Electroplating and post-electrofill systems with integrated process edge imaging and metrology systems
US9809898B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 26, 2013 |
| Grant date | Nov 7, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 27, 2035 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/76877
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Disclosed herein are electroplating systems for forming a layer of metal on a wafer which include an electroplating module and a wafer edge imaging system. The electroplating module may include a cell for containing an anode and an electroplating solution during electroplating, and a wafer holder for holding the wafer in the electroplating solution and rotating the wafer during electroplating. The wafer edge imaging system may include a wafer holder for holding and rotating the wafer through different azimuthal orientations, a camera oriented for obtaining multiple azimuthally separated images of a process edge of the wafer while it is held and rotated (the process edge corresponding to the outer edge of the layer of metal formed on the wafer), and image analysis logic for determining an edge exclusion distance, wherein the edge exclusion distance is a distance between the wafer's edge and the process edge.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.