Apparatus for measuring condition of electroplating cell components and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10989747-B2
Application number	US-201916573994-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2019
Priority date	Apr 20, 2016
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A device for measuring electrical properties of electrical contacts within an electroplating apparatus has a disc-shaped structure like that of a wafer. Multiple conductive pads are formed to collectively circumscribe an outer periphery of the disc-shaped structure. Adjacently positioned ones of the conductive pads are electrically isolated from each other. The device includes a current source that supplies electric current at a first terminal and sinks electric current at a second terminal. The device includes measurement circuitry, having first and second input terminals, that determines a value of an electrical parameter based on signals present at the first and second input terminals. The device includes switching circuitry for connecting selected ones of the conductive pads to the first and second terminals of the current source and to the first and second input terminals of the measurement circuitry at a given time. The device also includes an onboard power supply.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for measuring electrical properties of electrical conduction paths within a semiconductor processing apparatus, where the semiconductor processing apparatus electrically connects the electrical conduction paths to a surface of a wafer when performing a process on the wafer, comprising:
a disc-shaped structure;
multiple conductive pads formed along an outer perimeter of a first side of the disc-shaped structure, wherein the multiple conductive pads are electrically isolated from each other;
an electrical power source disposed on the disc-shaped structure, the electrical power source having a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal electrically connected to a first subset of the multiple conductive pads, the second terminal electrically connected to a second subset of the multiple conductive pads; and
measurement circuitry disposed on the disc-shaped structure, the measurement circuitry having an input terminal electrically connected to a selected one of the multiple conductive pads, the measurement circuitry configured to determine a value of an electrical parameter based on electrical signals present at the selected one of the multiple conductive pads.

2. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the disc-shaped structure has an outer shape and an outer size respectively substantially equivalent to an outer shape and an outer size of the wafer upon which the semiconductor processing apparatus performs the process.

3. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple conductive pads extends to an outer radial edge of the disc-shaped structure.

4. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
electrical isolation structures respectively disposed between neighboring ones of the multiple conductive pads.

5. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the measurement circuitry is configured to sense a high current and/or a high voltage at the selected one of the multiple conductive pads.

6. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the measurement circuitry is configured to sense a low current and/or a low voltage at the selected one of the multiple conductive pads.

7. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the electrical power source is configured to supply electric current and/or voltage to the first terminal of the electrical power source, and wherein the electrical power source is configured to connect the second terminal of the electrical power source to a reference ground potential.

8. The device as recited in claim 7 , further comprising:
a first current switch module connected between the electrical power source and the first subset of the multiple conductive pads, the first current switch module controllable to switch electrical connection of the first subset of the multiple conductive pads to either the first terminal of the electrical power source or the second terminal of the electrical power source at a given time; and
a second current switch module connected between the electrical power source and the second subset of the multiple conductive pads, the second current switch module controllable to switch electrical connection of the second subset of the multiple conductive pads to either the first terminal of the electrical power source or the second terminal of the electrical power source at a given time.

9. The device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the first current switch module is a first integrated circuit switching device, and wherein the second current switch module is a second integrated circuit switching device.

10. The device as recited in claim 8 , further comprising:
a control module disposed on the disc-shaped structure, the control module configured to direct operation of the electrical power source and the measurement circuitry and the first current switch module and the second current switch module.

11. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the input terminal of the measurement circuitry is one of a first input terminal of the measurement circuitry and a second input terminal of the measurement circuitry, the measurement circuitry configured to sense a high current and/or a high voltage at the first input terminal of the measurement circuitry, the measurement circuitry configured to sense a low current and/or a low voltage at the second input terminal of the measurement circuitry.

12. The device as recited in claim 11 , further comprising:
a measurement switch module connected between the measurement circuitry and the selected one of the multiple conductive pads, the measurement switch module controllable to switch electrical connection of the selected one of the multiple conductive pads to either the first input terminal of the measurement circuitry or the second input terminal of the measurement circuitry at a given time.

13. The device as recited in claim 12 , wherein the measurement switch module includes an integrated circuit switching device.

14. The device as recited in claim 12 , further comprising:
a control module disposed on the disc-shaped structure, the control module configured to direct operation of the electrical power source and the measurement circuitry and the measurement switch module.

15. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a computer memory disposed on the disc-shaped structure, the computer memory configured to store digital data representing the value of the electrical parameter as determined by the measurement circuitry.

16. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a communication module disposed on the disc-shaped structure, the communication module configured to wirelessly communicate data representing the value of the electrical parameter as determined by the measurement circuitry.

17. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the disc-shaped structure is a printed circuit board.

18. The device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the multiple conductive pads are distributed in a substantially uniform manner around the outer perimeter of the disc-shaped structure.

19. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
an optical sensor disposed on the disc-shaped structure, the optical sensor configured to provide a view of structures that contact a portion of the multiple conductive pads.

20. The device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a power supply disposed on the disc-shaped structure.

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Emerson Mark E
• Mayer Steven T
• Ossowski Lawrence

Classifications

• H10P74/207

  Electrical properties, e.g. testing or measuring of resistance, deep levels or capacitance-voltage characteristics · CPC title

• C25D17/005

  Contacting devices · CPC title

• C25D17/001 Primary

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

• C25D21/12

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

• G01R31/2607

  Circuits therefor (G01R31/2642 takes precedence) · CPC title