Substrate holder, plating apparatus, and plating method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10113246-B2
Application number	US-201515116197-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2015
Priority date	Feb 6, 2014
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

A substrate holder includes: inner contacts ( 45 ) to be brought into contact with a periphery of a substrate (W) for passing an electric current to the substrate; outer contacts ( 42 ) each having elasticity, the outer contacts ( 42 ) having contact surfaces ( 42 a ), respectively, to be brought into contact with a feeding terminal ( 51 ) coupled to a power source ( 18 ), the outer contacts ( 42 ) being coupled to the inner contacts ( 45 ), respectively; and a conductive block ( 60 ) arranged in back of the contact surfaces ( 42 a ) and located away from the outer contacts ( 42 ). The outer contacts ( 42 ) are deformable until the outer contacts ( 42 ) are brought into contact with the conductive block ( 60 ) when the contact surfaces ( 42 a ) are pressed against the feeding terminal ( 51 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A substrate holder comprising:
inner contacts to be brought into contact with a periphery of a substrate for passing an electric current to the substrate;
outer contacts each having elasticity, the outer contacts having contact surfaces, respectively, to be brought into contact with a feeding terminal coupled to a power source, the outer contacts being coupled to the inner contacts, respectively; and
a conductive block arranged in back of the contact surfaces having a first position not in contact with the outer contacts,
wherein the outer contacts are deformable until the outer contacts are brought into contact with the conductive block in a second position when the contact surfaces are pressed against the feeding terminal.

2. The substrate holder according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive block is held by an elastic holding member.

3. The substrate holder according to claim 1 , wherein the outer contacts have leaf springs, respectively.

4. The substrate holder according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive block has through-holes,
the outer contacts including:
conductive rods extending through the through-holes;
conductive flanges secured to end portions of the conductive rods, respectively, the conductive flanges having lower surfaces constituting the contact surfaces; and
springs biasing the conductive rods in a direction such that the conductive flanges are biased toward a non-contact position with the conductive block.

5. An apparatus for plating a substrate, comprising:
a plating tank for holding a plating solution therein;
a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate and place the substrate in the plating tank;
an anode disposed in the plating tank so as to face the substrate held by the substrate holder; and
a power source configured to apply a voltage between the substrate and the anode,
wherein the substrate holder includes:
inner contacts to be brought into contact with a periphery of the substrate for passing an electric current to the substrate;
outer contacts each having elasticity, the outer contacts having contact surfaces, respectively, to be brought into contact with a feeding terminal coupled to the power source, the outer contacts being coupled to the inner contacts, respectively; and
a conductive block arranged in back of the contact surfaces having a first position not in contact with the outer contacts,

wherein the outer contacts are deformable until the outer contacts are brought into contact with the conductive block in a second position when the contact surfaces are pressed against the feeding terminal.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the conductive block is held by an elastic holding member.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the outer contacts have leaf springs, respectively.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising an auxiliary terminal projecting toward the conductive block, the auxiliary terminal being provided on the feeding terminal, and the auxiliary terminal being brought into contact with the conductive block when the outer contacts are brought into contact with the conductive block.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the conductive block has through-holes,
the outer contacts including:
conductive rods extending through the through-holes;
conductive flanges secured to end portions of the conductive rods, respectively, the conductive flanges having lower surfaces constituting the contact surfaces; and
springs biasing the conductive rods in a direction such that the conductive flanges are biased toward a non-contact position with the conductive block.

10. A method of plating a substrate using a substrate holder having inner contacts for passing an electric current to the substrate, and outer contacts to be brought into contact with a feeding terminal coupled to a power source, the method comprising:
bringing the inner contacts into contact with a periphery of the substrate;
measuring an electrical resistance between the outer contacts by a resistance-measuring device which is brought into contact with the outer contacts, while establishing a contact between first intermediate contacts and second intermediate contacts, the first intermediate contacts being electrically connected to the inner contacts, respectively, and the second intermediate contacts being electrically connected to the outer contacts, respectively;
inserting a conductive block between the first intermediate contacts and the second intermediate contacts until the conductive block is in contact with the first intermediate contacts and the second intermediate contacts, thereby electrically connecting the first intermediate contacts and the second intermediate contacts to each other through the conductive block;
bringing the outer contacts into contact with the feeding terminal while immersing the substrate in a plating solution; and
plating the substrate by applying a voltage between an anode disposed in the plating solution and the substrate.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
before bringing the inner contacts into contact with the periphery of the substrate, inserting the conductive block between the first intermediate contacts and the second intermediate contacts and measuring an electrical resistance between the outer contacts by the resistance-measuring device which is brought into contact with the outer contacts.

12. An apparatus for plating a substrate, comprising:
a plating tank for holding a plating solution therein;
an anode disposed in the plating tank;
a substrate holder for holding a substrate;
a power source configured to apply a voltage between the anode and the substrate; and
a resistance-measuring device configured to measure an electrical resistance between outer contacts of the substrate holder,
wherein the substrate holder includes:
inner contacts to be brought into contact with a periphery of the substrate;
first intermediate contacts electrically connected to the inner contacts, respectively;
the outer contacts to be brought into contact with a feeding terminal coupled to the power source;
second intermediate contacts electrically connected to the outer contacts, respectively; and
a conductive block being movable between a first position and a second position, the first position being a position at which the conductive block is sandwiched between the first intermediate contacts and the second intermediate contacts, and the second position being a position at which the conductive block is not in contact with the first intermediate contacts and the second intermediate contacts,

wherein when the conductive block is located at the first position, the conductive block is in contact with the first intermediate contacts and the second intermediate contacts to electrically connect the first intermediate contacts and the second intermediate contacts to each other through the conductive block, and
when the conductive block is located at the second position, the first intermediate contacts are brought into contact with the second intermediate contacts, respectively, and the first intermediate contacts and the second intermediate contacts are electrically connected to each other.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the substrate holder further includes a holder hanger to which the outer contacts are attached, and
the first intermediate contacts, the second intermediate contacts, and the conductive block are housed in the holder hanger.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising:
wires extending from the inner contacts

Assignees

• Ebara Corp

Inventors

• Fujikata Jumpei
• Minami Yoshio

Classifications

• C25D17/005

  Contacting devices · CPC title

• C25D17/02

  Tanks; Installations therefor · CPC title

• C25D17/001

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

• C25D17/06 Primary

  Suspending or supporting devices for articles to be coated · CPC title

• C25D21/12

  Process control or regulation (controlling or regulating in general G05) · CPC title