Method of cleaning substrate holder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016265135-A1
Application number	US-201615163588-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 24, 2016
Priority date	Jul 18, 2012
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A plating apparatus includes: a plating bath configured to store a plating solution therein; a substrate transport device configured to remove a substrate before plating from a substrate cassette and return the substrate after plating to the substrate cassette; a substrate holder configured to detachably hold the substrate with a sealing member sealing a peripheral portion of the substrate and immerse the substrate in the plating solution in the plating bath; a dummy substrate arranged in a position accessible by the substrate transport device; and a substrate holder cleaning bath configured to immerse the substrate holder in a cleaning liquid to clean the substrate holder when holding the dummy substrate with the sealing member sealing a peripheral portion of the dummy substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of cleaning a substrate holder comprising:
suspending a substrate holder in a substrate holder cleaning bath, the substrate holder holding a dummy substrate with a sealing member sealing a peripheral portion of the dummy substrate; and supplying a cleaning liquid into the substrate holder cleaning bath until the substrate holder is immersed in the cleaning liquid to clean the substrate holder.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein different types of cleaning liquids are individually and sequentially supplied into the substrate holder cleaning bath to clean the substrate holder sequentially with the cleaning liquids.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the cleaning liquids comprises a first cleaning liquid containing a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution, a second cleaning liquid containing an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide, and a third cleaning liquid containing methanesulfonic acid, and
said supplying a cleaning liquid into the substrate holder cleaning bath comprises:
supplying the first cleaning liquid into the substrate holder cleaning bath until the substrate holder, holding the dummy substrate, is immersed in the first cleaning liquid to clean the substrate holder;
supplying the second cleaning liquid into the substrate holder cleaning bath until the substrate holder, holding the dummy substrate, is immersed in the second cleaning liquid to clean the substrate holder; and
supplying the third cleaning liquid into the substrate holder cleaning bath until the substrate holder, holding the dummy substrate, is immersed in the third cleaning liquid to clean the substrate holder.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , further comprising supplying a rinsing liquid into the substrate holder cleaning bath until the substrate holder, holding the dummy substrate, is immersed in the rinsing liquid to rinse the substrate holder, the rinsing liquid being supplied after supplying the first cleaning liquid and before supplying the second cleaning liquid, or after supplying the second cleaning liquid and before supplying the third cleaning liquid.

Assignees

• Ebara Corp

Inventors

• Fujikata Jumpei
• Shimoyama Masashi

Classifications

• B08B3/08

  the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect · CPC title

• C25D17/06

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

• C25D21/08 Primary

  Rinsing · CPC title

• C25D17/00 Primary

  Constructional parts, or assemblies thereof, of cells for electrolytic coating · CPC title

• C25D5/12

  at least one layer being of nickel or chromium · CPC title