Methods and apparatus for holding and positioning semiconductor workpieces during electropolishing and/or electroplating of the workpieces

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD [Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】

<Background of invention> 1. Field of invention The present invention generally relates to a method and an apparatus for holding and positioning a semiconductor work during processing of the semiconductor work. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and devices for holding and positioning a semiconductor work during electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing of the semiconductor work.

【0002】

2. Explanation of related technology Generally, semiconductor devices are manufactured or manufactured on disks of semiconductor materials called wafers or slices. More specifically, the wafer is initially formed by cutting from a silicon ingot. The wafer is then subjected to multiple masking, etching and film formation processes to form the electronic circuit structure of the semiconductor device.

【0003】

Over the last decade, according to Moore's law, the semiconductor industry has increased the output of semiconductor devices. Moore's Law predicts that the output of semiconductor devices will double every 18 months. This increase in the output of semiconductor devices was partly achieved by the smaller outer size (ie, the smallest dimension present on the device) of these semiconductor devices. In fact, the external size of semiconductor devices has rapidly increased from 0.35 microns to 0.25 microns, and now to 0.18 microns . Looking at this trend toward miniaturization of semiconductor devices, it is certain that sizes below about 0.18 microns will be realized.

【0004】

However, one factor limiting the evolution of semiconductor devices with higher powers is the interconnect (the line of conductor that connects the elements of a single semiconductor device and / or connects several semiconductor devices together). Is an increase in signal delay in. As the external size of a semiconductor device decreases, the density of interconnects on the device increases. However, the closeness of the interconnect increases the capacitance between the lines of the interconnect, resulting in a greater signal delay at the interconnect. It has generally been found that interconnection delays increase with the square of the reduction in external size. In contrast, gate delays (ie, delays in the gates or mesas of semiconductor devices) have been found to increase linearly as the external size decreases.

【0005】

One conventional approach to compensate for this increase in interconnection delay was to add more metal layers. However, such an approach has the disadvantage of increased manufacturing costs associated with additional metal layers. Moreover, such additional metal layers generate additional heat. This heat is detrimental to both chip performance and reliability.

【0006】

Therefore, the semiconductor industry has begun to use copper instead of aluminum to form metal interconnects. One advantage of copper is that it is more conductive than aluminum. Moreover, copper has less resistance to electromigration than aluminum (ie, copper lines are less likely to thin under current load).

【0007】

However, new processing techniques are required before copper can be widely used by the semiconductor industry. More specifically, the copper layer can be formed on the wafer using an electroplating process and / or etched using an electrolytic polishing process. Generally, in electroplating and / or electropolishing processes, the wafer is held in an electrolytic solution and then charges are applied to the wafer. Therefore, the wafer chuck needs to hold the wafer during the electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing process and apply charge to the wafer.

【0008】

<Outline of the invention> In an embodiment of the invention, the wafer chuck assembly for holding the wafer during electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing of the wafer comprises a wafer chuck for receiving the wafer. The wafer chuck assembly also has an actuator assembly for moving the wafer chuck between a first position and a second position. The wafer chuck is open in the first position. In the second position, the wafer chuck is closed.

【0009】

The subject matter of the present invention is clearly shown, especially in the claims. However, the present invention can be very well understood with reference to the following description in connection with the claims and the accompanying drawings, both in terms of configuration and operating method. In the drawings, similar parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

【0010】

<Detailed description of the embodiment> To gain a more thorough understanding of the present invention, a number of specific details such as specific materials, parameters, etc. are described below. However, this description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, but is provided to allow for a more complete and complete description of the examples.

【0011】

In addition, the contents of the present invention are particularly suitable for use in connection with electroplating and / or electropolishing of semiconductor workpieces or wafers. As a result, examples of the present invention are described in that context. However, such description does not limit the use or applicability of the present invention. Rather, such explanations are provided to allow for a more complete and complete explanation of the examples.

【0012】

Referring to FIG. 1, a wafer processing tool 100 is configured for electroplating and / or electropolishing a semiconductor workpiece or wafer. In the embodiment, the wafer processing tool 100 has an electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing station 102, a cleaning station 104, a wafer handling station 108, and a robot 106.

【0013】

With reference to FIG. 4, the processing steps performed by the wafer processing tool 100 are shown in the form of a flowchart. With reference to FIG. 1 again, raw semiconductor workpieces or wafers are obtained by robot 106 from wafer handling stations 108 and 110 (FIG. 4, block 402). Wafers are transported by robot 106 from wafer handling stations 108 and 110 to electroplating and / or electrolysis station 102 (FIG. 4, block 404). As detailed below, the wafer is electroplated and / or electropolished at the electropolishing station 102 (FIG. 4, block 406). The electroplated and / or electropolished wafers are transported by robot 106 to cleaning station 104 (FIG. 4, block 408). The wafer is cleaned and dried at the cleaning station 104 (FIG. 4, block 410). The washed and dried wafers are returned by robot 106 to wafer handling stations 108 and 110 (FIG. 4, block 412). The entire process can then be repeated for another untreated wafer. However, various modifications can be made to the steps shown in FIG. 4 and described above without departing from the scope of the invention.

【0014】

Referring to FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 and the cleaning station 104 have five electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 and five cleaning cells 114. .. Therefore, as many as five wafers can be electroplated and / or electropolished and cleaned at once. However, the electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 and cleaning station 104 can have any number of electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 and cleaning cells 114, depending on the particular application. For example, for low capacity applications, the electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 and cleaning station 104 may consist of one electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 and one cleaning cell, respectively. .. In addition, the ratio of electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 to cleaning cells 114 can be varied depending on the particular application. For example, in applications where the electroplating and / or electropolishing process requires more processing time than the cleaning process, the wafer processing tool 100 uses more electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 than the cleaning cell 114. It may be configured to have. Instead, in applications where the electroplating and / or electropolishing process requires less processing time than the cleaning process, the wafer processing tool 100 uses less electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 than the cleaning cell 114. It may be configured to have.

【0015】

As shown in FIG. 2, the electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing cell 112 and the cleaning cell 114 are formed as cells in the vertical direction. In this way, the number of wafers processed can be increased without increasing the area of the wafer processing tool 100 (total floor space occupied by). In the increasingly competitive semiconductor industry, it is advantageous to increase the proportion of wafers processed per square foot of manufacturing floor space occupied by the wafer processing tool 100.

【0016】

With reference to FIG. 1 again, as described above, unprocessed wafers are obtained at wafer handling stations 108 and 110, and then processed wafers are returned to wafer handling stations 108 and 110. More specifically, referring to FIG. 3, in this embodiment the wafer handling stations 108 and 110 (FIG. 1) have a wafer cassette 116 for holding wafers. As shown in FIG. 3, the robot 106 is configured to remove untreated wafers from the wafer cassette 116 and transport the wafers to either electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 (FIG. 3). 2). Further, the robot 106 is configured to return the processed wafer from any one of the cleaning cells 114 (FIG. 2) to the wafer cassette 116. Although a single cassette 116 is shown in FIG. 3, the wafer handling stations 108 and 110 (FIG. 1) may have any number of wafer cassettes 116.

【0017】

Further, the wafer handling stations 108 and 110 may have various configurations according to a specific application. For example, the wafer handling stations 108 and 110 can each have at least one wafer cassette 116. In one form, a wafer cassette 116 containing unprocessed wafers is provided at the wafer handling station 108. The wafer is removed, processed and then returned to the same wafer cassette 116 at the wafer handling station 108. Before the processing of the wafer from the wafer cassette 116 of the wafer handling station 108 is completed, another wafer cassette 116 including the unprocessed wafer is provided in the wafer handling station 110. As soon as the wafer from the wafer cassette 116 of the wafer handling station 108 is processed, the wafer processing tool 100 can start processing the unprocessed wafer from the wafer cassette 116 of the wafer handling station 110. The processed wafer in the wafer cassette of the wafer handling station 108 can then be removed and replaced with yet another wafer cassette 116 containing unprocessed wafers. In this way, the wafer processing tool 100 can be continuously operated without accidental interruption.

【0018】

In another embodiment, a wafer cassette 116 containing unprocessed wafers may be provided at the wafer handling station 108. The wafer handling station 110 may be provided with an empty wafer cassette 116. The unprocessed wafer from the wafer cassette 116 of the wafer handling station 108 can be processed and then returned to the empty wafer handling station 116 of the wafer handling station 110. Such a form also simplifies the continuous operation of the processing tool 100. Moreover, such a form has the advantage that one of the two handling stations 108 and 110 can be formed for untreated wafers and the other for treated wafers. .. In this way, the operator or robot is less likely to confuse the wafer cassette 116 containing the processed wafers with the wafer cassette containing the unprocessed wafers, and vice versa.

【0019】

With reference to FIG. 2 again, the wafer processing tool 100 is a housing for accommodating electrical and mechanical components of the wafer processing tool 100, such as power supplies, filters, wires, lead pipes, chemical containers, pumps, valves and the like. It has a unit 118. With reference to FIG. 1 again, the wafer processing tool 100 may also have a computer 132 for controlling the operation of the wafer processing tool 100. More specifically, the computer may be configured to have the appropriate software program to perform the processing steps described above in connection with FIG. 4 shown in FIG.

【0020】

However, various modifications can be made to the form of the wafer processing tool 100 without departing from the ideas and / or scope of the present invention. In this regard, various selective embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, these selective embodiments are not intended to show all of the modified embodiments that can be made to the present invention. Rather, these selective embodiments only attempt to present some of the many possible variation examples.

【0021】

Referring to FIGS. 5-7, in a selective embodiment of the present invention, the wafer processing tool 100 includes a wafer handling station 500. Referring to FIG. 7, the wafer handling station 500 has a robot 502 formed to raise and lower the wafer cassette 116. Therefore, the movement of the robot 106 in the vertical direction can be reduced when the wafer is carried into the wafer cassette 116 and carried out from the wafer cassette 116. In this way, the operating speed of the robot 106 can be increased to accelerate the overall processing speed of the wafer processing tool 100.

【0022】

Referring to FIG. 8, in another selective embodiment of the present invention, the wafer processing tool 100 has a robot 800 formed to move laterally (direction indicated by reference numeral x in FIG. 8). There is. Therefore, the robot 800 does not need to rotate about its vertical axis.

【0023】

Referring to FIG. 9, in yet another selective embodiment of the invention, the wafer processing tool 100 is a stack 902 of electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 (FIG. 2) and cleaning cells 114 (FIG. 2). have. Therefore, the installation area of the processing tool 100 can be further reduced.

【0024】

With reference to FIGS. 10-12, in another selective embodiment of the invention, the wafer processing tool 100 is electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 (FIG. 12) and cleaning cell 114 (FIG. 12) 3 It has one stack of 1002,1004,1006. The stacks 1002, 1004, 1006 may be configured to have various electroplating and / or various combinations of electropolishing cells 112 depending on the particular application. it can. For example, columns 1002 and 1006 can be formed to have only electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112. The column 104 may be formed to have only wash cells 114. Alternatively, the columns 1002, 1004 and 1006 can also be formed in combination with electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 and cleaning cells 114. The wafer processing tool 100 also has a robot 1008 formed to move laterally (the direction indicated by the symbol y in FIG. 10). Referring to FIG. 12, the wafer processing tool 100 has an additional wafer cassette 1202 to provide the additional processing capacity of the wafer processing tool 100.

【0025】

So far, the wafer processing tool 100 has been described as having an electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing station 102 (FIG. 1) and a cleaning station 104 (FIG. 2). However, the wafer processing tool 100 may be formed to have only electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 (FIG. 1). For example, referring to FIG. 9, the wafer processing tool 100 may be formed to have a stack 902 with only electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 (FIG. 1). Therefore, the wafer processing tool 100 electroplats and / or electropolishs the wafer without cleaning the wafer. The processed wafers can be cleaned in a separate wafer cleaning tool. Alternatively, the processed wafers can be cleaned at a cleaning station within another wafer processing tool.

【0026】

In addition, the wafer processing tool 100 may have other wafer processing stations. For example, referring to FIGS. 13-15, in another embodiment of the invention, the wafer processing tool 100 has chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) 1302. The wafer can thus be flattened and / or polished in addition to being electroplated and / or electropolished and cleaned. The detailed order in which these processes are performed can vary depending on the particular application. For example, in one application, the wafer can be electroplated and / or electroplated at the electropolishing station 102, cleaned at the cleaning station 104, and then flattened at the CMP station 1302. In another application, the wafer can first be electropolished and / or electropolished at electropolishing station 102, cleaned at cleaning station 104, and flattened at CMP station 1302.

【0027】

As described above, various examples of the wafer processing tool have been described, but examples of the electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing cell 112 will be described below. With reference to FIGS. 16 and 17, in one embodiment of the invention, the wafer electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing cell 112 includes an electrolyte container 1608, a wafer chuck 1604, and a wafer chuck assembly 1600. ..

【0028】

Referring to FIG. 16, in this embodiment, the electrolyte container 1608 holds the electrolyte for electroplating and / or electropolishing the wafer 1602. During the electroplating and / or electropolishing process, wafer chuck 1604 holds wafer 1602. The wafer chuck assembly 1600 positions the wafer chuck 1604 in the electrolyte container 1608. The wafer chuck assembly 1600 further rotates the wafer chuck 1604 to improve the uniformity of the electroplating and / or electropolishing process.

【0029】

In this embodiment, referring to FIG. 17, it is advantageous that the electrolyte container 1608 is divided into compartments 1620,1622,1624,1626,1628,1630 by compartments 1610,1612,1614,1616 and 1618. However, the electrolyte container 1608 can be divided into any number of compartments by any number of suitable compartments, depending on the particular application.

【0030】

Referring to FIG. 16, in this embodiment, pump 1654 discharges electrolyte 1656 from reservoir 1658 into electrolyte container 1608. More specifically, the electrolyte 1656 passes through the pass filter 1652 and the liquid mass flow controllers (LMFC) 1646, 1648 and 1650. The pass filter 1652 removes contaminants and unwanted particles from the electrolyte 1656. LMFC1646,1648,1650 controls the flow of electrolyte 1656 into compartments 1620, 1624 and 1628 (Fig. 17). However, electrolyte 1656 can be supplied using any convenient method for a particular application.

【0031】

As mentioned above, the wafer chuck 1604 holds the wafer 1602 during the electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing process. In this embodiment, robot 106 inserts or supplies wafer 1602 into wafer chuck 1604. As mentioned above, the robot 106 can obtain the wafer 1602 from the wafer cassette 116 (FIG. 3) or the processing station or processing tool in front of it. Wafer 1602 may be manually placed in wafer chuck 1604 by an operator, depending on the particular application.

【0032】

After receiving the wafer 1602, the wafer chuck 1604 closes to hold the wafer 1602, as described in more detail below. The wafer chuck assembly 1600 then positions the wafer chuck 1604 and the wafer 1602 in the electrolyte container 1608. More specifically, in this embodiment, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 positions the wafer chuck 1604 and wafer 1602 above the partition walls 1610, 1612, 1614, 1616 and 1618 (FIG. 17) to position the wafer 1602. It forms a gap between the bottom of the wall and the top of the dividing walls 1610, 1612, 1614, 1616 and 1618 (Fig. 17).

【0033】

In the present invention, the electrolyte 1656 flows into compartments 1620, 1624 and 1628 (FIG. 17) and contacts the bottom surface of wafer 1602. The electrolyte 1656 flows through the gap formed between the bottom surface of wafer 1602 and the partition walls 1610, 1612, 1614, 1616 and 1618 (FIG. 17). The electrolyte 1656 then returns to reservoir 1658 through compartments 1622, 1626 and 1630 (FIG. 17).

【0034】

As described in more detail below, wafer 1602 is connected to one or more feed units 1640, 1642 and 1644. Further, one or more electrodes 1632, 1634 and 1636 arranged in the electrolyte container 1608 are connected to the feeding parts 1640, 1642 and 1644. When the electrolyte 1656 comes into contact with the wafer 1602, a circuit is formed to electroplat and / or electropolish the wafer 1602. Wafer 1602 is electroplated if wafer 1602 is charged to have a relative negative potential with respect to electrodes 1632, 1634, 1636. If the wafer 1602 is charged so that it has a positive potential relative to the electrodes 1632, 1634, 1636, the wafer 1602 is properly electropolished. In addition, when the wafer 1602 is electroplated, it is advantageous that the electrolyte 1656 is a sulfuric acid solution. However, electrolyte 1656 may have various chemical properties depending on the particular application.

【0035】

In addition, as detailed below, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 can rotate and / or vibrate the wafer 1602 to facilitate more uniform electroplating and / or electropolishing of the wafer 1602. After the wafer 1602 is electroplated and / or electropolished, the wafer 1602 is removed from the electrolyte container 1608. More specifically, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 lifts the wafer chuck 1604 from the electrolyte container 1608. The wafer chuck 1604 then opens. Robot 106 removes wafer 1602 from wafer chuck 1604 and then supplies another wafer 1602 for electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing. For a more detailed description of the electroplating and / or electropolishing process, U.S. Patent Application No. 09 / 232,864, filed January 15, 1999, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Book "PLATING APPARATUS AND "METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTROPOLISHING METAL INTERCONNECTIONS ON SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES" Please refer to.

【0036】

As previously suggested, the specific details regarding electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 are provided to enhance and complete the description of the present invention. The various forms of electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 itself can be modified without departing from the ideas and / or scope of the invention. For example, electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 has been shown and described as having an electrolyte container 1608 with multiple compartments, however, electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 is statically electrolyzed. You may have a static bath.

【0037】

Although examples of electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing cells and methods have been described in this way, examples of wafer chuck 1604 and wafer chuck assembly 1600 will be described below. First, for the sake of clarity, the wafer chuck 1604 and wafer chuck assembly 1600 will be described below in the context of semiconductor electroplating. However, the Wafer Chuck 1604 and Wafer Chuck Assembly 1600 may be used in connection with any convenient process such as electropolishing, cleaning, etching and the like. In addition, the wafer chuck 1604 and wafer chuck assembly 1600 may be used in connection with the processing of various workpieces separate from semiconductor wafers.

【0038】

Referring to FIGS. 18A-18C, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 positions the wafer chuck 1604 in the electrolyte vessel 1608 during the electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing process as described above (FIG. 16). In addition, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 is configured to open and close the wafer chuck 1604 for insertion and removal of the wafer 1602.

【0039】

More specifically, in this embodiment, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 has an actuator assembly 1860 and a spring assembly 1894. Actuator assembly 1860 is configured to move wafer chuck 1604 between a first position and a second position. In this embodiment, the actuator assembly 1860 is configured to move the wafer chuck 1604 between an ascending and descending position. In the first position, the spring assembly 1894 is configured to open the wafer chuck 1604 to allow removal and insertion of wafer 1602. In the second position, the spring assembly 1894 is configured to close the wafer chuck 1604.

【0040】

In this embodiment, the actuator assembly 1860 has a motor 1828, gears 1822 and 1824, and a lead screw 1820. Motor 1828 is coupled to shaft 1802 via bracket 1816, lead screw 1820 and gears 1822 and 1824. More specifically, the motor 1828 translates the bracket 1816 along the guide rail 1826 by rotating the lead screw 1820 via gears 1822 and 1824. Bracket 1816 is attached to shaft 1802. This shaft is fixed to the upper portion 1858 of the wafer chuck 1604. In this way, the motor 1828 can move the wafer chuck 1604 up and down. However, the wafer chuck 1604 can be raised and lowered using any convenient device and method such as pneumatic actuators, magnetic forces and the like. Moreover, the motor 1828 may include a DC servo motor, a step motor and the like.

【0041】

Although a single guide rail 1826 is shown in FIGS. 18A-18C, however, any number of guide rails 1826 may be used, depending on the particular application. In addition, with reference to FIG. 19, in a selective embodiment of the invention, joints 1902 and 1904 are arranged between the bracket 1816 and the additional bracket 1906. These joints 1902 and 1904 allow the brackets 1906 and 1816 to move as the lead screw 1820 raises and lowers the wafer chuck 1604. In this way, there is little risk of the bracket getting stuck on the guide rail 1826. In this embodiment, these joints 1902 and 1904 are universal joints. However, any convenient type of joint can be used to allow movement between the brackets 1906 and 1816.

【0042】

Subsequently referring to FIGS. 18A-18C, the spring assembly 1894 has a collar 1804, a plurality of rods 1806, and a plurality of springs 1808. The rod 1806 is firmly attached to the collar 1804 of the wafer chuck 1604 and the lower portion 1856. The spring 1808 is located around the rod 1806 and between the collar 1804 and the upper portion 1858 of the wafer chuck 1604. In addition, collar 1804 is not attached to shaft 1802. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 18B, as the wafer chuck 1604 is raised, the collar 1804 comes into contact with the lid 1810. As shown in FIG. 18C, the rod 1806 prevents the lower portion 1856 of the wafer chuck 1604 from rising further. However, the spring 1808 is compressed to allow the upper portion 1858 of the wafer chuck 1604 to continue to rise. Therefore, the wafer chuck 1604 is opened for insertion and removal of wafer 1602.

【0043】

As described above and as shown in FIGS. 18A-18B, a single action of raising the wafer chuck 1604 opens the wafer chuck 1604. The reverse operation of lowering the wafer chuck 1604 closes the wafer chuck 1604. More specifically, starting from FIG. 18C, the motor 1828 begins to lower the wafer chuck 1604 when the wafer 1602 is positioned within the wafer chuck 1604. As shown in FIG. 18B, as the motor 1828 lowers the wafer chuck 1604, the spring 1808 expands to close the wafer chuck 1604.

【0044】

In addition to the force applied by the spring 1808, additional vacuum and / or decompression gas is applied to the hollow portion 1830 formed between the upper portion 1858 and the lower portion 1856 of the wafer chuck 1604. Force is applied to hold the wafer chuck 1604 together. More specifically, referring to FIG. 18B, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 has a slip ring assembly 1838 formed to have inlets 1870 and 1872. This slip ring assembly 1838 also has a plurality of sealing members 1842 configured to form the hollow portions 1866 and 1868. In this embodiment, the vacuum and / or decompressed gas is acted on the hollow portion 1830 through the inlet 1870, passage 1874 and conduit 1832. To assist in the sealing action of the hollow portion 1830, the wafer chuck 1604 also has a sealing member 1878 arranged between the upper portion 1858 and the lower portion 1856.

【0045】

Further, with reference to FIG. 18B, charges are applied to the wafer 1602 during the electroplating and / or electropolishing process, briefly described above and detailed below. More specifically, in the present invention, the slip ring assembly 1838 has a brush 1844, a spring 1846 and a screw 1848. In addition, as described in detail below, the wafer chuck 1604 has a conductive element 1880 that is in electrical contact with the line 1850 and a spring member 1882 that is in electrical contact with the wafer 1602. Therefore, the electric charge is applied to the wafer 1602 via the screw 1848, the spring 1846, the brush 1844, the shaft 1802, the line 1850, the conductive element 1880, and the spring member 1882. Therefore, the screw 1848, the spring 1846, the brush 1844, the shaft 1802, the line 1850, the conductive element 1880, and the spring member 1882 are made of a conductive material. In addition, since the shaft 1802 is rotatable, the brush 1844 is made of a conductive low friction material such as graphite.

【0046】

As described in detail below, the wafer chuck 1604 has a sealing member 1884 to assist in insulating the spring member 1882 and the conductive element 1880 from the electrolyte during the electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing process. There is. In this embodiment of the present invention, positive pressure gas is supplied to the hollow portion 1892 to check the seal quality of the seal member 1884. More specifically, positive pressure gas is supplied through inlet 1872, passage 1876 and conduit 1852. Wafer chuck 1604 further includes sealing members 1886 and 1888 to assist in sealing the hollow portion 1892. Alternatively, vacuum and / or decompression gas may be applied to the hollow portion 1892 to check the seal quality of the seal member 1884. After the wafer chuck 1604 is removed from the electrolyte, positive pressure gas can be supplied to the hollow portion 1892 to purge the electrolyte from the wafer chuck 1604.

【0047】

As suggested earlier, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 is configured to rotate the wafer chuck 1604 to improve the uniformity of the electroplating and / or electropolishing process. More specifically, during the electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing process, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 rotates the wafer chuck 1604 at about 5 revolutions per minute to about 100 revolutions per minute. However, the wafer chuck 1604 can be rotated at various speeds depending on the particular application.

【0048】

In addition, as described in detail below, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 is rotated to rotate the wafer chuck 1604 to aid in removing electrolyte from the wafer chuck 1604 after the electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing process. It is configured. During this process, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 rotates the wafer chuck 1604 from about 300 revolutions per minute to about 5000 revolutions per minute, preferably about 500 revolutions per minute. However, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 can rotate the wafer chuck 1604 at various speeds depending on the particular application. As shown in FIG. 20, the wafer chuck 1604 can be rotated while the wafer chuck 1604 is in the open position during this process. Thus, in a selective embodiment, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 has a bearing 2002 (FIG. 20). In this embodiment, the bearing 2002 is shown as being located between the collar 1804 and the lid 1810. However, the bearing 2002 may be placed in various positions depending on the particular application. Bearings 2002 may be provided between the upper portion 1858 and the lid 1810, for example if the collar 1804 has been removed or reduced in size. However, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 can rotate the wafer chuck 1604 at various speeds according to a particular application.

【0049】

Referring to FIG. 18, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 has a rotating assembly 1864 for rotating the wafer chuck 1604. In this embodiment, the rotating assembly 1864 has a motor 1836 and a drive belt 1834 coupled to a shaft 1802. In this embodiment, the motor 1836 and the drive belt 1834 are located below the bracket 1816. However, the motor 1836 and drive belt 1834 can be placed in various positions to rotate the shaft 1802. For example, referring to FIG. 21, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 is shown with a motor 1836 and a drive belt 1834 located above the bracket 1816. Instead, the motor 1836 may be coupled to the shaft 1802 via gears rather than the drive belt 1834. Motor 1836 may be coupled directly to shaft 1802. In this embodiment, the motor 1836 may include a DC servomotor, a step motor, and the like. In addition, the rotating assembly 1864 may include various mechanisms for rotating the wafer chuck 1604. For example, the rotating assembly 1864 may be formed as an electromagnetic mechanism for rotating the wafer chuck 1604.

【0050】

With reference to FIGS. 18A-18B, in the present invention, the shaft 1802 is made of a corrosion resistant metal alloy such as metal or stainless steel. To reduce friction, the surface of the shaft 1802, which contacts the seal member 1842 and the brush 1844, is machined to a finished surface roughness of less than about 5 microns, preferably less than about 2 microns. In addition, in this embodiment, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 has bearings 1812 and 1814 disposed between the shaft 1802 and the lid 1810. The wafer chuck assembly 1600 also has a bearing 1818 located between the shaft 1802 and the bracket 1816. Bearings 1812, 1814, 1818 may have ball bearings, bushes, low friction materials and the like.

【0051】

As mentioned above, the slip ring assembly 1838 is configured to apply vacuum and / or decompression gas, decompression gas and electricity to shaft 1802. So far, the slip ring assembly 1838 is shown as being secured to bracket 1816, especially as shown in FIGS. 18A-18C. In contrast to this, with reference to FIGS. 22A-22B, in a selective embodiment of the invention, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 remains fixed as the wafer chuck 1604 is raised and lowered, the slip ring assembly 2200. have. More specifically, the shaft 1802 slides through the slip ring assembly 2200 as it moves up and down.

【0052】

Various selective embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these selective embodiments do not include all possible modifications that can be made to the present invention. Rather, these selective embodiments seek to indicate some of the possible changes.

【0053】

With reference to FIG. 23, in a selective embodiment, the conductive element 1880 of the wafer chuck 1604 is shown without the sealing member 1888 (FIG. 18A). In addition, the spring 2302 applies an electric charge to the conductive element 1880. In contrast to the wire 1890 shown in FIG. 18C, the spring 2302 lifts away from the conductive element 1880 when the wafer chuck 1604 opens.

【0054】

With reference to FIG. 24, in another selective embodiment, the wafer chuck 1604 is shown with a sealing member 1884 having a Z-shaped cross section. Compared to the seal member 1884, which has an L-shaped cross section (FIG. 18A), the Z-shaped cross section can more reliably hold the spring member 1882 in place. However, the seal member 1884 may be formed with a variety of cross-sections. In this regard, these possible cross-sections are described below with reference to the drawings.

【0055】

With reference to FIG. 25, in yet another selective embodiment, the wafer chuck 1604 is shown with conduits 1832 and 1852 formed within the upper portion 1858. However, pipelines 1832 and 1852 may be formed in various forms. For example, a notch can be formed along the top surface of the upper portion 1858. Pipeways 1832 and 1852 may be tubes inserted into the notch. Thus the pipelines 1832 and 1852 can be held more reliably.

【0056】

With reference to FIG. 26, in yet another selective embodiment, the wafer chuck 1604 is shown with a rod 1806 attached to the lower portion 1856 using a nut 2602. The end of the rod 1806 and the end of the nut 2602 are sealed with a cap 2604 to protect them from the electrolyte during the electroplating and / or electropolishing process.

【0057】

With reference to FIG. 27, in a selective embodiment, the embodiment shown in FIG. 26 is shown with a seal member 1884 having a Z-shaped cross section. As mentioned above, this cross section can more reliably hold the spring member 1882.

【0058】

With reference to FIG. 28, in another selective embodiment, the wafer chuck 1604 is shown with the conduit 1852. Thus, when the wafer chuck 1604 is closed, vacuum and / or decompressed gas is first applied to the conduit 1852 to increase the force with which the wafer chuck 1604 is held together. After electroplating and / or electropolishing processes, compressed gas can be supplied to conduit 1852 to aid in purging electrolyte from wafer chuck 1604.

【0059】

Referring to FIG. 29, in yet another selective embodiment, the wafer chuck 1604 is provided with a conduit 2902 for allowing vacuum and / or decompressed gas and compressed gas to act on the surface of wafer 1602. It is indicated by. Therefore, when the wafer chuck 1604 is closed, vacuum and / or decompressed gas is applied to the conduits 1852 and 2902, increasing the force that holds the wafer chuck 1604 together. After electroplating and / or electropolishing processes, compressed gas can be supplied to conduit 1852 to aid in purging electrolyte from wafer chuck 1604. The wafer chuck 1604 is then opened with a gap of preferably about 1 millimeter to about 3 millimeters, preferably 1.5 millimeters. After the wafer chuck 1604 is opened, compressed gas can be supplied to pipeline 2902 to assist in removing wafer 1602.

【0060】

With reference to FIG. 30, in yet another embodiment, the wafer chuck 1604 is shown with a single conduit 3002. Therefore, vacuum and / or decompressed gas and compressed gas are simultaneously acted on the hollow portion 3004 and the surface of the wafer 1602.

【0061】

Reference is made to FIGS. 31-33 for further details of the examples of electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102. As mentioned above, the electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 has one or more electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112. More specifically, in this embodiment, the electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 has three electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112 provided on the frame 3202. However, as suggested earlier, the frame 3202 can also be provided with any number of electroplating and / or electropolishing cells 112, depending on the particular application.

【0062】

In this embodiment, the electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 further includes a guide rail 3204 and an air cylinder 3206 for moving the wafer chuck assembly 1600. More specifically, the air cylinder 3206 causes the wafer chuck assembly 1600 to translate along the guide rail 3204 attached to the frame 3202. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 32A and 32B, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 and wafer chuck 1604 are electrolytic solution containers for the work of the electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing cell 112 that includes the wafer chuck assembly 1600 and wafer chuck 1604. Can be pulled in from 1608. More specifically, in FIG. 32B, the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 is shown with the wafer chuck assembly 1600 retracted in the open position. In FIG. 32A, the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 is shown with the wafer chuck assembly 1600 in a closed position above the electrolyte vessel 1608. However, a variety of actuators may be used to pull in the wafer chuck assembly 1600.

【0063】

With reference to FIGS. 31A, 32A and 33A, the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 has an electrolyte container 1608 and a wafer chuck assembly 1600. As shown in FIG. 32A, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 has a lid 1810 to cover the electrolyte container 1608. The lid 1810 has an exhaust hole 3208 for removing vapor from the inside of the electrolyte container 1608. Thus, each electroplating and / or electropolishing cell 112 in the electroplating and / or electropolishing station 102 can be individually evacuated. This reduces the need for a large ventilation system for the entire electroplating and / or electropolishing (Figures 32A and 33A).

【0064】

As shown in FIGS. 31A and 32A, the wafer 1602 can be inserted into and removed from the electrolyte container 1608 through slot 1892. More specifically, the robot 106 carries the wafer 1602 into and out of the electrolyte container 1608. Although slot 1892 is shown as being formed in electrolyte container 1608, slot 1892 may be formed in lid 1810.

【0065】

As described above, the wafer 1602 is held by the wafer chuck 1604 (Fig. 18A). Referring to FIG. 31A, in this embodiment, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 lowers the wafer 1602 into an electrolyte container 1608 for electroplating and / or electropolishing. After the electroplating and / or electropolishing process is complete, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 raises and removes the wafer and mounts a new wafer 1602.

【0066】

Referring to FIG. 37, as mentioned above, the wafer chuck assembly 1600 (FIG. 31A) has a bracket 1816. In this embodiment, the bracket 1816 is coupled to the wafer chuck 1604 via a shaft 1802 (FIG. 18A). More specifically, the shaft 1802 is secured to the upper portion 1858 of the wafer chuck 1604, as described in more detail below. In addition, the slip ring assembly 1838 is secured to bracket 1816. In addition, shaft 1802 is located within slip ring assembly 1838.

【0067】

With reference to FIG. 35, it is clear that part of the wafer chuck assembly 1600 is located below the lid 1810. Referring to FIG. 34, in this embodiment, the bracket 1816 has a guide rail 1826. More specifically, in this embodiment, each guide rail 1826 has a rod 3402 located within the bush 3404. Rod 3402 is attached to lid 1810. In addition, in this embodiment, four guide rails 1826 are provided. However, any number of guide rails 1826 may be used, depending on the particular application.

【0068】

Therefore, referring to FIG. 35, the motor 1828 is configured to move the bracket 1816 along the guide rail 1826. More specifically, the motor 1828 engages the reed screw 1820 to move the bracket 1816. In addition, as described above, in this embodiment, bracket 1816 is coupled to bracket 1906. More specifically, the brackets 1816 and 1906 are joined via joints 1902 and 1904 to allow movement between the brackets 1816 and 1906. As mentioned earlier, joints 1902 and 1904 reduce the risk of brackets 1816 and 1906 getting stuck on guide rails 1826.

【0069】

With reference to FIG. 37, as described above, the wafer chuck 1604 is configured to rotate. Referring to FIG. 35, the motor 1836 is configured to rotate the wafer chuck 1604 (FIG. 37). More specifically, in this embodiment, the motor 1836 rotates the shaft 1802 via the drive belt 1834. Referring again to FIG. 37, the shaft 1802 is secured to the upper portion 1858 of the wafer chuck 1604. In addition, the shaft 1802 rotates within the slip ring assembly 1838.

【0070】

Subsequently referring to FIG. 37, as described above, it has a plurality of spring assemblies 1894 configured to open and close the wafer chuck 1604. More specifically, in this embodiment the wafer chuck 1604 has six spring assemblies 1894. However, any number of spring assemblies 1894 may be used depending on the particular application.

【0071】

Continuing with reference to FIG. 37, in this embodiment, each spring assembly 1894 has a rod 1806 with one end formed to have a different head portion than the collar 1804 (FIG. 18A). ing. More specifically, with reference to FIGS. 40A and 40B, one end of the rod 1806 is secured to the lower portion 1856 of the wafer chuck 1604. The other end of rod 1806 has a head portion 4002. In addition, the spring 1808 is located around the rod 1806 and between the upper portion 1858 and the head portion 4002. Therefore, when the wafer chuck 1604 is in the lowered position, the spring 1808 is stretched to apply a force to keep the upper portion 1858 and the lower portion 1856 closed. When the wafer chuck 1604 is raised, the head portion 4002 finally contacts the underside of the lid 1810 (Fig. 34). Therefore, the spring 1808 is compressed and the rod 1806 separates the upper portion 1858 from the lower portion 1856 to open the wafer chuck 1604.

【0072】

As mentioned above, with reference to FIG. 37, in addition to the force applied by the spring assembly 1894, a vacuum and / or reduced pressure is applied to hold the wafer chuck 1604 together. Referring to FIG. 41, in this embodiment a vacuum and / or reduced pressure is applied to the hollow portion 1830 formed by the sealing member 4104. As described above and as shown in FIGS. 18A-18B, the hollow portion 1830 is formed in the lower portion 185 and is sealed by the sealing member 1878. In comparison, referring again to FIG. 41, the sealing member 4104 is more easily mounted within the lower portion 1856 using any convenient fixing device and / or fixing method such as screws, bolts, adhesives, etc. be able to. More specifically, in this embodiment, the sealing member 4104 is attached using a ring 1406. This ring can be secured to the lower portion 1856 using any convenient fixing device such as screws, bolts, etc. Ring 1406 aids in distributing the force applied by the anchoring device around the seal member 4104. In addition, the use of the sealing member 4104 is more cost effective and more reliable than forming the hollow portion 1830 in the lower portion 1856. The sealing member 4104 may contain any flexible and passive material such as Viton, (fluorocarbon) rubber, silicone rubber and the like.

【0073】

With reference to FIG. 42, as described above, the vacuum and / or reduced pressure can be supplied to the hollow portion 1892 to check and / or improve the sealability formed by the seal member 1884. .. In addition, as also described above, to check the sealability formed by the seal member 1884, to improve the sealability formed by the seal member 1884, to purge the residual electrolyte, and for various other purposes. Therefore, compressed gas can be supplied to the hollow portion 1892.

【0074】

However, if vacuum and / or decompression gas is applied to the hollow portion 1892, some vacuum and / or decompression gas may seep into the interface between the wafer 1602 and the upper portion 1852. In such a case, the wafer 1602 may remain attached to the upper portion 1852 when the wafer chuck 1604 (FIG. 37) is in the open position, even if the vacuum and / or decompression gas is stopped. Becomes more difficult to remove. Referring to FIGS. 46-48, between the wafer 1602 (FIG. 42) and the upper portion (FIG. 42) to prevent the wafer 1602 (FIG. 42) from adhering to the upper portion 1852 (FIG. 42). A texture pad 4600 may be provided. In this embodiment, the texture pad 4600 has a large number of grooves 4602 formed over the entire surface in contact with the wafer 1602 (FIG. 42). In this way, any vacuum and / or decompression gas seeping behind the wafer 1602 (FIG. 42) can escape more easily. Therefore, the wafer 1602 (FIG. 42) is less likely to adhere to the upper portion 1852 (FIG. 42).

【0075】

With reference to FIGS. 41 and 42 again, in this embodiment the vacuum, reduced pressure and / or compressed gas passes through the mounting members 4102 (41) and 4202 (42), respectively, through the hollow 1830 and Supplied in 1892. Referring to FIG. 38, vacuum, reduced pressure and / or compressed gas is supplied from passage 1874 through conduit 1832 to mounting member 4102 (FIG. 41) and from passage 1876 through conduit 1852 mounting member 4202. It is supplied to (Fig. 42).

【0076】

Referring to FIG. 43, vacuum, reduced pressure and / or compressed gas is fed through slip ring assembly 1838 to passages 1874 and 1876 formed in shaft 1802. As mentioned above, slip ring 1838 is configured to provide vacuum and / or reduced pressure into the shaft 1802 even when the shaft 1802 is rotating. More specifically, as described above, the sealing member 1842 forms hollow portions 1866 and 1868 (FIG. 18B) between the shaft 1802 and the slip ring assembly 1838. Vacuum and / or reduced pressure can be introduced into these cavities through inlets 1870 and 1872.

【0077】

Referring to FIG. 16, as described above, the uniformity of electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing by maintaining the wafer 1602 in the electrolyte container 1608 in parallel with the liquid level height of the electrolyte 1656. Is subsidized. In this regard, with reference to FIG. 43, the bracket 1816 can be configured to be aligned parallel to the wafer chuck 1858.

【0078】

With reference to FIG. 44, the alignment of the bracket 1816 with respect to the slip ring 1838 can be adjusted by various adjustments of the large number of screws 4312 and the large number of set screws 4314. More specifically, the gap between the bracket 1816 and the slip ring assembly 1838 can be increased or decreased by adjusting screw 4312 and set screw 4314, respectively. In this embodiment, the use of at least three screws 4312 and three set screws 4314 allows the slip ring assembly 1838 to be kept approximately horizontal relative to the bracket 1816. However, various devices and methods may be employed to allow the alignment of the bracket 1816 and the slip ring assembly 1838 to be adjusted.

【0079】

Referring to FIG. 45, the alignment of the upper portion 1858 with respect to the shaft 1802 can be adjusted by variously adjusting the plurality of screws 4304 and the set screw 4306. In this embodiment, by adjusting the screw 4304 and the set screw 4306, the alignment state of the upper portion 1858 with respect to the stem member 4302 is adjusted. More specifically, the gap between the upper portion 1858 and the stem member 4302 can be adjusted using screw 4303 and set screw 4306. In this embodiment, three screws 4304 are used and the set screw 4306 is placed in the center of the upper portion 1858 and the stem member 4302 so that the upper portion 1858 can be kept substantially parallel to the stem member 4302. become.

【0080】

In addition, in this embodiment, the stem member 4302 is attached to the shaft 1802 with a plurality of bolts 4308. The upper portion 1858 can thus be removed from the shaft 1802 without the need to reset its alignment. As suggested earlier, the wafer chuck 1604 (FIG. 37) can be removed for a variety of purposes such as inspection, repair, maintenance and the like. For ease of rearrangement later, with reference to FIG. 43, in this embodiment, the stem member 4302 and the shaft 1802 are connected using a mortise-tenon joint. In addition, bolt 4308 is only in contact with stem member 4302 and shaft 1802. Therefore, the adjustment of the bolt 4308 does not affect the alignment of the upper portion 1858 with respect to the stem member 4302.

【0081】

Although various examples of the wafer chuck assembly have been described in this way, various examples of the wafer chuck 1604 will be described below. Referring to FIG. 49, the wafer chuck 1604 has a lower portion 1856 and an upper portion 1858. The lower portion 1856 is formed to have an opening for exposing the bottom surface of the wafer 1602 during the electroplating and / or electropolishing process.

【0082】

In one embodiment, the lower portion 1856 and the upper portion 1858 are convenient materials that are electrically insulated and have acid and corrosion resistance, such as ceramics, polytetrafluoroethylene (commercially TEFLON®). It consists of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polypropylene, etc. Instead, the lower portion 1856 and the upper portion 1858 may be made of any conductive material (eg, metal, metal alloy, etc.). This conductive material is coated with a material that is electrically insulating and has acid resistance and corrosion resistance. In this embodiment, the lower portion 1856 and the upper portion 1858 consist of a sandwich structure in which a metal layer is sandwiched between plastic layers. The metal layer provides structural integrity and strength. The plastic layer provides protection against electrolytes.

【0083】

The wafer chuck 1604 based on various viewpoints of the present invention further includes a spring member 1882, a conductive element 1880, and a sealing member 1884. As previously suggested, the present invention is particularly suitable for use related to the holding of semiconductor wafers. Generally, a semiconductor wafer has a substantially circular shape. Therefore, the various components of the wafer chuck 1604 (ie, lower portion 1856, sealing member 1884, conductive element 1880, spring member 1882 and upper portion 1858) are shown to have a substantially circular shape. However, the various components of the wafer chuck 1604 may have different shapes depending on the particular application. For example, referring to FIG. 67, wafer 6700 may be formed to have a flat edge 6702. Therefore, the various components of the wafer chuck 1604 can be adapted to the flat edge 6702.

【0084】

Referring to FIG. 51, when the wafer 1602 is located between the lower portion 1856 and the upper portion 1858, according to one aspect of the invention, the spring member 1882 contacts the wafer 1602 around the outer periphery. It is advantageous to have it. It is advantageous that the spring member 1882 is further in contact with the conductive element 1880. When the electric charge is applied to the conductive element 1880 in this way, the electric charge is transmitted to the wafer 1602 via the spring member 1882.

【0085】

As shown in FIG. 51, in this embodiment, the spring member 1882 is arranged between the wafer 1602 and the lip portion 1880a of the conductive element 1880. Thus, when pressure is applied to hold the lower portion 1856 and the upper portion 1858 together, the spring member 1882 is adapted to maintain electrical contact between the wafer 1602 and the conductive element 1880. More specifically, the top and bottom of the coil of the spring member 1882 are in contact with the wafer 1602 and the lip portion 1880a, respectively. In addition, the spring member 1882 may be coupled to the lip portion 1880a in order to form a better electrical contact using any convenient method such as soldering.

【0086】

The number of contacts formed between the wafer 1602 and the conductive element 1880 can be changed by changing the number of coils in the spring member 1882. In this way, the charge applied to the wafer 1602 can be more evenly distributed around the outer periphery of the wafer 1602. For example, for a 200 mm (mm) wafer, a charge typically having about 1-10 amperes is applied. If the spring member 1882 forms about 1000 contacts with the wafer 1602, the applied charge is reduced to about 1 to about 10mA per contact for a 200 mm wafer.

【0087】

In this embodiment, the conductive element 1880 has been shown and described as having the lip portion 1880a in this way, but the conductive element 1880 has various shapes for electrically contacting the spring member 1882. You may be. For example, the conductive element 1880 can be formed without the lip portion 1880a. In such a shape, an electrical contact can be formed between the side surface of the conductive element 1880 and the spring member 1882. Further, the conductive element 1880 can be completely removed. The charge can be applied directly to the spring member 1882. However, in such a configuration, hot spots may be formed in the portion of the spring member 1882 to which the charge is applied.

【0088】

The spring member 1882 may be made of any convenient material that is conductive and corrosion resistant. In this embodiment, the spring member 1882 is made of a metal or metal alloy (such as stainless steel, spring steel, titanium, etc.). The spring member may be coated with a corrosion resistant material (such as platinum, gold, etc.). According to one aspect of the invention, the spring member 1882 is formed as a ring-shaped coil spring. However, conventional coil springs typically have a cross section that can be varied over the entire length of the coil. More specifically, conventional coil springs generally have an elliptical cross section with a long diameter and a short diameter. In some parts of the coil, the long and short diameters of the elliptical cross section can be oriented vertically and horizontally, respectively. However, the elliptical cross section typically twists or rotates along the length of the coil spring. Thus, in another part of the coil spring, the long and short diameters of the elliptical cross section may be oriented horizontally and vertically, respectively. Such non-uniformity in the cross section leads to non-uniform electrical contact with the wafer 1602 and thus non-uniform electroplating.

【0089】

A coil spring having a uniform cross section over its entire length is difficult to manufacture and is extremely costly. Therefore, according to one aspect of the invention, the spring member 1882 is composed of a plurality of coil springs in order to maintain a nearly uniform cross section. In one embodiment of this embodiment, when the spring member 1882 is located on the top surface of the lip portion 1880a, the applied charge is transferred from the lip portion 1880a over the entire length of the spring member 1882. Therefore, in such a form, the plurality of coil springs do not need to be electrically coupled. However, as suggested earlier, in another embodiment of the invention, the charge can be applied directly to the spring member 1882. In such a form, the plurality of coil springs are electrically coupled using convenient methods such as soldering, welding and the like. In this embodiment, the spring member 1882 has a plurality of coil springs, each of which has a length of about 1 to about 2 inches. However, the coil member 1882 may have any number of coil springs of any length, depending on the particular application. Moreover, as previously suggested, the spring member 1882 may have any convenient conductive material that is compatible.

【0090】

With reference to FIGS. 50 and 51, the spring member 1882 may have a spring holder 5002. In this embodiment, when the spring member 1882 is a coil spring, the spring holder 5002 is formed as a rod penetrating the center of the coil spring loop. The spring holder 1882 facilitates the handling of the spring member 1882, especially if the spring member 1882 has a plurality of coil springs. In addition, the spring holder 5002 provides structural support to reduce unwanted deformation of the spring member 1882. In this embodiment, it is advantageous that the spring holder 5002 is made of a rigid material (such as metal, metal alloy, plastic, etc.). In addition, it is advantageous for the spring holder 5002 to be made of a corrosion resistant material (such as platinum, titanium, stainless steel, etc.). In addition, the spring holder 5002 may be conductive or non-conductive.

【0091】

The conductive element 1880 may be made of any material that is conductive and non-corrosive. In this embodiment, the conductive element 1880 is made of a metal or metal alloy (such as titanium, stainless steel, etc.) and is coated with a corrosion resistant material (such as platinum, gold, etc.).

【0092】

The electric charge can be applied to the conductive element 1889 via the transmission line 5104 and the electrode 5102. The transmission line 5104 may have any convenient conductive medium. For example, the transmission line 5104 may have an electrical wire made of copper, aluminum, gold, or the like. In addition, the transmission line 5104 may be connected to the power supply units 1640, 1642, 1644 using a convenient method. For example, as shown in FIG. 18A, the transmission line 5104 may extend through the upper portion 1858 and along the top surface of the upper portion 1858.

【0093】

It is advantageous that the electrode 5102 is formed subordinately. Thus, when pressure is applied to hold the lower portion 1856 and the upper portion 1858 together, the electrode 5102 is driven to maintain electrical contact with the conductive element 1880. In this regard, the electrode 5102 may have a leaf spring assembly, a coil spring assembly, and the like. The electrode 5102 may be made of any convenient conductive material (such as metal, metal alloy, etc.). In this embodiment, the electrode 5102 is made of a non-corrosive material (such as titanium, stainless steel, etc.). In addition, any number of electrodes 5102 may be placed around the upper portion 1858 to apply charge to the conductive element 1880. In this embodiment, the four electrodes are arranged around the upper portion 1858 at intervals of about 90 °, with a nearly evenly spaced space.

【0094】

As described above, in order to electroplat the metal layer, the wafer 1602 is impregnated into the electrolytic solution and an electric charge is applied to the wafer 1602. Wafer 1602 is charged with a potential greater than the electrodes 1632,1634,1636 (FIG. 16), and metal ions in the electrolyte move toward the surface of wafer 1602 to form a metal layer. However, if the spring member 1882 and / or the conductive element 1880 is exposed to an electrolytic solution when an electric charge is applied, a short circuit may occur. In addition, during the electroplating process, if the wafer 1602 has a metal seed layer, the metal seed layer may act as an anode and the spring member 1882 as a cathode. Thus, a metal layer may be formed on the spring member 1882 and the seed layer of wafer 1602 may be electropolished (ie removed). The short circuit of the spring member 1882 and the removal of the seed layer of the wafer 1602 may reduce the uniformity of the metal layer formed on the wafer 1602.

【0095】

Thereby, according to various viewpoints of the present invention, the sealing member 1884 insulates the spring member 1882 and the conductive element 1880 from the electrolytic solution. It is advantageous that the sealing member is made of a non-corrosive material such as Vuitton (fluorocarbon) rubber, silicone rubber or the like. Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 51, although the sealing member 1884 has an L-shaped cross section, the sealing member 1884 may have various shapes and forms depending on a specific application. .. Some examples of various forms of the sealing member 1884 are shown in FIGS. 53A-53G. However, the various forms shown in FIGS. 53A to 53G are merely examples, and do not attempt to show all possible selective forms of the sealing member 1884.

【0096】

As described above and shown in FIG. 51, the spring member 1882 and the seal member 1884 are in contact with the wafer 1602 around the outer periphery of the wafer 1602. More specifically, the spring member 1882 and the seal member 1884 are in contact with the width 5106 of the outer periphery of the wafer. Generally, this region of wafer 1602 cannot be used later to form microelectronic structures or the like. According to one aspect of the invention, the width 5106 is maintained in a small proportion of the total surface area of the wafer 1602. For example, for a wafer of about 300 millimeters (mm), the width 5106 is kept between about 2 mm and about 6 mm. However, the width 5106 may occupy any proportion of the total surface area of the wafer 1602, depending on the particular application. For example, in one application, the amount of metal layer deposited on wafer 1602 may be more important than the usable area of wafer 1602. Thus, a large portion of the surface area of the wafer 1602 can be used to contact the spring member 1882 and the seal member 1884 to receive a large charge.

【0097】

With reference to FIG. 54, the processing steps performed by the wafer chuck 1604 (FIG. 51) are shown in the form of a flow chart. Referring to FIG. 51, wafer chuck 1604 is opened to receive wafer 1602 to be processed (FIG. 54, block 5402). More specifically, the lower portion 1856 can be lowered relative to the upper portion 1858. Alternatively, the upper portion 1858 can be raised relative to the lower portion 1856. As suggested above, various methods such as pneumatic, spring, vacuum, magnetic, etc. may be used to open the wafer chuck 1604.

【0098】

If the wafer chuck 1604 is empty (FIG. 54, YES branch of decision block 5404 to block 5408), a new wafer 1602 to be processed is supplied and inserted (FIG. 54, block 5408). However, if the wafer chuck 1604 has a previously processed wafer, this previously processed wafer is removed from the wafer chuck 1604 (FIG. 54, NO branch of decision block 5404 to block 5406), and then A new wafer 1602 is provided (Figure 54, block 5408). As described above, the handling of the wafer 1602 can be performed by the robot 106 (FIG. 16). Further, the wafer 1602 can be obtained from the wafer cassette 116 (FIG. 3) and returned to the wafer cassette 116 (FIG. 3).

【0099】

After the wafer 1602 is fed into the wafer chuck 1604, the wafer chuck 1604 can be closed (Fig. 54, block 5410). As suggested above, the lower portion 1856 can be raised relative to the upper portion 1858. Alternatively, the upper portion 1858 can be lowered relative to the lower portion 1856. As described above, when the wafer chuck 1604 is closed, the spring member 1882 forms an electrical contact between the wafer 1602 and the conductive element 1880. In addition, the conductive element 1880 forms an electrical contact with the electrode 502.

【0100】

After the wafer chuck 1604 is closed, the wafer chuck 1604 is lowered into the electrolyte vessel (1608) (FIG. 54, block 5421). As described above, the wafer 1602 is impregnated into the electrolyte. Also as described above, the sealing member 1884 prevents the electrolyte from coming into contact with the spring member 1882 and the conductive element 1880.

【0101】

When the wafer 1602 is immersed in the electrolyte, an electric charge is applied to the wafer 1602 (FIG. 54, block 5414). More specifically, in this embodiment, the charge is applied to the wafer 1602 via the transmission line 504, the conductor 502, the conductive element 1880 and the spring member 1882. As described above, the spring member 1882 forms a plurality of contacts around the outer periphery of the wafer 1602 to facilitate a more uniform distribution of the charge applied to the wafer 1602. In addition, as described above, the spring member 1882 forms a plurality of contacts with the conductive element 1880, facilitating a more uniform distribution of the charge applied to the spring member 1882. The charge may be applied before or after the wafer chuck 1602 is lowered into the electrolyte container 1608 (FIG. 16).

【0102】

As suggested earlier, the wafer chuck 1604 can be rotated to facilitate more uniform electroplating of the metal layer on the wafer 1602 (FIG. 16). As suggested in FIG. 16, in this embodiment, the wafer chuck 1604 can be rotated about the z-axis. In addition, the wafer chuck 1604 can be oscillated in the xy plane.

【0103】

With reference to FIG. 51, the wafer chuck 1604 can be lifted from the electrolyte container 1608 (FIG. 16) after the wafer 1602 has been electroplated and / or electropolished. According to another aspect of the invention, a dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) is supplied to remove the residual electrolyte. More specifically, referring to FIG. 52A, dry gas is supplied through nozzle 5202 to remove residual electrolyte from the junction between sealing member 1884 and wafer 1602. It should be noted that any number of nozzles 5202 can be used depending on the particular application. In addition, the wafer chuck 1604 can be rotated while the dry gas is being fed through nozzle 5202. The nozzle 5202 itself may be stationary or movable.

【0104】

After the wafer chuck 1604 is raised, the chuck 1604 is opened (Fig. 54, block 5402). The processed wafer is then removed (FIG. 54, NO branch of decision block 5404 to block 5406). Dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) may be supplied to remove the residual electrolyte. More specifically, referring to FIG. 52B, dry gas is supplied through nozzle 5404 to remove residual electrolyte from the conductive element 1880, the spring member 1882 and the seal member 1884. In addition, the wafer chuck 1604 can be rotated while the dry gas is being supplied through nozzle 5204.

【0105】

After a new wafer has been supplied (Figure 54, block 5408), the entire process is repeated. However, various modifications can be made to the steps shown in FIG. 54 without departing from the ideas and scope of the invention.

【0106】

Various selective embodiments will be described according to the various aspects of the invention, as will be described below with respect to the relevant drawings. However, these selective embodiments are not intended to show all of the various modifications that can be made to the present invention. Rather, these selective embodiments represent only some of the many modifications that can be made without departing from the ideas and / or scope of the invention.

【0107】

Referring to FIG. 55, in a selective embodiment of the invention, a wafer chuck 5500 based on various aspects of the invention has a purge conduit 5506, nozzles 5508 and nozzle 5510. In this embodiment, the purge line 5506 and nozzles 5508 and 5510 inject dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen) into the spring member 5514 and the seal member 5504. In this way, after the wafer 1602 is processed, the residual electrolyte can be purged from the spring member 5514 and the sealing member 5504. As described above, maintaining the spring member 5514 in the absence of electrolyte facilitates a more uniform electroplating process. In addition, purging the electrolyte from the sealing member 5504 facilitates better sealing when the next wafer is processed. As shown in FIG. 55, in this embodiment, the purge line 5506 and the nozzles 5508 and 5510 are formed in the conductive element 5502. In addition, purge line 5506 can be connected to pressure line 1852 (Fig. 18A). However, the wafer chuck 5500 can be adequately configured to have a purge line 5506 and nozzles 5508 and 5510 in various forms without departing from the ideas and / or scope of the invention. In addition, any number of purge lines 5506, nozzles 5508 and 5510 may be formed within the wafer chuck 5500.

【0108】

Referring to FIG. 56, in another selective embodiment of the invention, a wafer chuck 5600 based on various aspects of the invention has a purge line 5602 and a plurality of nozzles 5604. In this embodiment, the purge line 5602 and the plurality of nozzles 5604 inject dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) into the seal member 5605. In this way, after the wafer 1602 is processed and removed from the wafer chuck 5600, the residual electrolyte can be purged from the top surface of the sealing member 5606. As shown in FIG. 56, in this embodiment, the purge line and the plurality of nozzles 5604 are formed in the upper portion 5608. However, the wafer chuck 5600 can be adequately configured to have a purge line 5602 and a nozzle 5604 in various forms without departing from the ideas and / or scope of the invention. Further, any number of purge lines 5602 and nozzles 5604 may be formed in the wafer chuck 5600.

【0109】

Referring to FIG. 57, in yet another selective embodiment of the invention, a wafer chuck 5700 based on various aspects of the invention has a purge line 5702 and a plurality of nozzles 5704 and 5710. In this embodiment, the purge line 5702 and the plurality of nozzles 5704 and 5710 inject dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) into the seal member 5706 and the spring member 5712, respectively. In this way, after the wafer 1602 is processed and removed from the wafer chuck 5700, the residual electrolyte can be purged from the top surface of the sealing member 5706 and the top surface of the spring member 5712. As shown in FIG. 57, in this embodiment, the purge line 5702 and the plurality of nozzles 5704 and 5710 are formed in the upper portion 5708. However, the wafer chuck 5700 can be adequately configured to have a purge line 5702 and a plurality of nozzles 5704 and 5710 in various forms without departing from the ideas and / or scope of the present invention. In addition, any number of purge lines 5702 and nozzles 5704 and 5710 may be formed within the wafer chuck 5700.

【0110】

Referring to FIG. 58, in yet another selective embodiment of the invention, a wafer chuck 5800 based on various aspects of the invention has a purge line 5802 and a plurality of seal rings 5804 and 5806. .. In this embodiment, the seal ring 5806 forms a seal between the conductive element 5808 and the lower portion 5810. Similarly, the seal ring 5804 forms a seal between the conductive element 5808 and the upper portion 5812. As a result, the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 5814 can be checked by supplying positive pressure gas to the purge line 5802 and checking for leaks. Instead, the purge line 5802 can be pumped to generate a negative pressure to check the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 5814. When this latter process is used, pumping of the purge line 5802 is finished after processing the wafer 1602 and then before removing the wafer 1602 to prevent the electrolyte from being sucked into the purge line 5802. Positive pressure must be injected through the purge line 5802. After the wafer 1602 is processed and removed from the wafer chuck 1200, the residual electrolyte is injected from the spring member 5816 and the seal member 5814 by injecting a dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen) through the purge line 5802. Can be purged.

【0111】

Referring to FIG. 59, in yet another selective embodiment of the invention, a wafer chuck 5900 based on various aspects of the invention has a sealing member 5902 with a trapezoidal shape. When the wafer chuck 5900 is rotated after processing the wafer 1602, the trapezoidal shape of the sealing member 5902 makes it easy to remove the residual electrolyte from the sealing member 5902. In this embodiment, the angle 5904 of the sealing member 5902 may be in the range of about 0 ° to about 60 °, preferably about 20 °.

【0112】

Referring to FIG. 60, in yet another selective embodiment of the invention, the wafer chuck 6000 based on the various aspects of the invention has a purge line 6002. In this embodiment, the purge line 6002 is formed so as to penetrate the bottom portion 6006 and the seal member 6004. By supplying positive pressure gas through the purge line 6002, the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6004 can be checked. Instead, the purge line 6004 can be pumped to generate a negative pressure to check the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6004. As mentioned above, when the latter process is used, the pumping of the purge line 6002 is finished after processing the wafer 1602 to prevent the electrolyte from being sucked into the purge line 6002, and then the wafer. Positive pressure must be injected through the purge line 6002 before removing the 1602.

【0113】

With reference to FIG. 61, in yet another selective embodiment of the invention, the wafer chuck 6100 based on various aspects of the invention comprises purge line 6102 and purge line 6108 and a plurality of seal rings 6116 and 6106. have. In this embodiment, the seal ring 6116 forms a seal between the conductive element 6118 and the upper portion 6110. Similarly, the seal ring 6104 forms a seal between the conductive element 6118 and the lower portion 6106. As a result, the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6112 can be checked using purge line 6102 and / or purge line 6108.

【0114】

More specifically, in one embodiment, seal quality can be checked by supplying compressed gas to purge line 6102 and purge line 6108 to check for leaks. In another embodiment, the purge line 6102 and the purge line 6108 can be pumped to generate a negative pressure to check the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6112. In yet another embodiment, pressure can be supplied to one of the purge line 6102 and the purge line 6108, and the other purge line is pumped to generate negative pressure. When negative pressure is used to check for leaks, pumping is finished after processing wafer 1602 to prevent electrolyte from being sucked into purge line 6102 and / or purge line 6108. Positive pressure must then be injected through purge line 6102 and / or purge line 6108 before removing wafer 1602. After the wafer 1602 is processed and removed from the wafer chuck 6100, the residual electrolyte is sealed by injecting dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) through purge line 6102 and / or purge line 6108. It can be purged from the 6112 and the spring member 6114.

【0115】

Referring to FIG. 62, in yet another selective embodiment of the invention, a wafer chuck 6200 based on various aspects of the invention comprises a spring member 6208, a conductive element 6210 and a sealing member 6206. There is. In this embodiment, the spring member 6208 and the conductive element 6210 are arranged in the seal member 6206. The advantage of such a form is that the spring member 6208, the conductive element 6210, and the seal member 6206 can be preassembled.

【0116】

The wafer chuck 6200 further includes a purge pipeline 6214, a plurality of nozzles 6212 formed through the sealing member 6214, and a conductive element 6210. By supplying positive pressure gas through the purge line 6214, the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6206 can be checked. Instead, the purge line 6214 can be pumped to generate a negative pressure to check the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6206. As mentioned above, when the latter process is used, the pumping of the purge line 6214 is finished after processing the wafer 1602 to prevent the electrolyte from being sucked into the purge line 6214, and then the wafer. Positive pressure must be injected through the purge line 6214 before removing the 1602.

【0117】

Referring to FIG. 63, in yet another selective embodiment of the invention, a wafer chuck 6300 based on various aspects of the invention has a purge line 6302 and a plurality of nozzles 6304. In this embodiment, the purge line 6302 and the plurality of nozzles 6304 inject dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) into the seal member 6310, the conductive element 6308, and the spring member 6306. In this way, after the wafer 1602 is processed and removed from the wafer chuck 6300, the residual electrolyte can be purged from the top surfaces of the sealing member 6310, the conductive element 6308 and the spring member 6306. As shown in FIG. 63, in this embodiment, the purge line 6302 and the plurality of nozzles 6304 are formed in the upper portion 6312. However, the wafer chuck 6300 can be adequately configured to have a purge line 6302 and a plurality of nozzles 6304 in various forms without departing from the ideas and / or scope of the present invention. Further, any number of purge lines 6302 and nozzles 6304 may be formed in the wafer chuck 6300.

【0118】

Referring to FIG. 64, in yet another selective embodiment of the present invention, the wafer chuck 6400 has a sealing member 6402. In this embodiment, the seal member 6402 is formed to have a square notch inside to receive the spring member 6404. The advantage of such a form is that it can more reliably accept the spring member. However, the seal member 6402 may be formed to have various shapes depending on a specific application.

【0119】

Referring to FIG. 65, in another selective embodiment of the invention, a wafer chuck 6500 based on various aspects of the invention comprises a purge line 6502, a purge line 6508, and a seal ring 6506. Have. In this embodiment, the seal ring 6506 forms a seal between the lower portion 6504 and the upper portion 6510. As a result, the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6512 can be checked using the purge line 6502 and / or the purge line 6508.

【0120】

More specifically, in one embodiment, seal quality can be checked by supplying compressed gas to the purge line 6502 and the purge line 6508 to check for leaks. In another embodiment, the purge line 6502 and the purge line 6508 can be pumped to generate a negative pressure to check the seal quality between the wafer 1602 and the seal member 6512. In yet another embodiment, pressure can be supplied to one of the purge line 6502 and the purge line 6508, and the other purge line is pumped to generate negative pressure. When negative pressure is used to check for leaks, pumping is finished after processing wafer 1602 to prevent electrolyte from being sucked into purge line 6502 and / or purge line 6508. Positive pressure must then be injected through purge line 6502 and / or purge line 6508 before removing wafer 1602. After the wafer 1602 is processed and removed from the wafer chuck 6500, the residual electrolyte is sealed by injecting dry gas (such as argon, nitrogen, etc.) through the purge line 6502 and / or the purge line 6508. It can be purged from the 6512 and the spring member 6514.

【0121】

Referring to FIG. 66, in yet another selective embodiment of the invention, a wafer chuck 6600 based on various aspects of the invention has a sealing member 6602 with a trapezoidal shape. When the wafer chuck 6600 is rotated after processing the wafer 1602, the trapezoidal shape of the sealing member 6602 makes it easy to remove the residual electrolyte from the sealing member 6602. In this embodiment, the angle 6604 of the sealing member 6602 may be in the range of about 0 ° to about 60 °, preferably about 20 °.

【0122】

As mentioned above, the present invention has been described in connection with a number of selective embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, but various modifications have been made without departing from the ideas and / or scope of the present invention. Can be added. Therefore, the present invention is not configured as limited to the particular form shown in the drawings and described above.

[Simple explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1]

It is a top view which shows the Example of the wafer processing tool. [Figure 2]

It is a cross-sectional view which shows the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 1 along line 2-2. [Fig. 3]

It is another cross-sectional view which shows the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 1 along the line 3-3. [Fig. 4]

It is a flowchart for processing a wafer using the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. [Fig. 5]

It is a top view which shows the selective form of the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. [Fig. 6]

It is a cross-sectional view which shows the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 5 along the line 6-6. [Fig. 7]

Another cross-sectional view showing the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 5 along lines 7-7. [Fig. 8]

It is a top view which shows another selective form of the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. [Fig. 9]

It is a top view which shows still another selective form of the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. [Fig. 10]

It is a top view which shows still another selective form of the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. [Fig. 11]

It is a cross-sectional view which shows the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 10 along the line 11-11. [Fig. 12]

Another cross-sectional view showing the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 10 along lines 12-12. [Fig. 13]

Another selective form of the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. 1 is shown. [Fig. 14]

It is a cross-sectional view shown along the line 14-14 of the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. [Fig. 15]

It is another cross-sectional view shown along line 15-15 of the wafer processing tool shown in FIG. [Fig. 16]

It is a cross-sectional view which shows the Example of electroplating and / or electropolishing cell. [Fig. 17]

FIG. 5 is a top view showing a part of the electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing cell shown in FIG. [Fig. 18A]

It is sectional drawing which shows the Example of the wafer chuck assembly. [Fig. 18B]

It is sectional drawing which shows the Example of the wafer chuck assembly. [Fig. 18C]

It is sectional drawing which shows the Example of the wafer chuck assembly. [Fig. 19]

It is a cross-sectional view which shows the selective form of the wafer chuck assembly shown in FIGS. 18A to 18C. [Fig. 20]

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing another selective form of the wafer chuck assembly shown in FIGS. 18A-18C. [Fig. 21]

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing yet another selective form of the wafer chuck assembly shown in FIGS. 18A-18C. [Fig. 22A]

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing yet another selective form of the wafer chuck assembly shown in FIGS. 18A-18C. [Fig. 22B]

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing yet another selective form of the wafer chuck assembly shown in FIGS. 18A-18C. [Fig. 23]

It is sectional drawing which shows the Example of the wafer chuck. [Fig. 24]

It is sectional drawing which shows the selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 23. [Fig. 25]

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing another selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 23. [Fig. 26]

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing still another selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 23. [Fig. 27]

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing still another selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 23. [Fig. 28]

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing another selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 23. [Fig. 29]

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing still another selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 23. [Fig. 30]

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing still another selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 29. [Fig. 31A]

It is a side view which shows the selective form of the electroplating and / or electropolishing station shown in FIG. [Fig. 31B]

It is a side view which shows the selective form of the electroplating and / or electropolishing station shown in FIG. [Fig. 32A]

FIG. 5 is a top view showing the electroplating and / or electropolishing station shown in FIG. 31A. [Fig. 32B]

It is a top view which shows the electroplating and / or electropolishing station shown in FIG. 31B. [Fig. 33A]

It is a front view which shows the electroplating and / or electropolishing station shown in FIG. 31A. [Fig. 33B]

It is a front view which shows the electroplating and / or electropolishing station shown in FIG. 31B. [Fig. 34]

It is a top view which shows the example of the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell shown in FIGS. 31 to 33. [Fig. 35]

It is a side view which shows the Example of the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell shown in FIG. 34. [Fig. 36]

FIG. 3 is a top view showing a part of the electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing cell shown in FIG. 34. [Fig. 37]

It is a side view of the part shown in FIG. 36. [Fig. 38]

FIG. 3 is a top view showing another portion of electroplating and / or electropolishing shown in FIG. [Fig. 39]

It is a side view of the part shown in FIG. 38. [Fig. 40A]

It is sectional drawing which shows the part shown in FIG. 38 along line 40. [Fig. 40B]

It is sectional drawing which shows the part shown in FIG. 38 along line 40. [Fig. 41]

It is a cross-sectional view which shows the part shown in FIG. 38 along line 41. [Fig. 42]

It is another cross-sectional view which shows the part shown in FIG. 38 along line 42. [Fig. 43]

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the electroplating and / or electrolytic polishing cell shown in FIG. 34. [Fig. 44]

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing another portion of the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell shown in FIG. [Fig. 45]

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing yet another portion of the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell shown in FIG. [Fig. 46]

FIG. 3 is a bottom view showing yet another portion of the electroplating and / or electropolishing cell shown in FIG. [Fig. 47]

It is a side view of the part shown in FIG. 46. [Fig. 48]

It is an enlarged view which shows a part of the side view shown in FIG. 47. [Fig. 49]

It is an exploded perspective view which shows the Example of the wafer chuck. [Fig. 50]

It is an exploded perspective view which shows the selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 49. [Fig. 51]

It is a cross-sectional view of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 49. [Fig. 52A]

It is a cross-sectional view of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 49. [Fig. 52B]

It is a cross-sectional view of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 49. [Fig. 53A]

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a partial selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. [Fig. 53B]

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a partial selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. [Fig. 53C]

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a partial selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. [Fig. 53D]

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a partial selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. [Fig. 53E]

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a partial selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. [Fig. 53F]

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a partial selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. [Fig. 53G]

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a partial selective form of the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. [Fig. 54]

It is a flowchart for handling a wafer by using the wafer chuck shown in FIG. 51. [Fig. 55]

It is sectional drawing which shows the selective embodiment of the wafer chuck. [Fig. 56]

It is sectional drawing which shows the 2nd selective embodiment of a wafer chuck. [Fig. 57]

It is sectional drawing which shows the 3rd selective embodiment of a wafer chuck. [Fig. 58]

It is sectional drawing which shows the 4th selective embodiment of a wafer chuck. [Fig. 59]

It is a cross-sectional view which shows the 5th selective embodiment of a wafer chuck. [Fig. 60]

It is sectional drawing which shows the 6th selective embodiment of a wafer chuck. [Fig. 61]

It is sectional drawing which shows the 7th selective embodiment of a wafer chuck. [Fig. 62]

It is sectional drawing which shows the 8th selective embodiment of the wafer chuck. [Fig. 63]

It is sectional drawing which shows the 9th selective embodiment of a wafer chuck. [Fig. 64]

It is sectional drawing which shows the tenth selective embodiment of the wafer chuck. [Fig. 65]

It is sectional drawing which shows the eleventh selective embodiment of a wafer chuck. [Fig. 66]

It is sectional drawing which shows the twelfth selective embodiment of the wafer chuck. [Fig. 67]

It is a top view of a wafer.