Claims
- 1. A method for electroplating a metal onto a substrate plating surface, comprising:
holding a substrate with the substrate plating surface face-up on a rotatable substrate support member having means for holding and rotating the substrate during an electroplating process; positioning an anode above the substrate plating surface; flowing an electroplating solution between the anode and the substrate plating surface; and applying a plating bias between the substrate plating surface and the anode to electroplate the metal onto the plating surface.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of holding the substrate comprises providing a vacuum suction between the substrate support member and a back side of the substrate.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of holding the substrate further comprises providing a peripheral seal between the substrate support member and a back side of the substrate.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein applying a plating bias comprises positioning a cathode contact ring in electrical contact with the plating surface, the cathode contact ring defining a fluid processing volume between the ring and the substrate surface.
- 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the cathode contact ring contacts the plating surface annular ring and a plurality of contact pins extending radially inwardly therefrom, and positioning an annular seal radially inward of the contact pins.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electroplating solution flows through perforations in the anode.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the anode is consumed during the operation of the electroplating method.
- 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising rotating the substrate while flowing the electroplating solution between the anode and the substrate plating surface.
- 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising vibrating the substrate while flowing the electroplating solution between the anode and the substrate plating surface.
- 10. The method of claim 4, wherein flowing the electroplating solution further comprises filling the fluid processing volume.
- 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the positioning the anode further comprises positioning the anode in electrical communication with the fluid processing volume.
- 12. The method of claim 4, further comprising removing the cathode contact ring and rinsing the substrate plating surface with a rinse agent.
- 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of rinsing the substrate plating surface comprises spraying a rinse agent over the substrate plating surface while rotating the substrate support within.
- 14. The method of claim 12, further comprising draining the rinse agent back to a rinse agent reservoir.
- 15. The method of claim 12, further comprising purifying the rinse agent in a purifier.
- 16. The method of claim 12, further comprising spin-drying the substrate.
- 17. The method of claim 1, further comprising supplying the electroplating solution into a cavity ring disposed above the anode.
- 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising moving the cavity ring while flowing the electroplating solution.
- 19. A method for electroplating a metal onto a substrate plating surface, comprising:
positioning the substrate plating surface face-up on a support member; positioning the support member at a first vertical position in a processing cell; electrically contacting a cathode clamp ring to the substrate plating surface; flowing an electroplating solution from an anode to the substrate plating surface while rotating the substrate plating surface at the first vertical position; positioning the support member at a second vertical position in the cell, the second position being different from the first position; and rinsing the substrate plating surface with a rinse agent at the second vertical position.
- 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising spin-drying the substrate plating surface.
- 21. The method of claim 19, further comprising draining the electroplating solution to an electroplating solution reservoir.
- 22. The method of claim 19, further comprising draining the rinse agent to a rinse drain and purifying the rinse agent.
- 23. A method for plating and rinsing a substrate in a processing cell, comprising:
positioning the substrate face-up on a rotatable substrate support member and positioning the substrate support member at a plating position in the cell; electrically contacting a plating surface of the substrate with a cathode electrode; forming a fluid processing volume above the plating surface; positioning an anode in electrical communication with the processing volume; applying a plating bias between the anode and the cathode electrode to plate a metal from the fluid processing volume onto the plating surface in the plating position; moving the substrate support member to a rinsing position; and dispensing a rinsing solution onto the plating surface while rotating the substrate.
- 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising capturing a plating solution used in the plating process with a first fluid receiving member and capturing the rinsing solution with a second fluid receiving member.
- 25. The method of claim 23, wherein electrically contacting the plating surface comprises positioning a cathode contact ring having a plurality of radially positioned substrate contact pins positioned thereon such that the contact pins electrically engage a perimeter of the substrate.
- 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising sealably engaging the perimeter of the plating surface with an annular seal positioned radially inward of the contact pins.
- 27. The method of claim 23, further comprising flowing an electroplating solution through a plurality of perforations in the anode to fill the fluid processing volume.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/178,469, filed on Jun. 24, 2003, which claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/294,240, filed on Apr. 19, 1999, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/082,494, filed on Apr. 21, 1998. Each of the aforementioned related patent applications are incorporated by reference herein.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60082494 |
Apr 1998 |
US |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10178469 |
Jun 2002 |
US |
Child |
10630185 |
Jul 2003 |
US |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09294240 |
Apr 1999 |
US |
Child |
10178469 |
Jun 2002 |
US |