Contact ring with embedded flexible contacts

• US 7,087,144 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Herchen, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilkins, III, Harry D
• Application Number:
  US10/355,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20040149573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 204/297.01
• US Class Current: 204/297.1
• 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 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;

a plurality of conductive tip members affixed to a terminating end of each of the plurality of vertically flexible conductive contact pins, wherein the conductive tip members extend radially inward from each of the vertically flexible conductive contact pins; and

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.

2. The contact ring of claim 1, wherein the upper ring member, lower ring member, support members, and the flange are manufactured from a conductive material.

3. The contact ring of claim 2, wherein the conductive material comprises stainless steel.

4. The contact ring of claim 1, wherein tip members are manufactured from at least one of platinum, tantalum, titanium, indium, palladium, and alloys thereof.

5. The contact ring of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductive tip members are brazed to the terminating ends of the plurality of vertically flexible conductive contact pins.

6. The contact ring of claim 1, 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.