In one implementation a cathode for electrochemical metal removal has a generally disc-shaped body and a plurality of channels in the generally disc-shaped body, where the channels are configured for passing electrolyte through the body of the cathode. The channels may be fitted with non-conductive (e.g., plastic) tubes that in some embodiments extend above the body of the cathode to a height of at least 1 cm. The cathode may also include a plurality of indentations at the edge to facilitate electrolyte flow at the edge of the cathode. In some embodiments the cathode includes a plurality of non-conductive fixation elements on a conductive surface of the cathode, where the fixation elements are attachable to one or more handles for removing the cathode from the electrochemical metal removal apparatus.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method includes metal electroplating on a surface of a first electrode formed on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate with a plating solution which contains aggregates of a supercritical fluid and a solution of a plating metal ion and an electrolyte. The first surface includes a recess. The surface is along with a shape of the recess. The recess has a first dimension and a second dimension, and assuming that an aspect ratio of the recess is given as a ratio of the second dimension to the first dimension, a median of a particle size distribution of the aggregates is greater than the first dimension.

Exemplary methods of plating are described. The methods may include contacting a patterned substrate with a plating bath in a plating chamber. The patterned substrate includes at least one metal interconnect with a contact surface that is exposed to the plating bath. The metal interconnect is made of a first metal characterized by a first reduction potential. The methods further include plating a diffusion layer on the contact surface of the metal interconnect. The diffusion layer is made of a second metal characterized by a second reduction potential that is larger than the first reduction potential of the first metal in the metal interconnects. The plating bath also includes one or more ions of the second metal and a grain refining compound that reduces the formation of pinhole defects in the diffusion layer.

A method for performing an electrochemical plating (ECP) process includes contacting a surface of a substrate with a plating solution comprising ions of a metal to be deposited, electroplating the metal on the surface of the substrate, in situ monitoring a plating current flowing through the plating solution between an anode and the substrate immersed in the plating solution as the ECP process continues, and adjusting a composition of the plating solution in response to the plating current being below a critical plating current such that voids formed in a subset of conductive lines having a highest line-end density among a plurality of conductive lines for a metallization layer over the substrate are prevented.

A structure of capacitors connected in parallel includes a substrate. A trench embedded in the substrate. Numerous electrode layers respectively conformally fill in and cover the trench. The electrode layers are formed of numerous nth electrode layers, wherein n is a positive integer from 1 to M, and M is not less than 3. The nth electrode layer with smaller n is closer to the sidewall of the trench. When n equals to M, the Mth electrode layer fills in the center of the trench, and the top surface of the Mth electrode is aligned with the top surface of the substrate. A capacitor dielectric layer is disposed between the adjacent electrode layers. A first conductive plug contacts the nth electrode layer with odd-numbered n. A second conductive plug contacts the nth electrode layer with even-numbered n.

An electrochemical plating (ECP) system is provided. The ECP system includes an ECP cell comprising a plating solution for an ECP process, a sensor configured to in situ measure an interface resistance between a plated metal and an electrolyte in the plating solution as the ECP process continues, a plating solution supply system in fluid communication with the ECP cell and configured to supply the plating solution to the ECP cell, and a control system operably coupled to the ECP cell, the sensor and the plating solution supply system. The control system is configured to compare the interface resistance with a threshold resistance and to adjust a composition of the plating solution in response to the interface resistance being below the threshold resistance.

There is provided a method of plating comprising: a process of bringing a sealing portion of a seal provided to prevent a contact of a substrate holder that holds a substrate from coming into contact with a plating solution, into contact with pure water; and a process of detecting a leak of the seal, based on presence or absence of a short circuit of a leak detection electrode placed inside of the substrate holder after the sealing portion is brought into contact with the pure water and before the substrate is brought into contact with a chemical solution.

Exemplary methods of electroplating include contacting a patterned substrate with a plating bath in an electroplating chamber, where the pattern substrate includes at least one opening having a bottom surface and one or more sidewall surfaces. The methods may further include forming a nanotwin-containing metal material in the at least one opening. The metal material may be formed by two or more cycles that include delivering a forward current from a power supply through the plating bath of the electroplating chamber for a first period of time, plating a first amount of the metal on the bottom surface of the opening on the patterned substrate and a second amount of the metal on the sidewall surfaces of the opening, and delivering a reverse current from the power supply through the plating bath of the electroplating chamber to remove some of the metal plated in the opening on the patterned substrate.

The present disclosure relates to an electroplating system including a first contact detection sensor and a second contact detection sensor disposed at a surface of a cone of the electroplating system. The first contact detection sensor detects a first resistance at a first contact between a substrate to be plated by the electroplating system and a first contact pin, the second contact detection sensor detects a second resistance at a second contact between the substrate and a second contact pin. A controller receives the first resistance and the second resistance, and determines the first contact and the second contact are not properly formed when a difference between the first resistance and the second resistance is not within a first predetermined resistance range, or the first resistance or the second resistance is not within a second predetermined resistance range.

Exemplary methods of electroplating may include providing a patterned substrate having at least one opening, where the opening includes one or more sidewalls and a bottom surface. The methods may also include plating a first portion of ruthenium-containing material on the bottom surface of the opening at a first deposition rate and a second portion of ruthenium-containing material on the sidewalls of the opening at a second deposition rate, where the first deposition rate is greater than the second deposition rate. The methods may be used to make integrated circuit devices that include void-free, electrically-conductive lines and columns of ruthenium-containing materials.