Electroplating processor with wafer heating or cooling

Abstract

In electroplating a wafer, the front and/or back side of the wafer is heated or cooled during processing. The wafer may be in contact with a backing plate of an electroplating processor. The backing plate may be heated via electrical heaters, by radiant heaters, or via a heated liquid or gas. The backing plate may alternatively be cooled using electric coolers or cooled liquid or gas. The heated or cooled backing plate then heats or cools the back side of the wafer largely via conduction.

1 . A method for electroplating a wafer, comprising:
 moving a front side of a wafer into contact with an electrolyte;   passing electric current through the electrolyte and through a conductive film on the wafer; and   heating or cooling the wafer to a temperature different from the temperature of the electrolyte.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  comprising heating or cooling the back side of the wafer. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further including placing the wafer into a processor having a backing plate with the back side of the wafer in contact with the backing plate, and heating or cooling the wafer by heating or cooling the backing plate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  including heating the back side of the wafer by heating the backing plate via at least one electric resistive heater on or in the backing plate. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising heating or cooling the back side of the wafer by applying a fluid onto the back side of the wafer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  with the fluid comprising a heated or cooled liquid or gas. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2  comprising heating the back side of the wafer via at least one radiant heat source. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  comprising heating the back side of the wafer via direct impingement of radiant heat onto the back side of the wafer. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  comprising indirectly heating the back side of the wafer by heating a backing plate via the radiant heat source, with the backing plate conducting heat to the back side of the wafer. 
     
     
         10 . An electroplating apparatus comprising:
 a vessel holding an electrolyte;   at least one anode in the vessel;   a head having a rotor including a backing plate, with the head movable to position a wafer held in the rotor into the electrolyte;   a contact ring on the rotor electrically connected to the wafer and to a cathode; and   a thermal source in the head for heating or cooling a back side of the wafer.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  with the thermal source on or in the backing plate. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10  with the thermal source comprising a supply of heated or cooled liquid or gas supplied onto the back side of the wafer. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10  with the thermal source comprising at least one electrical resistance heater on or in the backing plate. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10  with the thermal source comprising a radiant heat source. 
     
     
         15 . An electroplating apparatus comprising:
 a vessel holding an electrolyte;   at least first anode in the vessel;   a head having a rotor including a backing plate, with the head movable to position a wafer held in the rotor into the electrolyte;   a contact ring on the rotor electrically connected to the wafer and to a cathode; and   at least one heater in the vessel positioned to heat the wafer.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  with a down-facing front side of the wafer facing the vessel, and with the at least one heater positioned to heat an up-facing back side of the wafer.