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  Apparatus and method for plating solution analysisUSPTO Application #: 20060201813Title: Apparatus and method for plating solution analysis Abstract: A method and apparatus for analyzing plating solutions. The apparatus generally includes a plating cell, a reference electrolyte input, one or more external additive pumps, and a process controller. In one embodiment, the plating cell includes a cavity therein having a larger volumetric portion adjacent a smaller volumetric portion adapted to hold one or more solutions therein. The plating cell also includes a base disposed adjacent the bottom of the plating cell and adapted to receive and mix one or more test solutions as part of the plating solution analysis. In one configuration, the base includes electrical ports adapted to connect stimulation signals to a working electrode, counter electrode, and reference electrode disposed within the cell. The base also includes a thermal sensor in thermal contact with test solutions contained within the vessel. (end of abstract)
Agent: Patterson & Sheridan, LLP - Houston, TX, US Inventors: Todd Alan Balisky, Donald A. Cameron, Zhi-Wen Sun USPTO Applicaton #: 20060201813 - Class: 205080000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Electrolysis: Processes, Compositions Used Therein, And Methods Of Preparing The Compositions, Electrolytic Coating (process, Composition And Method Of Preparing Composition) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060201813. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/287,901, filed Nov. 4, 2002 (APPM/006884). The aforementioned related patent application is herein incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] Embodiments of the invention generally relate to an apparatus and method for conducting chemical analysis of substrate plating solutions. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Metallization of sub-quarter micron sized features is a foundational technology for present and future generations of integrated circuit manufacturing processes. More particularly, in devices such as ultra large scale integration-type of devices, i.e., devices having integrated circuits with more than a million logic gates, the multilevel interconnects that lie at the heart of these devices are generally formed by filling high aspect ratio interconnect features with a conductive material, such as copper or aluminum, for example. Conventionally, deposition techniques such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and physical vapor deposition (PVD) have been used to fill interconnect features. However, as interconnect sizes decrease and aspect ratios increase, efficient void-free interconnect feature fill by conventional deposition techniques becomes increasingly difficult. As a result thereof, plating techniques, such as electrochemical plating (ECP) and electroless plating, for example, have emerged as viable processes for filling sub-quarter micron sized high aspect ratio interconnect features in integrated circuit manufacturing processes. [0006] In an ECP process, for example, sub-quarter micron sized high aspect ratio features formed into the surface of a substrate may be efficiently filled with a conductive material, such as copper. ECP plating processes are generally two stage processes, wherein a seed layer is first formed over the surface and features of the substrate, and then the surface and features of the substrate are exposed to a plating solution, while an electrical bias is simultaneously applied between the substrate and an anode positioned within the plating solution. The plating solution is generally rich in ions to be plated onto the surface of the substrate, and therefore, the application of the electrical bias causes these ions to be reduced and thereby plated onto the seed layer. Furthermore, the plating solution generally contains organic additives, such as, for example, levelers, suppressors, and accelerators configured to control the plating distribution throughout the plating process. These additives are generally maintained within narrow tolerances, so that the repeatability of the plating operation may be maintained. [0007] Conventional ECP systems generally utilize a cyclic voltammetric stripping (CVS) process to determine the organic additive concentrations in the plating solution. More particularly, three electrodes, a working electrode, a counter electrode, and a reference electrode, are immersed in a cell having a plating solution to be measured therein. The reference electrode and the working electrode are typically connected to a device for measuring the electrical potential difference between the respective electrodes. The reference electrode generally consists of three components, a half-cell electrode, a half-cell electrolyte, and a reference junction. As used herein, the term "half-cell electrode" generally refers to a solid phase, electron-conducting contact within the half-cell electrolyte, at which contact a half-cell oxidation-reduction reaction occurs that establishes a stable potential between the half-cell electrolyte and the working electrode. Direct physical, and therefore electrical contact between the half-cell electrolyte and the sample plating solution is established through the reference junction, which usually consists of a porous ceramic, glass, or plastic plug (e.g. frit), or other device capable of achieving a fluid mechanical leak having pores large enough to allow equal transport of anions and cations. The reference junction is necessary to establish electrical contact with the plating solution, and therefore, the working electrode. Conventionally, the potential of the working electrode is swept through a voltammetric cycle that includes both a metal plating range and a metal stripping range. The potential of the working electrode is swept through at least two reference baths of non-plating quality, and an additional bath where the quality or concentration of organic additives therein is unknown. In this process, an integrated or peak current used during the metal stripping range may be correlated with the quality of the non-plating bath. As such, the integrated or peak current may be compared to the correlation of the non-plating bath, and the quality of the unknown plating bath determined therefrom. The amount of metal deposited during the metal plating cycle and then re-dissolved into the plating bath during the metal stripping cycle generally correlates to the concentration of particular organics in the plating solution. CVS methods generally observe the total copper ions reduced on an electrode over a predetermined potential range. Inasmuch as accelerators or brighteners counteract the suppressors to increase the plating rate, their quantities may be determined from observation using standard addition or dilution titration techniques. [0008] Generally, measured quantities of additives are injected from the top of the cell into the plating solution using syringes or tubes for testing the plating solution. Unfortunately, as test volumes may vary from a few milliliters to several hundred milliliters, the cell size must be changed accordingly to accommodate the differing test volumes. Further, as tubes or syringes are used to inject the additives into the plating solutions, it is difficult to accurately inject a microliter or less of the additives into the plating solutions as the volume of the additives must be large enough to be dispensed as a droplet. Micro amounts of additives may be injected by immersing the tube tips into the plating solution. However, residual additives contained within the tubes may diffuse out into the reference bath during the test and contaminate the measurement. Accordingly, due to the potential variation of additives due to the imprecise injections, a plating solution under test may be incorrectly analyzed and therefore cause a plating problem that may affect several batches of substrates affecting the plating throughput, and may ultimately increase the cost of production. [0009] As such, there is a need for an efficient and cost effective apparatus and method for plating solution analysis. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] Embodiments of the invention generally provide an apparatus for analyzing one or more solutions used in a plating process. In one embodiment, the invention provides an apparatus for analyzing plating solutions, wherein the apparatus includes a vessel defining a cavity having a larger volumetric portion adjacent a smaller volumetric portion. Generally, the larger and smaller volumetric portions are adapted to hold solutions. The apparatus further includes a rotating electrode disposed within the cavity, and a fluid injection apparatus coupled to a bottom portion of the vessel adjacent the smaller volumetric region, wherein the fluid injection apparatus is adapted to inject one or more fluids into at least some of the one or more solutions. [0011] In another embodiment, the invention provides an apparatus for analyzing plating solutions used in a substrate plating process. The apparatus includes a vessel defining a cavity adapted to hold the plating solutions, a rotatable working electrode extending at least partially within the cavity, and a motor disposed on top of the vessel and adapted to rotate the working electrode. The apparatus further includes a base coupled to a lower portion of the cavity adjacent a bottom portion of the vessel, wherein the base includes a plurality of fluid ports for coupling fluids from external fluid sources to the cavity. The base further includes a connection member having an upper surface in communication with at least a portion of the cavity, and a fluid junction disposed within the upper surface of the connection member and adapted to combine fluids from the plurality of fluid ports with one or more test solutions. The apparatus further includes a counter electrode disposed parallel to and higher than the working electrode. The apparatus also includes a reference electrode disposed within the base and adapted to couple reference electrolyte fluid to one or more solutions, and a process controller in communication with the system to control the analysis process thereof. [0012] In another embodiment, the invention provides a system for analyzing one or more plating solutions used in a substrate plating process. The system-includes a plating cell disposed on a frame having a base thereon. The plating cell includes a conical cavity portion adjacent the base. The base is adapted to couple a plurality of solutions to the plating cell. The system further includes a motor coupled to the plating cell and adapted to rotate a working electrode therein, and a plurality of pumps disposed on the frame and in fluidic communication with the base. The system further includes a heat exchanger disposed on the plating cell and adapted to control temperatures of the one or more plating solutions, and a process controller coupled to at least one of the plating cell, heat exchanger, and pumps, wherein the controller is adapted to control the plating cell, the heat exchanger, and the pumps. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0013] So that the manner in which the above recited features of the invention are attained can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention, and are therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. [0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a plating solution analysis apparatus for use with aspects of the invention. [0015] FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a plating cell for use with aspects of the invention. [0016] FIG. 2B illustrates a partial side view of a heat exchanger of FIG. 2A. [0017] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment of a plating cell base. [0018] FIG. 4 illustrates a diagrammatic view of one embodiment of a reference electrode configuration for use with aspects of the invention. [0019] FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a simplified view of one embodiment of a heat exchanger used with aspects of the invention. [0020] FIG. 6 illustrates one type of stimulation waveform for use with aspects of the invention. Continue reading... Full patent description for Apparatus and method for plating solution analysis Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Apparatus and method for plating solution analysis patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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