Apparatus and method for plating wafers, substrates and other articles

In a plating apparatus comprising a container, a cathode electrode, an anode electrode situated at a higher position within said container, and an intermediate electrode situated at an intermediate position within said container below said higher position, a method of plating an article situated at a lower position within said container below said intermediate position and having a metal seed layer in electrical contact with said cathode electrode, comprising:

• introducing plating fluid into said container to form a plating fluid bath;
• applying a positive voltage potential from said anode electrode to said cathode electrode to form an electrostatic field extending from said anode electrode to said article which causes plating deposition to occur over said metal seed layer;
• and
• applying a negative voltage potential from said intermediate electrode to said cathode electrode to alter said electrostatic field that extends from said anode electrode to said article to reduce a plating rate of said plating deposition at a desired region above said metal seed layer.

In a plating apparatus comprising a container, a cathode electrode, an anode electrode situated at a higher vertical position within said container, and an intermediate electrode situated at an intermediate vertical position within said container below said higher vertical position, a method of plating an article situated at a lower vertical position within said container below said intermediate vertical position and having a metal seed layer in electrical contact with said cathode electrode, comprising:

• introducing plating fluid into said container to form a plating fluid bath;
• forming a positive voltage potential from said anode electrode to said cathode electrode to form an electrostatic field that causes the plating, of said article;
• and
• forming a negative voltage potential from said intermediate electrode to said cathode electrode to alter the electrostatic field to control a plating rate of said article at a desired region.