Plating apparatus, cartridge and copper dissolution tank for use in the plating apparatus, and plating method

A plating apparatus comprising:

• a plating section for performing a plating process with the use of a plating liquid for plating a substrate with copper, the plating section having an insoluble anode;
• a copper dissolution tank connected to the plating section for communication of the plating liquid with the plating section and accommodating therein a copper supply source;
• a circulation mechanism for circulating the plating liquid through the plating section and the copper dissolution tank;
• a replacement liquid supplying section for supplying a replacement liquid into the copper dissolution tank for prevention of deterioration of a surface of the copper supply source;
• and
• a control section which performs a control operation to circulate the plating liquid through the plating section and the copper dissolution tank when the plating process is performed in the plating section and to stop the circulation of the plating liquid and replace the plating liquid in the copper dissolution tank with the replacement liquid supplied from the replacement liquid supplying section after completion of the plating process in the plating section.

A plating apparatus comprising:

• a plating section for performing a plating process with the use of a plating liquid for plating a substrate with copper, the plating section having an insoluble anode;
• a plurality of copper dissolution tanks connected to the plating section for communication of the plating liquid with the plating section and each accommodating therein a copper supply source;
• a circulation mechanism for circulating the plating liquid through the plating section and the copper dissolution tanks;
• a weight measuring section for individually measuring weights of the copper dissolution tanks;
• and
• a control section which performs a control operation so as to select at least one of the copper dissolution tanks for use in the plating process on the basis of the result of the measurement performed by the weight measuring section and circulate the plating liquid through the selected copper dissolution tank and the plating section.

A plating method comprising the steps of:

• plating a surface of a substrate with the surface thereof coming in contact with a plating liquid in a plating section having an insoluble anode;
• circulating the plating liquid through the plating section and a copper dissolution tank accommodating therein a copper supply source in the plating step;
• and
• replacing the plating liquid in the copper dissolution tank with a replacement liquid for prevention of deterioration of a surface of the copper supply source.

A plating method comprising:

• the plating step of plating a surface of a substrate with the surface thereof coming in contact with a plating liquid in a plating section having an insoluble anode;
• the weight measuring step of individually measuring weights of plural copper dissolution tanks each accommodating therein a copper supply source;
• the tank selecting step of selecting at least one of the copper dissolution tanks for use in the plating step on the basis of the result of the measurement performed in the weight measuring step;
• and
• the step of circulating the plating liquid through the plating section and the copper dissolution tank selected in the tank selecting step.

A plating apparatus comprising:

• a plating section comprising a plating vessel for containing a plating liquid to be brought into contact with a to-be-treated substrate, the plating vessel having an insoluble anode disposed therein for electrical energization of the plating liquid, and a plating liquid container capable of containing the plating liquid in a greater amount than the plating vessel for circulating the plating liquid through the plating vessel and the plating liquid container;
• and
• a copper dissolution tank accommodating therein a copper supply source for supplying copper ions to the plating liquid for use in the plating section;
• wherein the copper supply source is generally uniformly dissolvable over the entire surface thereof at a constant dissolution rate in the plating liquid, and is configured so that the surface area thereof is changed by a percentage of not greater than 25% as observed from the start of the dissolution of the copper supply source in the plating liquid till the copper supply source is dissolved to have a shape which is no longer generally conformable to an initial shape thereof.

A plating apparatus comprising:

• a plating section comprising a plating vessel for containing a plating liquid to be brought into contact with a to-be-treated substrate, the plating vessel having an insoluble anode disposed therein for electrical energization of the plating liquid, and a plating liquid container capable of containing the plating liquid in a greater amount than the plating vessel for circulating the plating liquid through the plating vessel and the plating liquid container;
• and
• a copper dissolution tank accommodating therein a copper supply source for supplying copper ions to the plating liquid for use in the plating section, and constructed so that the plating liquid flows along a predetermined flow path in the copper dissolution tank;
• wherein the copper supply source comprises a copper supply source pipe disposed generally parallel to the flow path and having a pipe interior wall surface and a pipe exterior wall surface generally parallel to the flow path.

A plating apparatus comprising:

• a plating section comprising a plating vessel for containing a plating liquid to be brought into contact with a to-be-treated substrate, the plating vessel having an insoluble anode disposed therein for electrical energization of the plating liquid, and a plating liquid container capable of containing the plating liquid in a greater amount than the plating vessel for circulating the plating liquid through the plating vessel and the plating liquid container;
• and
• a copper dissolution tank accommodating therein a copper supply source for supplying copper ions to the plating liquid for use in the plating section, and constructed so that the plating liquid flows along a predetermined flow path;
• wherein the copper supply source comprises a copper supply source plate disposed generally parallel to the flow path and having a pair of surfaces generally parallel to the flow path.