Method and apparatus for plating a substrate

• US 6,544,585 B1
• Filed: 09/02/1998
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ebara Corporation
• Inventors: Hongo, Akihisa, Tokuoka, Tsuyoshi, Kuriyama, Fumio, Inoue, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Talbot, Brian K.
• Application Number:
  US09/145,500
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 427/97, 427/98, 427/437, 427/443.1, 427/294, 427/304, 952/49--52
• US Class Current: 216/18
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67144 Apparatus for mounting on conductive members, e.g. leadframes or conductors on insulating substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6715 Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like H01L21/67126 takes precedence

Abstract

A high quality metallic deposit can be produced inside the micro-cavities formed on a surface of a substrate by the present invention. The method involves immersing the substrate in a liquid held in a processing chamber, evacuating the processing chamber so as to remove residual bubbles from the micro-cavities and to degas the liquid within the micro-cavities, and subjecting the liquid to boiling in at least those regions adjacent to the substrate.

Claims

1. A method for producing a metal deposit inside micro-cavities fabricated on a substrate, said method comprising:

immersing the substrate in a liquid held in a plating chamber;

heating the liquid in the plating chamber so as to heat the substrate and remove residual bubbles from the micro-cavities on the substrate; and

plating the substrate in the plating chamber so as to produce a metal deposit inside the microcavities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said heating is carried out periodically or continuously.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said plating is carried out with a plating solution in the plating chamber, the plating chamber having a heater provided therein for controlling the temperature of the plating solution, and further comprising controlling the temperature of the plating solution during said plating.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said plating is carried out with a plating solution in the plating chamber, the plating chamber having a heater provided therein for controlling the temperature of the plating solution and a vibrating device for vibrating the plating solution in the processing chamber, and further comprising controlling vibrations of the plating solution during said plating.

5. A method of fabricating wiring on a substrate, comprising:

immersing the substrate in a liquid in a plating chamber;

heating the substrate in the plating chamber so as to remove residual bubbles from micro-cavities on a surface of the substrate and to degas within the micro-cavities;

plating the substrate in the plating chamber so as to produce a metal deposit in the micro-cavities on the surface of the substrate; and

removing unwanted portions of metal deposit formed on the substrate by polishing using a chemical and mechanical polishing device.

6. A method for producing a metal deposit inside micro-cavities fabricated on a substrate, said method comprising:

disposing the substrate in a vessel;

filling the vessel with a condensable gas;

cooling the substrate below the dew point of the condensable gas so as to condense the gas into condensed liquid;

replacing the condensed liquid with a plating solution; and

plating the substrate so as to produce a metal deposit inside the micro-cavities.

7. The method of claim 6, and further comprising vibrating the substrate.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of filling the vessel with a condensable gas comprises varying the charging pressure of the condensable gas.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said filling the vessel with a condensable gas comprises varying the charging pressure of the condensable gas.

10. The method of claim 7, and further comprising immersing the substrate in a solution.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said immersing comprises immersing the substrate in a solution that has been degassed by boiling or evacuating.

12. The method of claim 7, and further comprising immersing the substrate in a solution.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said immersing comprises immersing the substrate in a solution that has been degassed by boiling or evacuating.

14. The method of claim 9, and further comprising immersing the substrate in a solution.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said immersing comprises immersing the substrate in a solution that has been degassed by boiling or evacuating.

16. A method for producing a metal deposit inside micro-cavities fabricated on a substrate, said method comprising:

contacting a plating liquid to a surface of the substrate having micro-cavities fabricated thereon;

heating the substrate so as to expel residual bubbles from the micro-cavities by inflation; and

introducing the plating liquid into the micro-cavities and plating within the micro-cavities with the plating liquid.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said heating of the substrate so as to expel residual bubbles is performed concurrently with periodic pressurizing and depressurizing of the plating liquid between a pressurized state and an unpressurized state.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said heating of the substrate so as to expel residual bubbles is performed such that:

the plating liquid is initially pressurized;

the plating liquid is then depressurized so as to inflate air bubbles to be expelled from the micro-cavities; and

the plating liquid is introduced into the micro-cavities.

19. A method of producing a metal deposit inside micro-cavities fabricated on a substrate, said method comprising:

placing at least a part of the substrate having the micro-cavities fabricated thereon in a plating chamber;

covering the part of the substrate having the micro-cavities fabricated thereon with a plating liquid in the plating chamber;

heating the plating liquid in the plating chamber so as to heat the substrate and remove residual bubbles from the micro-cavities on the substrate; and

plating the substrate in the plating chamber so as to produce a metal deposit inside the micro-cavities.

20. A method of fabricating wiring on a substrate, comprising:

covering a part of the substrate with a plating liquid in a plating chamber;

heating the plating liquid in the plating chamber so as to heat the substrate and remove residual bubbles from micro-cavities on a surface of the substrate and to degas within the micro-cavities;

plating the substrate in the plating chamber so as to produce a metal deposit in the micro-cavities on the surface of the substrate and thereby form wiring; and

removing unwanted portions of the metal deposit formed on the substrate by polishing using a chemical and mechanical polishing device.

21. A method for producing a metal deposit inside micro-cavities fabricated on a substrate, comprising:

covering a part of a surface of the substrate having the micro-cavities fabricated thereon with a plating liquid;

heating the substrate so as to expel residual bubbles from the micro-cavities by inflation; and

introducing the plating liquid into the micro-cavities and producing a metal deposit in the micro-cavities.

22. A method for producing a metal deposit inside micro-cavities fabricated on a substrate, said method comprising:

immersing said substrate in a liquid held in a processing chamber;

evacuating said processing chamber so as to remove residual bubbles from said micro-cavities and to degas said liquid within said micro-cavities; and

subjecting said liquid to boiling in at least those regions adjacent to said substrate.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein said liquid comprises a plating solution.

24. A method according to claim 22, further comprising replacing said liquid with a plating solution.

25. A method according to claim 22, wherein said processing chamber is a plating chamber.

26. A method according to claim 22, wherein said processing chamber is a pre-plating processing chamber.

27. A method according to claim 22, wherein, in said boiling, interior chamber pressure is reduced to less than a saturated vapor pressure of said liquid.

28. A method according to claim 22, wherein, in said boiling, said substrate is heated from a back surface of said substrate.

29. A method according to claim 22, wherein, between said evacuating and said boiling interior chamber pressure is raised.

30. A method according to claim 29, wherein said boiling and said pressurizing are repeatedly carried out.

31. A method according to claim 22, wherein said boiling is carried out while performing plating.

32. A method for fabricating wiring on a substrate comprising:

immersing said substrate in a liquid in a processing chamber;

evacuating said processing chamber so as to remove residual bubbles from said micro-cavities and to degas said liquid within said micro-cavities;

subjecting said liquid to boiling in at least those regions adjacent to said substrate;

plating said substrate so as to produce a metal deposit inside said micro-cavities; and

removing unwanted portions of metal deposit formed in said micro-cavities by polishing using chemical and mechanical polishing methods.

33. A method according to claim 32, further comprising, between said boiling and plating, replacing said liquid with a plating solution.