Ivan Rodriguez

US Patent:

20070181441, Aug 9, 2007

Filed:

Aug 4, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/462640

Inventors:

Nicolay Kovarsky - Sunnyvale CA, US
Aron Rosenfeld - Palo Alto CA, US
Michael Yang - Palo Alto CA, US
Ivan Rodriguez - San Jose CA, US

International Classification:

C25F 3/04
C25F 7/00

US Classification:

205646000

Abstract:

The present invention generally includes deposition and electropolishing methods and an apparatus comprising an electroplating cell and auxiliary cell. In one embodiment for electropolishing a substrate, a cycle is performed in which the substrate is alternately placed in an anolyte solution to remove material and a catholyte solution to deposit material. As the cycle is repeated successively, an exposed layer disposed on the substrate is planarized. In another embodiment, an auxiliary cell may be used to deposit the ultrathin seed layer prior to electroplating.

US Patent:

20050145499, Jul 7, 2005

Filed:

Mar 3, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/072473

Inventors:

Nicolay Kovarsky - Sunnyvale CA, US
You Wang - Cupertino CA, US
John Dukovic - Palo Alto CA, US
Ivan Rodriguez - San Jose CA, US

International Classification:

C25D005/18

US Classification:

205103000

Abstract:

A method and apparatus for plating a metal layer onto a substrate is provided. The plating apparatus includes two or more segments of an anode and an auxiliary electrode. The plating method includes a first stage of plating a thin metal seed uniformly in the center of the substrate and near the edges of the substrate before metal gap filling and bulk metal plating are performed. The thin metal seed is plated on the substrate surface by applying a current pulse provided by a first power supply and a second power supply which are in electrical communication in reverse polarity with one segment of the anode and the auxiliary electrode. Thereafter, gap filling of features is performed by applying a second current pulse where current is provided to all segments of the anode.