Plating apparatus and operation method of plating apparatus

Abstract

To efficiently remove gas bubbles from an entire ionically resistive element. A plating apparatus includes a plating tank (410), a substrate holder (440), an anode (430), an ionically resistive element (450), an agitating member (480), and a driving mechanism (482). The plating tank (410) is configured to contain a plating solution. The substrate holder (440) is configured to hold a substrate (Wf) with a surface to be plated facing downward. The anode (430) is disposed in the plating tank (410). The ionically resistive element (450) is disposed between the substrate (Wf) and the anode (430). The agitating member (480) is disposed between the substrate (Wf) and the ionically resistive element (450). The driving mechanism (482) is configured to reciprocate the agitating member (480) along the surface to be plated of the substrate (Wf). The driving mechanism (482) is configured to perform a first gas-bubble removal operation to reciprocate the agitating member (480) around a first position and a second gas-bubble removal operation to reciprocate the agitating member (480) around a second position different from the first position, during a bubble removing process for removing gas bubbles attached to the ionically resistive element (450).

1 . A plating apparatus comprising:
 a plating tank configured to contain a plating solution;   a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate with a surface to be plated facing downward;   an anode disposed in the plating tank;   an ionically resistive element disposed between the substrate and the anode;   an agitating member disposed between the substrate and the ionically resistive element; and   a driving mechanism configured to reciprocate the agitating member along the surface to be plated of the substrate, wherein   the driving mechanism is configured to perform a first gas-bubble removal operation to reciprocate the agitating member around a first position and a second gas-bubble removal operation to reciprocate the agitating member around a second position different from the first position, during a bubble removing process for removing gas bubbles attached to the ionically resistive element.   
     
     
         2 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the driving mechanism is configured to perform an agitating operation to reciprocate the agitating member around a reference position passing through a center of the surface to be plated during a plating process on the surface to be plated of the substrate.   
     
     
         3 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the driving mechanism is configured to reciprocate the agitating member with a standard stroke during the agitating operation and to reciprocate the agitating member with a stroke for gas-bubble removal shorter than the standard stroke during the first gas-bubble removal operation and the second gas-bubble removal operation.   
     
     
         4 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a shielding member disposed within a range of reciprocation of the agitating member; and   a shielding mechanism configured to be able to move the shielding member between a shielding position between the ionically resistive element and the substrate and a retreated position away from between the ionically resistive element and the substrate, wherein   the agitating member has a cutout corresponding to a shape of the shielding member in a portion opposed to the shielding member, and   the driving mechanism is configured to perform a reference gas-bubble removal operation to reciprocate the agitating member around a reference position passing through a center of the ionically resistive element and a peripheral gas-bubble removal operation to reciprocate the agitating member around a position closer to the shielding member than the reference position, during the bubble removing process for removing the gas bubbles attached to the ionically resistive element.   
     
     
         5 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the driving mechanism is configured to perform a reference agitating operation to reciprocate the agitating member with a first stroke when the shielding member is in the shielding position and an extended agitating operation to reciprocate the agitating member with a second stroke longer than the first stroke when the shielding member is in the retreated position, during a plating process on the surface to be plated of the substrate.   
     
     
         6 . The plating apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the second stroke is a stroke in which a range of reciprocation of the agitating member is longer on a side of the shielding member than the first stroke.   
     
     
         7 . An operation method of a plating apparatus, comprising:
 a supply step of supplying a plating solution to a plating tank in which an ionically resistive element is disposed;   a first gas-bubble removing step of removing gas bubbles attached to the ionically resistive element by reciprocating an agitating member disposed above the ionically resistive element in the plating tank around a first position; and   a second gas-bubble removing step of removing gas bubbles attached to the ionically resistive element by reciprocating the agitating member around a second position different from the first position.   
     
     
         8 . The operation method of the plating apparatus according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 an immersing step of immersing a substrate with a surface to be plated facing downward in the plating solution in the plating tank;   a plating step of forming plating on the surface to be plated of the substrate; and   an agitating step of reciprocating the agitating member around a reference position passing through a center of the surface to be plated while performing the plating step.   
     
     
         9 . The operation method of the plating apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the agitating step reciprocates the agitating member with a standard stroke, and   the first gas-bubble removing step and the second gas-bubble removing step reciprocate the agitating member with a stroke for gas-bubble removal shorter than the standard stroke.   
     
     
         10 . The operation method of the plating apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein
 in a case where a shielding member is disposed within a range of reciprocation of the agitating member and a cutout corresponding to a shape of the shielding member is formed in a portion of the agitating member opposed to the shielding member,   the first gas-bubble removing step includes a reference gas-bubble removing step to reciprocate the agitating member around a reference position passing through a center of the ionically resistive element, and   the second gas-bubble removing step includes a peripheral gas-bubble removing step to reciprocate the agitating member around a position closer to the shielding member than the reference position.   
     
     
         11 . The operation method of the plating apparatus according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a shielding step of moving the shielding member between a shielding position between the ionically resistive element and the substrate and a retreated position away from between the ionically resistive element and the substrate while performing the plating step;   a reference agitating step of reciprocating the agitating member with a first stroke when the shielding member is in the shielding position; and   an extended agitating step of reciprocating the agitating member with a second stroke longer than the first stroke when the shielding member is in the retreated position.   
     
     
         12 . The operation method of the plating apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the second stroke is a stroke in which a range of reciprocation of the agitating member is longer on a side of the shielding member than the first stroke.