Plating apparatus, plating method and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides a plating apparatus which uses an insoluble anode and which can perform plating of a substrate stably while preventing oxygen gas, generated due to the use of the insoluble anode, from causing defects in the substrate. The plating apparatus includes: a substrate holder for holding a substrate; a cathode section including a seal ring for contacting a peripheral portion of a surface, to be plated, of the substrate held by the substrate holder to seal the peripheral portion water-tightly, and a cathode for contacting the substrate to supply current to the substrate; a vertically-movable electrode head provided above the cathode section, including an anode chamber housing an anode made of an insoluble material and having a bottom opening closed with a water-permeable porous member; a plating solution injection section for injecting a plating solution between the anode and the surface, to be plated, of the substrate held by the substrate holder; a power source for applying a plating voltage between the cathode and the anode; and a gas discharge line for discharging a gas from the anode chamber.

1 . A plating apparatus comprising: 
 a substrate holder for holding a substrate;    a cathode section including a seal ring for contacting a peripheral portion of a surface, to be plated, of the substrate held by the substrate holder to seal the peripheral portion water-tightly, and a cathode for contacting the substrate to supply current to the substrate;    a vertically-movable electrode head provided above the cathode section, including an anode chamber housing an anode made of an insoluble material and having a bottom opening closed with a water-permeable porous member;    a plating solution injection section for injecting a plating solution between the anode and the surface, to be plated, of the substrate held by the substrate holder;    a power source for applying a plating voltage between the cathode and the anode; and    a gas discharge line for discharging gas from the anode chamber.    
     
     
         2 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a control section for controlling an amount of the gas discharged through the gas discharge line.    
     
     
         3 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in the anode chamber;    wherein the control section controls the amount of the gas discharged through the gas discharge line based on an output of the pressure sensor.    
     
     
         4 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 an integrator for integrating an electric current flowing between the cathode and the anode;    wherein the control section controls the amount of the gas discharged through the gas discharge line based on an output of the integrator.    
     
     
         5 . A plating method comprising: 
 providing in a plating cell an anode and a plating solution impregnated material disposed above the anode, and filling the plating cell with a plating solution so that the plating solution impregnated material is immersed in the plating solution;    bringing a downwardly-facing surface, to be plated, of a substrate into contact with the plating solution on the plating solution impregnated material; and    applying a voltage between the anode and the surface, to be plated, of the substrate, thereby carrying out plating of the surface, to be plated.    
     
     
         6 . The plating method according to  claim 5 , wherein a contact member is provided on the upper surface of the plating solution impregnated material, and plating is carried out while keeping the surface, to be plated, of the substrate in contact with the upper surface of the contact member.  
     
     
         7 . The plating method according to  claim 6 , wherein the operation of applying a voltage between the surface, to be plated, of the substrate and the anode while keeping the surface, to be plated, of the substrate in contact with the upper surface of the contact member, and the operation of detaching the surface, to be plated, of the substrate from the upper surface of the contact member are repeated.  
     
     
         8 . The plating method according to  claim 5 , wherein the substrate is allowed to rotate or make a scroll movement while the surface, to be plated, of the substrate is kept in contact with the plating solution.  
     
     
         9 . The plating method according to  claim 5 , wherein the plating solution is supplied into the plating cell from below the plating solution impregnated material, and the plating solution is passed through the plating solution impregnated material and supplied to above the plating solution impregnated material.  
     
     
         10 . The plating method according to  claim 5 , wherein the plating solution is supplied from above the plating solution impregnated material onto the upper surface of the plating solution impregnated material.  
     
     
         11 . A plating apparatus comprising: 
 an anode disposed in a plating cell;    a plating solution impregnated material disposed above the anode;    a plating solution supply section for supplying and filling a plating solution into the plating cell until the plating solution reaches to above the plating solution impregnated material; and    a substrate holder for holding a substrate with its surface, to be plated, facing downwardly;    wherein the surface, to be plated, of the substrate held by the substrate holder is brought into contact with the plating solution above the plating solution impregnated material to carry out plating of the surface, to be plated.    
     
     
         12 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 a contact member having a flat upper surface as a contact surface, provided above the plating solution impregnated material; and    a holder drive mechanism for repeating the operation of bringing the surface, to be plated, of the substrate held by the substrate holder into contact with the contact surface of the contact member and the operation of detaching the surface, to be plated, from the contact surface of the contact member.    
     
     
         13 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the holder drive mechanism includes a mechanism for vertically moving the substrate holder, and a mechanism for allowing the substrate holder to rotate or make a scroll movement.  
     
     
         14 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the plating solution supply section includes a plating solution supply pipe for supplying the plating solution into the plating cell from below the anode, and a plating solution supply pipe for supplying the plating solution to above the plating solution impregnated material.  
     
     
         15 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein a filter is provided between the anode and the plating solution impregnated material.  
     
     
         16 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising: 
 a vertically-movable substrate holder for supporting a substrate in a horizontal position and detachably holding the substrate; and    a positioning guide disposed such that it surrounds the circumference of the substrate holder;    wherein the positioning guide has a tapered surface which, when the substrate supported horizontally by the substrate holder is lowered or raised, contacts the peripheral end surface of the substrate to position the substrate with respect to the substrate holder.    
     
     
         17 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the positioning guide is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the tapered surface contacts the peripheral end surface of the substrate over substantially the entire circumference of the peripheral end surface to position the substrate with respect to the substrate holder.  
     
     
         18 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein an electrode for contacting a peripheral portion of the substrate held by the substrate holder to supply current to the substrate, and a seal ring for pressure-contacting a peripheral portion of the substrate to seal the peripheral portion are provided above the substrate holder.  
     
     
         19 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the seal ring is composed of a composite material comprising a metal covered with a rubber.  
     
     
         20 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the substrate holder is designed to hold the substrate by vacuum attraction.  
     
     
         21 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein a temperature control section for controlling the temperature of the substrate holder is provided within the substrate holder.  
     
     
         22 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the temperature control section comprises a fluid flow passage for allowing a temperature-controlled heat medium to flow therein.  
     
     
         23 . A substrate processing method comprising: 
 lowering or raising a substrate supported horizontally by a substrate holder and bringing a peripheral end surface of the substrate into contact with a tapered surface of a positioning guide, disposed such that it surrounds the substrate holder, to position the substrate with respect to the substrate holder; and    holding the substrate by the substrate holder.    
     
     
         24 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 23 , wherein the tapered surface of the positioning guide is brought into contact with the peripheral end surface of the substrate over substantially the entire circumference of the peripheral end surface to position the substrate with respect to the substrate holder.  
     
     
         25 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 23 , wherein the substrate held by the substrate holder is raised so as to bring an electrode into contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate to supply current to the substrate, and bring a seal ring into pressure contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate to seal the peripheral portion.  
     
     
         26 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 25 , wherein the seal ring is composed of a composite material comprising a metal covered with a rubber.  
     
     
         27 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 23 , wherein the substrate is held by the substrate holder by vacuum attraction.  
     
     
         28 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 23 , wherein the temperature of the substrate is controlled.  
     
     
         29 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 28 , wherein the temperature of the substrate holder is controlled by allowing a temperature-controlled heat medium to flow within the substrate holder.