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US 2024/0393199 A1Published application
Device and method for pressure force inspection
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsYung Chang HUANG, Tsun-En KUO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method includes disposing a wafer in a cup of a clamshell of an electroplating apparatus. The wafer is clamped using the cup and a cone of the clamshell. Pressure forces applied by the cone against the wafer are detected by pressure sensors. The pressure forces include a maximum pressure and a minimum pressure. Clamping the wafer is stopped when a difference between the maximum pressure and the minimum pressure is higher than a predetermined value.
Claims20
A device, comprising:
- a cup configured to support a wafer, the cup comprising:
- a cup bottom having an opening;
- an electrical contact structure over the cup bottom, wherein the electrical contact structure comprises contacts;
- a seal around the opening of the cup bottom, and between the cup bottom and the electrical contact structure;
- and
- pressure sensors between the electrical contact structure and the seal;
- a cone over the cup and configured to clamp the wafer with the cup, wherein the cone has a pressing surface facing the cup;
- a feedback module electrically communicated with the pressure sensors to receive and analyze pressure forces detected by the pressure sensors;
- and
- a controller electrically connected to the feedback module to control a motion of the cone in a response of an analyzed result of the feedback module.
7 more elements
A device, comprising:
- a cup configured to support a wafer;
- a cone over the cup and configured to clamp the wafer with the cup, wherein the cone has a pressing surface facing the cup;
- a plurality of pressure sensors on the pressing surface;
- a feedback module electrically communicated with the pressure sensors to receive and analyze pressure forces detected by the pressure sensors;
- and
- a controller electrically connected to the feedback module to control a motion of the cone in a response of an analyzed result of the feedback module.
3 more elements
A device, comprising:
- a cup configured to support a wafer, the cup comprising:
- a cup bottom having an opening;
- an electrical contact structure over the cup bottom;
- a seal around the opening of the cup bottom and between the cup bottom and the electrical contact structure;
- a wafer centering mechanism over the electrical contact structure and configured to hold the wafer, wherein the wafer centering mechanism comprises a conductive ring and a plurality of leaf springs over an inner sidewall of the conductive ring;
- a cone over the cup and configured to clamp the wafer with the cup, wherein the cone has a pressing surface facing the cup;
- a plurality of pressure sensors between the pressing surface of the cone and the cup bottom of the cup;
- a feedback module electrically communicated with the pressure sensors to receive and analyze pressure forces detected by the pressure sensors;
- and
- a controller electrically connected to the feedback module to calibrate wafer centering mechanism based on a difference between a maximum pressure and a minimum pressure of the pressure forces.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.