Kenneth Wayne Lowery

US Patent:

60174374, Jan 25, 2000

Filed:

Aug 22, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/916564

Inventors:

Chiu H. Ting - Saratoga CA
William H. Holtkamp - San Jose CA
Wen C. Ko - San Jose CA
Kenneth J. Lowery - San Dimas CA
Peter Cho - Los Angeles CA

Assignee:

Cutek Research, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

C25D 700
C25D 502
C25D 712
C25F 330

US Classification:

205 80

Abstract:

A processing chamber for depositing and/or removing material onto/from a semiconductor wafer when the wafer is subjected to an electrolyte and in an electric field. A hollow sleeve is utilized to form a containment chamber for holding the electrolyte. A wafer residing on a support is moved vertically upward to engage the sleeve to form an enclosing floor for the containment chamber. One electrode is disposed within the containment chamber while the opposite electrode is comprised of several electrodes distributed around the circumference of the wafer. The electrodes are also protected from the electrolyte when the support is raised and engaged to the sleeve. In one embodiment, the support and the sleeve are stationary during processing, while in another embodiment, both are rotated or oscillated during processing.