Electroprocessing workpiece contact assemblies, and apparatus with contact assemblies for electroprocessing workpieces

Abstract

Contact assemblies and machines with contact assemblies for electroprocessing workpieces are disclosed herein. The contact assemblies include a support member and a contact member coupled to the support member. The support member includes an inner wall defining an opening configured to receive a workpiece. The contact member includes a mounting section connected to the support member and a plurality of contacts projecting from the mounting section. The individual contacts include a cantilevered segment projecting inwardly and downwardly to center a workpiece and a tip segment projecting inwardly and upwardly to provide electrical contact with the centered workpiece.

1 . A workpiece holder for holding a workpiece and providing electrical contact to the workpiece in an electroprocessing system to apply an electrical potential to a workpiece when the workpiece is positioned in a processing position, the workpiece holder comprising: 
 (a) a workpiece backing member axially extendable relative to a support member for moving a workpiece from a loading position to a processing position along a loading path; and    (b) a contact assembly including, 
 the support member defining an opening for receiving a workpiece; and  
 a plurality of contacts arranged around the perimeter of the support member opening and connected to the support member, each individual contact consisting of a cantilevered segment projecting into the support member opening at an acute angle relative to the loading path so as to be contacted by a perimeter edge of the workpiece as the workpiece is moved to the processing position, and a tip segment integral with and projecting from the cantilevered segment so as to contact and support the workpiece when the workpiece is moved to the processing position, the cantilevered segments being so constructed and arranged to guide and center the workpiece as the workpiece is moved by the workpiece backing member to the processing position, and the tip segments being so constructed and arranged to provide tip edges that electrically contact the workpiece at the processing position.  
   
   
   
       2 . The workpiece holder of  claim 1  wherein the cantilevered segments are integral with a contact mounting section and the contact mounting section is fastened to the support member.  
   
   
       3 . The workpiece holder of  claim 1  wherein the contact assembly further comprises several mounting sections aligned end-to-end and fastened to the support member, and each of the mounting sections have several integral contacts.  
   
   
       4 . The workpiece holder of  claim 1  wherein the cantilevered segments project at an acute angle of between about 30 degrees to 60 degrees relative to the loading path.  
   
   
       5 . The workpiece holder of  claim 1  wherein the cantilevered segments have a trapezoidal planar profile that tapers from a wider base to a narrower outer end, and the tip segments extend from the cantilevered segment outer ends.  
   
   
       6 . The workpiece holder of  claim 1  wherein each tip segment extends approximately perpendicular to the integral cantilevered segment.  
   
   
       7 . The workpiece holder of  claim 1  wherein the cantilevered segments do not contact the workpiece when the workpiece is in the processing position.  
   
   
       8 . The workpiece holder of  claim 1  wherein the support member has an electrically conductive inner wall defining the opening, and wherein the cantilevered segments are integral with a contact mounting section and the contact mounting section is fastened to the support member inner wall.  
   
   
       9 . The workpiece holder of  claim 8  wherein the individual contacts have a first width at a junction between the mounting section and the cantilevered segments and a second width at a junction between the cantilevered and tip segments, and wherein the first width is greater than the second width such that adjacent tip segments are separated from one another.  
   
   
       10 . The workpiece holder of  claim 1  for use in an electroplating operation wherein the cantilevered segments flex during loading of the workpiece onto the tip segments such that retraction of the workpiece backing member causes the tip edges of the tip segments to break loose from an electroplated workpiece surface created in the electroplating operation.  
   
   
       11 . The workpiece holder of  claim 1  further comprising a skirt ring attached to the support member and extending therefrom so as to extend beyond the contacts when the workpiece is removed from the contacts.  
   
   
       12 . The workpiece holder of  claim 11  wherein the support member and skirt ring are provided with fluid drain apertures for draining electroprocessing fluid away from the workpiece during processing.  
   
   
       13 . A contact assembly for use in an electrochemical processing system to apply an electrical potential to a microfeature workpiece, the contact assembly comprising: 
 a support member having an inner wall defining an opening configured to receive the workpiece along a loading path; and    a plurality of contacts coupled to the support member, the individual contacts including a cantilevered segment and a tip segment integral with and projecting from the cantilevered segment, the cantilevered segment projecting inwardly in a first direction along the loading path, the tip segment projecting inwardly in a second direction along the loading path, the first direction being opposite the second direction, wherein the individual contacts are in electrical communication with each other independent of the position of the workpiece.    
   
   
       14 . The contact assembly of  claim 13  for use in an electroplating operation wherein the cantilevered segments flex during loading of the workpiece onto the tip segments such that retraction of a workpiece backing member causes tip edges of the tip segments to break loose from an electroplated workpiece surface created in the electroplating operation.  
   
   
       15 . The contact assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising an outer dielectric member projecting in the first direction from the support member.  
   
   
       16 . The contact assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising a contact member having a mounting section attached to the inner wall of the support member and the plurality of contacts projecting from the mounting section, wherein the mounting section and the contacts are integral components of the contact member.  
   
   
       17 . The contact assembly of  claim 13 , further comprising a contact member having a mounting section attached to the inner wall of the support member and the plurality of contacts projecting from the mounting section, wherein the individual contacts have a first width at a junction between the mounting section and the cantilevered segments and a second width at a junction between the cantilevered and tip segments, and wherein the first width is greater than the second width such that the distance between the cantilevered segments of adjacent contacts is less than the distance between the tip segments of adjacent contacts.  
   
   
       18 . A reactor for electroprocessing of workpieces, the reactor comprising: 
 a vessel for holding an electroprocessing fluid;    a plurality of electrodes disposed relative to the vessel and dielectrically separated from one another to provide an electrical potential in the vessel;    a head assembly movable relative to the vessel between a load/unload position and a processing position, and including a workpiece backing member axially extendable relative to a support member for moving a workpiece from a loading position to a processing position along a loading path; and    a contact assembly carried by the head assembly, the contact assembly comprising 
 the support member defining an opening for receiving the workpiece; and  
 a plurality of contacts arranged around the perimeter of the support member opening and connected to the support member, each individual contact consisting of a cantilevered segment projecting into the support member opening at an acute angle relative to the loading path so as to be contacted by a perimeter edge of the workpiece as the workpiece is moved to the processing position, and a tip segment integral with and projecting from the cantilevered segment so as to contact and support the workpiece when the workpiece is moved to the processing position, the cantilevered segments being so constructed and arranged to guide and center the workpiece as the workpiece is moved by the workpiece backing member to the processing position, and the tip segments being so constructed and arranged to provide tip edges that electrically contact the workpiece at the processing position.  
   
   
   
       19 . The reactor of  claim 18  wherein the cantilevered segments are integral with a contact mounting section and the contact mounting section is fastened to the support member.  
   
   
       20 . The reactor of  claim 18  wherein contact assembly further comprises several mounting sections aligned end-to-end and fastened to the support member, and each of the mounting sections have several integral cantilevered segments.  
   
   
       21 . The reactor of  claim 18  wherein the cantilevered segments project at an acute angle of between about 30 degrees to 60 degrees relative to the loading path.  
   
   
       22 . The reactor of  claim 18  wherein the cantilevered segments have a trapezoidal planar profile that tapers from a wider base to a narrower outer end, and the tip segments extend from the cantilevered segment outer ends.  
   
   
       23 . The reactor of  claim 18  wherein each tip segment extends approximately perpendicular to the integral cantilevered segment.  
   
   
       24 . The reactor of  claim 18  wherein the cantilevered segments do not contact the workpiece when the workpiece is in the processing position.  
   
   
       25 . The reactor of  claim 18  wherein the support member has an electrically conductive inner wall defining the opening, and wherein the cantilevered segments are integral with a contact mounting section and the contact mounting section is fastened to the support member inner wall.  
   
   
       26 . The reactor of  claim 18  for use in an electroplating operation wherein the cantilevered segments flex during loading of the workpiece onto the tip segments such that retraction of the workpiece backing member causes tip edges of the tip segments to break loose from an electroplated workpiece surface created in the electroplating operation.  
   
   
       27 . The reactor of  claim 18  further comprising a lift/rotate assembly configured to rotate the head assembly from an upwardly facing disposition for receiving the workpiece to a downwardly facing disposition for placing the workpiece in the vessel for electroprocessing.  
   
   
       28 . An electroprocessing apparatus comprising: 
 (a) a cabinet having an interior region within which workpieces may be processed;    (b) a plurality of workpiece processing stations located within the interior region, at least one of such stations comprising a reactor for electroprocessing of workpieces, the reactor comprising: 
 a vessel for holding an electroprocessing fluid;  
 a plurality of electrodes disposed relative to the vessel and dielectrically separated from one another to provide an electrical potential in the vessel;  
 a head assembly movable relative to the vessel between a load/unload position and a processing position, and including a workpiece backing member axially extendable relative to a support member for moving a workpiece from a loading position to a processing position along a loading path; and  
 a contact assembly carried by the head assembly, the contact assembly comprising 
 the support member defining an opening for receiving the workpiece; and  
 a plurality of contacts arranged around the perimeter of the support member opening and connected to the support member, each individual contact consisting of a cantilevered segment projecting into the support member opening at an acute angle relative to the loading path so as to be contacted by a perimeter edge of the workpiece as the workpiece is moved to the processing position, and a tip segment integral with and projecting from the cantilevered segment so as to contact and support the workpiece when the workpiece is moved to the processing position, the cantilevered segments being so constructed and arranged to guide and center the workpiece as the workpiece is moved by the workpiece backing member to the processing position, and the tip segments being so constructed and arranged to provide tip edges that electrically contact the workpiece at the processing position;  
 
   (c) a load/unload station for delivering workpieces to the interior region and for receiving workpieces from the interior region; and    (d) a workpiece transfer for delivering workpieces to and from processing stations in the interior region.    
   
   
       29 . The electroprocessing apparatus of  claim 28  wherein the processing stations include at least one workpiece cleaning station.  
   
   
       30 . The electroprocessing apparatus of  claim 28  wherein the processing stations include at least one workpiece etching station.