A plating apparatus 1 can perform plating processes by supplying plating liquids onto a surface of a substrate 2. The plating apparatus 1 includes a substrate rotating holder configured to hold and rotate the substrate 2; plating liquid supply units 29 and 30 configured to supply different kinds of plating liquids onto the surface of the substrate 2; a plating liquid drain unit 31 configured to drain out the plating liquids dispersed from the substrate 2 depending on the kinds of the plating liquids; and a controller 32 configured to control the substrate rotating holder 25, the plating liquid supply units 29 and 30, the plating liquid drain unit 31. While the substrate 2 is held and rotated, the plating processes are performed on the surface of the substrate 2 in sequence by supplying the different kinds of the plating liquids onto the surface of the substrate 2.

A false report on appearance inspection of a semiconductor device is prevented by suppressing variation in surface state of an electrodeposited gold electrode. In formation of an electrodeposited gold electrode, an electrodeposited gold electrode comprised of a plurality of electrodeposited gold layers in the stack is formed by alternately repeating a step of performing energization between an anode electrode and a cathode electrode provided in a treatment cup of a plating apparatus to cause crystal growth of an electrodeposited gold layer (energization ON), and a step of performing no energization between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode (energization OFF). Consequently, even if aging variation occurs in composition of the plating solution, variation in surface state of the electrodeposited gold electrode is suppressed, and a surface state with a surface roughness of, for example, about 0.025 rad can be maintained.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for electroplating nickel which employ substantially sulfur-free nickel anodes. The methods may include placing a semiconductor substrate in a cathode chamber of an electroplating cell having an anode chamber containing a substantially sulfur-free nickel anode, contacting an electrolyte solution having reduced oxygen concentration with the substantially sulfur-free nickel anode contained in the anode chamber, and electroplating nickel from the electrolyte solution onto the semiconductor substrate placed in the cathode chamber. The electroplating systems may include an electroplating cell having an anode chamber configured for holding a substantially sulfur-free nickel anode, a cathode chamber, and a substrate holder within the cathode chamber configured for holding a semiconductor substrate. The systems may also include an oxygen removal device arranged to reduce oxygen concentration in the electrolyte solution as it is flowed to the anode chamber.

An electrochemical plating apparatus for depositing a conductive material on a wafer includes a cell chamber. The plating solution is provided from a bottom of the cell chamber into the cell chamber. A plurality of openings passes through a sidewall of the cell chamber. A flow regulator is arranged with each of the plurality of openings configured to regulate an overflow amount of the plating solution flowing out through the each of the plurality of openings. The electrochemical plating apparatus further comprises a controller to control the flow regulator such that overflow amounts of the plating solution flowing out through the plurality of openings are substantially equal to each other.

An improved apparatus for adding powder comprising at least a metal, such as copper, to a plating solution, and supplying the plating solution to a plating tank is disclosed. The apparatus includes a hopper having an inlet which is connectable to a powder conduit of a powder container holding the powder therein, a feeder which communicates with a bottom opening of the hopper, a motor coupled to the feeder, and a plating-solution tank coupled to an outlet of the feeder and configured to dissolve the powder in the plating solution.

A plating apparatus allows a substrate holder to be serviced easily while ensuring easy access to the substrate holder and while a substrate is being processed in the plating apparatus. The plating apparatus includes a plating section for plating a substrate, a substrate holder for holding the substrate, a substrate holder transporter for holding and transporting the substrate holder, a stocker for storing the substrate holder, and a stocker setting section for storing the stocker therein. The stocker includes a moving mechanism for moving the stocker into and out of the stocker setting section.

Disclosed are pre-wetting apparatus designs and methods. These apparatus designs and methods are used to pre-wet a wafer prior to plating a metal on the surface of the wafer. Disclosed compositions of the pre-wetting fluid prevent corrosion of a seed layer on the wafer and also improve the filling rates of features on the wafer.

An apparatus for electrochemically processing a semiconductor substrate includes a processing chamber of the type that is sealable to a peripheral portion of a semiconductor substrate so as to define a covered processing volume. The semiconductor substrate is supported by a substrate support. A magnetic arrangement is disposed outside of the processing chamber and produces a magnetic field. The magnetic field is changed using a controller for controlling the magnetic arrangement. An agitator is disposed within the processing chamber. The agitator comprises a magnetically responsive element which is responsive to changes in the magnetic field of the magnetic arrangement so as to provide a reciprocating motion to the agitator.

A contact ring for an electroprocessor has redundant contact fingers, i.e., more contact fingers than needed for contacting a very narrow edge exclusion zone on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The contact fingers have slightly different lengths so that they extend to different radial positions. By providing redundant contact fingers, and by slightly varying the lengths of the contact fingers, a sufficient number of contact fingers make contact with the electrically conductive surface in the edge exclusion zone to provide good electroplating results.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for plating a metal onto a work piece with a plating solution having a low oxygen concentration are described. In one aspect, a method includes reducing an oxygen concentration of a plating solution. The plating solution includes about 100 parts per million or less of an accelerator. After reducing the oxygen concentration of the plating solution, a wafer substrate is contacted with the plating solution in a plating cell. The oxygen concentration of the plating solution in the plating cell is about 1 part per million or less. A metal is electroplated with the plating solution onto the wafer substrate in the plating cell. After electroplating the metal onto the wafer substrate, an oxidizing strength of the plating solution is increased.