PLATING METHOD AND PLATING APPARATUS

• US 20130255360A1
• Filed: 03/22/2013
• Published: 10/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Inventors: MINAMI, Yoshio, FUJIKATA, Jumpei, KISHI, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 9,340,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/40.5R
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/001 Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic coating of wafers, e.g. semiconductors or solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/004 Sealing devices
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/06 Suspending or supporting devices for articles to be coated
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 21/12 Process control or regulation controlling or regulating in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/20 using special tracer materials, e.g. dye, fluorescent material, radioactive material
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/26 by measuring rate of loss or gain of fluid, e.g. by pressure-responsive devices, by flow detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/3263 using a differential pressure detector G01M3/3245, G01M3/3272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/3281 removably mounted in a test cell
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/34 by testing the possibility of maintaining the vacuum in containers, e.g. in can-testing machines

Abstract

A plating method includes holding a substrate with a substrate holder while bringing a sealing member into pressure contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate to form an enclosed internal space in the substrate holder; performing a first-stage leakage test of the substrate holder by producing a vacuum in the internal space and checking whether pressure in the internal space reaches a predetermined vacuum pressure within a certain period of time; and if the substrate holder has passed the first-stage leakage test, performing a second-stage leakage test of the substrate holder by closing off the internal space after producing the vacuum therein and checking whether a change in the pressure in the internal space reaches a predetermined value within a certain period of time.

Claims

1. A plating method comprising:

holding a substrate with a substrate holder while bringing a sealing member into pressure contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate to form an enclosed internal space in the substrate holder;

performing a first-stage leakage test of the substrate holder by producing a vacuum in the internal space and checking whether pressure in the internal space reaches a predetermined vacuum pressure within a certain period of time; and

if the substrate holder has passed the first-stage leakage test, performing a second-stage leakage test of the substrate holder by closing off the internal space after producing the vacuum therein and checking whether a change in the pressure in the internal space reaches a predetermined value within a certain period of time.

2. The plating method according to claim 1, wherein checking whether the change in the pressure in the internal space reaches the predetermined value within the certain period of time comprises:

producing a vacuum in a leak-free master container;

closing off the master container in which the vacuum is produced;

measuring pressure difference between pressure in the internal space and pressure in the master container; and

checking whether the pressure difference becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined value within a certain period of time.

3. The plating method according to claim 1, further comprising:

if the substrate holder has passed the second-stage leakage test, performing a third-stage leakage test by

forming a hermetic space between the substrate held by the substrate holder and a seal case arranged so as to cover the substrate;

supplying a tracer gas into the hermetic space;

evacuating air from the internal space; and

checking whether the air evacuated from the internal space contains the tracer gas.

4. The plating method according to claim 3, wherein:

holding the substrate with the substrate holder comprises holding a substrate with a substrate holder while bringing a substrate-side sealing member into pressure contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate and bringing a holder-side sealing member into pressure contact with a surface of the substrate holder to form an enclosed internal space in the substrate holder;

the hermetic space is divided into a substrate-side hermetic space around the substrate-side sealing member and a holder-side hermetic space around the holder-side sealing member; and

the third-stage leakage test is performed on at least one of the substrate-side hermetic space and the holder-side hermetic space.

5. A plating method comprising:

holding a substrate with a substrate holder while bringing a sealing member into pressure contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate to form an enclosed internal space in the substrate holder; and

performing a leakage test by

forming a hermetic space between the substrate held by the substrate holder and a seal case arranged so as to cover the substrate,

supplying a tracer gas into the hermetic space,

evacuating air from the internal space, and

checking whether the air evacuated from the internal space contains the tracer gas.

6. The plating method according to claim 5, wherein:

holding the substrate with the substrate holder comprises holding a substrate with a substrate holder while bringing a substrate-side sealing member into pressure contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate and bringing a holder-side sealing member into pressure contact with a surface of the substrate holder to form an enclosed internal space in the substrate holder;

the hermetic space is divided into a substrate-side hermetic space around the substrate-side sealing member and a holder-side hermetic space around the holder-side sealing member; and

the leakage test is performed on at least one of the substrate-side hermetic space and the holder-side hermetic space.

7. The plating method according to claim 5, wherein the leakage test is performed in a substrate loading unit for loading and unloading the substrate into and from the substrate holder.

8. A plating apparatus comprising:

a substrate holder having a sealing member which is brought into pressure contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate to form an enclosed internal space in the substrate holder when holding the substrate, the substrate holder having an internal passage communicating with the internal space;

a suction coupling coupled to a suction line extending from a vacuum source and detachably mounted to the substrate holder so as to communicate with the internal passage;

a pressure sensor for checking whether pressure in the internal space reaches a predetermined vacuum pressure within a certain period of time when producing a vacuum in the internal space through the suction line; and

a pressure change detection section for detecting a change in the pressure in the internal space after the vacuum is produced in the internal space and then the internal space is closed off.

9. The plating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the pressure change detection section includes:

a master container which is assured that any leakage does not occur and is coupled to the vacuum source, and

a differential pressure sensor for measuring a differential pressure between the pressure in the master container and the pressure in the internal space.

10. The plating apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a seal case arranged so as to cover a surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder to form a hermetic space between the seal case and the substrate holder, the substrate being housed in the hermetic space;

a tracer gas introduction device for introducing a tracer gas into the hermetic space; and

a tracer gas tester for detecting whether the tracer gas is contained in a gas flowing through the suction line.

11. The plating apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the sealing member is a substrate-side sealing member;

the substrate holder has the substrate-side sealing member and a holder-side sealing member which are brought into pressure contact with the peripheral portion of the substrate and a surface of the substrate holder, respectively, to form the enclosed internal space in the substrate holder when holding the substrate;

the seal case has a partition sealing member for dividing the hermetic space into a substrate-side hermetic space around the substrate-side sealing member and a holder-side hermetic space around the holder-side sealing member.