# US 9,435,048 B2 · Layer by layer electro chemical plating (ECP) process > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,435,048 B2 - Document ID: US9435048B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/778,412 - Filed: 2013-02-27 - Published: 2014-08-28 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-02-27 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Su-Horng Lin; Chi-Ming Yang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435048B2 ## CPC - C25D 7/12: Semiconductors - C25D 5/18: Electroplating using modulated, pulsed or reversing current - C25D 5/617: {Crystalline layers} - C25D 7/123: {Semiconductors first coated with a seed layer or a conductive layer} - C25D 17/001: {Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic coating of wafers, e.g. semiconductors or solar cells} - C25D 21/12: Process control or regulation (controlling or regulating in general G05) - C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR ## Abstract The present disclosure relates to an electro-chemical plating (ECP) process that provides for an isotropic deposition, and a related apparatus. In some embodiments, the disclosed ECP process is performed by providing a substrate into an electroplating solution comprising a plurality of ions of a material to be deposited. A periodic patterned signal, which alternates between a first value and a different second value, is applied to the substrate. When the periodic patterned signal is at the first value, ions from the electroplating solution affix to the substrate. When the periodic patterned signal is at the second value, ions from the electroplating solution do not affix to the substrate. By using the periodic patterned signal to perform electro-chemical plating, the deposition rate of the plating process is reduced, resulting in an isotropic deposition over the substrate that mitigates gap fill problems (e.g., void formation). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of electro-chemical plating, comprising: providing a substrate have a trench into an electroplating solution comprising a plurality of ions of a material to be deposited; filling the trench with a plurality of deposited layers, which respectively have a uniform thickness of the material along sidewalls and a lower surface of the trench, wherein each of the plurality of deposited layers are formed during separate operating periods of a periodically patterned signal comprising a square waveform that transitions from a second voltage to a first voltage at an end of each of the plurality of operating periods, and wherein the separate operating periods respectively comprise a first phase in which the first voltage is applied to a cathode in electrical contact with the substrate to attract one or more of the plurality of ions from the electroplating solution to the substrate and a second phase in which the second voltage is applied to the cathode to dissociate deposited ions from the substrate back into the electroplating solution; and dynamically varying one or more parameters of the square waveform including: a maximum voltage or a minimum voltage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein during the first phase the first voltage is applied to the cathode for a first amount of time, and wherein during the second phase the second voltage is applied to the cathode for a second amount of time that is equal to the first amount of time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the periodically patterned signal comprises an asymmetric square wave having a maximum voltage for a first time and a minimum voltage for a second time that is different than the first time. ### Claim 4 A method of electro-chemical plating, comprising: providing a substrate having a trench into an electroplating solution comprising a plurality of ions of a material to be deposited; filling the trench by sequentially forming a plurality of deposited layers respectively having a uniform thickness of the material along sidewalls and a lower surface of the trench, wherein the plurality of deposited layers are formed by applying a periodic patterned signal to the substrate, which alternates between a first value and a different second value during formation of each of the plurality of deposited layers; dynamically varying one or more parameters of the periodic patterned signal including: a maximum voltage or a minimum voltage; and wherein the first value causes one or more of the plurality of ions from the electroplating solution to affix to the substrate as a deposited layer, and wherein the second value causes one or more ions to dissociate from the deposited layer, thereby reducing a thickness of the deposited layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the periodic patterned signal comprises a plurality of operating periods, which respectively form separate deposited layers onto the substrate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the periodic patterned signal comprises a square waveform that transitions from the second value to the first value at an end of each of the plurality of operating periods; and wherein during a first one of the plurality of operating periods the square waveform consists of the first value and the second value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the periodically patterned signal comprises an asymmetric square wave having a maximum voltage for a first time and a minimum voltage for a second time that is different than the first time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the periodic patterned signal comprises a sinusoidal waveform. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the periodic patterned signal comprises a periodic patterned voltage or a periodic patterned current. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein during the second phase a thickness of a layer deposited onto the substrate during the first phase is reduced from a first thickness to a second thickness that is less than the first thickness. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first voltage is less than the second voltage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the first value is less than the second value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ions comprise ions of a metal barrier layer, a metal seed layer, or a metal bulk layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a dielectric material on a semiconductor substrate. ### Claim 15 A method of electro-chemical plating, comprising: providing a substrate having a trench into an electroplating solution comprising a plurality of ions of a metal material to be deposited; filling the trench by sequentially forming a plurality of deposited layers respectively having a uniform thickness of the metal material along sidewalls and a lower surface of the trench, wherein the plurality of deposited layers are formed by applying a periodic patterned signal to the substrate, which alternates between a first voltage value and a different second voltage value during formation of each of the plurality of deposited layers; dynamically varying one or more parameters of the periodic patterned signal including: a maximum voltage or a minimum voltage; and wherein the first voltage value causes one or more of the plurality of ions of the metal material to affix to the substrate as a deposited layer, and wherein the second voltage value causes one or more ions to dissociate from the deposited layer, thereby reducing a thickness of the deposited layer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of deposited layers comprise a top deposited layer comprising a ‘T’ shaped structure. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the metal material comprises copper. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the substrate comprises a dielectric material on a semiconductor substrate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the periodic patterned signal comprises a square waveform. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the square waveform comprises an asymmetric square waveform.