Abstract: Disclosed herein are lipseal assemblies for use in electroplating clamshells which may include an elastomeric lipseal for excluding plating solution from a peripheral region of a semiconductor substrate and one or more electrical contact elements. The contact elements may be structurally integrated with the elastomeric lipseal. The lipseal assemblies may include one or more flexible contact elements at least a portion of which may be conformally positioned on an upper surface of the elastomeric lipseal, and may be configured to flex and form a conformal contact surface that interfaces with the substrate. Some elastomeric lipseals disclosed herein may support, align, and seal a substrate in a clamshell, and may include a flexible elastomeric upper portion located above a flexible elastomeric support edge, the upper portion having a top surface and an inner side surface, the later configured to move inward and align the substrate upon compression of the top surface.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for reducing metal oxide surfaces to modified metal surfaces are disclosed. By exposing a metal oxide surface to a remote plasma, the metal oxide surface on a substrate is reduced. A remote plasma apparatus can treat the metal oxide surface as well as cool, load/unload, and move the substrate within a single standalone apparatus. The remote plasma apparatus includes a processing chamber and a controller configured to provide a substrate having a metal seed layer in a processing chamber, move the substrate towards a substrate support in the processing chamber, form a remote plasma of a reducing gas species, expose a metal seed layer of the substrate to the remote plasma, and expose the substrate to a cooling gas. In some embodiments, the remote plasma apparatus is part of an electroplating apparatus.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are lipseal assemblies for use in electroplating clamshells which may include an elastomeric lipseal for excluding plating solution from a peripheral region of a semiconductor substrate and one or more electrical contact elements. The contact elements may be structurally integrated with the elastomeric lipseal. The lipseal assemblies may include one or more flexible contact elements at least a portion of which may be conformally positioned on an upper surface of the elastomeric lipseal, and may be configured to flex and form a conformal contact surface that interfaces with the substrate. Some elastomeric lipseals disclosed herein may support, align, and seal a substrate in a clamshell, and may include a flexible elastomeric upper portion located above a flexible elastomeric support edge, the upper portion having a top surface and an inner side surface, the later configured to move inward and align the substrate upon compression of the top surface.