Plating cell and plating method with fluid wiper

An electroplating cell for plating a planar face of a substrate with a metal layer, comprising a plating bath containing an electrolyte in which said substrate is immersed in a cathode chamber of the bath, sparger means for introducing the electrolyte into the bath, an anode chamber in which an anode is disposed and which contains a quantity of metal that is consumed during plating, a weir which separates said anode chamber from said cathode chamber and permits the electrolyte to spill over from the cathode chamber into the anode chamber, said weir including means for permitting metal ions to pass through from the anode chamber into said cathode chamber, drain outlet means for carrying electrolyte and any entrained particulate matter from the anode chamber;

• means for holding the substrate in the cathode chamber, said holding means defining a plating position at which the planar surface of the substrate is held;
• means coupled between the drain outlet and the sparger means for removing any particulate matter from said electrolyte and returning the electrolyte through a return conduit to said sparger means;
• and a fluid powered rotary blade disposed in said bath and having an edge disposed generally in a plane spaced from the planar face of the substrate, and having fluid powered motor means formed therewith for rotating the blade, including means coupled to said return conduit to receive a flow of said electrolyte as motive power therefor;
• wherein said motor means includes an annular turbine having a generally circular opening therethrough, said annular turbine being mounted in a circular mount therefor in said bath, such that the opening is in registry with said plating position defined by said holding means, and wherein said blade is mounted on said annular turbine to extend radially towards a center of said circular opening.

A process of plating a planar face of a substrate with a metal layer in an electroplating cell wherein a cathode chamber of a plating bath contains an electrolyte in which the planar face of said substrate is immersed, said substrate being held in a plating position in said cathode chamber, an anode in an anode chamber contains a quantity of metal that is consumed during plating, a weir separates said anode chamber from said cathode chamber and permits the electrolyte to spill over from said cathode chamber into the anode chamber, said weir including means permitting metal ions to pass through from the anode chamber into said cathode chamber, drain outlet means carry electrolyte and any entrained particulate matter from the anode chamber;

• a sparger introduces electrolyte into the bath;
• means coupled between the drain outlet and the sparger remove any particulate matter from said electrolyte and return the electrolyte through a return conduit to said sparger;
• and a fluid powered rotary blade disposed in said bath has an edge disposed to rotate in a plane that is spaced from the planar face of the substrate and which is generally parallel thereto;
• the process comprising:
• circulating said electrolyte through said return conduit and said sparger into said bath to create a transverse flow of said electrolyte across said planar face;
• applying a plating current between said anode and said planar face to effect cathodic deposition of said metal onto said planar face;
• and supplying a portion of the electrolyte from said return conduit into motive means for rotating said blade in said plane that is generally parallel to said planar face.

A process of plating a planar face of a substrate with a metal layer in an electroplating cell wherein a cathode chamber of a plating bath contains an electrolyte in which the planar face of said substrate is immersed, said substrate being held in a plating position in said cathode chamber, an anode in an anode chamber contains a quantity of metal that is consumed during plating a weir separates said anode chamber from said cathode chamber and permits the electrolyte to spill over from said cathode chamber into the anode chamber, said weir including means permitting metal ions to pass through from the anode chamber into said cathode chamber, drain outlet means carry electrolyte and any entrained particulate matter from the anode chamber;

• a sparger introduces electrolyte into the bath;
• means coupled between the drain outlet and the sparger remove any particulate matter from said electrolyte and return the electrolyte through a return conduit to said sparger;
• and a fluid powered rotary blade disposed in said bath rotates at a spacing from the planar face of the substrate;
• the process comprising:
• circulating said electrolyte through said return conduit and said sparger into said bath to create a transverse flow of said electrolyte across said planar face;
• applying a plating current between said anode and said planar face to effect cathodic deposition of said metal onto said planar face;
• and supplying a portion of the electrolyte from said return conduit into motive means for rotating said blade;
• and wherein said motive means includes an annular turbine having a generally circular opening therethrough, said annular turbine being mounted in a circular mount therefor in said bath, such that the circular opening is in registry with the planar face to be plated, and wherein said blade is mounted on said annular turbine to extend radially towards a center of said circular opening;
• and said step of supplying a portion of said electrolyte into said motive means includes injecting said electrolyte into said circular mount so as to urge vanes on said annular turbine into rotation.

An electroplating cell for plating a planar face of a substrate with a metal layer, comprising a plating bath that contains an electrolyte in which said substrate is immersed in a cathode chamber thereof, sparger means for introducing the electrolyte into the bath, an anode chamber in which an anode is disposed and which contains a quantity of metal that is consumed during plating, a weir which separates said anode chamber from said cathode chamber and permits the electrolyte to spill over from the cathode chamber into the anode chamber, said weir including means for permitting metal ions to pass through from the anode chamber into said cathode chamber;

• drain outlet means for carrying electrolyte and any entrained particulate matter from the anode chamber;
• means for holding the substrate in the cathode chambers, said holding means defining a plane generally parallel to which the planar face of the substrate is held;
• means coupled between the drain outlet and the sparger means for removing any particulate matter from said electrolyte and returning the electrolyte through a return conduit to said sparger means;
• a rotary blade disposed in said bath and having an edge disposed to rotate in a plane generally parallel to said plane defined by said holding means;
• and motor means for rotating the blade so that said blade continuously sweeps past said planar face while the same is being plated.