Electrochemical deposition chamber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018171503-A1
Application number	US-201815887476-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 2, 2018
Priority date	Mar 18, 2013
Publication date	Jun 21, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to the invention a method of removing electrolyte from an electrochemical deposition or polishing chamber comprising the steps of: providing an electrochemical deposition or polishing chamber comprising a support for a substrate, the support having an in-use position; a housing having an interior surface and a fluid outlet pathway for removing electrolyte from the chamber, wherein the fluid outlet pathway includes one or more slots which extend into the housing from at least one slotted opening formed in the interior surface; a seal for sealing the housing to a peripheral portion of a surface of a substrate position on the support in its in-use position; and a tilting mechanism for tilting the chamber in order to assist in removing electrolyte from the housing through the fluid outlet pathway; using an electrolyte to perform an electrochemical deposition or polishing processing on a substrate positioned on the support in its in-use position; and tilting the chamber using the tilting mechanism in order to assist in removing electrolyte from the housing through the fluid outlet pathway.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of removing electrolyte from an electrochemical deposition or polishing chamber comprising the steps of:
providing an electrochemical deposition or polishing chamber comprising a support for a substrate, the support having an in-use position; a housing having an interior surface and a fluid outlet pathway for removing electrolyte from the chamber, wherein the fluid outlet pathway includes one or more slots which extend into the housing from at least one slotted opening formed in the interior surface; a seal for sealing the housing to a peripheral portion of a surface of a substrate position on the support in its in-use position; and a tilting mechanism for tilting the chamber in order to assist in removing electrolyte from the housing through the fluid outlet pathway; using an electrolyte to perform an electrochemical deposition or polishing processing on a substrate positioned on the support in its in-use position; and tilting the chamber using the tilting mechanism in order to assist in removing electrolyte from the housing through the fluid outlet pathway.

2 . A method according to claim 1 in which the chamber is tilted by less than 10°.

3 . A method according to claim 1 in which the fluid outlet pathway comprises a slot which is in communication with a slotted opening and extends generally upwardly therefrom.

4 . A method according to claim 1 in which the slotted opening is formed in the interior surface so as to face downwardly into the chamber.

5 . A method according to claim 4 in which the interior surface comprises an overhanging section, and the slotted opening is formed in the overhanging section.

6 . A method according to claim 1 in which the housing comprises a lower housing portion and an upper housing portion which are spaced apart to define at least one slot and, optionally, at least one slotted opening.

7 . A method according to claim 6 in which the upper housing portion is a shroud member which is positioned over the lower housing portion.

8 . A method according to claim 1 in which the seal is an annular seal having an outer surface which is downwardly inclined towards the interior of the chamber.

9 . A method according to claim 8 in which the annular seal tapers to a sealing surface for sealing against the surface of the substrate.

10 . A method according to claim 9 in which the sealing surface is an edge region formed at the intersection of two mutually inclined surfaces of the annular seal.

11 . A method according to claim 8 in which the annular seal is funnel shaped.

12 . A method according to claim 1 in which the seal contacts the substrate at a level, and the slotted opening is disposed less than 5 mm above said level

13 . A method according to claim 1 in which the seal is disposed so that, in-use, the seal contacts a peripheral portion of the surface of the substrate which is less than 3 mm from an edge of the substrate.

14 . A method according to claim 1 including an electrode disposed within the chamber and an electrode contact for contacting the substrate when the support is in its in-use position.

15 . A method according to claim 14 in which, when the support is in its in-use position, the separation between the substrate and the electrode is less than 40 mm.

16 . A method according to claim 15 in which the separation between the substrate and the electrode is in the range 5 to 30 mm.

Assignees

• Spts Technologies Ltd

Inventors

• Macneil John

Classifications

• C25D17/02 Primary

  Tanks; Installations therefor · CPC title

• C25F3/16

  Polishing · CPC title

• C25F7/00

  Constructional parts, or assemblies thereof, of cells for electrolytic removal of material from objects (for both electrolytic coating and removal C25D); Servicing or operating · CPC title

• C25D17/001

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

• C25D3/38

  of copper · CPC title