Apparatus and method for electrolytically depositing copper on a semiconductor workpiece

A process for applying a metal structure to a workpiece comprising:

• providing a first electroplating bath including copper sulfate as a source of principal metal species to be deposited during subsequent electroplating, a buffer agent, a metal ion complexing agent, and an alkaline agent in an amount to adjust the pH of the first electroplating bath to a pH of at least 9.0;
• providing a workpiece on which one or more microelectronic devices are to be formed;
• exposing at least one surface of the workpiece to the first electroplating bath;
• providing electroplating power between the at least one surface of the workpiece and an anode disposed in electrical contact with the first electroplating bath to electroplate the principal metal species onto the at least one surface of the workpiece in an electrolytic first deposition process at a first deposition rate;
• and
• depositing additional metal onto the metal deposited in the first deposition process using a second deposition process at a second deposition rate that is higher than the first deposition rate.

A process for applying a metal structure to a workpiece comprising:

• providing a workpiece on which one or more microelectronic devices are to be formed;
• depositing a barrier layer on at least one surface of a workpiece;
• providing a first electroplating bath including copper sulfate as a source of principal metal species to be deposited during subsequent electroplating, a buffer agent, a metal ion complexing agent, an alkaline agent in an amount to adjust the pH of the first electroplating bath to a pH of at least 9.0 and a conformality increasing agent;
• exposing the least one surface of the workpiece including the barrier layer to the first electroplating bath;
• and
• providing electroplating power between the at least one surface of the workpiece and an anode disposed in electrical contact with the first electroplating bath to electroplate the principal metal species directly onto the barrier layer of the workpiece in an electrolytic first deposition process.

A process for applying a metal structure to a workpiece comprising:

• providing a first electroplating bath including a source of metal ions as a principal metal species to be deposited during subsequent electroplating, boric acid, a metal ion complexing agent and an alkaline agent in an amount sufficient to raise the pH of the bath to at least 9.0;
• providing a workpiece on which one or more microelectronic devices are to be formed;
• exposing at least one surface of the workpiece to the first electroplating bath;
• and
• providing electroplating power between the at least one surface of the workpiece and an anode disposed in electrical contact with the first electroplating bath to electroplate the principal metal species onto the at least one surface of the workpiece in an electrolytic first deposition process.