Substrate plating apparatus, plating device and substrate plating method

Abstract

The present application provides a substrate plating apparatus, a plating device, and a substrate plating method. The substrate plating apparatus comprises: a tank, having a liquid inlet portion, a liquid outlet portion and a plating chamber, the plating chamber being used to accommodate a plating solution, and being configured as a sealed chamber during plating; a substrate holding assembly, used for holding a substrate, such that the substrate is maintained in a vertical posture within the plating chamber during plating, the substrate having a plating surface; and an anode, located inside the plating chamber and facing the plating surface. The plating solution is configured to flow from the liquid inlet portion at one side of the plating chamber along a first direction to another side of the plating chamber, and then be discharged from the liquid outlet portion, so as to form a flow field on the plating surface parallel to the plating surface, the first direction being parallel to the plating surface. By means of configuring plating solution to flow within a sealed chamber along a direction parallel to a plating surface, a uniform and stable flow field can be formed on the plating surface, improving plating uniformity of the substrate, and mass transfer efficiency of the plating solution.

Description

Substrate electroplating apparatus, electroplating equipment and substrate electroplating method Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and in particular to a substrate electroplating apparatus, electroplating equipment, and substrate electroplating method. Background Technology

[0002] With the explosive growth in demand for high-performance computing (HPC) from fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC), and the increasing difficulty in miniaturizing front-end processes, advanced packaging has become a key approach to surpass Moore's Law and improve the energy efficiency of chip systems. Electroplating technology is one of the key process technologies in integrated circuit manufacturing and is the cornerstone of achieving electrical interconnection, playing a vital role in advanced packaging processes.

[0003] With the development of advanced packaging technologies, Panel Level Package (PLP), which uses non-circular substrates as carriers, is gradually becoming a rising star in advanced packaging technologies. Based on Redistribution Layer (RDL) technology, PLP redistributes chips (dies) across a large-size panel for interconnection. It integrates multiple chips, passive components, and interconnects within a single package, achieving high-density integration and large-size interconnects, offering unique advantages. First, unlike circular wafers, the shape of a panel is typically consistent with that of the chips, thus improving area utilization and reducing material waste. Second, the diameter of a conventional wafer is usually no more than 12 inches (300mm), while panel sizes can reach 510mm*515mm, 600mm*600mm, etc., allowing PLP to package more chips at once and achieve higher packaging efficiency. In addition, large-size ultra-high-density chip products such as GPUs and FPGAs used in AI, HPC and other fields have a size of 60mm*60mm or more. Large-size products need to be spliced ​​for pattern exposure, which limits production capacity and reduces yield. Panel-level packaging can easily handle large-size products, improve production capacity and yield.

[0004] The continuous development of panel-level packaging technology has also brought new challenges to electroplating equipment. First, because the size of panels is usually much larger than that of conventional wafers, this poses a significant challenge to the uniformity of electroplating solution flow and mass transfer efficiency on the plating surface. Furthermore, compared to conventional wafers, large-sized panels are more prone to warping and deformation, posing a risk of uneven plating or even fragmentation.

[0005] Therefore, a new electroplating cavity design is needed to meet the process requirements of advanced packaging electroplating, especially panel-level packaging. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this invention is to provide a substrate electroplating apparatus, electroplating equipment, and substrate electroplating method to solve the problem of how to improve the electroplating uniformity and mass transfer efficiency of the prior art electroplating apparatus.

[0007] To achieve the above and other related objectives, one aspect of this application provides a substrate electroplating apparatus, comprising: a tank having an inlet, an outlet, and a plating chamber, the plating chamber being used to contain an electroplating solution and configured as a sealed chamber during electroplating; a substrate holding assembly for holding a substrate and such that the substrate is held vertically inside the plating chamber during electroplating, wherein the substrate has a plating surface; an anode located inside the plating chamber and facing the plating surface; the electroplating solution is configured to flow from one side of the plating chamber through the inlet along a first direction to the other side of the plating chamber, and then discharge from the inlet into the plating chamber to form a flow field parallel to the plating surface on the plating surface, wherein the first direction is a direction parallel to the plating surface.

[0008] In some embodiments, the liquid inlet includes a first opening and a flow equalizer, and the interior of the liquid inlet is configured as a cavity, wherein the electroplating solution is configured to enter the cavity from the first opening of the liquid inlet and enter the plating cavity via the flow equalizer.

[0009] In some embodiments, the flow equalizer includes a flow equalizer orifice, and the first opening and the flow equalizer orifice are staggered.

[0010] In some embodiments, the liquid outlet section has the same structure as the liquid inlet section, and is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the plating cavity in the first direction.

[0011] In some embodiments, the tank includes a first tank wall and a second tank wall, the first tank wall and the second tank wall being disposed opposite each other on both sides of the normal direction of the substrate, the first tank wall having a first plating cavity between itself and the substrate, and the second tank wall having a second plating cavity between itself and the substrate.

[0012] In some embodiments, the system further includes a substrate posture adjustment module for adjusting the posture of the substrate when the substrate warps toward the first plating cavity or the second plating cavity, so that the substrate maintains a vertical posture.

[0013] In some embodiments, the substrate posture adjustment module includes a detection device and a posture adjustment device; the detection device is used to detect whether the substrate warps toward the first plating cavity or the second plating cavity, and obtain a detection result, the detection result including warping toward the first plating cavity and warping toward the second plating cavity; the posture adjustment device is configured to: in response to the detection result of warping toward the first plating cavity, increase the pressure of the electroplating solution in the first plating cavity and / or decrease the pressure of the electroplating solution in the second plating cavity; in response to the detection result of warping toward the second plating cavity, increase the pressure of the electroplating solution in the second plating cavity and / or decrease the pressure of the electroplating solution in the first plating cavity.

[0014] In some embodiments, the device further includes a liquid inlet assembly and a liquid outlet assembly, wherein the liquid inlet assembly is connected to the liquid inlet section and the liquid outlet assembly is connected to the liquid inlet section; the attitude adjustment device includes a pressure adjustment device disposed on the liquid inlet assembly and / or the liquid outlet assembly, for adjusting the pressure of the electroplating solution in the first plating chamber and / or the second plating chamber.

[0015] In some embodiments, the anode includes a first anode and a second anode, wherein the first anode is disposed in the first plating chamber and the second anode is disposed in the second plating chamber; the detection device includes a voltage detection unit, which is used to detect a first voltage and a second voltage, and obtain the detection result based on the first voltage and the second voltage; wherein the first voltage is the voltage between the first anode and the substrate, and the second voltage is the voltage between the second anode and the substrate.

[0016] In some embodiments, a diffuser plate is further included, located between the anode and the substrate, facing the plating surface, for uniformizing the electric field between the anode and the substrate.

[0017] Another aspect of this application provides an electroplating apparatus, including the aforementioned substrate electroplating apparatus.

[0018] In some embodiments, at least two of the substrate electroplating apparatuses are included, wherein the electroplating solutions in the at least two of the substrate electroplating apparatuses flow in opposite directions.

[0019] Another aspect of this application provides a substrate electroplating method, comprising the following steps: S1, holding a substrate in a vertical position within a tank of a substrate electroplating apparatus, wherein the tank has an inlet, an outlet, and a plating cavity, and the substrate has a plating surface; S2, supplying an electroplating solution to the tank, the electroplating solution being configured to flow from one side of the plating cavity within the tank through the inlet along a first direction to the other side of the plating cavity, and then discharge from the outlet into the plating cavity, thereby forming a flow field parallel to the plating surface on the plating surface, wherein the first direction is a direction parallel to the plating surface; S3, depositing metal on the plating surface.

[0020] In some embodiments, the tank includes a first tank wall and a second tank wall, the first tank wall and the second tank wall being disposed opposite each other on both sides of the normal direction of the substrate, the first tank wall having a first plating cavity between it and the substrate, and the second tank wall having a second plating cavity between it and the substrate; S2 includes: the electroplating solution being configured to enter the first plating cavity and the second plating cavity from one side of the plating cavity respectively, and flow along a first direction to the other side of the plating cavity and then be discharged from the first plating cavity and the second plating cavity respectively.

[0021] In some embodiments, the method further includes: S01, detecting whether the substrate warps toward the first plating cavity or the second plating cavity, and obtaining a detection result, the detection result including warping toward the first plating cavity and warping toward the second plating cavity; S02, when the detection result is warping toward the first plating cavity, increasing the pressure of the plating solution in the first plating cavity or decreasing the pressure of the plating solution in the second plating cavity; when the detection result is warping toward the second plating cavity, increasing the pressure of the plating solution in the second plating cavity or decreasing the pressure of the plating solution in the first plating cavity.

[0022] In some embodiments, after S3, the method further includes: S41, causing the electroplating solution to flow in reverse, or flipping the substrate to interchange the two sides of the substrate in the first direction; and returning to S3.

[0023] In some embodiments, at least two substrate electroplating apparatuses are included, wherein the electroplating flow directions in the at least two substrate electroplating apparatuses are opposite; after S3, the method further includes: S42, exchanging the substrates in the two substrate electroplating apparatuses with opposite electroplating flow directions; and returning to S3.

[0024] As described above, this application provides a substrate electroplating apparatus, electroplating equipment, and substrate electroplating method, which have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0025] (1) By setting the flow pattern of the electroplating solution to flow in a direction parallel to the plating surface, a uniform and stable flow field can be formed on the plating surface, thereby improving the plating uniformity of the substrate.

[0026] (2) By increasing the inlet pressure of the electroplating solution in the sealed chamber, the flow rate of the electroplating solution can be increased simply and effectively without the need for additional components (such as common stirring components), thereby improving the mass transfer efficiency and electroplating rate of the electroplating solution.

[0027] (3) It can effectively adjust the posture of the substrate during electroplating, so that the substrate remains vertical during electroplating, avoiding uneven plating or substrate breakage due to substrate warping.

[0028] (4) By changing the relative flow direction between the electroplating solution and the plating surface, the plating metal is prevented from tilting and affecting the electroplating morphology.

[0029] Overview of the attached figures

[0030] The features and performance of this application are further described by the following embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0031] Figure 1 is a top view of a substrate electroplating apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 2 is a front view of a substrate electroplating apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 3 is a side view of a substrate electroplating apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figures 4a and 4b are schematic diagrams of the liquid inlet section of a substrate electroplating apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of this application.

[0035] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the layout of a substrate electroplating apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 6 is a schematic flowchart of a substrate electroplating method according to an exemplary embodiment of this application.

[0037] Preferred embodiments of this application

[0038] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. This application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or adjusted based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this application.

[0039] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this application. Although the drawings only show components related to this application and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components, the shape, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily adjusted in actual implementation, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0040] In the following description, when referring to the accompanying drawings, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses consistent with some aspects of this application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0041] The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0042] In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified and limited, it should be noted that the terms "installation", "connection" and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to mechanical or electrical connections, or internal connections between two components. They can be direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances.

[0043] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used in this application to describe various information, this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another.

[0044] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., which may be used to indicate the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0045] One aspect of this application provides a substrate electroplating apparatus, primarily used in various substrate electroplating processes in semiconductor manufacturing, particularly suitable for electroplating processes in panel-level packaging using a rectangular panel as a temporary carrier, and for TSV, TGV, and other electroplating processes on interposers in 2.5D / 3D packaging. For ease of description, in this application, the objects to be plated (e.g., wafers, panels, and interposers) are collectively referred to as substrates.

[0046] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, which respectively illustrate structural schematic diagrams from different perspectives of a substrate electroplating apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of this application, the substrate electroplating apparatus includes a tank 1, a substrate holding assembly 2, and an anode 3. The tank 1 has a liquid inlet 11, a liquid outlet 12, and a plating chamber 10, which is used to contain the electroplating solution and is configured as a closed chamber during electroplating. The substrate holding assembly 2 is used to hold a substrate 4, and the substrate 4 is held in a vertical position within the plating chamber 10 during electroplating, wherein the substrate 4 has a plating surface 40. The anode 3 is located inside the plating chamber 10 and faces the plating surface 40. The electroplating solution is configured to flow from one side of the plating chamber 10 through the inlet 11 along the first direction to the other side of the plating chamber 10, and then be discharged from the outlet 12 to form a flow field parallel to the plating surface 40 on the plating surface 40. The first direction is a direction parallel to the plating surface 40, that is, any direction on the parallel surface of the plating surface 40.

[0047] It should be noted that the term "vertical orientation" refers to the substrate 4 having an angle of approximately 90 degrees with the horizontal direction, with a permissible deviation of up to 5 degrees or 3 degrees. For example, in some embodiments, the substrate 4 has an angle of 89 to 90 degrees, 88 to 90 degrees, or 86 to 90 degrees with the horizontal direction, etc., which can be reasonably set by those skilled in the art according to the actual situation.

[0048] For ease of description only, a three-dimensional coordinate system is established with the normal direction of the substrate 4 during electroplating as the X direction, the longitudinal direction as the Z direction, and the transverse direction as the Y direction. In the embodiments described in this application, the X direction is the front-back direction with the positive direction of the X direction as the front, the Y direction is the left-right direction with the positive direction of the Y direction as the right, and the Z direction is the up-down direction with the positive direction of the Z direction as the top. In some embodiments, the first direction is either the Y direction or the Z direction. For example, the first direction is the Y direction, and the liquid inlet 11 and the liquid outlet 12 are disposed opposite each other on both sides of the plating cavity 10 in the Y direction and extend along the Z direction of the plating cavity 10.

[0049] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the inlet 11 and outlet 12 are disposed opposite each other on both sides of the plating chamber 10 in a first direction. The electroplating solution is configured to enter the plating chamber 10 from the inlet 11 and flow along the first direction (parallel to the plating surface 40) to the outlet 12 before being discharged from the plating chamber 10, thereby forming a flow field parallel to the plating surface 40. It should be understood that the arrangement of the inlet 11 and outlet 12 should at least meet the following two requirements: first, to make the flow field of the electroplating solution parallel to the plating surface 40 of the substrate 4; second, to enable the electroplating solution to cover the plating surface 40 of the substrate 4.

[0050] As an example, in Figures 1 and 2, the inlet 11 and outlet 12 are located on opposite sides of the plating chamber 10 in the Y direction, with the inlet 11 on the left side and the outlet 12 on the right side. During electroplating, the substrate 4 is held vertically inside the plating chamber 10. The plating chamber 10 is sealed except for its connection to the inlet 11 and outlet 12. The plating solution enters the plating chamber 10 at a certain pressure through the inlet 11, and therefore flows from left to right to the outlet 12, and then exits the plating chamber 10, thus forming a flow field parallel to the plating surface 40. Optionally, in other embodiments, the inlet 11 and outlet 12 may also be located on opposite sides of the plating chamber 10 in the Z direction. The specific structures of the inlet 11 and outlet 12 will be described in detail later.

[0051] By setting the flow pattern of the electroplating solution to flow in a direction parallel to the plating surface 40, a uniform and stable flow field can be formed on the plating surface 40, thereby improving the plating uniformity of the substrate 4.

[0052] Furthermore, since the electroplating solution is discharged from the outlet 12 into the plating chamber 10, and flows parallel to the plating surface 40 within the sealed chamber, the flow rate of the electroplating solution can be easily and effectively increased by increasing the inlet pressure of the electroplating solution without the need for additional components (such as common stirring components), thereby improving the mass transfer efficiency and electroplating rate. This is because, firstly, in traditional electroplating equipment, the electroplating tank is typically an open design. If the inlet pressure of the electroplating solution is too high, it will spray out from the tank opening, making recovery difficult and potentially contaminating equipment components outside the tank, affecting normal operation. Secondly, in traditional electroplating equipment, the flow direction of the electroplating solution entering and exiting the tank is usually basically perpendicular to the plating surface of the substrate. If the inlet pressure of the electroplating solution is too high, it will challenge the uniformity of the flow field of the electroplating solution on the plating surface, thus affecting the uniformity of the plating.

[0053] [Corrected according to Rule 91, 21.11.2025] Exemplarily, in some embodiments, the tank 1 includes a first tank wall 101 and a second tank wall 102, which are disposed opposite to each other on both sides of the substrate 4 in the normal direction (X direction) and both face the substrate 4. A first plating cavity 13 is provided between the first tank wall 101 and the substrate 4, and a second plating cavity 14 is provided between the second tank wall 102 and the substrate 4. The plating surface 40 of the substrate 4 includes a first plating surface 401 and a second plating surface 402. The first plating surface 401 is located in the first plating cavity 13, and the second plating surface 402 is located in the second plating cavity 14. During electroplating, the electroplating solution is configured to enter the first plating cavity 13 and the second plating cavity 14 from the inlet 11, and flow to the outlet 12 in a direction parallel to the plating surface 40, and then be discharged from the first plating cavity 13 and the second plating cavity 14, respectively, to achieve double-sided plating of the substrate 4.

[0054] Exemplarily, in some embodiments, the first plating chamber 13 includes a first anode chamber 131, and the second plating chamber 14 includes a second anode chamber 141. The anode 3 includes a first anode 31 and a second anode 32. The first anode 31 is disposed in the first anode chamber 131 and faces the first plating surface 401, and the second anode 32 is disposed in the second anode chamber 141 and faces the second plating surface 402. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, a first liquid flow channel 132 is provided between the first anode 31 and the substrate 4, and the first anode chamber 131 and the first liquid flow channel 132 are isolated by a first ion membrane 133; a second liquid flow channel 142 is provided between the second anode 32 and the substrate 4, and the second anode chamber 141 and the second liquid flow channel 142 are isolated by a second ion membrane 143. During electroplating, the first anode chamber 131 and the second anode chamber 141 contain anodic electroplating solution. The electroplating solution from the liquid inlet assembly 51 flows in the first liquid flow channel 132 and the second liquid flow channel 142 respectively. Under the obstruction of the first ion membrane 133 and the second ion membrane 143, no liquid flow occurs between the anodic electroplating solution and the electroplating solution in the first liquid flow channel 132 and the second liquid flow channel 142.

[0055] Referring to Figures 4a and 4b, and in conjunction with Figures 1 to 3, Figure 4a shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the liquid inlet section away from the tank body, and Figure 4b shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the liquid inlet section near the tank body. As mentioned above, as an example, the liquid inlet section 11 is located on the left side of the plating chamber 10, and the liquid outlet section 12 is located on the right side of the plating chamber 10. Specifically, in some embodiments, the liquid inlet section 11 includes a first opening 11a and a flow equalization plate 11b, and the interior of the liquid inlet section 11 is configured as a cavity 111, wherein the electroplating solution is configured to enter the cavity 111 from the first opening 11a of the liquid inlet section 11 and enter the plating chamber 10 via the flow equalization plate 11b. In a specific example, the first opening 11a and the flow equalization plate 11b of the liquid inlet section 11 are located on both sides of the liquid inlet section 11 in the Y direction. As shown in Figure 1, the first opening 11a of the liquid inlet section 11 is located on the left side of the liquid inlet section 11, and the flow equalization plate 11b of the liquid inlet section 11 is located on the right side of the liquid inlet section 11.

[0056] [Corrected according to Rule 91, 21.11.2025] Exemplarily, in some embodiments, the liquid inlet 11 has a baffle wall 110 inside, dividing the interior of the liquid inlet 11 into two cavities 111, corresponding to the first plating cavity 13 and the second plating cavity 14 inside the tank 1, respectively. Accordingly, the liquid inlet 11 has two first openings 11a, and the flow equalization plate 11b of the liquid inlet 11 has two sets of multiple flow equalization ports 11c distributed along the Z direction. In other embodiments, the flow equalization plate 11b may also have two sets of continuous flow equalization ports 11c extending along the Z direction. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the flow equalization plate 11b may be part of the side wall of the tank 1, for example, two sets of multiple openings distributed along the Z direction are provided on the side wall of the tank 1, and it is not necessary to additionally provide a plate-shaped structural member as the flow equalization plate 11b.

[0057] Electroplating solution is typically supplied to the tank 1 through pipelines, and the number and diameter of these pipelines are usually very limited. Directly supplying the electroplating solution from the pipelines into the tank 1 results in uneven distribution of the solution upon entry. However, in this embodiment, after entering the cavity 111 through the first opening 11a, the electroplating solution passes through the flow equalization plate 11b of the inlet section 11 into the interior of the tank 1. This redistributes the flow field of the electroplating solution, ensuring uniform distribution after entry into the tank 1.

[0058] Optionally, in some embodiments, the first opening 11a and the flow equalization port 11c of the flow equalization plate 11b are staggered. This can further enhance the effect of the liquid inlet 11 on the redistribution of the flow field of the electroplating solution. In other possible embodiments, the outer side of the liquid inlet 11 can also be other sides of the liquid inlet 11, such as the front or rear side.

[0059] [Correction 21.11.2025 according to Rule 91] During electroplating, the electroplating solution enters the plating chamber 10 from the inlet 11. Specifically, the electroplating solution enters the cavity 111 of the inlet 11 from the first opening 11a. Then, a portion of the electroplating solution enters the first plating chamber 13 from the flow equalization plate 11b and flows to the outlet 12 through the first liquid flow channel 132 to plate the first plating surface 401; another portion of the electroplating solution enters the second plating chamber 14 from the flow equalization plate 11b and flows to the outlet 12 through the second liquid flow channel 142 to plate the second plating surface 402.

[0060] It should be noted that in some embodiments, the inlet section 11 and the outlet section 12 have identical structures and are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the plating cavity 10 in the first direction (parallel to the plating surface 40). This can improve the uniformity and stability of the flow field of the electroplating solution between the inlet section 11 and the outlet section 12. The specific structure of the outlet section 12 can be found in the relevant description and accompanying drawings of the inlet section 11.

[0061] Optionally, in some embodiments, a diffuser plate is further included, located between the anode 3 and the substrate 4, facing the plating surface 40, for uniformizing the electric field between the anode 3 and the substrate. The diffuser plate is a high-resistivity plate-like component with multiple through holes, which can play a role in uniformizing the electric field, thereby improving the plating uniformity of the substrate 4. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, in a specific example, a diffuser plate is respectively disposed in the first plating cavity 13 and the second plating cavity 14, and for ease of description, they are labeled as the first diffuser plate 61 and the second diffuser plate 62, wherein the first diffuser plate 61 is located in the first plating cavity 13, and the second diffuser plate 62 is located in the second plating cavity 14. The first diffuser plate 61 is disposed between the first ion exchange membrane 133 and the substrate 4, and correspondingly, the first liquid flow channel 132 is located between the first diffuser plate 61 and the substrate 4. The second diffuser plate 62 is disposed between the second ion exchange membrane 143 and the substrate 4, and correspondingly, the second liquid flow channel 142 is located between the second diffuser plate 62 and the substrate 4.

[0062] In some embodiments, the aperture and distribution of the through holes in the diffuser plate can be rationally set according to the electric field distribution in different regions of the plating surface 40. For example, in regions where a stronger electric field is required, the aperture of the through holes is smaller and / or the distribution of the through holes is sparser; in regions where a weaker electric field is required, the aperture of the through holes is larger and / or the distribution of the through holes is denser. Since the substrate 4 is stationary during electroplating, the electric field distribution in different regions of the plating surface 40 of the substrate 4 is relatively fixed. Therefore, by setting the diffuser plate, a better effect of uniform electric field can be achieved.

[0063] Furthermore, the inventors of this application have discovered through research that during electroplating, there are some uncertainties that cause the orientation of the substrate 4 to be disturbed and warped towards the first plating cavity 13 or the second plating cavity 14. In particular, the larger the size of the substrate 4, the more prone it is to warping. This warping not only affects the plating uniformity of the two plating surfaces 40 of the substrate 4, but also poses a risk of the substrate 4 breaking. Optionally, in some embodiments, the substrate electroplating apparatus includes a substrate orientation adjustment module for adjusting the orientation of the substrate 4 when it warps towards the first plating cavity 13 or the second plating cavity 14, so that the substrate 4 remains in a vertical orientation.

[0064] In some embodiments, the substrate posture adjustment module includes a detection device 71 and a posture adjustment device 72. The detection device 71 is used to detect whether the substrate 4 warps toward the first plating cavity 13 or the second plating cavity 14, and obtain a detection result. The detection result includes warping toward the first plating cavity 13 and warping toward the second plating cavity 14. The posture adjustment device 72 is configured to: increase the pressure of the plating solution in the first plating cavity 13 and / or decrease the pressure of the plating solution in the second plating cavity 14 in response to the detection result of warping toward the first plating cavity 13; and increase the pressure of the plating solution in the second plating cavity 14 and / or decrease the pressure of the plating solution in the first plating cavity 13 in response to the detection result of no warping. Optionally, in some embodiments, the posture adjustment device 72 is configured to maintain the pressure of the plating solution in the first plating cavity 13 and the second plating cavity 14 in response to the detection result of no warping. A feedback adjustment is formed between the detection device 71 and the posture adjustment device 72. When warping of the substrate 4 is detected, the pressure of the electroplating solution in the first plating chamber 13 and / or the second plating chamber 14 is adjusted. The posture of the substrate 4 is adjusted by the pressure difference between the two sides (two sides in the normal direction) of the substrate 4, which can reduce the risk of damaging the substrate 4 due to adjusting the posture of the substrate 4.

[0065] It should be understood that the pressure of the electroplating solution in the first plating chamber 13 and the second plating chamber 14 is determined by the difference between their respective inlet pressure and outlet pressure. Therefore, the pressure of the electroplating solution in the chamber can be adjusted by adjusting the inlet pressure and / or outlet pressure of the first plating chamber 13 or the second plating chamber 14.

[0066] Referring to Figure 1, by way of example, in some embodiments, the substrate electroplating apparatus further includes a liquid inlet assembly 51 and a liquid outlet assembly 52. ​​The liquid inlet assembly 51 is connected to the liquid inlet section 11, and the liquid outlet assembly 52 is connected to the liquid outlet section 12. The attitude adjustment device 72 includes a pressure adjustment device disposed on the liquid inlet assembly 51 and / or the liquid outlet assembly 52. ​​The pressure adjustment device includes, but is not limited to, pressure adjustment elements such as pumps and regulating valves.

[0067] For example, the liquid inlet assembly 51 includes a first liquid inlet pipe 511 and a second liquid inlet pipe 512, and the liquid outlet assembly 52 includes a first liquid outlet pipe 521 and a second liquid outlet pipe 522. The first liquid inlet pipe 511 and the first liquid outlet pipe 521 are respectively connected to the first plating chamber 13, and the second liquid inlet pipe 512 and the second liquid outlet pipe 522 are respectively connected to the second plating chamber 14.

[0068] In some embodiments, the attitude adjustment device 72 is disposed on the liquid inlet assembly 51, for example, on the first liquid inlet pipe 511 and / or the second liquid inlet pipe 512, for adjusting the pressure of the electroplating solution in the first plating chamber 13 and / or the second plating chamber 14. In a specific example, the attitude adjustment device 72 is disposed on both the first liquid inlet pipe 511 and the second liquid inlet pipe 512, that is, attitude adjustment device 72 is disposed on both the first liquid inlet pipe 511 and the second liquid inlet pipe 512. As mentioned above, in the electroplating apparatus provided in this application, the flow rate of the electroplating solution can be increased simply and effectively by increasing the liquid inlet pressure of the electroplating solution, thereby improving the mass transfer efficiency and electroplating rate of the electroplating solution. Therefore, by disposing of the attitude adjustment device 72 on the liquid inlet assembly 51, it can both adjust the liquid inlet pressure of the electroplating solution to adjust the mass transfer efficiency and electroplating rate of the electroplating solution, and also adjust the attitude of the substrate 4 without the need for additional adjustment elements.

[0069] In other possible examples, the attitude adjustment device 72 may also be provided on one of the first liquid inlet pipe 511 and the second liquid inlet pipe 512, for example, only the first liquid inlet pipe 511 may have the attitude adjustment device 72 provided. When the detection result is warping towards the first plating chamber 13, the attitude adjustment device 72 increases the pressure of the plating solution in the first plating chamber 13, and when the detection result is warping towards the second plating chamber 14, the attitude adjustment device 72 decreases the pressure of the plating solution in the first plating chamber 13.

[0070] It should be understood that the attitude adjustment device 72 adjusts the attitude of the substrate 4 by changing the pressure difference of the electroplating solution in the first plating chamber 13 and the second plating chamber 14. Therefore, the attitude adjustment device 72 can be arranged in various combinations on the liquid inlet assembly 51 and / or the liquid outlet assembly 52. ​​In some embodiments, the attitude adjustment device 72 can be arranged on the liquid outlet assembly 52, for example, on the first liquid outlet pipe 521 and the second liquid outlet pipe 522 respectively, or on one of the first liquid outlet pipe 521 and the second liquid outlet pipe 522. In other embodiments, the attitude adjustment device 72 can also be arranged on the liquid inlet assembly 51 and the liquid outlet assembly 52 respectively. For example, the attitude adjustment device 72 can be arranged on the first liquid inlet pipe 511 and the second liquid outlet pipe 522, or on the first liquid inlet pipe 511, the second liquid inlet pipe 512 and the first liquid outlet pipe 521, etc. Those skilled in the art can reasonably arrange the attitude adjustment device 72 under the teachings of this application, and exhaustive examples are not provided here.

[0071] Exemplarily, in some embodiments, the detection device 71 may be a sensing device such as a distance sensor. In some specific examples, the distance sensor may be embedded in the diffuser plate 6 to detect whether the substrate 4 has warped. Furthermore, the stress is relatively concentrated in the middle region of the substrate 4, making it prone to warping. When setting the detection device 71, it can be relatively concentrated in the middle region of the substrate 4 to enhance the detection of the middle region of the substrate 4.

[0072] Furthermore, the inventors of this application have discovered that when the substrate 4 warps, the voltages in the first plating cavity 13 and the second plating cavity 14 change accordingly. Therefore, in some embodiments, the detection device 71 includes a voltage detection unit, which can determine whether the substrate 4 has warped by detecting the first voltage V1 in the first plating cavity 13 and the second voltage V2 in the second plating cavity 14. Here, the first voltage V1 is the voltage between the first anode 31 and the substrate 4, and the second voltage V2 is the voltage between the second anode 32 and the substrate 4. For example, when the substrate 4 warps towards the first plating cavity 13, the impedance within the first plating cavity 13 decreases, causing the first voltage V1 to drop, which in turn causes the ratio between the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 to decrease. At this time, the detection result indicates that the substrate 4 has warped towards the first plating cavity 13. Therefore, the pressure regulating device 720 can be controlled to increase the pressure of the plating solution within the first plating cavity 13, thereby adjusting the orientation of the substrate 4 to a vertical position.

[0073] It should be understood that, in order to meet the needs of different stages of the electroplating process, the electroplating apparatus itself usually needs to detect and control the voltage between the anode and the substrate. Therefore, in some embodiments, the voltage detected by the voltage detection device of the electroplating apparatus itself can be used to determine whether the substrate 4 has warped, without the need to set up an additional detection element as a detection device 71.

[0074] Furthermore, it should be understood that the plating surface 40 of the substrate 4 typically has many grooves or through-holes and other structures on which metal needs to be plated. When the substrate 4 is electroplated in a vertical orientation, if the relative flow direction between the plating solution and the plating surface 40 remains unchanged (e.g., always flowing from left to right in Figure 1), the plated metal may tilt along the flow direction of the plating solution, affecting the plating morphology. During the electroplating process, the pressure on both sides of the inlet and outlet of the tank 1 (the left and right sides in Figure 1) can be adjusted to reverse the flow of the plating solution (e.g., flowing from right to left in Figure 1), thereby changing the relative flow direction between the plating solution and the plating surface 40. In other words, taking the example shown in Figure 1, during the electroplating process, the plating solution can alternate between flowing from left to right and from right to left. In some embodiments, the substrate 4 can also be flipped after a period of electroplating to interchange the two sides of the substrate 4 in the first direction. For example, the substrate 4 is flipped with an axis parallel to the Z direction, so that the two sides of the substrate 4 in the Y direction are interchanged, which can also change the relative flow direction of the plating solution and the plating surface 40.

[0075] Another aspect of this application provides a substrate electroplating apparatus, including the substrate electroplating device described above. Referring to FIG5, in some embodiments, the substrate electroplating apparatus 80 includes at least two substrate electroplating devices 801, wherein the electroplating solution in the at least two substrate electroplating devices 801 flows in opposite directions. In the specific example shown in FIG5, the substrate electroplating apparatus 80 includes six substrate electroplating devices 801, which are divided into group A and group B for ease of description. In group A, the electroplating solution in the three substrate electroplating devices 801 flows from left to right, and in group B, the electroplating solution in the three substrate electroplating devices 801 flows from right to left. During the electroplating process, the substrates 4 in the first and second groups can be interchanged after electroplating for a period of time. This changes the relative flow direction between the electroplating solution and the plating surface 40 for the substrate 4, which can minimize the tilting of the plated metal and avoid affecting the electroplating morphology.

[0076] Another aspect of this application provides a substrate electroplating method. Referring to FIG6, FIG6 shows a flowchart of a substrate electroplating method according to an exemplary embodiment of this application. The substrate electroplating method includes the following steps:

[0077] S1, the substrate is held vertically in the tank of a substrate electroplating apparatus, wherein the tank has a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a plating chamber, and the substrate has a plating surface.

[0078] S2, Electroplating solution is supplied to the tank. The electroplating solution is configured to flow from one side of the plating chamber through the inlet in a first direction to the other side of the plating chamber, and then be discharged from the outlet in the plating chamber to form a flow field parallel to the plating surface on the plating surface, wherein the first direction is a direction parallel to the plating surface.

[0079] S3, depositing metal on the plated surface.

[0080] By way of example, the substrate electroplating apparatus 80 disclosed in this application is used as an application example to describe in detail the substrate electroplating method in this embodiment. The substrate electroplating apparatus 80 includes a substrate electroplating device 801, which includes a tank 1, a substrate holding assembly 2, and an anode 3. The tank 1 has a plating chamber 10, which is used to contain the electroplating solution and is configured as a closed chamber during electroplating.

[0081] In step S1, the substrate 4 to be plated is clamped on the substrate holding assembly 2, and the substrate 4 is held in a vertical position inside the plating cavity 10 of the tank 1 of the substrate electroplating apparatus 801 by the substrate holding assembly 2.

[0082] In step S2, the liquid inlet assembly 51 is activated to initiate liquid inlet. The electroplating solution enters the tank 1 from the liquid inlet assembly 51 through the liquid inlet section 11 of the tank 1, and flows along a first direction (parallel to the plating surface 40) to the liquid outlet section 12 before being discharged from the tank 1, thereby forming a flow field parallel to the plating surface 40. In some embodiments, the tank 1 includes a first tank wall 101 and a second tank wall 102, which are disposed opposite each other on both sides of the substrate 4 in the normal direction. A first plating cavity 13 is provided between the first tank wall 101 and the substrate 4, and a second plating cavity 14 is provided between the second tank wall 102 and the substrate 4. The electroplating solution is configured to enter the first plating cavity 13 and the second plating cavity 14 from the liquid inlet section 11 respectively, and flow along a direction parallel to the plating surface 40 to the liquid outlet section 12 before being discharged from the first plating cavity 13 and the second plating cavity 14 respectively, thereby achieving double-sided plating of the substrate 4.

[0083] In some embodiments, the substrate electroplating method further includes:

[0084] S01, detect whether the substrate 4 is warped toward the first plating cavity 13 or the second plating cavity 14, and obtain a detection result, the detection result including warping toward the first plating cavity 13 and warping toward the second plating cavity 14;

[0085] S02, when the detection result is warping towards the first plating chamber 13, increase the pressure of the electroplating solution in the first plating chamber 13 or decrease the pressure of the electroplating solution in the second plating chamber 14; when the detection result is warping towards the second plating chamber 14, increase the pressure of the electroplating solution in the second plating chamber 14 or decrease the pressure of the electroplating solution in the first plating chamber 13.

[0086] During electroplating, if warping of the substrate 4 is detected, the pressure of the electroplating solution in the first plating chamber 13 and / or the second plating chamber 14 is adjusted based on the detection result. The orientation of the substrate 4 is adjusted by utilizing the pressure difference between its two sides (in the normal direction), which reduces the risk of damage to the substrate 4 due to orientation adjustment. It should be noted that specific examples of detecting whether the substrate 4 is warped and adjusting the pressure of the electroplating solution in the first plating chamber 13 and / or the second plating chamber 14 have been described in detail in the embodiments of the substrate electroplating apparatus described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0087] Furthermore, in some embodiments, S3 is followed by S41, which reverses the flow of the electroplating solution and returns to S3. For example, during the electroplating process, the pressure on both sides of the inlet and outlet of the liquid in the tank 1 (the left and right sides in Figure 1) can be adjusted to reverse the flow of the electroplating solution (e.g., from right to left in Figure 1), thereby changing the relative flow direction between the electroplating solution and the plating surface 40, and thus minimizing the tilting of the plated metal, which would affect the electroplating morphology. Optionally, the relative flow direction between the electroplating solution and the plating surface 40 can also be changed in other ways. For example, in some embodiments, the substrate 4 can be flipped along an axis parallel to the Z direction, so that the two sides of the substrate 4 in the Y direction are interchanged, which can also change the relative flow direction between the electroplating solution and the plating surface 40. Optionally, in some embodiments, the substrate electroplating apparatus 80 includes at least two substrate electroplating units 801, wherein the electroplating solutions in the at least two substrate electroplating units 801 flow in opposite directions; after S3, the apparatus further includes: S43, exchanging the substrates 4 in the two substrate electroplating units 801 with opposite electroplating solution flow directions; and returning to S3. This also changes the relative flow direction between the electroplating solution and the plating surface 40.

[0088] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in this application should still be covered by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A substrate electroplating apparatus, characterized in that, include: The tank has an inlet, an outlet and a plating chamber, the plating chamber being used to contain the electroplating solution and configured as a closed chamber during electroplating. A substrate holding assembly for holding a substrate and holding the substrate in a vertical position inside the plating chamber during electroplating, wherein the substrate has a plating surface; The anode is located inside the plating cavity and faces the plating surface; The electroplating solution is configured to flow from one side of the plating chamber through the inlet in a first direction to the other side of the plating chamber, and then be discharged from the plating chamber through the outlet, so as to form a flow field parallel to the plating surface on the plating surface, wherein the first direction is a direction parallel to the plating surface.

2. The substrate electroplating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid inlet includes a first opening and a flow equalization plate, and the interior of the liquid inlet is configured as a cavity. The electroplating solution is configured to enter the cavity through the first opening of the liquid inlet and then enter the plating cavity through the flow equalization plate.

3. The substrate electroplating apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The flow equalization plate includes a flow equalization port, and the first opening and the flow equalization port are staggered.

4. The substrate electroplating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The liquid outlet section has the same structure as the liquid inlet section, and is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the plating cavity in the first direction.

5. The substrate electroplating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tank includes a first tank wall and a second tank wall. The first groove wall and the second groove wall are disposed opposite each other on both sides of the normal direction of the substrate. The first groove wall and the substrate have a first plating cavity, and the second groove wall and the substrate have a second plating cavity.

6. The substrate electroplating apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes a substrate posture adjustment module, used to adjust the posture of the substrate when the substrate warps toward the first plating cavity or the second plating cavity.

7. The substrate electroplating apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The substrate attitude adjustment module includes a detection device and an attitude adjustment device; The detection device is used to detect whether the substrate warps toward the first plating cavity or the second plating cavity, and obtain a detection result, the detection result including warping toward the first plating cavity and warping toward the second plating cavity; The attitude adjustment device is configured to: in response to the detection result of warping towards the first plating chamber, increase the pressure of the electroplating solution in the first plating chamber and / or decrease the pressure of the electroplating solution in the second plating chamber; and in response to the detection result of warping towards the second plating chamber, increase the pressure of the electroplating solution in the second plating chamber and / or decrease the pressure of the electroplating solution in the first plating chamber.

8. The substrate electroplating apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes a liquid inlet assembly and a liquid outlet assembly, wherein the liquid inlet assembly is connected to the liquid inlet section and the liquid outlet assembly is connected to the liquid outlet section; The attitude adjustment device includes a pressure adjustment device, which is disposed on the liquid inlet assembly and / or the liquid outlet assembly, and is used to adjust the pressure of the electroplating solution in the first plating chamber and / or the second plating chamber.

9. The substrate electroplating apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The anode includes a first anode and a second anode, wherein the first anode is disposed in the first plating chamber and the second anode is disposed in the second plating chamber; The detection device includes a voltage detection unit, which is used to detect a first voltage and a second voltage, and obtain the detection result based on the first voltage and the second voltage; wherein, the first voltage is the voltage between the first anode and the substrate, and the second voltage is the voltage between the second anode and the substrate.

10. The substrate electroplating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a diffuser plate located between the anode and the substrate and facing the plating surface, the diffuser plate being used to uniformly distribute the electric field between the anode and the substrate.

11. An electroplating device, characterized in that, Includes the substrate electroplating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The electroplating equipment according to claim 11, characterized in that, It includes at least two of the said substrate electroplating apparatuses, wherein the electroplating solution flows in opposite directions in the at least two of the said substrate electroplating apparatuses.

13. A substrate electroplating method, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1, the substrate is held vertically in the tank of a substrate electroplating apparatus, wherein the tank has a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet and a plating chamber, and the substrate has a plating surface; S2, Electroplating solution is supplied to the tank. The electroplating solution is configured to flow from one side of the plating chamber through the inlet in a first direction to the other side of the plating chamber, and then be discharged from the plating chamber through the outlet, so as to form a flow field parallel to the plating surface on the plating surface, wherein the first direction is a direction parallel to the plating surface. S3, depositing metal on the plated surface.

14. The substrate electroplating method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The tank includes a first tank wall and a second tank wall. The first groove wall and the second groove wall are disposed opposite each other on both sides of the normal direction of the substrate. A first plating cavity is provided between the first groove wall and the substrate, and a second plating cavity is provided between the second groove wall and the substrate. S2 includes: the electroplating solution is configured to enter the first plating chamber and the second plating chamber from one side of the plating chamber respectively, and flow along the first direction to the other side of the plating chamber and then be discharged from the first plating chamber and the second plating chamber respectively.

15. The substrate electroplating method according to claim 14, characterized in that, Also includes: S01, detect whether the substrate warps toward the first plating cavity or the second plating cavity, and obtain a detection result, the detection result including warping toward the first plating cavity and warping toward the second plating cavity; S02, when the detection result is warping towards the first plating chamber, increase the pressure of the electroplating solution in the first plating chamber or decrease the pressure of the electroplating solution in the second plating chamber; when the detection result is warping towards the second plating chamber, increase the pressure of the electroplating solution in the second plating chamber or decrease the pressure of the electroplating solution in the first plating chamber.

16. The substrate electroplating method according to claim 13, characterized in that, Following S3, the following also includes: S41, causing the electroplating solution to flow in the reverse direction, or flipping the substrate to interchange the two sides of the substrate in the first direction; and returning to S3.

17. The substrate electroplating method according to claim 13, characterized in that, It includes at least two substrate electroplating apparatuses, wherein the electroplating solutions in at least two of the substrate electroplating apparatuses flow in opposite directions; Following S3, the following also includes: S42, exchange the substrates in the two substrate electroplating apparatuses with opposite flow directions of the electroplating solutions; and return to S3.

Images