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US 12,181,362 B2Granted
Device and method for pressure force inspection
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYung Chang Huang, Tsun-En Kuo
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Abstract
A method includes disposing a wafer in a cup of a clamshell of an electroplating apparatus. The wafer is clamped using the cup and a cone of the clamshell. Pressure forces applied by the cone against the wafer are detected by pressure sensors. The pressure forces include a maximum pressure and a minimum pressure. Clamping the wafer is stopped when a difference between the maximum pressure and the minimum pressure is higher than a predetermined value.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- disposing a wafer in a cup of a clamshell of an electroplating apparatus;
- clamping the wafer using the cup and a cone of the clamshell;
- detecting, by pressure sensors, pressure forces applied by the cone against the wafer, wherein the pressure forces include a maximum pressure and a minimum pressure;
- stopping clamping the wafer when a difference between the maximum pressure and the minimum pressure is higher than a predetermined value;
- and
- calibrating a wafer center mechanism of the clamshell based on the difference between the maximum pressure and the minimum pressure.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- placing a wafer in a cup of a clamshell of an electroplating apparatus such that a wafer centering mechanism of the cup holds the wafer in the cup, wherein the electroplating apparatus further comprises a plurality of pressure sensors between the clamshell and a cone of the electroplating apparatus;
- clamping the wafer using the cup and the cone of the electroplating apparatus;
- detecting pressure force values of the pressure sensors after placing the wafer in the cup;
- obtaining a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of the pressure force values of the pressure sensors;
- and
- calibrating the wafer centering mechanism of the clamshell based on the difference of the pressure force values.
3 more elements
A method, comprising:
- placing a wafer in a cup of a clamshell of an electroplating apparatus;
- clamping the wafer using the cup and a cone of the clamshell;
- detecting, by pressure sensors, pressure forces applied by the cone against the wafer, wherein the pressure sensors are arranged as a circle;
- inspecting if the cone is inclined relative to the cup according to a maximum pressure and a minimum pressure of the pressure forces;
- and
- calibrating a wafer centering mechanism of the clamshell based on a difference between the maximum pressure and the minimum pressure of the pressure forces.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.