An electro-processing apparatus has a contact ring including a seal which is able to compensate for electric field distortions created by a notch (or other irregularity) on the wafer or work piece. The shape of the contact ring at the notch is changed, to reduce current crowding at the notch. The change in shape changes the resistance of the current path between a thief electrode and the wafer edge to increase thief electrode current drawn from the region of the notch. As a result, the wafer is plated with a film having more uniform thickness.

A method which can perform a soft pre-wetting treatment of a substrate, such as a wafer, with use of a pre-wetting liquid in a smaller amount. This method includes: holding a substrate between a first holding member and a second holding member, with the surface of the substrate being exposed through an opening of the second holding member, and pressing a sealing ridge of the substrate holder against a peripheral portion of the substrate; pressing a sealing block against the substrate holder; forming a vacuum in an external space; performing a seal inspection to check a sealed state provided by the sealing ridge based on a change in pressure in the external space; and performing a pre-wetting treatment by supplying a pre-wetting liquid to the external space while evacuating air from the external space to bring the pre-wetting liquid into contact with the exposed surface of the substrate.

Methods and apparatus for reducing the formation of insoluble deposits in semiconductor electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof during electrochemical plating, including: removing electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof from an electroplating solution, wherein residual electroplating solution is disposed atop the electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof, and wherein the residual electroplating solution has a first pH; contacting the residual electroplating solution with a rinse agent having a second pH similar to the first pH to form a rinsate; and removing the rinsate from the electrochemical plating equipment or a surface thereof.

An electroplating apparatus is provided that minimizes unplated regions when an alloy plating layer is provided on the surface of a thread on a steel pipe. An electroplating apparatus (10) includes an electrode (1), sealing members (2, 3), and a plating-solution supply unit (4). The electrode (1) faces the thread (Tm). The sealing member (2) is positioned within the steel pipe (P1). The sealing member (3) is attached to the end portion of the steel pipe (P1) and, together with the sealing member (2), forms a receiving space (8). The plating-solution supply unit (4) includes a plurality of nozzles (42). The nozzles (42) are positioned within the receiving space (8) and adjacent one end of the thread (Tm) and arranged around the pipe axis of the steel pipe (P1). The plating-solution supply unit (4) injects a plating solution between the thread (Tm) and electrode (1) through the nozzles (42). The direction in which plating solution is injected from the nozzles (42) is inclined at an angle larger than 20 degrees and smaller than 90 degrees toward the thread (Tm) relative to a plane perpendicular to the pipe axis.

A plating apparatus and a plating method thereof are provided. The plating apparatus includes: a tank body including at least one side wall, the at least one side wall being provided with an opening extending from the inside to the outside of the tank body, and the tank body being configured to accommodate a plating solution; a fixing device configured to fix the substrate at the opening of the side wall; at least one sealing element disposed around the opening; and a cleaning module coupled to the tank body for cleaning the at least one sealing element. A cleaning method is also provided for cleaning the at least one sealing element with the cleaning module after operation of the plating apparatus.

There is provided a shielding plate that adjusts an electric potential distribution on a substrate near the substrate. According to one embodiment, there is provided a plating apparatus for performing a plating process on the substrate. The plating apparatus includes a substrate holder, the shielding plate, and a moving mechanism. The substrate holder holds the substrate. The shielding plate is disposed adjacent to the substrate holder. The moving mechanism moves the shielding plate in a direction of approaching the substrate holder and a direction away from the substrate holder. The shielding plate is moved to the substrate holder by the moving mechanism to be contactable with the substrate holder.

One object of this application is to provide an advanced substrate holder including a clamper. A substrate holder for holding a substrate by interposing the substrate between frames is disclosed. The substrate holder includes a front frame, a rear frame, and one or a plurality of clampers. Each of the clampers includes a hook portion including a hook base and a hook main body, and a plate including at least one claw. At least one of the clampers includes the plate including a first claw for a lock and a second claw for a semi-lock.

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.

The present disclosure illustrates a vertical electroplating module and an electroplating method for a fan-out panel level chip. The vertical electroplating module has an electroplating tank module, an exhaust tank module and a clamping module. A first box of the electroplating tank module has a first receiving chamber, a second receiving chamber and a third receiving chamber, the first receiving chamber is communicated with a bottom of the second receiving chamber, and a top of the second receiving chamber is communicated with the third receiving chamber. The exhaust tank module is communicated with the first receiving chamber and the third receiving chamber respectively via a first pump and a second pump. The clamping module is disposed around the opening on a wall of the second receiving chamber. The production made by the vertical electroplating module can meet a single-side production, without immersing the entire product in the chemical medicine.

A substrate holder capable of being used in both single-side plating and double-side plating is required. Disclosed is a substrate holder for holding a substrate to be plated. The substrate holder includes a first frame having a first opening for exposing one surface of the substrate and a second frame having a second opening for exposing the other surface of the substrate, and the substrate is sandwiched between the first frame and the second frame. The substrate holder further includes a dummy substrate which is detachably disposed between the first frame and the substrate and formed of a material that at least direct current does not substantially flow therein. At least a part of the dummy substrate is in contact with at least a part of the one surface of the substrate, and the dummy substrate protects the one surface of the substrate from a plating solution.