Maintenance member, substrate holding module, plating device, and maintenance method

Abstract

We propose a maintenance component that enables easy maintenance of electrical contacts in a circuit board holder. The present invention relates to a maintenance member for maintaining a substrate holder having an electrical contact configured to supply power to a substrate. The maintenance member has a shape corresponding to a substrate that is to be held and supported by the substrate holder, and has an abrasive body arranged to come into contact with the electrical contact when held and supported by the substrate holder.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a maintenance member, a substrate holding support module, a plating device, and a maintenance method. Background Technology

[0002] Conventionally, wiring is formed in fine wiring grooves, holes, or resist openings provided on the surface of a semiconductor wafer, or bumps (protrusion-shaped electrodes) that are electrically connected to electrodes of a package are formed on the surface of a semiconductor wafer. Methods for forming these wirings and bumps include, for example, electroplating, deposition, printing, and ball bump methods. With the increase in the number of I / Os of semiconductor chips and the reduction in fine pitch, electroplating, which enables miniaturization and offers relatively stable performance, has been widely used.

[0003] A plating apparatus used in the electrolytic plating method is equipped with a substrate holder that holds and supports the surface to be plated while exposing it, and plating treatment can be performed by immersing the substrate holder in a plating solution while holding and supporting the substrate. During the plating treatment, a negative voltage is applied to the surface of the substrate, so the substrate needs to be electrically connected to the negative voltage side of the power supply. To this end, the substrate holder is provided with an electrical contact to electrically connect the wiring extending from the power supply to the substrate. The electrical contact is configured to contact a seed layer (conductive layer) formed on the surface of the substrate, thereby applying a negative voltage to the substrate. Prior art literature

[0004] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-62570 The problem to be solved

[0005] In order to improve the uniformity of the thickness of the plating film formed on the plated surface of a substrate, it is desirable to apply a uniform voltage to the plated surface of the substrate by contacting a plurality of electrical contacts along the periphery of the substrate with a seed layer. However, even if a uniform voltage is applied to the plated surface of the substrate, if there is a variation in the contact resistance of each of the plurality of electrical contacts and the seed layer of the substrate, the uniformity of the plating film thickness within the plane is reduced. Specifically, when there is a large variation in the contact resistance of the plurality of electrical contacts and the seed layer, current does not flow easily in the parts with high contact resistance, and the film thickness in the vicinity becomes thin, while current flows easily in the parts with low contact resistance, and the film thickness in the vicinity becomes thick.

[0006] Fluctuations in contact resistance between the substrate and the electrical contacts can occur, for example, due to foreign matter adhering to the surface of the electrical contacts of the substrate holder. Since the electrical contacts come into direct contact with the seed layer of the substrate, the material of the substrate's seed layer may adhere to the electrical contacts of the substrate holder. The electrical contacts of the substrate holder are often formed from materials with low electrical resistance, such as gold, and the seed layer of the substrate is formed from, for example, copper. If copper adheres to the electrical contacts of the substrate and oxidizes over time, the contact resistance between the area where the copper is attached and the substrate's seed layer increases. Here, it is conceivable to remove the copper or copper oxide attached to the electrical contacts by dissolving them with chemicals, but removing copper or copper oxide with chemicals requires heating the chemicals to high temperatures or taking a long time.

[0007] The present invention is made in consideration of the circumstances described above, and one of its objectives is to propose a maintenance member, a substrate holding support module, a plating device, or a maintenance method that enables easy maintenance of electrical contacts in a substrate holder. means of solving the problem

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a maintenance member for maintaining a substrate holder having an electrical contact configured to supply power to a substrate is proposed, wherein the maintenance member has a shape corresponding to a substrate that is to be held and supported by the substrate holder, and has an abrasive body arranged to come into contact with the electrical contact when held and supported by the substrate holder.

[0009] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a substrate holding support module is proposed, wherein the substrate holding support module comprises a first holding support member having an electrical contact configured to supply power to a substrate, a second holding support member configured to place a substrate between the first holding support member and the second holding support member, and a second holding support member having an abrasive disposed at a position corresponding to the electrical contact in the first holding support member. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0010] FIG. 1 is an overall layout diagram of a plating apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a substrate holder according to a first embodiment. Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the substrate holder shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a drawing showing an enlarged view of the periphery of an electrical contact in the substrate holder shown in Figure 2. FIG. 5 is a drawing showing an example of a maintenance member according to the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the maintenance of an electrical contact using a maintenance member in the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a drawing showing an example of a substrate holder cleaning unit. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement and wiring of electrical contacts. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate holding support module of a second embodiment. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, identical or equivalent components are given the same reference numerals to omit redundant descriptions. FIG. 1 is an overall layout of a plating apparatus according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the plating apparatus is broadly divided into a load / unload section (170A) that loads a substrate onto a substrate holder (60) or unloads a substrate from a substrate holder (60), and a processing section (170B) that processes the substrate.

[0012] In the load / unload section (170A), three hoops (Front-Opening Unified Pod: FOUP) (102), an aligner (30), and a spin rinse dryer (20) are provided. The hoops (102) accommodate multiple substrates, such as semiconductor wafers, in multiple stages. The aligner (30) aligns the reference plane (orientation flat) or notch of the substrate in a predetermined direction. The spin rinse dryer (20) dries the substrate after plating treatment by rotating it at high speed. Near the spin rinse dryer (20), a fixing unit (40) is provided to load a substrate holder (60) and perform the attachment and detachment of the substrate. In the center of these units (102, 30, 20, 40), a substrate transport device (122) including a transport robot for transporting substrates between these units is arranged.

[0013] The fixing unit (40) is configured to load two substrate holders (60) as an example. In the fixing unit (40), after the substrate is transferred between one substrate holder (60) and the substrate transport device (122), the substrate is transferred between the other substrate holder (60) and the substrate transport device (122).

[0014] The processing section (170B) of the plating device has a stocker (124), a substrate holder cleaning section (125), a pre-wet tank (126), a pre-soak tank (128), a first cleaning tank (130a), a blower tank (132), a second cleaning tank (130b), and a plating tank (10). In the stocker (124), storage and temporary placement of the substrate holder (60) are performed. In the substrate holder cleaning section (125), cleaning of the substrate holder (60) is performed. In the pre-wet tank (126), the substrate is immersed in pure water. In the pre-soak tank (128), an oxide film on the surface of a conductive layer, such as a seed layer formed on the surface of the substrate, is etched away. In the first cleaning tank (130a), the substrate after pre-soaking is cleaned with a cleaning solution (pure water, etc.) together with the substrate holder (60). In the blow tank (132), the liquid on the substrate after cleaning is removed. In the second cleaning tank (130b), the substrate after plating is cleaned with a cleaning liquid together with the substrate holder (60). The stocker (124), substrate holder cleaning unit (125), pre-wet tank (126), pre-soak tank (128), first cleaning tank (130a), blow tank (132), second cleaning tank (130b), and plating tank (10) are arranged in this order as an example.

[0015] The plating tank (10) has a plurality of plating cells (134) equipped, for example, with an overflow tank. Each plating cell (134) accommodates a substrate holder (60) that holds and supports a substrate in a vertical orientation and immerses the substrate in a plating solution. By applying a voltage between the substrate and the anode in the plating cell (134), plating such as copper plating is performed on the surface of the substrate.

[0016] The plating device has a substrate holder transport device (140) that employs, for example, a linear motor method, which is located on the side of each of these devices and transports a substrate holder (60) together with a substrate between each of these devices. This substrate holder transport device (140) has a first transporter (142) and a second transporter (144). The first transporter (142) is configured to transport a substrate between the fixing unit (40), the stocker (124), the substrate holder cleaning unit (125), the pre-wet tank (126), the pre-soak tank (128), the first cleaning tank (130a), and the blow tank (132). The second transporter (144) is configured to transport a substrate between the first cleaning tank (130a), the second cleaning tank (130b), the blow tank (132), and the plating tank (10). Specifically, the first transporter (142) and the second transporter (144) of the present embodiment transport the substrate holder (60) while the in-plane direction of the substrate being held and supported is oriented in the vertical direction. In other words, the first transporter (142) and the second transporter (144) transport the substrate holder (60) holding and supporting the substrate while it is oriented in the vertical direction.

[0017] In another embodiment, the plating device may be provided with only one of the first transporter (142) and the second transporter (144), and either transporter may transport the substrate between the fixing unit (40), the stocker (124), the substrate holder cleaning unit (125), the pre-wet tank (126), the pre-soak tank (128), the first cleaning tank (130a), the second cleaning tank (130b), the blow tank (132), and the plating tank (10).

[0018] (First embodiment)

[0019] Next, the substrate holder (60) of the first embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the substrate holder (60) according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate holder (60) has a first holding support member (61) made of, for example, vinyl chloride and having a rectangular flat plate shape, and a second holding support member (62) configured to be detachably attached to the first holding support member (61). A loading surface (63) for loading a substrate (Wf) is provided in the approximately central part of the first holding support member (61) of the substrate holder (60). In addition, on the outer side of the loading surface (63) of the first holding support member (61), a plurality of inverted L-shaped clamps (64) having protrusions that protrude inward along the periphery of the loading surface (63) are provided at equal intervals.

[0020] A pair of approximately T-shaped hands (65) are connected to the end of the first holding support member (61) of the substrate holder (60), serving as a support when transporting or suspending the substrate holder (60). In the stoker (124) shown in FIG. 1, the substrate holder (60) is vertically suspended and supported by placing the hands (65) on the upper surface of the surrounding wall of the stoker (124). Additionally, the substrate holder (60) is transported by gripping the hands (65) of the suspended and supported substrate holder (60) with a substrate holder transport device (140).

[0021] Additionally, at least one side of the hand (65) is provided with an external contact portion (68) that is electrically connected to an external power source. This external contact portion (68) is electrically connected to a plurality of relay contact portions (see FIG. 3) provided on the outer periphery of the loading surface (63) through a plurality of wires.

[0022] The second holding support member (62) is provided with a ring-shaped seal holder (66). A compression ring (67) is rotatably mounted on the seal holder (66) of the second holding support member (62) to press and fix the seal holder (66) to the first holding support member (61). By installing the second holding support member (62) on the first holding support member (61), the substrate (Wf) is inserted and held by the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62). The compression ring (67) has a plurality of protrusions (67a) that protrude outwardly from its outer circumference. The upper surface of the protrusion (67a) and the lower surface of the inner protrusion of the clamper (64) have tapered surfaces that are inclined in opposite directions along the direction of rotation.

[0023] When holding and supporting the substrate, first, with the second holding support member (62) detached from the first holding support member (61), the substrate (Wf) is loaded onto the loading surface (63) of the first holding support member (61), and the second holding support member (62) is installed. Next, the compression ring (67) is rotated clockwise so that the protrusion (67a) of the compression ring (67) slides into the interior (lower side) of the inner protrusion of the clamper (64). By doing so, the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) are connected and locked to each other through the tapered surfaces provided on the compression ring (67) and the clamper (64), respectively, and the substrate (Wf) is held and supported. When releasing the holding support of the substrate (Wf), the compression ring (67) is rotated counterclockwise while the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) are in a locked state. As a result, the protrusion (67a) of the compression ring (67) is removed from the inverted L-shaped clamp (64), and the holding support of the substrate (Wf) is released.

[0024] Additionally, in the example shown in FIG. 2, the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) are shown separately. However, this example is not limited to this, and the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) may be connected to each other, such as by being connected through a hinge.

[0025] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the substrate holder (60) shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the second retaining support member (62) has a substrate-side seal member (69) (corresponding to an example of a seal member) and a holder-side seal member (72). The substrate-side seal member (69) and the holder-side seal member (72) are fitted into a seal holder (66) and a fixing ring (70). The seal holder (66) and the fixing ring (70) are fastened by a fastener not shown, such as a screw.

[0026] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the second holding support member (62) has an electric contact (74) for causing current to flow through the substrate (Wf) by contacting the peripheral portion of the surface to be processed of the substrate (Wf). Multiple electric contacts (74) are provided along the inner circumference of the seal holder (66). Additionally, the first holding support member (61) has a relay contact portion (79) that contacts the electric contact (74) and supplies current from an external power source to the electric contact (74) when the second holding support member (62) is installed on the first holding support member (61). Multiple relay contact portions (79) are provided along the periphery of the loading surface (63). The relay contact portion (79) is in communication with the external contact portion (68) (see FIG. 2), and thereby power supplied from an external power source is supplied to the surface of the substrate (Wf) through the external contact portion (68), the relay contact portion (79), and the electric contact (74).

[0027] FIG. 4 is a drawing showing an enlarged view of the periphery of the electrical contact (74) in the substrate holder (60) shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. In FIG. 4, the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) are shown separated by solid lines, and the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) are shown locked by dashed lines. In FIG. 4, the second holding support member (62) is moved toward the first holding support member (61) to lock the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62), but this example is not limited to this, and the first holding support member (61) may also move toward the second holding support member (62). In the substrate holder (60) of the present embodiment, the electrical contact (74) is curved toward the second holding support member (62) (substrate). Then, when the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) are brought close together, the electric contact (74) comes into contact with the surface (seed layer) of the substrate (Wf) before the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) are locked. In this state, when the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) are brought close together, the electric contact (74) is pressed against the surface of the substrate (Wf), bends, and slides along the surface of the substrate (Wf) toward the center of the substrate (Wf) (see dashed line in FIG. 4). By configuring the electric contact (74) in this way, when the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) are locked, the tip of the electric contact (74) is pressed against the surface (seed layer) of the substrate (Wf), allowing the surface of the substrate (Wf) and the electric contact (74) to come into suitable contact.

[0028] When the second holding support member (62) is locked to the first holding support member (61), the electrical contact (74) is pressed against the surface of the substrate (Wf), and the substrate-side seal member (69) is pressed against the outer periphery of the surface of the substrate (Wf). The substrate-side seal member (69) is uniformly pressed against the substrate (Wf), thereby sealing the gap between the outer periphery of the surface of the substrate (Wf) and the second holding support member (62), preventing the plating solution or cleaning solution from coming into contact with the electrical contact (74). Likewise, when the second holding support member (62) is locked to the first holding support member (61), as shown in FIG. 3, the holder-side seal member (72) is pressed against the surface of the first holding support member (61). The holder-side seal member (72) is uniformly pressed against the first holding support member (61), thereby sealing the gap between the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62), preventing the plating solution or cleaning solution from coming into contact with the electrical contact (74).

[0029] Next, maintenance of the substrate holder (60) of the first embodiment will be described. As described above, the electrical contact (74) of the substrate holder (60) slides along the seed layer of the substrate (Wf) and makes direct contact. Because of this, foreign matter attached to the seed layer material of the substrate (Wf) or the surface of the substrate (Wf) may be attached to the electrical contact (74). In addition, plating solution may come into contact with the electrical contact (74) regardless of sealing by the seal members (69, 72). If the seed layer material or plating solution is attached to the surface of the electrical contact (74), the electrical resistance of the electrical contact (74) at the location where they are attached may change. Therefore, in the plating device of the present embodiment, maintenance of the substrate holder (60), particularly maintenance of the electrical contact (74), is performed.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a drawing showing an example of a maintenance member of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the maintenance member (80) has dimensions corresponding to the substrate (Wf) that is the object of support held by the substrate holder (60). Here, the dimensions corresponding to the substrate (Wf) may be approximately the same dimensions as the substrate (Wf). It is preferable that the maintenance member (80) has dimensions approximately the same as the substrate (Wf), particularly near the outer edge, but it is not limited to having dimensions exactly the same as the substrate (Wf) as a whole. As an example, the maintenance member (80) may have irregularities in the part corresponding to the area exposed to the plating solution on the substrate (Wf) (hereinafter also referred to as the "plating area"), for example, and may have a thickness different from that of the substrate (Wf). In this way, by having the maintenance member (80) have dimensions corresponding to the substrate (Wf), the substrate holder (60) can hold and support the maintenance member (80) just like the substrate (Wf). In this embodiment, the substrate holder (60) and the maintenance member (80) correspond to an example of a "substrate holding and supporting module."

[0031] The maintenance member (80) has a polishing body (82) positioned to contact an electrical contact (74) when held and supported by the substrate holder (60). Specifically, the maintenance member (80) is positioned at a location corresponding to the area held by the substrate holder (60) (hereinafter also referred to as the "holding area") which is outside the plating area on the substrate (Wf). It is preferable that the maintenance member (80) be positioned outside the area that contacts the substrate-side seal member (69) when held and supported by the substrate holder (60) (the annular area enclosed by dashed lines in FIG. 5). By doing so, damage to the substrate-side seal member (69) by the polishing body (82) can be prevented. Additionally, it is preferable that the polishing surface of the polishing body (82) be placed on the same plane as the area that contacts the substrate-side seal member (69).

[0032] The abrasive body (82) can be formed, for example, by attaching an abrasive sheet to the plate surface of a maintenance member (80). The abrasive particles in the abrasive body (82) may be made of, for example, diamond, but may be made of any material. The abrasive particles in the abrasive body (82) preferably have an average particle median diameter of 3 μm or less, and particularly preferably have an average particle median diameter of 2 μm or less, 1 μm or less, 0.5 μm or less, or 0.3 μm or less. In addition, in this embodiment, the average particle median diameter is defined as the D50 value obtained by measuring the particle size distribution on a volume basis by laser diffraction.

[0033] By using such a maintenance member (80), the electrical contact (74) of the substrate holder (60) can be easily maintained. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the maintenance of the electrical contact (74) using the maintenance member (80) in the present embodiment. The substrate holder (60) can hold and support the maintenance member (80) just as it holds and supports the substrate (Wf) to be held and supported. As described above, in the present embodiment, the electrical contact (74) of the substrate holder (60) is curved toward the second holding and supporting member (62). For this reason, when the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) are brought close together to hold and support the maintenance member (80), the electric contact (74) comes into contact with the abrasive (82) of the maintenance member (80) before the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) are locked. In this state, when the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) are brought close together, the electric contact (74) is pressed and bent by the maintenance member (80) and slides along the abrasive (82) toward the center of the maintenance member (80) (see dashed line in FIG. 6). By doing so, the electric contact (74) is polished by the abrasive (82), and foreign matter attached to the surface of the electric contact (74) is removed, allowing the electric contact (74) to be maintained. That is, according to the maintenance member (80) of the present embodiment, maintenance can be performed by removing foreign matter attached to the electrical contact (74) by holding and supporting the maintenance member (80) in the substrate holder (60) just as when holding and supporting the substrate (Wf) to be plated.

[0034] For example, the maintenance member (80) may be placed at a predetermined location on the hoop (102) and, like the return of the substrate (Wf), may be returned to the fixing unit (40) by the substrate return device (122). However, the maintenance member (80) may be placed at a location different from the hoop (102). For example, the maintenance member (80) may be placed at a predetermined location accessible by the substrate return device (122) within the plating device. Additionally, when maintaining the substrate holder (60) using the maintenance member (80), the fixing unit (40) may repeat the locking and unlocking of the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) a predetermined number of times (e.g., several times). In this way, the sliding movement of the electric contact (74) and the grinding body (82) is performed a predetermined number of times, so that the electric contact (74) can be sufficiently ground.

[0035] After performing maintenance on the substrate holder (60) using the maintenance member (80), cleaning of the substrate holder (60) may be performed in the substrate holder cleaning unit (125). FIG. 7 is a drawing showing an example of the substrate holder cleaning unit (125). The substrate holder cleaning unit (125) has a rectangular processing tank (100) that is open upward and hangs and supports the substrate holder (60) by hooking the hand (65) of the substrate holder (60) onto the upper surface. On the side and bottom of this processing tank (100), a cleaning liquid supply unit (102) is provided to spray and supply a cleaning liquid, such as pure water, from the side and bottom toward the substrate holder (60) in an open state without supporting the substrate. Here, in the substrate holder cleaning unit (125), it is preferable that the substrate holder (60) be cleaned with the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) open so that the sealing area (the area sealed by the sealing member (69, 72)) in the substrate holder (60) can be cleaned. In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) are shown separately, but the first transporter (140) may transport the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) separately, and the first holding support member (61) and the second holding support member (62) may be opened within the processing tank (100) by an unillustrated mechanism of the substrate holder cleaning unit (125). In this way, after maintenance of the substrate holder (60) using the maintenance member (80), the substrate holder (60) is cleaned in the substrate holder cleaning unit (125), thereby cleaning polishing debris caused by the polishing body (82). Additionally, the substrate holder cleaning unit (125) may further be provided with an ultrasonic generating mechanism for generating ultrasonic waves to clean the substrate holder (60), or a blow mechanism for spraying air onto the substrate holder (60).

[0036] For example, the plating device may perform maintenance on the electrical contact (74) using a maintenance member (80) when the plating process of the substrate (Wf) using the substrate holder (60) reaches a predetermined number of times (e.g., tens of times, hundreds of times) or at a predetermined time interval (e.g., several hours, one day, several days). Additionally, the plating device may determine whether to perform maintenance on the electrical contact (74) based on the electrical resistance value of the electrical contact (74) of the substrate holder (60) and the substrate to be plated or a dedicated inspection substrate.

[0037] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement and wiring of electrical contacts (74). When a substrate or a test substrate is held and supported in a substrate holder (60), a resistance meter is connected to two of the wirings (75) connected to each of the plurality of electrical contacts (74) (for example, the wiring connected to the opposing electrical contacts (74)), an electrical circuit is formed connecting the two electrical contacts (74) and the resistance meter. Accordingly, the electrical resistor can measure a composite resistance including the electrical resistance of the two electrical contacts (74). And, a controller not shown in the plating device decides to perform maintenance on the electrical contacts (74) when, for example, the composite resistance is not within a predetermined allowable range (a first allowable range).

[0038] Additionally, the controller of the plating device, not illustrated, may determine whether maintenance of the electric contact (74) has been sufficiently performed using the maintenance member (80) based on measuring the electrical resistance of the electric contact (74), instead of determining whether maintenance of the electric contact (74) is performed, or additionally. That is, the plating device may, after contacting the polishing body (82) and the electric contact (74) using the maintenance member (80), hold and support a substrate or a test substrate in the substrate holder (60) to measure the electrical resistance of the electric contact (74) and determine whether maintenance of the electric contact (74) has been completed. In this case, the controller of the plating device, not illustrated, may determine that maintenance of the electric contact (74) has been completed if the combined resistance including the electrical resistance of the two electric contacts (74) is within a predetermined allowable range (second allowable range). Additionally, if the composite resistance is not within the second allowable range, the controller may perform maintenance of the electrical resistance (74) using the maintenance member (80) again. Here, it is preferable that the second allowable range for determining whether maintenance is completed be a narrower range than the first allowable range for determining whether maintenance is to be performed. By doing so, frequent maintenance of the electrical contact (74) can be suppressed.

[0039] (Second embodiment)

[0040] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate holding support module of a second embodiment. In the first embodiment, a substrate holder (60) having a first holding support member (61) and a second holding support member (62) is maintained using a maintenance member (80). In contrast, in the substrate holding support module of the second embodiment, a polishing body (82A) is provided on the second holding support member (62A) of the substrate holder (60A).

[0041] The substrate holder (60) of the second embodiment has a first holding support member (61A) and a second holding support member (62A). Additionally, the second holding support member (62A) may be part of the fixing unit (40). The first holding support member (61A) has an electric contact (74A) for supplying power to the substrate by contacting the seed layer of the substrate (not shown in FIG. 9). The electric contact (74A) is curved toward the second holding support member (62) (substrate), similar to the electric contact (74) of the first embodiment. Then, when the first holding support member (61A) and the second holding support member (62A) are brought close together, the electric contact (74A) contacts the surface (seed layer) of the substrate before the first holding support member (61A) and the second holding support member (62A) are locked. In this state, when the first holding support member (61A) and the second holding support member (62A) are brought close together, the electric contact (74A) is pressed against the surface of the substrate and bends, and slides along the surface of the substrate toward the center of the substrate.

[0042] The second holding support member (62A) has a polishing body (82A) at a position corresponding to the electrical contact (74) in the first holding support member (61). Additionally, if the first holding support member (61) has a substrate-side seal member (69A) that contacts the plate surface of the substrate (Wf), as in the first embodiment, the polishing body (82A) may be positioned further outward than the area corresponding to the substrate-side seal member (69A). The polishing body (82A) may be the same as the polishing body (82) of the first embodiment. As an example, the polishing surface of the polishing body (82) lies on the same plane as the area that contacts the substrate in the second holding support member (62A). However, the polishing body (82) may be provided at a position spaced apart from the first holding support member (61A) than the area that contacts the substrate in the second holding support member (62A) so as not to contact the substrate that is to be held and supported.

[0043] According to the substrate holding support module of this second embodiment, by bringing the first holding support member (61A) and the second holding support member (62A) close together without interposing a substrate, the polishing body (82A) provided on the second holding support member (62A) can be brought into contact with the electric contact (74A). In this case, it is preferable that the substrate holding support module bring the second holding support member (62A) closer toward the first holding support member (61A) by the thickness of the substrate compared to when holding and supporting the substrate. By doing so, the electric contact (74A) can be brought into contact with the polishing body (82A) just as the electric contact (74A) is brought into contact with the seed layer of the substrate. In addition, at this time, the substrate holding support module may repeat the proximity and separation of the first holding support member (61A) and the second holding support member (62A) a predetermined number of times (e.g., several times) so that the electrical contact (74A) and the polishing body (82A) slide multiple times. In this second embodiment of the substrate holding support module, the electrical contact (74A) can also be polished with the polishing body (82A) to remove foreign matter attached to the surface of the electrical contact (74A).

[0044] (Variation example)

[0045] Additionally, in the above-described embodiment, the substrate holder (60) is configured to have a substrate-side seal member (69) that contacts the surface of the substrate (Wf) so that the plating solution does not come into contact with the electrical contact (74). However, the substrate holder (60) may be configured so that the plating solution comes into contact with the electrical contact (74) during the plating process. Even in this case, foreign matter attached to the contact part can be removed by polishing the contact part of the electrical contact (74) using the above-described maintenance member (80).

[0046] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the substrate holder (60) is inserted into the plating tank (10) while the substrate is oriented vertically (the plate surface is oriented horizontally). However, this is not limited to this example, and as an example, the substrate holder (60) may be configured to hold and support the substrate while the substrate is oriented horizontally (the plate surface is oriented vertically) during the plating process.

[0047] The embodiments described above may also be described in the following forms.

[0048] [Form 1] According to Form 1, a maintenance member for maintaining a substrate holder having an electrical contact configured to supply power to a substrate is proposed, and the maintenance member has a shape corresponding to a substrate that is to be held and supported by the substrate holder, and has an abrasive arranged to come into contact with the electrical contact when held and supported by the substrate holder. According to Form 1, the electrical contact in the substrate holder can be easily maintained.

[0049] [Form 2] According to Form 2, in Form 1, the abrasive body is composed of an abrasive sheet coated with abrasive particles, and the abrasive particles have an average particle median diameter of 3 μm or less. According to Form 2, damage to the electrical contact can be suppressed.

[0050] [Form 3] According to Form 3, in Form 1 or 2, the substrate holder has a seal member that contacts the substrate when the substrate is held and supported, and the abrasive is positioned further outward than the position that contacts the seal member when the substrate is held and supported by the substrate holder. According to Form 3, damage to the seal member by the abrasive can be prevented.

[0051] [Form 4] According to Form 4, a substrate holding support module is proposed, and the substrate holding support module comprises a substrate holder having an electrical contact configured to supply power to a substrate, and a maintenance member of Forms 1 to 3. According to Form 4, the electrical contact of the substrate holder in the substrate holding support module can be easily maintained.

[0052] [Form 5] According to Form 5, in Form 4, the substrate holder has a first holding support member and a second holding support member configured to place a substrate between the first holding support member and the second holding support member, and the electrical contact is provided on at least one side of the first holding support member and the second holding support member.

[0053] [Form 6] According to Form 6, a substrate holding support module is proposed, wherein the substrate holding support module comprises a first holding support member having an electrical contact configured to supply power to a substrate, and a second holding support member configured to place a substrate between the first holding support member and the second holding support member, and the second holding support member having an abrasive disposed at a position corresponding to the electrical contact in the first holding support member. According to Form 6, the electrical contact provided in the first holding support member can be easily maintained by the abrasive provided in the second holding support member.

[0054] [Form 7] According to Form 7, in Forms 4 to 6, the electrical contact is configured to slide on the substrate when the substrate holder holds and supports the substrate.

[0055] [Form 8] According to Form 8, a plating device is proposed, and the plating device comprises a substrate holding support module of Forms 4 to 7 and a plating module that performs plating treatment on a substrate held and supported in the substrate holder in the substrate holding support module.

[0056] [Form 9] According to Form 9, a maintenance method is proposed for maintaining a substrate holder having an electrical contact configured to supply power to a substrate, and the maintenance method includes a maintenance step of holding and supporting a maintenance member of Forms 1 to 3 in the substrate holder.

[0057] [Form 10] According to Form 10, the method further comprises the steps of: holding and supporting a substrate or a test substrate in the substrate holder in Form 9; measuring the electrical resistance of the substrate or the test substrate and the electrical contact; and determining to perform the maintenance step based on the measured electrical resistance. According to Form 10, maintenance of the electrical contact can be performed based on the electrical resistance of the substrate or the test substrate and the electrical contact.

[0058] The present application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-27351, filed on February 20, 2020. All disclosures of Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-27351, including the specification, claims, drawings, and abstract, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. All disclosures of Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-62570 (Patent Document 1) are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0059] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from its intent, and it is understood that the present invention includes equivalents thereof. Furthermore, any combination or omission of each component described in the claims and specification is possible within the scope of solving at least a part of the above-described problem or within the scope of exhibiting at least a part of the effect. Explanation of the symbols

[0060] Wf… substrate 10… Plating tank 40… Fixing Unit 60, 60A… PCB holder 61, 61A… Absence of first retaining support 62, 62A… Absence of second-holding support 69, 69A… Substrate-side seal member 72… Absence of holder-side seal 74, 74A… electrical contact 80… Lack of maintenance 82, 82A… abrasive 122… Substrate return device 125… PCB holder cleaning unit 140… Substrate holder return device 142… The 1st Transporter 144… The 2nd Transporter 170A… Load / Unload Section 170B… Processing unit

Claims

Claim 1 A maintenance member for maintaining a substrate holder having an electrical contact configured to supply power to a substrate, the maintenance member having a shape corresponding to a substrate that is to be held and supported by the substrate holder, and having an abrasive body arranged to contact the electrical contact when held and supported by the substrate holder, wherein the substrate holder has a seal member that contacts the substrate when held and supported, and the abrasive body is not arranged at a position that contacts the seal member when held and supported by the substrate holder, but is arranged outside the position that contacts the seal member when held and supported by the substrate holder. Claim 2 A maintenance member according to claim 1, wherein the abrasive body is composed of an abrasive sheet coated with abrasive particles, and the abrasive particles have an average particle median diameter of 3 μm or less. Claim 3 A substrate holding support module having a substrate holder having electrical contacts configured to supply power to a substrate, and a maintenance member described in claim 1. Claim 4 In paragraph 3, the substrate holder has a first holding support member and a second holding support member configured to place a substrate between the first holding support member and the second holding support member, and the electrical contact is provided on at least one side of the first holding support member and the second holding support member, a substrate holding support module. Claim 5 A substrate holding support module comprising: a first holding support member having an electrical contact configured to supply power to a substrate and a seal member in contact with the substrate; a second holding support member configured to place a substrate between the first holding support member and the second holding support member, wherein the second holding support member has a polishing body disposed at a position corresponding to the electrical contact in the first holding support member but not disposed at a position corresponding to the seal member in the first holding support member. Claim 6 In paragraph 3 or 5, the electrical contact is configured to slide over the substrate when the substrate holder holds and supports the substrate, forming a substrate holding and supporting module. Claim 7 A plating apparatus comprising a substrate holding support module described in paragraph 3 or 5, and a plating module for performing plating treatment on a substrate held and supported in the substrate holder in the substrate holding support module. Claim 8 A maintenance method for maintaining a substrate holder having electrical contacts configured to supply power to a substrate, comprising a maintenance step of holding and supporting a maintenance member described in claim 1 in the substrate holder. Claim 9 A maintenance method according to claim 8, further comprising: a step of holding and supporting a substrate or a test substrate in the substrate holder; a step of measuring the electrical resistance of the substrate or the test substrate and the electrical contact; and a step of determining to perform the maintenance step based on the measured electrical resistance. Claim 10 In claim 5, the second holding support member is configured to insert a substrate together with the first holding support member while the polishing body is positioned at a location corresponding to the electrical contact in the first holding support member, forming a substrate holding support module. Claim 11 In claim 5, the above-mentioned abrasive is provided at a position spaced apart from the first holding support member than the area in contact with the substrate in the second holding support member, in a substrate holding support module.

Images