Processing cells for wafers and other planar articles

Abstract

A process cell for processing wafers and other planar articles, including a horizontally-transportable carrier for supporting a wafer in a substantially vertical orientation and an enclosure for housing the carrier and performing one or more processes to the wafer. The enclosure including a carrier inlet to allow the horizontal passage of a carrier into the process cell and a carrier outlet to allow the horizontal passage of a carrier to outside of the process cell. One embodiment of a process cell is configured to perform a pre- or post-treatment of a wafer, such as treating the wafer with acid solution and/or with de-ionized water. Another embodiment of the process cell is configured to perform electroplating of the wafer. Another process cell is configured to the process empty carriers, including the striping of undesired plating deposition on cathode contacts.

It is claimed:  
     
         1 . A process cell, comprising: 
 a horizontally-transportable carrier for supporting a planar article in a substantially vertical orientation situated at least partially within an enclosure;    said enclosure comprising a bottom wall and first and second side walls, wherein said first side wall includes a carrier inlet configured to pass horizontally through said carrier and said second side wall includes a carrier outlet configured to pass horizontally through said carrier;    and a fluid inlet to introduce a gas and/or a liquid for processing said planar article.    
     
     
         2 . The process cell of  claim 1 , wherein a first end of said carrier lies partially within and partially occluding said carrier inlet.  
     
     
         3 . The process cell of  claim 2 , wherein said first side wall further comprises an elongated groove situated adjacent to said carrier inlet on either side of said first end of said carrier and extending substantially vertical at least a portion of said carrier height.  
     
     
         4 . The process cell of  claim 3 , wherein said elongated groove comprises a radial surface formed within said first side wall.  
     
     
         5 . The process cell of  claim 1 , wherein a first end of said carrier lies partially within and partially occluding said carrier outlet.  
     
     
         6 . The process cell of  claim 5 , wherein said second side wall further comprises an elongated groove situated adjacent to said carrier inlet on either side of said first end of said carrier and extending substantially vertical at least a portion of said carrier height.  
     
     
         7 . The process cell of  claim 6 , wherein said elongated groove comprises a radial surface formed within said first side wall.  
     
     
         8 . The process cell of  claim 1 , further comprising a sump for receiving said liquid after contact with said planar article.  
     
     
         9 . The process cell of  claim 8 , wherein said sump comprises a sump inlet situated substantially below said carrier.  
     
     
         10 . The process cell of  claim 9 , wherein said carrier includes a pair of vertically-oriented flow guides to guide the flow of said liquids towards said sump inlet.  
     
     
         11 . The process cell of  claim 9 , wherein said sump includes a drain coupled to an automatic valve for selectively draining said liquid out of said sump.  
     
     
         12 . An electroplating process cell, comprising: 
 a horizontally-transportable carrier including a vertically-oriented mount for supporting a planar article in a substantially vertical orientation, wherein said carrier includes a cathode electrode for electrically connecting to said planar article;    a container comprising a bottom wall, and first, second, and third side walls, wherein said bottom includes a fluid inlet to introduce plating solution into said container, first side wall includes a carrier inlet configured to pass horizontally through said carrier, said second side wall includes a carrier outlet configured to pass horizontally through said carrier, and said third side wall includes an overflow opening; and    a vertically-oriented planar anode situated within and spaced apart from said carrier, wherein said planar anode and said mount are substantially coincident, and wherein said fluid inlet is configured to direct a flow of plating between said carrier and said anode.    
     
     
         13 . The electroplating process cell of  claim 12 , further comprising an overflow duct for guiding said plating solution exiting said overflow opening to a drain.  
     
     
         14 . The electroplating process cell of  claim 13 , further comprising a plating reservoir fluidly coupled to said drain.  
     
     
         15 . The electroplating process cell of  claim 14 , further comprising a pump system for generating the flow of plating solution from said plating reservoir to said container by way of said fluid inlet.  
     
     
         16 . The electroplating process cell of  claim 15 , wherein said pump system comprises: 
 a pump having an inlet coupled to said reservoir;    a filter fluidly coupled to said pump for filtering plating solution pumped from said plating reservoir;    a flow meter for generating a feedback signal indicative of the flow rate of said plating solution to said container;    a controller for generating a control signal that keeps said flow rate of said plating solution to said container within a desired specification; and    a speed control to control the speed of said pump in response to said control signal.    
     
     
         17 . The electroplating process cell of  claim 12 , wherein said anode further comprises a shield configured to modify an electrostatic field generated between said anode and said planar article.  
     
     
         18 . The electroplating process cell of  claim 12 , wherein said anode comprises a plurality of separately excitable sections.  
     
     
         19 . The electroplating process cell of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 a cathode rod that pivots about a fixed member, wherein said cathode rod includes a first end for making electrical contact to said cathode electrode on said carrier, and a second end; and    an actuator coupled to said second end of said cathode rod, wherein said actuator causes said cathode rod to pivot from a first position where said first end is not in electrical contact with said cathode electrode to a second position where said first end is in electrical contact with said cathode electrode.    
     
     
         20 . A cathode contact striping cell, comprising: 
 a horizontally-transportable carrier for supporting a planar article in a substantially vertical orientation situated at least partially within an enclosure, wherein said carrier includes a cathode contact tip;    said enclosure comprising a bottom wall and first and second side walls, wherein said first side wall includes a carrier inlet configured to pass horizontally through said carrier and said second side wall includes a carrier outlet configured to pass horizontally through said carrier; and    an internal chamber for supporting striping solution, wherein said internal chamber is fluidly coupled to a fluid inlet and an opening configured to receive said cathode contact tip for exposing said tip to said striping solution.    
     
     
         21 . The cathode contact striping cell of  claim 20 , wherein said bottom of said enclosure includes a drain for draining out used striping solution.  
     
     
         22 . The cathode contact striping cell of  claim 20 , wherein said cathode comprises a rotatable rod connected to said cathode contact tip for rotating said cathode contact tip from a retracted position where said cathode contact tip is not situated within said opening to an extended position where said cathode contact tip is situated within said opening; and further comprising an actuator for rotating said rotatable rod.