Apparatus for electroplating alloy films
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorParijat Bhatnagar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electroplating bath includes two electrolytes that are separated by a low ionic mobility barrier substance. Electroplating substrates can be transferred between the two electrolytes, through the barrier substance. Successive layers can be deposited by alternately electroplating in the two electrolytes. The substrate need not be brought through an air-liquid interface in transferring it between the two electrolytes. More than one anode can be provided in each electrolyte for depositing alloy film layers. A dummy electrode can be provided in each electrolyte to be used in lieu of the substrate in order to change concentrations of compounds in each electrolyte so that sharp compositional transitions between successive layers deposited on the substrate can be obtained.
Claims19
An electroplating apparatus comprising:
- an electroplating bath container,
- a first electrolyte contained in the container;
- a second electrolyte contained in the container;
- a first anode contained in the container so as to be in contact with the first electrolyte;
- a first dummy electrode contained in the container so as to be in contact with the first electrolyte;
- and
- a barrier substance contained in the container so as to be in contact with the first and second electrolytes contained in the container, the barrier substance being non-solid so as to allow movement of an electroplating substrate through the barrier substance.
An electroplating apparatus comprising:
- an electroplating bath container;
- a first electrolyte contained in the container;
- a second electrolyte contained in the container,
- a first anode contained in the container so as to be in contact with the first electrolyte;
- a first dummy electrode contained in the container so as to be in contact with the first electrolyte;
- and
- a barrier substance contained in the container so as to be in contact with the first and second electrolytes contained in the container,
- wherein the first electrolyte is located above the barrier substance;
- and
- the second electrolyte is located below the barrier substance.
An electroplating apparatus comprising:
- an electroplating bath container;
- a first electrolyte contained in the container;
- a second electrolyte contained in the container;
- and
- a barrier substance contained in the container so as to be in contact with the first and second electrolytes contained in the container, wherein the barrier substance is located above both the first electrolyte and the second electrolytes.
An electroplating apparatus comprising:
- an electroplating bath container;
- a first electrolyte contained in the container;
- a second electrolyte contained in the container;
- a barrier substance contained in the container so as to be in contact with the first and second electrolytes contained in the container;
- and
- a servo for moving an electroplating substrate through the barrier substance from the first electrolyte to the second electrolyte.
An electroplating apparatus comprising:
- an electroplating bath container,
- a first electrolyte contained in the container;
- a second electrolyte contained in the container;
- a barrier substance contained in the container so as to be in contact with the first and second electrolytes contained in the container;
- a first anode contained in the container so as to be in contact with the first electrolyte;
- a second anode contained in the container so as to be in contact with the first electrolyte;
- and
- a first dummy electrode contained in the container so as to be in contact with the first electrolyte.
An electroplating apparatus comprising:
- an electroplating bath container;
- a first electrolyte contained in the container;
- a second electrolyte contained in the container;
- a barrier substance contained in the container so as to be in contact with the first and second electrolytes contained in the container;
- a first anode contained in the container so as to be in contact with the first electrolyte;
- a second anode contained in the container so as to be in contact with the first electrolyte;
- and
- a servo for moving an electroplating substrate through the barrier substance from the first electrolyte to the second electrolyte.
An electroplating apparatus comprising:
- an electroplating bath container adapted to contain a first electrolyte and a second electrolyte;
- a first anode contained in a portion of the container that is adapted to contain the first electrolyte;
- a first dummy electrode contained in a portion of the container that is adapted to contain the first electrolyte;
- and
- a barrier substance contained in the container and adapted to be in contact with the first and second electrolytes, the barrier substance being non-solid so as to allow movement of an electroplating substrate through the barrier substance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.