Immersion process for electroplating applications

Abstract

A method for immersing a substrate into a plating solution. In one embodiment, the method includes applying a first waveform to the substrate as the substrate is being immersed into the plating solution, stopping the application of the first waveform to the substrate as soon as the substrate is fully immersed inside the plating solution, and applying a second waveform to the substrate prior to the substrate being situated into a plating position.

1 . A method for immersing a substrate into a plating solution, comprising: 
 applying a first waveform to the substrate as the substrate is being immersed into the plating solution;    stopping the application of the first waveform to the substrate as soon as the substrate is fully immersed inside the plating solution; and    applying a second waveform to the substrate prior to the substrate being situated into a plating position.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 stopping the application of the second waveform once the substrate is situated in the plating position; and    applying a plating waveform to the substrate.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first waveform comprises a constant voltage.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first waveform comprises a voltage greater than a predetermined threshold for creating a pinch-off void inside a feature.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first waveform comprises a voltage that increases over time.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first waveform comprises a sequence of voltages that increases over time.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first waveform comprises a first constant voltage and a second constant voltage higher than the first constant voltage.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying the first waveform comprises: 
 applying a first constant voltage to the substrate as the substrate first contacts the plating solution;    stopping the application of the first constant voltage to the substrate after a predetermined period of time and prior to the substrate being fully immersed in the plating solution; and    supplying a current to the substrate from the moment the predetermined period of time ends to the moment the substrate is completely immersed.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined period of time is from about 0.10 seconds to about 1.0 second.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying the first waveform comprises: 
 applying a first constant voltage to the substrate as the substrate first contacts the plating solution;    stopping the application of the first constant voltage to the substrate after a predetermined current supplied to the substrate is reached; and    supplying a current to the substrate from the moment the predetermined current supplied to the substrate is reached to the moment the substrate is completely immersed.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first waveform is applied to the substrate from about 0.10 seconds to about 1.0 second.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second waveform comprises a constant current.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second waveform comprises a current less than a predetermined threshold for performing a bottom-up fill.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the second waveform comprises a current less than a predetermined threshold for performing a bottom-up fill.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising stopping the application of the second waveform before the substrate is situated in the plating position; and applying a plating waveform to the substrate while the substrate is still being situated into the plating position.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising stopping the application of the second waveform before the substrate is situated in the plating position; and applying a plating waveform to the substrate while the substrate is still being situated into the plating position.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising stopping the application of the second waveform before the substrate is situated in the plating position; and applying a plating waveform to the substrate while the substrate is still being situated into the plating position.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second waveform comprises a current that starts from below a predetermined threshold for performing a bottom-up fill and increases as the thickness of a layer of deposit from the plating solution to the substrate increases.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the second waveform comprises a current that starts from below a predetermined threshold for performing a bottom-up fill and increases as the thickness of a layer of deposit from the plating solution to the substrate increases.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising stopping the application of the second waveform before the substrate is situated in the plating position; and applying a plating waveform to the substrate while the substrate is still being situated into the plating position.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second waveform comprises a pulsed current or a pulsed voltage.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the second waveform comprises a pulsed current or a pulsed voltage.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first waveform and the second waveform are applied under recipe control.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising immersing the substrate at an angle.