Electroplating Bath Additive Removal via Extraction Column
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electroplating methods face challenges in maintaining bath compositions for complex nanometer-sized interconnects, particularly with copper and cobalt baths, where organic additive breakdown leads to electrochemically inactive byproducts that interfere with the electrodeposition process, making traditional 'bleed and feed' methods economically infeasible and wasteful.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system with in-line or off-line solids extraction columns that utilize specific materials to capture and remove organic additives and byproducts from electroplating baths, allowing for the recycling and reuse of inorganic components, combined with bleed and feed operations to maintain optimal bath conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional 'bleed and feed' methods are used to maintain electroplating bath compositions, then bath maintenance is simplified, but organic additive breakdown produces electrochemically inactive byproducts that interfere with electrodeposition and increase waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes organic additives and their breakdown byproducts from the electroplating bath using filtration systems and chemical treatment processes. This separation eliminates the harmful byproducts that interfere with electrodeposition while maintaining the beneficial inorganic components, thereby resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and harmful byproduct generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the bath by introducing specific chemicals that selectively react with or bind to organic additives and byproducts. This allows for the transformation of harmful organic substances into removable forms, enabling their elimination from the bath without disrupting the electrodeposition process, thus reducing harmful factors while maintaining operational ease.
2Manufacturing precision
If special bath compositions with metal salts other than copper are used for sub-10nm interconnects, then complex nanometer-sized formations can be achieved, but organic additive breakdown is exacerbated and bath maintenance becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces intermediary substances that selectively bind to organic additives and byproducts, facilitating their removal from complex bath compositions. These intermediaries act as mediators between the complex bath chemistry and the filtration/removal systems, enabling effective byproduct elimination without requiring complete bath replacement, thus reducing maintenance complexity while preserving manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a system that discards harmful organic byproducts while recovering and retaining beneficial inorganic metal salts and additives. This selective discarding and recovering process maintains the complex bath composition needed for sub-10nm interconnect formation while eliminating the aspects that exacerbate additive breakdown and maintenance difficulty.
3Reliability
If traditional bath replacement methods are used to remove additives, then additive levels can be controlled, but economic costs increase and waste is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a selective removal system that discards only the harmful organic additives and byproducts while recovering and retaining the beneficial inorganic bath components. This allows for continuous bath reuse with controlled additive levels, eliminating the need for complete bath replacement and thereby reducing both material waste and economic costs while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality control by selectively targeting and removing only specific organic substances from the bath rather than replacing the entire bath composition. This localized removal approach maintains the overall bath integrity and beneficial components while controlling additive levels, thereby reducing waste and costs associated with complete bath replacement.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively purifies the electroplating bath, reduces waste, and maintains additive and byproduct levels within specifications, enhancing the quality of electrodeposition processes while minimizing economic and environmental costs.
Implementation Method 1
an extraction column for extracting by-products generated by the plating cell
Implementation Method 2
a plating cell for electroplating an object
Data Source
AI summary
An example electroplating method comprises feeding fresh electrolyte solution into a bath reservoir via a first inlet of the bath reservoir, and bleeding used electrolyte solution out of the bath reservoir via first outlet of the bath reservoir. Recycled electrolyte solution is received into the bath reservoir via a second inlet of the bath reservoir, and electrolyte solution is discharged from the bath reservoir via a second outlet of the bath reservoir. By-products generated by a plating cell are extracted using an extraction column. A first particle filter is disposed in a fluid pathway between the second outlet of the bath reservoir and the inlet of the plating cell, and a second particle filter is disposed in a fluid pathway between the outlet of the extraction column and the second inlet of the bath reservoir. Flow control means are disposed between the plating cell and the bath reservoir and selectively return a portion of the electrolyte solution to the bath reservoir without passing the returned portion through the first or second filter.