US2015014175A1PendingUtilityA1

Electroplating apparatus having scroll pump

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Assignee: THOMPSON RAYMON FPriority: Jul 9, 2013Filed: Jul 9, 2013Published: Jan 15, 2015
Est. expiryJul 9, 2033(~7 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Raymon F. Thompson
H10P 14/47H10W 20/056C25D 21/18C25D 21/10C25D 17/02C25D 17/002C25D 7/123C25D 17/12C25D 17/001C25D 7/12
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Claims

Abstract

An electroplating apparatus for plating a metal onto a surface of a wafer is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a wafer support configured to support a wafer and a processing base. The processing base has a scroll pump oriented to pump a plating solution in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the surface of the wafer. Further, the scroll pump includes a first scroll and a second scroll, at least one of which is configured as an anode. In one embodiment, the processing base includes an anolyte chamber including the scroll pump, a catholyte chamber, and a membrane separating the anolyte chamber from the catholyte chamber.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . An electroplating apparatus for plating a metal onto a surface of a wafer, the apparatus comprising:
 a wafer support configured to support a wafer; and   a processing base having a scroll pump oriented to pump a plating solution in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to the surface of the wafer, wherein the scroll pump includes a first scroll and a second scroll, at least one scroll of the first and second scrolls being configured as an anode.   
     
     
         2 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the scroll pump is substantially the same as the diameter of the wafer. 
     
     
         3 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first scroll is fixed and the second scroll oscillates with respect to the first scroll. 
     
     
         4 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the first scroll is configured as the anode. 
     
     
         5 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the processing base includes a motor including a rotor having a cam, wherein the cam is configured to engage a cam follower disposed at a bottom portion of the second scroll to oscillate the second scroll with respect to the first scroll. 
     
     
         6 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first scroll and second scroll are configured to co-rotate in synchronous motion at offset centers of rotation. 
     
     
         7 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the anode is a movable scroll. 
     
     
         8 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the anode is a fixed scroll. 
     
     
         9 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing base is configured to selectively provide the plating solution to the scroll pump from either a fresh supply path or a recirculation supply path. 
     
     
         10 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing base comprises:
 a catholyte chamber; and   an anolyte chamber, wherein the scroll pump is disposed in the anolyte chamber;   a membrane disposed between the anolyte chamber and the catholyte chamber; and   
     
     
         11 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a motor configured to rotate the wafer support. 
     
     
         12 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein processing base is configured so that plating solution from the scroll pump is driven to the surface of the wafer without an intermediate membrane. 
     
     
         13 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a porous element disposed between an upper portion of the scroll pump and the surface of the wafer. 
     
     
         14 . The electroplating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein both the first scroll and second scroll are configured as anodes. 
     
     
         15 . A processing base for a wafer electroplating apparatus, the processing base comprising:
 a scroll pump oriented to pump a plating solution in a substantially perpendicular direction with respect to a surface of the wafer, wherein the scroll pump includes a first scroll and a second scroll, at least one scroll of the first and second scrolls being configured as an anode; and   a scroll pump drive configured to operate the scroll pump.   
     
     
         16 . The processing base of  claim 15 , wherein the diameter of the scroll pump is substantially the same as the diameter of the wafer. 
     
     
         17 . The processing base of  claim 15 , wherein the scroll pump drive comprises a motor including a rotor having a cam, wherein the cam is configured to engage a cam follower disposed at a bottom portion of the second scroll to oscillate the second scroll with respect to the first scroll. 
     
     
         18 . The processing base of  claim 15 , wherein the first scroll and second scroll are configured to co-rotate in synchronous motion at offset centers of rotation. 
     
     
         19 . The processing base of  claim 15 , wherein the anode is a movable scroll. 
     
     
         20 . The processing base of  claim 15 , wherein the anode is a fixed scroll. 
     
     
         21 . The processing base of  claim 15 , wherein the processing base includes solution paths configured to selectively provide the plating solution from a fresh plating supply or recirculated plating supply pumped by the scroll pump. 
     
     
         22 . The processing base of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a catholyte chamber; and   an anolyte chamber, wherein the scroll pump is disposed in the anolyte chamber; and   a membrane disposed between the anolyte chamber and the catholyte chamber.   
     
     
         23 . The processing base of  claim 15 , wherein processing base is configured so plating solution from the scroll pump is driven to the surface of the wafer without an intermediate membrane. 
     
     
         24 . A method for electroplating a surface of a wafer comprising:
 placing the wafer in a processing position;   pumping plating solution in a direction substantially perpendicular to the wafer surface using a scroll pump; and   applying an electrical potential between at least one scroll of the scroll pump and the wafer surface.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising rotating the wafer in the plating solution while in the processing position. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising co-rotating scrolls of the scroll pump in synchronous motion at offset centers of rotation. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising linearly oscillating a first scroll of the scroll pump with respect to a second scroll of the scroll pump.

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