A method capable of removing a liquid from a seal of a substrate holder so as to prevent contact between the liquid and an electrical contact of the substrate holder is provided. The method includes: immersing the substrate in a plating solution, with a seal and an electrical contact of the substrate holder in contact with the substrate; applying a voltage between the substrate and an anode in the presence of the plating solution to plate the substrate; pulling up the plated substrate from the plating solution; separating the seal from the plated substrate; and forming a flow of gas passing through a gap between the plated substrate and the seal, the flow of gas being directed from an inside to an outside of the substrate holder.

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.

A station for localized surface treatment of an industrial workpiece to be treated includes: at least one treatment chamber having a cell or two half-cells, each cell or half-cell delimiting a tight space between walls of the cell or half-cell and a respective portion or face of the industrial workpiece, the cell or each half-cell having a wall having an opening for covering a corresponding portion or face of the industrial workpiece, the opening of the cell or half-cell being delimited by a continuous sealing gasket, the cell or each half-cell including positioning means, the at least one treatment chamber having a supply and emptying circuit; and a plurality of storage vats each containing a treatment fluid, the supply and emptying circuit connecting each storage vat to the at least one treatment chamber so as to supply the at least one treatment chamber with respective treatment fluids.

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 also include a cleaning head including a bracket portion coupled with a distal portion of the arm. The cleaning head may be characterized by a front portion formed to interface with a seal of the electroplating apparatus. The cleaning head may define a trench along the front portion, and the cleaning head may define a plurality of fluid channels through the cleaning head, each fluid channel of the plurality of fluid channels fluidly accessing a backside of the trench.

According to an embodiment, there is provided a substrate holder including: a first holding member; a second holding member; a clamper configured to clamp the first holding member and the second holding member; and a seal including a contact portion configured to contact at least one of the first holding member, the second holding member, and a substrate when the first holding member and the second holding member are clamped, in which the contact portion includes, in cross-section viewed in a plane passing a center of the substrate and perpendicular to a surface of the substrate, a first arc portion centered on a first point and a second arc portion centered on a second point different from the first point, and at least one of the first arc portion and the second arc portion has a curvature radius of 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm.

A plating apparatus and plating methods for plating metal layers on a substrate. In an embodiment, a plating method comprises: step 1: immersing a substrate into plating solution of a plating chamber assembly including at least a first anode and a second anode (3001); step 2: turning on a first plating power supply applied on the first anode, setting the first plating power supply to output a power value P.sub.11 and continue with a period T.sub.11 (3002); step 3: when the period T.sub.11 ends, adjusting the first plating power supply applied on the first anode to output a power value P.sub.12 and continue with a period T.sub.12, at the same time, turning on a second plating power supply applied on the second anode, and setting the second plating power supply to output a power value P.sub.21 and continue with a period T.sub.21 (3003); and step 4: when the period T.sub.21 ends, adjusting the second plating power supply applied on the second anode to output a power value P.sub.22 and continue with a period T.sub.22; wherein step 2 to step 4 are performed periodically.

Systems for electroplating seal inspection may include a module configured to support a seal for inspection. The module may include a set of supports positioned to contact an interior rim of the seal. The module may be configured to rotate the seal about a central axis. The system may also include a detector positioned on the module. The detector may be positioned to scan an exterior surface of the seal.

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.

An apparatus for electroplating a semiconductor wafer includes an insert member configured to circumscribe a processing region. The insert member has a top surface. A portion of the top surface of the insert member has an upward slope that slopes upward from a peripheral area of the top surface of the insert member toward the processing region. The apparatus also includes a seal member having an annular-disk shape. The seal member is positioned on the top surface of the insert member. The seal member is flexible such that an outer radial portion of the seal member conforms to the upward slope of the top surface of the insert member and such that an inner radial portion of the seal member projects inward toward the processing region.

An objective of the present invention is to prevent a prewetting liquid from remaining in an edge portion of a substrate. A plating method for subjecting a substrate to a plating treatment is provided, the substrate including a part to be plated that is exposed to a plating solution and an edge portion that is an outer region of the part to be plated. The plating method includes a first sealing step of bringing a first seal body into contact with the substrate to seal the edge portion of the substrate, a prewetting step of subjecting the sealed substrate to a prewetting treatment, a first seal removing step of removing the first seal body from the prewetted substrate, a substrate holding step of holding the substrate with a substrate holder including a second seal body, and a plating step of applying the plating solution to the substrate held by the substrate holder.