公开(公告)号：US20240247393A1

公开(公告)日：2024-07-25

申请号：US18016301

申请日：2021-10-14

Applicant: EBARA CORPORATION

Inventor： Kazuhito TSUJI

IPC: C25D13/20 ,  C25D21/12

CPC classification number: C25D13/20 ,  C25D21/12

Abstract: Provided is a pre-wet process method by which a pre-wet process can be effectively performed on a substrate without affecting throughput. The pre-wet process method for performing the pre-wet process before performing a plating process on a substrate in a plating apparatus is provided. The pre-wet process method includes a step of calculating a maximum process time in a pre-wet module based on a rate limiting step of limiting a rate of a process in the whole plating apparatus, a step of calculating a minimum moving speed of the nozzle head in the pre-wet module based on the calculated maximum process time, and a step of moving the nozzle head at a speed equal to or more than the calculated minimum moving speed to supply a pre-wet liquid to the plate surface of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20240254648A1

公开(公告)日：2024-08-01

申请号：US18016647

申请日：2022-02-16

Applicant: EBARA CORPORATION

Inventor： Yusui GOTO ,  Kazuhito TSUJI ,  Mizuki NAGAI

IPC: C25D17/00 ,  C25D21/12

CPC classification number: C25D17/007 ,  C25D21/12

Abstract: Provided are a plating apparatus and the like capable of improving the uniformity of a plating film formed on a substrate. The plating apparatus includes a plating tank, a substrate holder for holding a substrate, an anode holder disposed in the plating tank to face the substrate held in the substrate holder, the anode holder being configured to hold a soluble anode, an anode mask attached to the anode holder, the anode mask having an opening through which a current flowing between the anode and the substrate passes, an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust an opening dimension of the anode mask, and a controller that controls the adjustment mechanism based on an amount of electrolysis in the anode while the anode is in use.

公开(公告)号：US20180291521A1

公开(公告)日：2018-10-11

申请号：US15947317

申请日：2018-04-06

Applicant: EBARA CORPORATION

Inventor： Kazuhito TSUJI ,  Mizuki NAGAI

IPC: C25D17/06 ,  C25D21/08 ,  C25D17/00 ,  B08B3/08

Abstract: The agitation of the plating solution may result in spattering of the plating solution. It have been found that the spattered plating solution can be attached even to portions that are not originally brought into contact with the plating solution in the plating apparatus. There is provided an electroplating apparatus for plating a substrate using a substrate holder, the electroplating apparatus comprising at least one bath for storing the substrate, the substrate holder being provided with a hanger shoulder, and a holder contact, and wherein the electroplating apparatus being provided with a cleaning/drying part provided on at least one side of the bath, the cleaning/drying part being provided for cleaning and/or drying at least one of the hanger shoulder, the holder contact and a contact provided to the bath.

公开(公告)号：US20250075363A1

公开(公告)日：2025-03-06

申请号：US17923558

申请日：2021-11-04

Applicant: EBARA CORPORATION

Inventor： Kazuhito TSUJI ,  Kentaro YAMAMOTO

IPC: C25D17/06 ,  B05B13/02 ,  B08B3/02 ,  B08B13/00 ,  H01L21/02

Abstract: A substrate is efficiently cleaned.
A plating module 400 includes: a plating tank 410 configured to accommodate a plating solution; a substrate holder 440 configured to hold a substrate Wf with a surface to be plated Wf-a facing downward; a rotation mechanism 446 configured to rotate the substrate holder 440; an inclination mechanism 447 configured to incline the substrate holder 440; and a substrate cleaning member 472 for cleaning the surface to be plated Wf-a of the substrate Wf held by the substrate holder 440. The substrate cleaning member 472 is configured to discharge a cleaning liquid to the surface to be plated Wf-a of the substrate Wf rotated by the rotation mechanism 446 from a position corresponding to a lower end toward a position corresponding to an upper end of the substrate Wf inclined by the inclination mechanism 447.

公开(公告)号：US20240218553A1

公开(公告)日：2024-07-04

申请号：US17923080

申请日：2021-06-04

Applicant: EBARA CORPORATION

Inventor： Masashi SHIMOYAMA ,  Yasuyuki MASUDA ,  Kazuhito TSUJI ,  Ryosuke HIWATASHI

IPC: C25D21/12 ,  C25D5/02 ,  C25D17/00 ,  C25D17/06 ,  C25D21/10

CPC classification number: C25D21/12 ,  C25D5/022 ,  C25D17/008 ,  C25D17/06 ,  C25D21/10

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a plating apparatus capable of improving uniformity of a plating film formed on a substrate. The plating apparatus includes a plating tank, a substrate holder that holds a substrate, an anode disposed, in the plating tank, facing the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a film thickness measuring module including a sensor that detects a parameter related to a plating film formed on a surface to be plated of the substrate, the film thickness measuring module measuring a film thickness of the plating film based on a detection value of the sensor during a plating treatment.

公开(公告)号：US20240209542A1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-27

申请号：US17802447

申请日：2021-12-06

Applicant: EBARA CORPORATION

Inventor： Kazuhito TSUJI ,  Mizuki NAGAI

IPC: C25D21/10 ,  C25D21/04

CPC classification number: C25D21/10 ,  C25D21/04

Abstract: Provided is a technique that allows removing gas bubbles attached to a hole of an ionically resistive element.
A plating method includes: stirring a plating solution by driving a paddle arranged above the ionically resistive element in a state where an anode and the ionically resistive element are immersed in the plating solution (step S20); immersing a substrate as a cathode in the plating solution in a state where the stirring of the plating solution with the paddle is stopped (step S40); resuming the stirring of the plating solution with the paddle arranged above the ionically resistive element and below the substrate in a state where the substrate is immersed in the plating solution (step S50); and performing a plating process on the substrate by flowing electricity between the substrate and the anode in a state where the stirring of the plating solution with the paddle is resumed (step S60).

公开(公告)号：US20240183058A1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-06

申请号：US17781356

申请日：2021-09-10

Applicant: EBARA CORPORATION

Inventor： Kazuhito TSUJI

IPC: C25D21/08 ,  C25D21/10

CPC classification number: C25D21/08 ,  C25D21/10

Abstract: Provided is a technique that allows suppressing an entrance of a large amount of a rinse solution into a plating solution in a plating tank.
A plating apparatus 1000 includes a rinse module 40 configured to perform a rinse process. The rinse module includes: a rinse nozzle 41 configured to discharge the rinse solution to a member to be rinsed 25 while the rinse process is performed; a blow nozzle 42 disposed below the rinse nozzle and blowing out a gas such that the gas crosses a space between the plating tank and a substrate holder 20 while the rinse process is performed; and a collection member 50 disposed at downstream of the gas blown out from the blow nozzle and collecting the rinse solution dropping from the member to be rinsed and entrained in a flow of the gas blown out from the blow nozzle.

公开(公告)号：US20180209062A1

公开(公告)日：2018-07-26

申请号：US15878267

申请日：2018-01-23

Applicant: EBARA CORPORATION

Inventor： Mizuki NAGAI ,  Kazuhito TSUJI ,  Takashi KISHI ,  Toshiki MIYAKAWA ,  Masashi SHIMOYAMA ,  Jumpei FUJIKATA

IPC: C25D17/08 ,  C25D17/00 ,  C25D21/12 ,  H01L21/687

Abstract: A resistance measuring module for measuring electric resistance of a substrate holder is provided. The substrate holder has an electric contact configured to feed a current to a held substrate and contactable with the substrate. The substrate holder is able to hold a testing substrate for measurement of electric resistance of the substrate holder, and is configured such that the electric contact comes into contact with the testing substrate in a state where the testing substrate is held. The resistance measuring module includes: a test probe contactable with the testing substrate held in the substrate holder; and a resistance measuring instrument for measurement of a resistance value between the electric contact and the probe via the testing substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20250034745A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-30

申请号：US18282765

申请日：2022-08-09

Applicant: EBARA CORPORATION

Inventor： Kazuhito TSUJI

IPC: C25D17/02 ,  C25D17/00 ,  C25D17/06 ,  C25D21/10 ,  C25D21/14

Abstract: A plating apparatus includes a plating tank configured to store a plating solution, a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate as a target on which a plating process is performed, a rotation mechanism that rotates the substrate holder, an elevating/lowering mechanism that elevates and lowers the substrate holder, and a control device, and the substrate holder includes a contact member configured to contact the substrate to be able to supply power to the substrate, a sealing member configured to seal a gap between the substrate holder and the substrate, a liquid holding portion including the contact member inside, and being configured to be able to hold liquid when the gap between the substrate holder and the substrate is sealed with the sealing member, and a spout port that is configured to open into the liquid holding portion or a space communicating with the liquid holding portion inside the substrate holder, or that can be disposed on a side of the substrate holder, to spout the liquid.

公开(公告)号：US20250011966A1

公开(公告)日：2025-01-09

申请号：US18275879

申请日：2022-08-02

Applicant: EBARA CORPORATION

Inventor： Kazuhito TSUJI ,  Kentaro YAMAMOTO

IPC: C25D21/10 ,  C25D5/34 ,  C25D17/06 ,  C25D21/08 ,  C25D21/12

Abstract: A plating method is a plating method for performing a plating process of a substrate with a plating apparatus including a substrate holder including a contact member that conductively contacts the substrate, and includes a step of rotating the substrate holder at a first rotation speed while the substrate holder is tilted, a step of performing discharging of liquid toward the substrate holder rotating at the first rotation speed to supply the liquid to the contact member, a step of stopping the discharging of the liquid, a step of starting decrease of tilt of the substrate holder to a horizontal position concurrently with or within a predetermined time before or after stopping the discharging of the liquid, a step of rotating the substrate holder at a second rotation speed higher than the first rotation speed while the substrate holder is at the horizontal position, and a step of performing the plating process on the substrate after the substrate is attached to the substrate holder.