Plating apparatus and method

An apparatus for plating a film on a substrate, comprising:

• a substrate holder for positioning the substrate for contact with a plating electrolyte;
• at least one anode for supplying plating current to the substrate;
• at least two flow controllers connected to supply electrolyte contacting the substrate;
• a control system coupled to said at least one anode and said at least two flow controllers to provide electrolyte and plating current in combination to successive portions of the substrate to provide a continuous, uniform thickness film on the substrate by successive plating of the film on the portions of the substrate.

An apparatus for plating a film on a substrate, comprising:

• a substrate holder for positioning the substrate for contact with a plating electrolyte;
• at least two anodes for supplying plating current to the substrate;
• at least one flow controller for controlling electrolyte contacting the substrate;
• at least one control system coupled to said at least one anode and said at least one flow controller to provide electrolyte and plating current in combination to successive portions of the substrate to provide a continuous, uniform thickness film on the substrate by successive plating of the film on the portions of the substrate.

An apparatus for plating a film on a substrate, comprising:

• a substrate holder for positioning the substrate for contact with a plating electrolyte;
• at least one anode for supplying plating current to the substrate;
• at least one flow controller for controlling electrolyte contacting the substrate said at least one flow controller comprising at least three cylindrical walls, a first of the cylindrical walls positioned under a center portion of the substrate extending upward closer to the substrate than a second one of the cylindrical walls positioned under a second portion of the substrate peripheral to the center portion;
• a drive mechanism coupled to said substrate holder to drive said substrate holder up and down to control one or more portions of the substrate contacting the electrolyte;
• at least one control system coupled to said at least one anode and said at least one flow controller to provide electrolyte and plating current in combination to successive portions of the substrate to provide a continuous, uniform thickness film on the substrate by successive plating of the film on the portions of the substrate.

An apparatus for plating a film on a substrate, comprising:

• a substrate holder for positioning the substrate for contact with a plating electrolyte;
• at least one anode for supplying plating current to the substrate;
• a flow controller for controlling electrolyte contacting the substrate, said at least one flow controller comprising at least three cylindrical walls movable upward toward the substrate and downward away from the substrate, to adjust a gap between the substrate and each of the cylindrical walls to control one or more portions of the substrate contacting the electrolyte;
• at least one control system coupled to said at least one anode and said flow controller to provide electrolyte and plating current in combination to successive portions of the substrate to provide a continuous, uniform thickness film on the substrate by successive plating of the film on the portions of the substrate.

An apparatus for plating a film on a substrate, comprising:

• a substrate holder for positioning the substrate above an electrolyte surface;
• at least one movable jet anode for supplying plating current and electrolyte to the substrate, said movable jet anode being movable in a direction parallel to the substrate surface;
• at least one flow controller for controlling electrolyte flowing through said movable jet anode;
• at least one control system coupled to said movable jet anode and said flow controller to provide electrolyte and plating current in combination to successive portions of the substrate to provide a continuous, uniform thickness film on the substrate by successive plating of the film on the portions of the substrate.

An apparatus for plating a film on a substrate, comprising:

• a substrate holder for positioning the substrate in a body of electrolyte;
• at least one movable jet anode for supplying plating current and electrolyte to the substrate, said movable jet anode being movable in a direction parallel to the substrate surface;
• a flow controller for controlling electrolyte flowing through said movable jet anode;
• at least one control system coupled to said movable jet anode and said flow controller to provide electrolyte and plating current in combination to successive portions of the substrate to provide a continuous, uniform thickness film on the substrate by successive plating of the film on the portions of the substrate.

An apparatus for plating a film on a substrate, comprising:

• a substrate holder for positioning the substrate above an electrolyte surface;
• a first drive mechanism coupled to said substrate holder to move said substrate holder toward and away from the electrolyte surface to control a portion of a surface of the substrate contacting the electrolyte;
• a bath for the electrolyte;
• at least one anode mounted in said bath;
• a second drive mechanism coupled to said bath to rotate said bath around a vertical axis to form a substantially parabolic shape of the electrolyte surface;
• a control system coupled to said first and second drive mechanisms and to said at least one anode to provide electrolyte and plating current in combination to successive portions of the substrate to provide a continuous, uniform thickness film on the substrate by successive plating of the film on the portions of the substrate.

An apparatus for plating a film on a substrate, comprising:

• a substrate holder for positioning the substrate above an electrolyte surface;
• a first drive mechanism coupled to said substrate holder to move said substrate holder toward and away from the electrolyte surface to control a portion of a surface of the substrate contacting the electrolyte;
• a second drive mechanism coupled to said substrate holder to rotate said substrate holder around an axis vertical to the surface of the substrate;
• a third drive mechanism coupled to said substrate holder to tilt said substrate holder with respect to the electrolyte surface;
• a bath for the electrolyte;
• at least one anode mounted in said bath;
• a control system coupled to said first, second and third drive mechanisms and to said at least one anode to provide electrolyte and plating current in combination to successive portions of the substrate to provide a continuous, uniform thickness film on the substrate by successive plating of the film on the portions of the substrate.

A method for plating a film to a desired thickness on a surface of a substrate, comprising:

• providing a plurality of stacked plating modules and a substrate transferring mechanism;
• picking up a substrate from a substrate holder with the substrate transferring mechanism;
• loading the substrate into a first one of stacked plating modules with the substrate transferring mechanism;
• plating a film on the substrate in the first the one of the stacked plating modules;
• returning the substrate to said substrate holder with the substrate transferring mechanism.

An automated tool for plating a film on a substrate, comprising:

• at least two plating baths positioned in a stacked relationship;
• at least one substrate holder;
• a substrate transferring mechanism;
• a frame supporting said plating baths, said substrate holder and said substrate transferring mechanism;
• and
• a control system coupled to said substrate transferring mechanism, substrate holder and said plating baths to continuously perform uniform film deposition on a plurality of the substrates.