There is provided the substrate holder for holding a substrate comprising a first holding member, a second holding member, a sealing member, a pin, a ring, and a moving mechanism. The sealing member forms a sealed space inside the substrate holder. The pin is fixed to one of the first holding member and the second holding member. The ring is disposed on another of the first holding member and the second holding member. The ring engages with the pin. The moving mechanism circumferentially moves the ring. The pin and the ring are engaged with one another to fix the first holding member and the second holding member to one another. The pin and the ring are disposed inside the sealed space.

Metal components that require anodic coating or anodizing, may also require some surfaces of the component to be free of the anodic coating for the purpose of conductivity. The presence of the anodic coating on surfaces of the component that require conductivity would make those surface more electrically resistant or nonconductive. A combination of a gas pocket or air bubble to create a barrier to anodizing in a cavities of a workpiece (or in a cavity created by a conformal compression material) and the use of a (e.g., compressible) mask/seal material to mask off other surfaces though a gasket sealing function, is used. The mask/seal material may be compressed and makes a seal of some surfaces using pressure from clamping or pressure mechanisms. At least two opposing surfaces are masked by the compressive mask/seal material on one end and a gas pocket on the other end. The gas pocket will allow the anode to make firm electrical contact with the workpiece. The unmasked surfaces of the workpiece will be contacted by the electrolyte and consequently anodized. These anodized surfaces will have more electrical resistance (e.g., have higher resistance, and might even be non-conductive) than the masked surfaces that were not anodized. Further, the selectively anodized surfaces can be colored, seal, or have other conventional post anodizing processes applied.

Undesired deposition of metals on a lipseal (lipseal plate-out) during electrodeposition of metals on semiconductor substrates is minimized or eliminated by minimizing or eliminating ionic current directed at a lipseal. For example, electrodeposition can be conducted such as to avoid contact of a lipseal with a cathodically biased conductive material on the semiconductor substrate during the course of electroplating. This can be accomplished by shielding a small selected zone proximate the lipseal to suppress electrode-position of metal proximate the lipseal, and to avoid contact of metal with a lipseal. In some embodiments shielding is accomplished by sequentially using lipseals of different inner diameters during electroplating of metals into through-resist features, where a lipseal having a smaller diameter is used during a first electroplating step and serves as a shield blocking electrodeposition in a selected zone. In a second electroplating step, a lipseal of a larger inner diameter is used.

Disclosed are cup assemblies for holding, sealing, and providing electrical power to a semiconductor substrate during electroplating which may include a cup bottom element having a main body portion and a moment arm, an elastomeric sealing element disposed on the moment arm, and an electrical contact element disposed on the elastomeric sealing element. The main body portion may be such that it does not substantially flex when a substrate is pressed against the moment arm, and it may be rigidly affixed to another feature of the cup structure. The ratio of the average vertical thickness of the main body portion to that of the moment arm may be greater than about 5. The electrical contact element may have a substantially flat but flexible contact portion disposed upon a substantially horizontal portion of the sealing element. The elastomeric sealing element may be integrated with the cup bottom element during manufacturing.

Provided is a substrate holder for plating on a surface of a substrate, provided with an electrical contact that is easy to replace. A substrate holder 1 includes: a first holding member 2; a second holding member 3 that has an opening portion 3a for exposing the surface of a substrate W and holds the substrate W in a sandwiched manner with the first holding member 2; a plurality of engaging shaft portions 36 each having a head portion 36b in an expanded head shape at a tip end portion, provided in a circumferential direction of the second holding member 3; and an electrical contact 32 having a contact portion 32a to be in contact with an edge portion of the substrate W, and having an engagement reception portion 32b in a notch shape to be engaged with the adjacent engaging shaft portion 36 for arrangement along a circumference of the opening portion 3a of the second holding member 3.

A plating module includes: a plating tank, a substrate holder, and an elevating mechanism. The plating tank is for housing a plating solution. The substrate holder is for holding a substrate with a surface to be plated facing downward. The elevating mechanism is for moving up and down the substrate holder. The substrate holder includes: a supporting mechanism, a floating plate, a floating mechanism, and a pushing mechanism. The supporting mechanism is for supporting an outer peripheral portion of the surface of the substrate. The floating plate is arranged on a back surface side of the substrate. The floating mechanism is for biasing the floating plate to a direction away from a back surface of the substrate. The pushing mechanism is for pressing the floating plate to the back surface of the substrate against a biasing force to the substrate by the floating mechanism.

Systems and methods for electroplating are described. The electroplating system may include a vessel configured to hold a first portion of a liquid electrolyte. The system may also include a substrate holder configured for holding a substrate in the vessel. The system may further include a first reservoir in fluid communication with the vessel. In addition, the system may include a second reservoir in fluid communication with the vessel. Furthermore, the system may include a first mechanism configured to expel a second portion of the liquid electrolyte from the first reservoir into the vessel. The system may also include a second mechanism configured to take in a third potion of the liquid electrolyte from the vessel into the second reservoir when the second portion of the liquid electrolyte is expelled from the first reservoir. Methods may include oscillating flow of the electrolyte within the vessel.

In one example, an electroplating apparatus is provided for electroplating a wafer. The electroplating apparatus comprises a wafer holder for holding a wafer during an electroplating operation and a plating cell configured to contain an electrolyte during the electroplating operation. An anode chamber is disposed within the plating cell, and a charge plate is disposed within the anode chamber. An anode is positioned above the charge plate within the anode chamber. In some examples, the anode chamber is a membrane-less anode chamber.

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.

Provided is a film forming apparatus and a film forming method for forming a metal film capable of reducing the occurrence of discoloring or alteration of the metal film caused by drying of an electrolytic solution remaining on the surface of the formed metal film. A space where the metal film exists is sealed between a housing and a mount base in a state where the solid electrolyte membrane is in contact with the metal film. The film forming apparatus includes a water supply unit supplying a wash water to the sealed space such that the wash water flows onto the surface of the metal film being in contact with the solid electrolyte membrane, and a water discharge unit discharging a wash water from the sealed space such that the wash water having flown onto the surface of the metal film flows out from the surface of the metal film.