves the cost of the electrolytic plating solution.

[0032] The first cover body 300 is a rotation drive device that drives the substrate holding device 200 to rotate about an axis O of the rotation drive device within the inner chamber 110. By utilizing the electrolytic plating apparatus 10 itself (i.e., the rotation drive device) to realize the function of the first cover body 300, moving parts are omitted and costs are reduced.

[0033] In other alternative embodiments, the first cover body 300 may be an alternative member that can close the opening 111 after the substrate holding device 200 is transported into the inner chamber 110 and the inner chamber 110 is in a closed state.

[0034] The electrolytic plating apparatus 10 further includes a lifting drive device 500 that is connected to the substrate holding device 200 by a rotation drive device and drives the substrate holding device 200 into or out of the inner chamber 110 .

[0035] After the lift drive 500 drives the substrate holder 200 into the interior chamber 110 , the rotation drive covers and closes the opening 111 .

[0036] Furthermore, when the first cover body 300 is a rotary drive device, an enclosure 310 is provided along the circumferential direction of the lower surface of the rotary drive device facing the opening 111. When the rotary drive device covers the opening 111, the enclosure 310 comes into contact with the edge of the opening 111.

[0037] Referring to FIG. 4, a seal ring 1101 is provided between the enclosure 310 and the edge of the opening 111 of the process chamber 100 to prevent air from entering the inner chamber 110 .

[0038] 3 and 4, the diameter of the enclosure 310 is the same as the diameter of the opening 111. If the rotary drive covers the opening 111, a seal ring 1101 is provided at the bottom of the enclosure 310 or on the top of the edge of the opening 111.

[0039] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in other alternative embodiments, the diameter of the enclosure 310 may be larger or smaller than the diameter of the opening 111 .

[0040] When the diameter of the enclosure 310 is larger than the diameter of the opening 111, the seal ring 1101 is provided on the inner wall of the enclosure 310 or on the outer wall of the edge of the opening 111. When the diameter of the enclosure 310 is smaller than the diameter of the opening 111, the seal ring 1101 is provided on the outer wall of the enclosure 310 or on the inner wall of the edge of the opening 111. If the seal ring 1101 is provided between the enclosure 310 and the edge of the opening 111 and can prevent air from entering the inner chamber 110, the inert gas exists in a relatively sealed space. The present invention does not limit the relationship between the diameter of the enclosure 310 and the diameter of the opening 111.

[0041] 2, when the lifting drive device 500 drives the substrate holding device 200 out of the inner chamber 110, the rotation drive device also moves in a direction away from the opening 111. At this time, the opening 111 is closed by the second cover body 400, and the inner chamber 110 is closed again.

[0042] The second cover body 400 includes two interlocking cover plates, which are coplanar and can be moved toward or away from the opening 111 in the radial direction to close or open the opening 111.

[0043] When the substrate holding device 200 is removed from the inner chamber 110, the two cover plates are moved toward the center of the opening 111 to close the opening 111. When the substrate holding device 200 needs to be moved into the inner chamber 110, the two cover plates are moved backward from the center of the opening 111 to open the opening 111.

[0044] Furthermore, seal rings (not shown) may or may not be selectively provided between the two cover plates and the edges of the opening 111.

[0045] When no sealing ring is provided between the second cover body 400 (i.e., the two cover plates) and the edge of the opening 111, the process in which the second cover body 400 closes the opening 111 is that the two cover plates located on both sides of the opening 111 move opposite to each other along the radial direction of the opening 111 until they come into close contact with each other, thereby achieving the effect of closing the opening 111.

[0046] When a seal ring is provided between the second cover body 400 and the edge of the opening 111, the seal ring is provided on the bottom 401 of the second cover body 400 or on the upper part of the edge of the opening 111. In this case, the seal ring needs to be taken into consideration in the process of the second cover body 400 closing the opening 111. Specifically, when a seal ring is provided on the bottom 401 of the second cover body 400, the process of the second cover body 400 (i.e., the two cover plates) closing the opening 111 may be performed by moving the two cover plates on both sides of the opening 111 in a radial direction along the opening 111. When the seal rings of the two cover plates approach the position of the edge of the opening 111, the two cover plates are raised, then the cover plates continue to move opposite to each other until they are joined, and finally the two cover plates are lowered to cover the opening 111, thereby achieving the purpose of the second cover body 400 closing the opening 111.

[0047] The above process may be such that before the two cover plates start to be bonded, the two cover plates are placed above the opening 111, then the two cover plates are moved oppositely from both sides of the opening 111 until they are bonded, and finally the two cover plates are lowered to cover the opening 111. Thus, the sealing rings on the cover plates are prevented from affecting the smooth bonding of the two cover plates.

[0048] Similarly, when a seal ring is provided on the top of the edge of the opening 111, the process of the second cover body 400 (i.e., the two cover plates) closing the opening 111 is as follows: the two cover plates are moved from both sides of the opening 111 in an opposing manner, the two cover plates are raised when they approach the position of the seal ring on the opening 111, then continue to approach each other in an opposing manner until they are combined, and finally, the two cover plates are lowered to cover the opening 111, thereby achieving the purpose of closing the opening 111. This process may also include placing the two cover plates on the seal ring on the top of the opening 111 before the two cover plates start to combine, then moving toward each other until they are combined, and finally lowering them to cover the opening 111. This prevents the seal ring on the top of the edge of the opening 111 from affecting the smooth combination of the two cover plates.

[0049] 1, 4 and 5, the first exhaust portion 311 is a first exhaust hole provided in the enclosure 310, and the second exhaust portion 411 is a second exhaust hole provided in the second cover body 400. On each side where the two cover plates of the second cover body 400 come into contact with each other, a notch 412 is provided to form a second exhaust hole.

[0050] The inert gas passes through the gas supply unit 130 and flows into the inner chamber 110, and then exhausts the air to the outside of the processing chamber 100 through the first exhaust hole or the second exhaust hole.

[0051] Those skilled in the art can understand that in other alternative embodiments, the second cover body 400 may also be integral, and the location of the second exhaust hole may be located in the center or near the edge of the second cover body 400 according to actual needs.

[0052] 3, 4 and 6, the process chamber 100 includes a shield 120 provided with a gas supply unit 130, which includes a plurality of gas inlet channels 131 that are equally spaced around the circumference of the shield 120 and pass through a sidewall 121 of the shield 120. The inert gas flows into the inner chamber 110 of the process chamber 100 through the plurality of gas inlet channels 131, so that the inert gas is uniformly distributed in the inner chamber 110, and the effect of sufficiently preventing contact between the electrolytic plating solution and oxygen is obtained.

[0053] 3 and 7, the electrolytic plating solution is usually located under the water retention ring 122 of the shield 120, and the water retention ring 122 can prevent the electrolytic plating solution from splashing downward. The position of the multiple gas inlet channels 131 is higher than the position of the electrolytic plating solution, and the multiple gas inlet channels 131 extend obliquely downward toward the inner chamber 110, so that the inert gas passes through the multiple gas inlet channels 131 toward the electrolytic plating solution toward the inner chamber 110, and pushes air out of the processing chamber 100. The dotted line in FIG. 7 indicates the direction of the inlet path of the inert gas.

[0054] 4, 6 and 7, the gas supply 130 further includes a static pressure chamber 132 that extends annularly around the outer periphery of the shield 120. Each gas inlet channel 131 has an inlet 1301 and an outlet 1302, and the static pressure chamber 132 surrounds the multiple inlets 1301.

[0055] When an inert gas is injected into the static pressure chamber 132, the inert gas enters the inner chamber 110 sequentially from the inlet 1301 and the outlet 1302 of the gas inlet channel 131. The static pressure chamber 132 is provided so that the pressure of the inert gas flows uniformly into the inner chamber 110 through the multiple gas inlet channels 131.

[0056] The gas inlet channel 131 may be a hole type, a nozzle type, a gas knife type, etc. In this embodiment, the gas inlet channel 131 adopts a hole structure, and the diameter of the gas inlet channel 131 at the inlet 1301 gradually increases in the direction toward the static pressure chamber 132, playing the role of a cushion.

[0057] The gas supply unit 130 further includes a control element 133 connected to the static pressure chamber 132 and controlling the flow rate and / or pressure of the inert gas flowing into the static pressure chamber 132. The control element 133 includes at least one of a manual valve, an electrically operated valve, a solenoid valve, a flow control valve, or a pressure control valve.

[0058] Finally, it should be recognized that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical scheme of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention. Although the contents of the present invention have been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical scheme described in the above embodiments can still be modified, or some or all of its technical features can be replaced by equivalents. These modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical scheme to depart from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. a process chamber having an interior chamber for holding an electrolytic plating solution, the interior chamber having an opening; a substrate holding device that holds a substrate and is carried in and out of the inner chamber through the opening; a first cover body connected to the substrate holding device and configured to close the opening after the substrate holding device is carried into the inner chamber so that the inner chamber is in a closed state; a second cover body that closes the opening after the substrate holding device is removed from the inner chamber so that the inner chamber is in a closed state; a gas supply unit that introduces an inert gas into the inner chamber; and an exhaust section that exhausts air from the internal chamber.

2. the first cover body is a rotation drive device, the rotation drive device drives the substrate holding device to rotate around an axis of the rotation drive device within the inner chamber; 2. The electrolytic plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the substrate holding device is carried into the inner chamber, the rotation drive device covers the opening so as to close the opening.

3. A surrounding is provided along a circumferential direction of a lower surface of the first cover body toward the opening, 2. The electrolytic plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the enclosure contacts an edge of the opening when the first cover body covers the opening.

4. 2. The electrolytic plating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a seal ring provided at a position where the opening is combined with the first cover body or the second cover body.

5. The second cover body includes two cover bodies that are connected to each other, and both cover bodies are on the same plane; 2. The electrolytic plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the substrate holding device is removed from the inner chamber, the two cover bodies move toward a center of the opening and close the opening.

6. 6. The electrolytic plating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust section comprises a first exhaust section and a second exhaust section, the first exhaust section being provided in the first cover body, and the second exhaust section being provided in the second cover body.

7. 2. The electrolytic plating apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing chamber comprises a shield, the gas supply is disposed on the shield, and the gas supply comprises a plurality of gas inlet channels, the plurality of gas inlet channels being spaced apart circumferentially about the shield and penetrating a sidewall of the shield.

8. 8. The electrolytic plating apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of gas inlet channels extend diagonally downward in a direction toward the interior chamber.

9. the gas supply further comprises a static pressure chamber, each gas inlet channel having an inlet and an outlet; the static pressure chamber extends around the shield and covers the inlets of a plurality of the gas inlet channels; 9. The electrolytic plating apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when an inert gas is injected into the static pressure chamber, the inert gas enters the inner chamber from the inlet and the outlet of the gas inlet channel in that order.

10. 10. The electrolytic plating apparatus of claim 9, wherein a diameter of the gas inlet channel near the inlet gradually increases in a direction toward the static pressure chamber.

11. 10. The electrolytic plating apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the gas supply unit further comprises a control element connected to the static pressure chamber and configured to control a flow rate and / or a pressure of the inert gas flowing into the static pressure chamber.

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