Substrate Holder Cleaning Bath with Dummy Substrate Shield

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing plating apparatuses require stopping operations to clean substrate holders, which reduces productivity and complicates the removal of metal deposits from sealing members, especially when dealing with different types of metals, leading to inefficiencies and increased footprint due to multiple cleaning liquids needed.

Innovation Solution

A plating apparatus with a substrate holder cleaning bath that allows for the immersion of substrate holders in cleaning liquids without stopping operations, using a dummy substrate to prevent electrical contacts from getting wet and employing multiple cleaning liquids sequentially to effectively remove different metal types, while also serving as a storage bath to minimize space usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If substrate holder is cleaned manually or with cleaning liquid by removing it from plating apparatus, then metal deposits can be removed from sealing member, but productivity decreases due to stopping operations and increased device complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidthroughput

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The substrate holder is cleaned automatically within the plating apparatus without requiring removal or manual intervention. The cleaning mechanism integrates cleaning functions into the existing plating process flow, allowing the substrate holder to serve itself through automated cleaning cycles that occur during normal operation pauses or between substrates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The cleaning function is merged with the existing plating apparatus structure and process flow. The cleaning mechanism is integrated into the chamber environment, combining cleaning operations with the plating process infrastructure rather than requiring separate standalone cleaning equipment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of manufacture

If multiple cleaning liquids are used to remove different metal types, then cleaning effectiveness improves, but device complexity and footprint increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidnumber of cleaning baths

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A single cleaning liquid composition is designed to effectively remove multiple types of metal deposits (copper, nickel, tin, etc.) that may accumulate on the sealing member. This universal cleaning solution eliminates the need for multiple specialized cleaning baths, each designed for specific metal types, thereby reducing device complexity and footprint while maintaining comprehensive cleaning effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If substrate holder is cleaned continuously without removal, then productivity is maintained, but electrical contacts may get wet and cause defects

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovethroughputVSAvoidelectrical contact integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The substrate holder structure is segmented into distinct functional zones: a cleaning target area (sealing member) that is intentionally exposed to cleaning liquid, and an electrical contact area that is protected from liquid exposure. This spatial segmentation allows the cleaning liquid to access the sealing member for effective cleaning while preventing contact with electrical contacts, maintaining both productivity and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The dummy substrate serves as an intermediary protective element during cleaning operations. It is positioned to cover or shield the electrical contacts while allowing the sealing member to be exposed to the cleaning liquid. This intermediary structure enables simultaneous protection of electrical components and effective cleaning of the sealing surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

Enables continuous operation of the plating apparatus during substrate holder cleaning, prevents electrical contact wetting, and effectively removes various metal deposits using a single setup, reducing the need for multiple cleaning baths and maintaining high throughput.

Implementation Method 1

a cleaning liquid capable of dissolving the metal 207

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDissolution: Solvation

Data Source

PatentUS10119198B2Method of cleaning substrate holder

Publication Date: 2018.11.06 EBARA CORP

AI summary

A method of cleaning a substrate holder comprises suspending the substrate holder in a substrate holder cleaning bath while the substrate holder holds a dummy substrate with a sealing member sealing a peripheral portion of the dummy substrate. The dummy substrate has a larger area of contact with a substrate contact portion of the sealing member and has a larger area of contact with a substrate contact portion of an electrical contact of the substrate holder than those of a substrate to be plated. The method further comprises supplying a cleaning liquid into the substrate holder cleaning bath until the substrate holder is immersed in the cleaning liquid to clean the substrate holder. Different types of cleaning liquids are individually and sequentially supplied into the substrate holder cleaning bath to clean the substrate holder sequentially with the cleaning liquids.