US 11,859,300 B2
Controlling plating electrolyte concentration on an electrochemical plating apparatus
Zhian He, Lake Oswego, OR (US); Shantinath Ghongadi, Tigard, OR (US); Quan Ma, Lake Oswego, OR (US); Hyungjun Hur, Richardson, TX (US); Cian Sweeney, Portland, OR (US); Quang Nguyen, Tigard, OR (US); Rezaul Karim, Gilbert, AZ (US); and Jingbin Feng, Ridgefield, WA (US)
Assigned to Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
Filed by Lam Research Corporation, Fremont, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/809,124.
Application 17/809,124 is a continuation of application No. 17/248,151, filed on Jan. 11, 2021, granted, now 11,401,623.
Application 17/248,151 is a continuation of application No. 16/178,402, filed on Nov. 1, 2018, granted, now 10,927,475, issued on Feb. 23, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/580,390, filed on Nov. 1, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0333267 A1, Oct. 20, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C25D 17/00 (2006.01); C25D 17/10 (2006.01); C25D 3/38 (2006.01); C25D 21/14 (2006.01); C25D 21/18 (2006.01); H01L 21/288 (2006.01)
CPC C25D 17/001 (2013.01) [C25D 3/38 (2013.01); C25D 17/002 (2013.01); C25D 17/10 (2013.01); C25D 21/14 (2013.01); C25D 21/18 (2013.01); H01L 21/2885 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of electroplating a metal onto a substrate during fabrication of a device, the method comprising:
(a) providing an electroplating solution to an electroplating system comprising:
(i) an electroplating cell comprising an anode chamber and a cathode chamber and configured to hold the substrate in the cathode chamber while electroplating the metal onto the substrate,
(ii) an electroplating solution reservoir configured to hold a portion of the electroplating solution while electroplating the metal onto the substrate,
(iii) a recirculation system for delivering the electroplating solution between the electroplating cell and the electroplating solution reservoir,
(iv) a make-up solution inlet for providing make-up solution to the electroplating system,
(v) a secondary electroplating solution inlet for providing a secondary electroplating solution to the electroplating system, and
(vi) an outlet for removing the electroplating solution from the electroplating system,
wherein the electroplating solution comprises multiple components for electroplating the metal onto the substrate;
(b) electroplating the metal onto the substrate while the substrate is held in the cathode chamber;
(c) supplying the make-up solution to the electroplating system via the make-up solution inlet, wherein the make-up solution comprises some or all of the multiple components for electroplating the metal onto the substrate, wherein supplying the make-up solution to the electroplating system changes a composition of the electroplating solution so that at least one of the multiple components in the electroplating solution moves closer to its target concentration;
(d) supplying the secondary electroplating solution to the electroplating system via the secondary electroplating solution inlet, wherein the secondary electroplating solution comprises some or all of the multiple components, and wherein at least one of the following conditions (1) and (2) is satisfied:
(1) the secondary electroplating solution comprises at least one of the multiple components at a secondary concentration that is significantly higher than its target concentration,
(2) the secondary electroplating solution comprises at least one of the multiple components at a secondary concentration that is significantly lower than its target concentration; and
(e) removing the electroplating solution from the electroplating system via the outlet, wherein operations (c) and (e) are part of a bleed-and-feed process,
wherein the metal is copper, and wherein the secondary electroplating solution comprises copper ions at a secondary concentration that is significantly higher than a target concentration for copper ion in the electroplating solution.