Electroplating solution backflow control system and method

Abstract

An electroplating solution backflow control system and method. The electroplating solution backflow control system comprises a process cavity, a solution storage tank, a backflow pipe, a backflow control valve, an image acquisition device and a control device; a backflow port is formed at the bottom of an overflow tank; the backflow control valve is arranged on the backflow pipe; the image acquisition device is arranged above the backflow port and is used for acquiring image information of a backflow port area and sending the image information to the control device; and the control device is used for comparing the image information with pre-stored reference image information and adjusting the degree of opening of the backflow control valve on the basis of the comparison result.

Description

Electroplating solution reflux control system and control method Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and in particular to a plating solution reflux control system and control method. Background Art

[0002] In the electroplating process, the stability of the plating solution is crucial to the effectiveness of the plating process, directly affecting the quality and uniformity of the coating. Controlling bubbles in the plating solution is a key factor affecting the stability of the plating solution and the plating process. If bubbles are mixed into the plating solution, on the one hand, because the bubbles contain oxygen, they may oxidize and decompose the additives in the plating solution, causing the plating solution to become unstable and affecting the plating rate. On the other hand, bubbles enter the plating process chamber through the circulation system. During wafer plating, the locations where the bubbles come into contact will form cavities that hinder metal deposition, making it difficult to effectively electroplate the areas on the wafer where bubbles are present.

[0003] During the electroplating process, the plating solution is easily introduced with air and generates bubbles as it flows back from the plating process chamber to the liquid reservoir. Therefore, it is necessary to design a plating solution reflux control system and control method to effectively reduce or even eliminate bubbles generated during the process, thereby improving the stability of the plating solution and, consequently, the efficiency and stability of the electroplating process. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the object of the present invention is to provide a plating liquid reflux control system and control method, which is used to solve the problem that in the electroplating process of the prior art, bubbles are easily introduced when the plating liquid flows back from the electroplating process chamber to the liquid storage tank, resulting in low efficiency and process stability of the electroplating process.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose and other related purposes, the present invention provides a plating liquid reflux control system, comprising: a process chamber, a liquid storage tank, a reflux pipeline, a reflux control valve, an image acquisition device and a control device; wherein the process chamber comprises a reaction tank and an overflow tank, the overflow tank is arranged at the periphery of the reaction tank, and is used to receive the plating liquid overflowing from the reaction tank; a reflux port is provided at the bottom of the overflow tank, and the reflux pipeline is used to connect the reflux port and the liquid storage tank to reflux the plating liquid in the overflow tank to the liquid storage tank; the reflux control valve is arranged on the reflux pipeline; the image acquisition device is arranged above the reflux port, and is used to acquire image information of the reflux port area and send the image information to the control device; the control device is used to compare the image information with pre-stored reference image information, and adjust the opening of the reflux control valve according to the comparison result, thereby adjusting the flow rate of the reflux pipeline.

[0006] The present invention provides another electroplating liquid reflux control system, comprising a process chamber, a liquid storage tank, a reflux pipeline, a reflux control valve, an image acquisition device and a control device; wherein, the process chamber comprises a reaction tank and an overflow tank, the overflow tank is arranged at the periphery of the reaction tank, and is used to receive the electroplating liquid overflowing from the reaction tank; a reflux port is provided at the bottom of the overflow tank, and the reflux pipeline is used to connect the reflux port and the liquid storage tank to reflux the electroplating liquid in the overflow tank to the liquid storage tank; the reflux control valve is arranged on the reflux pipeline; the image acquisition device is arranged above the overflow tank, and is used to acquire image information in the overflow tank and send the image information to the control device; the control device is used to compare the image information with pre-stored reference image information, and adjust the opening of the reflux control valve according to the comparison result.

[0007] The present invention also provides a method for controlling electroplating solution reflux, comprising:

[0008] S1, the process chamber starts the process, the plating solution overflows from the reaction tank to the overflow tank, and then flows into the storage tank through the reflux pipeline;

[0009] S2, the image acquisition device acquires image information of the reflow port area and sends the image information to the control device;

[0010] S3, the control device compares the image information with pre-stored reference image information;

[0011] S4, the control device adjusts the opening of the reflux control valve according to the comparison result.

[0012] The present invention also provides a method for controlling electroplating solution reflux, comprising:

[0013] S10, the process chamber starts the process, the plating solution overflows from the reaction tank to the overflow tank, and then flows into the storage tank through the reflux pipeline;

[0014] S20, the image acquisition device acquires image information in the overflow tank and sends the image information to the control device;

[0015] S30, the control device compares the image information with pre-stored reference image information;

[0016] S40: The control device adjusts the opening of the reflux control valve according to the comparison result.

[0017] As described above, the present invention provides a plating liquid reflux control system and control method, in which an image acquisition device is arranged above the reflux port to acquire image information of the reflux port area and send the image information to the control device; the control device is used to compare the image information with pre-stored reference image information, and adjust the opening of the reflux pipeline of the reflux control valve according to the comparison result, so as to effectively reduce or even eliminate bubbles generated in the process of the plating liquid refluxing from the electroplating process chamber to the liquid storage tank, thereby improving the stability of the plating liquid and thereby improving the efficiency and process stability of the electroplating process.

[0018] Summary of the Figures

[0019] The features and performance of the present application are further described by the following examples and drawings.

[0020] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a plating solution reflow system;

[0021] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a plating solution reflux control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG3 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the process chamber in Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0023] FIG4 is a schematic diagram showing a plating solution reflux control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] FIG5 is a schematic diagram showing the corresponding relationship between different volumes of plating solution in the overflow tank and the shape of the plating solution in the reflux port area in the first and second embodiments of the present invention.

[0025] Preferred embodiment of this application

[0026] The following describes the embodiments of the present invention through specific examples. Those skilled in the art will readily understand the other advantages and benefits of the present invention from the disclosure herein. The present invention may also be implemented or applied through various other specific embodiments, and the details in this specification may be modified or altered based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0027] It should be noted that the drawings disclosed herein only illustrate the basic concept of the present invention in a schematic manner. Although the drawings only show components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the number, shape and size of components in actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component in actual implementation may be changed at will, and the component layout may also be more complicated.

[0028] In the following description, when referring to the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Instead, they are merely examples of devices consistent with some aspects of the present invention as detailed in the appended claims.

[0029] The terms used in this disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0030] In the description of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified and limited, it should be noted that the terms "installation", "connection" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection, or it can be the internal connection between two components. It can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0031] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used in the present disclosure to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other.

[0032] In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" that may be used to indicate orientations or positional relationships are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0033] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an electroplating solution reflux system, which includes a process chamber 10, a reflux line 20, and a liquid reservoir 30. The reflux line 20 connects the process chamber 10 and the liquid reservoir 30. Specifically, in one embodiment, the process chamber 10 is located above the liquid reservoir 30, the upper end of the reflux line 20 is connected to the process chamber 10, and the lower end of the reflux line 20 is connected to the liquid reservoir 30. It should be understood that in wafer manufacturing processes, multi-chamber electroplating equipment is generally used to increase production capacity. FIG1 only shows one electroplating process chamber 10 in the electroplating equipment. The process chamber 10 includes a reaction tank 110 and an overflow tank 120 located outside the reaction tank 110. The plating solution 130 is supplied to the reaction tank 110 from the liquid storage tank 30, and then overflows from the reaction tank 110 to the overflow tank 120. A reflux port is provided at the bottom of the overflow tank 120 so that the plating solution 130 can flow back to the liquid storage tank 30 from the reflux port and through the reflux pipe 20.

[0034] In order to provide a certain buffering effect for the plating solution 130 in the reflux line 20, a collecting funnel 200 is typically provided on the reflux line 20. Specifically, the reflux line 20 includes a collecting funnel 200 and a pipeline body 201. The collecting funnel 200 includes a collecting pipe 2001 located at its top and a drainage port located on its sidewall or bottom. The collecting pipe 2001 is connected to the reflux port of the overflow trough 120, and the drainage port is connected to the upper end of the pipeline body 201. The plating solution 130 in the overflow trough 120 first flows from the reflux port into the collecting funnel 200, and then flows from the collecting funnel 200 through the pipeline body 201 to the liquid storage tank 30. Since the overflow trough 120 is an open trough, as shown in FIG1 , when the amount of plating solution 130 in the overflow trough 120 is too low, air 40 may mix in, forming a large number of bubbles. The bubbles will flow into the liquid storage tank 30 along the reflux line 20 and circulate into the process chamber 10 along with the electroplating solution, affecting the stability of the electroplating solution 130 and further affecting the process efficiency and stability.

[0035] Through repeated research and experiments, the inventors found that in the electroplating process, the bubble control in the return pipe 20 is related to the image information in the overflow tank 120 obtained from above the overflow tank 120. Therefore, a plating liquid reflux control system and control method are provided. By obtaining and analyzing the image information in the overflow tank 120, the opening of the reflux control valve 23 on the return pipe 20 is adjusted to reduce or even eliminate the bubbles generated during the reflux of the plating solution, thereby improving the efficiency and process stability of the electroplating process.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] One aspect of the present invention provides a plating solution reflux control system. Referring to FIG. 2 , which shows a schematic diagram of a plating solution reflux control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention, the plating solution reflux control system includes a process chamber 1, a liquid reservoir 3, a reflux line 2, a reflux control valve 23, an image acquisition device 5, and a control device 6. The process chamber 1 includes a reaction tank 11 and an overflow tank 12. The overflow tank 12 is disposed on the periphery of the reaction tank 11 and is configured to receive the plating solution 13 overflowing from the reaction tank 11. A reflux port 122 is provided at the bottom of the overflow tank 12. The reflux line 2 is configured to connect the reflux port 122 and the liquid reservoir 3 to reflux the plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 back to the liquid reservoir 3. The reflux control valve 23 is arranged on the reflux pipeline 2, and the image acquisition device 5 is arranged above the reflux port 122, for acquiring image information of the reflux port 122 area in real time, that is, acquiring real-time image information of the reflux port 122 area, and sending the real-time image information to the control device 6; the control device 6 is used to compare the real-time image information with the pre-stored reference image information, and adjust the opening of the reflux control valve 23 according to the comparison result, thereby adjusting the flow rate of the plating solution 13 in the reflux pipeline 2.

[0038] It should be understood that in this embodiment, the image acquisition device 5 acquires real-time image information of the reflow port 122 area. In other embodiments of the present invention, the image acquisition device 5 may also periodically acquire image information of the reflow port 122 area, for example, acquiring image information of the reflow port 122 area once every 1 second or every 2 seconds.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 3 , which illustrates a schematic diagram of a process chamber according to a first embodiment of the present invention, a mounting hole 15 is provided in the process chamber 1 in an area corresponding to the reflow port 122. An image acquisition device 5 is mounted in the mounting hole 15 to acquire real-time image information of the area of ​​the reflow port 122. For example, the image acquisition device 5 may be a device capable of acquiring images, such as a video camera or a still camera.

[0040] Because the process chamber 1 is often also used as a post-plating cleaning chamber during the electroplating process, a water inlet lip 14 is provided above the reaction tank 11, as shown in FIG3 . The water inlet lip 14 surrounds the inner wall of the process chamber 1 and extends obliquely upward from the inner wall of the process chamber 1. When the process chamber 1 is used as a post-plating cleaning chamber, cleaning liquid can be discharged from the process chamber 1 along the water inlet lip 14.

[0041] Since the water receiving edge 14 is between the image acquisition device 5 and the return port 122 , the water receiving edge 14 is configured to be transparent to avoid affecting the image acquisition device 5 in acquiring real-time image information of the return port 122 area.

[0042] In this embodiment, the control device 6 pre-stores reference image information, and the reference image information includes the first state, the second state, and the third state of the plating solution 13 in the reflow port 122 area.

[0043] During the electroplating process, the image acquisition device 5 acquires real-time image information of the plating solution 13 in the area of ​​the reflux port 122 and transmits it to the control device 6. The control device 6 compares the real-time image information with the first form, the second form, and the third form, and adjusts the opening of the reflux control valve 23 according to the comparison results and the corresponding relationship shown in Table 1. For example, the reflux control valve 23 can be an automatic ball valve.

[0044] Table 1

[0045] If the comparison result is that the real-time image information of the electroplating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area conforms to the first form, the current opening of the reflux control valve 23 is maintained; if the comparison result is that the real-time image information of the electroplating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area conforms to the second form, the opening of the reflux control valve 23 is increased; if the comparison result is that the real-time image information of the electroplating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area conforms to the third form, the opening of the reflux control valve 23 is decreased.

[0046] After research and experiments, the inventors found that during the electroplating process, compared with the plating solution reflux system shown in Figure 1, if the opening of the reflux control valve 23 is adjusted to keep the plating solution 13 in the reflux port 122 area vortex, that is, the reflux port 122 is covered by the plating solution 13, and the plating solution 13 presents a vortex shape, then a large number of bubbles will not appear in the reflux pipeline 2 or there may even be no bubbles.

[0047] In addition, a vortex will appear in the plating solution 13 in the reflux port 122 area only when the volume of the plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 is within a certain range. That is, when there is too much or too little plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12, a vortex will not appear in the plating solution 13 in the reflux port 122 area. When there is too little electroplating liquid 13 in the overflow trough 12 and no vortex appears in the electroplating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area, the electroplating liquid 13 flows into the reflux pipe 2 along the periphery of the reflux port 122, and a large area of ​​the reflux port 122 is exposed to the air. Air enters the reflux pipe 2 from the overflow trough 12, forming a large number of bubbles in the reflux pipe 2; when there is too much electroplating liquid 13 in the overflow trough 12 and no vortex appears in the electroplating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area, although air cannot enter the reflux pipe 2 from the overflow trough 12, it may cause the electroplating liquid 13 in the overflow trough 12 to be unable to flow from the reflux pipe 2 into the liquid storage tank 3 in time, and as shown by the dotted arrow in Figure 2, it directly overflows from the top of the overflow trough 12, posing a safety hazard.

[0048] It should be noted that “no vortex appears” means that the plating solution 13 in the area of ​​the reflux port 122 does not present a vortex shape or the vortex shape is not obvious because the plating solution 13 refluxes smoothly.

[0049] Therefore, in this embodiment, the first form includes a form in which a vortex appears in the plating liquid 13 in the return port 122 area; the second form includes a form in which no vortex appears in the return port 122 area due to excessive plating liquid 13 in the overflow tank 12; the third form includes a form in which no vortex appears in the return port 122 area due to insufficient plating liquid 13 in the overflow tank 12.

[0050] Specifically, before performing the electroplating process, the operator may simulate the electroplating process according to the steps of the electroplating process, and let the control device 6 store the reference image information in advance.

[0051] Exemplary steps for the control device 6 to pre-store reference image information are given below.

[0052] First, the opening of the reflux control valve 23 is adjusted to 100% to allow the electroplating solution 13 to circulate in the electroplating solution reflux control system.

[0053] The opening of the reflux control valve 23 is then reduced to allow the plating solution 13 to gradually accumulate in the overflow tank 12. When a vortex appears in the reflux port 122 area, the image acquisition device 5 acquires first image information and sends the first image information to the control device 6, which stores the first image information in a first form.

[0054] The plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 is allowed to continue to accumulate until there is no vortex in the reflux port 122 area. The image acquisition device 5 acquires the second image information and sends the second image information to the control device 6. The control device 6 stores the second image information in the second form.

[0055] The opening of the reflux control valve 23 is increased to gradually reduce the plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 until there is no vortex in the reflux port 122 area again. The image acquisition device 5 acquires the third image information and sends the third image information to the control device 6. The control device 6 stores the third image information in a third form.

[0056] During the electroplating process, the image acquisition device 5 acquires real-time image information of the reflux port 122 area and sends the real-time image information to the control device 6. The control device 6 compares the real-time image information with the pre-stored first, second, and third forms, respectively, and then controls the loop control valve 23 to perform corresponding actions according to the corresponding relationship in Table 1, so that the plating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area always has a vortex, thereby reducing or even eliminating the generation of bubbles during the reflux process of the plating liquid in the electroplating process, thereby improving the efficiency and process stability of the electroplating process.

[0057] It should be understood that in this embodiment, the control device 6 can be a computer, and the first, second, and third image information sent by the image acquisition device 5 can be analyzed by a computer algorithm, for example, by a binary image algorithm to obtain the characteristic values ​​of the first, second, and third image information, and store the first, second, and third forms respectively.

[0058] Similarly, the control device 6 can use the same method to analyze the real-time image information sent by the image acquisition device 5, obtain a characteristic value of the real-time image information, compare the characteristic value of the real-time image information with the characteristic values ​​of the first, second, and third image information, and set a similarity threshold. For example, the similarity threshold is set to 90%. If the characteristic value of the real-time image information is similar to or greater than 90% with the characteristic value of any one of the first, second, and third image information, for example, the first image information, the real-time image information is determined to conform to the first form. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can reasonably set the similarity threshold based on actual circumstances.

[0059] Optionally, since both the second and third forms are vortex-free, to prevent misjudgment by the control device 6 during comparison, as shown in FIG3 , in this embodiment, the plating solution reflux control system further includes a reference color layer 16 disposed on the bottom wall of the overflow tank 12. For example, the color reference layer 16 may be a red coating. When the volume of the plating solution 13 within the overflow tank 12 varies, the image captured from above the reflux port 122 region will exhibit a more pronounced difference in color depth, thereby improving comparison accuracy.

[0060] Optionally, to improve the accuracy of the comparison, in other implementations of this embodiment, the first, second, and third forms may each correspond to multiple image information. Taking the first form as an example, when a vortex appears in the reflow port 122 area, the image acquisition device 5 acquires multiple first image information and sends the multiple first image information to the control device 6. The control device 6 analyzes the multiple first image information to obtain multiple first image information feature values, and stores the multiple first image information feature values ​​as the first form.

[0061] It should be understood that the above-mentioned image information comparison method is merely exemplary, and in other implementations of this embodiment, other known computer algorithms or other methods may also be used to compare image information.

[0062] Optionally, in order to avoid possible safety risks, that is, excessive plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 overflowing the process chamber 1 from the top of the side wall of the overflow tank 12, and to increase the reliability and safety of the plating solution reflux control system, as shown in FIG2, this embodiment further includes an overflow pipe 4, and an overflow port 124 is provided at a predetermined height area of ​​the side wall of the overflow tank 12. The overflow pipe 4 is used to connect the overflow port 124 and the liquid storage tank 3. When the plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 is too excessive to flow into the liquid storage tank 3 from the reflux pipe 2 in time, it can flow into the liquid storage tank 3 through the overflow port 124.

[0063] Optionally, at least for the purpose of providing a certain buffer for the plating solution 13 in the reflux line 2, as shown in FIG2 , the reflux line 2 includes a collecting funnel 21 and a pipeline body 22. The collecting funnel 21 includes a collecting pipe 211 located at its top and a drain port located at its side wall or bottom. The collecting pipe 211 is connected to the reflux port 122, and the drain port is connected to the upper end of the pipeline body 22. In an electroplating device having multiple process chambers 1, each collecting funnel 21 can have two collecting pipes 211. In this case, the collecting funnel 21 connects the two process chambers 1 and becomes a common reflux area in the reflux system of the two process chambers 1. It should be understood that in the initial state of the electroplating process, not only should the opening of the reflux control valve 23 be adjusted to cause a vortex to appear in the plating solution 13 in the reflux port 122 area, but the collecting funnel 21 should also be filled with the plating solution 13 to avoid the presence of air in the collecting funnel 21 during the electroplating process.

[0064] In this embodiment, when the plating solution reflux control system operates normally, the system will automatically adjust the opening of the reflux control valve 23 so that a vortex always appears in the plating solution 13 in the reflux port 122 area, thereby reducing or even eliminating the generation of bubbles during the plating solution reflux process of the electroplating process, thereby improving the efficiency and process stability of the electroplating process.

[0065] Example 2

[0066] The main difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the reference image information corresponding to the first, second and third forms in this embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment.

[0067] Through further research and experimentation, the inventors discovered that when vortices form in the plating solution 13 in the region of the reflux port 122 during the plating solution recirculation process, different vortex shapes correspond to different bubble control results in the reflux line 2. When there are no bubbles in the reflux line 2, the vortex shape of the plating solution 13 in the region of the reflux port 122 exhibits certain characteristic features.

[0068] For example, the differences between the first, second, and third vortex forms can be characterized by the size of the vortex. Since the vortex is generally circular, the size of the vortex can be characterized by its diameter. As the volume of the plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 decreases, the size of the vortex also changes from small to large. That is, in terms of vortex size, the third vortex form is greater than the first vortex form and greater than the second vortex form.

[0069] Therefore, in order to more effectively reduce or even eliminate bubbles in the reflux pipe 2 during the reflux process of the plating solution in the electroplating process, in this embodiment, the first form includes the first vortex form of the plating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area when there are no bubbles in the reflux pipe 2; the second form includes the second vortex form of the plating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area when the plating liquid 13 in the overflow tank 12 is more than the plating liquid 13 corresponding to the first vortex form; the third form includes the third vortex form of the plating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area when the plating liquid 13 in the overflow tank 12 is less than the plating liquid 13 corresponding to the first vortex form.

[0070] Specifically, before performing the electroplating process, the operator may simulate the electroplating process according to the steps of the electroplating process, and let the control device 6 store the reference image information in advance.

[0071] Exemplary steps for the control device 6 to pre-store reference image information are given below.

[0072] First, adjust the opening of the reflux control valve 23 to 100% to allow the plating solution 13 to circulate in the plating solution reflux control system. Then, gradually reduce the opening of the reflux line 2 to allow the plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 to gradually accumulate until a vortex appears in the reflux port 122 area and there are no bubbles in the reflux line 2. The image acquisition device 5 captures the first vortex form and sends the first vortex form to the control device 6. The control device 6 stores the first vortex form as the first form. A bubble detection device can be used to determine whether bubbles are present in the reflux line 2. This will be described in detail later.

[0073] The plating liquid 13 in the overflow tank 12 is allowed to continue to accumulate until a vortex form different from the first vortex form appears in the plating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area. The image acquisition device 5 acquires the second vortex form and sends the second vortex form to the control device 6. The control device 6 stores the second vortex form as the second form.

[0074] Increase the opening of the reflux control valve 23 to gradually reduce the plating liquid 13 in the overflow tank 12. After the plating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area shows the first vortex form again, continue to reduce the plating liquid 13 in the overflow tank 12 until the plating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area shows a vortex form different from the first vortex form and the second vortex form. The image acquisition device 5 acquires the third vortex form and sends the third vortex form to the control device 6, and the control device 6 stores the third vortex form as the third form.

[0075] During the electroplating process, the image acquisition device 5 acquires real-time image information of the reflux port 122 area and sends the real-time image information to the control device 6. The control device 6 compares the real-time image information with the pre-stored first, second, and third forms, and then controls the reflux control valve 23 to perform corresponding actions according to the corresponding relationship in Table 1.

[0076] [Corrected on 16.01.2025 according to Rule 91] Refer to Figure 5, which shows a schematic diagram of the correspondence between different volumes of plating solution 13 in the overflow trough 12 and the shapes of the plating solution 13 in the return port 122 area, wherein A represents the first vortex shape in Example 2, A2 represents the second vortex shape in Example 2, A3 represents the third vortex shape in Example 2, B2 represents the absence of a vortex in the return port 122 area due to excessive plating solution 13 in the overflow trough 12, corresponding to the second shape in Example 1; B3 represents the absence of a vortex in the return port 122 area due to insufficient plating solution 13 in the overflow trough 12, corresponding to the third shape in Example 1.

[0077] [Corrected 16.01.2025 according to Rule 91] As shown in FIG5 , compared with the first embodiment, in this embodiment, the opening adjustment of the return line 2 is more precise and sensitive.

[0078] In Example 1, when the plating solution reflux control system is operating normally, the system automatically adjusts the opening of the reflux pipe 2 so that the volume of the plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 is between B3 and B2, so that the plating solution 13 in the reflux port 122 area always has a vortex. In Example 2, when the plating solution reflux control system is operating normally, in the initial state of the electroplating process, the opening of the reflux pipe 2 is adjusted so that the plating solution 13 in the reflux port 122 area has a vortex, and until the vortex shape in this area conforms to the first vortex shape. Then, as long as the vortex shape in this area changes and deviates from the first vortex shape, the control device 6 will adjust the opening of the reflux control valve 23 so that the volume of the plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 is between A3 and A2 until the first vortex shape appears. Not only can the plating solution 13 in the reflux port 122 area always have a vortex, but the vortex shape that appears fluctuates between the second vortex shape and the third vortex shape, and is maintained in the first vortex shape as much as possible.

[0079] Optionally, in another implementation of this embodiment, the image information corresponding to the second and third forms may be further expanded.

[0080] Specifically, taking the second form as an example, in addition to corresponding to the second vortex form, the second image information of the reflux port 122 area where no vortex appears due to excessive plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 can also be stored as the second form in this embodiment, that is, the second form also includes the form in which the reflux port 122 area has no vortex due to excessive plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12. Similarly, in addition to corresponding to the third vortex form, the third image information of the reflux port 122 area where no vortex appears due to too little plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 can also be stored as the third form in this embodiment, that is, the third form also includes the form in which the reflux port 122 area has no vortex due to too little plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12. In this way, when the plating solution reflux control system is operating normally, in the initial state of the electroplating process, a vortex is always present in the plating solution 13 in the reflux port 122 area, and the opening of the reflux control valve 23 can be automatically adjusted until the first vortex form appears.

[0081] Optionally, as shown in FIG4 , this embodiment further includes a bubble detection device 24. The bubble detection device 24 is arranged between the reflux port 122 and the reflux control valve 23, and is used to detect whether there are bubbles in the electroplating solution 13 flowing through the bubble detection device 24, and to feed back the detection result to the control device 6. The control device 6 is also used to: when no vortex appears in the electroplating solution 13 in the reflux port 122 area and the detection result is no bubbles, increase the opening of the reflux control valve 23; when no vortex appears in the electroplating solution 13 in the reflux port 122 area and the detection result is bubbles, reduce the opening of the reflux control valve 23. In this way, even in the initial state of the electroplating process, the system can automatically adjust the opening of the reflux control valve 23, so that the electroplating solution 13 in the reflux port 122 area always has a vortex, and can automatically adjust the opening of the reflux control valve 23 until the first vortex form appears.

[0082] It should be understood that the bubble detection device 24 can also be used for bubble detection when storing reference information, for example, in the step of storing the first vortex form described above.

[0083] Optionally, in other implementations of this embodiment, in order to improve the accuracy of the comparison, the first, second, and third forms may also correspond to multiple vortex forms, respectively. Taking the first form as an example, when there are no bubbles in the return line 2, the image acquisition device 5 acquires multiple first vortex forms and sends the multiple first vortex forms to the control device 6, and the control device 6 stores the multiple first vortex forms as the first form. For example, the control device 6 analyzes the multiple first vortex forms to obtain multiple first vortex form characteristic values, and stores the multiple first vortex form characteristic values ​​as the first form.

[0084] In this embodiment, when the plating liquid reflux control system operates normally, the system will automatically adjust the opening of the reflux control valve 23 so that a vortex always appears in the plating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area, and can automatically adjust the opening of the reflux control valve 23 until a first vortex form appears, thereby more effectively reducing or even eliminating the generation of bubbles during the plating liquid reflux process of the electroplating process, thereby improving the efficiency and process stability of the electroplating process.

[0085] Example 3

[0086] The main difference between this embodiment and the first and second embodiments is that the image information acquired and the reference image information stored by the image acquisition device 5 in this embodiment are different from those in the first and second embodiments.

[0087] After further research and experiments, the inventors found that during the reflux process of the plating solution in the electroplating process, in addition to the different forms of the plating solution 13 in the reflux port 122 area corresponding to different bubble control results in the reflux pipe 2, the color information in the image information in the overflow tank 12 also corresponds to the bubble control result in the reflux pipe 2.

[0088] Therefore, in this embodiment, the color depth information in the image information in the overflow trough 12 is used as the reference image information, and the image acquisition device 5 is arranged above the overflow trough 12 to acquire the image information in the overflow trough 12 and send the acquired image information to the control device 6, without the need to correspond the image acquisition device 5 to the position of the reflux port 122 as in Example 1 and Example 2.

[0089] The electroplating solution 13 contains metal cations and various additives and is usually a colored transparent liquid. In the overflow tank 12, the color depth presented varies depending on the volume of the electroplating solution 13. Moreover, the larger the volume of the electroplating solution in the overflow tank 12, the darker the color presented. Therefore, a correspondence between the volume of the electroplating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 and the color depth can be established. According to the correspondence, the opening of the reflux control valve 23 can be adjusted in real time or periodically to maintain the volume of the electroplating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 within a relatively stable range, thereby maintaining a good liquid sealing effect on the overflow tank 12, thereby reducing or even eliminating the generation of bubbles during the reflux of the electroplating solution in the electroplating process, thereby improving the efficiency and process stability of the electroplating process.

[0090] In this embodiment, the control device 6 is used to compare the acquired image information in the overflow tank 12 with the pre-stored color depth information, where the color depth information includes the first color depth. The corresponding relationship between the comparison result and the action performed by the reflux control valve 23 is shown in Table 2:

[0091] Table 2

[0092] If the comparison result is that the image information in the overflow tank 12 meets the first color depth, the current opening of the reflux control valve 23 is maintained; if the comparison result is that the color depth in the image information in the overflow tank 12 is greater than the first color depth, the opening of the reflux control valve 23 is increased; if the comparison result is that the color depth in the image information in the overflow tank 12 is less than the first color depth, the opening of the reflux control valve 23 is reduced.

[0093] Specifically, before performing the electroplating process, the operator may simulate the electroplating process according to the steps of the electroplating process, and let the control device 6 store the color depth information in advance.

[0094] The following are exemplary steps for the control device 6 in this embodiment to pre-store reference image information.

[0095] First, the opening of the reflux control valve 23 is adjusted to 100%, allowing the plating solution 13 to circulate in the plating solution reflux control system. The opening of the reflux control valve 23 is then gradually reduced, allowing the plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 to gradually accumulate until it reaches a preset plating solution volume, for example, 5L. When the volume of the plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 reaches the preset plating solution volume, the plating solution 13 can effectively seal the overflow tank 12, preventing air from mixing into the reflux line 2 and forming bubbles. The image acquisition device 5 acquires image information corresponding to the preset plating solution volume and sends it to the control device 6. The control device 6 analyzes the image information to obtain a color depth characteristic value of the image information and stores the color depth characteristic value as the first color depth.

[0096] For example, the control device 6 (e.g., a computer) may analyze the image information using a computer algorithm to obtain a grayscale value corresponding to the image information. The smaller the grayscale value, the darker the image color at that time. For example, the computer stores the grayscale value of the image when the volume of the plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 reaches a preset plating solution volume as the first color depth. Thus, when the process chamber 1 is executing a process, the control device 6 analyzes the image information acquired from the image acquisition device 5 to obtain a corresponding grayscale value, compares the grayscale value with the grayscale value corresponding to the first color depth, and then controls the reflux control valve 23 to perform the corresponding action according to the corresponding relationship in Table 2.

[0097] It should be understood that in this embodiment, the preset volume of the plating solution should be sufficient to seal the overflow tank 12 and ensure that the plating solution 13 does not exceed the upper limit height of the overflow tank 12. The upper limit height is manually preset or automatically set by the system and refers to the maximum height at which the plating solution 13 may overflow the process chamber 1 from the top of the overflow tank 12, or in a system with an overflow pipe 4, the height of the overflow port 124.

[0098] Optionally, to improve the accuracy and error tolerance of the comparison, in other implementations of this embodiment, a preset plating liquid volume range, for example, 5L-7L, can be used. When the plating liquid 13 is within this preset plating liquid volume range, it can effectively seal the overflow tank 12 and prevent air from entering the return line 2 and forming bubbles. The image acquisition device 5 acquires multiple image information corresponding to the preset plating liquid volume range, for example, acquiring image information once every 100 milliliters (ml), and sends the image information to the control device 6. The control device 6 analyzes the multiple image information to obtain color depth feature values ​​of the multiple image information, and stores the multiple color depth feature values ​​as the first color depth.

[0099] During the electroplating process, the image acquisition device 5 acquires real-time image information in the overflow tank 12 and sends the real-time image information to the control device 6. The control device 6 compares the color depth characteristic value of the real-time image information with the pre-stored first color depth, and then controls the reflux control valve 23 to perform corresponding actions according to the corresponding relationship in Table 2, automatically adjusts the opening of the reflux control valve 23, and then automatically adjusts the volume of the plating liquid 13 in the overflow tank 12, so that it remains at a preset plating liquid volume (or plating liquid volume range) or fluctuates around the preset plating liquid volume (or plating liquid volume range), maintains a good liquid sealing effect on the overflow tank 12, and thus reduces or even eliminates bubbles generated during the reflux of the plating liquid in the electroplating process, thereby improving the efficiency and process stability of the electroplating process.

[0100] Optionally, this embodiment also includes a reference color device for providing a reference color for the image information within the overflow tank captured by the image acquisition device. For example, as shown in FIG3 , the reference color device includes a reference color layer 16 disposed on the bottom wall of the overflow tank 12. This increases the color depth differences exhibited by the plating solution 13 at different plating solution volumes, allowing for the extraction of more accurate color depth feature values ​​even when the plating solution 13 itself is relatively light in color.

[0101] Example 4

[0102] This embodiment provides a plating solution reflux control method, which is applied to the plating solution reflux control system in the first embodiment, and includes the following steps:

[0103] S1, the process chamber 1 starts to execute the process, the electroplating solution 13 overflows from the reaction tank 11 to the overflow tank 12, and then flows into the liquid storage tank 3 through the reflux pipe 2;

[0104] S2, the image acquisition device 5 acquires image information of the reflow port 122 area and sends the image information to the control device 6;

[0105] S3, the control device 6 compares the image information with pre-stored reference image information;

[0106] S4, the control device 6 adjusts the opening of the reflux control valve 23 according to the comparison result.

[0107] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reference image information includes the first state, the second state, and the third state of the plating solution in the reflow port 122 area.

[0108] Step S3 includes: the control device 6 compares the image information with the first form, the second form and the third form respectively.

[0109] Step S4 includes:

[0110] S41, if the control device 6 determines that the image information conforms to the first form based on the comparison result, the current opening of the reflux control valve 23 is maintained;

[0111] S42, if the control device 6 determines that the image information conforms to the second form based on the comparison result, the opening of the reflux control valve 23 is increased;

[0112] S43 , if the control device 6 determines that the image information conforms to the third form based on the comparison result, the opening of the reflux control valve 23 is reduced.

[0113] Optionally, before step S1, the control device 6 may pre-store reference image information. Exemplary steps of the control device 6 pre-storing reference image information include:

[0114] S140, adjusting the opening of the reflux control valve 23 to 100%, allowing the electroplating solution 13 to circulate in the electroplating solution reflux control system;

[0115] S141: Reduce the opening of the reflux control valve 23 to allow the plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 to gradually accumulate. When a vortex appears in the reflux port 122, the image acquisition device 5 acquires first image information and sends the first image information to the control device 6. The control device 6 stores the first image information in a first form.

[0116] S142 , allowing the electroplating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 to continue to accumulate until there is no vortex in the reflux port 122 area, the image acquisition device 5 acquires second image information and sends the second image information to the control device 6 , and the control device 6 stores the second image information in a second form;

[0117] S143, increase the opening of the reflux control valve 23 to allow the plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 to gradually decrease until there is no vortex in the reflux port 122 area again, the image acquisition device 5 acquires the third image information and sends the third image information to the control device 6, and the control device 6 stores the third image information as a third form.

[0118] Optionally, to improve the accuracy of the comparison, in other implementations of this embodiment, the first, second, and third forms may each correspond to multiple image information. Taking the first form as an example, when a vortex appears in the recirculation port 122 area, the image acquisition device 5 is controlled to acquire multiple first image information, analyze the multiple first image information, obtain multiple first image information feature values, and store the multiple first image information feature values ​​as the first form.

[0119] Example 5

[0120] This embodiment provides a plating solution reflux control method, applicable to the plating solution reflux control system of Example 2. The primary difference between this embodiment and Example 4 is that the reference image information corresponding to the first, second, and third forms in this embodiment is different from that in Example 4. The commonalities between this embodiment and Example 4 are not reiterated here; the following describes only the differences between this embodiment and Example 4.

[0121] Optionally, in this embodiment, before step S1, the control device 6 may further store reference image information in advance. Exemplary steps of the control device 6 storing reference image information in advance include:

[0122] S150, adjusting the opening of the reflux control valve 23 to 100%, allowing the electroplating solution 13 to circulate in the electroplating solution reflux control system;

[0123] S151: Reduce the opening of the reflux control valve 23 to allow the electroplating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 to gradually accumulate until a vortex appears in the reflux port 122 and no bubbles are left in the reflux line 2. The image acquisition device 5 acquires a first vortex form and sends the first vortex form to the control device 6. The control device 6 stores the first vortex form as a first form.

[0124] S152, allowing the plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 to continue to accumulate until a vortex shape different from the first vortex shape appears in the plating solution 13 in the region of the reflux port 122, the image acquisition device 5 acquires a second vortex shape and sends the second vortex shape to the control device 6, and the control device 6 stores the second vortex shape as a second shape;

[0125] S153, increase the opening of the reflux control valve 23 to allow the plating liquid 13 in the overflow tank 12 to gradually decrease. After the plating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area shows the first vortex form again, allow the plating liquid 13 in the overflow tank 12 to continue to decrease until the plating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area shows a vortex form different from the first vortex form and the second vortex form. The image acquisition device 5 acquires the third vortex form and sends the third vortex form to the control device 6, and the control device 6 stores the third vortex form as the third form.

[0126] Optionally, in another implementation of this embodiment, the image information corresponding to the second and third forms can be further expanded. The second form also includes the form in which no vortex appears in the return port 122 area due to excessive plating liquid 13 in the overflow tank 12, that is, the second form can also include second image information; the third form also includes the form in which no vortex appears in the return port 122 area due to too little plating liquid in the overflow tank 12, that is, the third form can also include third image information.

[0127] In this way, when the plating liquid reflux control system is working normally, in the initial state of the electroplating process, the system can automatically adjust the opening of the reflux control valve 23 so that a vortex always appears in the plating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area, and can automatically adjust the opening of the reflux control valve 23 until the first vortex form appears.

[0128] Optionally, in the method of this embodiment, after step 2, the method further includes:

[0129] S21, if the control device 6 determines that the image information of the reflow port area shows a vortex, then step S3 is executed; if the control device 6 determines that the image information of the reflow port area shows no vortex, then step S22 is executed;

[0130] S22, detect whether there are bubbles in the electroplating liquid 13 in the reflux pipeline 2 between the reflux port and the reflux control valve 23, and the control device 6 obtains the detection information; if the detection information is that there are no bubbles, the opening of the reflux control valve 23 is increased and the return is made to step S21; if the detection result is that there are bubbles, the opening of the reflux control valve 23 is decreased and the return is made to step S21.

[0131] In this way, even in the initial state of the electroplating process, the system can automatically adjust the opening of the reflux pipe 2 so that a vortex always appears in the electroplating liquid 13 in the reflux port 122 area, and can automatically adjust the opening of the reflux control valve 23 until the first vortex form appears.

[0132] Optionally, in order to improve the accuracy of the comparison, in other implementations of this embodiment, the first, second, and third forms can also correspond to multiple image information respectively. Taking the first form as an example, the opening of the return line 2 is gradually reduced to allow the plating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 to gradually accumulate until a vortex appears in the return port 122 area and there are no bubbles in the return line 2. The image acquisition device 5 is controlled to obtain multiple first vortex forms, and the control device 6 stores the multiple first vortex forms as the first form. For example, the control device 6 analyzes the multiple first vortex forms to obtain multiple first vortex form characteristic values, and stores the multiple first vortex form characteristic values ​​as the first form.

[0133] Example 6

[0134] This embodiment provides a plating solution reflux control method, which is applied to the plating solution reflux control system of embodiment 3. The main difference between this embodiment and embodiments 4 and 5 is that the image information acquired by the image acquisition device 5 and the stored reference image information are different from those in embodiments 4 and 5.

[0135] The electroplating solution reflux control method of this embodiment includes:

[0136] S10, the process chamber 1 starts to execute the process, the electroplating solution 13 overflows from the reaction tank 11 to the overflow tank 12, and then flows into the liquid storage tank 3 through the reflux pipe 2;

[0137] S20, the image acquisition device 5 acquires image information in the overflow tank 12 and sends the image information to the control device 6;

[0138] S30, the control device 6 compares the image information with pre-stored reference image information;

[0139] S40, the control device 6 adjusts the opening of the reflux control valve 23 according to the comparison result.

[0140] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reference image information includes the first color depth of the image information in the overflow tank 12;

[0141] Step S30 includes: the control device 6 compares the color depth of the image information with the first color depth.

[0142] Step S40 includes:

[0143] S401, if the comparison result shows that the color depth of the image information meets the first color depth, then maintain the current opening of the reflux control valve 23;

[0144] S402, if the comparison result shows that the color depth of the image information is greater than the first color depth, increasing the opening of the reflux control valve 23;

[0145] S403 : If the comparison result shows that the color depth of the image information is less than the first color depth, the opening of the reflux control valve 23 is reduced.

[0146] Optionally, before step S10, the control device 6 may further pre-store reference image information. Exemplary steps of the control device 6 pre-storing reference image information include:

[0147] S1060, adjusting the opening of the reflux control valve 23 to 100%, allowing the electroplating solution 13 to circulate in the electroplating solution reflux control system;

[0148] S1061, reducing the opening of the reflux control valve 23 to allow the electroplating solution 13 in the overflow tank 12 to gradually accumulate;

[0149] S1062, when the volume of the plating liquid 13 in the overflow tank 12 reaches the preset plating liquid volume, the image acquisition device 5 obtains the image information corresponding to the preset plating liquid volume and sends it to the control device 6. The control device 6 analyzes the image information to obtain the color depth characteristic value of the image information and stores the color depth characteristic value as the first color depth.

[0150] Optionally, in order to improve the accuracy and fault tolerance of the comparison, in other implementations of this embodiment, step S1062 can also be: when the plating liquid 13 in the overflow tank 12 reaches a preset plating liquid volume range, the image acquisition device 5 acquires multiple image information corresponding to the preset plating liquid volume range, for example, image information is acquired once every 100 milliliters (ml), and sent to the control device 6, the control device 6 analyzes the multiple image information, obtains color depth characteristic values ​​of the multiple image information, and stores the multiple color depth characteristic values ​​as the first color depth.

[0151] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art may modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical principles disclosed herein are intended to be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A plating solution reflux control system, characterized in that: include: Process chamber, liquid storage tank, reflux pipeline, reflux control valve, image acquisition device and control device; wherein, The process chamber comprises a reaction tank and an overflow tank, wherein the overflow tank is arranged at the periphery of the reaction tank and is used to receive the electroplating solution overflowing from the reaction tank; A reflux port is provided at the bottom of the overflow tank, and the reflux pipeline is used to connect the reflux port and the liquid storage tank to return the electroplating liquid in the overflow tank to the liquid storage tank; The reflux control valve is arranged on the reflux pipeline; The image acquisition device is disposed above the reflow port, and is used to acquire image information of the reflow port area and send the image information to the control device; The control device is used to compare the image information with pre-stored reference image information, and adjust the opening of the reflux control valve according to the comparison result, thereby adjusting the flow rate of the reflux pipeline.

2. The electroplating solution reflux control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reference image information includes a first form, a second form and a third form of the electroplating solution in the reflux port area; The control device is used for: comparing the image information with the first form, the second form and the third form respectively, If the comparison result shows that the image information conforms to the first form, maintaining the current opening of the reflux control valve; If the comparison result shows that the image information conforms to the second form, increasing the opening of the reflux control valve; If the comparison result shows that the image information conforms to the third form, the opening of the reflux control valve is reduced.

3. The electroplating solution reflux control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first form includes a form in which a vortex appears in the plating solution in the reflux port area; The second form includes a form in which no vortex appears in the reflux port area due to excessive plating solution in the overflow tank; The third form includes a form in which no vortex appears in the reflux port area due to too little electroplating solution in the overflow tank.

4. The electroplating solution reflux control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes reference color devices, The reference color device is used to provide a reference color for the image information of the reflow port area acquired by the image acquisition device.

5. The electroplating solution reflux control system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The reference color device comprises a reference color layer, The reference color layer is arranged on the bottom wall inside the overflow tank.

6. The electroplating solution reflux control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first form includes a first vortex form of the plating solution in the reflux port area when a vortex appears in the plating solution in the reflux port area and there are no bubbles in the reflux pipeline; The second form includes a second vortex form of the plating solution in the reflux port area when the plating solution in the overflow tank is more than the plating solution corresponding to the first vortex form; The third form includes a third vortex form of the plating solution in the reflux port area when the plating solution in the overflow tank is less than the plating solution corresponding to the first vortex form.

7. The electroplating solution reflux control system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second form also includes a form in which no vortex appears in the reflux port area due to excessive plating solution in the overflow tank; and / or The third form also includes a form in which no vortex appears in the reflux port area due to too little electroplating solution in the overflow tank.

8. The electroplating solution reflux control system according to claim 6, characterized in that: Also included is a bubble detection device; The bubble detection device is arranged between the reflux port and the reflux control valve, and is used to detect whether there are bubbles in the electroplating solution flowing through the bubble detection device, and feed back the detection result to the control device; The control device is also used to: when no vortex appears in the electroplating solution in the reflux port area and the detection result is no bubble, increase the opening of the reflux control valve; When no vortex appears in the electroplating solution in the reflux port area and the detection result shows that there are bubbles, the opening of the reflux control valve is reduced.

9. The electroplating solution reflux control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reflux pipeline comprises a liquid collecting funnel and a pipeline body. The liquid collecting funnel comprises a liquid collecting pipe and a liquid discharge port. The liquid collecting pipe is connected to the reflux port, and the liquid discharge port is connected to the pipeline body.

10. The electroplating solution reflux control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes overflow piping, An overflow port is arranged at a predetermined height of the side wall of the overflow tank, and the overflow pipeline is used to connect the overflow port and the liquid storage tank.

11. A plating solution reflux control system, characterized in that: include: Process chamber, liquid storage tank, reflux pipeline, reflux control valve, image acquisition device and control device; wherein, The process chamber comprises a reaction tank and an overflow tank, wherein the overflow tank is arranged at the periphery of the reaction tank and is used to receive the electroplating solution overflowing from the reaction tank; A reflux port is provided at the bottom of the overflow tank, and the reflux pipeline is used to connect the reflux port and the liquid storage tank to return the electroplating liquid in the overflow tank to the liquid storage tank; The reflux control valve is arranged on the reflux pipeline; The image acquisition device is disposed above the overflow tank, and is used to acquire image information in the overflow tank and send the image information to the control device; The control device is used to compare the image information with pre-stored reference image information, and adjust the opening of the reflux control valve according to the comparison result.

12. The electroplating solution reflux control system according to claim 11, characterized in that: The reference image information includes a first color depth within the overflow tank; The control device is used for: If the comparison result is that the color depth of the image information matches the first color depth, maintaining the current opening of the reflux control valve; If the comparison result is that the color depth of the image information is greater than the first color depth, increasing the opening of the reflux control valve; If the comparison result is that the color depth of the image information is less than the first color depth, the opening of the reflux control valve is reduced.

13. The electroplating solution reflux control system according to claim 11, characterized in that: Also includes reference color devices, The reference color device is used to provide a reference color for the image information in the overflow tank acquired by the image acquisition device.

14. The electroplating solution reflux control system according to claim 13, characterized in that: The reference color device comprises a reference color layer, The reference color layer is arranged on the bottom wall inside the overflow tank.

15. A method for controlling electroplating solution reflux, characterized in that: include: S1, the process chamber starts to execute the process, the plating solution overflows from the reaction tank to the overflow tank, and then flows into the storage tank through the reflux pipeline; S2, the image acquisition device acquires image information of the reflow port area and sends the image information to the control device; S3, the control device compares the image information with pre-stored reference image information; S4, the control device adjusts the opening of the reflux control valve according to the comparison result.

16. The electroplating solution reflux control method according to claim 15, characterized in that: The reference image information includes a first form, a second form and a third form of the electroplating solution in the reflux port area; The step S3 comprises: The control device compares the image information with the first form, the second form and the third form respectively; The step S4 comprises: S41, if the control device determines, based on the comparison result, that the image information conforms to the first form, then maintaining the current opening of the reflux control valve; S42, if the control device determines that the image information conforms to the second form according to the comparison result, then increasing the opening of the reflux control valve; S43: If the control device determines that the image information conforms to the third form according to the comparison result, the opening of the reflux control valve is reduced.

17. The electroplating solution reflux control method according to claim 16, characterized in that: Before step S1, the control device may also pre-store the reference image information, including: S140, adjusting the opening of the reflux control valve to 100% to allow the electroplating solution to circulate in the electroplating solution reflux control system; S141, reducing the opening of the reflux control valve to allow the electroplating solution in the overflow tank to gradually accumulate, and when a vortex appears in the reflux port area, the image acquisition device acquires first image information and sends the first image information to the control device, and the control device stores the first image information in a first form; S142, allowing the electroplating solution in the overflow tank to continue to accumulate until there is no vortex in the reflux port area, the image acquisition device acquires second image information and sends the second image information to the control device, and the control device stores the second image information in a second form; S143, increasing the opening of the reflux control valve to gradually reduce the plating liquid in the overflow tank until there is no vortex in the reflux port area again, the image acquisition device acquires the third image information and sends the third image information to the control device, and the control device stores the third image information in a third form.

18. The electroplating solution reflux control method according to claim 16, characterized in that: Before step S1, the control device may also pre-store the reference image information, including: S150, adjusting the opening of the reflux control valve to 100% to allow the plating solution to circulate in the plating solution reflux control system; S151, reducing the opening of the reflux control valve to allow the electroplating solution in the overflow tank to gradually accumulate until a vortex appears in the reflux port area and there are no bubbles in the reflux pipeline, the image acquisition device acquires a first vortex form and sends the first vortex form to the control device, and the control device stores the first vortex form as a first form; S152, allowing the plating solution in the overflow tank to continue to accumulate until the plating solution in the reflux port area has a second vortex form different from the first vortex form, the image acquisition device acquires the second vortex form and sends the second vortex form to the control device, and the control device stores the second vortex form as the second form; S153, increase the opening of the reflux control valve to gradually reduce the plating solution in the overflow trough, and after the plating solution in the reflux port area shows the first vortex form again, continue to reduce the plating solution in the overflow trough until the plating solution in the reflux port area shows a third vortex form different from the first vortex form and the second vortex form, the image acquisition device acquires the third vortex form and sends the third vortex form to the control device, and the control device stores the third vortex form as the third form.

19. The electroplating solution reflux control method according to claim 18, characterized in that: After step S152, the following steps are further included: S1521, allowing the plating solution in the overflow tank to continue to accumulate until there is no vortex in the reflux port area, the image acquisition device acquires second image information and sends the second image information to the control device, and the control device also stores the second image information in the second form; and / or After step S153, the following steps are further included: S1531, allowing the plating liquid in the overflow tank to continue to decrease until there is no vortex in the reflux port area again, the image acquisition device acquires the third image information and sends the third image information to the control device, and the control device also stores the third image information as a third form.

20. The electroplating solution reflux control method according to claim 19, characterized in that: After step 2, the method further includes: S21, if the control device determines that the image information of the reflow port area shows that a vortex appears, then execute step S3; if the control device determines that the image information of the reflow port area shows that no vortex appears, then execute step S22; S22, detecting whether there are bubbles in the electroplating solution in the reflux pipeline between the reflux port and the reflux control valve, and the control device obtains detection information; If the detection information indicates that there is no bubble, the opening of the reflux control valve is increased and the process returns to step S21; If the detection result shows that there are bubbles, the opening of the reflux control valve is reduced and the process returns to step S21.

21. A method for controlling electroplating solution reflux, characterized in that: include: S10, the process chamber starts to execute the process, the electroplating solution overflows from the reaction tank to the overflow tank, and then flows into the storage tank through the reflux pipeline; S20, the image acquisition device acquires image information in the overflow tank and sends the image information to the control device; S30, the control device compares the image information with pre-stored reference image information; S40, the control device adjusts the opening of the reflux control valve according to the comparison result.

22. The electroplating solution reflux control method according to claim 21, characterized in that: The reference image information includes a first color depth of image information in the overflow tank; Step S30 includes: the control device compares the color depth of the image information with the first color depth; Step S40 includes: S401, if the comparison result is that the color depth of the image information meets the first color depth, maintaining the current opening of the reflux control valve; S402, if the comparison result is that the color depth of the image information is greater than the first color depth, increasing the opening of the reflux control valve; S403: If the comparison result shows that the color depth of the image information is less than the first color depth, the opening of the reflux control valve is reduced.

23. The electroplating solution reflux control method according to claim 22, characterized in that: Before the step S10, the control device may also pre-store the reference image information, including: S1060, adjusting the opening of the reflux control valve to 100% to allow the plating solution to circulate in the plating solution reflux control system; S1061, reduce the opening of the reflux control valve to allow the plating solution in the overflow tank to gradually accumulate; S1062, when the volume of the plating liquid in the overflow tank reaches the preset plating liquid volume, the image acquisition device acquires image information corresponding to the preset plating liquid volume and sends it to the control device, the control device analyzes the image information, obtains the color depth characteristic value of the image information, and stores the color depth characteristic value as the first color depth.

24. The electroplating solution reflux control method according to claim 22, characterized in that: Before the step S10, the control device may also pre-store the reference image information, including: S1060, adjusting the opening of the reflux control valve to 100% to allow the plating solution to circulate in the plating solution reflux control system; S1061, reduce the opening of the reflux control valve to allow the plating solution in the overflow tank to gradually accumulate; S1062, when the volume of the plating liquid in the overflow tank reaches a preset plating liquid volume range, the image acquisition device acquires a plurality of image information corresponding to the preset plating liquid volume range, and sends the image information to the control device, the control device analyzes the plurality of image information, obtains a plurality of color depth characteristic values ​​of the plurality of image information, and stores the plurality of color depth characteristic values ​​as a first color depth.

Images