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US 7,125,477 B2Granted
Contacts for electrochemical processing
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsPaul Butterfield, Liang-Yuh Chen, Yongqi Hu, Antoine Manens, Rashid Mavliev, Stan Tsai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for electrochemically processing. A contact element defines a substrate contact surface positionable in contact a substrate during processing. In one embodiment, the contact element comprises a wire element. In another embodiment the contact element is a rotating member. In one embodiment, the contact element comprises a noble metal.
Claims67
An electrochemical processing article, comprising:
- a pad body defining a polishing surface and having a fluid flow channel disposed therethrough;
- and
- a conductive rotating contact element rotatably disposed at least partially in the fluid flow channel of the pad body and having at least a portion positionable at a substrate contact position at which the conductive rotating contact element contacts a substrate surface during electrochemical processing, wherein the conductive rotating contact element is hydraulically actuatable into the substrate contact position by fluid flow through the fluid flow channel.
An electrochemical processing article, comprising:
- a pad body defining a polishing surface and having a fluid flow channel disposed therethrough;
- and
- a conductive rotating contact element rotatably disposed at least partially in the fluid flow channel of the pad body and having at least a portion positionable at a substrate contact position at which the conductive rotating contact element contacts a substrate surface during electrochemical processing, wherein fluid flowed through the fluid flow channel causes a pressure drop sufficient to lift the conductive rotating contact element into the substrate contact position.
An electrochemical processing article, comprising:
- a pad body defining a polishing surface and having a fluid flow channel disposed therethrough;
- and
- a conductive rotating contact element rotatably disposed at least partially in the fluid flow channel of the pad body and having at least a portion positionable at a substrate contact position at which the conductive rotating contact element contacts a substrate surface during electrochemical processing wherein the conductive rotating contact element is part of a roller bearing assembly electrically coupled to a power supply, and, wherein the roller bearing assembly comprises a plurality of conductive rotating contact elements rotatably disposed on an axle.
An electrochemical processing article, comprising:
- a pad body defining a polishing surface and having a fluid flow channel disposed therethrough;
- and
- a conductive rotating contact element rotatably disposed at least partially in the fluid flow channel of the pad body and having at least a portion positionable at a substrate contact position at which the conductive rotating contact element contacts a substrate surface during electrochemical processing wherein the conductive rotating contact element is part of a roller bearing assembly electrically coupled to a power supply, and, wherein the pad body is circular and is rotated about a central axis and the roller bearing assembly comprises an axis of rotation aligned with a radius of the polishing pad.
A current conducting assembly for electrochemical processing, comprising:
- a housing defining an electrolyte flow passageway;
- and
- a current-providing conductive rotatable contact element rotatably disposed in the housing and having at least a substrate contact portion positionable at a substrate contact position to rotalably contact a substrate surface during electrochemical mechanical polishing, wherein the current-providing conductive rotatable contact element is hydraulically actuatable into the substrate contact position by fluid flow through the electrolyte flow passageway.
An electrochemical processing system, comprising:
- a cell body defining an electrolyte-containing volume;
- an electrode disposed in the electrolyte-containing volume;
- a polishing pad disposed in the electrolyte-containing volume and comprising a pad body defining a polishing surface;
- at least one conductive rotatable contact element at least partially disposed through the pad body and extending over the polishing surface and rotatable with respect to the polishing pad, wherein the conductive rotatable contact element is adapted to rotatably contact a substrate surface during electrochemical processing;
- a housing defining an electrolyte flow passageway and having the at least one conductive rotatable contact element rotatably disposed therein;
- and
- a power supply coupled to the electrode and the contact element, wherein the housing defines a fluid flow channel through which a fluid is flowed to hydraulically actuate the conductive rotating contact element into a substrate contact position, and wherein the conductive rotating contact element is at least one of spherically shaped, cylindrically shaped and frustoconically shaped.
4 more elements
An electrochemical processing system, comprising:
- a cell body defining an electrolyte-containing volume;
- an electrode disposed in the electrolyte-containing volume;
- a polishing pad disposed in the electrolyte-containing volume and comprising a pad body defining a polishing surface;
- at least one conductive rotatable contact element at least partially disposed through the pad body and extending over the polishing surface and rotatable with respect to the polishing pad, wherein the conductive rotatable contact element is adapted to rotatably contact a substrate surface during electrochemical processing;
- a housing defining an electrolyte flow passageway and having the at least one conductive rotatable contact element rotatably disposed therein;
- and
- a power supply coupled to the electrode and the contact element, wherein the conductive rotating contact element is part of a roller bearing assembly, and wherein the roller bearing assembly comprises a plurality of conductive rotating contact elements rotatably disposed on an axle.
4 more elements
An electrochemical processing system, comprising:
- a cell body defining an electrolyte-containing volume;
- an electrode disposed in the electrolyte-containing volume;
- a polishing pad disposed in the electrolyte-containing volume and comprising a pad body defining a polishing surface;
- at least one conductive rotatable contact element at least partially disposed through the pad body and extending over the polishing surface and rotatable with respect to the polishing pad, wherein the conductive rotatable contact element is adapted to rotatably contact a substrate surface during electrochemical processing;
- a housing defining an electrolyte flow passageway and having the at least one conductive rotatable contact element rotatable disposed therein;
- and
- a power supply coupled to the electrode and the contact element, wherein the conductive rotating contact element is part of a roller bearing assembly, and wherein the polishing pad is circular and is rotated about a central axis and the roller bearing assembly comprises an axis of rotation aligned with a radius of the polishing pad.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.