Electroless plating apparatus and method

Abstract

An electroless plating solution includes a first liquid chemical containing a metal salt and a second liquid chemical containing a reducing agent. In respective liquid chemical supply lines, liquid chemical opening/closing units are installed in the vicinity of a junction therebetween, and at the same time, a plating solution opening/closing unit is provided in the vicinity of an discharge opening in supply line of an electroless plating solution after the first and the second liquid chemical are joined together. A plating solution in the supply line disposed between these opening/closing units corresponds to a discharge amount needed for a plating processing of about one time. Further, both of the liquid chemicals are mixed together only during the time period between the time when a plating processing on one substrate has been started and the time when a plaiting processing is to start on a following substrate.

1 . An electroless plating apparatus, comprising: 
 a substrate supporting unit for supporting a substrate at a substantially horizontal position;    a first liquid chemical supply line for supplying a first liquid chemical therethrough;    a first liquid chemical supply source communicating with an upstream end of the first liquid chemical supply line;    a first liquid chemical opening/closing unit, installed in the vicinity of a downstream end of the first liquid chemical supply line, for controlling a flow of the first liquid chemical;    a second liquid chemical supply line for supplying a second liquid chemical therethrough;    a second liquid chemical supply source communicating with an upstream end of the second liquid chemical supply line;    a second liquid chemical opening/closing unit, installed in the vicinity of a downstream end of the second liquid chemical supply line, for controlling a flow of the second liquid chemical;    an electroless plating solution supply line, communicating with the downstream ends of the first and the second liquid chemical supply line, for supplying an electroless plating solution therethrough, which is formed by mixing the first and the second liquid chemical together, to supply same to a top surface of the substrate;    a supply line temperature control unit for adjusting a temperature of a plating solution in the electroless plating solution supply line;    a plating solution opening/closing unit, installed in the vicinity of a downstream end of the electroless plating solution supply line as a discharge opening thereof, for controlling a flow of the electroless plating solution; and    a control unit for controlling the first liquid chemical opening/closing unit, the second liquid chemical opening/closing unit and the plating solution opening/closing unit to supply the electroless plating solution to the top surface of the substrate,    wherein a volume in the electroless plating solution supply line surrounded by the first liquid chemical opening/closing unit, the second liquid chemical opening/closing unit and the plating solution opening/closing unit corresponds to a discharge amount required for performing an electroless plating processing on one substrate.    
   
   
       2 . The electroless plating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an upper temperature controller facing the top surface of the substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit, and at the same time, being made to be larger than an effective area of the substrate, the upper temperature controller having in a bottom surface thereof a discharge opening of the electroless plating solution supply line; and    a moving mechanism for relatively moving the upper temperature controller between a processing position for filling a space between the upper temperature controller and the top surface of the substrate with an electroless plating solution and a waiting position far away from the processing position.    
   
   
       3 . The electroless plating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the upper temperature controller has therein a circulation chamber of a temperature control fluid, and 
 wherein the entire electroless plating solution supply line is disposed in the circulation chamber of the upper temperature controller such that the supply line temperature control unit adjusts a temperature of an electroless plating solution by a heat exchange between the temperature control fluid and the electroless plating solution.    
   
   
       4 . The electroless plating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the upper temperature controller has therein a circulation chamber of a temperature control fluid, and 
 wherein, in the first and the second liquid chemical supply line, parts thereof filled with liquid chemicals that will subsequently fill the electroless plating solution supply line are disposed in the circulation chamber of the upper temperature controller.    
   
   
       5 . The electroless plating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second liquid chemical supply line have temperature control units for controlling temperatures of parts thereof filled with liquid chemicals that will subsequently fill the electroless plating solution supply line.  
   
   
       6 . The electroless plating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and the second liquid chemical opening/closing unit are also used as one liquid chemical opening/closing unit.  
   
   
       7 . The electroless plating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising flow rate adjusting units for adjusting flow rates of the first and the second liquid chemical, respectively.  
   
   
       8 . The electroless plating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a lower temperature controller, disposed to face the bottom surface of the substrate, having a substrate temperature control unit for adjusting a temperature of the substrate.  
   
   
       9 . The electroless plating apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the substrate temperature control unit adjusts a temperature of the substrate by filling a space between the lower temperature controller and the substrate with a fluid, a temperature of which is adjusted in the lower temperature controller.  
   
   
       10 . An electroless plating method using the electroless plating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first liquid chemical is a solution containing a metal salt of a plating metal, and the second liquid chemical is a solution containing a reducing agent as an electron supply source.  
   
   
       11 . An electroless plating method using the electroless plating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein opening and closing operations of the first liquid chemical opening/closing unit, the second liquid chemical opening/closing unit and the plating solution opening/closing unit are simultaneously carried out.  
   
   
       12 . An electroless plating method using the electroless plating apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the supply line temperature control unit and the upper temperature controller are adjusted at a plating process temperature.  
   
   
       13 . An electroless plating method using the electroless plating apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the supply line temperature control unit and the temperature control units installed in the first and the second liquid chemical supply line are adjusted at a plating process temperature.  
   
   
       14 . An electroless plating method using the electroless plating apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the supply line temperature control unit and the substrate temperature control unit are adjusted at a plating process temperature.