Pad designs and structures for a versatile materials processing apparatus

• US 20020130034A1
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated (Lam Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NuTool, Inc. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Talieh, Homayoun, Basol, Bulent, Uzoh, Cyprian
• Granted Patent: US 7,378,004 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/224R
• CPC Class Codes: B23H 5/08 Electrolytic grinding
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/26 characterised by the shape of the lapping pad surface, e.g. grooved
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/001 Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic coating of wafers, e.g. semiconductors or solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/14 for pad-plating

Abstract

An apparatus capable of assisting in controlling an electrolyte flow and an electric field distribution used for processing a substrate is provided. It includes a rigid member having a top surface of a predetermined shape and a bottom surface. The rigid member contains a plurality of channels, each forming a passage from the top surface to the bottom surface, and each allowing the electrolyte and electric field flow therethrough. A pad is attached to the rigid member via a fastener. The pad also allows for electrolyte and electric field flow therethrough to the substrate.

Claims

1. An apparatus capable of assisting in controlling an electrolyte flow and an electric field distribution used for processing a substrate, comprising:

a rigid member having a top surface of a predetermined shape and a bottom surface, wherein the rigid member contains a plurality of channels, each forming a passage from the top surface to the bottom surface, and each allowing the electrolyte and electric field flow therethrough;

a pad attachable to the rigid member, the pad also allowing for electrolyte and electric field flow therethrough to the substrate; and

a fastener attaching the pad to the rigid member.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of channels in the rigid member are arranged in a defined pattern allowing more electrolyte to be applied to a central area of the substrate.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of channels in the rigid member are arranged in a defined pattern allowing more electrolyte to be applied to a peripheral area of the substrate.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an effective diameter of the channels is in the range of about 0.5 to 5 millimeters.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of channels form a pattern, said pattern resulting from a spacing between the channels that is between about one and four times an effective diameter of the channels.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the effective diameter of the channels is in the range of about 0.5 to 5 millimeters.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the channels are round and the effective diameter is a true diameter.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein only a portion of the channels are round.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rigid member is an insulative pad support.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a housing that mates with the rigid member and forms a cavity therein, the cavity having an electrolyte inlet for introducing the electrolyte thereto under pressure and being expelled therefrom through the plurality of channels in the rigid member; and

an anode disposed in the cavity.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rigid member is a portion of a conductive anode.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a bottom rigid member mating with the rigid member and forming a cavity therein, the cavity having an electrolyte inlet for introducing the electrolyte thereto under pressure and being expelled therefrom through the plurality of channels in the rigid member.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises screws.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises an adhesive, the adhesive having conductivity characteristics that affect the electric field being distributed therethrough.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a subpad disposed between the rigid member and the pad.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further including an adhesive that attaches the subpad to the pad, wherein the subpad is a liquid diffusing material.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the liquid diffusing material is a napped polypropylene fabric.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the adhesive is a sheet that is larger than the top surface of the rigid member, the adhesive sheet being disposed between a subpad and the pad, and that portion of the sheet that is larger than the top surface of the rigid member adhering to a side wall of the rigid member.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the adhesive is a conductive adhesive.

20. The apparatus to claim 19, wherein the conductive adhesive is provided around the periphery of the rigid member.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, further including an insulative adhesive provided in a center region of the rigid member.

22. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the conductive adhesive is formed around the periphery as a plurality of individual pieces of conductive adhesive.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the conductive adhesive is provided around the entire periphery of the rigid member and promotes the formation of an electric field around the periphery of the substrate.

24. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the adhesive is porous.

25. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the adhesive is only minimally porous.

26. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises an adhesive, which is an insulative adhesive.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26, further including conductive adhesive.

28. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the insulative adhesive is provided around the periphery of the rigid member.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, further including a conductive adhesive disposed in a center region of the rigid member.

30. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the insulative adhesive is formed around the periphery as a plurality of individual pieces of insulative adhesive.

31. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the insulative adhesive is provided around the entire periphery of the rigid member and inhibits the electric field from forming around the periphery of the substrate.

32. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the insulative material is included around the center region of the rigid member and inhibits the electric field from forming around the periphery of the substrate.

33. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the adhesive is porous.

34. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the adhesive is only minimally porous.

35. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pad has a contoured surface for interaction with the substrate.

36. The apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the contoured surface is formed via a pad having a varying thickness.

37. The apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the contoured surface is formed by adding adhesive spacers to the pad, which otherwise has a substantially uniform thickness.

38. The apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the contoured surface causes a periphery of the pad to contact the substrate prior to a central region of the pad.

39. The apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the contoured surface causes a central region of the pad to contact the substrate prior to a peripheral region of the pad.

40. The apparatus according to claim 35, wherein the contoured surface includes grooves.

41. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the grooves are formed in regions other than where the plurality of channels are formed.

42. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the grooves are formed in areas where the plurality of channels are formed.

43. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the grooves have a uniform depth.

44. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the grooves have differing depths.

45. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the grooves are formed as a plurality of straight groove lines.

46. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the grooves are formed as a plurality of intersecting groove lines.

47. The apparatus according to claim 46, wherein the intersecting groove lines intersect at right angles.

48. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the grooves have arbitrary shapes.

49. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pad includes particulates.

50. The apparatus according to claim 49, wherein a volume fraction of the particulates in the pad range between about 10 to 60 percent.

51. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fastener comprises an attachment ring securing flanges of the pad against the rigid member.

52. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pad includes a plurality of channels, some of which allow both the electrolyte and electric field flow therethrough, and others of which allow only the electric field flow through to the substrate.

53. An apparatus for applying pressure with a pad to a surface of a substrate that is being exposed to a solution, comprising:

a pad support, the pad support containing a plurality of channels, each forming a passage from a top surface of the pad support to a bottom surface of the pad support, and each allowing for the solution to pass therethrough;

a chamber having a first chamber portion and a second chamber portion, the first and second chamber portions being separated by the pad support;

the pad being attached to the pad support such that the pad is disposed in the second chamber portion, the pad containing a plurality of channels allowing the solution to pass therethrough;

a movable substrate holder disposed in the second chamber portion capable of holding the substrate and establishing contact between the surface of the substrate being held and the pad; and

a solution inlet for introducing the solution into the first chamber portion under pressure, and thereby causing the solution to flow through the channels into the second chamber.

54. The apparatus according to claim 53, wherein said apparatus is a conductor deposition apparatus with a movable substrate holder, further comprising an anode disposed in the first chamber, and wherein the solution is an electrolyte.

55. The apparatus according to claim 54, further including a second electrolyte inlet into the first chamber portion.

56. The apparatus according to claim 55, further including means for introducing the first and second electrolytes continuously into the first chamber portion.

57. The apparatus according to claim 55, further including means for introducing the first electrolyte continuously into the first chamber portion and introducing the second electrolyte into the first chamber portion intermittently.

58. The apparatus according to claim 54, wherein said substrate holder is rotatable.

59. The apparatus according to claim 58, wherein said substrate holder moves laterally.

60. The apparatus according to claim 54, wherein said substrate holder moves laterally.

61. The apparatus according to claim 60, wherein a speed of the lateral movement is between about 0.5 and 15 mm/second and the lateral displacement is between about 0.5 and 15 mm.

62. The apparatus according to claim 53, wherein said apparatus is for etching and the solution is an etchant.

63. A pad structure for use in an apparatus for depositing material on, or removing material from, a substrate, the pad structure comprising:

a substantially circular pad material having a top surface, a bottom surface and a defined thickness; and

means for communicating electrolyte and an electric field, magnetic field or electromagnetic field through the pad material to the substrate.

64. The pad structure according to claim 63, wherein the communicating means is an array of holes extending through the pad material and arranged diametrically across the pad material.

65. The pad structure according to claim 64, wherein multiple diametrically arranged arrays of holes extend through the pad material, said holes of each array being staggered with respect to one another.

66. The pad structure according to claim 63, wherein the communicating means is an array of holes extending through the pad material and arranged in a radial direction from a center of the pad material.

67. The pad structure according to claim 66, wherein multiple radially arranged arrays of holes extend through the pad material, the holes of each array being staggered with respect to one another.

68. The pad structure according to claim 63, wherein the communicating means is an arc-segmental array of holes arranged on the surface of the pad material and extending through the pad material.

69. The pad structure according to claim 63, wherein the communicating means is a slit extending across a substantial portion of the diameter of the pad material, said slit also extending through the pad material.

70. The pad structure according to claim 63, wherein the communicating means is a radially oriented slit extending through the pad material.

71. The pad structure according to claim 63, wherein the communicating means is an arc-segmentally-shaped slit extending through the pad material.

72. The pad structure according to claim 63, wherein the communicating means is a plurality of channels extending through the pad material.

73. The pad structure according to claim 63, wherein the communicating means comprises a plurality of holes extending through the pad material and a plurality of slits extending through the pad material.

74. The pad structure according to claim 73, wherein a number of said plurality of slits are located near an edge of the pad material, whereby an increased thickness of deposited material near an edge of the substrate is obtainable.

75. The pad structure according to claim 63, wherein the communicating means comprises a plurality of radially directed arrays of holes extending through the thickness of the pad material, cross-sectional openings of said holes increasing in size in the radial direction from a center of the pad material, whereby a thickness of deposited material on the substrate increases in a radial direction.

76. The pad structure according to claim 64, wherein larger ones of said array of holes are located near a center of the pad material and smaller ones are arranged near a periphery of the pad material.

77. The pad structure according to claim 66, wherein larger ones of said array of holes are located near a center of the pad material and smaller ones are arranged near a periphery of the pad material.

78. The pad structure according to claim 63, further comprising an adhesive system arranged on the bottom surface of the pad material.

79. The pad structure according to claim 78, wherein the adhesive system comprises adhesive material arranged about a periphery of the bottom surface, the adhesive material being arranged about the periphery by one of:

a continuous strip, a plurality of strip segments, a plurality of triangular-shaped adhesive portions and a plurality of circular-shaped adhesive portions.

80. The pad structure according to claim 79, wherein the adhesive system further comprises additional adhesive material arranged inwardly of the periphery of the bottom surface.

81. The pad structure according to claim 78, wherein the adhesive system has defined characteristics to promote or inhibit electric, magnetic or elecromagnetic field distributions through the pad material to the substrate.

82. The pad structure according to claim 78, wherein the adhesive system is an adhesive sheet having perforation holes arranged therein.

83. The pad structure according to claim 63, wherein the pad material is formed of:

a top pad material and a subpad material; and

an adhesive securing the top pad material to the subpad material.

84. The pad structure according to claim 83, wherein the adhesive is an adhesive sheet in which perforation holes are arranged.

85. The pad structure according to claim 83, wherein the communicating means comprises channels arranged in the top pad, subpad, and the adhesive.

86. The pad structure according to claim 83, wherein the subpad material is formed of a flow diffusing fabric, said top pad and adhesive having flow channels formed therein.

87. The pad structure according to claim 63, wherein the communicating means includes a plurality of channels formed through the pad material, some of which interact with a pad support to allow both electrolyte and electric field flow therethrough and others of which allow only electric field flow therethrough.

88. A pad assembly for use in an apparatus for depositing material on, or removing material from, a substrate, the assembly comprising:

a pad support having a top surface and a bottom surface, the pad support including a plurality of channels opening passages from the bottom surface to the top surface;

a pad material having a defined thickness and being attached to the pad support such that a top pad material surface is arrangeable opposite a surface of the substrate, the pad material including a plurality of channels extending through the thickness of the pad material; and

wherein at least some of the channels in the pad material overlap with respective channels in the pad support, said overlapping pad material channels having a larger opening than the respective pad support channels.

89. The pad assembly according to claim 88, wherein said larger openings have diameters in a range of about 1.7 to 7 mm and said smaller openings have diameters in a range of about 0.3 to 1.5 mm.