Abstract: Nanotwinned copper and non-nanotwinned copper may be electroplated to form mixed crystal structures such as 2-in-1 copper via and RDL structures or 2-in-1 copper via and pillar structures. Nanotwinned copper may be electroplated on a non-nanotwinned copper layer by pretreating a surface of the non-nanotwinned copper layer with an oxidizing agent or other chemical reagent. Alternatively, nanotwinned copper may be electroplated to partially fill a recess in a dielectric layer, and non-nanotwinned copper may be electroplated over the nanotwinned copper to fill the recess. Copper overburden may be subsequently removed.

Abstract: A method of electroplating metal into features of a partially fabricated electronic device on a substrate having high open area portions is provided. The method includes initiating a bulk electrofill phase with a pulse at a high level of current; reducing the current to a baseline current level; and optionally increasing the current in one or more steps until electroplating is complete.

Abstract: Systems and methods for electroplating are provided. An electroplating system may include an electroplating cell configured to contain an anode and an electroplating solution, a wafer holder configured to support a wafer within the electroplating cell, a reservoir configured to contain at least a portion of the electroplating solution, a recirculation flowpath that fluidically connects the reservoir and the electroplating cell, in which the recirculation flowpath includes a pump and is configured to circulate the electroplating solution between the reservoir and the electroplating cell, and a frother fluidically connected to one or more of the electroplating cell, the reservoir, and the recirculation flowpath. The frother may be configured to generate bubbles in the electroplating solution when the electroplating solution is present in the electroplating system, interfaced with the frother, and the frother is activated.

Abstract: Direct copper-copper bonding at low temperatures is achieved by electroplating copper features on a substrate followed by electroplanarizing the copper features. The copper features are electroplated on the substrate under conditions so that nanotwinned copper structures are formed. Electroplanarizing the copper features is performed by anodically biasing the substrate and contacting the copper features with an electrolyte so that copper is electrochemically removed. Such electrochemical removal is performed in a manner so that roughness is reduced in the copper features and substantial coplanarity is achieved among the copper features. Copper features having nanotwinned copper structures, reduced roughness, and better coplanarity enable direct copper-copper bonding at low temperatures.

Abstract: A copper structure having a high density of nanotwins is deposited on a substrate. Electroplating conditions for depositing a nanotwinned copper structure may include applying a pulsed current waveform that alternates between a constant current and no current, where a duration of no current being applied is substantially greater than a duration of a constant current being applied. In some implementations, the nanotwinned copper structure is deposited by applying a pulsed current waveform followed by a constant current waveform. In some implementations, the nanotwinned copper structure is deposited on a highly-oriented base layer, where an electroplating solution contains an accelerator additive. In some implementations, the nanotwinned copper structure is deposited on a non-copper seed layer. In some implementations, the nanotwinned copper structure is deposited at a relatively low flow rate.

Abstract: A method of electroplating a metal into features of a partially fabricated electronic device on a substrate is provided. The method includes (a) electroplating the metal into the features, to partially fill the features by a bottom up fill mechanism, while contacting the features with a first electroplating bath having a first composition and comprising ions of the metal; (b) thereafter, electroplating more of the metal into the features, to further fill the features, while contacting the features with a second electroplating bath having a second composition, which is different than the first composition, and comprises the ions of the metal; and (c) removing the substrate from an electroplating tool where operation (b) was performed.

Abstract: Disclosed are pre-wetting apparatus designs and methods for cleaning solid contaminants from substrates prior to through resist deposition of metal. In some embodiments, a pre-wetting apparatus includes a process chamber having a substrate holder, and at least one nozzle located directly above the wafer substrate and configured to deliver pre-wetting liquid (e.g., degassed deionized water) onto the substrate at a grazing angle of between about 5 and 45 degrees. In some embodiments the nozzle is a fan nozzle configured to deliver the liquid to the center of the substrate, such that the liquid first impacts the substrate in the vicinity of the center and then flows over the center of the substrate. In some embodiments the substrate is rotated unidirectionally or bidirectionally during pre-wetting with multiple accelerations and decelerations, which facilitate removal of contaminants.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to methods and apparatus for detecting whether unwanted metallic deposits are present on a bottom of a substrate holder used in an electroplating apparatus. The presence of such unwanted deposits is harmful to electroplating processes because the deposits scavenge current that is intended to cause electroplating on a substrate. When such current scavenging occurs, the electroplating results on the substrates are poor. For instance, features positioned near the edge of a substrate are likely to plate to an insufficient thickness. Further, where such current scavenging is great, the overall thickness of the material plated on the substrate may be too thin. As such, there is a need to detect when such unwanted deposits are present, such that plating under these poor conditions may be avoided. This detection will help preserve costly wafers.

Abstract: Disclosed are pre-wetting apparatus designs and methods for cleaning solid contaminants from substrates prior to through resist deposition of metal. In some embodiments, a pre-wetting apparatus includes a process chamber having a substrate holder, and at least one nozzle located directly above the wafer substrate and configured to deliver pre-wetting liquid (e.g., degassed deionized water) onto the substrate at a grazing angle of between about 5 and 45 degrees. In some embodiments the nozzle is a fan nozzle configured to deliver the liquid to the center of the substrate, such that the liquid first impacts the substrate in the vicinity of the center and then flows over the center of the substrate. In some embodiments the substrate is rotated unidirectionally or bidirectionally during pre-wetting with multiple accelerations and decelerations, which facilitate removal of contaminants.

Abstract: Disclosed are pre-wetting apparatus designs and methods for cleaning solid contaminants from substrates prior to through resist deposition of metal. In some embodiments, a pre-wetting apparatus includes a process chamber having a substrate holder, and at least one nozzle located directly above the wafer substrate and configured to deliver pre-wetting liquid (e.g., degassed deionized water) onto the substrate at a grazing angle of between about 5 and 45 degrees. In some embodiments the nozzle is a fan nozzle configured to deliver the liquid to the center of the substrate, such that the liquid first impacts the substrate in the vicinity of the center and then flows over the center of the substrate. In some embodiments the substrate is rotated unidirectionally or bidirectionally during pre-wetting with multiple accelerations and decelerations, which facilitate removal of contaminants.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are grain refiner releasing devices for releasing a grain refiner compound into an electrolyte solution as it is flowed to a cathode chamber during an electroplating operation. In some embodiments, the devices may include a housing for flowing an electrolyte solution having a fluidic inlet and a fluidic outlet, a particle filter located within the housing configured to remove particles from the electrolyte solution as it flows within the housing from the fluidic inlet to the fluidic outlet, and a grain refiner holder located within the housing for holding the grain refiner compound and for contacting the grain refiner compound with the electrolyte solution as the electrolyte solution flows within the housing from the fluidic inlet to the fluidic outlet. Also disclosed herein are nickel electroplating systems including such grain refiner releasing devices and nickel electroplating methods employing grain refiner compounds.

Abstract: Disclosed are pre-wetting apparatus designs and methods for cleaning solid contaminants from substrates prior to through resist deposition of metal. In some embodiments, a pre-wetting apparatus includes a process chamber having a substrate holder, and at least one nozzle located directly above the wafer substrate and configured to deliver pre-wetting liquid (e.g., degassed deionized water) onto the substrate at a grazing angle of between about 5 and 45 degrees. In some embodiments the nozzle is a fan nozzle configured to deliver the liquid to the center of the substrate, such that the liquid first impacts the substrate in the vicinity of the center and then flows over the center of the substrate. In some embodiments the substrate is rotated unidirectionally or bidirectionally during pre-wetting with multiple accelerations and decelerations, which facilitate removal of contaminants.

Abstract: The embodiments herein relate to methods and apparatus for detecting whether unwanted metallic deposits are present on a bottom of a substrate holder used in an electroplating apparatus. The presence of such unwanted deposits is harmful to electroplating processes because the deposits scavenge current that is intended to cause electroplating on a substrate. When such current scavenging occurs, the electroplating results on the substrates are poor. For instance, features positioned near the edge of a substrate are likely to plate to an insufficient thickness. Further, where such current scavenging is great, the overall thickness of the material plated on the substrate may be too thin. As such, there is a need to detect when such unwanted deposits are present, such that plating under these poor conditions may be avoided. This detection will help preserve costly wafers.

Abstract: A holder-wafer conjugate, including a wafer in a wafer holder, is tilted so that the planar wafer surface makes a small angle with a plane parallel to the liquid surface of a liquid bath. Then, the holder-wafer conjugate is moved downward and a leading edge of the holder-wafer conjugate makes initial contact with the liquid surface of a liquid bath at a slow piercing speed to minimize generation of shock waves and bubbles. After a small portion of the holder-wafer conjugate is immersed in the liquid bath at a first pause location, the downward movement is stopped for a first pause time. After the first pause time, downward movement of the holder-wafer conjugate is resumed at a faster post-piercing speed until the wafer is fully immersed.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to methods and apparatus for electroplating a substantially uniform layer of a metal onto a work piece having a seed layer thereon. The total current of a plating cell is distributed among a plurality of anodes in the plating cell in order to tailor the current distribution in the plating electrolyte to compensate for resistance and voltage variation across a work piece due to the seed layer. Focusing elements are used to create “virtual anodes” in proximity to the plating surface of the work piece to further control the current distribution in the electrolyte during plating.