Leak detection apparatus and method and wafer electroplating method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11545378-B2
Application number	US-202117400527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 12, 2021
Priority date	Sep 16, 2020
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

A leak detection apparatus and method and a wafer electroplating method are provided. An air tightness state of a reaction chamber in a wafer electroplating device is detected in advance before a wafer electroplating process is performed, namely whether leak occurs at the reaction chamber is judged by inputting a detection gas to the reaction chamber and detecting a gas pressure value of the detection gas, and whether to perform the wafer electroplating process is determined according to a judgment result.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A leak detection method for a wafer electroplating device, the wafer electroplating device comprising a cover, a pressing structure is arranged on the cover, and a gas transfer channel is formed between the pressing structure and a wafer, the leak detection method comprising:
placing the wafer to be electroplated in a reaction chamber of the wafer electroplating device;
closing off the reaction chamber through the cover such that the pressing structure presses against the wafer on an underside thereof to improve a tightness of a first chamber, wherein the wafer has an electroplating surface and a supporting surface opposite to the electroplating surface, and the placed wafer divides the reaction chamber into the first chamber in which the electroplating surface is located and a second chamber in which the supporting surface is located, and the gas transfer channel is in communication with the second chamber;
introducing a detection gas to the second chamber via the gas transfer channel, and detecting a gas pressure value in the second chamber;
comparing the detected gas pressure value in the second chamber with a gas pressure reference value to determine whether a leak is present at the second chamber; and
responsive to determining that the leak is present at the second chamber, at least one of:
(a) outputting alarm information, or
(b) suspending operation of the wafer electroplating device.

2. The leak detection method for the wafer electroplating device of claim 1 , wherein:
the wafer electroplating device is a horizontal wafer electroplating device; and placing the wafer to be electroplated in the reaction chamber of the wafer electroplating device and closing off the reaction chamber comprises: horizontally placing the wafer to be electroplated in the reaction chamber of the wafer electroplating device with the electroplating surface facing towards a bottom of the reaction chamber and the supporting surface facing towards a top of the reaction chamber such that the placed wafer divides the reaction chamber into the first chamber in which the electroplating surface is located and the second chamber which is above the first chamber and in which the supporting surface is located.

3. The leak detection method for the wafer electroplating device of claim 1 , wherein:
introducing the detection gas to the second chamber and detecting the gas pressure value in the second chamber comprises:
introducing the detection gas to the second chamber; and
detecting the gas pressure value in the second chamber after the detection gasps resides in the second chamber for a period of time to become stable.

4. The leak detection method for the wafer electroplating device of claim 1 , wherein:
the detection gas comprises nitrogen.

5. The leak detection method for the wafer electroplating device of claim 1 , wherein:
comparing the detected gas pressure value in the second chamber with the gas pressure reference value to determine whether the leak is present at the second chamber comprises: responsive to the detected gas pressure value in the second chamber being less than the gas pressure reference value or a set proportion of the gas pressure reference value, determining that the leak is present at the second chamber.

6. A wafer electroplating method, applied to a wafer electroplating device, the wafer electroplating device comprising a cover, a pressing structure is arranged on the cover, and a gas transfer channel is formed between the pressing structure and a wafer, the wafer electroplating method comprising:
placing the wafer to be electroplated in a reaction chamber of the wafer electroplating device;
closing off the reaction chamber through the cover such that the pressing structure presses against the wafer on an underside thereof to improve a tightness of a first chamber, wherein the wafer has an electroplating surface and a supporting surface opposite to the electroplating surface, the placed wafer divides the reaction chamber into the first chamber in which the electroplating surface is located and a second chamber in which the supporting surface is located, an electroplating solution is contained in the first chamber, and the gas transfer channel is in communication with the second chamber;
introducing a detection gas to the second chamber, and detecting a gas pressure value in the second chamber;
comparing the detected gas pressure value in the second chamber with a gas pressure reference value to determine whether a leak is present at the second chamber; and
responsive to determining that the leak is preset at the second chamber, suspending operation of the wafer electroplating device, and responsive to determining that the leak is not present at the second chamber, performing an electroplating process on the electroplating surface of the wafer by the wafer electroplating device.

7. The wafer electroplating method of claim 6 , wherein:
the wafer electroplating device is a horizontal wafer electroplating device; and placing the wafer to be electroplated in the reaction chamber of the wafer electroplating device and closing off the reaction chamber comprises: horizontally placing the wafer to be electroplated in the reaction chamber of the wafer electroplating device with the electroplating surface facing towards a bottom of the reaction chamber and the supporting surface facing towards a top of the reaction chamber such that the placed wafer divides the reaction chamber into the first chamber in which the electroplating surface is located and the second chamber which is above the first chamber and in which the supporting surface is located.

8. The wafer electroplating method of claim 6 , wherein:
comparing the detected gas pressure value in the second chamber and the gas pressure reference value to determine whether the leak is present at the second chamber comprises: responsive to the detected gas pressure value in the second chamber being less than the gas pressure reference value or a set proportion of the gas pressure reference value, determining that the leak is present at the second chamber.

Assignees

• Changxin Memory Tech Inc

Inventors

• Kim Dongjin

Classifications

• H10P72/0616 Primary

  Monitoring of warpages, curvatures, damages, defects or the like · CPC title

• C25D21/12

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

• C25D17/001

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

• C25D5/028

  one side electroplating, e.g. substrate conveyed in a bath with inhibited background plating · CPC title

• C25D7/12

  Semiconductors · CPC title