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  Electroless plating apparatus and electroless plating methodUSPTO Application #: 20060037858Title: Electroless plating apparatus and electroless plating method Abstract: A plate is placed near a substrate held by a substrate holding section. A treating liquid is ejected from a treating liquid ejecting section, thereby plating the substrate electrolessly. The treating liquid flows through the gap between the substrate and the plate. Therefore a flow of the treating liquid occurs on the substrate. As a result, a fresh treating liquid can be supplied onto the substrate. Thus, a plating film can be formed very uniformly on the substrate even if the amount of treating liquid is small. (end of abstract) Agent: Oblon, Spivak, Mcclelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C. - Alexandria, VA, US Inventors: Yoshinori Marumo, Miho Jomen, Takayuki Komiya, Hiroshi Sato, Gishi Chung USPTO Applicaton #: 20060037858 - Class: 204297070 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Chemistry: Electrical And Wave Energy, Apparatus, Electrolytic, Elements, Electrode Support Or Work Holder, Workpiece Rack, Adjustable The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060037858. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to an electroless plating apparatus and an electroless plating method. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] In a fabrication of a semiconductor device, there is performed a formation of a wiring on a semiconductor substrate. [0003] Along with a recent trend of high integration of semiconductor devices, miniaturization of the wiring has been progressed and fabrication technique thereof has been accordingly developed. For example, as a method for forming a copper wiring, there has been utilized a dual damascene method wherein a copper seed layer is formed by a sputtering and a groove is buried by an electroplating to form a wiring and an interlayer connection. In this method, it is difficult to perform the electroplating on a surface to be coated where the seed layer is not formed. [0004] Meanwhile, as a plating method wherein the seed layer is not required, there is an electroless plating method. In the electroless plating method for forming a coating by a chemical reduction, the formed coating acts as a self-catalyst, so that the coating made of a wiring material can be formed continuously. In accordance with the electroless plating, it is unnecessary to form the seed layer in advance (or it is unnecessary to form the seed layer all over the surface), and there is a reduced concern for non-uniformity in a film thickness when forming the seed layer (particularly, step coverage in a recess and protrusion). [0005] Further, there have been disclosed technologies of an electroless plating, as described below (see references 1 and 2). [0006] Reference 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. 2001-73157 (FIG. 1 on page 4) [0007] Reference 2: Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. 2001-342573 (FIGS. 2 and 3 on pages 4 and 5) SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] In the electroless plating, the plating solution is made of many chemicals, so that a composition thereof is likely to be changed. Therefore, the plating solution becomes unstable and the life span thereof gets shortened. Further, the deposition rate of the coating in the electroless plating is generally lower than that in the electroplating, and the film forming rate and the characteristic of the coating to be formed are likely to be changed depending on process conditions such as temperature, composition ratio, flow velocity of the plating solution and the like. In the aforementioned references 1 and 2, since the electroless plating is performed while the plating solution is collected on the substrate, the characteristic of the plating solution is likely to be changed during the film formation. For the same reason, it is difficult to secure uniformity in a processing of a substrate while performing the electroless plating on the substrate. Further, since the amount of plating solution to be used per unit amount of deposition gets larger due to the instability of the plating solution as mentioned above, cost tends to increase. [0009] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an electroless plating apparatus and an electroless plating method capable of securing uniformity in a processing of a substrate even in case of using a small amount of processing solution. [0010] For achieving the object, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electroless plating apparatus, including: a substrate supporting unit for supporting a substrate; a plate disposed to face the substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit; a processing solution discharge unit, formed on a surface of the plate which faces the substrate, for discharging a processing solution; and a gap adjusting unit for changing a gap between the plate and the substrate. [0011] By discharging the processing solution from the processing solution discharge unit while the plate being disposed close to the substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit by the gap adjusting unit, it is possible to perform an electroless plating on the substrate. [0012] Since the processing solution flows through a gap formed between the substrate and the plate, the flow of the processing solution is generated on the substrate, and thus it is possible to reduce non-uniformity of concentration at an interface, in which a coating is deposited. As a result, it is possible to form a coating on the substrate very uniformly. Further, since the gap formed between the substrate and the plate is adjusted by the gap adjusting unit, a volume of the plating solution on the substrate can be controlled. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of the processing solution used by making small the gap. [0013] The term "processing solution" used herein contains at least liquid chemical for an electroless plating solution, and may contain a cleaning fluid and the like for use in pre-treatment and post-treatment of the electroless plating, if necessary. Namely, the term "the electroless plating apparatus" includes any of apparatus, which performs an electroless plating by using an electroless plating solution as a "processing solution", and additionally performs the pre-treatment or post-treatment of the electroless plating. [0014] Here, the electroless plating apparatus may further include a heating unit for heating the plate. [0015] Since the plate is heated, the uniformity in a temperature of the processing solution at the gap between the substrate and the plate can be readily secured. As a result, it is possible to further improve the uniformity in the coating formed on the substrate, to thereby significantly increase the deposition rate of the coating. [0016] The electroless plating apparatus may further include an inclination adjusting unit for changing inclinations of the substrate and the plate as a unit. [0017] Since the substrate is tilted, a gas staying in a space between the substrate and the plate is immediately removed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the non-uniformity in the coating, resulting from bubbles remaining on the substrate. Further, it is possible to rapidly remove a gas (e.g., hydrogen) generated during the formation of the coating from the space between the substrate and the plate. In this way, it is possible to reduce the non-uniformity in the coating, due to the bubbles of the processing solution. [0018] The electroless plating apparatus may further include a solution supply unit for supplying a processing solution to the plate after adjusting the temperature thereof. [0019] By heating the processing solution in advance, it is possible to further improve the uniformity in a temperature thereof. [0020] Here, the solution supply unit may supply the processing solution in turn. By supplying plural processing solutions in turn, it is possible to perform various processes of the substrate. For example, by supplying liquid chemicals for an electroless plating, it is possible to form plural coatings on the substrate. Further, by using as a processing solution a liquid for use in the pre-treatment or the post-treatment of the electroless plating, it is possible to continuously perform the electroless plating processing, the pre-treatment and the post-treatment thereof. As for specific examples of the pre-treatment and the post-treatment, there may be enumerated a cleaning processing of the substrate, an activating processing thereof and the like. [0021] The solution supply mechanism may have a processing solution producing unit for producing a processing solution by mixing plural chemicals. The amount of processing solution to be required is produced right before it being supplied by the processing solution producing unit, so that the processing solution can be stably supplied. As a result, the uniformity in the coating formed on the substrate can be further improved. 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