Claims
- 1. An apparatus for electrochemically treating a surface of a substrate, comprising:a substrate holder; a plurality of dynamically operable concentric anodes opposite said substrate holder; a diffuser shield located between said substrate holder and said concentric anodes; and an insert shield located between said diffuser shield and said substrate holder.
- 2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:said diffuser shield comprises an inside lip diameter in a range of about from 8 inches to 12 inches.
- 3. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:said diffuser shield is a beta-type diffuser shield comprising wedge-shaped open areas in an annular lip.
- 4. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:said insert shield comprises an inside diameter in a range of about from 10.5 to 12 inches.
- 5. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:said insert shield and said substrate holder form a flow gap having a width in a range of about from 0.075 to 0.3 inches.
- 6. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:said insert shield comprises a streamline-type rim portion.
- 7. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein:said insert shield comprises a modified streamline-type rim portion having a radius of curvature in a range of about from {fraction (1/16)} to one-half inch.
- 8. An apparatus for electrochemically treating a surface of a substrate, comprising:a first bath container configured to retain an electrochemical bath at a bath height; a plurality of dynamically operable concentric anodes disposed in said first bath container; a substrate holder disposed in said first bath container opposite said concentric anodes at a substrate height; a shield disposed in said first bath container between said concentric anodes and said substrate holder, said shield configured for shielding a surface area of a substrate when a substrate is held in said substrate holder during electrochemical treatment operations; and a means, operable during electrochemical treatment operations, for dynamically varying a parameter selected from the group consisting of: a quantity of shielded surface area of a substrate, a distance separating said shield from said substrate holder, a distance separating said substrate holder from said concentric anodes, and combinations thereof.
- 9. An apparatus as in claim 8, comprising:a variable weir assembly for dynamically varying said bath height; and an actuator for dynamically moving said substrate holder, to vary dynamically said substrate height.
- 10. An apparatus as in claim 9, wherein:said first bath container has a first overflow height; and further comprising: a second bath container surrounding said first bath container and having a second overflow height higher than said first overflow height; and a third, overflow container surrounding said second bath container.
- 11. An apparatus as in claim 10, further comprising:a first valve for maintaining an electrochemical bath at said first overflow height; and a second valve for maintaining an electrochemical bath at said second overflow height.
- 12. An apparatus as in claim 9, wherein:said first bath container comprises a bath container wall; and further comprising: a movable sluice gate in said bath container wall for controlling said bath height.
- 13. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said shield is a diffuser shield located between said concentric anodes and said substrate holder.
- 14. An apparatus as in claim 13, wherein:said diffuser shield comprises a plurality of rings rotatable about a common axis, each of said rings configured to have an open area and a closed area, and an actuator for dynamically rotating one of said rings to vary a quantity of shielded surface area of a substrate.
- 15. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said shield is an insert shield located between said anode and said substrate holder.
- 16. An apparatus as in claim 15, wherein:said insert shield is separated from said substrate holder by a flow gap.
- 17. An apparatus as in claim 16, further comprising:a movable spacer for attaching said insert shield to said substrate holder; and an actuator for moving said spacer to vary dynamically said flow gap.
- 18. An apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising:means for rotating said substrate holder.
- 19. In an apparatus for electrochemically treating the surface of a substrate, comprising:a bath container configured to retain an electrochemical bath having a bath height; an anode disposed in said bath container; a substrate holder opposite said anode and located at a substrate height; a shield disposed between said anode and said substrate holder, said shield configured for shielding a surface area of a substrate when a substrate is held in said substrate holder; and a means, operable during electrochemical treatment operations, for dynamically varying a parameter selected from a group including a quantity of shielded surface area of a substrate, a distance separating said shield from a substrate in said substrate holder, a distance separating said substrate holder from said anode, and combinations thereof, the improvement characterized by said means being selected from the group consisting of: a variable weir assembly for dynamically varying said bath height and an actuator for dynamically moving said substrate holder, to vary dynamically said substrate height; a shield comprising a plurality of rings rotatable about a common axis, each of said rings configured to have an open area and a closed area, end an actuator for rotating one of said rings to vary a quantity of shielded surface area of said substrate; and a movable spacer for attaching a shield to said substrate holder and an actuator for moving said spacer to vary a distance separating said shield from said substrate.
- 20. A method for electrochemically treating the surface of a substrate, comprising steps of:providing an electrochemical bath with a plurality of concentric anodes located at the bottom of said electrochemical bath; placing a wafer substrate in a substrate holder, immersing said wafer substrate into said electrochemical bath at a substrate height and opposite said concentric anodes; providing a diffuser shield located between said wafer substrate and said concentric anodes; providing an insert shield located between said diffuser shield and said wafer substrate; and dynamically varying the power delivered to said concentric anodes.
- 21. A method as in claim 20, further comprising a step of:pre-washing electric contacts located in said substrate holder before placing said wafer substrate in said substrate holder.
- 22. A method as in claim 20, further comprising a step of:pre-wetting said wafer substrate before placing said wafer substrate in said substrate holder.
- 23. A method as in claim 20, further comprising a step of:dynamically varying a flow gap between said insert and said substrate holder.
- 24. A method as in claim 20, further comprising a step of:dynamically varying a closed area of said diffuser shield.
- 25. A method as in claim 20, further comprising steps of:dynamically varying said bath height; and dynamically varying said substrate height.
- 26. A method for electrochemically treating a surface of a substrate, comprising steps of:providing an electrochemical bath having a bath height in a first bath container, said first bath container containing a plurality of dynamically operable concentric anodes in a bottom portion of said first bath container, and further containing a shield located above said concentric anodes; immersing a wafer substrate held in a substrate holder into said elecrtrochemical bath at a substrate height, such that said wafer substrate is opposite said concentric anodes and said shield is between said wafer substrate and said concentric anodes; and dynamically varying a parameter selected from the group consisting of: a quantity of shielded surface area of said substrate, a distance separating said shield from said substrate, a distance separating said substrate from said concentric anodes, and combinations thereof.
- 27. A method as in claim 26, comprising steps of:dynamically varying said bath height; and dynamically moving said substrate holder, to vary dynamically said substrate height.
- 28. A method as in claim 27, comprising steps of:substantially closing a first outlet valve so that electrochemical fluid substantially fills a second bath container, thereby generating a second bath height; and controlling a second valve in a third container to maintain said second bath height.
- 29. A method as in claim 26, comprising a step of:dynamically moving said substrate holder to vary said substrate height, thereby actuating a movable sluice gate in a bath container wall of said bath container for controlling said bath height.
- 30. A method as in claim 26, wherein said shield is a diffuser shield comprising a plurality of rings rotatable about a common axis, each of said rings configured to have an open area and a closed area, and said diffuser shield is located between said concentric anodes and said substrate holder, and further comprising a step of:dynamically rotating one of said rings to vary a quantity of shielded surface area of a substrate.
- 31. A method as in claim 26, wherein said shield is an insert shield attached to said substrate holder by a movable spacer and located between said anode and said substrate holder, and further comprising steps of:actuating said moveable spacer to vary dynamically a flow gap between said insert shield and said substrate holder.
- 32. A method as in claim 26, further comprising a step of:pre-washing an electrical contact in said substrate holder before said step of immersing.
- 33. A method as in claim 26, further comprising a step of:pre-wetting said wafer substrate before said step of immersing.
- 34. A method as in claim 26, further comprising:rotating said substrate holder.
- 35. In a method for electrochemically treating the surface of a substrate, comprising steps of dynamically varying a parameter from a group including a quantity of shielded surface area of a substrate, a distance separating a shield from a substrate, a distance separating a substrate holder from an anode, and combinations thereof, the improvement comprising steps selected from the group consisting of:dynamically varying a bath height, and dynamically moving a substrate holder, to vary dynamically a substrate height; dynamically rotating a ring of a shield to vary a quantity of shielded surface area of a substrate, wherein said shield is a diffuser shield comprising a plurality of rings rotatable about a common axis, each of said rings configured to have an open area and a closed area; and actuating a movable spacer to vary dynamically a flow gap between an insert shield and a substrate holder.
- 36. A method as in claim 35, comprising steps of:substantially closing a first outlet valve so that electrochemical fluid substantially fills a second bath container, thereby generating a second bath height; and controlling a second valve in a third container to maintain said second bath height.
- 37. A method as in claim 35, comprising a step of:dynamically moving said substrate holder to vary said substrate height, thereby actuating a movable sluice gate in a bath container wall for controlling said bath height.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/302,111, filed Jun. 28, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. This application is also a continuation-in-part application of commonly-owned and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/537,467, filed Mar. 27, 2000, and now U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,923.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60/302111 |
Jun 2001 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
09/537467 |
Mar 2000 |
US |
Child |
10/116077 |
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US |