Electroplating device and cleaning method

Abstract

An electroplating apparatus and a cleaning method are disclosed. The electroplating apparatus comprises: a substrate jig including a jig body, a conductive contact, and a sealing member—the bottom portion of the jig body extends inwardly along a radial direction to form a substrate support, the sealing member is installed on the surface of the substrate support and protrudes upward from the end of the substrate support to form a sealing lip, and the sealing member and / or the jig body have a recessed groove used to accommodate a conductive contact on one side facing outward along the radial direction of the sealing lip—; a cleaning system used to immerse and clean the conductive contact by injecting a cleaning solution into the recessed groove; and a control system used to control the substrate jig and the cleaning system to periodically perform immersion cleaning and spin drying treatment on the conductive contact, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the substrate jig.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor equipment, and more specifically to an electroplating apparatus and a cleaning method. Background Technology

[0002] The substrate electroplating process refers to the process in chip manufacturing where metal interconnects are formed by electroplating metal ions from an electroplating solution onto the surface of a substrate.

[0003] In a conventional electroplating apparatus, a substrate jig includes conductive contact pins that contact the substrate and a sealing member. Here, the conductive contact pins must uniformly contact the seed layer on the front of the substrate. At the same time, since the conductive contact pins cannot directly contact the electroplating solution, they must be isolated using a sealing member to prevent the electroplating solution from reaching the edge of the front of the substrate. Otherwise, metal will be plated on the edge of the front of the substrate, resulting in reduced uniformity of the metal thin film deposited on the substrate. After electroplating is completed, residues such as residual electroplating solution or even photoresist often remain on the conductive contact pins and the sealing member. These residues affect the substrate manufacturing process, causing problems such as uneven electric field distribution on the substrate, failure of substrate sealing, or pickup failure when the manipulator transports the substrate after electroplating.

[0004] The document of patent application number 201911077619.1 provides an electroplating apparatus and a cleaning method, wherein an intermediate section of a cleaning tube that comes into contact with the electroplating solution is installed in an electroplating solution storage tank, and the intermediate section of the cleaning tube is heated with an electroplating solution having a predetermined temperature to obtain a heated cleaning solution, and furthermore, the cleaning solution is heated using an electroplating solution having a predetermined temperature and used to spray clean a substrate jig to remove residue.

[0005] Regarding the aforementioned technical problem, the objective of the present application is to improve the cleaning effect of the substrate jig of an electroplating device.

[0006] To achieve the aforementioned purpose, the present application provides an electroplating apparatus and a cleaning method.

[0007] In some embodiments, the electroplating apparatus comprises: a substrate jig including a jig body, a conductive contact, and a sealing member—the bottom portion of the jig body extends inwardly along the radial direction to form a substrate support, and the sealing member is installed on the surface of the substrate support and protrudes upward from the end of the substrate support to form a sealing lip, and the sealing member and / or the jig body have a recessed groove used to accommodate a conductive contact on one side facing outward along the radial direction of the sealing lip—; a cleaning system used to immerse and clean the conductive contact by injecting a cleaning solution into the recessed groove; and a control system used to control the substrate jig and the cleaning system to periodically perform immersion cleaning and spin drying treatment on the conductive contact.

[0008] In some embodiments, the cleaning method is,

[0009] S01: A step of raising a substrate jig in a no-load state to a predetermined height so that the substrate jig is higher than the nozzle of the cleaning system; S02: A step of rotating the substrate jig at a first rotational speed, and the nozzle spraying a cleaning liquid into a concave groove at a predetermined flow rate for a first predetermined time to immerse and clean the conductive contacts, and before the volume of the cleaning liquid injected into the concave groove exceeds the maximum water storage capacity of the concave groove, the nozzle stopping the spraying of the cleaning liquid; and S03: A step of rotating the substrate jig at a second rotational speed greater than the first rotational speed for a second predetermined time to spin-dry the cleaning liquid within the concave groove.

[0010] Compared to the conventional method of spray cleaning a substrate jig using a nozzle, the present application periodically performs immersion cleaning and spin drying treatment on conductive contacts, thereby ensuring more sufficient contact between the cleaning solution and the conductive contacts, making it easier to remove residues from the surface of the conductive contacts, and further improving the cleaning effect of the substrate jig. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0011] The features and performance of the present application are further explained in detail by the following embodiments and the accompanying drawings. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments are described in a clear and easy-to-understand manner with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the characteristics, technical features, advantages, and methods of implementation of the present invention are further described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electroplating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present application. FIG. 2a is a partial enlarged view of area a of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the present application. FIG. 2b is a partial enlarged view of area a of FIG. 1 according to another embodiment of the present application. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an electroplating apparatus according to one embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 is a partial enlarged view of area b of Figure 3. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the cleaning liquid in the concave groove shown in Figure 2a when it is in the maximum low water level state. FIG. 6 is a step diagram of a cleaning method according to one embodiment of the present application. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0012] To more clearly explain the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, specific embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Clearly, in the following description, the accompanying drawings are merely some embodiments of the present invention, and a person skilled in the art may obtain other drawings and other embodiments based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0013] To keep the drawings concise, each drawing schematically illustrates only the parts related to the invention and does not represent the actual structure of the product. Additionally, to keep the drawings concise and easy to understand, in some drawings, only one of the parts having the same structure or function is schematically illustrated or only one of them is shown. In this document, "one" may refer not only to "only this one" but also to "two or more" cases.

[0014] It should be noted herein that, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms “mounting,” “interconnection,” and “connection” should be interpreted in a broad sense, for example, they may be fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct interconnections or indirect interconnections through an intermediate medium, or communication within two elements. A person skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0015] Furthermore, in the description of this application, terms such as "first," "second," etc. are used merely to distinguish the descriptions and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0016] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2a, an electroplating apparatus (100) according to an embodiment of the present application is disclosed, which includes a substrate jig (120), a cleaning system (130), and a control system (140).

[0017] Here, the substrate jig (120) comprises a jig body (121), a conductive contact (122), and a sealing member (123). The bottom portion of the jig body (121) extends inward along the radial direction to form a substrate support portion (1211), and the sealing member (123) is installed on the surface of the substrate support portion (1211) and protrudes upward from the end of the substrate support portion (1211) to form a sealing lip portion (1231), and the sealing member (123) and / or the jig body (121) have a recess (1232) used to accommodate the conductive contact (122) on one side facing outward along the radial direction of the sealing lip portion (1231). A cleaning system (130) is used to immerse and clean the conductive contact (122) by injecting a cleaning solution into the recess (1232). The control system (140) is used to control the substrate jig (120) and the cleaning system (130) to periodically perform immersion cleaning and spin drying treatments on the conductive contacts (122). It should be noted that the jig body (121) is typically configured to match the shape of the substrate (200), and for example, if the substrate (200) is circular, the jig body (121) has a circular shape, so the aforementioned "radial direction" can be understood as a direction toward the centerline at any location on the jig body. Additionally, the end of the aforementioned substrate support (1211) refers to one end of the substrate support (1211) that is close to the centerline of the jig body (121).

[0018] Specifically, the substrate jig (120) further includes an inner pressure ring (126) and an outer pressure ring (127). Here, the inner pressure ring (126) is fastened to the inner surface (1212) of the jig body (121), and the outer pressure ring (127) is fastened to the outer surface (1213) of the jig body (121). The sealing member (123) includes an inner end (1233), a sealing member body (1234), and an outer end (1235). The outer end (1235) is fixed between the outer pressure ring (127) and the jig body (121), the inner end (1233) is fixed between the inner pressure ring (126) and the jig body (121), and the sealing member body (1234) covers the upper surface, inner surface, and lower surface of the substrate support (1211). The sealing lip portion (1231) is formed on the upper surface of the sealing member body (1234), and the sealing lip portion (1231) is higher than the upper surface of the sealing member body (1234) so ​​that the upper surface of the sealing member body (1234) forms a concave groove (1232) between the inner pressure ring (126) and the upper surface of the sealing member body (1234) facing outward along the radial direction of the sealing lip portion (1231), that is, the concave groove (1232) is located on the upper surface of the sealing member body (1234). In addition, one end (1221) of the conductive contact (122) is fixed between the inner end (1233) of the sealing member (123) and the inner pressure ring (126), and the other end (1222) of the conductive contact (122) extends into the concave groove (1232) along the surface of the sealing member body (1234).

[0019] As illustrated in FIG. 2b, in another embodiment of the present application, the substrate jig (120) includes an inner pressure ring (129), and the inner pressure ring (129) is fastened to the inner circumferential surface (1212) of the jig body (121). The end of the substrate support (1211) protrudes upward, and the protruding portion (1214) is covered by a sealing member (123) to form a sealing lip (1231). The upper surface of the substrate support (1211) forms a concave groove (1232) between the inner pressure ring (129) and the outer side facing outward along the radial direction of the sealing lip (1231). The outer side facing outward along the radial direction of the sealing lip (1231) from the upper surface of the substrate support (1211) is not covered by the sealing member (123), that is, the concave groove (1232) is located on the upper surface of the substrate support (1211). Additionally, one end (1221) of the conductive contact (122) is fixed between the substrate support (1211) and the inner pressure ring (126), and the other end (1222) of the conductive contact (122) extends into a concave groove (1232) along the surface of the substrate support (1211).

[0020] In actual application, when the substrate jig (120) is in a no-load state, as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b, the end (1222) far from the inner pressure ring (126) of the conductive contact (122) has an elastic recovery height greater than that of the sealing lip (1231). When the substrate jig (120) is in a state where the substrate (200) is loaded, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the substrate (200) is clamped between the compression plate (128) and the substrate support (1211), and the end (1222) far from the inner pressure ring (126) of the conductive contact (122) is deformed under the pressure action of the edge of the substrate (200), thereby sufficiently electrically contacting the conductive contact (122) with the substrate (200) until the edge of the substrate (200) comes into seal contact with the sealing lip (1231), thereby isolating the conductive contact (122) from the electroplating solution in the process chamber (110).

[0021] Preferably, the cleaning system (130) includes a nozzle (131), and the nozzle (131) is configured to spray a cleaning solution into a concave groove (1232). Here, during immersion cleaning, the control system (140) controls the substrate jig (120) to rotate at a first rotational speed and the nozzle (131) to spray a cleaning solution into the concave groove (1232) at a predetermined flow rate for a first predetermined time, and the cleaning solution injected into the concave groove (1232) does not exceed the maximum water level of the concave groove (1232). During spin drying, the control system (140) controls the nozzle (131) to stop spraying the cleaning solution and the substrate jig (120) to rotate at a second rotational speed greater than the first rotational speed for a second predetermined time, thereby spin drying the cleaning solution within the concave groove (1232). Additionally, the cleaning system (130) further includes a cleaning solution storage tank (132), the cleaning solution storage tank (132) is connected to a nozzle (131) through a conduit (133) and is used to provide cleaning solution to the nozzle (131).

[0022] Preferably, the nozzle (131) is configured to have an upwardly inclined spraying direction, and the jig body (121) is positioned above the nozzle (131) during immersion cleaning. In actual application, a jig bracket (124) (see FIG. 1) is installed above the jig body (121) and is used to connect the jig body (121) to a driving device (125). If the nozzle (131) is configured to have an downwardly inclined spraying direction, the jig body (121) must move below the nozzle (131) during immersion cleaning, and the jig bracket (124) obstructs the spraying path of the nozzle (131), causing the cleaning liquid to be sprayed onto the surface of the jig bracket (124), which reduces cleaning efficiency and risks falling into the process chamber (110) and contaminating the electroplating solution.

[0023] Specifically, referring again to FIG. 2a, during immersion cleaning, the nozzle (131) sprays the cleaning liquid along the spray path(s) to the inner wall of the inner pressure ring (126), and the cleaning liquid flows from the inner wall of the inner pressure ring (126) along the conductive contact (122) into the concave groove (1232) until the other end (1222) of the conductive contact (122) is immersed in the cleaning liquid. It should be noted that, in some cases, due to the action of the surface tension of the cleaning liquid, the liquid level in the concave groove (1232) is slightly higher than the top of the concave groove (1232), so that the other end (1222) of the conductive contact (122) can be immersed.

[0024] Preferably, as shown in FIG. 3, the electroplating device (100) further includes a process chamber (110).

[0025] Specifically, the process chamber (110) includes an inner chamber (111), an overflow tank (112), and a protective cover (113). Here, the inner chamber (111) is used to store an electroplating solution and is provided with an opening (1111), and a substrate jig (120) enters or exits the inner chamber (111) through the opening (1111). The overflow tank (112) is configured to surround the outer periphery of the opening (1111) and is used to collect the electroplating solution overflowing from the inner chamber (111). The protective cover (113) is configured to surround the upper part of the overflow tank (112) and is used to block the cleaning solution being spun from the substrate jig (120) during the spin drying process, and a nozzle (131) is configured on the inner wall (1131) of the protective cover (113).

[0026] Preferably, an annular collection groove (1132) is formed in the inner wall (1131), the annular collection groove (1132) is used to collect the cleaning liquid spun from the substrate jig (120) during the spin drying process, and a nozzle (131) is formed within the annular collection groove (1132). In this embodiment, the annular collection groove (1132) can not only collect the cleaning liquid spun from the substrate jig (120) during the spin drying process but also collect the cleaning liquid remaining in the nozzle (131), thereby reducing the risk of contamination of the electroplating solution in the process chamber (110).

[0027] Preferably, at least two nozzles (131) are installed on the inner wall (1131) of the protective cover (113), and at least two nozzles (131) are spaced apart on the same circumference. In this embodiment, by increasing the number of nozzles (131), the speed at which the cleaning liquid is injected into the concave groove (1232) can be increased, and furthermore, the first cleaning time for spraying the cleaning liquid into the concave groove (1232) can be reduced, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the equipment.

[0028] Preferably, the first rotational speed is configured so that the substrate jig (120) does not spin the cleaning liquid when the nozzle (131) sprays the cleaning liquid into the concave groove (1232) at a predetermined flow rate for a first predetermined time while the substrate jig (120) is rotating at the first rotational speed, and the second rotational speed is configured so that the substrate jig (120) spins the cleaning liquid while the substrate jig (120) is rotating at the second rotational speed.

[0029] Preferably, the first rotation speed is 100 r / min to 150 r / min, the first pre-processing time is 3 s to 4 s, the pre-processing flow rate is 150 ml / min to 200 ml / min, the second rotation speed is 300 r / min to 400 r / min, and the second pre-processing time is 4 s to 5 s.

[0030] Specifically, to prevent the cleaning solution injected into the concave groove (1232) from being excessive, causing the cleaning solution to overflow from the concave groove (1232) and fall into the inner chamber (111) and contaminate the electroplating solution, a first predetermined time T1, a predetermined flow rate Q, and a maximum water level V max is T1*Q≤V max Must satisfy.

[0031] Additionally, the concave groove (1232) exhibits an annular structure, and the bottom surface of the concave groove (1232) exhibits a rounded annular shape. The volume of cleaning liquid injected into the concave groove (1232) is the maximum storage capacity V of the concave groove (1232). max When approaching, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the cross-section of the cleaning liquid remaining in the concave groove (1232) forms an approximate triangle (1321), and if a two-dimensional coordinate system is constructed with the direction upward from the centerline of the substrate jig (120) as the Y-axis and the straight line (1322) passing through the bottom surface within the concave groove (1232) in the radial direction of the substrate jig (120) as the X-axis, i.e., maximum water storage V max is approximately equal to the volume of triangle (1321) rotated one full turn around the Y-axis. Also, assuming the coordinates of the three vertices of triangle (1321) are (m, 0), (n, 0), and (n, h), respectively,

[0032] V max =(πn 2 *h-πm 2 *h) / 2=π(n 2 -m 2 )*h / 2.

[0033] m is the inner radius of the bottom surface of the concave groove, and

[0034] n is the outer radius of the bottom surface of the concave groove, and

[0035] h is the height from the conductive contact point to the bottom surface of the concave groove.

[0036] If the measured data is m=148mm, n=153mm, h=5mm,

[0037] Substituting into the aforementioned formula, Vmax You can obtain 11,820ml.

[0038] T 1* Q≤V max Several tests were conducted under the premise that [condition] was satisfied, and the optimal value of the first set time T1 was 3.5s, and the optimal value of the set flow rate Q was 180ml / min.

[0039] Furthermore, the test was conducted based on a standard flow rate Q=180 ml / min, and the cleaning solution was injected most stably into the concave groove (1232) when the first rotation speed was 150 r / min. If the first rotation speed is too high, the centrifugal force received by the cleaning solution is relatively large, causing the cleaning solution to spin in the concave groove (1232), and if the first rotation speed is too low, the cleaning solution injected into the same area of ​​the concave groove (1232) is excessive, causing the cleaning solution to overflow in the concave groove (1232).

[0040] Also, V max The test was conducted based on 11.820 ml, and when the second rotation speed was 400 r / min and the first set time T1 was 4 s, the cleaning liquid in the concave groove (1232) could be completely spun.

[0041] As illustrated in FIG. 6, a cleaning method according to an embodiment of the present application is disclosed, and this method is applied to an electroplating apparatus (100) of any embodiment described above, and

[0042] S01: A step of raising a substrate jig (120) in a no-load state to a predetermined height, thereby making the substrate jig (120) higher than the nozzle (131) of the cleaning system (130);

[0043] S02: A step of rotating the substrate jig (120) at a first rotational speed, and spraying a cleaning solution into the concave groove (1232) at a first predetermined time at a predetermined flow rate to immerse and clean the conductive contact (122), and stopping the spraying of the cleaning solution by the nozzle (131) before the volume of the cleaning solution injected into the concave groove (1232) exceeds the maximum water storage capacity of the concave groove (1232); and

[0044] S03: Includes the step of rotating the substrate jig (120) for a second predetermined time at a second rotational speed greater than the first rotational speed to spin dry the cleaning liquid in the concave groove (1232).

[0045] Here, steps S02 and S03 are repeated at least once to complete the cleaning of the conductive contacts.

[0046] In this embodiment, by periodically performing immersion cleaning and spin drying treatment on the conductive contact (122), the contact between the cleaning solution and the conductive contact (122) is made more sufficient, thereby more easily removing residue from the surface of the conductive contact (122) and further improving the cleaning effect of the substrate jig (120).

[0047] It should be noted that all of the aforementioned embodiments may be freely combined as needed. The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and a person skilled in the art may make slight improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of the present invention, and such improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

Claim 1 An electroplating apparatus comprising: a substrate jig including a jig body, a conductive contact, and a sealing member; wherein the bottom portion of the jig body extends inwardly along a radial direction to form a substrate support portion, and the sealing member is installed on the surface of the substrate support portion and protrudes upward from the end of the substrate support portion to form a sealing lip portion, and the sealing member and / or the jig body have a recessed groove used to accommodate the conductive contact on one side facing outward along the radial direction of the sealing lip portion; a cleaning system used to immerse and clean the conductive contact by injecting a cleaning solution into the recessed groove; and a control system used to control the substrate jig and the cleaning system to periodically perform immersion cleaning and spin drying treatment on the conductive contact. Claim 2 The electroplating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning system comprises a nozzle configured to spray the cleaning liquid into the concave groove, and during the immersion cleaning, the control system controls the substrate jig to rotate at a first rotational speed, the nozzle sprays the cleaning liquid into the concave groove at a predetermined flow rate for a first predetermined time, and the cleaning liquid injected into the concave groove does not exceed the maximum water storage capacity of the concave groove, and during the spin drying process, the control system controls the nozzle to stop spraying the cleaning liquid and the substrate jig to rotate at a second rotational speed greater than the first rotational speed for a second predetermined time, thereby spin-drying the cleaning liquid within the concave groove. Claim 3 In paragraph 2, the above maximum reservoir capacity V max =(πn 2 *h-πm 2 *h) / 2, m is the inner circular radius of the bottom surface of the concave groove, n is the outer circular radius of the bottom surface of the concave groove, and h is the height from the conductive contact to the bottom surface of the concave groove, characterized by an electroplating apparatus. Claim 4 An electroplating apparatus according to paragraph 2, wherein the nozzle is configured to have a spraying direction directed upward at an angle, and the jig body is positioned above the nozzle during the immersion cleaning. Claim 5 An electroplating apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a process chamber, wherein the process chamber comprises: an inner chamber used for storing an electroplating solution and having an opening—the substrate jig enters or exits the inner chamber through the opening—; an overflow tank configured to surround the outer periphery of the opening and used for collecting the electroplating solution overflowing from the inner chamber; and a protective cover configured to surround the upper part of the overflow tank and used for blocking a cleaning solution spun from the substrate jig during the spin drying process, wherein the nozzle is configured on the inner wall of the protective cover. Claim 6 An electroplating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an annular collection groove is formed in the inner wall, the annular collection groove is used to collect a cleaning liquid spun from the substrate jig during the spin drying process, and the nozzle is formed within the annular collection groove. Claim 7 An electroplating apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that at least two nozzles are installed on the inner wall of the protective cover, and the at least two nozzles are spaced apart on the same circumference. Claim 8 An electroplating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first rotational speed is configured such that the substrate jig does not spin the cleaning liquid when the nozzle sprays the cleaning liquid into the concave groove at a predetermined flow rate for a first predetermined time while the substrate jig is rotating at the first rotational speed, and the second rotational speed is configured such that the substrate jig spins the cleaning liquid while the substrate jig is rotating at the second rotational speed. Claim 9 An electroplating apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the first rotational speed is 100 r / min to 150 r / min, the first pre-treatment time is 3 s to 4 s, the pre-treatment flow rate is 150 ml / min to 200 ml / min, the second rotational speed is 300 r / min to 400 r / min, and the second pre-treatment time is 4 s to 5 s. Claim 10 A cleaning method applied to an electroplating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: S01: raising the substrate jig, which is in a no-load state, to a predetermined height so that the substrate jig is higher than the nozzle of the cleaning system; S02: rotating the substrate jig at a first rotational speed, and the nozzle sprays a cleaning liquid into the concave groove at a predetermined flow rate for a first predetermined time to immerse and clean the conductive contact, and before the volume of the cleaning liquid injected into the concave groove exceeds the maximum water storage capacity of the concave groove, the nozzle stops spraying the cleaning liquid; and S03: rotating the substrate jig at a second rotational speed greater than the first rotational speed for a second predetermined time to spin-dry the cleaning liquid within the concave groove, wherein the cleaning of the conductive contact is completed by repeating steps S02 and S03 at least once.

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