A method for electrochemically depositing metal on a sheet substrate, wherein an upper metal anode is placed above an electrolyte solution on the upper surface of the sheet substrate waiting for an metal electrochemical deposition, or placed elsewhere; the electrolyte solution passes the upper metal anode then flows onto the upper surface of the sheet substrate; the upper metal anode is subjected to an oxidation reaction under the action of a positive potential, losing electrons to generate metal ions, and then it flows down along with the electrolyte solution to the upper surface of the sheet substrate; the metal ions in the electrolyte solution get electrons on the cathode surface of the sheet substrate, and a metal is produced and deposited on the cathode surface of the sheet substrate.

The embodiments herein relate to methods and apparatus for detecting whether unwanted metallic deposits are present on a bottom of a substrate holder used in an electroplating apparatus. The presence of such unwanted deposits is harmful to electroplating processes because the deposits scavenge current that is intended to cause electroplating on a substrate. When such current scavenging occurs, the electroplating results on the substrates are poor. For instance, features positioned near the edge of a substrate are likely to plate to an insufficient thickness. Further, where such current scavenging is great, the overall thickness of the material plated on the substrate may be too thin. As such, there is a need to detect when such unwanted deposits are present, such that plating under these poor conditions may be avoided. This detection will help preserve costly wafers.

Systems for cleaning electroplating system components may include a seal cleaning assembly incorporated with an electroplating system. The seal cleaning assembly may include an arm pivotable between a first position and a second position. The arm may be rotatable about a central axis of the arm. The seal cleaning assembly may include a cleaning head coupled with a distal portion of the arm. The cleaning head may include a bracket having a faceplate coupled with the arm, and a housing extending from the faceplate. The housing may define one or more arcuate channels extending through the housing to a front surface of the bracket. The cleaning head may also include a rotatable cartridge extending from the housing of the bracket. The cartridge may include a mount cylinder defining one or more apertures configured to deliver a cleaning solution to a pad coupled about the mount cylinder.

Systems and methods for achieving uniformity across a redistribution layer are described. One of the methods includes patterning a photoresist layer over a substrate. The patterning defines a region for a conductive line and a via disposed below the region for the conductive line. The method further includes depositing a conductive material in between the patterned photoresist layer, such that the conductive material fills the via and the region for the conductive line. The depositing causes an overgrowth of conductive material of the conductive line to form a bump of the conductive material over the via. The method also includes planarizing a top surface of the conductive line while maintaining the patterned photoresist layer present over the substrate. The planarizing is facilitated by exerting a horizontal shear force over the conductive line and the bump. The planarizing is performed to flatten the bump.

An electrolytic processing jig configured to perform an electrolytic processing on a processing target substrate by using a processing liquid supplied to the processing target substrate includes a base body having a flat plate shape; and a direct electrode provided on a front surface of the base body and configured to be brought into contact with the processing liquid to apply a voltage between the processing target substrate and the direct electrode. An irregularity pattern is formed on a front surface of the electrolytic processing jig at a processing target substrate side.

A leak check method includes: performing a first inspection of measuring a pressure in an internal space formed by a seal of the substrate holder, while evacuating the internal space, and detecting that the pressure reaches a first pressure threshold value within a predetermined first inspection time; performing a second inspection of closing the internal space that has been evacuated, measuring the pressure in the closed internal space, and detecting that the pressure in the closed internal space does not exceed a second pressure threshold value within a predetermined second inspection time; and performing a third inspection of measuring a pressure difference between the pressure in the closed internal space and a vacuum pressure in a master container, and detecting that an amount of increase in the pressure difference within a predetermined third inspection time is kept equal to or below a pressure difference threshold value.

An electrolytic treatment apparatus 1 (1A) configured to perform an electrolytic treatment on a target substrate includes a substrate holder 10 and an electrolytic processor 20. The substrate holder 10 includes an insulating holding body 11 configured to hold the target substrate and an indirect negative electrode 12 disposed within the holding body 11. A negative voltage is applied to the indirect negative electrode 12. The electrolytic processor 20 is disposed to face the substrate holder 10 and configured to apply a voltage to the target substrate and an electrolyte in contact with the target substrate.

Provided are an anode holder capable of reducing consumption of an additive in a plating apparatus, and a plating apparatus. An anode holder for holding an anode for use in a plating apparatus is provided, and the anode holder includes an inner space formed in the anode holder, to house the anode, a mask including a plurality of holes, and configured to cover a front surface of the inner space, and a diaphragm, at least part of the diaphragm being fixed to the mask in a region of the mask that covers the front surface of the inner space.

It is configured that a frame body is locked to a back panel by: inserting a number of first pins of the frame body into a number of first holes of the back panel; moving a fastening body outward by a moving mechanism of a lock mechanism; and fitting a notch into a concave portion at the tip of the first pin.

Systems and methods for electroplating are provided. An electroplating system may include an electroplating cell configured to contain an anode and an electroplating solution, a wafer holder configured to support a wafer within the electroplating cell, a reservoir configured to contain at least a portion of the electroplating solution, a recirculation flowpath that fluidically connects the reservoir and the electroplating cell, in which the recirculation flowpath includes a pump and is configured to circulate the electroplating solution between the reservoir and the electroplating cell, and a frother fluidically connected to one or more of the electroplating cell, the reservoir, and the recirculation flowpath. The frother may be configured to generate bubbles in the electroplating solution when the electroplating solution is present in the electroplating system, interfaced with the frother, and the frother is activated.