Lipseals and contact elements for semiconductor electroplating apparatuses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018347065-A1
Application number	US-201815984211-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 18, 2018
Priority date	Aug 15, 2011
Publication date	Dec 6, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are cup assemblies for holding, sealing, and providing electrical power to a semiconductor substrate during electroplating which may include a cup bottom element having a main body portion and a moment arm, an elastomeric sealing element disposed on the moment arm, and an electrical contact element disposed on the elastomeric sealing element. The main body portion may be such that it does not substantially flex when a substrate is pressed against the moment arm, and it may be rigidly affixed to another feature of the cup structure. The ratio of the average vertical thickness of the main body portion to that of the moment arm may be greater than about 5. The electrical contact element may have a substantially flat but flexible contact portion disposed upon a substantially horizontal portion of the sealing element. The elastomeric sealing element may be integrated with the cup bottom element during manufacturing.

First claim

1 . A cup assembly for engaging a semiconductor substrate during electroplating, the cup assembly comprising:
(a) a cup bottom element comprising a main body portion and a radially inwardly protruding moment arm, wherein the main body portion is rigidly affixed to another feature of the cup assembly, and wherein the ratio of the average vertical thickness of the main body portion to the average vertical thickness of the radially inwardly protruding moment arm is greater than about 5, and wherein the radial width of the main body portion is between about 0.5 inches and about 3 inches and the radial width of the radially inwardly protruding moment arm is at most 0.1 inches; (b) an elastomeric sealing element disposed on the radially inwardly protruding moment arm, wherein the elastomeric sealing element is supported by the radially inwardly protruding moment arm, wherein the elastomeric sealing element, when pressed against by the semiconductor substrate, seals against the substrate so as to define a peripheral region of the substrate from which plating solution is substantially excluded during electroplating, wherein a top portion of the elastomeric sealing element is configured to receive an electrical contact element that contacts the substrate in said peripheral region when the sealing element seals against the substrate so that the electrical contact element is in electrical communication with the substrate during electroplating.

2 . The cup assembly of claim 1 , wherein said peripheral region is substantially radially symmetric and characterized by a first radially inner diameter, wherein the region of contact between the substrate and the electrical contact element is substantially radially symmetric and characterized by a second radially inner diameter, and wherein the second radially inner diameter is larger than the first radially inner diameter.

3 . The cup assembly of claim 2 , wherein the magnitude of the difference between the first and second radially inner diameters is less than about 0.5 mm.

4 . The cup assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
(c) the electrical contact element disposed on the top portion of the elastomeric sealing element.

5 . The cup assembly of claim 4 , wherein the main body portion of the cup bottom element has an average vertical height of at least about 0.2 inches.

6 .- 22 . (canceled)

23 . An apparatus comprising:
an elastomeric sealing element configured to be disposed on and supported by a radially inwardly protruding moment arm of a cup bottom, wherein the elastomeric sealing element, when pressed against by the semiconductor substrate, seals against the substrate so as to define a peripheral region of the substrate from which plating solution is substantially excluded during electroplating, wherein a top portion of the elastomeric sealing element that is substantially horizontal is configured to receive an electrical contact element that has a substantially flat but flexible contact portion, wherein the electrical contact element contacts the substrate in said peripheral region and deforms when pressed by the substrate when the elastomeric sealing element seals against the substrate so that the electrical contact element is in electrical communication with the substrate during electroplating; wherein the cup bottom comprises a main body portion that is rigidly affixed to another feature of the cup assembly and the radially inwardly protruding moment arm, wherein the ratio of the average vertical thickness of the main body portion to the average vertical thickness of the radially inwardly protruding moment arm is greater than about 5, and wherein the radial width of the main body portion is between about 0.5 inches and about 3 inches and the radial width of the radially inwardly protruding moment arm is at most about 0.1 inches.

24 . The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the elastomeric sealing element has a vertical thickness of between about 0.005 inches and about 0.050 inches.

25 . The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the elastomeric sealing element has an upward protrusion which contacts and seals the semiconductor substrate when the substrate is pressed against the elastomeric sealing element, wherein the upward protrusion is radially inward of the top portion of the elastomeric sealing element that is substantially horizontal.

26 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the upward protrusion of the elastomeric sealing element compresses when sealing against the substrate, and wherein before compression, the upward protrusion of the elastomeric sealing element is vertically above the top portion of the elastomeric sealing element that is substantially horizontal.

27 . The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising:
the cup bottom comprising the main body portion and the radially inwardly protruding moment arm, wherein the radially inwardly protruding moment arm supports the elastomeric sealing element and the electrical contact element.

28 . The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising:
the electrical contact element including the substantially flat but flexible contact portion, wherein the substantially flat but flexible contact portion is shaped and sized to be disposed on the top portion of the elastomeric sealing element that is substantially horizontal.

29 . An apparatus comprising:
an electrical contact element including a flexible conductive material, wherein the electrical contact element is substantially flat and is shaped and sized to be disposed on a radially inwardly protruding moment arm of a cup bottom, the radially inwardly protruding moment arm configured to support an elastomeric sealing element between the electrical contact element and the radially inwardly protruding moment arm, wherein the elastomeric sealing element, when pressed against by the semiconductor substrate, seals against the substrate so as to define a peripheral region of the substrate from which plating solution is substantially excluded during electroplating; wherein the cup bottom includes a main body portion that is rigidly affixed to another feature of the cup assembly and the radially inwardly protruding moment arm, wherein the ratio of the average vertical thickness of the main body portion to the average vertical thickness of the radially inwardly protruding moment arm is greater than about 5, wherein the radial width of the main body portion is between about 0.5 inches and about 3 inches and the radial width of the radially inwardly protruding moment arm is at most about 0.1 inches, and wherein the electrical contact element is configured to contact the substrate in the peripheral region when the elastomeric sealing element seals against the substrate so that the electrical contact element is in electrical communication with the substrate during electroplating.

30 . The apparatus of claim 29 , further comprising:
the elastomeric sealing element disposed on the radially inwardly protruding moment arm, wherein a top portion of the elastomeric sealing element supports the electrical contact element.

31 . The apparatus of claim 30 , further comprising:
the cup bottom comprising the main body portion and the radially inwardly protruding moment arm, wherein the radially inwardly protruding moment arm supports the elastomeric sealing element and the electrical contact element.

32 . The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the elastomeric sealing element is integrated with the cup bottom.

33 . The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the elastomeric sealing element has a vertical thickness of between 0.005 and 0.050 inches.

Assignees

• Novellus Systems Inc

Inventors

• Feng Jingbin
• Stowell Robert Marshall
• Ghongadi Shantinath
• Ramesh Ashwin

Classifications

• C25D7/123

  Semiconductors first coated with a seed layer or a conductive layer · CPC title

• Y10T29/49778

  with aligning, guiding, or instruction · CPC title

• C25D17/06 Primary

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

• C25D17/001 Primary

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

• C25D17/005

  Contacting devices · CPC title