Resist mask, plating apparatus, plating method

Abstract

Appropriately shielding a non-patterned area according to the chip arrangement pattern on the substrate. A resistor mask used for a resistor disposed between a substrate and an anode in a plating apparatus and having a cross-shaped pattern area formed by overlapping two rectangles, the resistor mask including first to fourth mask pieces provided corresponding to respective corners of one of the two rectangles, and fifth and sixth mask pieces provided for respective ones of a pair of protruding portions extending outward from respective sides of two opposite sides of the one rectangle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a resistor mask for masking a resistor used in a plating apparatus, a plating apparatus, and a plating method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, chip sizes such as those for AI chips may increase. When the size of a chip (quadrilateral) on a circular wafer becomes large, the mounting of the chip decreases due to the influence of the arc portion of the wafer, and the chip arrangement becomes a shape in which two types of quadrilaterals overlap (cross shape) or a quadrilateral. In such a wafer, an electric field is likely to concentrate at the boundary between the area without chips, i.e., the non-pattern area, and the chips (especially at the corners of the chips). When plating the wafer, there is a risk of adversely affecting the plating quality such as the in-plane uniformity of the plating film on the wafer.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As one solution to the above problems, the inventor of the present application has found that it is effective to shield the non-pattern area on the chip from the electric field. An electric field shielding member for shielding the electric field in a plating apparatus is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-59561 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent No. 7014553 (Patent Document 2). Patent Document 1 describes an example of an electromagnetic shielding plate disposed below or above a porous resistor in a plating bath. Patent Document 2 describes an example of an anode mask disposed near the anode and shielding a part of the electric field flowing from the anode to the substrate.

[0005] In electromagnetic shielding masks related to the prior art including Patent Documents 1 and 2, since the shielding region of the electric field shielding member is configured according to the outer shape of a substrate such as a wafer, it does not shield a non-pattern area according to the chip arrangement pattern on the wafer. Further, when the outer contour of the chip arrangement pattern has irregularities such as a cross shape and such irregularities affect the plating quality, it is desirable to appropriately shield the non-pattern area with an electric field shielding member.

[0006] The present invention is to solve at least part of the above-described problems. One object of the present invention is to appropriately shield a non-pattern area according to the chip arrangement pattern on a substrate. One object of the present invention is to adjust the exposed area of the pattern area of a resistor according to the chip arrangement pattern and / or non-pattern area on a substrate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a resistor mask used for a resistor having a cross-shaped pattern area formed by overlapping two rectangles, which is disposed between a substrate and an anode in a plating apparatus, the resistor mask including: first to fourth mask pieces provided corresponding to respective corner portions of one of the two rectangles; and fifth and sixth mask pieces provided for respective ones of a pair of protruding portions extending outward from respective sides of two opposite sides of the one rectangle.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4A

Figure 4B

Figure 4C

Figure 4D

Figure 4E

Figure 5

Figure 6A

Figure 6B

Figure 6C

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10A

Figure 10B

Figure 10C

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, the plating apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are schematically illustrated to facilitate understanding of the features of the object, and the dimensional ratios and the like of each component are not necessarily the same as the actual ones.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the plating apparatus 1000 of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the plating apparatus 1000 of the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plating apparatus 1000 includes a load port 100, a transfer robot 110, an aligner 120, a pre-wet module 200, a pre-soak module 300, a plating module 400, a cleaning module 500, a spin rinse dryer 600, a transfer device 700, and a control module 800.

[0011] The load port 100 is a module for loading a wafer (substrate) accommodated in a cassette such as a FOUP (not shown in the plating apparatus 1000) into the plating apparatus 1000 or unloading the substrate from the plating apparatus 1000 to the cassette. In the present embodiment, four load ports 100 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, but the number and arrangement of the load ports 100 are arbitrary. The transfer robot 110 is a robot for transferring the substrate, and is configured to transfer the substrate between the load port 100, the aligner 120, the pre-wet module 200, and the spin rinse dryer 600. When transferring the substrate between the transfer robot 110 and the transfer device 700, the transfer robot 110 and the transfer device 700 can transfer the substrate via a temporary placement table (not shown).

[0012] The aligner 120 is a module for aligning the positions such as the orientation flat and notch of the substrate in a predetermined direction. In this embodiment, two aligners 120 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, but the number and arrangement of the aligners 120 are arbitrary. The pre-wet module 200 wets the surface to be plated of the substrate before plating with a processing liquid such as pure water or degassed water, thereby replacing the air inside the pattern formed on the substrate surface with the processing liquid. The pre-wet module 200 is configured to perform a pre-wet process that makes it easier to supply the plating liquid inside the pattern by replacing the processing liquid inside the pattern with the plating liquid during plating. In this embodiment, two pre-wet modules 200 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, but the number and arrangement of the pre-wet modules 200 are arbitrary.

[0013] The pre-soak module 300 is configured to perform a pre-soak process of etching and removing an oxide film with a large electrical resistance existing on the surface of a seed layer formed on the surface to be plated of the substrate before plating, etc., with a processing liquid such as sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid, and cleaning or activating the plating base surface. In this embodiment, two pre-soak modules 300 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, but the number and arrangement of the pre-soak modules 300 are arbitrary. The plating module 400 performs a plating process on the substrate. In this embodiment, there are two sets of 12 plating modules 400 arranged side by side in 3 rows in the vertical direction and 4 rows in the horizontal direction, and a total of 24 plating modules 400 are provided, but the number and arrangement of the plating modules 400 are arbitrary.

[0014] The cleaning module 500 is configured to perform a cleaning process on the substrate to remove plating solution and the like remaining on the substrate after the plating process. In this embodiment, two cleaning modules 500 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, but the number and arrangement of the cleaning modules 500 are arbitrary. The spin rinse dryer 600 is a module for drying the substrate by rotating it at high speed after the cleaning process. In this embodiment, two spin rinse dryers 600 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, but the number and arrangement of the spin rinse dryers 600 are arbitrary. The transfer device 700 is a device for transferring the substrate between a plurality of modules in the plating apparatus 1000. The control module 800 is configured to control a plurality of modules of the plating apparatus 1000, and can be composed of a general computer or a dedicated computer having an input / output interface with an operator, for example.

[0015] An example of a series of plating processes by the plating apparatus 1000 will be described. First, the substrate accommodated in the cassette is carried into the load port 100. Subsequently, the transfer robot 110 takes out the substrate from the cassette of the load port 100 and transfers the substrate to the aligner 120. The aligner 120 aligns the positions such as the orientation flat and notch of the substrate in a predetermined direction. The transfer robot 110 delivers the substrate whose direction has been aligned by the aligner 120 to the pre-wet module 200.

[0016] The pre-wet module 200 performs a pre-wet process on the substrate. The transfer device 700 transfers the substrate subjected to the pre-wet process to the pre-soak module 300. The pre-soak module 300 performs a pre-soak process on the substrate. The transfer device 700 transfers the substrate subjected to the pre-soak process to the plating module 400. The plating module 400 performs a plating process on the substrate.

[0017] The transfer device 700 transfers the plated substrate to the cleaning module 500. The cleaning module 500 performs a cleaning process on the substrate. The transfer device 700 transfers the substrate subjected to the cleaning process to the spin rinse dryer 600. The spin rinse dryer 600 performs a drying process on the substrate. The transfer robot 110 receives the substrate from the spin rinse dryer 600 and transfers the substrate subjected to the drying process to the cassette in the load port 100. Finally, the cassette containing the substrate is unloaded from the load port 100.

[0018] Note that the configuration of the plating apparatus 1000 described in FIGS. 1 and 2 is merely an example, and the configuration of the plating apparatus 1000 is not limited to the configurations of FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0019] The control module 800 can be configured to include a memory (not shown) that stores various setting data such as machine parameters and various programs, and a CPU (not shown) that executes the programs in the memory. The control module 800 may include an input / output interface including an output device such as a display, and an input device including a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The storage medium constituting the memory can include any volatile storage medium and / or any non-volatile storage medium. The storage medium can include, for example, one or more of any storage media such as ROM, RAM, hard disk, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and flexible disk. Some or all of the functions of the control module 800 can be configured by hardware such as ASIC. Some or all of the functions of the control module 800 may be configured by a PLC, a sequencer, etc. Some or all of the control module 800 can be arranged inside and / or outside the housing of the plating apparatus 1000. Some or all of the control module 800 is communicably connected to each part of the plating apparatus by wire and / or wirelessly.

[0020] [Plating Module] Next, the plating module 400 will be described. Since the plurality of plating modules 400 included in the plating apparatus 1000 according to the present embodiment have the same configuration, one plating module 400 will be described.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a plating module according to an embodiment. The plating apparatus 1000 (plating module 400) according to the present embodiment is a type of plating apparatus (plating module) called a face-down type, cup type, horizontal type, etc., which holds the substrate Wf horizontally and performs plating. Here, the case where the substrate Wf is a circular wafer will be described as an example.

[0022] The plating module 400 according to the present embodiment mainly includes a plating bath 401, a substrate holder 403 also referred to as a plating head for holding the substrate Wf, and a drive mechanism 411 including a rotation mechanism, an inclination mechanism, and a lifting mechanism for rotating, inclining, and lifting the substrate holder 403, and an anode 410 disposed to face the substrate Wf below the substrate Wf. Further, an overflow tank 408 for receiving the plating solution overflowing from the plating bath 401 is provided outside the plating bath 401. Note that a diaphragm (not shown) for partitioning the inside of the plating bath 401 into a cathode chamber and an anode chamber may be provided. Also, the inclination mechanism may be omitted.

[0023] In the plating module 400 according to the present embodiment, the anode 410 and the substrate Wf (cathode) are electrically connected to a power source 409. For example, the substrate Wf is electrically connected to the low potential side of the power source 409, and the anode 410 is connected to the high potential side of the power source 409. The power source 409 may be a DC power source, a pulse power source, or a combination thereof. In the plating module 400 according to the present embodiment, by applying the voltage of the power source 409 between the anode 410 and the substrate Wf, a plating current flows between the anode 410 and the substrate Wf, and metal ions in the plating solution are deposited on the substrate Wf as a metal film.

[0024] The plating tank 401 according to this embodiment is constituted by a bottomed container having an opening at the upper side. The plating tank 401 forms a generally cylindrical internal space for storing the plating solution. The plating solution may be a solution containing ions of a metal element constituting the plating film, and specific examples thereof are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, as an example of the plating process, copper plating is used, and as an example of the plating solution, a copper sulfate solution is used. The plating solution may contain a predetermined additive.

[0025] The plating solution is supplied to the plating tank 401 from the circulation line 407. The plating solution that has overflowed into the overflow tank 408 is discharged through the circulation line 407. The plating solution discharged from the overflow tank 408 is sent to the reservoir 404 through the circulation line 407. After the composition of the plating solution is adjusted in the reservoir 404 as necessary, it is returned to the plating tank 401 through the pump 405 and the filter 406.

[0026] A paddle 412 can be arranged in the vicinity of the substrate Wf inside the plating tank 401. The paddle 412 reciprocates in a direction generally parallel to the plating surface of the substrate Wf to generate a strong flow of the plating solution on the surface of the substrate Wf. Thereby, the ions in the plating solution near the surface of the substrate Wf are made uniform, and the in-plane uniformity of the plating film formed on the surface of the substrate Wf is improved.

[0027] Below the paddle inside the plating tank 401, a porous resistor 10, also referred to as an ion resistor, is arranged. Specifically, the resistor 10 is constituted by a porous plate member having a plurality of holes (pores). The plating solution on the lower side of the resistor 10 can pass through the resistor 10 and flow to the upper side of the resistor 10. This resistor 10 is a member provided to make the electric field formed between the anode 410 and the substrate Wf uniform. By arranging such a resistor 10 in the plating tank 401, the thickness uniformity of the plating film (plating layer) formed on the substrate Wf can be achieved.

[0028] As will be described later, the resistor 10 may have a configuration including, for example, a pattern area 11 in which a plurality of holes (pores) are formed and a non-pattern area 12 in which no holes are formed (Fig. 7). The resistor 10 is formed of, for example, an electrical insulator. In one example, the resistor 10 is formed of a resin such as PVC, PEEK, or PTFE. The resistor 10 may be manufactured by machining the resin or by resin molding.

[0029] In the plating module 400 according to the present embodiment, a resistor mask 900 that shields the non-pattern area 12 of the resistor 10 is disposed near the resistor 10 (Fig. 3). The resistor mask 900 will be described below.

[0030] [Resistor Mask] Fig. 4A is a plan view of the resistor 10 adjusted by the resistor mask 900 according to an embodiment. Figs. 4B to 4E are plan views for explaining the shape of the pattern area 11 of the resistor 10. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the resistor mask 900 according to an embodiment.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 4A, the resistor 10 includes, for example, a pattern area 11 in which a plurality of holes (pores) are formed and a non-pattern area 12 in which no holes are formed. In the present embodiment, the resistor 10 has a cross-shaped pattern area 11. The pattern area 11 has a shape in which a square 11A and a square 11B are overlapped in a plan view, as shown in Fig. 4B. The pattern area 11 has a shape having a pair of protruding portions (squares) 11C in which a part of the square 11B protrudes outward from both sides of two opposing sides 11A1 and 11A2 (Fig. 4C) extending in the X-axis direction of the square 11A (Figs. 4A and 4B).

[0032] As shown in FIG. 4C, the quadrilateral 11A has opposite sides 11A-1 and 11A-2 extending in the X-axis direction, and opposite sides 11A-3 and 11A-4 extending in the Y-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 4D, the quadrilateral 11B has opposite sides 11B-1 and 11B-2 extending in the X-axis direction, and opposite sides 11B-3 and 11B-4 extending in the Y-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 4E, each of the pair of protruding portions 11C has opposite sides 11C-1 and 11C-2 extending in the X-axis direction, and opposite sides 11C-3 and 11C-4 extending in the Y-axis direction.

[0033] The quadrilaterals 11A to 11C are shapes used to explain the shape of the cross-shaped pattern area 11 in a plan view, and do not refer to the fact that they are formed integrally or separately. In other words, all or any part of the cross-shaped pattern area 11 can be formed integrally or separately.

[0034] The resistor mask 900 is an electromagnetic shielding member that adjusts the exposed area of the pattern area 11 of the resistor 10. As shown in FIG. 5, it has a first mask 910 composed of mask pieces 910A to 910D, and a second mask 920 composed of a pair of mask pieces 920A and 920B.

[0035] The mask pieces 910A to D of the first mask 910 are provided corresponding to the respective corners of the quadrilateral 11A (FIGS. 4A to C). Each of the mask pieces 910A to D has an inner contour 911-1 linearly extending in the X-axis direction, an inner contour 911-2 linearly extending in the Y-axis direction from one end of the inner contour 911-1, an inner contour 911-3 linearly extending in the Y-axis direction with the other end of the inner contour 911-1 as one end, and an inner contour 911-4 linearly extending in the X-axis direction from the other end of the inner contour 911-3. The vertex where the inner contour 911-1 and the inner contour 911-2 intersect is convex toward the inside of the quadrilateral 11A (resistor pattern 11) (see also FIG. 8). The mask pieces 910A to D adjust the dimensions of the shielding area at each corner of the quadrilateral 11A and adjust the exposed area of the quadrilateral 11A.

[0036] In this embodiment, each of the mask pieces 910A to 910D is arranged such that the inner contour 911-3 overlaps with the side 11A-3 (side 11A-4) of the square 11A that extends in the Y-axis direction of the pattern area 11 or is disposed outside the side 11A-3 (side 11A-4), and the inner contour 911-4 is disposed outside the pattern area 11. Each of the mask pieces 910A to 910D is moved along the Y-axis direction. Each of the mask pieces 910A to 910D is configured to adjust the dimension in the Y-axis direction of the shielding area by the mask piece at each corner of the square 11A of the pattern area 11 by the inner contour 911-1, and to adjust the dimension in the X-axis direction of the shielding area by the mask piece at each corner of the square 11A of the pattern area 11 by the inner contour 911-2.

[0037] In this configuration, since the inner contour 911-3 and the inner contour 911-4 do not contribute to the shielding of the pattern area 11, the rectangular portion with the inner contour 911-3 and the inner contour 911-4 as adjacent sides may be omitted.

[0038] The second mask 920 includes a pair of mask pieces 920A and 920B. The mask pieces 920A and 920B are provided for the protruding portions 11C that protrude from both sides of the square 11A and have an inner contour 921 that linearly extends in the X-axis direction. The inner contour 921 of the mask pieces 920A to 920B is configured to define the dimension in the Y-axis direction of the exposed area (shielded area) of the protruding portion 11C (FIG. 4A). The mask pieces 920A and 920B are masks for adjusting the dimension in the Y-axis direction of the exposed area of the protruding portion 11C and have a dimension that shields the entire area of the protruding portion 11C. The mask pieces 920A and 920B have a dimension in the X-axis direction that is larger than the dimension in the X-axis direction of the protruding portion 11C (the length of the side 11C-1 in FIG. 4E) and a dimension in the Y-axis direction that is larger than the dimension in the Y-axis direction of the protruding portion 11C (the lengths of the sides 11C-3 and 11-C4 in FIG. 4E).

[0039] [Masking pattern example] Figs. 6A to 6C show examples of the shielding pattern by the resistor mask 900. Figs. 6A to 6C are views of the resistor mask 900 and the resistor 10 seen from above the resistor mask 900, with the substrate Wf (including the chip arrangement patterns D1 to D3) superimposed and displayed.

[0040] In Fig. 6A, the chips on the substrate Wf are indicated by D1. In the figure, the chips D1 are arranged in four rows along the X-axis direction. When the first to fourth rows are referred to from the positive to the negative in the X-axis direction, three chips D1 are arranged in the first row, five chips D1 are arranged in each of the second and third rows, and three chips D1 are arranged in the fourth row. The exposed area of the pattern area 11 of the resistor 10 is adjusted by the resistor mask 900 (910A to 910B, 920A to B) so as to match the cross-shaped arrangement pattern of the chips D1. In this example, the mask pieces 910A and 910B are separated from each other, and the mask pieces 910C and 910D are separated from each other. Also, the mask pieces 920A to B are arranged at wide intervals so as to expose the entire area of the protruding portion 11C.

[0041] In Fig. 6B, the chips on the substrate Wf are indicated by D2. The size (dimension in the Y-axis direction) of the chip D2 is larger than the size (dimension in the Y-axis direction) of the chip D1. In the figure, the chips D2 are arranged in four rows along the X-axis direction. One chip D2 is arranged in the first row, three chips D2 are arranged in each of the second and third rows, and one chip D2 is arranged in the fourth row. The exposed area of the pattern area 11 of the resistor 10 is adjusted by the resistor mask 900 (910A to 910D, 920A to B) so as to match the cross-shaped arrangement pattern of the chips D2. In this example, the mask pieces 910A and 910B are in contact with each other on the inner side (the inner contour 911-4 in Fig. 5), the mask pieces 910C and 910D are in contact with each other on the inner side (the inner contour 911-4 in Fig. 5), and the exposed area of the square 11A is minimized. Also, the mask pieces 920A to B are arranged at wide intervals so as to expose the entire area of the protruding portion 11C.

[0042] In FIG. 6C, the chip on the substrate Wf is indicated by D3. The dimensions of the chip D3 (dimensions in the X-axis and Y-axis directions) are larger than the dimensions of the chip D2 (dimensions in the X-axis and Y-axis directions). In this figure, the chip D3 is arranged in three stages, and one chip D3 is arranged in each of the first to third stages. The arrangement pattern of the chip D3 is a quadrilateral. The exposed area of the pattern area 11 of the resistor 10 is adjusted by the resistor mask 900 (910A to 910B, 920A to B) so as to match the quadrilateral arrangement pattern of such a chip D3. In this example, the mask pieces 910A and 910B are separated from each other, and the mask pieces 910C and 910D are separated from each other so as to expose the entire area of the quadrilateral 11A. Further, the mask pieces 920A to B are arranged at a narrow interval so as to shield the entire area of the protruding portion 11C.

[0043] [Detailed Configuration of Resistor and Resistor Mask] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the resistor 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an arrangement example (example of a shielding pattern) of each mask piece of the resistor mask. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an arrangement example of each mask piece of the resistor mask. FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view of the resistor and the resistor mask along the line X-X in FIG. 9. FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the resistor and the resistor mask in a state of being cut along the line X-X in FIG. 9. FIG. 10C is a perspective view of the resistor and the resistor mask in a state of being cut along the line X-X in FIG. 9 from another angle.

[0044] As described above, the resistor 10 has a pattern area 11 in which a plurality of holes (fine holes) are formed and a non-pattern area 12 in which no holes are formed. The pattern area 11 is an area through which the plating solution passes through a plurality of holes, and the non-pattern area 12 is an area through which the plating solution does not pass. The pattern area 11 has a cross-shaped pattern in which two types of quadrilaterals 11A and 11B overlap, that is, a cross-shaped pattern including the quadrilateral 11A and protruding portions (quadrilaterals) 11C protruding on both sides of the quadrilateral 11A.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C, the upper surface of the rectangular portion 11A protrudes from the upper surface 10A of the resistor 10 (the upper surface 10A of the non-pattern area 12) by a predetermined thickness T1, and the lower surface of the rectangular portion 11A is flush with (has the same surface as) the lower surface 10B of the resistor 10 (the lower surface 10B of the non-pattern area 12). Also, as shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C, the upper surface of the protruding portion 11C is flush with (has the same surface as) the upper surface 10A of the resistor 10 (the upper surface 10A of the non-pattern area 12), and the lower surface of the protruding portion 11C has a thickness that is larger by a predetermined thickness T1 downward from the lower surface 10B of the resistor 10 (the lower surface 10B of the non-pattern area 12). As a result, the pattern area 11 has the same thickness throughout the entire region and has a uniform ion resistance value.

[0046] By offsetting the rectangular portion 11A and the rectangular portion 11B in the vertical direction (thickness direction) in this way, the first mask 910 (mask pieces 910A to 910D) and the second mask 920 (mask pieces 920A to 920B) can be arranged to overlap (see FIG. 12). Thereby, the installation height dimension of the configuration including the resistor 10 and the resistor mask 900 can be reduced.

[0047] In other embodiments, the pattern area 11 may be flat throughout the entire region. In that case, it is preferable to provide a gap between the resistor mask 900 (the first mask 910, the second mask 920) and the resistor 10 (the pattern area 11) so that the first mask 910 (mask pieces 910A to 910D) and the second mask 920 (mask pieces 920A to 920B) can overlap.

[0048] In the examples shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, each of the mask pieces 910A to D is arranged such that the inner contour 911-3 overlaps with the side 11A-3 (side 11A-4) of the square 11A in the Y-axis direction of the pattern area 11 or is disposed outside the side 11A-3 (side 11A-4), and the inner contour 911-4 is disposed outside the pattern area 11. In this example, each of the mask pieces 910A to D is moved along the Y-axis direction. Each of the mask pieces 910A to D adjusts the dimension in the Y-axis direction of the shielding area at each corner of the square 11A of the pattern area 11 by the inner contour 911-1, and adjusts the dimension in the X-axis direction of the shielding area at each corner of the square 11A of the pattern area 11 by the inner contour 911-2, so as to adjust the exposed area of the square 11.

[0049] Also, the inner contour 921 of the mask pieces 920A to B is configured to adjust the dimension in the Y-axis direction of the exposed area of the protruding portion 11C (FIG. 4A).

[0050] In this configuration, since the inner contour 911-3 and the inner contour 911-4 do not contribute to the shielding of the pattern area 11, the portion of the square having the inner contour 911-3 and the inner contour 911-4 as adjacent sides may be omitted.

[0051] The states shown in FIGS. 8 to 11 are states in which the resistor mask 900 (mask pieces 910A to D, 920A to B) shields the pattern area 11 of the resistor 10 to the maximum extent. The mask piece 910A and the mask piece 910B approach each other to the maximum extent along the Y-axis direction, and the inner contours 911-4 of these mask pieces are in contact with each other. The mask piece 910C and the mask piece 910D approach each other to the maximum extent along the Y-axis direction, and the inner contours 911-4 of these mask pieces are in contact with each other. Also, the mask pieces 920A to B are separated from each other along the Y-axis direction (for example, separated to the maximum extent), and the entire area of the protruding portion 11C is shielded.

[0052] In this configuration, by moving the mask pieces 910A to 910D along the Y-axis, the inner contour 911-1 can adjust the dimension in the Y-axis direction of the shielding area formed by the mask pieces at each corner of the quadrilateral 11A in the pattern area 11. The inner contour 911-2 can adjust the dimension in the X-axis direction of the shielding area formed by the mask pieces at each corner of the quadrilateral 11A in the pattern area 11, and thus the exposed area of the quadrilateral 11A can be adjusted.

[0053] By moving the mask pieces 920A and 920B along the Y-axis, the inner contour 921 can adjust the dimension in the Y-axis direction of the shielding area formed by the mask pieces of the protruding portion 11C in the pattern area 11, and thus the exposed area of the protruding portion 11C can be adjusted. For example, by moving the mask pieces 920A and 920B away from each other, a part of the protruding portion 11C is exposed (FIGS. 6A and 6B). Also, by moving the mask pieces 920A and 920B closer to each other, the dimension in the Y-axis direction of the exposed area of the protruding portion 11C can be reduced.

[0054] In the above manner, the exposed areas of the quadrilateral 11A and the protruding portion 11C in the pattern area 11 can be adjusted individually.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C and FIG. 11, the mask pieces 910A to 910D are arranged above the quadrilateral 11A in the pattern area 11 with a predetermined gap. Also, the mask pieces 920A and 920B are arranged above the protruding portion 11C (the upper surface 10A of the resistor 10) in the pattern area 11 with a predetermined gap and below the mask pieces 910A to 910D. The upper surfaces of the mask pieces 920A and 920B may be substantially flush with the upper surface of the quadrilateral 11A in the pattern area 11. In this example, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the inner contour 921 of the mask pieces 920A and 920B is in contact with each of the two sides 11A1 and 11A-2 (FIG. 4C) extending in the X-axis direction of the quadrilateral 11A in the pattern area 11. In other words, it is in contact with the step between the portion of the quadrilateral 11A and the protruding portion 11C.

[0056] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing another arrangement example (example of shielding pattern) of each mask piece of the resistor mask. This arrangement example (example of shielding pattern) shows a state in which the resistor mask 900 does not shield the pattern area 11 of the resistor 10, that is, a maximum exposure state. This arrangement example (example of shielding pattern) is obtained by moving each mask piece along the Y-axis direction so that the mask pieces 910A, 910C are separated from the mask pieces 910B, 910D and the mask pieces 920A and 920B are separated from each other, from the arrangements of the mask pieces 910A to D, 920A to B in FIGS. 8 to 11, corresponding to a state in which the entire area of the pattern area 11 (quadrilateral 11A and protruding portion 11C) of the resistor 10 is exposed.

[0057] In this example, the inner contours 911-1 to 911-4 of the mask pieces 910A to D are outside the respective corners of the quadrilateral 11A, and the mask pieces 910A to D do not shield the pattern area 11 (quadrilateral 11A). Also, the inner contour 921 of the mask pieces 920A to B is outside (for example, at a position adjacent immediately outside the side 11C-2) of the side 11C-2 (FIG. 4E) extending in the X-axis direction of the protruding portion 11C, and the mask pieces 920A to B do not shield the pattern area 11 (protruding portion 11C).

[0058] Note that the above-described resistor mask 900 may be configured such that the mask pieces 910A to D, 920A to B are fixed according to the chip arrangement pattern on the substrate Wf, or the positions of the mask pieces 910A to D, 920A to B may be configured to be movable or adjustable according to different chip arrangement patterns on the substrate Wf.

[0059] [Drive and Control of Resistor Mask] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a driving mechanism of the resistor mask 900. As shown in FIG. 13, actuators 950A to D and 960A to B for driving each of the mask pieces 910A to D and 920A to B are provided, and the positions of each of the mask pieces 910A to D in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are adjusted by the actuators 950A to D, and the positions of each of the mask pieces 920A to B in the Y-axis direction can be adjusted by 960A to B. The actuators 950A to D and 960A to B can employ known actuators such as motors, air cylinders, and hydraulic cylinders. The actuators 950A to D and 960A to B can be controlled by the control module 800.

[0060] In addition, when moving the mask pieces 910A to D only in the Y-axis direction, the actuators 950A to D can be configured to have a function and a configuration for moving the mask pieces 910A to D only in the Y-axis direction.

[0061] When moving the mask pieces 910A to D in the X-axis direction in addition to the Y-axis direction, the shape, dimensions, and / or movement range of each of the mask pieces 910A to D may be set so that only the inner contours 911-1 and 911-2 of each of the mask pieces 910A to D overlap the pattern area 11 (quadrilateral 11A). In the mask pieces 910A to D, the quadrilateral portions with the inner contours 911-3 and 911-4 as adjacent sides may be omitted.

[0062] Two or more of the mask pieces 910A to D may be moved synchronously by a common actuator. Also, the mask pieces 920A to B may be moved synchronously by a common actuator. The mechanism for moving two or more mask pieces can employ a known power transmission mechanism or power distribution mechanism such as connection by gears, belts, rack and pinions, etc.

[0063] The control module 800 may obtain the chip layout pattern included in the board information of the set recipe, and automatically drive the actuators (actuators 950A to D, 960A to B) according to the chip layout pattern to adjust the positions of the respective mask pieces of the resistive mask 900. For example, it can be realized by storing a program for executing the above processing in a memory inside or outside the control module accessible by the CPU or the like of the control module 800.

[0064] (Other embodiments) (1) In the above, an example in which the resistive mask 900 is disposed directly above the resistor 10 is shown. However, the resistive mask 900 may be disposed above the resistor 10 and separated from the resistor 10, or may be disposed below the resistor 10, directly below the resistor 10 or separated from the resistor 10. (2) In the above embodiment, the resistive mask 900 is disposed on one side of the resistor 10. However, the first mask 910 (mask pieces 910A to D) and the second mask 920 (920A to B) may be disposed on opposite sides with the resistor 10 interposed therebetween. Further, the respective mask pieces (mask pieces 910A to D, 920A to B) of the resistive mask 900 may be dispersedly disposed on the sides of the respective surfaces (upper surface 10A, lower surface 10B) of the resistor 10 in an arbitrary combination. (3) In the above, the rectangular 11A portion and the protruding portion 11C portion of the pattern area 11 are offset from each other in the thickness direction. However, the pattern area 11 may be flat over the entire area. (4) In the above, the resistive mask 900 that shields the pattern area 11 of the resistor 10 is described as an example. However, a mask similar to the resistive mask 900 may be created as an anode mask or as an intermediate mask. (5) In the above, the case where the substrate Wf is a circular wafer is described as an example. However, when the substrate Wf is a polygonal substrate or any other substrate, each embodiment disclosed in this specification may be applied.

[0065] The present invention can also be described in the following forms.

[0066] [1]According to one embodiment, there is provided a resistor mask used for a resistor disposed between a substrate and an anode in a plating apparatus and having a cross-shaped pattern area formed by overlapping two quadrilaterals, the resistor mask including: first to fourth mask pieces provided corresponding to respective corners of one of the two quadrilaterals; and fifth and sixth mask pieces provided for respective ones of a pair of protruding portions extending outward from respective sides of two opposite sides of the one quadrilateral. Each of the pair of protruding portions corresponds to a portion where the other quadrilateral protrudes from the one quadrilateral and has a quadrilateral shape. The two quadrilaterals overlapping to form the cross-shaped pattern area, and the protruding portions, are shapes used to describe the shape of the cross-shaped pattern area, and do not refer to whether these are integrally or separately configured. In other words, all or any part of the cross-shaped pattern area can be configured integrally or separately.

[0067] According to this embodiment, by shielding an arbitrary area of the resistor, it is possible to suppress the plating film thickness at a location on the substrate where the electric field tends to concentrate, and improve the plating quality such as the in-plane uniformity of the plating film thickness on the substrate. In particular, this embodiment is suitable for a wafer on which large quadrilateral chips are arranged and where the chip arrangement pattern is likely to be cross-shaped or quadrilateral. According to this embodiment, by shielding, with separate masks, each corner of one of the two quadrilaterals and a pair of protruding portions extending outward from respective sides of two opposite sides of the one quadrilateral in the cross-shaped pattern area of the resistor, the pattern area of the resistor can be accurately aligned with the chip arrangement pattern on the substrate, and the non-pattern area on the substrate can be accurately shielded. That is, according to the shape of the chip arrangement pattern on the substrate, the non-pattern area on the substrate can be accurately shielded. Thereby, the plating quality such as the in-plane uniformity of the plating film thickness within the chip can be improved. Note that shielding the non-pattern area on the substrate is sufficient if at least the non-pattern area in the vicinity of a location where the electric field tends to concentrate among the pattern areas on the substrate is shielded.

[0068] [2]According to one embodiment, each of the first to fourth mask pieces has a first inner contour linearly extending in a first direction and a second inner contour linearly extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction from one end of the first inner contour, and a vertex where the first inner contour and the second inner contour intersect is convex toward the inside of the one square. The fifth mask piece and the sixth mask piece respectively have a fifth inner contour and a sixth inner contour linearly extending in the first direction.

[0069] According to this embodiment, the dimensions of the shielding regions at the respective corners of the one square can be adjusted by the first inner contour and the second inner contour of the first to fourth mask pieces. Further, the dimensions in the second direction of the pair of protruding portions (squares) can be adjusted by the fifth inner contour and the sixth inner contour of the fifth and sixth mask pieces. Thereby, according to the chip arrangement pattern on the substrate, the non-pattern area on the substrate can be accurately shielded, and the plating quality such as the in-plane uniformity of the plating film thickness in the chip can be improved.

[0070] [3]According to one embodiment, each of the first to fourth mask pieces further has a third inner contour linearly extending in the second direction with the other end of the first inner contour as one end, and a fourth inner contour linearly extending in the first direction from the other end of the third inner contour.

[0071] According to this embodiment, by arranging the first to fourth mask pieces so that the third inner contour and the fourth inner contour overlap the pattern area, the degree of freedom in adjusting the dimensions of the pattern area of the resistor can be further improved.

[0072] [4]According to one embodiment, there is provided a plating apparatus including a plating bath, an anode disposed in the plating bath facing a substrate holder for holding a substrate, a resistor having a cross-shaped pattern area formed by overlapping two squares and disposed between the substrate holder and the anode in the plating bath, and a resistor mask according to any one of the above.

[0073] According to this embodiment, a plating apparatus capable of achieving the above-described effects can be realized.

[0074] [5]According to one embodiment, the resistor has a first surface on the substrate holder side and a second surface on the anode side. Of the pattern area, the one rectangular portion protrudes from the first surface by a predetermined thickness in the thickness direction of the resistor. The pair of protruding portions protrude from the second surface by the predetermined thickness in the thickness direction of the resistor. The cross-shaped pattern area has the same thickness throughout the entire area.

[0075] According to this embodiment, while providing a uniform resistance value throughout the entire pattern area, the heights of the first to fourth mask pieces arranged with respect to the one rectangular pattern and the fifth to sixth mask pieces arranged with respect to the pair of protruding portions are changed, and the first to fourth mask pieces and the fifth to sixth mask pieces can be arranged so as to overlap. As a result, the installation height of the entire configuration including the resistor mask and the resistor can be suppressed.

[0076] [6]According to one embodiment, the first to fourth mask pieces are arranged with a gap in the thickness direction of the resistor with respect to the one rectangular portion, and the fifth and sixth mask pieces are arranged with a gap in the thickness direction of the resistor at a height between the pair of protruding portions and the first to fourth mask pieces with respect to the pair of protruding portions and the first to fourth mask pieces.

[0077] According to this embodiment, interference between the overlapping mask pieces can be avoided and smooth movement can be achieved.

[0078] [7]According to one embodiment, the first to sixth mask pieces are arranged to be movable.

[0079] According to this embodiment, according to the chip arrangement pattern on the substrate (the non-pattern area on the substrate), the positions of the respective mask pieces of the resistor mask can be appropriately adjusted, and the non-pattern area on the substrate can be appropriately shielded.

[0080] [8]According to one embodiment, there is provided a first actuator for moving the first to fourth mask pieces in at least one of the first and second directions, the first actuator being for moving the first to fourth mask pieces independently or synchronously in part, and a second actuator for moving the fifth and sixth mask pieces in the second direction, the second actuator being for moving the fifth and sixth mask pieces independently or synchronously.

[0081] According to this embodiment, according to the chip arrangement pattern (non-pattern area on the substrate) on the substrate, the positions of the respective mask pieces of the resistor mask can be quickly adjusted by the actuator, and the non-pattern area on the substrate can be appropriately shielded. According to this embodiment, even if the size of the chip is changed, by adjusting the positions of the respective mask pieces with the actuator, the working time for replacing the resistor and / or the fixed mask (resistor mask that is not moved by the actuator) can be reduced, and the new recipe can be quickly responded to.

[0082] [9]According to one embodiment, there is further provided a control device for driving the first and second actuators to automatically adjust the positions of the first to sixth mask pieces according to the chip arrangement pattern on the substrate.

[0083] According to this embodiment, according to the chip arrangement pattern (non-pattern area on the substrate) on the substrate, the positions of the respective mask pieces of the resistor mask can be automatically adjusted, the working time for replacing the resistor and / or the fixed mask (resistor mask that is not moved by the actuator) can be reduced, and the new recipe can be quickly responded to.

[0084]

[10] According to one embodiment, the first to sixth mask pieces are arranged on one side of one of the two opposing surfaces of the resistor, or are dispersed and arranged on each side of the two surfaces of the resistor.

[0085] Since each mask piece only needs to be able to appropriately shield the exposed area of the resistor pattern in a plan view, it can be arranged on one side or both sides of the resistor.

[0086]

[11] According to one embodiment, a resistor having a cross-shaped pattern area formed by overlapping two quadrilaterals, first to fourth mask pieces provided corresponding to each corner of one of the two quadrilaterals, and a pair of fifth and sixth mask pieces provided for each of a pair of protruding portions extending outward from each of two opposite sides of the one quadrilateral are prepared. According to the chip arrangement pattern on the substrate, by adjusting the positions of the first to sixth mask pieces of the resistor mask, the exposed area of the pattern area of the resistor is adjusted. A plating method is provided that includes plating the substrate using the resistor and the adjusted resistor mask.

[0087] According to this embodiment, the same effects as those described in [1] and [7] can be achieved.

[0088] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the above-described embodiments of the invention are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from its gist, and it goes without saying that equivalents of the present invention are included. Also, any combination of embodiments and modifications is possible within the scope of solving at least a part of the above-described problems or achieving at least a part of the effects, and any combination or omission of each component described in the claims and the specification is possible.

[0089] The entire disclosure including the specifications, claims, drawings, and abstracts of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-59561 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent No. 7014553 (Patent Document 2) is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0090] 10 Resistor Above 10A Below 10B 11 Pattern area 11A Quadrilateral 11B Quadrilateral 11C Protruding part (quadrilateral) 12 Non-pattern area 400 Plating module 401 Plating tank 403 Substrate holder 404 Reservoir 405 Pump 406 Filter 407 Circulation line 408 Overflow tank 409 Power supply 410 Anode 411 Drive mechanism 900 Resistor mask 910 First mask 910A~910D Mask pieces 911-1~911-4 Inner contours 920 Second mask 921 Inner contour 920A~B Mask pieces 950A~D Actuators 960A~B Actuators D1~D3 Chips

Claims

1. A resistor mask for use with a resistor having a cross-shaped pattern area formed by two overlapping squares, the resistor mask being disposed between a substrate and an anode in a plating apparatus, comprising: First to fourth mask pieces provided corresponding to the respective corners of one of the two quadrangles; and fifth and sixth mask pieces provided on each of a pair of protruding portions extending outward from each of two opposing sides of one of the rectangles.

2. 2. The resistor mask of claim 1, each of the first to fourth mask pieces has a first inner contour extending linearly in a first direction and a second inner contour extending linearly from one end of the first inner contour in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and an apex where the first inner contour intersects with the second inner contour is convex toward the inside of one of the quadrangles; The fifth mask piece and the sixth mask piece have fifth and sixth inner contours, respectively, that extend linearly in the first direction.

3. 3. The resistor mask of claim 2, Each of the first to fourth mask pieces is a third inner contour extending linearly in the second direction from the other end of the first inner contour; a fourth inner contour extending linearly in the first direction from the other end of the third inner contour; The resistor mask further comprises:

4. A plating tank; an anode disposed in the plating tank facing a substrate holder that holds a substrate; a resistor disposed between the substrate holder and the anode in the plating tank and having a cross-shaped pattern area formed by two overlapping rectangles; A resistor mask according to any one of claims 1 to 3; A plating apparatus comprising:

5. 5. The plating apparatus according to claim 4, the resistor has a first surface on the substrate holder side and a second surface on the anode side; a plating apparatus in which one of the rectangular portions of the pattern area protrudes from the first surface by a predetermined thickness in the thickness direction of the resistor, the pair of protruding portions protrude from the second surface by the predetermined thickness in the thickness direction of the resistor, and the cross-shaped pattern area has the same thickness throughout.

6. 6. The plating apparatus according to claim 5, the first to fourth mask pieces are arranged with gaps in a thickness direction of the resistor element relative to the one rectangular portion, The fifth and sixth mask pieces are positioned with gaps between the pair of protruding portions and the first to fourth mask pieces in the thickness direction of the resistor, at a height between the pair of protruding portions and the first to fourth mask pieces.

7. 5. The plating apparatus according to claim 4, The first to sixth mask pieces are movably arranged in the plating apparatus.

8. 8. The plating apparatus according to claim 7, a first actuator for moving the first to fourth mask pieces in at least one of the first and second directions, the first actuator for moving the first to fourth mask pieces independently or partially synchronously; a second actuator for moving the fifth and sixth mask pieces in the second direction, the second actuator for moving the fifth and sixth mask pieces independently or synchronously; The plating apparatus further comprises:

9. 9. The plating apparatus according to claim 8, the plating apparatus further comprising a control device that drives the first and second actuators to automatically adjust positions of the first to sixth mask pieces in accordance with an arrangement pattern of chips on the substrate.

10. 5. The plating apparatus according to claim 4, A plating apparatus, wherein the first to sixth mask pieces are arranged on one of two opposing surfaces of the resistor, or are distributed on each of the two surfaces of the resistor.

11. preparing a resistor having a cross-shaped pattern area formed by two overlapping rectangles, and a resistor mask including first to fourth mask pieces provided corresponding to each corner of one of the two rectangles, and fifth and sixth mask pieces provided for each of a pair of protruding portions extending outward from each of two opposing sides of the one rectangle; adjusting positions of the first to sixth mask pieces of the resistor mask in accordance with an arrangement pattern of chips on a substrate, thereby adjusting an exposed area of ​​the pattern area of ​​the resistor; plating the substrate using the resistor and the adjusted resistor mask; The plating method comprising the steps of:

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