Apparatus and method for supplying plating solution to plating tank, plating system, powder container, and plating method

Abstract

An improved apparatus for adding powder comprising at least a metal, such as copper, to a plating solution, and supplying the plating solution to a plating tank is disclosed. The apparatus includes a hopper having an inlet which is connectable to a powder conduit of a powder container holding the powder therein, a feeder which communicates with a bottom opening of the hopper, a motor coupled to the feeder, and a plating-solution tank coupled to an outlet of the feeder and configured to dissolve the powder in the plating solution.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for supplying a plating solution, in which powder comprising at least a metal to be used in plating has been dissolved, to a plating tank, comprising:
 a hopper having an inlet which is connectable to a powder conduit of a powder container holding the powder therein;   a feeder which communicates with a bottom opening of the hopper;   a motor coupled to the feeder; and   a plating-solution tank coupled to an outlet of the feeder and configured to dissolve the powder in the plating solution.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a weight measuring device configured to measure a weight of the hopper and the feeder; and   an operation controller configured to control an operation of the motor based on a change in a measured value of the weight.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the operation controller is configured to calculate an amount of the powder added to the plating solution from a change in the measured value of the weight, and instruct the motor to operate until the amount of the added powder reaches a target value. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the inlet of the hopper has a connecting seal whose inner diameter gradually decreases with a distance from a distal end of the inlet. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the connecting seal is composed of an elastic material. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an airtight chamber in which the inlet of the hopper is located, the airtight chamber including a door which allows the powder container to be carried into the airtight chamber, and a glove which constitutes part of a wall of the airtight chamber.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the airtight chamber further includes an exhaust port for connecting an interior space to a negative-pressure source. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein a vibrating device capable of vibrating the powder container is disposed in the airtight chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein a vacuum clamp capable of holding the powder container is disposed in the airtight chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the plating-solution tank includes an agitation device for agitating the plating solution. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the plating-solution tank includes an agitation tank in which the agitation device is disposed, and an overflow tank coupled to a through-hole formed in a lower portion of the agitation tank. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the plating-solution tank further includes a detour passage located adjacent to the overflow tank. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the plating-solution tank further includes a plurality of baffle plates disposed in the overflow tank, the plurality of baffle plates being staggered. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an enclosure cover that surrounds connection portions of the feeder and the plating-solution tank; and   an inert-gas supply line which communicates with an interior of the enclosure cover.   
     
     
         15 . A plating system comprising:
 a plurality of plating tanks each for plating a substrate;   a plating-solution supply apparatus including
 (i) a hopper having an inlet which is connectable to a powder conduit of a powder container holding therein powder comprising at least a metal to be used in plating of the substrate, 
 (ii) a feeder which communicates with a bottom opening of the hopper, 
 (iv) a motor coupled to the feeder, and 
 (v) a plating-solution tank coupled to an outlet of the feeder and configured to dissolve the powder in a plating solution; and 
   a plating-solution supply pipe extending from the plating-solution supply apparatus to the plating tanks.   
     
     
         16 . The plating system according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a plating-solution return pipe extending from the plating tanks to the plating-solution supply apparatus.   
     
     
         17 . A method of supplying powder, comprising at least a metal to be used in plating, to a plating solution, comprising:
 coupling a powder conduit of a powder container, holding the powder therein, to an inlet of a hopper;   supplying the powder from the powder container to the hopper;   operating a feeder which communicates with a bottom opening of the hopper while measuring a weight of the feeder and the hopper in which the powder is stored; and   adding the powder to the plating solution by the feeder based on a change in a measured value of the weight.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 agitating the plating solution to which the powder has been added.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 calculating an amount of the powder added to the plating solution from a change in the measured value of the weight; and   operating the feeder until the amount of the added powder reaches a target value.   
     
     
         20 . A powder container for holding powder comprising at least a metal to be used in plating, comprising:
 a container body capable of holding the powder therein;   a powder conduit coupled to the container body; and   a valve attached to the powder conduit.   
     
     
         21 . The powder container according to  claim 20 , wherein a distal end of the powder conduit has a shape of a truncated cone. 
     
     
         22 . A method of plating a substrate, comprising:
 delivering a plating solution from a plating tank to a plating-solution tank;   calculating an amount of powder to be added to the plating solution held in the plating-solution tank based on a metal ion concentration in the plating solution in the plating tank, the powder comprising at least a metal to be used in plating;   supplying the powder to the plating solution held in the plating-solution tank;   dissolving the powder in the plating solution held in the plating-solution tank;   supplying the plating solution, in which the powder has been dissolved, from the plating-solution tank to the plating tank;   bringing a substrate into contact with the plating solution held in the plating tank; and   causing an electrochemical reaction in the plating solution held in the plating tank to deposit the metal on a surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein the plating tank comprises a plurality of plating tanks, and wherein the plating solution is supplied from the plating-solution tank to each of the plating tanks while controlling a flow rate of the plating solution. 
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 22 , wherein:
 the plating tank comprises a plurality of plating tanks, and a metal ion concentration in the plating solution in the plurality of plating tanks is continually monitored; and   when the metal ion concentration has become lower than a predetermined value, the plating solution in the plating tanks is delivered to the plating-solution tank, while the plating solution in the plating-solution tank is supplied to one of the plurality of plating tanks.   
     
     
         25 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a computer program for performing a method of electroplating a substrate, the method comprising:
 delivering a plating solution from a plating tank to a plating-solution tank;   supplying powder to the plating solution held in the plating-solution tank, the powder comprising at least a metal to be used in plating;   dissolving the powder in the plating solution held in the plating-solution tank;   supplying the plating solution, in which the powder has been dissolved, from the plating-solution tank to the plating tank;   bringing a substrate into contact with the plating solution held in the plating tank; and   causing an electrochemical reaction in the plating solution held in the plating tank to deposit the metal on a surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         26 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a computer program for performing a method of electroplating a substrate, the method comprising:
 monitoring whether a concentration of metal ions contained in a plating solution in a plating tank is lower than a predetermined value;   calculating an amount of powder to be added to the plating solution when the concentration of metal ions is lower than the predetermined value, the powder comprising at least a metal;   delivering the plating solution from the plating tank to a plating-solution tank;   supplying the powder to the plating solution held in the plating-solution tank until an amount of the added powder reaches the calculated amount;   dissolving the powder in the plating solution held in the plating-solution tank;   supplying the plating solution, in which the powder has been dissolved, from the plating-solution tank to the plating tank;   bringing a substrate into contact with the plating solution held in the plating tank; and   causing an electrochemical reaction in the plating solution held in the plating tank to deposit the metal on a surface of the substrate.