Wafer electroless plating system and associated methods

US8314027B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Lam Research Corporation · US

Inventors

• William Thie · Mountain View, US
• John M. Boyd · Atascadero, US
• Fritz Redeker · Fremont, US
• Yezdi Dordi · Palo Alto, US
• John Parks · Hercules, US
• Tiruchirapalli Arunagiri · Fremont, US
• Aleksander Owczarz · San Jose, US
• Todd Balisky · Corona, US
• Clint Thomas · Rhome, US
• Jacob Wylie · Fremont, US
• Alan M. Schoepp · Quincy, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 28, 2011
• Grant date: Nov 20, 2012
• Expiry date: Oct 28, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L21/76873
• WIPO field: Surface technology, coating
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A dry-in/dry-out system is disclosed for wafer electroless plating. The system includes an upper zone for wafer ingress/egress and drying operations. Proximity heads are provided in the upper zone to perform the drying operations. The system also includes a lower zone for electroless plating operations. The lower zone includes an electroless plating apparatus that implements a wafer submersion by fluid upwelling method. The upper and lower zones of the system are enclosed by a dual-walled chamber, wherein the inner wall is a chemically inert plastic and the outer wall is a structural metal. The system interfaces with a fluid handling system which provides the necessary chemistry supply and control for the system. The system is ambient controlled. Also, the system interfaces with an ambient controlled managed transfer module (MTM).