Plating apparatus

Abstract

Improve the uniformity of the plating film thickness distribution at the peripheral portion of the substrate. The plating module 400 includes a plating bath 410 for containing a plating solution, an anode 430 disposed in the plating bath 410, a substrate holder 440 for holding the substrate Wf with the plating surface Wf-a facing downward, a rotation mechanism 447 configured to rotate the substrate holder 440, a sheath electrode 481 disposed at a retracted position away from an adjustment position between the anode 430 and the substrate Wf, and an adjustment member 485 configured to move the sheath electrode 481 between the adjustment position and the retracted position.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present application relates to a plating apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] A cup-type electrolytic plating apparatus is known as an example of a plating apparatus. In a cup-type electrolytic plating apparatus, a substrate (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) held by a substrate holder is immersed in a plating solution with the surface to be plated facing downward, and a voltage is applied between the substrate and an anode to deposit a conductive film on the surface of the substrate.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for uniformizing the plating film thickness distribution around the periphery of a substrate by arranging a thief electrode or an auxiliary anode outside the periphery of the substrate in a cup-type electrolytic plating apparatus. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 8,858,774 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, there is room for improvement in the plating apparatus of the prior art in terms of improving the uniformity of the plating film thickness distribution around the periphery of the substrate.

[0006] In other words, in the plating apparatus of the prior art, the thief electrode or auxiliary anode is fixedly disposed outside the peripheral edge of the substrate. Therefore, the effect of adjusting the plating film thickness by the thief electrode or auxiliary anode is concentrated on the outermost periphery of the substrate. Therefore, the prior art has room for improvement in terms of making the plating film thickness distribution uniform over the entire peripheral edge of the substrate.

[0007] Therefore, one object of the present application is to improve the uniformity of the plating film thickness distribution at the peripheral portion of the substrate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] According to one embodiment, a plating apparatus is disclosed, which includes a plating bath for containing a plating solution, an anode disposed in the plating bath, a substrate holder for holding a substrate with the surface to be plated facing downward, a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the substrate holder, at least one of an auxiliary anode and a sheath electrode disposed at a retracted position away from an adjustment position between the anode and the substrate, and an adjustment member configured to move at least one of the auxiliary anode and the sheath electrode between the adjustment position and the retracted position.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0011] <Overall Configuration of the Plating Apparatus> FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the plating apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the plating apparatus according to 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.

[0012] The load port 100 is a module for loading a substrate stored 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 this embodiment, four load ports 100 are arranged horizontally side by side, but the number and arrangement of the load ports 100 are arbitrary. The transfer robot 110 is a robot for transferring substrates and is configured to transfer substrates between the load port 100, the aligner 120, the pre-wet module 200, and the spin rinse dryer 600. When transferring a 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).

[0013] The aligner 120 is a module for aligning the positions of the orientation flat, notch, etc. of the substrate in a predetermined direction. In this embodiment, two aligners 120 are arranged horizontally side by side, 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 vertically one above the other, but the number and arrangement of the pre-wet modules 200 are arbitrary.

[0014] The presoak module 300 is configured to perform a presoak process of cleaning or activating the surface of the plating base by etching and removing an oxide film with a high electrical resistance present on the surface of a seed layer formed on the surface to be plated of the substrate before plating, for example, with a processing solution such as sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid. In this embodiment, two presoak modules 300 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, but the number and arrangement of the presoak 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 three rows in the vertical direction and four rows in the horizontal direction, for a total of 24 plating modules 400 provided, but the number and arrangement of the plating modules 400 are arbitrary.

[0015] The cleaning module 500 is configured to perform a cleaning process on the substrate in order to remove the 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 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, but the number and arrangement of the spin rinse dryers 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, for example, a general computer or a dedicated computer having an input / output interface with an operator.

[0016] An example of a series of plating processes by the plating apparatus 1000 will be described. First, the substrate stored in the cassette is loaded 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 of the substrate, such as the orientation flat and the notch, in a predetermined direction. The transfer robot 110 delivers the substrate whose direction has been aligned by the aligner 120 to the prewet module 200.

[0017] 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.

[0018] The transfer device 700 transfers the substrate subjected to the plating process 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 at the load port 100. Finally, the cassette storing the substrate is carried out from the load port 100.

[0019] <Configuration of the plating module> Next, the configuration of the plating module 400 will be described. Since the 24 plating modules 400 in this embodiment have the same configuration, only one plating module 400 will be described. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a plating module according to an embodiment, and shows a state in which the sheath electrode has moved to a position away from between the anode and the substrate (appropriately referred to as the "retracted position"). FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a plating module according to an embodiment, and shows a state in which the sheath electrode has moved to a position between the anode and the substrate (appropriately referred to as the "adjustment position").

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the plating module 400 includes a plating bath 410 for accommodating a plating solution. The plating module 400 includes a membrane 420 that divides the inside of the plating bath 410 in the vertical direction. The inside of the plating bath 410 is partitioned by the membrane 420 into a cathode region 422 and an anode region 424.

[0021] The cathode region 422 and the anode region 424 are each filled with a plating solution. The plating module 400 includes a nozzle 426 that opens toward the cathode region 422, and a supply source 428 for supplying the plating solution to the cathode region 422 through the nozzle 426. The plating module 400 similarly includes a mechanism for supplying the plating solution to the anode region 424, but illustration thereof is omitted. An anode 430 is provided on the bottom surface of the plating bath 410 in the anode region 424. A resistor 450 is disposed in the cathode region 422 facing the membrane 420. The resistor 450 is a member for equalizing the plating process on the plating surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf, and is composed of a plate-like member in which a large number of holes are formed.

[0022] Further, the plating module 400 includes a substrate holder 440 for holding the substrate Wf with the plating surface Wf-a facing downward. The substrate holder 440 includes a power supply contact for supplying power to the substrate Wf from a power source (not shown). The substrate holder 440 includes a seal ring holder 442 for supporting the outer edge portion of the plating surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf, and a frame 446 for holding the seal ring holder 442 in a substrate holder body (not shown). Further, the substrate holder 440 includes a back plate 444 for pressing the back surface of the plating surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf, and a shaft 448 attached to the back surface of the substrate pressing surface of the back plate 444.

[0023] The plating module 400 includes a lifting mechanism 443 for raising and lowering the substrate holder 440, and a rotation mechanism 447 for rotating the substrate holder 440 so that the substrate Wf rotates around the virtual axis of the shaft 448 (a virtual rotation axis extending vertically through the center of the plating surface Wf-a). The lifting mechanism 443 and the rotation mechanism 447 can be realized by a known mechanism such as a motor. The plating module 400 is configured to immerse the substrate Wf in the plating solution in the cathode region 422 using the lifting mechanism 443, and apply a voltage between the anode 430 and the substrate Wf to plate a metal layer on the plating surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf.

[0024] The plating module 400 includes a shield electrode 481 disposed at a retracted position away from the adjustment position between the anode 430 and the substrate Wf. The shield electrode 481 is a dummy plating electrode. That is, the shield electrode 481 has a function of thinning the plating film thickness on the plating surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf by depositing a part of the plating film that would originally be deposited on the plating surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf onto the shield electrode 481. The shield electrode 481 may be, for example, an electrode formed in a plate shape.

[0025] The plating module 400 includes an adjustment member 485 configured to move the shield electrode 481 between the adjustment position and the retracted position. Hereinafter, an example of the adjustment member 485 will be described.

[0026] FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an adjustment member according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of an adjustment member according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of an adjustment member according to an embodiment. FIG. 7(a) shows a state where the shield electrode 481 is in the retracted position, and FIG. 7(b) shows a state where the shield electrode 481 is in the adjustment position.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the adjustment member 485 includes a cam member 487, a rotation drive mechanism 486 configured to rotate the cam member 487, and a follower member 488 configured to linearly move the shield electrode 481 between the adjustment position and the retracted position as the cam member 487 rotates. The rotation drive mechanism 486 can be realized by a known mechanism such as a rotary motor.

[0028] The cam member 487 has a cam body 487b configured to rotate by the rotation drive mechanism 486, and a rotor 487a attached to the cam body 487b. The rotor 487a is attached to the cam body 487b at a position eccentric with respect to the rotation axis of the rotation drive mechanism 486.

[0029] The driven member 488 includes a driven slider 489 disposed on a pedestal 490-1 and a linear guide 490-2 configured to guide the driven slider 489. A groove 490-1a is formed on the upper surface of the pedestal 490-1 along the same direction as the linear movement direction between the adjustment position and the retracted position of the sheath electrode 481. The driven slider 489 is disposed on the pedestal 490-1 via the linear guide 490-2 disposed in the groove 490-1a. The linear guide 490-2 is configured to guide the driven slider 489 along the groove 490-1a. Thereby, the driven slider 489 is capable of reciprocating movement in the direction of the groove 490-1a. The driven slider 489 is disposed opposite to the rotary drive mechanism 486 with the cam member 487 interposed therebetween. A cam groove 489a is formed along the vertical direction on the opposing surface of the driven slider 489 to the rotary drive mechanism 486. The rotor 487a of the cam member 487 is fitted into the cam groove 489a. The sheath electrode 481 is attached to the driven slider 489 via a plate-shaped bracket 483 extending in the vertical direction.

[0030] When the rotary drive mechanism 486 rotates the cam member 487 (cam body 487b), the rotor 487a rotates around the rotation axis of the rotary drive mechanism 486. At this time, the rotor 487a presses against the side surface of the cam groove 489a. Thereby, the driven slider 489 moves along the groove 490-1a.

[0031] When the cam member 487 is rotated by half a turn (180° rotation) from the states shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 (retracted position), the driven slider 489 moves the sheath electrode 481 to the adjustment position. When the rotary drive mechanism 486 stops the rotation of the cam member 487 in this state, the sheath electrode 481 remains moved to the adjustment position.

[0032] On the other hand, when the rotary drive mechanism 486 further rotates the cam member 487 by half a turn (180° rotation) from this state, the driven slider 489 moves the sheath electrode 481 to the retracted position. That is, the driven slider 489 can linearly move the sheath electrode 481 between the adjustment position and the retracted position by reciprocating along the groove 490-1a as the cam member 487 rotates. Note that since the mechanism of the adjustment member 485 described above is an example, various other mechanisms for moving the sheath electrode 481 between the adjustment position and the retracted position can be adopted.

[0033] The adjustment member 485 is configured to operate based on the rotation angle of the substrate holder 440. That is, in the present embodiment, for example, due to a notch (notch) of the substrate Wf or a wiring pattern on the plated surface Wf-a, a region where the plating film thickness is formed thicker than the reference film thickness at the peripheral edge of the plated surface Wf-a is known in advance and is associated with the rotation angle of the substrate holder 440. The adjustment member 485 is configured to arrange the sheath electrode 481 at the retracted position when a region corresponding to the reference film thickness is within a predetermined angular range (when facing the sheath electrode 481) in the plating film thickness distribution at the peripheral edge of the plated surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf. Further, the adjustment member 485 is configured to turn off the power supply to the sheath electrode 481 when the sheath electrode 481 is at the retracted position or during movement. On the other hand, the adjustment member 485 is configured to arrange the sheath electrode 481 at the adjustment position when a region where the plating film thickness is thicker than the reference film thickness is within a predetermined angular range (when facing the sheath electrode 481) in the plating film thickness distribution at the peripheral edge of the plated surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf. Further, the adjustment member 485 is configured to turn on the power supply to the sheath electrode 481 when the sheath electrode 481 is at the adjustment position. That is, during the plating process, the sheath electrode 481 is configured to move dynamically (movable in the radial direction of the substrate) with respect to the substrate, and the sheath electrode 481 shunts (detours) different amounts of ion current from different azimuthal positions of the substrate.

[0034] According to the present embodiment, while the sheath electrode 481 is disposed at the retracted position with respect to the reference film thickness, the sheath electrode 481 is disposed at the adjusted position with respect to the region where the plating film thickness is thick. Therefore, it is possible to effectively suppress the deposition of the plating film on the region where the plating film thickness is thick. As a result, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to effectively uniformize the entire plating film thickness distribution of the peripheral portion of the substrate.

[0035] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example of disposing the sheath electrode 481 is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Instead of the sheath electrode 481 or in combination with the sheath electrode 481, an auxiliary anode can also be disposed. In this case, the adjustment member 485 is configured to dispose the auxiliary anode at the retracted position when the region corresponding to the reference film thickness is within a predetermined angular range (when facing the auxiliary anode) in the plating film thickness distribution of the peripheral portion of the plating surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf. On the other hand, the adjustment member 485 is configured to dispose the auxiliary anode at the adjusted position when the region where the plating film thickness is thinner than the reference film thickness is within a predetermined angular range (when facing the auxiliary anode) in the plating film thickness distribution of the peripheral portion of the plating surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf. Thereby, since the plating film can be positively deposited on the region where the plating film thickness is thin, it is possible to effectively uniformize the entire plating film thickness distribution of the peripheral portion of the substrate.

[0036] Further, in the above embodiment, it is assumed that the region where the plating film thickness is thicker (or thinner) than the reference film thickness is known in advance and is associated with the rotation angle of the substrate holder 440, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Hereinafter, other embodiments will be described.

[0037] FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a plating module according to an embodiment. The same components as those in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 8, the plating module 400 includes a film thickness sensor 498 configured to measure the plating film thickness of the substrate Wf. The film thickness sensor 498 is configured to measure the plating film thickness at the peripheral portion of the plating surface of the substrate Wf. The film thickness sensor 498 is attached to the resistor 450 so as to be disposed opposite to the peripheral portion of the substrate Wf. The film thickness sensor 498 can scan the peripheral portion while the substrate Wf makes one rotation to measure the plating film thickness. As an example, the film thickness sensor 498 can employ a distance sensor that measures the distance between the film thickness sensor 498 and the substrate Wf (plating film), or a displacement sensor that measures the displacement of the plating surface of the substrate Wf. Further, as the film thickness sensor 498, a sensor for estimating the formation rate of the plating film thickness may be employed. As the film thickness sensor 498, for example, an optical sensor such as a white confocal type, an electric potential sensor, a magnetic field sensor, or an eddy current type sensor can be used.

[0039] The adjustment member 485 is configured to move at least one of the auxiliary anode and the sheath electrode between an adjustment position and a retracted position based on the plating film thickness at the peripheral portion of the plating surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf measured by the film thickness sensor 498.

[0040] In the above embodiment, an example in which the sheath electrode 481 (and / or the auxiliary anode) itself is moved between the adjustment position and the retracted position is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Other embodiments will be described below.

[0041] FIG. 9 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a plating module according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the plating module 400 includes a partial mask 470. The partial mask 470 is a shielding member configured to locally shield the electric field formed between the anode 430 and the substrate Wf when disposed at the adjustment position. The partial mask 470 may be, for example, a shielding plate formed in a plate shape.

[0042] An auxiliary anode 472 is installed on the partial mask 470. Specifically, the auxiliary anode 472 is attached to the partial mask 470 so as to face the plating surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf when the partial mask 470 is disposed at the adjustment position, and is disposed between the plating surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf and the partial mask 470. The adjustment member 485 is configured to dispose the auxiliary anode 472 at the adjustment position by moving the partial mask 470 from the retracted position to the adjustment position.

[0043] The plating module 400 includes a first power source 478 for applying a voltage between the anode 430 and the substrate Wf, and a second power source 479 for applying a voltage between the auxiliary anode 472 and the substrate Wf. Further, the plating module 400 includes a first switch 473 configured to be able to switch on and off the supply of power to the auxiliary anode 472.

[0044] FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically showing an example of switching the arrangement positions of the partial mask and the auxiliary anode according to the distribution of the plating film thickness at the peripheral portion of the substrate. As shown in FIG. 10, when a first region Wf-b corresponding to the reference film thickness is within a predetermined angular range (when facing the partial mask 470) in the plating film thickness distribution at the peripheral portion of the plating surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf, the adjustment member 485 disposes the partial mask 470 (auxiliary anode 472) at the retracted position and sets the first switch 473 to OFF. On the other hand, when a second region Wf-c where the plating film thickness is thinner than the reference film thickness is within a predetermined angular range (when facing the partial mask 470), the adjustment member 485 disposes the partial mask 470 (auxiliary anode 472) at the adjustment position and sets the first switch 473 to ON.

[0045] FIG. 11 is a graph for explaining the effect of the plating module according to an embodiment. In the graph of FIG. 11, the horizontal axis represents the radial position from the center to the outermost periphery of the substrate, and the vertical axis represents the change rate of the plating film thickness.

[0046] Graph 101 in FIG. 11 shows the plating film thickness distribution with the partial mask 470 (auxiliary anode 472) placed in the retracted position and the first switch 473 set to off as a reference (0%). Graph 102 shows the change rate of the plating film thickness with respect to the reference plating film thickness distribution (Graph 101) when the partial mask 470 (auxiliary anode 472) is placed in the adjusted position and the first switch 473 is set to off. As shown in Graph 102, when the partial mask 470 is placed in the adjusted position and the function of the auxiliary anode 472 is turned off, the plating film thickness at the peripheral portion of the plating surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf becomes thinner due to the electric field shielding effect of the partial mask 470.

[0047] Graph 103 shows the change rate of the plating film thickness with respect to the reference plating film thickness distribution (Graph 101) when the partial mask 470 (auxiliary anode 472) is placed in the retracted position and the first switch 473 is set to on. As shown in Graph 103, even when the function of the auxiliary anode 472 is turned on, when the auxiliary anode 472 is fixedly arranged outside the peripheral portion of the substrate Wf, the effect of increasing the plating film thickness by the auxiliary anode is concentrated on the outermost peripheral portion of the peripheral portion of the substrate.

[0048] Graph 104 shows the change rate of the plating film thickness with respect to the reference plating film thickness distribution (Graph 101) when the partial mask 470 (auxiliary anode 472) is placed in the adjusted position and the first switch 473 is set to on as in the present embodiment. As shown in Graph 104, by turning on the function of the auxiliary anode 472 and arranging the auxiliary anode 472 in the adjusted position, the plating film thickness distribution of the entire peripheral portion of the substrate can be made thicker. As a result, according to the present embodiment, the uniformity of the plating film thickness distribution at the peripheral portion of the substrate can be improved.

[0049] In the above embodiment, an example of installing the auxiliary anode 472 on the partial mask 470 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a sheath electrode may be installed on the partial mask 470. This will be described below.

[0050] FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing the partial mask position and the on / off switching of the shield electrode in the plating module of one embodiment. In this embodiment, a shield electrode 481 is installed on the partial mask 470. Specifically, the shield electrode 481 is attached to the partial mask 470 so as to face the anode 430 when the partial mask 470 is disposed at the adjustment position, and is disposed between the anode 430 and the partial mask 470. The adjustment member 485 is configured to dispose the shield electrode 481 at the adjustment position by moving the partial mask 470 from the retracted position to the adjustment position. Note that the above-described installation mode of the shield electrode 481 with respect to the partial mask 470 is an example and is not limited thereto.

[0051] Similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the plating module 400 includes a first power source 478 and a second power source 479. The first power source 478 is configured to apply a voltage between the anode 430 and the substrate Wf. The second power source 479 is configured to apply a voltage between the anode 430 and the shield electrode 481. Further, the plating module 400 includes a switch configured to be able to switch on / off the supply of power to the shield electrode 481.

[0052] FIG. 12 shows the position of the partial mask 470 and the on / off state of the shearing electrode 481 with respect to the rotation angle of the substrate holder 210. As shown in FIG. 12, due to a predetermined rotation angle of the substrate Wf, the position of the partial mask 470 (shearing electrode 481) is changed between the retracted position and the adjusted position. In an example shown in FIG. 12, when the rotation angle of the substrate Wf reaches 90 degrees ± α, the adjusting member 485 arranges the partial mask 470 (shearing electrode 481) at the adjusted position and turns on the power supply to the shearing electrode 481. Similarly, in an example shown in FIG. 12, when the rotation angle of the substrate Wf reaches 270 degrees ± α', the adjusting member 485 arranges the partial mask 470 (shearing electrode 481) at the adjusted position and turns on the power supply to the shearing electrode 481. The adjusting member 485 repeats this operation while the substrate holder 210 is rotating and the plating process is being performed. Note that α and α' may be equal or different. Also, when β' is the range from 0 degrees of the rotation angle of the substrate Wf until the partial mask 470 is arranged at the adjusted position, and β is the range from when the partial mask 470 is arranged at the retracted position until 180 degrees, β and β' may be equal or different.

[0053] According to the present embodiment, by turning on the function of the shearing electrode 481 and arranging the shearing electrode 481 at the adjusted position, it is possible to effectively suppress the deposition of the plating film on the region where the plating film thickness at the peripheral portion of the substrate is thick. As a result, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to effectively equalize the entire plating film thickness distribution at the peripheral portion of the substrate.

[0054] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, an example is shown in which after arranging the partial mask 470 at the retracted position, it is stopped until it is switched to the adjusted position, and after arranging the partial mask 470 at the adjusted position, it is stopped until it is switched to the retracted position, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically showing the switching of the partial mask position and the on / off state of the shearing electrode in a plating module of an embodiment.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 13, the adjustment member 485 can always move the partial mask 470 (the sheath electrode 481) according to a predetermined rotation angle of the substrate Wf. For example, the adjustment member 485 can also regularly change the moving speed of the partial mask 470, or can move following the rotation of the substrate Wf at a constant speed.

[0056] In an example shown in FIG. 13, assuming that the partial mask 470 is in the avoidance position when the rotation angle of the substrate Wf is 0 degrees, when the rotation angle of the substrate Wf reaches 90 degrees, the adjustment member 485 can always move the partial mask 470 so that the partial mask 470 reaches the adjustment position. Thereafter, the adjustment member 485 can always move the partial mask 470 so that the partial mask 470 reaches the retracted position when the substrate holder 210 rotates 90 degrees, and the partial mask 470 reaches the adjustment position when it rotates another 90 degrees. Further, the adjustment member 485 can turn on the power supply to the sheath electrode 481 in the range where the rotation angle of the substrate Wf is 90 degrees ±α and 270 ±α´.

[0057] In the above embodiment, an example in which either the auxiliary anode 472 or the sheath electrode 481 is installed on the partial mask 470 is shown, but it is not limited thereto. As will be described below, an auxiliary anode and a sheath electrode may be installed on the partial mask 470. FIG. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a plating module according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 14, in this embodiment, an auxiliary anode 472 and a sheath electrode 474 are installed on the partial mask 470. Specifically, the auxiliary anode 472 is installed on the surface of the partial mask 470 on the substrate Wf side, and the sheath electrode 474 is installed on the surface of the partial mask 470 on the anode 430 side. Note that the installation modes of the auxiliary anode 472 and the sheath electrode 474 shown in FIG. 14 are merely examples and are not limited thereto. For example, the sheath electrode 474 may be installed on the surface of the partial mask 470 on the substrate Wf side, and the auxiliary anode 472 may be installed on the surface of the partial mask 470 on the anode 430 side.

[0058] In this embodiment, the plating module 400 includes a first switch 473 configured to be able to turn on and off the supply of power to the auxiliary anode 472, and a second switch 475 configured to be able to turn on and off the supply of power to the thief electrode 474.

[0059] 15 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of switching the positions of the partial mask, auxiliary anode, and thief electrode in accordance with the distribution of plating film thickness along the periphery of the substrate. When a first region Wf-b corresponding to the reference film thickness is within a predetermined angle range in the plating film thickness distribution along the periphery of the plating surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf, the adjustment member 485 places the partial mask 470 in a retracted position and turns off the first switch 473 and the second switch 475. As a result, no adjustment of the plating film thickness is performed on the first region Wf-b, so the reference film thickness is maintained.

[0060] When the second region Wf-c, where the plating film thickness is thinner than the reference film thickness, is within a predetermined angle range, the adjustment member 485 places the partial mask 470 in an adjustment position, turns on the first switch 473, and turns off the second switch 475. As a result, the plating film thickness in the second region Wf-c is adjusted to be thicker using the auxiliary anode 472, so that the plating film thickness in the second region Wf-c can be made closer to the reference film thickness.

[0061] When the third region Wf-d, where the plating film thickness is thicker than the reference film thickness, is within a predetermined angle range, the adjustment member 485 places the partial mask 470 in the adjustment position, turns on the second switch 475, and turns off the first switch 473. As a result, for the third region Wf-d, where the plating film thickness is particularly thick, an adjustment is made to actively reduce the plating film thickness using the thief electrode 481 and the partial mask 470, so that the plating film thickness in the third region Wf-d can be made closer to the reference film thickness.

[0062] When the adjustment member 485 has a plating film thickness thicker than the reference film thickness and a fourth region Wf-e having a plating film thickness thinner than that of the third region Wf-d is within a predetermined angular range, the partial mask 470 is arranged at the adjustment position, and the first switch 473 and the second switch 475 are set to off. Thereby, for the fourth region Wf-e where the plating film thickness is slightly thick, adjustment is performed to gently reduce the plating film thickness using only the partial mask 470, so that the plating film thickness of the fourth region Wf-e can be made closer to the reference film thickness.

[0063] According to the present embodiment, since the plating film thickness can be flexibly adjusted for various patterns of the plating film thickness at the peripheral portion of the plating surface Wf-a of the substrate Wf, the uniformity of the plating film thickness distribution at the peripheral portion of the substrate can be improved.

[0064] As described above, several 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 therein. Also, within the range where at least part of the above-described problems can be solved, or within the range where at least part of the effects can be achieved, any combination or omission of the components described in the claims and the specification is possible.

[0065] In one embodiment, the present application discloses a plating apparatus including a plating tank for accommodating a plating solution, an anode disposed in the plating tank, a substrate holder for holding a substrate with the plating surface facing downward, a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the substrate holder, at least one of an auxiliary anode and a sheath electrode disposed at a retracted position away from an adjustment position between the anode and the substrate, and an adjustment member configured to move at least one of the auxiliary anode and the sheath electrode between the adjustment position and the retracted position.

[0066] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the present application discloses a plating apparatus in which when there is a region where the plating film thickness is thinner than the reference film thickness within a predetermined angular range in the plating film thickness distribution at the peripheral edge of the plated surface of the substrate, the auxiliary anode is arranged at the adjustment position.

[0067] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the present application discloses a plating apparatus in which when there is a region where the plating film thickness is thicker than the reference film thickness within a predetermined angular range in the plating film thickness distribution at the peripheral edge of the plated surface of the substrate, the shield electrode is arranged at the adjustment position.

[0068] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the present application further includes a partial mask configured to locally shield the electric field formed between the anode and the substrate when arranged at the adjustment position, at least one of the auxiliary anode and the shield electrode is installed on the partial mask, and the adjustment member is configured to arrange at least one of the auxiliary anode and the shield electrode at the adjustment position by moving the partial mask from the retracted position to the adjustment position.

[0069] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the present application discloses a plating apparatus in which the auxiliary anode is installed on the surface of the partial mask on the substrate side, and the shield electrode is installed on the surface of the partial mask on the anode side.

[0070] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the present application further includes a first switch configured to be able to switch on and off the supply of power to the auxiliary anode, and a second switch configured to be able to switch on and off the supply of power to the shield electrode.

[0071] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present application, when a first region corresponding to a reference film thickness is within a predetermined angular range in the plating film thickness distribution at the peripheral edge of the plated surface of the substrate, the partial mask is disposed at the retracted position, and the first switch and the second switch are set to off. When a second region where the plating film thickness is thinner than the reference film thickness is within a predetermined angular range, the partial mask is disposed at the adjustment position, and the first switch is set to on and the second switch is set to off. When a third region where the plating film thickness is thicker than the reference film thickness is within a predetermined angular range, the partial mask is disposed at the adjustment position, and the second switch is set to on and the first switch is set to off. When a fourth region where the plating film thickness is thicker than the reference film thickness and thinner than the third region is within a predetermined angular range, the partial mask is disposed at the adjustment position, and the first switch and the second switch are set to off. The present application discloses a plating apparatus configured as described above.

[0072] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present application, there is provided a plating apparatus for plating a metal layer on a plated surface of a substrate, including a plating bath for containing a plating solution, an anode disposed in the plating bath, a substrate holder for holding the substrate with the plated surface facing downward, a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the substrate holder, and a sheath electrode configured to bypass different amounts of ionic current from different azimuth positions of the substrate and movable in the radial direction of the substrate between the anode and the substrate.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0073] 400 Plating Module 410 Plating Bath 430 Anode 440 Substrate Holder 443 Lifting Mechanism 447 Rotation Mechanism 450 Resistor 470 Partial Mask 472 Auxiliary Anode 473 First Switch 474 Sheaf electrode 475 Second switch 478 First power supply 479 Second power supply 481 Sheaf electrode 485 Adjusting member 498 Film thickness sensor 1000 Plating apparatus Wf substrate Wf-a Plated surface Wf-b First region Wf-c Second region Wf-d Third region Wf-e Fourth region

Claims

1. A plating bath for containing a plating solution, An anode disposed in the plating bath, A substrate holder for holding a substrate with the plating surface facing downward, A rotation mechanism configured to rotate the substrate holder, At least one of an auxiliary anode and a sheath electrode disposed at a retracted position away from an adjustment position between the anode and the substrate, An adjustment member configured to move at least one of the auxiliary anode and the sheath electrode between the adjustment position and the retracted position, Including, A plating apparatus.

2. The adjustment member is configured to arrange the auxiliary anode at the adjustment position when there is a region where the plating film thickness is thinner than a reference film thickness within a predetermined angular range in the plating film thickness distribution at the peripheral portion of the plating surface of the substrate, The plating apparatus according to claim 1, configured as such.

3. The adjustment member is configured to arrange the sheath electrode at the adjustment position when there is a region where the plating film thickness is thicker than a reference film thickness within a predetermined angular range in the plating film thickness distribution at the peripheral portion of the plating surface of the substrate, The plating apparatus according to claim 1, configured as such.

4. Further including a partial mask configured to locally shield an electric field formed between the anode and the substrate when disposed at the adjustment position, At least one of the auxiliary anode and the sheath electrode is installed on the partial mask, The adjustment member is configured to arrange at least one of the auxiliary anode and the sheath electrode at the adjustment position by moving the partial mask from the retracted position to the adjustment position, The plating apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The auxiliary anode is installed on the surface of the partial mask on the substrate side, The sheath electrode is installed on the surface of the partial mask on the anode side, The plating apparatus according to claim 4.

6. Further including a first switch configured to be able to switch on and off the supply of power to the auxiliary anode and a second switch configured to be able to switch on and off the supply of power to the sheath electrode, The plating apparatus according to claim 5.

7. ​ ​ When, in the plating film thickness distribution at the peripheral portion of the plated surface of the substrate, a first region corresponding to a reference film thickness is within a predetermined angular range, the partial mask is arranged at the retracted position, and the first switch and the second switch are set to OFF. When a second region where the plating film thickness is thinner than the reference film thickness is within a predetermined angular range, the partial mask is arranged at the adjustment position, and the first switch is set to ON and the second switch is set to OFF. When a third region where the plating film thickness is thicker than the reference film thickness is within a predetermined angular range, the partial mask is arranged at the adjustment position, and the second switch is set to ON and the first switch is set to OFF. When a fourth region where the plating film thickness is thicker than the reference film thickness and thinner than the third region is within a predetermined angular range, the partial mask is arranged at the adjustment position, and the first switch and the second switch are set to OFF. It is configured as follows. The plating apparatus according to claim 6.

8. A plating apparatus for plating a metal layer on a plated surface of a substrate, comprising: a plating bath for containing a plating solution; an anode disposed in the plating bath; a substrate holder for holding the substrate with the plated surface facing downward; a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the substrate holder; a shield electrode configured to bypass different amounts of ionic current from different azimuth positions of the substrate and movable in the radial direction of the substrate between the anode and the substrate; including a plating apparatus.

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