A plating apparatus includes a workpiece holder, a plating bath, and a clamp ring. The plating bath is underneath the workpiece holder. The clamp ring is connected to the workpiece holder. The clamp ring includes channels communicating an inner surface of the clamp ring and an outer surface of the clamp ring.

A semiconductor apparatus and methods of processing a semiconductor workpiece are provided. The semiconductor apparatus for pre-wetting a semiconductor workpiece includes a process chamber, a workpiece holder disposed within the process chamber to hold the semiconductor workpiece, a pre-wetting fluid tank disposed outside the process chamber and containing a pre-wetting fluid, and a conduit coupled to the pre-wetting fluid tank and extending into the process chamber. The conduit delivers the pre-wetting fluid from the pre-wetting fluid tank out through an outlet of the conduit to wet a major surface of the semiconductor workpiece comprising a plurality of recess portions.

An object is to enhance the accuracy of porosity and/or the flexibility in adjustment of the porosity in each portion of a plate. There is provided a plate that is placed between a substrate and an anode in a plating tank. The plate comprises a pore forming area in which a plurality of pores are formed, wherein the pore forming area includes a center portion, a middle portion located on an outer side of the center portion, and an outer circumferential portion located on an outer side of the middle portion, the center portion and the outer circumferential portion of the pore forming area have a plurality of oblong pores, and the middle portion of the pore forming area has a plurality of circular pores.

A plating system is provided. The plating system includes an electroplating chamber defining a plating area within which a wafer is plated. The electroplating chamber includes an inlet configured to introduce plating solution into the plating area of the electroplating chamber. The electroplating chamber includes an outlet configured to remove the plating solution from the plating area of the electroplating chamber. The plating system includes a barrier configured to inhibit removal of the plating solution from the plating area.

The agitation of the plating solution may result in spattering of the plating solution. It have been found that the spattered plating solution can be attached even to portions that are not originally brought into contact with the plating solution in the plating apparatus. There is provided an electroplating apparatus for plating a substrate using a substrate holder, the electroplating apparatus comprising at least one bath for storing the substrate, the substrate holder being provided with a hanger shoulder, and a holder contact, and wherein the electroplating apparatus being provided with a cleaning/drying part provided on at least one side of the bath, the cleaning/drying part being provided for cleaning and/or drying at least one of the hanger shoulder, the holder contact and a contact provided to the bath.

The agitation of the plating solution may result in spattering of the plating solution. It have been found that the spattered plating solution can be attached even to portions that are not originally brought into contact with the plating solution in the plating apparatus. There is provided an electroplating apparatus for plating a substrate using a substrate holder, the electroplating apparatus comprising at least one bath for storing the substrate, the substrate holder being provided with a hanger shoulder, and a holder contact, and wherein the electroplating apparatus being provided with a cleaning/drying part provided on at least one side of the bath, the cleaning/drying part being provided for cleaning and/or drying at least one of the hanger shoulder, the holder contact and a contact provided to the bath.

The invention relates to a method for a chemical and/or electrolytic surface treatment of a substrate in a process station and a process station for a chemical and/or electrolytic surface treatment of a substrate.

The method for a chemical and/or electrolytic surface treatment comprises the following steps, not necessarily in this order: mounting a substrate to be treated to a rotor unit, moving the rotor unit with the substrate into a pre-wetting chamber of the process station, applying a pre-wetting fluid to the substrate in the pre-wetting chamber, moving the rotor unit with the substrate at least partially out of the pre-wetting chamber, spinning the rotor unit with the substrate in a spinning plane to centrifugally reduce the pre-wetting fluid at a surface of the substrate, rotating the rotor unit with the substrate normal to the spinning plane so that the substrate faces away from the pre-wetting chamber, moving the rotor unit with the substrate into an electroplating chamber of the process station, applying an electrolyte liquid and an electric current to the substrate for an electroplating process on the substrate in the electroplating chamber, and moving the rotor unit with the substrate at least partially out of the electroplating chamber.

A system for printing metal interconnects on a substrate includes an anode substrate. A plurality of anodes are arranged on one side of the anode substrate with a first predetermined gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of anodes. A first plurality of fluid holes have one end located between the plurality of anodes. A plurality of control devices is configured to selectively supply current to the plurality of anodes, respectively. The anode substrate is arranged within a second predetermined gap of a work piece substrate including a metal seed layer. A ratio of the second predetermined gap to the first predetermined gap is in a range from 0.5:1 and 1.5:1. An array controller is configured to energize selected ones of the plurality of anodes using corresponding ones of the plurality of control devices while electrolyte solution is supplied through the first plurality of fluid holes between the anode substrate and the work piece substrate.

An electroplating system includes a tank functioning as an anode, wherein the tank is configured in a horizontal orientation having a length greater than its height, a component part disposed within the tank and functioning as a cathode, an electrical connection, coupled to the anode and cathode, for providing an electric current, and a supply line for delivering an electrolytic fluid to within the tank.

A high resistance virtual anode for an electroplating cell includes a first layer and a second layer. The first layer includes a plurality of first holes through the first layer. The second layer is over the first layer and includes a plurality of second holes through the second layer.