Apparatus and method for treating a substrate electrochemically while reducing metal corrosion
AssigneeAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc.
InventorAxel Preusse
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process tool for electrochemically treating a substrate is configured to reduce the oxygen concentration and/or the sulfur dioxide concentration in the vicinity of the substrate so that corrosion of copper may be reduced. In one embodiment, a substantially inert atmosphere is established within the process tool including a plating reactor by providing a continuous inert gas flow and/or by providing a cover that reduces a gas exchange with the ambient atmosphere. The substantially inert gas atmosphere may also be maintained during further process steps involved in electrochemically treating the substrate including required transportation steps between the individual process steps.
Claims25
A process tool for electrochemically treating a substrate, comprising:
- a plating reactor;
- and
- a cover enclosing said plating reactor to define an internal volume containing an internal gas atmosphere, wherein said cover is configured to substantially avoid a gas exchange with an ambient atmosphere.
A process tool for electrochemically treating a substrate, comprising:
- a plating reactor;
- and
- a gas supply system configured to provide a flow of inert gas to the plating reactor to reduce at least one of an oxygen concentration and a sulfur dioxide concentration in the plating reactor.
A method of electrochemically treating a substrate, the method comprising:
- providing a process tool configured to electrochemically treat the substrate;
- and
- establishing a gas atmosphere surrounding said substrate, wherein said gas atmosphere has a lower oxygen concentration than an ambient atmosphere surrounding said process tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.