Microelectronic substrate electro processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10087544-B2
Application number	US-201615190370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2016
Priority date	Apr 29, 2013
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

In a processing system for electroplating semiconductor wafers and similar substrates, the contact ring of the electroplating processor is removed from the rotor of the processor and replaced with a previously deplated contact ring. This allows the contact ring to be deplated in ring service module of the system, while the processor continues to operate. Wafer throughput is improved. The contact ring may be attached to a chuck for moving the contact ring between the processors and the ring service module, with the chuck quickly attachable and releasable to the rotor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A processing method comprising:
clamping a first wafer between a first chuck and a first contact ring;
attaching the first chuck to a rotor of a processor;
processing the first wafer by contacting the first wafer with an electrolyte while passing electrical current through the electrolyte;
removing the first chuck from the rotor;
unclamping and removing the first wafer from the first chuck; and
deplating and/or cleaning the first contact ring.

2. The method of claim 1 further including clamping a second wafer between a second chuck and a second contact ring;
attaching the second chuck to the rotor of the processor;
processing the second wafer by contacting the second wafer with the electrolyte while passing electrical current through the electrolyte, while deplating and/or cleaning the first contact ring.

3. The method of claim 1 further including contacting the first wafer with the electrolyte by positioning the rotor at an angle to the surface of the electrolyte, and lowering the first wafer into contact with the electrolyte.

4. The method of claim 1 further including aligning the rotor with the first chuck by rotating the rotor to position alignment pins on the rotor over alignment openings in the first chuck.

5. The method of claim 1 further including sealing a top surface of the first chuck against the rotor.

6. The method of claim 1 further including attaching the first chuck to the rotor via a clamp rod engaging the first chuck and pulling the first chuck into engagement with the rotor.

7. The method of claim 6 further including using spring force to urge the clamp rod in a first direction.

8. The method of claim 7 further including momentarily pushing the clamp rod in a second direction, opposite from the first direction, to compress the spring and release the first chuck from the rotor.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising deplating and/or cleaning the first contact ring in a ring module separate from the processor.

10. A processing method comprising:
placing a first wafer into a first chuck, at a first location away from a first processor, with a first contact ring in the first chuck touching the first wafer;
moving the first chuck laterally and/or longitudinally to place the first chuck into the first processor;
attaching the first chuck to a rotor in the first processor;
processing the first wafer by contacting the first wafer with a first electrolyte while passing electrical current through the first electrolyte;
removing the first chuck from the rotor of the first processor;
returning the first chuck to the first location; and
removing the first wafer from the first chuck at the first location.

11. The method of claim 10 further including placing a second wafer into a second chuck and with a second contact ring in the second chuck touching the second wafer; attaching the second chuck to a second processor; and processing the second wafer by contacting the second wafer with a second electrolyte while passing electrical current through the second electrolyte.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising processing the first wafer in the first processor simultaneously with processing the second wafer in the second processor.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising removing the second chuck from the second processor; removing the second wafer from the second chuck; and simultaneously deplating and/or cleaning the first contact ring away from the first processor and deplating and/or cleaning the second contact ring away from the second processor.

14. The method of claim 13 with a single chuck robot removing the first chuck from the first processor and the single chuck robot also removing the second chuck from the second processor.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising moving the first chuck to a ring module via the single chuck robot, and moving the second chuck to the ring module via the single chuck robot.

16. The method of claim 10 further including attaching the first chuck to the first processor by attaching the first chuck to the first rotor of the first processor, and by aligning the first rotor with the first chuck by rotating the first rotor to position alignment pins of the first rotor over alignment openings in the first chuck.

17. The method of claim 10 further comprising clamping the first wafer in the first chuck via a clamping force pulling the first contact ring against the first wafer.

18. The method of claim 17 with the clamping force applied via magnets.

19. The method of claim 10 further comprising placing the first wafer into the first chuck in the ring module.

20. A processing method comprising:
moving a first contact ring into contact with a first water in a ring module;
moving the first contact ring and the first wafer from the ring module into a first processor, with the first processor having a first vessel holding an electrolyte, a first head, and a first rotor in the first head, the ring module separate from and spaced apart from the first processor;
attaching the first contact ring to the first rotor of the first processor;
processing the first wafer in the first processor;
removing the first contact ring with the first wafer from the first processor;
moving the first contact ring with the first wafer to the ring module;
removing the first wafer from the first contact ring at the ring module; and
deplating and/or cleaning the first contact ring in the ring module.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Moore Robert B
• Silvetti David
• Wirth Paul
• Harris Randy

Classifications

• H10P72/7618

  characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating carrousel · CPC title

• H10P72/7606

  characterised by edge clamping, e.g. clamping ring · CPC title

• H10P72/7602

  the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance · CPC title

• H10W20/057

  by selectively depositing, e.g. by using selective CVD or plating · CPC title

• C25D17/001 Primary

  Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic coating of wafers, e.g. semiconductors or solar cells · CPC title