Apparatus and method for plating and/or polishing wafer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10227705-B2
Application number	US-201314889922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2013
Priority date	May 9, 2013
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for plating and/or polishing wafer includes a wafer chuck, an auxiliary nozzle apparatus and a main nozzle apparatus. The wafer chuck holds and positions the wafer, moves horizontally, and rotates. The auxiliary nozzle apparatus supplies uncharged or charged electrolyte to cover the outer edge of the wafer and the wafer chuck, and the main nozzle apparatus supplies charged electrolyte to the surface of the wafer, to improve the plating and/or polishing uniformity of the outer edge of the wafer, reduce the entire electric resistance of the apparatus, and improve the plating and/or polishing rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for plating and/or polishing a wafer, comprising:
a wafer chuck capable of moving horizontally and rotating and for holding and positioning the wafer, wherein the wafer chuck has an electrode, a metal ring encircling an outer edge of the wafer and an insulated ring disposed between the electrode and the metal ring;
an auxiliary nozzle apparatus having a supplying pipe, wherein the supplying pipe has several nozzles for supplying an electrolyte solution to cover an area from the outer edge of the wafer to the electrode of the wafer chuck; and
a main nozzle apparatus having a conductive body and an insulated nozzle head, wherein the conductive body has a fixing portion and a receiving portion, and the insulated nozzle head has a cover and a tube, wherein the tube is received in the receiving portion and passes through the receiving portion for supplying the electrolyte solution to a surface of the wafer, wherein a first gap is formed between an inner circumferential surface of the receiving portion and an outer circumferential surface of the tube, wherein the cover is disposed above the fixing portion and a second gap is formed between the cover and the fixing portion.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tube has a plurality of passages on a side wall thereof, wherein every passage is inclined and the highest point of the internal port of the passage is at a position lower than the lowest point of the external port of the passage.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a flow adjust ring disposed at the lower end of the tube and attached to an outer circumferential surface of the tube for adjusting a pressure of the electrolyte solution in the first gap.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the supplying pipe of the auxiliary nozzle apparatus is connected with an independent plumbing system for independently controlling a flow of the electrolyte solution in the supplying pipe.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary nozzle apparatus is rotatable in a horizontal plane, and during a plating and/or polishing process, the supplying pipe is below the wafer chuck such that the several nozzles face the outer edge of the wafer and wafer chuck.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein after the plating and/or polishing process, the auxiliary nozzle apparatus rotates 90 degrees in the horizontal plane to stop supplying the electrolyte solution to the outer edge of the wafer and the wafer chuck.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a beam capable of moving horizontally and disposed above the wafer chuck, wherein the wafer chuck has a rotating shaft installed on the beam and the rotating shaft allows the wafer chuck to rotate about its center axis.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the main nozzle apparatus has a hollow holding portion, the fixing portion of the conductive body is fixed on the top of the hollow holding portion and the receiving portion of the conductive body is received in the hollow holding portion.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the wafer chuck is a vacuum chuck.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the supplying pipe of the auxiliary nozzle apparatus is made of a conductive metal and is used as a secondary electrode.

11. An apparatus for plating and/or polishing a wafer, comprising:
a wafer chuck capable of moving horizontally and rotating and for holding and positioning the wafer;
an auxiliary nozzle apparatus having a supplying pipe made of a conductive metal and being used as an electrode, wherein the supplying pipe has several nozzles for supplying an electrolyte solution to cover an outer edge of the wafer; and
a main nozzle apparatus having a conductive body and an insulated nozzle head, wherein the conductive body has a fixing portion and a receiving portion, and the insulated nozzle head having a cover and a tube, wherein the tube is received in the receiving portion and passes through the receiving portion for supplying the electrolyte solution to a surface of the wafer, wherein a first gap is formed between an inner circumferential surface of the receiving portion and an outer circumferential surface of the tube, wherein the cover is disposed above the fixing portion and a second gap is formed between the cover and the fixing portion.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the wafer chuck has a metal ring encircling the outer edge of the wafer, and the auxiliary nozzle apparatus supplies the electrolyte solution to cover an area from the outer edge of the wafer to the metal ring of the wafer chuck.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a main chamber, wherein the main nozzle apparatus is located in the main chamber;
an auxiliary chamber separated from the main chamber, wherein the auxiliary nozzle apparatus is located in the auxiliary chamber; and
a shroud including a circle portion and a rectangle portion, wherein the circle portion is disposed in the main chamber and encircling the main nozzle apparatus, and the rectangle portion is disposed in the auxiliary chamber and shields the auxiliary nozzle apparatus, wherein the rectangle portion defines an eject window from where the electrolyte solution is ejected to cover the area from the outer edge of the wafer to the electrode of the wafer chuck.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the main chamber and the auxiliary chamber are separated from each other by a partition wall.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the shroud further includes a conductive metal wrapping the eject window, and the conductive metal is used as a secondary electrode for charging the electrolyte solution when the electrolyte solution is ejected from the eject window.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising a secondary auxiliary chamber and a secondary auxiliary nozzle apparatus located in the secondary auxiliary chamber, and the shroud further comprises a secondary rectangle portion, wherein the secondary rectangle portion is disposed in the secondary auxiliary chamber and shields the secondary auxiliary nozzle apparatus, wherein the secondary rectangle portion defines a second eject window from where the electrolyte solution is ejected to cover the area from the outer edge of the wafer to the electrode of the wafer chuck.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the two auxiliary chambers are disposed at two opposite sides of the main chamber and separated from the main chamber by partition walls.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the shroud further includes a secondary conductive metal wrapping the second eject window defined on the secondary rectangle portion, the secondary conductive metal is used as a secondary electrode for charging the electrolyte solution when the electrolyte solution is ejected from the second eject window of the secondary rectangle portion.

19. An apparatus for plating and/or polishing a wafer, comprising:
a wafer chuck capable of moving horizontally and rotating and for holding and positioning the wafer;
a main chamber;
an auxiliary chamber separated from the main chamber;
an auxiliary nozzle apparatus located in the auxiliary chamber and having a supplying pipe, the supplying pipe has several nozzles;
a main nozzle apparatus located in the main chamber and having a conductive body and an insulated nozzle head, wherein the conductive body has a fixing portion and a receiving portion, and the i

Assignees

• Acm Research Shanghai Inc

Inventors

• Wang Jian
• Jin Yinuo
• Yang Hongchao
• Wang Hui

Classifications

• C25D17/06

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

• C25F7/00

  Constructional parts, or assemblies thereof, of cells for electrolytic removal of material from objects (for both electrolytic coating and removal C25D); Servicing or operating · CPC title

• C25D17/005

  Contacting devices · CPC title

• C25F3/30

  of semiconducting materials · CPC title

• B24B37/046

  using electric current · CPC title