Method and apparatus for electrodeposition of uniform film with minimal edge exclusion on substrate

A system for depositing materials on a surface of a wafer having a maximum lateral dimension, the system comprising:

• an anode;
• a shaping plate defining an edge, the shaping plate being supported between the anode and the surface of the wafer such that an upper surface of the shaping plate faces the surface of the wafer, the shaping plate comprising a plurality of openings, wherein the upper surface of the shaping plate has a lateral dimension that is greater than the maximum lateral dimension of the wafer;
• a liquid electrolyte flowing through the openings of the shaping plate and against the surface of the wafer such that the electrolyte always contacts a first region of the surface of the wafer;
• and
• an electrical contact member for establishing electrical contact with a second region of the surface of the wafer adjacent the edge of the shaping plate, wherein the second region intermittently contacts the electrolyte when the wafer is rotated over the shaping plate.

A process for depositing materials on a surface of a wafer without excluding any region for electrical contacts on the surface, wherein the wafer has a maximum lateral dimension, the process comprising the steps of:

• providing an anode;
• supporting a shaping plate between the anode and the surface of the wafer such that an upper surface of the shaping plate faces the surface of the wafer, the shaping plate comprising a plurality of openings such that each opening puts the surface of the wafer in fluid communication with the anode, wherein the upper surface of the shaping plate has a lateral dimension that is greater than the maximum lateral dimension of the wafer;
• flowing an electrolyte through the openings of the shaping plate and between the anode and the surface of the wafer;
• contacting a contact region of the surface of the wafer with a contact member at a location adjacent to an edge of the shaping plate to make electrical contact to the surface;
• applying a potential difference between the anode and the contact member to deposit material on a deposition region of the surface of the wafer through the shaping plate when the wafer is in a first position;
• and
• moving the wafer into a second position while contacting the contact region with the contact member thereby depositing material on both the contact region and the deposition region.

A process for depositing a conductive material on a surface of a wafer without excluding any region for electrical contacts on the surface, wherein the wafer has a maximum lateral dimension, the process comprising the steps of:

• providing an anode, the anode being placed into a cavity that is defined by a peripheral wall terminating at a peripheral edge, wherein a lateral dimension of the peripheral edge is greater than the maximum lateral dimension of the wafer;
• supporting the wafer above the peripheral edge so that the surface of the wafer faces the cavity;
• filling the cavity with an electrolyte such that the electrolyte contacts a first region of the surface of the wafer;
• contacting a contact region of the surface of the wafer with a contact member at a location adjacent to the peripheral wall of the cavity to make electrical contact to the surface of the wafer;
• applying a potential difference between the anode and the contact member to continuously deposit material on the first region of the surface of the wafer through the shaping plate when the wafer is in a first position;
• and
• rotating the wafer into a second position while contacting the contact region with the contact member, thereby depositing material on both the first region and the contact region.

A system for etching materials off a surface of a wafer having a maximum lateral dimension, the system comprising:

• a cathode, the cathode being placed into a cavity that is defined by a peripheral wall terminating at a peripheral edge, wherein the wafer is supported above the peripheral edge so that the surface of the wafer faces the cavity and wherein a lateral dimension of the peripheral edge is greater than the maximum lateral dimension of the wafer;
• an electrolyte for filling the cavity up to the peripheral edge of the cavity such that the electrolyte always contacts a first region of the surface of the wafer;
• and
• an electrical contact member for contacting a second region of the surface of the wafer at a location adjacent to the peripheral wall of the cavity, wherein the second region intermittently contacts the electrolyte when the wafer is rotated.

A system for etching materials off a surface of a wafer having a maximum lateral dimension, the system comprising:

• a cathode;
• a shaping plate defining a recessed edge, the shaping plate being supported between the cathode and the surface of the wafer such that an upper surface of the shaping plate faces the surface of the wafer, the shaping plate comprising a plurality of openings, wherein the upper surface of the shaping plate has a lateral dimension that is greater than the maximum lateral dimension of the wafer;
• a liquid electrolyte flowing through the openings of the shaping plate and against the surface of the wafer such that the electrolyte always contacts a first region of the surface of the wafer;
• and
• an electrical contact member for establishing electrical contact with a second region of the surface of the wafer adjacent the recessed edge of the shaping plate, wherein the second region intermittently contacts the electrolyte when the wafer is rotated over the shaping plate.

A process for etching materials off a surface of a wafer without excluding any region for electrical contacts on the surface, wherein the wafer has a maximum lateral dimension, the process comprising the steps of:

• providing a cathode;
• supporting a shaping plate between the cathode and the surface of the wafer such that an upper surface of the shaping plate faces the surface of the wafer, the shaping plate comprising a plurality of openings such that each opening puts the surface of the wafer in fluid communication with the cathode, wherein the upper surface of the shaping plate has a lateral dimension that is greater than the maximum lateral dimension of the wafer;
• flowing an electrolyte through the openings of the shaping plate and between the cathode and the surface of the wafer;
• contacting a contact region of the surface of the wafer with a contact member at a location adjacent to an edge of the shaping plate to make electrical contact to the surface;
• applying a potential difference between the cathode and the contact member to etch material from an etch region of the surface of the wafer through the shaping plate when the wafer is in a first position;
• and
• moving the wafer into a second position while contacting the contact region with the contact member thereby removing material from both the contact region and the etch region.

A process for depositing a conductive material on a surface of a wafer without excluding any region for electrical contacts on the surface, wherein the wafer has a maximum lateral dimension, the process comprising the steps of:

• providing an anode, the anode being placed into a cavity that is defined by a peripheral wall terminating at a peripheral edge, wherein a lateral dimension of the peripheral edge is greater than the maximum lateral dimension of the wafer;
• supporting the wafer above the peripheral edge so that the surface of the wafer faces the cavity;
• filling the cavity with an electrolyte such that the electrolyte contacts a first region of the surface of the wafer;
• contacting a contact region of the surface of the wafer with a contact member at a location adjacent to the peripheral wall of the cavity to make electrical contact to the surface of the wafer;
• applying a potential difference between the anode and the contact member to continuously etch material from the first region of the surface of the wafer through the shaping plate when the wafer is in a first position;
• and
• rotating the wafer into a second position while contacting the contact region with the contact member, thereby etching material from both the first region and the contact region.

A system by which conductive material can be deposited out of an electrolyte onto a surface of a semiconductor substrate comprising:

• an assembly by which the electrolyte is supplied to the surface of the substrate during deposition of the material,
• an anode which is contacted by the electrolyte during said deposition, and
• at least one contact which is electrically interconnected with the surface at a selected area of the surface during said deposition,
• wherein said deposition progresses discontinuously on said selected area and continuously on the rest of the surface as at least one of the contact and the surface moves with respect to the other during application of a potential difference between the anode and the contact.

A system by which conductive material can be removed from a surface of a semiconductor substrate comprising:

• an assembly by which an electroetching solution is supplied to the surface of the substrate during removal of the material,
• an electrode which is contacted by the solution during said removal, and
• at least one contact which is electrically interconnected with the surface at a selected area of the surface during said removal,
• wherein said removal progresses discontinuously on said selected area and continuously on the rest of the surface as at least one of the contact and the surface moves with respect to the other during application of a potential difference between the electrode and the contact.