COMBINATORIAL ELECTROCHEMICAL DEPOSITION

• US 20120090987A1
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermolecular Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intermolecular Incorporated
• Inventors: Gorer, Alexander, Sun, Zhi-Wen
• Granted Patent: US 8,580,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/212
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/001 Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic coating of wafers, e.g. semiconductors or solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 21/10 Agitating of electrolytes; Moving of racks
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 7/123 Semiconductors first coated with a seed layer or a conductive layer

Abstract

Combinatorial electrochemical deposition is described, including dividing a wafer into a plurality of substrates for combinatorial processing, immersing the plurality of substrates at least partially into a plurality of cells, within one integrated tool, including electrolytes, the cells also including electrodes immersed in the electrolytes, depositing layers on the substrates by applying potentials across the substrates and the electrodes, and varying characteristics of the depositing to perform the combinatorial processing.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of die mounts, each die mount configured to hold a substrate, wherein the substrate is a portion of a wafer;

a plurality of electrochemical deposition cells,

each electrochemical deposition cell configured to contain an electrolyte;

each electrochemical deposition cell configured to contain a counter electrode, wherein the counter electrode is submerged in the electrolyte;

each electrochemical deposition cell configured to receive at least one of the plurality of die mounts; and

wherein the plurality of die mounts and the plurality of counter electrodes are connected to a multichannel potentiostat configured to perform combinatorial electrochemical plating on the substrate held by each of the plurality of die mounts.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of die mounts comprises:

a retaining lip to hold the substrate;

contacts in the retaining lip to deliver current from the multichannel potentiostat; and

a seal configured to prevent the electrolyte from entering an interior of the die mount.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, at least one of the die mount or the counter electrode is configured to rotate.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the seal is one of an o-ring, a lip seal, or an adhesive.

5. A die mount comprising:

a stem;

a body connected to the stem comprising a retaining lip for holding a substrate;

contacts between the retaining lip and the substrate to provide current to the substrate for electrochemical deposition;

a seal between the retaining lip and the substrate to prevent electrolyte from entering an interior of the body; and

wherein the die mount is configured to expose a portion of a substrate for electrochemical deposition.

6. The die mount of claim 5, wherein the die mount is configured to rotate.