# US 10,119,198 B2 · Method of cleaning substrate holder

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- Number: US 10,119,198 B2
- Document ID: US10119198B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/163,588
- Filed: 2016-05-24
- Published: 2016-09-15
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-07-18
- Assignees: Ebara Corporation
- Applicants: Ebara Corporation
- Inventors: Jumpei Fujikata; Masashi Shimoyama
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10119198B2

## CPC

- C25D 21/08: Rinsing
- B08B 3/08: the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect
- C25D 17/06: Suspending or supporting devices for articles to be coated
- C25D 5/12: at least one layer being of nickel or chromium
- C25D 17/001: {Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic coating of wafers, e.g. semiconductors or solar cells}
- C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL

## Abstract

A method of cleaning a substrate holder comprises suspending the substrate holder in a substrate holder cleaning bath while the substrate holder holds a dummy substrate with a sealing member sealing a peripheral portion of the dummy substrate. The dummy substrate has a larger area of contact with a substrate contact portion of the sealing member and has a larger area of contact with a substrate contact portion of an electrical contact of the substrate holder than those of a substrate to be plated. The method further comprises supplying a cleaning liquid into the substrate holder cleaning bath until the substrate holder is immersed in the cleaning liquid to clean the substrate holder. Different types of cleaning liquids are individually and sequentially supplied into the substrate holder cleaning bath to clean the substrate holder sequentially with the cleaning liquids.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of cleaning a substrate holder comprising:
suspending a substrate holder in a substrate holder cleaning bath, the substrate holder holding a dummy substrate with a sealing member sealing a peripheral portion of the dummy substrate, the dummy substrate having a larger area of contact with a substrate contact portion of the sealing member and having a larger area of contact with a substrate contact portion of an electrical contact of the substrate holder than those of a substrate to be plated; and
supplying a cleaning liquid into the substrate holder cleaning bath until the substrate holder is immersed in the cleaning liquid to clean the substrate holder.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein different types of cleaning liquids are individually and sequentially supplied into the substrate holder cleaning bath to clean the substrate holder sequentially with the cleaning liquids.

### Claim 3

A method of cleaning a substrate holder comprising:
suspending a substrate holder in a substrate holder cleaning bath, the substrate holder holding a dummy substrate with a sealing member sealing a peripheral portion of the dummy substrate; and
supplying a cleaning liquid into the substrate holder cleaning bath until the substrate holder is immersed in the cleaning liquid to clean the substrate holder,
wherein different types of cleaning liquids are individually and sequentially supplied into the substrate holder cleaning bath to clean the substrate holder sequentially with the cleaning liquids, and
wherein the cleaning liquids comprise a first cleaning liquid containing a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide solution, a second cleaning liquid containing an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide, and a third cleaning liquid containing methanesulfonic acid, and
said supplying a cleaning liquid into the substrate holder cleaning bath comprises:
supplying the first cleaning liquid into the substrate holder cleaning bath until the substrate holder, holding the dummy substrate, is immersed in the first cleaning liquid to clean the substrate holder;
supplying the second cleaning liquid into the substrate holder cleaning bath until the substrate holder, holding the dummy substrate, is immersed in the second cleaning liquid to clean the substrate holder; and
supplying the third cleaning liquid into the substrate holder cleaning bath until the substrate holder, holding the dummy substrate, is immersed in the third cleaning liquid to clean the substrate holder.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method according to claim 3, further comprising supplying a rinsing liquid into the substrate holder cleaning bath until the substrate holder, holding the dummy substrate, is immersed in the rinsing liquid to rinse the substrate holder, the rinsing liquid being supplied after supplying the first cleaning liquid and before supplying the second cleaning liquid, or after supplying the second cleaning liquid and before supplying the third cleaning liquid.