Shear Flow Air Bubble Removal in Plating Anode Chamber
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air bubbles generated in the anode chamber of cup type plating apparatus can deteriorate the plating quality of substrates by accumulating on the membrane surface, leading to adverse effects on the plating process.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that utilize a shear flow of plating solution created by supply and discharge ports positioned strategically around the anode chamber to remove air bubbles, preventing their accumulation on the membrane surface, and a circulation system to return de-aerated solution for continuous use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a membrane is disposed to suppress passing of additive between anode and substrate, then the negative effect caused by additive component is suppressed, but air bubbles accumulate on the lower surface of the membrane causing deterioration of plating quality
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes air bubbles from the anode chamber through a dedicated discharge port positioned at the lower side of the membrane. The discharge port is strategically located to enable removal of air bubbles that accumulate on the lower surface of the membrane, thereby preventing plating quality deterioration while maintaining the membrane's function of blocking additive components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a circulation system with supply and discharge ports as intermediary elements. The supply port introduces plating solution to create flow that prevents air bubble accumulation, while the discharge port serves as an intermediary pathway to extract air bubbles. This circulation mechanism mediates between the membrane's air-blocking function and the need to remove harmful air bubbles.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If plating solution is supplied to anode chamber, then air bubbles can be removed through shear flow, but system complexity increases due to supply and discharge ports
Solution Approach 1:
The plating solution circulation system serves multiple functions: it supplies plating solution to the anode chamber, creates shear flow to prevent air bubble accumulation, and provides a pathway for air bubble removal through the discharge port. By making the circulation system multi-functional, the invention avoids adding dedicated complex air removal equipment while achieving effective air bubble management.
Solution Approach 2:
The plating solution itself serves the dual purpose of both the plating medium and the air bubble removal mechanism. The circulation of plating solution through supply and discharge ports automatically creates shear flow that prevents air bubble accumulation and enables their removal, making the system self-regulating without requiring additional active control mechanisms for air bubble management.
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
Effectively prevents air bubble accumulation on the membrane, thereby maintaining the quality of the plating process by ensuring a bubble-free plating solution is consistently supplied to the anode chamber.
Implementation Method 1
causing at least one discharge port disposed in the outer peripheral portion of the anode chamber so as to face the supply port to suction the supplied plating solution to form a shear flow of the plating solution along a lower surface on the lower surface of the membrane in the anode chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A technique that ensures suppressing deterioration of a plating quality of a substrate caused by air bubbles accumulated on a lower surface of a membrane is provided. An air bubble removing method of a plating apparatus is an air bubble removing method for removing air bubble in an anode chamber 13 in a plating apparatus 1000 including a plating tank 10 and a substrate holder 30. The air bubble removing method includes: supplying a plating solution Ps from at least one supply port 70 disposed in an outer peripheral portion 12 of the anode chamber to the anode chamber and causing at least one discharge port 71 disposed in the outer peripheral portion of the anode chamber so as to face the supply port to suction the supplied plating solution to form a shear flow Sf of the plating solution along a lower surface on the lower surface 61a of a membrane 61 in the anode chamber.