Abstract: A technique that ensures suppressing deterioration of a plating quality of a substrate caused by air bubbles accumulated on a lower surface of a membrane is provided. An air bubble removing method of a plating apparatus is an air bubble removing method for removing air bubble in an anode chamber 13 in a plating apparatus 1000 including a plating tank 10 and a substrate holder 30. The air bubble removing method includes: supplying a plating solution Ps from at least one supply port 70 disposed in an outer peripheral portion 12 of the anode chamber to the anode chamber and causing at least one discharge port 71 disposed in the outer peripheral portion of the anode chamber so as to face the supply port to suction the supplied plating solution to form a shear flow Sf of the plating solution along a lower surface on the lower surface 61a of a membrane 61 in the anode chamber.

Abstract: A plating method capable of saving a substrate in an event of a failure of a transporter, a plating tank, or other component when the substrate is being plated is disclosed. The plating method includes: transporting a plurality of substrates to a plurality of plating tanks, respectively, with a transporter; immersing the plurality of substrates in a plating solution held in the plurality of plating tanks to plate the plurality of substrates; detecting a failure that has occurred in the transporter or a post-processing tank; and replacing the plating solution in the plurality of plating tanks with a preservative liquid to thereby immerse the plurality of substrates in the preservative liquid.

Abstract: Provided is a plate that is arranged between a substrate and an anode in a plating tank. This plate has a plurality of circular pores on each one of at least three reference circles that are concentric with each other and that are different from each other in diameter. The plurality of circular pores include three circular pores that are arranged respectively on adjacent three of the at least three reference circles, and that have centers which are out of alignment with each other on an arbitrary radius on the plate.

Abstract: A plating device includes: an anode; a substrate holder which holds a substrate; a substrate contact which comes into contact with a peripheral edge portion of the substrate; a resistor which is disposed in a way of facing the substrate holder between the anode and the substrate holder, and is used for adjusting ion movement; and a rotation driving mechanism which causes the resistor and the substrate holder to relatively rotate. The resistor includes: a shielding region which forms an outer frame and shields the ion movement between the anode and the substrate; and a resistance region which is formed on the radially inner side of the shielding region, and has a porous structure allowing the passage of an ion. An outer diameter of the resistance region has an amplitude centering on an imaginary reference circle, and has a wave shape which is periodic and annularly continuous.

Abstract: A paddle capable of reducing an influence of blocking the electric field and capable of improving its mechanical strength is disclosed. The paddle, which is configured to agitate a processing liquid in a processing tank by moving in the processing tank, includes a plurality of agitating beams that form a honeycomb structure. The honeycomb structure has a plurality of hexagonal through-holes formed by the plurality of agitating beams.

Abstract: A plating system comprising a plating tank for applying plate processing to a substrate, a sensor configured to measure actual plating film thickness of the substrate, and a controller configured to control plating current supplied to the plating tank and plating time for the plate processing of the substrate within the plating tank. The controller is capable of setting target plating film thickness, plating current, and plating time as a plate processing recipe. At least one of the plating current and the plating time is automatically corrected so that the actual plating film thickness and the target plating film thickness become equal to each other, and the result is reflected in the plate processing for the subsequent substrate.

Abstract: A plating support system is provided and includes a simulator that predicts an in-plane uniformity value of a plating film formed on a substrate based on assumed conditions for an electroplating treatment of the substrate; a numerical analysis data storage unit that stores numerical analysis data in which each assumed condition is associated with the in-plane uniformity value for plural assumed conditions; a regression analysis unit that estimates a model that the in-plane uniformity value is an objective variable and variables of assumed conditions are explanatory variables by regression analysis based on the numerical analysis data; and an implement condition search unit that uses the estimated model to search for implement conditions that are recommended values of the assumed conditions related to the in-plane uniformity of the plating film formed in the electroplating treatment of the substrate to be plated.

Abstract: A plating apparatus according to the present disclosure includes an anode holder configured to hold an anode; a substrate holder placed opposite the anode holder and configured to hold a substrate; and an anode mask installed on a front face of the anode holder and provided with a first opening adapted to allow passage of an electric current flowing between an anode and the substrate. The diameter of the first opening in the anode mask is configured to be adjustable. When a first substrate is plated, a diameter of the first opening is adjusted to a first diameter. When a second substrate is plated, the diameter of the first opening is adjusted to a second diameter smaller than the first diameter.

Abstract: To suppress thicknesses of a plating film of dies adjacent to a portion in which patterns are not formed on a resist, and improve uniformity of a plated metal layer thickness in a substrate surface. A substrate holder according to the present invention has: a holding surface 57 for holding a substrate; a second holding member 60 configured to have an opening part 63 for exposing the holding surface 57, and to press the substrate placed on the holding surface 57 against the holding surface 57 to thereby hold the substrate; and a shielding plate 65 configured to protrude to an inside of the opening part 63 of the second holding member 60 in a radial direction and to shield a part of the holding surface 57. The shielding plate 65 is configured to be movable along the opening part 63.

Abstract: A paddle for agitating a plating solution by reciprocating parallel to a surface of a substrate is disclosed. The paddle includes a plurality of vertically-extending agitation rods. Each agitation rod includes: a planar portion perpendicular to a reciprocating direction of the paddle; two slope surfaces extending from side ends of the planar portion in directions closer to each other, the two slope surfaces being symmetric with respect to a center line of the agitation rod, the center line being perpendicular to the planar portion; and a tip portion connected with the two slope surfaces.

Abstract: A plating apparatus that reduces a terminal effect is provided. The plating apparatus is provided. The plating apparatus includes a substrate holder for holding a substrate as a plating object, an electric contact disposed on the substrate holder to apply a current to a substrate, and a plurality of anodes arranged to face the substrate holder. Each of the plurality of anodes has a long and thin shape. Each of the plurality of anodes is arranged such that a longitudinal direction of the anode is parallel to a surface of a substrate held onto the substrate holder and such that at least one end in the longitudinal direction of each of the anodes faces the electric contact of the substrate holder.

Abstract: In-plane uniformity of a membrane electroplated on a polygon substrate is improved. An electroplating device includes an anode holder configured to hold an anode, a substrate holder configured to hold a polygon substrate, and a regulation plate provided between the anode holder and the substrate holder. The regulation plate has a body portion having a first polygon opening following an outer shape of the polygon substrate, and wall portions protruding on a substrate holder side from edges of the first polygon opening. The wall portions protrude over a first distance on the substrate holder side in first regions which contain middle portions of sides of the first polygon opening, and are notched in second regions which contain corner portions of the first polygon opening, or protrude over a second distance smaller than the first distance on the substrate holder side.

Abstract: A paddle for agitating a plating solution by reciprocating parallel to a surface of a substrate is disclosed. The paddle includes a plurality of vertically-extending agitation rods. Each agitation rod includes: a planar portion perpendicular to a reciprocating direction of the paddle; two slope surfaces extending from side ends of the planar portion in directions closer to each other, the two slope surfaces being symmetric with respect to a center line of the agitation rod, the center line being perpendicular to the planar portion; and a tip portion connected with the two slope surfaces.

Abstract: A plating method for plating a substrate having resist opening portions is provided. The plating method includes a resist residue removing step of removing resist residues in the resist opening portions of the substrate by spraying first process liquid to a surface of the substrate on which the resist opening portions are formed, a liquid filling step of soaking the substrate passed through the removing step in second process liquid to fill the resist opening portions of the substrate with the second process liquid, and a plating step of plating the substrate passed through the liquid filling step.

Abstract: Provided is a plating apparatus for plating a substrate, which prevents deterioration of uniformity of plating film thickness caused by an oxide film created at an edge section of the substrate and/or an organic substance attached to the edge section of the substrate. The plating apparatus includes a plating bath for applying a voltage to the substrate set in a substrate holder to plate the substrate; and an edge section washing device that locally removes at least either of the organic substance and the oxide film present at the edge section of the substrate before the substrate is set in the substrate holder.

Abstract: A plating apparatus for plating a substrate is provided to reduce vibration of a paddle. The plating apparatus includes a plating bath configured to accommodate plating solution; a paddle that is arranged in the plating bath, and configured to move in a reciprocating direction along a surface of the substrate to stir the plating solution; a support member for supporting a first end portion of the paddle; a first magnet provided on the paddle; and a second magnet provided on the plating bath. The first magnet and the second magnet are configured to exert a magnetic force on each other so that a second end portion on an opposite side to the first end portion of the paddle is suppressed from vibrating in directions approaching and leaving the substrate while the paddle is moving.

Abstract: The present invention improves the hydrophilicity of a substrate surface, and suppresses variation in the degree of hydrophilicity with each substrate. A plating apparatus is provided that performs a plating process on a substrate having a resist pattern. This plating apparatus includes a pretreatment bath that performs hydrophilic treatment by bringing a pretreatment liquid into contact with a surface to be plated of the substrate, and a plating bath that performs a plating process on a substrate that has undergone the hydrophilic treatment. The pretreatment bath includes a pretreatment liquid supplying device that supplies the pretreatment liquid into the pretreatment bath, and an ultraviolet light irradiation device that irradiates ultraviolet light onto the surface to be plated of the substrate.

Abstract: A plating method for plating a substrate having resist opening portions is provided. The plating method includes a resist residue removing step of removing resist residues in the resist opening portions of the substrate by spraying first process liquid to a surface of the substrate on which the resist opening portions are formed, a liquid filling step of soaking the substrate passed through the removing step in second process liquid to fill the resist opening portions of the substrate with the second process liquid, and a plating step of plating the substrate passed through the liquid filling step.

Abstract: A plating method for plating a substrate by increasing a current value from a predetermined current value to a first current value is provided. The plating method plates the substrate for a first predetermined period with the first current value when a first current density corresponding to the first current value is lower than a limiting current density. This plating method includes measuring a voltage value applied to the substrate, and when the current value is increased from the predetermined current value to the first current value, determining whether the first current density is equal to or more than the limiting current density or not based on an amount of change in the voltage value.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides techniques for determining plating conditions by numerically analyzing a film-thickness distribution. The disclosed techniques comprise performing electrochemical measurement in an electroplating apparatus; determining electrochemical parameters based on a result of the electrochemical measurement; receiving initial plating conditions for performing a plating process; based on the electrochemical parameters and the initial plating conditions, determining a current density distribution on a surface of a substrate based on a function formula which comprises a variable which represents a position on the substrate; based on the current density distribution, calculating a thickness of a film to be plated on the substrate; and performing the plating process based on final plating conditions corresponding to a calculated film-thickness distribution satisfying a desired film-thickness distribution.