Electrochemical processing cell

An apparatus for plating a metal on a substrate, comprising:

• a fluid basin configured to contain a plating solution;
• a membrane support assembly secured across an inner circumference of the fluid basin, the membrane support assembly having a planar lower surface;
• an ionic membrane positioned on the planar lower surface of the membrane support assembly, the ionic membrane being configured to fluidly separate a cathode chamber positioned in an upper portion of the fluid basin from an anode chamber positioned in a lower portion of the fluid basin;
• an anode positioned in the anode chamber, at least a portion of an upper surface of the anode being positioned at an angle with respect to horizontal, wherein the angle is between about 5° and about 35°;
• and
• a fluid permeable diffusion member positioned across the fluid basin above the ionic membrane, wherein the fluid permeable diffusion member and the ionic membrane are positioned substantially parallel to each other.

A small volume electrochemical plating cell, comprising:

• a fluid basin having substantially cylindrical walls defining a fluid processing volume;
• an anode positioned in a lower portion of the fluid processing volume, at least a portion of an upper surface of the anode being positioned generally orthogonal to the cylindrical walls;
• an ionic membrane positioned on a planar lower surface of a membrane support assembly positioned across the fluid processing volume at a position above the anode and generally orthogonal to the cylindrical walls, wherein the ionic membrane fluidly separates the upper portion from the lower portion, and is permeable only to ions;
• and
• a diffusion plate positioned across the fluid processing volume at a position above the membrane and generally orthogonal to the cylindrical walls, wherein the diffusion plate and the ionic membrane are positioned substantially parallel to each other,
• wherein the cylindrical walls are positioned at an angle offset from vertical, the offset from vertical is between about 5° and about 35°.

An electrochemical plating cell, comprising:

• a cell body defining a fluid basin;
• an anode positioned in the fluid basin;
• an ionic membrane positioned on a planar lower surface of a membrane support assembly positioned across the fluid basin at a vertical position above the anode;
• a fluid diffusion member positioned across the fluid basin at a vertical position above the ionic membrane;
• and
• at least one fluid aperture positioned to direct fluid across a planar upper surface of the anode in a substantially parallel relationship to the upper surface, wherein the upper surface of the anode is tilted from horizontal between about 5° and about 35°.

An electrochemical plating cell, comprising:

• a cell body defining a fluid basin;
• an anode positioned in the fluid basin;
• a fluid permeable diffusion member positioned across the fluid basin;
• and
• an ionic membrane positioned on a lower surface of a membrane support across the fluid basin at a vertical position above the anode, the membrane support having a planar membrane engaging surface being positioned in a substantially parallel relationship to a planar upper surface of the anode and the fluid permeable diffusion member, wherein the upper surface of the anode is tilted from horizontal between about 5° and about 35°, wherein the ionic membrane fluidly separates the anode from the fluid permeable diffusion member.

An electrochemical plating cell, comprising:

• a cell body defining a fluid basin;
• an anode positioned in the fluid basin;
• a fluid permeable diffusion member positioned across the fluid basin;
• and
• an ionic membrane positioned on a planar lower surface of a membrane support assembly positioned across the fluid basin at a vertical position above the anode, the ionic membrane being positioned in substantially parallel relationship to the fluid permeable diffusion member and an upper surface of the anode, wherein the upper surface of the anode is tilted from horizontal between about 5° and about 35°, wherein the ionic membrane fluidly separates the anode from the fluid permeable diffusion member.

A semiconductor processing cell comprising:

• a fluid basin configured to contain a plating solution therein, the fluid basin comprising:
• an anode chamber positioned in a lower portion of the fluid basin;
• and
• a cathode chamber positioned in an upper portion of the fluid basin, the anode chamber being separated from the cathode chamber by an ionic membrane positioned across the fluid basin;
• an anode positioned in the anode chamber and having an upper surface disposed at an angle from horizontal;
• and
• an anode base member, the anode base member comprising:
• an annular recess defined by a bottom member and an upstanding wall extending from the bottom member, the annular recess being configured to receive the anode;
• and
• a plurality of channels formed into the bottom member, each of the plurality of channels terminating into an annular drain circumscribing the bottom member.

An apparatus for plating a metal on a substrate, comprising:

• a fluid basin configured to contain a plating solution;
• an ionic membrane positioned across an inner circumference of the fluid basin, the ionic membrane being configured to separate a cathode chamber positioned in an upper portion of the fluid basin from an anode chamber positioned in a lower portion of the fluid basin;
• an anode positioned in the anode chamber, at least a portion of an upper surface of the anode being positioned at an angle with respect to horizontal;
• a fluid permeable diffusion member positioned across the fluid basin above the ionic membrane such that at least a portion of an upper surface of the diffusion member is positioned parallel to the upper surface of the anode;
• and
• an anode base plate configured to receive the anode, the anode base plate comprising:
• an annular recess configured to receive the anode;
• a plurality of channels formed into a lower surface of the annular recess, each of the plurality of channels terminating into an annular drain positioned around a perimeter of the annular recess;
• and
• a plurality of slots formed into an annular vertical wall of the annular recess, the plurality of slots being configured to direct a fluid over the upper surface of the anode.

A small volume electrochemical plating cell comprising:

• a fluid basin having substantially cylindrical walls defining a fluid processing volume;
• an anode positioned in a lower portion of the fluid processing volume, at least a portion of an upper surface of the anode being positioned generally orthogonal to the cylindrical walls;
• a membrane positioned across the fluid processing volume at a position above the anode and generally orthogonal to the cylindrical walls;
• a diffusion plate positioned across the fluid processing volume at a position above the membrane and generally orthogonal to the cylindrical walls;
• and
• an anode base plate, the anode base plate having an annular recess configured to receive the anode, a plurality of channels formed into a lower surface of the base plate, each of the plurality of channels terminating into an annular drain circumscribing the lower surface, wherein the cylindrical walls are positioned at an angle offset from vertical.

A semiconductor processing cell, comprising:

• a fluid basin configured to contain a plating solution therein, the fluid basin comprising:
• an anode chamber positioned in a lower portion of the fluid basin;
• and
• a cathode chamber positioned in an upper portion of the fluid basin, the anode chamber being separated from the cathode chamber by an ionic membrane positioned across the fluid basin;
• and
• an anode positioned in the anode chamber and having an upper surface disposed at an angle from horizontal, wherein the anode comprises a substantially disk shaped member manufactured from a metal to be plated in the electrochemical plating cell, the substantially disk shaped member having a plurality of parallel slots formed therethrough, the plurality of parallel slots comprise a plurality of longer segments and a plurality of shorter segments, each of the plurality of longer segments being positioned in longitudinal abutment with a corresponding one of the plurality of shorter segments and separated therefrom by a remaining portion of the anode.

An apparatus for plating a metal on a substrate, comprising:

• a fluid basin configured to contain a plating solution;
• an ionic membrane positioned across an inner circumference of the fluid basin, the ionic membrane being configured to separate a cathode chamber positioned in an upper portion of the fluid basin from an anode chamber positioned in a lower portion of the fluid basin;
• an anode positioned in the anode chamber, at least a portion of an upper surface of the anode being positioned at an angle with respect to horizontal;
• and
• a fluid permeable diffusion member positioned across the fluid basin above the ionic membrane such that at least a portion of an upper surface of the diffusion member is positioned parallel to the upper surface of the anode,
• wherein the anode comprises a disk shaped member having a plurality of slots formed therethrough, the plurality of slots being positioned in parallel orientation to each other, the plurality of slots comprise a plurality of short segments and a plurality of long segments, each of the short segments being longitudinally positioned in cooperation with a long segment and separated therefrom by a conductive spacer.