Methods and apparatus for detecting the presence or absence of unwanted metal deposits on a substrate holder of an electroplating apparatus are described herein. In various embodiments, a plating sensor is used to detect unwanted metal deposits. The plating sensor may be mounted relatively far away from the area that it measures (e.g., the sensor target area). For instance, the plating sensor may be on one side of the electroplating apparatus (in some cases mounted on a drip shield), and the sensor target area may be on the opposite side of the electroplating apparatus. In this way, the plating sensor can measure across the electroplating apparatus. This placement provides a relatively deep depth of focus for the plating sensor, and provides some physical separation between the plating sensor and the electroplating chemistry. Both of these factors lead to more reliable detection results.

There is provided a contact structure, comprising a substrate contact including a first contact portion that is located on a leading end side of the substrate contact and that comes into contact with a substrate and a second contact portion that is located nearer to a base end side of the substrate contact than the first contact portion; a seal member configured to cover a periphery of the substrate contact and to have a sealing surface that comes into contact with the substrate to seal the substrate contact; a first pressing portion configured to elastically apply a contact pressure on the substrate to the substrate contact; and a second pressing portion configured to come into contact with the seal member and to apply a contact pressure on the substrate to the seal member independently of the first pressing portion, wherein the first contact portion adheres to the seal member, and the second contact portion is fit in the seal member to be displaceable relative to the seal member.

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.

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.

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.

A partial surface treatment apparatus includes a first electrode member electrically connected to a treatment object including an outer circumferential surface and a circumferential groove, a second electrode member including an inner circumferential surface, a pair of annular-shaped elastic sealing members configured to seal a clearance between the outer circumferential surface and the inner circumferential surface, an accommodation portion accommodating each of the annular-shaped elastic sealing members, the annular-shaped elastic sealing members are movable in a diameter reduction direction, a pressure applying mechanism supplying a pressurized fluid to the annular-shaped elastic sealing members, the annular-shaped elastic sealing members are in pressure contact with the outer circumferential surface in a case where the annular-shaped elastic sealing members are moved in the diameter reduction direction, and a cutout formed at each of the annular-shaped elastic sealing members to be extended from an outer circumferential side edge portion towards the inner circumferential side.

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 substrate holder for vertical galvanic metal deposition on a substrate, comprising a first substrate holder part and a second substrate holder part, wherein both said parts comprise an inner metal comprising part and an outer non-metallic part in which the substrate holder further comprises a hanging element in each substrate holder part, a first sealing element in each substrate holder part, a second sealing element between the inner metal comprising part and the outer non-metallic part of the substrate holder, a fastening system for detachably fastening both substrate holder parts to each other, a first contact element in each substrate holder part for forwarding current from an outer source through the hanging element to the at least second contact element, and a second contact element in each substrate holder part for forwarding current from the at least first contact element to the substrate to be treated.

To provide a substrate holder having a new positioning structure, which does not use a plate spring, and a plating apparatus using this substrate holder. A substrate holder is provided. This substrate holder has a first holding member having a first surface configured to contact with a substrate, and a second holding member for sandwiching and holding the substrate together with the first holding member. The first holding member has a positioning member for positioning the substrate in contact with the first surface at a prescribed position of the first surface. The positioning member is configured to move between a first position where the substrate is to be positioned at the prescribed position of the first surface, in contact with a peripheral edge part of the substrate, and a second position not in contact with the substrate. The second holding member has a driving member configured to cause the positioning member to be positioned at the first position, at the time when holding the substrate by the first holding member and the second holding member.

A substrate holder prevents a substrate to be bent or damaged owing to inward declining of a seal lip. The substrate holder with an opening includes a seal, and a seal support which has a seal support surface, and is formed on an outer circumference of the opening. The seal includes a seal body and a seal lip. At least a part of the seal support surface has an inclination angle that allows an inner end of the seal support surface to approach the plane on which the substrate is to be positioned. The inner end of the seal support surface is positioned on an inner side than the seal lip.