The present application relates to a plating apparatus.
Conventionally, a so-called cup type plating apparatus is known as a plating apparatus that subjects a substrate to a plating treatment (see, for example, PTL 1). This plating apparatus includes a plating tank in which an anode is disposed, a substrate holder disposed above the anode, the substrate holder holding a substrate as a cathode so that a surface to be plated of the substrate faces the anode, and an elevating/lowering mechanism that elevates and lowers the substrate holder.
In the cup type plating apparatus, when immersing the substrate into a plating solution in the plating tank, bubbles are generated on the surface to be plated of the substrate, and the bubbles might be accumulated on the surface to be plated. When subjecting the substrate to the plating treatment in a state where the bubbles are accumulated on the surface to be plated of the substrate in this manner, plating quality might be deteriorated. To solve this problem, the plating apparatus according to PTL 1 includes a special mechanism for tilting the substrate holder relative to a horizontal plane (referred to as “a tilting mechanism”). According to this plating apparatus, in a state where the substrate holder is tilted by the tilting mechanism, the substrate holder is lowered by the elevating/lowering mechanism to immerse the substrate into the plating solution, so that the substrate can be immersed into the plating solution with the surface to be plated being tilted relative to a solution level of the plating solution. Thereby, the bubbles on the surface to be plated of the substrate can be removed from the surface to be plated by use of buoyancy, and the plating quality can be inhibited from being deteriorated due to the bubbles.
PTL 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-220692
As described above, when immersing a substrate into a plating solution, a surface to be plated of the substrate is tilted relative to a solution level of the plating solution, which allows the plating solution to smoothly contact the surface to be plated. Here, the substrate as a target of a plating treatment may vary in dimension or shape depending on a desired use application or the like. Therefore, it is considered that as a mechanism that tilts the substrate to immerse the substrate into the plating solution, a suitable mechanism can be adopted for the substrate by developing various aspects of the mechanism.
An object of the present invention, which has been made in view of actual situations described above, is to provide a plating apparatus that allows a plating solution to smoothly contact a surface to be plated and that can inhibit bubbles from remaining on the surface to be plated.
According to one embodiment, a plating apparatus is provided, the plating apparatus including a plating tank in which a plating solution is stored, and an anode is disposed, and a substrate holder disposed above the anode, the substrate holder holding a substrate as a cathode relative to an upper surface of the anode. The substrate holder includes a head module that contacts and holds the substrate, a tilting module configured to tilt the head module, and an elevating/lowering module configured to elevate and lower the head module. The tilting module includes a first member, a second member supporting the head module, the second member being connected to the first member in a rotatable manner about a rotation axis, and an actuator that rotates the second member about the rotation axis, the rotation axis is offset from a center of the substrate held by the head module, and the elevating/lowering module is configured to elevate and lower the substrate holder by elevating and lowering the first member of the tilting module.
Hereinafter, description will be made as to embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. In the drawings illustrated below, the same or corresponding constituent component is denoted with the same reference sign, and redundant description will not be repeated.
The loading/unloading module 100 is a module for loading a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer into the plating apparatus 1000 and unloading the substrate from the plating apparatus 1000, and a cassette for housing the substrate is mounted on the module. In the present embodiment, four loading/unloading modules 100 are arranged in a horizontal direction, but the number and arrangement of the loading/unloading modules 100 are arbitrary. The transfer robot 110 is a robot for transferring the substrate, and configured to deliver the substrate among the loading/unloading module 100, the aligner 120, and the transfer device 700. The transfer robot 110 and the transfer device 700 can deliver the substrate via an unshown temporary stand, when delivering the substrate between the transfer robot 110 and the transfer device 700. The aligner 120 is a module for aligning positions of an orientation flat, a notch and the like of the substrate in a predetermined direction. In the present embodiment, two aligners 120 are arranged in the horizontal direction, but the number and arrangement of the aligners 120 are arbitrary.
The prewetting module 200 is a module for adhering a treatment liquid (prewetting liquid) such as pure water or de-aired water to a surface to be treated of the substrate prior to the plating treatment. In the present embodiment, two prewetting modules 200 are arranged in an up-down direction, but the number and arrangement of the prewetting modules 200 are arbitrary. The presoaking module 300 is a module for etching an oxide film on the surface to be plated of the substrate prior to the plating treatment. In the present embodiment, two presoaking modules 300 are arranged in the up-down direction, but the number and arrangement of the presoaking modules 300 are arbitrary.
The plating module 400 is a module for subjecting the substrate to the plating treatment. In the present embodiment, there are two sets of twelve plating modules 400, each set including three plating modules arranged in the up-down direction and four plating modules arranged in the horizontal direction, and 24 plating modules 400 in total are provided. The number and arrangement of the plating modules 400 are arbitrary.
The washing module 500 is a module for washing the substrate subjected to the plating treatment. In the present embodiment, two washing modules 500 are arranged in the up-down direction, but the number and arrangement of the washing modules 500 are arbitrary. The spin rinse dryer module 600 is a module for rotating the substrate subjected to a washing treatment at a high speed to dry the substrate. In the present embodiment, two spin rinse dryer modules are arranged in the up-down direction, but the number and arrangement of the spin rinse dryer modules are arbitrary.
The transfer device 700 is a device for transferring the substrate among a plurality of modules in the plating apparatus 1000. The control module 800 is a module for controlling the plurality of modules of the plating apparatus 1000, and may include a general computer or a dedicated computer including, for example, an input/output interface between the computer and an operator.
An example of a series of plating treatments by the plating apparatus 1000 will be described. First, the substrate is loaded into the loading/unloading module 100. Subsequently, the transfer robot 110 removes the substrate from the loading/unloading module 100, and transfers the substrate to the aligner 120. The aligner 120 aligns the positions of the orientation flat, notch and the like in the predetermined direction. The transfer robot 110 delivers, to the transfer device 700, the substrate aligned in the direction by the aligner 120.
The transfer device 700 transfers, to the prewetting module 200, the substrate received from the transfer robot 110. The prewetting module 200 subjects the substrate to a prewetting treatment. The transfer device 700 transfers, to the presoaking module 300, the substrate subjected to the prewetting treatment. The presoaking module 300 subjects the substrate to a presoaking treatment. The transfer device 700 transfers, to the plating module 400, the substrate subjected to the presoaking treatment. The plating module 400 subjects the substrate to the plating treatment.
The transfer device 700 transfers, to the washing module 500, the substrate subjected to the plating treatment. The washing module 500 subjects the substrate to the washing treatment. The transfer device 700 transfers the substrate subjected to the washing treatment to the spin rinse dryer module 600. The spin rinse dryer module 600 subjects the substrate to a drying treatment. The transfer device 700 delivers the substrate subjected to the drying treatment to the transfer robot 110. The transfer robot 110 transfers the substrate received from the transfer device 700 to the loading/unloading module 100. Finally, the substrate is unloaded from the loading/unloading module 100.
Note that the configuration of the plating apparatus 1000 described with reference to
Next, a configuration of the plating module 400 will be described. In the present embodiment, 24 plating modules 400 include the same configuration, and hence one plating module 400 will only be described.
As shown in
The plating module 400 includes a membrane 420 that separates an interior of the inner tank of the plating tank 410 in the up-down direction. The interior of the inner tank is divided into a cathode region 422 and an anode region 424 by the membrane 420. The cathode region 422 and the anode region 424 are each filled with the plating solution Ps. In the present embodiment, an example in which the membrane 420 is provided is described, but the membrane 420 does not have to be provided.
An anode 430 is provided on a bottom surface of the inner tank of the anode region 424. An anode mask 426 for adjusting electrolysis between the anode 430 and a substrate Wf is disposed in the anode region 424. The anode mask 426 is, for example, a substantially plate-shaped member made of a dielectric material and provided on a front surface of (above) the anode 430. The anode mask 426 has an opening through which a current flowing between the anode 430 and the substrate Wf passes. The membrane 420 may be provided in the opening of the anode mask 426. The plating module 400 is not limited to the plating module including the anode mask 426 and does not have to include the anode mask 426.
In the cathode region 422, a resistor 490 facing the membrane 420 is disposed. The resistor 490 is a member for uniformly performing the plating treatment in the surface to be plated of the substrate Wf. As an example, the resistor 490 may be composed of a porous plate-shaped member, or a plate-shaped member including a plurality of through holes formed to communicate between an anode side and a substrate side. The plating module 400 is not limited to the plating module including the resistor 490 and does not have to include the resistor 490. Also, in the present embodiment, a paddle 492 is provided above the resistor 490. The paddle 492 is made of, for example, titanium (Ti) or resin. The paddle 492 reciprocally moves in parallel with the surface to be plated of the substrate Wf that is a plating treatment target, to stir the plating solution so that sufficient metal ions are uniformly supplied to the surface of the substrate Wf during the plating of the substrate Wf.
The plating module 400 includes a substrate holder 440 for holding the substrate Wf with the surface to be plated being oriented downward. The substrate holder 440 includes a head module 450 for contacting and holding the substrate Wf. As an example, the head module 450 is configured to hold the substrate Wf by vacuum-chucking the substrate Wf and/or physically sandwiching and grasping the substrate Wf. The substrate holder 440 also includes a power supply contact point to supply power from an unshown power source to the substrate Wf. Further, in one embodiment, the substrate holder 440) includes a rotation module 480) that rotates the head module 450) about a vertical axis. The rotation module 480 can be achieved by a known mechanism such as a motor.
As shown in
The tilting module 460 further includes an actuator 466 that rotates the second member 464 about the rotation axis Ra. In the present embodiment, the actuator 466 has one end 466a connected to the first member 462, and the other end 466b connected to the second member 464, and the actuator 466 is configured to expand and contract, thereby rotating the second member 464. Although not limited, in the present embodiment, the actuator 466 has the one end 466a connected to the first member 462 vertically above the rotation axis Ra, and the other end 466b connected to an end portion (left end portion) of the second member 464 opposite to an end portion (right end portion) on a rotation axis Ra side. In addition, the actuator 466 is not limited to the example shown in
Thus, in the tilting module 460, the second member 464 rotates about the rotation axis Ra by an operation of the actuator 466, thereby tilting the head module 450 and the substrate Wf (see
In the present embodiment, the substrate holder 440 includes a position adjustment module 474 for compensating for a position of the substrate Wf in the horizontal and vertical directions when the head module 450 is tilted by the tilting module 460. The position adjustment module 474 includes a first mechanism 476 for compensating for horizontal movement, and a second mechanism 477 for compensating for vertical movement. A specific configuration of the first mechanism 476 and the second mechanism 477 is not particularly limited and, for example, a known mechanism such as a position adjustment mechanism including a ball screw and a rotating motor may be used. In the present embodiment, each of the first mechanism 476 and the second mechanism 477 is configured to move the elevating/lowering module 470 that supports the tilting module 460 but is not limited to this example. Alternatively, the transfer device 700 or the elevating/lowering module 470) may constitute at least one of the first mechanism 476 and the second mechanism 477. The position adjustment module 474 preferably moves the head module 450 in the horizontal and vertical directions so that the center of the substrate Wf does not move when the tilting module 460 tilts the head module 450. Additionally, the substrate holder 440 may only include one of the first mechanism 476 and the second mechanism 477 as the position adjustment module 474 or does not have to include the position adjustment module 474.
Here, the plating treatment in the plating module 400 of the present embodiment is described in more detail. In the plating module 400 of the present embodiment, first, the surface to be plated of the substrate Wf is tilted at a tilt angle α relative to the horizontal plane Hp by the tilting module 460 (see
Further, in the present embodiment, although not limited, the rotation module 480 rotates the head module 450 when the substrate Wf is immersed into the plating solution Ps. Specifically, in the elevating/lowering module 470, the surface to be plated of the substrate Wf is tilted relative to the horizontal plane Hp by the tilting module 460, and the substrate Wf is lowered and immersed into the plating solution Ps while the substrate Wf is rotated by the rotation module 480. This can further inhibit bubbles from remaining on the surface to be plated of the substrate Wf.
Then, when the substrate Wf is immersed into the plating solution Ps, the tilting module 460 rotates the second member 464 so that the surface to be plated of the substrate Wf is disposed along the horizontal plane Hp. At this time, adjustment may be made by the position adjustment module 474 again so that the center position of the substrate Wf does not move. Then, the plating module 400 can subject the surface to be plated of the substrate Wf to the plating treatment by applying a voltage between the anode 430 and the substrate Wf in a state where the substrate Wf is immersed into the plating liquid Ps. Further, in one embodiment, the plating treatment is performed while rotating the substrate Wf (head module 450) by use of the rotation module 480. The plating treatment allows a conductive film (plating film) to be precipitated on the surface to be plated of the substrate.
As shown in
The tilting module 460A of the modification includes an actuator 466A for rotating the second member 464A. As an example, the actuator 466A has one end 466Ab connected to an end portion of the second member 464A (in
The tilting module 460A of the modification includes a biasing member 468 that biases the second member 464A so that the surface to be plated of the substrate Wf is along a horizontal plane Hp. In the present embodiment, a coil spring is used as the biasing member 468, but the biasing member is not limited to this example, and various mechanisms such as mechanisms in which a leaf spring and a magnetic force are used may be used. By providing the biasing member 468, tilting of the head module 450 and releasing of the tilting can be smoothly performed. Alternatively, this biasing member may be provided in the tilting module 460 of the above embodiment.
In the substrate holder 440A of the modification described above, the substrate Wf in a tilted state can be contacted with a plating solution Ps in the same manner as in the substrate holder 440) of the above embodiment. This allows the plating solution Ps to smoothly contact the surface to be plated, and bubbles can be inhibited from remaining on the surface to be plated.
The present invention can be described in aspects as follows.
According to Aspect 1, a plating apparatus is provided, the plating apparatus including a plating tank in which a plating solution is stored, and an anode is disposed, and a substrate holder disposed above the anode, the substrate holder holding a substrate as a cathode relative to an upper surface of the anode. The substrate holder includes a head module that contacts and holds the substrate, a tilting module configured to tilt the head module, and an elevating/lowering module configured to elevate and lower the head module. The tilting module includes a first member, a second member supporting the head module, the second member being connected to the first member in a rotatable manner about a rotation axis, and an actuator that rotates the second member about the rotation axis, the rotation axis is offset from a center of the substrate held by the head module, and the elevating/lowering module is configured to elevate and lower the substrate holder by elevating and lowering the first member of the tilting module.
Aspect 1 allows the plating solution to smoothly contact a surface to be plated and can inhibit bubbles from remaining on the surface to be plated.
According to Aspect 2, in Aspect 1, the plating apparatus further includes a position adjustment module configured to move the head module in a horizontal direction, and the position adjustment module moves the head module in the horizontal direction to compensate for horizontal movement of the center of the substrate held by the head module, when the tilting module tilts the head module.
According to Aspect 2, the horizontal movement of the center of the substrate can be compensated when the head module is tilted by the tilting module.
According to Aspect 3, in Aspect 2, the position adjustment module is configured to move the head module in the horizontal direction and a vertical direction and moves the head module in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction to compensate for horizontal and vertical movement of the center of the substrate held by the head module, when the tilting module tilts the head module.
According to Aspect 3, the horizontal and vertical movement of the center of the substrate can be compensated when the head module is tilted by the tilting module.
According to Aspect 4, in Aspects 1 to 3, the first member is a vertically extending plate-shaped member, and the second member is rotatably connected to the first member at an end portion in a horizontal direction.
According to Aspect 5, in Aspects 1 to 4, the second member is rotatably connected to the first member on one end side in a horizontal direction and connected to the actuator on the other end side in the horizontal direction.
According to Aspect 6, in Aspects 1 to 3, the rotation axis intersects with an axis extending perpendicularly through a center of a surface to be plated of the substrate.
According to Aspect 7, in Aspects 1 to 6, the tilting module includes a biasing member that biases the second member in a direction in which a surface to be plated of the substrate is horizontal.
According to Aspect 7, the tilting module can more smoothly drive the head module.
According to Aspect 8, in Aspects 1 to 7, the plating apparatus further includes a rotation module configured to rotate the substrate about a rotation axis extending perpendicularly through a center of a surface to be plated.
According to Aspect 8, the substrate can be immersed into a plating solution while rotating the substrate, and/or the substrate can be subjected to a plating treatment while rotating the substrate.
According to Aspect 9, in Aspect 8, the rotation module is supported on the second member.
According to Aspect 10, in Aspects 1 to 9, the tilting module tilts the head module at a tilt angle in a range of 1 degree or more and 5 degrees or less.
According to Aspect 11, in Aspects 1 to 10, the plating apparatus further includes a resistor disposed above the anode and below the substrate holder in an interior of the plating tank.
The embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the above embodiment of the present invention is described to facilitate understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Needless to say, the present invention may be changed or modified without departing from the spirit, and the present invention includes equivalents to the invention. Also, in a range in which at least some of the above-described problems can be solved or a range in which at least some of effects are exhibited, any arbitrary combination of the embodiment and the modification is possible, and arbitrary combination or omission of respective constituent components described in claims and description is possible.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2021/022249 | 6/11/2021 | WO |