Dynamic current distribution control apparatus and method for wafer electroplating

• US 9,045,840 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated (Lam Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novellus Systems Incorporated (Lam Research Corporation)
• Inventors: Porter, David W., Reid, Jonathan D., Wilmot, Frederick D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ripa, Bryan D.
• Application Number:
  US13/306,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20130134045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 205/96, 205/157, 204/252
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/001 Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic coating of wafers, e.g. semiconductors or solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/002 Cell separation, e.g. membranes, diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/007 Current directing devices
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/06 Suspending or supporting devices for articles to be coated
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/10 Electrodes , e.g. composition, counter electrode
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/12 Shape or form C25D17/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 21/12 Process control or regulation controlling or regulating in general G05

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus for plating a metal onto a work piece are described. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a plating chamber, a substrate holder, an anode chamber housing an anode, and an ionically resistive ionically permeable element positioned between a substrate and the anode chamber during electroplating. The anode chamber may be movable with respect to the ionically resistive ionically permeable element to vary a distance between the anode chamber and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element during electroplating. The anode chamber may include an insulating shield oriented between the anode and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element, with opening in a central region of the insulating shield.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

(a) a plating chamber configured to contain an electrolyte while electroplating metal onto a substrate;

(b) a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate and having one or more electrical power contacts arranged to contact an edge of the substrate and to provide electrical current to the substrate during electroplating;

(c) an ionically resistive ionically permeable element positioned between the substrate and an anode chamber during electroplating, the ionically resistive ionically permeable element having a flat surface that is substantially parallel to and separated from a plating face of the substrate; and

(d) the anode chamber housing an anode, the anode chamber being movable with respect to the ionically resistive ionically permeable element to vary a distance between the anode chamber and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element during electroplating, the anode chamber including an insulating shield oriented between the anode and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element, wherein the insulating shield includes an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter, the inner perimeter of the insulating shield defining an opening in a central region of the insulating shield, and wherein a surface of the insulating shield includes a slope such that the outer perimeter is closer to the ionically resistive ionically permeable element than the inner perimeter, wherein the anode chamber includes a cationic membrane in the opening of the insulating shield.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a catholyte chamber, wherein the catholyte chamber includes a volume of the plating chamber not occupied by the anode chamber.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an area of the opening in the insulating shield is about 10% to 30% of an area of the plating face of the substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein positions of the anode chamber include an upper position, and wherein when the anode chamber is in the upper position, the outer perimeter of the insulating shield is about 1 millimeter to 10 millimeters from the ionically resistive ionically permeable element and the inner perimeter of the insulating shield is about 3 millimeters to 50 millimeters from the ionically resistive ionically permeable element.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distance between the anode chamber and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element may be varied by about 2 centimeters to 20 centimeters.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ionically resistive ionically permeable element has an ionically resistive body with a plurality of perforations made in the body such that the perforations do not form communicating channels within the body, wherein said perforations allow for transport of ions through the element, and wherein substantially all of the perforations have a principal dimension or a diameter of the opening on the surface of the element facing the surface of the substrate of no greater than about 5 millimeters.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flat surface of the ionically resistive ionically permeable element is separated from the plating face of the substrate by a gap of about 1 millimeter to 8 millimeters during electroplating.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary cathode located in substantially the same plane as the substrate during electroplating, and adapted for diverting a portion of ionic current from an edge region of the substrate.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary cathode is located peripheral to the substrate holder and radially outward of a peripheral gap between the ionically resistive ionically permeable element and the substrate holder.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a control circuit designed or configured to control the distance between the anode chamber and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element in a manner that produces a uniform current distribution from the anode at the plating face of the substrate.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a control circuit designed or configured to position the anode chamber at a first distance from the ionically resistive ionically permeable element when electroplating the metal begins, and to move the anode chamber to a second distance from the ionically resistive ionically permeable element as the metal is electroplated onto the substrate, the first distance being less than the second distance.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a distance between the first distance and the second distance is about 2 centimeters to about 20 centimeters.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a control circuit designed or configured to position the anode chamber at an upper position when a sheet resistance of the substrate is about 50 Ohms per square to 5 Ohms per square.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a control circuit designed or configured to linearly move the anode chamber with time as the metal is electroplated onto the substrate.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller comprising program instructions for conducting a process comprising the operations of;

(a) immersing the plating face of the substrate held in the substrate holder in the electrolyte, the substrate having a conductive seed and/or barrier layer disposed on the plating face;

(b) supplying current to the substrate to plate the metal onto the seed and/or barrier layer; and

(c) moving the anode chamber from a first position to a second position, the second position being located a distance farther away from the ionically resistive ionically permeable element than the first position.

16. A system comprising the apparatus of claim 1 and a stepper.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the slope of the insulating shield varies such that the slope is at a first angle near the center region of the insulating shield and a second angle near an edge region of the insulating shield, the first and second angles being measured based on a horizontal plane, the second angle being smaller than the first angle such that the slope is shallower in the edge region of the insulating shield.

18. An apparatus comprising:

(a) a plating chamber configured to contain an electrolyte while electroplating metal onto a substrate;

(b) a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate and having one or more electrical power contacts arranged to contact an edge of the substrate and to provide electrical current to the substrate during electroplating;

(c) an ionically resistive ionically permeable element positioned between the substrate and an anode chamber during electroplating, the ionically resistive ionically permeable element having a flat surface that is substantially parallel to and separated from a plating face of the substrate; and

(d) the anode chamber housing an anode, the anode chamber being movable with respect to the ionically resistive ionically permeable element to vary a distance between the anode chamber and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element during electroplating, the anode chamber including an insulating shield oriented between the anode and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element, wherein the insulating shield includes an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter, the inner perimeter of the insulating shield defining an opening in a central region of the insulating shield, and wherein a surface of the insulating shield includes a slope such that the outer perimeter is closer to the ionically resistive ionically permeable element than the inner perimeter, wherein the slope of the insulating shield varies such that the slope is at a first angle near the center region of the insulating shield and a second angle near an edge region of the insulating shield, the first and second angles being measured based on a horizontal plane, the second angle being smaller than the first angle such that the slope is shallower in the edge region of the insulating shield.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein an area of the opening in the insulating shield is about 10% to 30% of an area of the plating face of the substrate.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein positions of the anode chamber include an upper position, and wherein when the anode chamber is in the upper position, the outer perimeter of the insulating shield is about 1 millimeter to 10 millimeters from the ionically resistive ionically permeable element and the inner perimeter of the insulating shield is about 3 millimeters to 50 millimeters from the ionically resistive ionically permeable element.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the distance between the anode chamber and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element may be varied by about 2 centimeters to 20 centimeters.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the ionically resistive ionically permeable element has an ionically resistive body with a plurality of perforations made in the body such that the perforations do not form communicating channels within the body, wherein said perforations allow for transport of ions through the element, and wherein substantially all of the perforations have a principal dimension or a diameter of the opening on the surface of the element facing the surface of the substrate of no greater than about 5 millimeters.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the flat surface of the ionically resistive ionically permeable element is separated from the plating face of the substrate by a gap of about 1 millimeter to 8 millimeters during electroplating.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising an auxiliary cathode located in substantially the same plane as the substrate during electroplating, and adapted for diverting a portion of ionic current from an edge region of the substrate.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the auxiliary cathode is located peripheral to the substrate holder and radially outward of a peripheral gap between the ionically resistive ionically permeable element and the substrate holder.

26. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a control circuit designed or configured to control the distance between the anode chamber and the ionically resistive ionically permeable element in a manner that produces a uniform current distribution from the anode at the plating face of the substrate.

27. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a control circuit designed or configured to position the anode chamber at a first distance from the ionically resistive ionically permeable element when electroplating the metal begins, and to move the anode chamber to a second distance from the ionically resistive ionically permeable element as the metal is electroplated onto the substrate, the first distance being less than the second distance.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein a distance between the first distance and the second distance is about 2 centimeters to about 20 centimeters.

29. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a control circuit designed or configured to position the anode chamber at an upper position when a sheet resistance of the substrate is about 50 Ohms per square to 5 Ohms per square.

30. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a control circuit designed or configured to linearly move the anode chamber with time as the metal is electroplated onto the substrate.

31. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

a controller comprising program instructions for conducting a process comprising the operations of;

(a) immersing the plating face of the substrate held in the substrate holder in the electrolyte, the substrate having a conductive seed and/or barrier layer disposed on the plating face;

(b) supplying current to the substrate to plate the metal onto the seed and/or barrier layer; and

(c) moving the anode chamber from a first position to a second position, the second position being located a distance farther away from the ionically resistive ionically permeable element than the first position.

32. A method comprising:

(a) holding a substrate having a conductive seed and/or barrier layer disposed on its surface in a substrate holder of an apparatus, the apparatus including a plating chamber and an anode chamber housing an anode, the plating chamber containing the anode chamber, the anode chamber including an insulating shield oriented between the anode and an ionically resistive ionically permeable element, wherein the insulating shield includes an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter, the inner perimeter of the insulating shield defining an opening in a central region of the insulating shield, and wherein a surface of the insulating shield includes a slope such that the outer perimeter is closer to the ionically resistive ionically permeable element than the inner perimeter, wherein the anode chamber includes a cationic membrane in the opening of the insulating shield;

(b) immersing the surface of the substrate in an electrolyte solution and proximate the ionically resistive ionically permeable element positioned between the surface of the substrate and the anode chamber, the ionically resistive ionically permeable element having a flat surface that is parallel to and separated from the surface of the substrate;

(c) supplying current to the substrate to plate a metal layer onto the seed and/or barrier layer; and

(d) moving the anode chamber from a first position to a second position, the second position being located a distance farther away from the ionically resistive ionically permeable element than the first position.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising dynamically controlling the position of the anode chamber during plating to account for a reduction of a voltage decrease from an edge to a center of the surface of the substrate.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein an area of the opening in the insulating shield is about 10% to 30% of an area of the surface of the substrate.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein a sheet resistance of the substrate having a conductive seed and/or barrier is about 50 Ohms per square to 5 Ohms per square when the anode chamber is in the first position.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the anode chamber linearly moves from the first position to the second position in a period of time.

37. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

supplying current to an auxiliary cathode located in substantially the same plane as the substrate and thereby diverting a portion of ionic current from an edge region of the substrate.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

applying photoresist to the substrate;

exposing the photoresist to light;

patterning the photoresist and transferring the pattern to the substrate; and

selectively removing the photoresist from the substrate.