Contact ring with embedded flexible contacts

• US 20040149573A1
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Herchen, Harald
• Granted Patent: US 7,087,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/297.01
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/001 Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic coating of wafers, e.g. semiconductors or solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/06 Suspending or supporting devices for articles to be coated
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 7/123 Semiconductors first coated with a seed layer or a conductive layer

Abstract

A contact assembly for supporting a substrate in an electrochemical plating system, wherein that contact assembly includes a contact ring and a thrust plate assembly. The contact ring includes an annular ring member having an upper surface and a lower surface, an annular bump member positioned on the upper surface, and a plurality of flexible and conductive substrate contact fingers extending radially inward from the lower surface. The thrust plate includes an annular plate member sized to be received within the annular ring member, and a seal member extending radially outward from the plate member, the seal member being configured to engage the annular bump member for form a fluid seal therewith.

Claims

1. A contact ring assembly for supporting a substrate in an electrochemical plating system, comprising a plurality of flexible and conductive substrate contact fingers extending radially inward from the lower surface, each of the fingers having an electrically conductive substrate contact tip brazed thereon.

2. The contact assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of flexible and conductive substrate contact fingers comprise an inner conductive core member coated by an outer electrically insulative layer.

3. The contact assembly of claim 2, wherein the inner conductive core member and the outer electrically insulative layer are flexible.

4. The contact assembly of claim 2, wherein the core member is manufactured from stainless steel and the substrate contact tip member is manufactured from at least one of platinum, tantalum, titanium, indium, palladium, and alloys thereof.

5. The contact assembly of claim 1, wherein the core member is configured to flex vertically.

6. The contact assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of flexible and conductive substrate contact fingers are formed integrally into a lower surface of a ring member.

7. The contact assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of flexible and conductive substrate contact fingers are formed into a separate ring that is detachably secured to a lower surface of a ring member.

8. The contact assembly of claim 1, further comprising an annular plate member configured to be received within the ring assembly, the annular plate member including a substrate seal positioned thereon, the seal being configured to sealably engage a perimeter portion of a substrate positioned in the contact ring.

9. A contact ring for an electrochemical plating system, comprising:

an upper ring member;

a lower ring member secured to the upper ring member via a plurality of support members, the lower ring member having an inwardly extending flange;

a plurality of vertically flexible conductive contact pins extending radially inward from the lower ring member;

an electrically insulating layer covering the plurality of the vertically flexible conductive contact pins; and

a plurality of conductive tip members affixed to a terminating end of each of the plurality of vertically flexible conductive contact pins.

10. The contact ring of claim 9, wherein the upper ring member, lower ring member, support members, and the flange are manufactured from a conductive material.

11. The contact ring of claim 10, wherein the conductive material comprises stainless steel.

12. The contact ring of claim 9, wherein tip members are manufactured from at least one of platinum, tantalum, titanium, indium, palladium, and alloys thereof.

13. The contact ring of claim 9, wherein the plurality of conductive tip members are brazed to the terminating ends of the plurality of vertically flexible conductive contact pins.

14. The contact ring of claim 9, further comprising an annular bump member formed onto an upper surface of the lower ring member, the annular bump member being configured to engage an annular seal member attached to a thrust plate assembly.

15. The contact ring of claim 9, wherein the electrically insulating layer provides a continuous insulating layer to the plurality of vertically flexible conductive contact pins during vertical movement of the contact pins.

16. A substrate contact assembly for an electrochemical plating system, comprising:

an electrically conductive contact ring;

a first electrically insulating layer covering outer surfaces of the contact ring;

a plurality of electrically conductive flexible contact fingers extending radially inward from the contact ring, each of the contact fingers having a substrate contact tip affixed to a distal terminating end thereof; and

a second electrically insulating layer covering a body portion of the contact fingers, the second electrically insulating layer being configured to flex with the contact fingers while maintaining electrical isolation of the body portion.

17. The substrate contact assembly of claim 16, wherein the contact tip is manufactured from at least one of platinum, tantalum, titanium, indium, palladium, and alloys thereof.

18. The substrate contact assembly of claim 16, wherein the contact tip is brazed to the terminating end of the contact finger.

19. The substrate contact assembly of claim 16, wherein the contact ring and the contact fingers are manufactured from stainless steel.

20. The substrate contact assembly of claim 16, wherein the plurality of contact fingers are integrally formed into the contact ring.

21. The substrate contact assembly of claim 16, wherein the plurality of contact fingers are formed into a ring member that is attached to a lower surface of the contact ring.