Claims
- 1. An electro-chemical plating cell, comprising:
a cell body defining a first fluid volume; an anode positioned in a lower portion of the cell body; a first membrane positioned across the cell body above the anode, the membrane forming a second fluid volume proximate the anode surface that is isolated from the first fluid volume; a first fluid inlet in fluid communication with the first fluid volume; a second fluid inlet in fluid communication with the second fluid volume; and a fluid outlet in fluid communication with the second fluid volume.
- 2. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 1, wherein the second fluid inlet is positioned to direct fluid around the anode and out the fluid outlet.
- 3. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 1, further comprising:
a support ring circumscribing the anode; and a second membrane positioned across the cell body below the anode.
- 4. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 1, further comprising an electrical connection extending through the cell body and contacting the anode.
- 5. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 1, wherein the first fluid inlet is positioned below the anode and configured to direct a plating solution upward through the plating cell toward a substrate being plated.
- 6. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 1, further comprising a fluid permeable diffusion member positioned across the cell body at a position above the anode and below an upper overflow weir of the cell body.
- 7. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 1, further comprising a degasser in communication with the first fluid inlet.
- 8. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 1, wherein the first membrane comprises a hydrophilic porous fluid permeable material.
- 9. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 1, wherein the second fluid inlet is configured to supply a fluid at a higher pressure than the first fluid inlet.
- 10. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 1, wherein the second fluid inlet and the first fluid outlet are configured to direct a fluid over the anode and remove the fluid from the plating cell without the fluid contacting the substrate being plated.
- 11. An electro-chemical plating cell, comprising:
a cell body configured to contain a plating solution and having an opening sized to receive a substrate therein for plating; an anode positioned in a lower portion of the cell body; a first membrane positioned across the cell body above the anode, the membrane being positioned to separate the plating solution in the cell body from a fluid volume adjacent the anode; a plating solution fluid inlet in fluid communication with a plating solution volume above the membrane; an anode fluid inlet in fluid communication with the fluid volume adjacent the anode; and a anode fluid outlet in fluid communication with the fluid volume adjacent the anode.
- 12. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 11, wherein the anode comprises a soluble metal.
- 13. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 11, wherein the first membrane comprises a hydrophilic porous fluid permeable material.
- 14. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 11, wherein the anode fluid inlet is configured to provide a higher fluid pressure than the plating solution fluid inlet.
- 12. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 11, wherein the opening comprises a fluid outlet for the plating solution.
- 13. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 11, further comprising a second membrane positioned across the cell below the anode.
- 14. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 11, wherein the plating solution inlet is configured to supply a plating solution to the plating cell without the plating solution contacting the anode.
- 15. The electro-chemical plating cell of claim 11, wherein the fluid volume adjacent the anode is separated from the plating solution.
- 16. An electro-chemical plating cell, comprising:
a cell body defining a plating solution fluid volume; an anode positioned in a lower portion of the cell body; a membrane positioned over the anode, the membrane separating an anode fluid volume from the plating solution fluid volume; a fluid inlet in communication with the anode fluid volume; a fluid outlet in communication with the anode fluid volume; and a plating solution inlet in fluid communication with the plating solution volume.
- 17. The plating cell of claim 16, wherein the membrane comprises a porous fluid permeable membrane.
- 18. The plating cell of claim 16, further comprising a filter membrane positioned across the plating solution fluid volume.
- 19. The plating cell of claim 16, further comprising an enclosure positioned around a perimeter and bottom portions of the anode.
- 20. The plating cell of claim 19, wherein the enclosure comprises a plastic ring portion surrounding the perimeter of the anode and a bottom encapsulation membrane positioned below the anode.
- 21. The plating cell of claim 16, wherein the plating solution inlet is positioned to direct plating solution upward through the plating cell toward a substrate immersed in the plating solution volume.
- 22. The plating cell of claim 16, wherein the plating solution inlet and the fluid inlet in fluid communication with the anode fluid volume are individually controlled to generate a higher fluid pressure in the anode fluid volume than in the plating solution fluid volume.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/867,780, filed May 29, 2001, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/289,074, filed Apr. 8, 1999, which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 06/110,209, filed Nov. 30, 1998. Each of the aforementioned related patent applications is herein incorporated by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60110209 |
Nov 1998 |
US |
Continuations (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09867780 |
May 2001 |
US |
Child |
10690033 |
Oct 2003 |
US |
Parent |
09289074 |
Apr 1999 |
US |
Child |
09867780 |
May 2001 |
US |