Paddle for materials processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9551083-B2
Application number	US-201414482981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2014
Priority date	Sep 10, 2014
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

A paddle for a plating system has a housing with a back portion, a front portion, a first side portion, a second side portion, a first end portion, and a second end portion. A first fin is disposed laterally along a first external surface of the first side portion and offset and coupled to the first external surface to define a first passageway between the first external surface of the first side portion and a first internal surface of the first fin for flow of the electrolyte through the first passageway. A second fin is disposed laterally along a second external surface of the second side portion and offset and coupled to the second external surface to define a second passageway between the second external surface of the second side portion and a second internal surface of the second fin for flow of the electrolyte through the second passageway.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A paddle for an electrochemical processing system, comprising:
a housing;
wherein the housing has a back portion and a front portion spaced apart from one another;
wherein the housing has a first side portion and a second side portion spaced apart from one another;
wherein the housing has a first end portion and a second end portion spaced apart from one another;
a first fin disposed laterally along a first external surface of the first side portion and offset and coupled to the first external surface to define a first passageway between the first external surface of the first side portion and a first internal surface of the first fin for flow of an electrolyte through the first passageway;
a second fin disposed laterally along a second external surface of the second side portion and offset and coupled to the second external surface to define a second passageway between the second external surface of the second side portion and a second internal surface of the second fin for flow of the electrolyte through the second passageway;
ingress openings of the first passageway and the second passageway being wider than egress openings of the first passageway and the second passageway, respectively; and
the egress openings of the first passage way and the second passageway being proximate to or defined by the front portion of the housing.

2. The paddle according to claim 1 , wherein the first fin for the first passageway and the second fin for the second passageway each have a shape to provide respective Venturi effects.

3. The paddle according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first external surface and the second external surface are each curvilinear surfaces with an inwardly directed contour with respect to the housing from the back portion narrowed toward the front portion; and
an external surface of the front portion has at least one of raised bumps or recesses to promote agitation of the electrolyte.

4. The paddle according to claim 3 , wherein the housing comprises an electrode.

5. In the electrochemical processing system having the paddle according to claim 1 , the electrochemical processing system comprises a container having the paddle disposed therein.

6. The electrochemical processing system according to claim 5 , wherein the housing comprises an electrode.

7. The electrochemical processing system according to claim 6 , wherein the electrode is an anode disposed along the front portion of the housing for facing a workpiece surface.

8. A paddle for an electrochemical processing system, comprising:
a housing comprising an electrode;
wherein the housing has a back portion and a front portion spaced apart from one another;
wherein the back portion has a first opening of a channel through the housing for inflow of an electrolyte;
wherein the front portion has a second opening of the channel for outflow of the electrolyte;
wherein the housing has a first side portion and a second side portion spaced apart from one another;
wherein the housing has a first end portion and a second end portion spaced apart from one another; and
wherein the back portion, the front portion, the first side portion, the second side portion, the first end portion, and the second end portion define a hollow region of the housing.

9. The paddle according to claim 8 , wherein the first opening and the second opening are configured to provide a Venturi effect.

10. In the electrochemical processing system having the paddle according to claim 8 , the electrochemical processing system comprises a container having the paddle disposed therein.

11. The electrochemical processing system according to claim 10 , wherein the electrode is an anode disposed along the front portion of the housing for facing a workpiece surface.

12. A paddle for an electrochemical processing system, comprising:
a housing;
wherein the housing has a back portion and a front portion spaced apart from one another;
wherein the back portion has a first plurality of openings for inflow of an electrolyte;
wherein the front portion has a second plurality of openings for outflow of the electrolyte;
wherein the housing has a first side portion and a second side portion spaced apart from one another;
wherein the housing has a first end portion and a second end portion spaced apart from one another;
wherein the back portion, the front portion, the first side portion, the second side portion, the first end portion, and the second end portion define a hollow region of the housing;
a first fin disposed laterally along a first external surface of the first side portion and offset and coupled to the first external surface to define a first passageway between the first external surface of the first side portion and a first internal surface of the first fin for flow of the electrolyte through the first passageway; and
a second fin disposed laterally along a second external surface of the second side portion and offset and coupled to the second external surface to define a second passageway between the second external surface of the second side portion and a second internal surface of the second fin for flow of the electrolyte through the second passageway.

13. The paddle according to claim 12 , wherein the first fin for the first passageway and the second fin for the second passageway each have a shape to provide a first Venturi effect and a second Venturi effect.

14. The paddle according to claim 13 , wherein:
the first plurality of openings of the back portion and the second plurality of openings of the front portion are for a first channel and a second channel respectively intersecting the first passageway and the second passageway to provide a first confluence region and a second confluence region for flow of the electrolyte respectively through the first passageway and the second passageway; and
the first confluence region and the second confluence region respectively in combination with the first passageway and the second passageway are configured to promote the first Venturi effect and the second Venturi effect, respectively.

15. The paddle according to claim 12 , wherein the housing comprises an electrode.

16. In the electrochemical processing system having the paddle according to claim 12 , the electrochemical processing system comprises:
a container having the paddle disposed therein; and
wherein the housing comprises an anode disposed along the front portion of the housing for opposing a workpiece surface.

17. In the electrochemical processing system having the paddle according to claim 12 , the electrochemical processing system comprises an array of paddles including the paddle.

18. The electrochemical processing system according to claim 17 , wherein:
the array of paddles includes at least one anode; and
the at least one anode is disposed along the front portion of the housing for facing a workpiece surface.

Assignees

• Invensas Corp

Inventors

• Uzoh Cyprian Emeka

Classifications

• C25D17/001

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

• C25D21/10 Primary

  Agitating of electrolytes; Moving of racks · CPC title

• C25D7/12

  Semiconductors · CPC title

• C25D5/08

  Electroplating with moving electrolyte e.g. jet electroplating {(using locally applied jets of electrolyte C25D5/026)} · CPC title

• F02C7/042

  having variable geometry · CPC title