Methods for processing micro-feature workpieces, patterned structures on micro-feature workpieces, and integrated tools for processing micro-feature workpieces

• US 20040188257A1
• Filed: 01/20/2004
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Semitool Incorporated (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Semitool Incorporated (Applied Materials Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ritzdorf, Thomas L., Klocke, John
• Application Number:
  US10/760,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20040188257A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/478
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 13/00 Electrophoretic coating characterised by the process C25D15/00 takes precedence; compositions for electrophoretic coating C09D5/44
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 13/12 characterised by the article coated
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/022 using masking means
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 7/123 Semiconductors first coated with a seed layer or a conductive layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2885 using an external electrical current, i.e. electro-deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6723 comprising at least one plating chamber electroless plating apparatuses C23C, electroplating apparatuses C25D
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76898 formed through a semiconductor substrate

Abstract

Method and apparatus for processing a micro-feature workpiece having a workpiece having a first side, a second side, a plurality of micro-devices including submicron features integrated in and/or on the workpiece, and a deep depression or other large three-dimensional feature in either the first side and/or the second side. The method can include forming a thin conductive seed layer on the workpiece that conforms to the depression, and depositing a negative resist layer onto the seed layer. The negative resist layer, for example, can be a highly conformal and uniform layer of negative electrophoretic resist that is deposited onto the seed layer by contacting the seed layer with a bath of negative electrophoretic resist and establishing an electrical field between the seed layer and an electrode in the bath. After depositing the negative resist layer, the method includes removing a portion of the negative resist layer to uncover a deposition area of the seed layer within the depression. The method then includes the additive technique of electrochemically depositing a material onto the deposition area of the seed layer within the depression without covering the entire workpiece with the material.

Claims

1. A method for processing a micro-feature workpiece having a first side, a second side, a plurality of micro-devices integrated in and/or on the workpiece, and at least one deep depression in the first side and/or the second side, the method comprising:

forming a conductive seed layer that extends into the deep depression in the workpiece;

depositing a conformal, uniformly thick negative resist layer onto the seed layer;

exposing portions of the negative resist layer outside of the depression to a selected energy to form an exposed region of the negative resist layer outside of the depression and an unexposed region of the negative resist layer in the depression;

removing the unexposed region of the negative resist layer to uncover a deposition area of the seed layer in the depression; and

electrochemically depositing a conductive material onto the deposition area of the seed layer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing the negative resist layer comprises electrochemically depositing a conformal layer of negative electrophoretic resist onto the seed layer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing the negative resist layer comprises electrochemically depositing a conformal layer of negative electrophoretic resist onto the seed layer by:

contacting the seed layer with a bath of negative electrophoretic resist; and

establishing an electrical field between the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of negative electrophoretic resist.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing the negative resist layer comprises electrochemically depositing a conformal layer of negative electrophoretic resist onto the seed layer by:

holding the workpiece at least substantially horizontal and contacting the seed layer with a bath of negative electrophoretic resist while isolating another region of the workpiece from contacting the bath; and

establishing an electrical field between the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of negative electrophoretic resist.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing the negative resist layer comprises electrochemically depositing a conformal layer of negative electrophoretic resist onto the seed layer by:

holding the workpiece at least substantially horizontal and contacting the seed layer with a bath of negative electrophoretic resist while isolating another region of the workpiece from contacting the bath;

rotating the workpiece while the seed layer contacts the bath; and

establishing an electrical field between the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of negative electrophoretic resist.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein exposing the workpiece comprises aligning a mask with the depression to block the energy from irradiating the negative resist in the depression.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein electrochemically depositing a conductive material comprises electroplating a metal onto the deposition area of the seed layer by contacting the workpiece with a bath of electroplating solution and establishing an electrical field between the deposition area of the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of the electroplating solution.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein electrochemically depositing a conductive material comprises electroplating gold onto the deposition area of the seed layer by contacting the workpiece with a bath of electroplating solution containing gold ions and establishing an electrical field between the deposition area of the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of the electroplating solution.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the workpiece comprises a microelectronic workpiece having a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of semiconductor devices integrally formed in discrete dies on the substrate; and

depositing a negative resist layer comprises contacting the seed layer with a bath of negative electrophoretic resist in an electrochemical resist deposition station, establishing an electrical field between the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of negative electrophoretic resist, and rinsing in-situ within the electrochemical resist deposition station.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the workpiece comprises a microelectronic workpiece having a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of semiconductor devices integrally formed in discrete dies on the substrate;

depositing a negative resist layer comprises contacting the seed layer with a bath of negative electrophoretic resist and establishing an electrical field between the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of negative electrophoretic resist; and

electrochemically depositing a conductive material comprises electroplating gold or copper onto the deposition area of the seed layer by contacting the workpiece with a bath of electroplating solution containing gold ions and establishing an electrical field between the deposition area of the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of electroplating solution.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the workpiece comprises a microelectronic workpiece having a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of semiconductor devices integrally formed in discrete dies on the substrate;

the deep depression comprises a backside via extending through the substrate from the first surface to the second surface;

depositing a negative resist layer comprises contacting the seed layer with a bath of negative electrophoretic resist and establishing an electrical field between the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of negative electrophoretic resist to cover the backside via with a conformal layer of the negative electrophoretic resist; and

electrochemically depositing a conductive material comprises electroplating gold or copper onto the deposition area of the seed layer by contacting the workpiece with a bath of electroplating solution containing gold ions and establishing an electrical field between the deposition area of the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of electroplating solution.

12. A method for processing a micro-feature workpiece, comprising:

providing a workpiece having a first side, a second side, a plurality of micro-devices formed integrally on and/or in the workpiece, and at least one deep depression in the first side and/or the second side;

forming a thin conductive seed layer that extends into a deep depression in the workpiece;

constructing a conformal layer of negative resist on the seed layer by electrochemically depositing the negative resist onto the seed layer;

irradiating portions of the conformal layer of negative resist in areas outside of the depression to form an exposed pattern of negative resist outside of the depression and an unexposed pattern of negative resist in the depression;

removing the unexposed pattern of negative resist to uncover a deposition area of the seed layer in the depression; and

electrochemically depositing a conductive material onto the deposition area of the seed layer.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein constructing the conformal layer of negative resist comprises electrochemically depositing negative electrophoretic resist onto the seed layer in a single-wafer processing chamber while rotating the workpiece.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein constructing the conformal layer of negative resist comprises electrochemically depositing negative electrophoretic resist onto the seed layer by:

contacting the seed layer with a bath of negative electrophoretic resist; and

establishing an electrical field between the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of negative electrophoretic resist.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein constructing the conformal layer of negative resist comprises electrochemically depositing negative electrophoretic resist onto the seed layer by:

holding the workpiece at least substantially horizontal and contacting the seed layer with a bath of negative electrophoretic resist while isolating another region of the workpiece from contacting the bath; and

establishing an electrical field between the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of negative electrophoretic resist.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein constructing the conformal layer of negative resist comprises electrochemically depositing negative electrophoretic resist onto the seed layer by:

holding the workpiece at least substantially horizontal and contacting the seed layer with a bath of negative electrophoretic resist while isolating another region of the workpiece from contacting the bath;

rotating the workpiece while the seed layer contacts the bath; and

establishing an electrical field between the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of negative electrophoretic resist.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein irradiating portions of the workpiece comprises aligning a mask with the depression to block the energy from irradiating the negative resist in the depression.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein electrochemically depositing the conductive material comprises electroplating a metal onto the deposition area of the seed layer by contacting the workpiece with a bath of electroplating solution and establishing an electrical field between the deposition area of the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of the electroplating solution.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein electrochemically depositing the conductive material comprises electroplating gold onto the deposition area of the seed layer by contacting the workpiece with a bath of electroplating solution containing gold ions and establishing an electrical field between the deposition area of the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of the electroplating solution.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the workpiece comprises a microelectronic workpiece having a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of semiconductor devices integrally formed in discrete dies on the substrate; and

constructing the conformal layer of negative resist comprises contacting the seed layer with a bath of negative electrophoretic resist and establishing an electrical field between the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of negative electrophoretic resist.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the workpiece comprises a microelectronic workpiece having a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of semiconductor devices integrally formed in discrete dies on the substrate;

constructing the conformal layer of negative resist comprises contacting the seed layer with a bath of negative electrophoretic resist and establishing an electrical field between the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of negative electrophoretic resist; and

electrochemically depositing the conductive material comprises electroplating gold onto the deposition area of the seed layer by contacting the workpiece with a bath of electroplating solution containing gold ions and establishing an electrical field between the deposition area of the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of electroplating solution.

22. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the workpiece comprises a microelectronic workpiece having a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of semiconductor devices integrally formed in discrete dies on the substrate;

the deep depression comprises a backside via extending through the substrate from the first surface to the second surface;

constructing the conformal layer of negative resist comprises contacting the seed layer with a bath of negative electrophoretic resist and establishing an electrical field between the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of negative electrophoretic resist to form the conformal layer of the negative electrophoretic resist in the backside via; and

electrochemically depositing the conductive material comprises electroplating gold onto the deposition area of the seed layer by contacting the workpiece with a bath of electroplating solution containing gold ions and establishing an electrical field between the deposition area of the seed layer and an electrode in the bath of electroplating solution.

23. A micro-feature workpiece, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of micro-devices formed integrally with the substrate;

a deep depression having a sidewall extending into the substrate;

a conductive seed layer on the substrate and the sidewall of the deep depression; and

a conformal layer of negative electrophoretic resist on the seed layer.

24. The micro-device workpiece of claim 23 wherein the conformal layer of resist has an irradiated portion outside of the depression and a non-irradiated portion in the depression, and wherein the non-irradiated portion has a higher. solubility in a developing solution than the irradiated portion.

25. The micro-device workpiece of claim 23 wherein:

the substrate comprises a semiconductor wafer; and

the micro-devices comprise semiconductor dies formed integrally with the wafer, and the dies include integrated circuitry having submicron features.

26. The micro-device workpiece of claim 23 wherein:

the substrate comprises a semiconductor wafer; and

the micro-devices comprise semiconductor dies formed integrally with the wafer, and the dies include supramicron features.

27. The micro-device workpiece of claim 23 wherein:

the substrate comprises a micromechanical wafer; and

the micro-devices comprise micromechanical devices formed integrally with the wafer, and the micromechanical devices have submicron features.

28. The micro-device workpiece of claim 23 wherein:

the substrate comprises a micromechanical wafer; and

the micro-devices comprise micromechanical devices formed integrally with the wafer, and the micromechanical devices have supramicron features.

29. The micro-device workpiece of claim 23 wherein:

the substrate comprises a semiconductor wafer;

the micro-devices comprise semiconductor dies formed integrally with the wafer, and the dies include integrated circuitry having submicron features;

the deep depression comprises at least one backside via having a sidewall extending completely through the wafer; and

the conformal layer of electrophoretic negative resist has a thickness that is at least substantially constant along the sidewall of the backside via.

30. The micro-device workpiece of claim 23 wherein:

the substrate comprises a semiconductor wafer;

the micro-devices comprise semiconductor dies formed integrally with the wafer, and the dies include integrated circuitry having submicron features;

the deep depression comprises a backside via having a sidewall extending completely through the wafer;

the conformal layer of negative resist has an irradiated portion outside of the backside via and an opening over the seed layer in the backside via defining a deposition area; and

a metal is deposited in the deposition area but not on the resist.

31. An integrated tool for processing a micro-feature workpiece, comprising:

a cabinet;

an electrophoretic emulsion (EPE) deposition station in the cabinet, the EPE deposition station having a reactor including a cup configured to contain an EPE and a workpiece holder configured to isolate at least one region of the workpiece from EPE in the cup;

a first wet processing station in the cabinet, the first wet processing station comprising a chamber configured to develop electrophoretic resist;

a second wet processing station in the cabinet, the second wet processing station being an electrochemical deposition station configured to deposit conductive material onto the workpiece; and

a workpiece handling apparatus in at least a portion of the cabinet, the workpiece handling apparatus being configured to contact the region of the workpiece isolated from the EPE to transport the workpiece relative to the EPE station, the chamber, and the electrochemical deposition station.