Contact member, chuck, and electroplating device

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor electroplating, and provides a contact member, a chuck, and an electroplating device. The contact member extends in a straight line and comprises a mounting base body and a contact base body. The mounting base body comprises a plurality of mounting parts that are arranged at intervals, and the plurality of mounting parts are distributed in the length direction of the mounting base body. Adjacent mounting parts are separated by means of a first hollow area, and each mounting part is provided with a guide portion protruding from the mounting base body. The contact base body is provided with a plurality of second hollow areas distributed at intervals in the length direction thereof, and the contact base body is connected to the mounting base body so as to be used for contacting a substrate. The contact member provided by the present invention has a higher material utilization rate and generates less waste. The output rate of the contact member is higher, and the processing costs are lower. In addition, the contact member has good bending performance, and the contact member can be more easily bent into a ring for use from a state in which the contact member extends in a straight line.

Description

Contacts, chucks and electroplating equipment Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor electroplating, and more particularly to a contact piece, a chuck and an electroplating device. Background Art

[0002] In semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing, chemical electroplating of wafers is essential for producing high-quality integrated circuits. In electroplating equipment, a chuck is used to secure the wafer. Contacts are key components within the chuck that connect with the wafer's seed layer. These contacts are made of a conductive metal with a certain degree of elasticity. The structure and physical properties of the contacts are key factors in determining the quality of the electroplating process.

[0003] The initial processing shape of the existing contact piece is an arc shape. However, since the processing base material is not arc-shaped, the arc-shaped structure usually generates more waste during the processing process, requires the use of more processing materials, and thus increases the processing cost.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to solve the above problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a contact piece and a chuck, wherein the contact piece can be processed along a straight line during processing, generating less waste, effectively reducing processing costs, and having excellent bending performance.

[0006] The present invention solves the above technical problems through the following technical solutions:

[0007] A contact member extending along a straight line, comprising:

[0008] a mounting base, the mounting base comprising a plurality of mounting portions spaced apart from each other, the plurality of mounting portions being distributed along the length direction of the contact member, adjacent mounting portions being separated by a first hollow region, each mounting portion being provided with a guide portion protruding from the mounting base;

[0009] A contact base is provided with a plurality of second hollow areas spaced apart along the length direction of the contact member, and the contact base is connected to the mounting base for contacting the substrate.

[0010] Preferably, the mounting base further comprises a connecting portion, the connecting portion extending along the length direction of the contact member, the connecting portion comprising a first end surface and a second end surface arranged opposite to each other;

[0011] The first end surface is connected to the mounting base, and the mounting base extends outward from the first end surface along the width direction of the contact member;

[0012] The second end surface is connected to the contact base, and the contact base extends outward from the second end surface along the width direction of the contact piece.

[0013] Preferably, the inner surface of the terminal end of the first hollow area extends to the first end surface, and / or the inner surface of the terminal end of the second hollow area extends to the second end surface.

[0014] Preferably, the guide portion is provided at an end of the mounting portion away from the connecting portion.

[0015] Preferably, the contact element is rectangular in shape.

[0016] Preferably, the contact base includes a plurality of extension portions, which are distributed along the length direction of the contact piece, and a second hollow area is provided between adjacent extension portions. The head end of each extension portion is connected to the mounting base, and the end of each extension portion is provided with a contact portion, which is used to contact the substrate.

[0017] Preferably, the contact portion is tilted relative to the horizontal plane and the angle between the contact portion and the horizontal plane is 0-20°.

[0018] Preferably, the extension portion and the mounting base form an arc transition.

[0019] A chuck for holding a substrate, the chuck comprising an inner pressure ring, a frame and the contact piece as described above, the mounting portions of the contact piece being fitted to the inner circumference of the frame, the inner circumference of the frame being provided with an annular groove, the guide portions of the contact piece being arranged in the annular groove, and the contact piece being crimped onto the inner circumference of the frame via the inner pressure ring.

[0020] Preferably, a gap is provided between the contact base of the contact piece and the inner circumferential surface of the frame.

[0021] Preferably, the contact base of the contact piece includes a plurality of extensions, which extend along the length direction of the mounting base, and a second hollow area is provided between adjacent extensions. The head end of each extension is connected to the mounting base, and the tail end of each extension is provided with a contact portion, which is used to contact the substrate, and a gap is provided between the extension and the inner circumferential surface of the skeleton.

[0022] An electroplating device comprises the chuck as described above.

[0023] The positive advantages of the present invention are that, in the present invention, the contact member extends along a straight line, so the contact member can be processed along a straight line during processing. Compared to conventional ring-shaped contact members with the same material area, the present invention achieves higher material utilization, less waste, and higher contact member production efficiency, thus reducing the processing cost of the contact member. Furthermore, by providing multiple mounting portions distributed along the length of the contact member and separating adjacent mounting portions by a first hollow region, the first hollow region can reduce the stiffness and strength of the edge material of the mounting base, making it easier to deform the edge material during bending. Furthermore, the first hollow region can reduce its moment of inertia, improving the bending performance of the contact member. Similarly, the provision of the second hollow region can further improve the bending performance of the contact member, thereby making it easier to bend the contact member from a straight-line extension state into a ring for use. The guide portion protrudes from the mounting portion. During use, it can not only guide the contact member to bend into a ring, but also, by contacting other components, it can offset the rebound of the contact member during bending, helping the contact member maintain its bent state and thus improving the stability of the contact member.

[0024] Summary of the Figures

[0025] The features and properties of the present invention are further described by the following examples and accompanying drawings.

[0026] FIG1 discloses a schematic diagram of processing a contact member in the prior art;

[0027] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram of processing of the contact element in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0028] FIG3 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the structure of the contact member in the embodiment 1 of the present invention in the state of use;

[0029] FIG4 shows a front view of the structure of the contact member in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0030] FIG5 is a schematic diagram showing a partial enlarged structure of a contact member in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0031] FIG6 shows a schematic side view of the structure of the contact element in Example 1 of the present invention;

[0032] FIG7 shows a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the chuck in Example 2 of the present invention;

[0033] FIG8 shows a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the chuck in Example 2 of the present invention;

[0034] FIG9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the exploded structure of the chuck in Example 2 of the present invention;

[0035] FIG10 shows an enlarged schematic diagram of the structure at point A in FIG9 ;

[0036] FIG11 shows a schematic structural diagram of the chuck in the assembled state in Example 2 of the present invention.

[0037] Preferred embodiments of the present invention

[0038] To illustrate the technical content, structural features, achieved objectives and effects of the present invention in detail, embodiments will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiments.

[0039] In the wafer chuck of the electroplating equipment, the contact piece serves as a conductive component for contacting the seed layer on the front side of the wafer. The shape of the wafer is generally circular. In order to adapt to the shape of the wafer so that the contact piece can evenly contact the seed layer on the front side of the wafer, the contact piece needs to be a ring structure. Therefore, the contact piece in the prior art is usually an arc-shaped structure after processing, and then a plurality of arc-shaped contact pieces are spliced ​​into a complete ring-shaped contact piece. The processing process of the contact piece is shown in Figure 1, where several arc-shaped structures are cut out on a square substrate, and then further processed into an arc-shaped contact piece 200'. Due to its arc-shaped structure, a lot of waste will be generated during the processing, and the material utilization rate is low, resulting in high processing costs.

[0040] In order to reduce its processing cost, the present invention provides a bendable rectangular contact piece 200, the processing of which is shown in Figure 2. During processing, the rectangular structure is used for processing, which produces less waste and a high output rate of the contact piece 200. Under the same area of ​​the substrate, more contact pieces 200 can be processed, greatly reducing the processing cost. When in use, as shown in Figure 3 (only a portion of the structure of the contact piece 200 is shown, it is actually a ring), it can be bent into a ring for use without affecting its performance. The structure of the rectangular contact piece 200 is described in detail below.

[0041] As shown in Figures 4 (only a portion of the contact 200 is shown to more clearly illustrate the structure of the contact 200) and 5, the contact 200 extends in a straight line. Because the contact 200 extends in a straight line, it can be processed along a straight line during processing. Compared to the conventional curved contact 200' with the same material area, the contact 200 achieves higher material utilization, generates less waste, and has a higher yield rate for the contact 200. Therefore, the contact 200 provided by the present invention has lower processing costs.

[0042] The contact 200 includes a mounting base 210, a contact base 220, and a connecting portion 214. The connecting portion 214 extends along the length direction L of the contact 200 and includes a first end face and a second end face disposed opposite each other. The first end face of the connecting portion 214 is connected to the mounting base 210, and the mounting base 210 extends outward from the first end face of the connecting portion 214 along the width direction W of the contact 200. The second end face of the connecting portion 214 is connected to the contact base 220, and the contact base 220 extends outward from the second end face of the connecting portion 214 along the width direction W of the contact 200. The mounting base 210 and the contact base 220 can be fixed together by the connecting portion 214 to form a single unit. Furthermore, the connecting portion 214 can withstand a certain amount of tension or pressure during the connection process to ensure a secure and stable connection between the mounting base 210 and the contact base 220, thereby increasing the service life of the contact 200.

[0043] Specifically, the mounting base 210 includes a plurality of spaced mounting portions 211 distributed along the length L of the contact 200. Adjacent mounting portions 211 are separated by first hollow regions 212. The mounting portions 211 are provided with guide portions 213 that protrude from the mounting base 210. The first hollow regions 212 reduce the stiffness and strength of the edge material of the mounting base 210, facilitating deformation of the edge material during bending. Furthermore, the first hollow regions 212 reduce the moment of inertia of the mounting base 210, thereby improving the bending performance of the contact 200. The guide portions 213 protrude from the mounting portions 211. During use, they not only guide the contact 200 to bend into a ring shape, but also, as shown in FIG10 , insert into the annular groove 310 provided on the chuck to offset the reaction force generated by the contact 200 during bending, helping the contact 200 maintain its bent state and thereby improving its stability.

[0044] Furthermore, the inner surface of the distal end of the first hollow region 212 extends to the first end surface of the connecting portion 214, and the inner surface of the distal end of the second hollow region 223 extends to the second end surface of the connecting portion 214. The first and second hollow regions 212, 223 have large areas and do not affect the connecting portion 214, thereby ensuring that the contact member 200 has both bending properties and a certain degree of strength. Of course, in other embodiments, the distal extension distances of the first and second hollow regions 212, 223 are not limited to this and can be flexibly adjusted as needed.

[0045] In one example, the guide portion 213 is disposed at one end of the mounting portion 211 away from the connecting portion 214. The guide portion 213 is farther away from the connecting portion 214 and generates a greater moment, making it easier to bend the contact 200 into a ring shape.

[0046] In this embodiment, the contact base 220 includes a plurality of extension portions 221, and the plurality of extension portions 221 are distributed along the length direction L of the contact member 200. A second hollow area 223 is provided between adjacent extension portions 221. The head end of each extension portion 221 is connected to the mounting base 210, and the end of each extension portion 221 is provided with a contact portion 222, which is used to contact the wafer.

[0047] The use of multiple extensions 221 and the provision of contact portions 222 effectively increases the number of contact points between the contact member 200 and the wafer, improving the contact quality between the wafer and the contact base 220. It also maximizes the contact area between the wafer and the contact base 220, enabling the wafer to be stably placed on the contact base 220 and facilitating improved electrical conductivity uniformity. The provision of a second hollowed-out area 223 between adjacent extensions 221 not only enhances the bending performance of the contact member 200, allowing it to be more easily bent from a straight-line extension into a ring for use, but also reduces friction between the contact base 220 and the wafer, effectively minimizing damage to the wafer and lowering the defect rate in product manufacturing.

[0048] In one example, the contact member 200 is rectangular in shape. The rectangular contact member 200 is easier to process, has a simple shape, is less likely to deform during processing, reduces waste during cutting, further reduces processing costs, and can improve processing efficiency and production benefits.

[0049] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG6 , the contact portion 222 is tilted relative to the horizontal plane and has an angle a of 6° with the horizontal plane. In other embodiments, the value of angle a can be in the range of 0-20°, flexibly selected based on the material of the contact portion 222. Simulation analysis using 306 stainless steel shows that at different angles, the reaction force of a single contact portion 222 on the wafer is as follows: when a is 6°, the reaction force is 0.0339N; when a is 12°, the reaction force is 0.0513N; when a is 15°, the reaction force is 0.0516N; and when a is 18°, the reaction force is 0.0520N.

[0050] After the electroplating process is completed, the wafer is likely to adhere to the contact part 200. In the present invention, the contact portion 222 is tilted relative to the horizontal plane. As the angle a increases, the reaction force on the wafer gradually increases, and the wafer is less likely to adhere. However, if the tilting angle is too large, the wafer is likely to be scratched when it is placed on the contact part 222. Therefore, the angle a is controlled within 20°. On the one hand, the wafer is not easily scratched by the contact part 222 when it contacts the contact part 222; on the other hand, the contact part 222 can provide a rebound force for the wafer after deformation, which can prevent the wafer from adhering to the contact part 200 after the electroplating process is completed.

[0051] In this embodiment, the extension portion 221 forms an arc transition with the mounting base 210. Conventional sharp-angle connections are prone to stress concentration, which can easily lead to cracks or breakage at the connection between the extension portion 221 and the mounting base 210, posing safety hazards. The arc transition used in this embodiment effectively reduces stress concentration, fatigue, and deformation, thereby increasing the service life of the contact 200.

[0052] In addition, in other embodiments, the connecting portion 214 may not be provided, and the plurality of mounting portions 211 in the mounting base 210 may be connected to each other, or the plurality of extending portions 221 in the contact base 220 may be connected to each other.

[0053] After clarifying the structure of the contact 200 of the present invention, its production method can be processed by mature technology, such as processing by combining wire cutting and stamping. The specific processing method will not be repeated here.

[0054] Example 2

[0055] This embodiment provides a chuck, which is an important component of semiconductor electroplating equipment. The chuck has a central portion with a space for holding a substrate. The chuck is used to hold the substrate (not shown). In this embodiment, the substrate is a wafer, but the substrate can also be other workpiece structures that require electroplating.

[0056] Specifically, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the chuck includes an inner pressure ring 100, a frame 300, and the contact member 200 of Example 1. The contact member 200 is obtained by bending the rectangular contact member in Figure 4 into a ring shape. A first mounting hole 110 is provided on the upper surface of the inner pressure ring 100, and a second mounting hole 320 is provided on the frame 300 to match the first mounting hole 110. The contact member 200 is pressed against the frame 300 by the inner pressure ring 100, and the inner pressure ring 100 can be locked to the frame 300 by fasteners, thereby fixing the contact member 200 to the frame 300.

[0057] Furthermore, referring to Figures 9 to 11 , the inner circumference of the frame 300 is provided with an annular groove 310. The guide portion 213 of the contact 200 is disposed within the annular groove 310, and the mounting portion 211 is affixed to the inner circumference of the frame 300. The cooperation between the guide portion 213 and the annular groove 310 guides the contact 200 along the annular groove 310 to form an annular shape, matching the inner circumference of the frame 300. Furthermore, under the action of the inner pressure ring 100, the contact 200 is stably fixed to the inner circumference of the frame 300.

[0058] Of course, in other embodiments, the contact piece 200 may also be bent into an arc shape first, and then multiple arc-shaped contact pieces are spliced ​​together to form a ring shape.

[0059] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG11 , a gap is provided between the extension portion 221 of the contact base 220 and the inner circumference of the skeleton 300. The advantages of providing this gap are that, on the one hand, when a wafer is placed on the contact base 220, the contact base 220 will move toward the inner circumference of the skeleton 300, acting as a buffer and achieving soft contact between the wafer and the contact base 220, making the wafer less likely to break. On the other hand, the contact base 220 will elastically deform within the gap, so that when the wafer is separated from the contact base 220, the contact base 220 will generate a reaction force on the wafer, making it less likely to cause adhesion.

[0060] Example 3

[0061] This embodiment also provides an electroplating device, which includes the chuck in Example 2.

[0062] Although the above describes specific embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that these are merely illustrative and that various changes or modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and essence of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A contact, characterized in that: The contact member extends along a straight line and includes: A mounting base, the mounting base comprising a plurality of mounting portions arranged at intervals, the plurality of mounting portions being distributed along the length direction of the contact member, adjacent mounting portions being separated by a first hollow area, and each mounting portion being provided with a guide portion protruding from the mounting base; A contact base is provided with a plurality of second hollow areas spaced apart along the length direction of the contact member, and the contact base is connected to the mounting base for contacting the substrate.

2. The contact member according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a connecting portion, the connecting portion extending along the length direction of the contact piece, the connecting portion including a first end surface and a second end surface arranged opposite to each other; The first end surface is connected to the mounting base, and the mounting base extends outward from the first end surface along the width direction of the contact member; The second end surface is connected to the contact base, and the contact base extends outward from the second end surface along the width direction of the contact piece.

3. The contact member according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner surface of the terminal end of the first hollow area extends to the first end surface, and / or the inner surface of the terminal end of the second hollow area extends to the second end surface.

4. The contact member according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guiding portion is arranged at an end of the mounting portion away from the connecting portion.

5. The contact member according to claim 1, characterized in that: The contact piece is in a rectangular shape.

6. The contact member according to claim 1, characterized in that: The contact base includes a plurality of extension portions, which are distributed along the length direction of the contact piece, and a second hollow area is arranged between adjacent extension portions. The head end of each extension portion is connected to the mounting base, and the terminal end of each extension portion is provided with a contact portion, which is used to contact the substrate.

7. The contact member according to claim 6, characterized in that: The contact portion is tilted relative to the horizontal plane and the angle between the contact portion and the horizontal plane is 0-20°.

8. The contact member according to claim 6, characterized in that: The extension portion and the mounting base are in an arc transition.

9. A chuck for holding a substrate, characterized in that: The chuck includes an inner pressure ring, a frame and a contact piece as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein each mounting portion of the contact piece is attached to the inner circumference of the frame, an annular groove is provided on the inner circumference of the frame, each guide portion of the contact piece is provided in the annular groove, and the contact piece is crimped onto the inner circumference of the frame through the inner pressure ring.

10. The chuck according to claim 9, characterized in that A gap is provided between the contact base of the contact piece and the inner peripheral surface of the frame.

11. The chuck according to claim 10, characterized in that The contact base of the contact piece includes a plurality of extension portions, which extend along the length direction of the mounting base, and a second hollow area is arranged between adjacent extension portions. The head end of each extension portion is connected to the mounting base, and the tail end of each extension portion is arranged with a contact portion, which is used to contact the substrate, and a gap is arranged between the extension portion and the inner circumferential surface of the skeleton.

12. An electroplating device, characterized in that: Comprising a chuck as described in any one of claims 9-11.

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