# US 10,501,862 B2 · Plating system, a plating system control method, and a storage medium containing a program for causing a computer to execute the plating system control method

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- Number: US 10,501,862 B2
- Document ID: US10501862B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/669,735
- Filed: 2017-08-04
- Published: 2018-02-08
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2016-08-08
- Assignees: Ebara Corporation
- Applicants: Ebara Corporation
- Inventors: Takashi Mitsuya; Ryuya Koizumi; Toshio Yokoyama; Masashi Shimoyama; Kunio Oishi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501862B2

## CPC

- C25D 17/001: {Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic coating of wafers, e.g. semiconductors or solar cells}
- C25D 21/12: Process control or regulation (controlling or regulating in general G05)
- H10P 72/0476: {comprising at least one plating chamber}
- H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring}
- H10P 74/00: Testing or measuring during manufacture or treatment of wafers, substrates or devices
- H10W 20/0261: {characterised by the filling method or the material of the conductive fill}
- H10W 20/057: {by selectively depositing, e.g. by using selective CVD or plating}
- C25D 17/004: {Sealing devices}
- C25D 17/008: {Current shielding devices}
- C25D 17/06: Suspending or supporting devices for articles to be coated
- H10P 14/47: Electrolytic deposition, i.e. electroplating; Electroless plating
- H10P 74/238: {comprising acting in response to an ongoing measurement without interruption of processing, e.g. endpoint detection or in-situ thickness measurement}
- H10W 20/023: {the interconnections being through-semiconductor vias}
- H10W 20/063: {by forming conductive members before forming protective insulating material}
- H10W 72/0112: {Apparatus for manufacturing bump connectors}
- H10W 72/012: {of bump connectors, dummy bumps or thermal bumps}
- H10W 72/01235: {by plating, e.g. electroless plating or electroplating}
- C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A plating system comprising a plating tank for applying plate processing to a substrate, a sensor configured to measure actual plating film thickness of the substrate, and a controller configured to control plating current supplied to the plating tank and plating time for the plate processing of the substrate within the plating tank. The controller is capable of setting target plating film thickness, plating current, and plating time as a plate processing recipe. At least one of the plating current and the plating time is automatically corrected so that the actual plating film thickness and the target plating film thickness become equal to each other, and the result is reflected in the plate processing for the subsequent substrate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A plating system comprising:
a plating tank for applying plate processing to a substrate;
a sensor configured to measure actual plating film thickness of the substrate;
a controller configured to control plating current and plating time for the plate processing of the substrate within the plating tank;
wherein the controller is capable of setting target plating film thickness, plating current, and plating time as a plate processing recipe; in accordance with the actual plating film thickness and the target plating film thickness, at least one of the plating current and the plating time is automatically corrected so that the actual plating film thickness and the target plating film thickness become equal to each other, and at least one of the corrected plating current and the corrected plating time is reflected in the plate processing for the subsequent substrate;
wherein the controller corrects the plating current without correcting the plating time when plating current density corresponding to the corrected plating current is between first current density and second current density, inclusive; and
wherein when the plating current density is lower than the first current density or higher than the second current density, the controller corrects the plating current to correct first film thickness difference of measured film thickness difference between the target plating film thickness and the actual plating film thickness, and corrects the plating time to correct second film thickness difference that is difference between the measured film thickness difference and the first film thickness difference.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The plating system according to claim 1,
wherein the first film thickness difference is a film thickness correction amount that is corrected by the first current density or the second current density of the plating current density; and
wherein the second film thickness difference is difference between the film thickness correction amount corrected by the first current density or the second current density and the measured film thickness difference.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The plating system according to claim 2,
wherein the controller calculates a correction amount of the plating current on the basis of the actual plating film thickness;
wherein when the correction amount of the plating current is equal to or higher than a first current correction amount corresponding to the first current density and equal to or lower than a second current correction amount corresponding to the second current density, the controller calculates the corrected plating current from the correction amount of the plating current; and
wherein when the correction amount of the plating current is lower than the first current correction amount or higher than the second current correction amount, the controller sets the correction amount of the plating current to the first current correction amount or the second current correction amount, and calculates the correction amount of the plating time so as to further correct the difference between the film thickness correction amount corresponding to the first current correction amount or the second current correction amount and the measured film thickness difference.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The plating system according to claim 1,
wherein the controller corrects the plating current without correcting the plating time.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The plating system according to claim 1,
wherein the controller corrects the plating time without correcting the plating current.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The plating system according to claim 1,
wherein the controller applies statistical processing to the actual plating film thickness of the plurality of substrates, the target plating film thickness, and theoretical plating time for obtaining the target plating film thickness; and when the number of data acquired by the statistical processing exceeds a predetermined value, the controller corrects at least one of the plating current and the plating time by using the data acquired by the statistical processing.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The plating system according to claim 1,
wherein the plating tank includes a plurality of plating cells; and
wherein the actual plating film thickness of the substrate subjected to the plate processing in each of the plating cells is measured, and at least one of the plating current and the plating time is corrected with respect to each of the plating cells in accordance with the actual plating film thickness.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The plating system according to claim 1,
wherein there is further provided an aligner configured to align the substrate; and
wherein the sensor is disposed in the aligner.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The plating system according to claim 1,
wherein there is provided a substrate attachment/detachment section for attaching the substrate to a substrate holder;
wherein the sensor is disposed in the substrate attachment/detachment section.

### Claim 10

A plating system comprising:
a plating tank for applying plate processing to a substrate;
a sensor configured to measure actual plating film thickness of the substrate;
a controller configured to control plating current and plating time for the plate processing of the substrate within the plating tank;
wherein the controller is capable of setting target plating film thickness, plating current, and plating time as a plate processing recipe; in accordance with the actual plating film thickness and the target plating film thickness, at least one of the plating current and the plating time is automatically corrected so that the actual plating film thickness and the target plating film thickness become equal to each other, and at least one of the corrected plating current and the corrected plating time is reflected in the plate processing for the subsequent substrate;
wherein the controller is configured to be set so that the plate processing is carried out on the substrate in a plurality of steps, have or obtain the plating current and the plating time, which are set with respect to each step, as the recipe, and correct the plating current and/or the plating time in each step;
wherein when the plating current is corrected, the correction amount of the plating current is corrected by adding the correction amount to a value of the plating current; and the correction amount is set to a value common to the steps;
wherein the controller is further capable of setting an aperture ratio that is a fraction obtained by dividing actual plating area by area of the substrate, or the actual plating area, as a preset recipe item;
wherein by using the following Expressions 1 and 2,
T
R
=
a
+
bT
T
+
c
⁢
⁢
γ
ρ
⁢
⁢
A
⁢
t
T
[
Expression
⁢
⁢
1
]
Δ
⁢
⁢
I
=
ρ
⁢
⁢
A
γ
⁢
⁢
bt
s
⁢
{
a
+
(
b
-
1
)
⁢
T
T
}
+
c
b
[
Expression
⁢
⁢
2
]
where TR is the actual plating film thickness [μm]; TT is the target plating film thickness [μm]; tT is the theoretical plating time [min] for obtaining target plating film thickness; ρ is the aperture ratio; A is the substrate area; γ is theoretical deposition amount of the plating material; ts is total plating time which is determined by recipe setting; and a, b and c are multiple regression coefficients;
the controller calculates the multiple regression coefficients a, b and c by multiple regression analysis from the measured values of the actual plating film thickness TR after the plate processing in the plurality of substrates and the Expression 1, calculates correction amount ΔI of the plating current from the calculated multiple regression coefficients a, b and c and the Expression 2, and calculates the corrected plating current by adding the correction amount ΔI to the plating current determined by the recipe setting of each of the plurality of steps.

### Claim 11

A plating system comprising:
a plating tank for applying plate processing to a substrate;
a sensor configured to measure actual plating film thickness of the substrate;
a controller configured to control plating current and plating time for the plate processing of the substrate within the plating tank;
wherein the controller is capable of setting target plating film thickness, plating current, and plating time as a plate processing recipe; in accordance with the actual plating film thickness and the target plating film thickness, at least one of the plating current and the plating time is automatically corrected so that the actual plating film thickness and the target plating film thickness become equal to each other, and at least one of the corrected plating current and the corrected plating time is reflected in the plate processing for the subsequent substrate;
wherein when the plating current is corrected, the plating current is corrected by adding the correction amount to the plating current, and the correction amount of the plating current is a result of multiplying the plating current by a coefficient that is a constant value;
wherein the controller is further capable of setting the aperture ratio that is a fraction obtained by dividing the actual plating area by the substrate area, or the actual plating area, as a preset recipe item;
wherein by using the following Expressions 3 and 4,
T
R
=
a
+
bT
T
+
c
⁢
⁢
γ
ρ
⁢
⁢
A
⁢
t
T
[
Expression
⁢
⁢
3
]
α
=
ρ
⁢
⁢
AbT
T
ρ
⁢
⁢
A
⁡
(
T
T
-
a
)
-
γ
⁢
⁢
ct
s
-
1
[
Expression
⁢
⁢
4
]
where TR is the actual plating film thickness [μm]; TT is the target plating film thickness [μm]; tT is the theoretical plating time [min] for obtaining target plating film thickness; p is the aperture ratio; A is the substrate area; γ is theoretical deposition amount of the plating material; ts is total plating time which is determined by recipe setting; and a, b and c are multiple regression coefficients;
the controller calculates the multiple regression coefficients a, b and c by multiple regression analysis from the measured value of the actual plating film thickness TR after the plate processing in the plurality of substrates and the Expression 3, calculates a correction coefficient α for the plating current from the calculated multiple regression coefficients a, b and c and the Expression 4; and calculates corrected plating current by multiplying the plating current, which is determined by the recipe setting of each of the plurality of steps, by (1+α).

### Claim 12

A plating system comprising:
a plating tank for applying plate processing to a substrate;
a sensor configured to measure actual plating film thickness of the substrate;
a controller configured to control plating current and plating time for the plate processing of the substrate within the plating tank;
wherein the controller is capable of setting target plating film thickness, plating current, and plating time as a plate processing recipe; in accordance with the actual plating film thickness and the target plating film thickness, at least one of the plating current and the plating time is automatically corrected so that the actual plating film thickness and the target plating film thickness become equal to each other, and at least one of the corrected plating current and the corrected plating time is reflected in the plate processing for the subsequent substrate;
wherein when the plating time is corrected, the plating time is corrected by adding the correction amount to the plating time; and the correction amount of the plating time is a result of multiplying the plating time by a coefficient that is a constant value;
wherein the controller is further capable of setting the aperture ratio that is a fraction obtained by dividing the actual plating area by the substrate area, or the actual plating area, as a preset recipe item;
wherein by using the following Expressions 5 and 6,
T
R
=
a
+
bT
T
+
c
⁢
⁢
γ
ρ
⁢
⁢
A
⁢
t
T
[
Expression
⁢
⁢
5
]
β
=
ρ
⁢
⁢
AbT
T
ρ
⁢
⁢
A
⁡
(
T
T
-
a
)
-
γ
⁢
⁢
ct
s
-
1
[
Expression
⁢
⁢
6
]
where TR is the actual plating film thickness [μm]; TT is the target plating film thickness [μm]; tT is the theoretical plating time [min] for obtaining target plating film thickness; ρ is the aperture ratio; A is the substrate area, γ is theoretical deposition amount of the plating material; ts is total plating time which is determined by recipe setting; and a, b and c are multiple regression coefficients,
the controller calculates the multiple regression coefficients a, b and c by multiple regression analysis from the measured values of the actual plating film thickness TR after the plate processing in the plurality of substrates and the Expression 5, calculates correction coefficient β of the plating time from the calculated multiple regression coefficients a, b and c and the Expression 6, and calculates corrected plating time by multiplying the plating time, which is determined by the recipe setting of each of the plurality of steps, by (1+β).