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.

A cell to process a substrate includes at least one chamber wall, a membrane frame, and a membrane. The at least one chamber wall is arranged to form a cavity below a holder of the substrate. The membrane frame is disposed on the at least one chamber wall and across the cavity. The membrane is supported by the membrane frame and separating a first electrolyte from a second electrolyte. The membrane includes a surface extending from a center of the cavity radially outward at an angle relative to a reference plane, and wherein the angle is greater than or equal to 0° and less than or equal to 3°.

A method of the present disclosure includes: plating a plurality of substrates using a substrate holder; determining a total number of substrates that have been plated using the substrate holder until a failure occurs in the substrate holder; determining a first processable number and a second processable number; generating a first data set constituted by a combination of first condition data and the first processable number, the first condition data representing a state of a component of the substrate holder; generating a second data set constituted by a combination of second condition data and the second processable number, the second condition data representing a state of a component of the substrate holder; and optimizing a parameter of a prediction model constituted by a neural network using training data including the first data set and the second data set.

To provide a plating apparatus that prevents or reduces a diversion of an electric field. According to one embodiment, a plating apparatus for performing a plating process on a substrate held onto a substrate holder is provided. The plating apparatus includes a plating tank configured to receive the substrate holder holding the substrate, a block member that extends to an inside of the plating tank from a wall surface of the inside of the plating tank, and is movable inside the plating tank, and a moving mechanism configured to move the block member toward the substrate holder disposed inside the plating tank.

Provided is a metal film forming apparatus capable of forming a uniform metal film on a surface of a substrate by uniformly pressurizing an electrolyte membrane against the surface of the substrate. The film forming apparatus includes first and second film forming units, a coupling portion that couples the first and second film forming units together, a pressure device including a pressure unit that pressurizes substrates with electrolyte membranes of the respective film forming units via the coupling portion, and a power supply unit adapted to apply a voltage across each anode and each substrate. The film forming units are coupled to the coupling portion via their respective first elastic bodies that elastically deform in the pressurization direction of the pressure unit.

Provided is a anodizing apparatus, including: a base configured to support a target product including a first bore that requires an anodizing surface treatment and a second bore that is connected to the first bore and excluded from the anodizing surface treatment; a working part configured to perform the anodizing surface treatment on the first bore; and a cover part configured to cover an outer surface of the target product, wherein the working part includes at least one electrode bar configured to access and enter the first bore, and a plurality of spray nozzles provided integrally with each of the at least one electrode bar and configured to selectively supply one of a degreasing solution, an electrolyte, and a cleaning solution to the first bore.

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.

A semiconductor device manufacturing jig for electroplating a substrate includes a conductive member. The substrate includes an inner part including a first surface, and an outer rim part surrounding the inner part. The outer rim part has a ring shape that protrudes further than the first surface in a direction perpendicular to the first surface. The conductive member causes a current to flow in the inner part by contacting a portion of the first surface of the inner part without contacting the outer rim part.

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.

Electroplating system seals may include an annular busbar characterized by an inner annular radius and an outer annular radius. The annular busbar may include a plurality of contact extensions. The seals may include an external seal member characterized by an inner annular radius and an outer annular radius. The external seal member may be vertically aligned with and extend inward of the contact extensions at the inner annular radius of the external seal member. The external seal member may include an interior surface at least partially facing the contact extensions. The seals may also include an internal seal member extending a first distance along the interior surface of the external seal member from the inner annular radius. The internal seal member may include a deformable material configured to support a substrate between the internal seal member and the plurality of contact extensions.