Control of dissolved gas concentration in electroplating baths
AssigneeLam Research Corporation
InventorsGregory J. Kearns, Jacob Kurtis Blickensderfer, Kailash Venkatraman, Frederick Dean Wilmot, Lee Peng Chua, Robert Rash
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A concentration of a dissolved gas can be controlled by following an electroplating solution through a contactor, controlling a pressure within the contactor, and thereby maintaining the concentration of the dissolved gas in the electroplating solution within a first concentration range. The first concentration range is non-zero and sub-saturation.
Claims24
A method of controlling a concentration of a dissolved gas in an electroplating solution of an electroplating system having one or more electroplating cells, a contactor having a membrane with a shell side and a lumen side, and being fluidically connected to the one or more electroplating cells, a vacuum source connected to the contactor and configured to apply a vacuum to the contactor, the method comprising:
- flowing the electroplating solution through the contactor;
- and
- controlling a pressure within the contactor and thereby maintaining the concentration of the dissolved gas in the electroplating solution within a first concentration range that is non-zero and sub-saturation.
An electroplating system comprising:
- one or more electroplating cells;
- a contactor having a membrane with a shell side and a lumen side, and being fluidically connected to the one or more electroplating cells;
- an electroplating solution having a concentration of dissolved gas;
- a pump configured to pump the electroplating solution between the one or more electroplating cells and the contactor;
- a vacuum source connected to the contactor and configured to apply a vacuum to the contactor;
- and
- a controller with instructions that are configured to:
- cause the electroplating solution to flow through the contactor;
- and
- control a pressure within the contactor and thereby maintain the concentration of dissolved gas in the electroplating solution within a first concentration range that is non-zero and sub-saturation.
An electroplating system comprising:
- one or more electroplating cells;
- a contactor having a membrane with a shell side and a lumen side, and being fluidically connected to the one or more electroplating cells;
- an electroplating solution having a concentration of dissolved gas;
- a pump configured to pump the electroplating solution between the one or more electroplating cells and the contactor;
- a vacuum source connected to the contactor and configured to apply a vacuum to the contactor;
- and
- a pressure regulator connected to the contactor and configured to maintain a first pressure range that corresponds with a first concentration range of dissolved gas in the electroplating solution that is non-zero and sub-saturation.
An electroplating system comprising:
- one or more electroplating cells;
- an electroplating solution having a concentration of dissolved gas;
- a plating cell flow loop configured to flow electroplating solution within the electroplating system;
- a contactor having a membrane with a shell side and a lumen side, and being fluidically connected in parallel with the plating cell flow loop such that electroplating solution can simultaneously flow in the plating cell flow loop and the contactor;
- a pump configured to pump the electroplating solution within the plating cell flow loop and to the contactor;
- a vacuum source connected to the contactor and configured to apply a vacuum to the contactor;
- and
- a controller with instructions that are configured to:
- cause the electroplating solution to flow simultaneously through the plating cell flow loop and contactor, and
- apply the vacuum source to the contactor and thereby maintain a first dissolved gas removal rate in the contactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.