Apparatus and process of electro-chemical plating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016177467-A1
Application number	US-201414581876-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 23, 2014
Priority date	Dec 23, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electro-chemical plating process begins with supplying a supercritical fluid into an electroplating solution to be deposited, and a bias is applied between a substrate and an electrode, which is located in the electroplating solution. The substrate is placed into the electroplating solution to deposit a material on the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electro-chemical plating (ECP) process, comprising:
supplying a supercritical fluid into an electroplating solution to be deposited; applying a bias between a substrate and an electrode, wherein the electrode is located in the electroplating solution; and placing the substrate into the electroplating solution to deposit a material on the substrate.

2 . The ECP process of claim 1 , wherein the electroplating solution comprises a plurality of ions of the material.

3 . The ECP process of claim 2 , wherein the bias promotes diffusion of the ions of the material towards the substrate, and the ions are reduced to form the material on the substrate.

4 . The ECP process of claim 1 , wherein the substrate acts as a cathode, and the electrode acts as an anode during applying the bias between the substrate and the electrode.

5 . The ECP process of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is placed into the electroplating solution in substantially parallel to a surface of the electroplating solution.

6 . The ECP process of claim 1 , further comprising filtering impurities in the supercritical fluid before supplying the supercritical fluid into the electroplating solution.

7 . The ECP process of claim 1 , wherein the supercritical fluid is a substance at a temperature and pressure above a critical point of the substance.

8 . An electro-chemical plating (ECP) process, comprising:
preparing a supercritical fluid from a substance; supplying the supercritical fluid into an electroplating solution; placing a substrate into the electroplating solution; electroplating the substrate; and recycling the substance from the electroplating solution.

9 . The ECP process of claim 8 , wherein preparing the supercritical fluid from the substance comprises:
providing the substance in gas state or liquid state; heating the substance to a temperature above a critical temperature of the substance; and pressurizing the substance to a pressure above a critical pressure of the substance to transform the substance from gas state or liquid state into supercritical fluid state.

10 . The ECP process of claim 9 , wherein preparing the supercritical fluid from the substance further comprises liquefying the substance in gas state.

11 . The ECP process of claim 9 , wherein preparing the supercritical fluid from the substance further comprises filtering the substance before transforming the substance into supercritical fluid state.

12 . The ECP process of claim 9 , wherein recycling the substance from the electroplating solution comprises:
depressurizing the supercritical fluid and the electroplating solution to a pressure under the critical pressure of the substance, wherein the substance is transformed from supercritical fluid state into gas state; and recycling the substance in gas state.

13 . The ECP process of claim 8 , wherein the substance is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, xenon, argon, helium, krypton, nitrogen, methane, ethane, propane, pentane, ethylene, methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, isobutanol, cyclohexanol, ammonia, nitrous oxide, oxygen, silicon hexafluoride, methyl fluoride, chlorotrifluoromethane and water.

14 . The ECP process of claim 13 , wherein the substance is carbon dioxide.

15 . An electro-chemical plating (ECP) apparatus, comprising:
a container, comprising:
a substrate in an electroplating solution; and
an electrode in the electroplating solution and separated from the substrate;
a power supply configured to provide a bias between the substrate and the electrode; and a supercritical fluid supply configured to supply a supercritical fluid into the container.

16 . The ECP apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the supercritical fluid supply comprises:
a tank configured to provide a substance in gas state or liquid state; a heater configured to heat the substance to a temperature above a critical temperature of the substance; and a pressure pump configured to pressurize the substance to a pressure above a critical pressure of the substance to transform the substance from gas state or liquid state into supercritical fluid state.

17 . The ECP apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the supercritical fluid supply further comprises a liquidation unit configured to liquefy the substance in gas state.

18 . The ECP apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the supercritical fluid supply further comprises a filter configured to filter impurities before transforming the substance into supercritical fluid state.

19 . The ECP apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the ECP apparatus further comprises a recycling device configured to recycle the substance from the electroplating solution.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the recycling device comprises:
a relief valve configured to transform the substance from supercritical fluid state to gas state; and a gas trap configured to separate the substance in gas state and the electroplating solution.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Changchien Ying-Hsueh
• Lee Yu-Ming
• Yang Chi-Ming

Classifications

• C25D21/06 Primary

  Filtering {particles other than ions (filtering ions C25D21/22)} · CPC title

• C25D21/02

  Heating or cooling · CPC title

• C25D5/619

  Amorphous layers · CPC title

• C25D5/617

  Crystalline layers · CPC title

• C25D21/18

  of electrolytes (C25D21/22 takes precedence) · CPC title