Apparatus for managing a plating liquid

Abstract

The concentration of a leveler in a plating liquid that is used by a plating apparatus for filling metal such as copper in interconnection trenches and holes defined in the surface of a semiconductor substrate or the like is determined based on a peak area (Ar value) in a peel-off region of the plating liquid measured according to a CV or CVS process.

1 - 2 . (canceled)  
   
   
       3 . An apparatus for managing the components of a plating liquid in a plating apparatus which immerses a substrate to be plated in the plating liquid in a plating tank to plate a surface of the substrate, the apparatus having a plating liquid sampling device for sampling a predetermined amount of the plating liquid at a predetermined interval, an automatic analyzing device for automatically analyzing the components of the plating liquid sampled by the plating liquid sampling device, and a component replenishing liquid supply device for supplying component replenishing liquids comprising the components of the plating liquid, wherein the component replenishing liquids are supplied to the plating liquid based on analyzed results from said automatic analyzing device and/or the number of substrates to be plated and a quantity of electricity consumed to plate the substrates for thereby managing the components of the plating liquid, characterized in that the component replenishing liquids comprise a standard liquid, a plurality of solutions of a basic liquid with a plurality of different additives added thereto, sulfuric acid, and hydrochloric acid, either wholly or partly, and the component replenishing liquids are supplied by the component replenishing liquid supply device to the plating liquid for thereby individually replenishing and managing the components of the plating liquid.  
   
   
       4 . An apparatus according to  claim 3 , comprising: a plating liquid adjusting tank, separate from said plating tank, for supplying the component replenishing liquids to said plating liquid.