IP Library Granted Patent US 10,407,788
Granted Patent B2
US 10,407,788 · App. 15/756,755 · Granted Sep 10, 2019

Method for galvanic metal deposition

Inventors: Ray Weinhold (Berlin, DE); Uwe Kirbach (Berlin, DE)
Assignee: Atotech Deutschland GmbH
C25D5/08C25D7/12C25D17/001C25D17/06
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,407,788
App. No.
15/756,755
Granted
Sep 10, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

This invention concerns a method for galvanic metal deposition of a substrate using an anode and an electrolyte, wherein from each of a plurality of electrolyte nozzles a locally confined electrolyte stream is directed towards a part of a substrate surface which is to be treated, wherein a relative movement is carried out between the substrate and the electrolyte stream during deposition, characterized in that a first movement is carried out along a first path, wherein at least along a part of the first path a second movement is carried out along a second path, wherein the first and the second movement each are relative movements between the electrolyte stream and the substrate. Further, the invention concerns a substrate holder reception apparatus and an electrochemical treatment apparatus.

Claims (20)

1. Method for galvanic metal deposition of a substrate using an anode and an electrolyte, wherein from each of a plurality of electrolyte nozzles a locally confined electrolyte stream is directed towards a part of a substrate surface which is to be treated, wherein a relative movement is carried out between the substrate and the electrolyte stream during deposition, wherein

a first movement is carried out along a first path,

wherein at least along a part of the first path a second movement is carried out along a second path, and

wherein the first and the second movement each are relative movements between the electrolyte stream and the substrate,

wherein the first movement is non-continuous, wherein the second movement is carried out when the first movement is stopped,

wherein the first path comprises stop points (SP, SP 1 to SP 9 ) at which the first movement is stopped and then, at the stop points (SP, SP 1 to SP 9 ), the second movement is carried out, wherein the stop points (SP, SP 1 to SP 9 ) are arranged in a geometrical pattern, and

wherein the stop points (SP, SP 1 to SP 9 ) are arranged in rows and columns, such that the geometrical pattern is an array with rows and columns.

2. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that a second movement is carried out more than one time along the first path.

3. Method according to claim 2 , characterized in that the second path of a first execution of the second movement overlaps with the second path of a second execution of the second movement, wherein all second paths are overlapped by at least one other second path.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the array with rows and columns comprises a number of rows more than 2, a number of columns more than 2.

5. Method according to claim 4 wherein the number of rows is from 3 to 6 and the number of columns is from 3 to 6.

6. Method according to claim 4 wherein the number of columns and rows is the same such that the number of stop points is 4, 9, 16, 25 or 36.

7. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the first movement starts at a stop point (SP 1 ) which is not at a border of the pattern.

8. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that an outer contour of the pattern of the first movement is similar to an outer contour of the substrate surface which is to be treated.

9. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the second path of the second movement is a closed curve, wherein a maximum dimension of the closed curve is between 2 and 80 mm.

10. Method according to claim 9 wherein the closed curve is a circular, elliptical, rectangular or quadratic or otherwise polygonal curve.

11. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that after having carried out all first and second movements, a relative end position of the electrolyte stream and the substrate is the same as the relative beginning position of the first and second movements or the relative end position is a neighboring position to the relative beginning position.

12. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the first and the second movements are carried out by starting at the beginning of a predetermined time period, wherein a last movement ends with the end of the predetermined time, wherein the execution of first and second movements is repeated and ended at the end of the execution of all first and second movements along the first path, when time period has expired.

13. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the first path has a form that is different from the form of the second path.

14. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the method is carried out using a substrate holder reception apparatus for clamping a substrate holder in a substrate holder clamping direction (SHCD) in a predetermined position of the substrate holder and releasing the substrate holder, comprising at least one substrate holder connection device for mechanical aligning and electrically contacting of the substrate holder, wherein the substrate holder connection device comprises a separate substrate holder alignment device for aligning the substrate holder with the substrate holder connection device in an alignment direction, and a separate substrate holder contact device for electrically contacting the substrate holder.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 18, 2022
From: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: ATOTECH DEUTSCHLAND GMBH & CO. KG (F/K/A ATOTECH DEUTSCHLAND GMBH); ATOTECH USA, LLC
Reel/Frame 061521/0103 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 18, 2021
From: ATOTECH DEUTSCHLAND GMBH; ATOTECH USA, LLC
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055650/0093 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 1, 2018
From: WEINHOLD, RAY; KIRBACH, UWE
To: ATOTECH DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
Reel/Frame 045077/0783 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 15197885 · Dec 3, 2015 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180265999A1 · Sep 20, 2018