Methods of reducing or eliminating deposits after electrochemical plating in an electroplating processor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11697888-B2
Application number	US-202217750733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2022
Priority date	Jun 22, 2019
Publication date	Jul 11, 2023
Grant date	Jul 11, 2023

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for reducing the formation of insoluble deposits in semiconductor electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof during electrochemical plating, including: removing electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof from an electroplating solution, wherein residual electroplating solution is disposed atop the electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof, and wherein the residual electroplating solution has a first pH; contacting the residual electroplating solution with a rinse agent having a second pH similar to the first pH to form a rinsate; and removing the rinsate from the electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of reducing the formation of insoluble deposits in semiconductor electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof during electrochemical plating, the method comprising:
removing electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof from an electroplating solution, wherein residual electroplating solution is disposed atop the electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof, and wherein the residual electroplating solution has a first pH;
contacting the residual electroplating solution with a rinse agent having a second pH similar to the first pH to form a rinsate, wherein the rinse agent is an organic acid; and
removing the rinsate from the electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pH is substantially similar to the second pH.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pH is 2 to 5, and the second pH is 2 to 5.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rinse agent is an alkylsulfonic acid.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rinse agent is methane sulfonic acid.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rinse agent is applied under conditions sufficient to prevent precipitation of organometallic or metallic precursors from the rinsate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rinse agent is applied under conditions that maintain the pH of the residual electroplating solution.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein contacting the rinse agent with the residual electroplating solution causes a reduction of the formation of insoluble deposits in semiconductor electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface is disposed upon a seal.

10. A method of reducing or eliminating the formation of conductive deposits on surfaces in an electrochemical plating equipment, comprising contacting an acidic rinse agent with one or more surfaces comprising electrolyte to form an acidic rinsate; and flowing the acidic rinsate away from the one or more surfaces, wherein the acidic rinse agent is an organic acid.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electrolyte has a first pH is substantially similar to the acidic rinse agent.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electrolyte has a pH of 2 to 5, and the acidic rinse agent has a pH of 2 to 5.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the acidic rinse agent is an alkylsulfonic acid.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the acidic rinse agent is methane sulfonic acid.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the acidic rinse agent is applied under conditions sufficient to prevent precipitation of organometallic or metallic precursors from the acidic rinsate.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the acidic rinse agent is applied under conditions that maintain a pH of the electrolyte.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein contacting the acidic rinse agent with the electrolyte causes a reduction of the formation of insoluble deposits in semiconductor electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the surface is disposed upon a seal.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Bergman Eric J
• Crane Stuart
• Youngbull Tricia A
• Stolt Timothy G

Classifications

• B08B3/08

  the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect · CPC title

• C25D21/08 Primary

  Rinsing · CPC title

• B08B17/02

  Preventing deposition of fouling or of dust · CPC title

• C25D7/12 Primary

  Semiconductors · CPC title

• C25D17/001

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