In-situ electroless copper seed layer enhancement in an electroplating system

US6258223A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Robin Cheung · Cupertino, US
• Daniel Carl · Pleasanton, US
• Yezdi Dordi · Palo Alto, US
• Peter Hey · Sunnyvale, US
• Ratson Morad · Palo Alto, US
• Liang-Yuh Chen · San Jose, US
• Paul Smith · San Jose, US
• Ashok Sinha · Palo Alto, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 9, 1999
• Grant date: Jul 10, 2001
• Expiry date: Jul 9, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L2924/0002
• WIPO field: Surface technology, coating
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The present invention discloses a system that provides for electroless deposition performed in-situ with an electroplating process to minimize oxidation and other contaminants prior to the electroplating process. The system allows the substrate to be transferred from the electroless deposition process to the electroplating process with a protective coating to also minimize oxidation. The system generally includes a mainframe having a mainframe substrate transfer robot, a loading station disposed in connection with the mainframe, one or more processing facilities disposed in connection with the mainframe, an electroless supply fluidly connected to the one or more processing applicators and optionally includes a spin-rinse-dry (SRD) station, a rapid thermal anneal chamber and a system controller for controlling the deposition processes and the components of the electro-chemical deposition system.