Electrochemical treatment of integrated circuit substrates using concentric anodes and variable field shaping elements

US6755954B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Novellus Systems, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Steven T. Mayer · Lake Oswego, US
• Timothy Cleary · Portland, US
• Michael J. Janicki · San Jose, US
• Edmund Minshall · Sherwood, US
• Thomas A. Ponnuswamy · Sherwood, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 4, 2002
• Grant date: Jun 29, 2004
• Expiry date: Apr 7, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S204/07
• WIPO field: Surface technology, coating
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

An apparatus for electrochemical treatment of a substrate, in particular for electroplating an integrated circuit wafer. An apparatus preferably includes dynamically operable concentric anodes and dielectric shields in an electrochemical bath. Preferably, the bath height of an electrochemical bath, the substrate height, and the shape and positions of an insert shield and a diffuser shield are dynamically variable during electrochemical treatment operations. Step include varying anode current, bath height and substrate height, shield shape, and shield position.