US 11,746,435 B2
Removing bubbles from plating cells
Stephen J. Banik, Portland, OR (US); Bryan L. Buckalew, Tualatin, OR (US); Gabriel Hay Graham, Portland, OR (US); Alfred Bostick, Tigard, OR (US); Sean Wilbur, Lake Oswego, OR (US); and John Floyd Ostrowski, Lake Oswego, OR (US)
Assigned to LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION, Fremont, CA (US)
Filed by LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION, Fremont, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/561,146.
Application 17/561,146 is a continuation of application No. 16/870,411, filed on May 8, 2020, granted, now 11,214,887.
Application 16/870,411 is a continuation of application No. 15/968,192, filed on May 1, 2018, granted, now 10,655,240, issued on May 19, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0119977 A1, Apr. 21, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C25D 17/00 (2006.01); C25D 21/04 (2006.01); C25D 21/14 (2006.01); C25D 5/08 (2006.01)
CPC C25D 17/001 (2013.01) [C25D 5/08 (2013.01); C25D 21/04 (2013.01); C25D 21/14 (2013.01)] 39 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electroplating apparatus comprising:
an electrode arranged along a bottom of a chamber;
an ionically resistive element with through holes arranged along a top of the chamber;
a membrane arranged between the electrode and the ionically resistive element;
one or more panels forming a plurality of regions between the membrane and the ionically resistive element;
a substrate holder arranged above the ionically resistive element;
a seal arranged between peripheries of the ionically resistive element and the substrate holder; and
a manifold formed between a bottom of the substrate holder and a top surface of the ionically resistive element to laterally flow an electrolyte during electroplating, portions of the electrolyte descending from the manifold into the plurality of regions and ascending from the plurality of regions into the manifold via the through holes of the ionically resistive element.