Electrochemical treatment of integrated circuit substrates using concentric anodes and variable field shaping elements

An apparatus for electrochemically treating a surface of a substrate, comprising:

• a first bath container configured to retain an electrochemical bath at a bath height;
• a plurality of dynamically operable concentric anodes disposed in said first bath container;
• a substrate holder disposed in said first bath container opposite said concentric anodes at a substrate height;
• a shield disposed in said first bath container between said concentric anodes and said substrate holder, said shield configured for shielding a surface area of a substrate when a substrate is held in said substrate holder during electrochemical treatment operations;
• and
• a means, operable during electrochemical treatment operations, for dynamically varying a parameter selected from the group consisting of:
• a quantity of shielded surface area of a substrate, a distance separating said shield from said substrate holder, a distance separating said substrate holder from said concentric anodes, and combinations thereof.

In an apparatus for electrochemically treating the surface of a substrate, comprising:

• a bath container configured to retain an electrochemical bath having a bath height;
• an anode disposed in said bath container;
• a substrate holder opposite said anode and located at a substrate height;
• a shield disposed between said anode and said substrate holder, said shield configured for shielding a surface area of a substrate when a substrate is held in said substrate holder;
• and
• a means, operable during electrochemical treatment operations, for dynamically varying a parameter selected from a group including a quantity of shielded surface area of a substrate, a distance separating said shield from a substrate in said substrate holder, a distance separating said substrate holder from said anode, and combinations thereof,
• the improvement characterized by said means being selected from the group consisting of:
• a variable weir assembly for dynamically varying said bath height and an actuator for dynamically moving said substrate holder, to vary dynamically said substrate height;
• a shield comprising a plurality of rings rotatable about a common axis, each of said rings configured to have an open area and a closed area, end an actuator for rotating one of said rings to vary a quantity of shielded surface area of said substrate;
• and
• a movable spacer for attaching a shield to said substrate holder and an actuator for moving said spacer to vary a distance separating said shield from said substrate.

A method for electrochemically treating the surface of a substrate, comprising steps of:

• providing an electrochemical bath with a plurality of concentric anodes located at the bottom of said electrochemical bath;
• placing a wafer substrate in a substrate holder,
• immersing said wafer substrate into said electrochemical bath at a substrate height and opposite said concentric anodes;
• providing a diffuser shield located between said wafer substrate and said concentric anodes;
• providing an insert shield located between said diffuser shield and said wafer substrate;
• and
• dynamically varying the power delivered to said concentric anodes.

A method for electrochemically treating a surface of a substrate, comprising steps of:

• providing an electrochemical bath having a bath height in a first bath container, said first bath container containing a plurality of dynamically operable concentric anodes in a bottom portion of said first bath container, and further containing a shield located above said concentric anodes;
• immersing a wafer substrate held in a substrate holder into said elecrtrochemical bath at a substrate height, such that said wafer substrate is opposite said concentric anodes and said shield is between said wafer substrate and said concentric anodes;
• and
• dynamically varying a parameter selected from the group consisting of:
• a quantity of shielded surface area of said substrate, a distance separating said shield from said substrate, a distance separating said substrate from said concentric anodes, and combinations thereof.

In a method for electrochemically treating the surface of a substrate, comprising steps of dynamically varying a parameter from a group including a quantity of shielded surface area of a substrate, a distance separating a shield from a substrate, a distance separating a substrate holder from an anode, and combinations thereof, the improvement comprising steps selected from the group consisting of:

• dynamically varying a bath height, and dynamically moving a substrate holder, to vary dynamically a substrate height;
• dynamically rotating a ring of a shield to vary a quantity of shielded surface area of a substrate, wherein said shield is a diffuser shield comprising a plurality of rings rotatable about a common axis, each of said rings configured to have an open area and a closed area;
• and
• actuating a movable spacer to vary dynamically a flow gap between an insert shield and a substrate holder.