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A method and apparatus for electrochemically processing metal and barrier materials is provided. In one embodiment, a method for electrochemically processing a substrate includes the steps of establishing an electrically-conductive path through an electrolyte between an exposed layer of barrier mate

A method and apparatus for electrochemically processing metal and barrier materials is provided. In one embodiment, a method for electrochemically processing a substrate includes the steps of establishing an electrically-conductive path through an electrolyte between an exposed layer of barrier material on the substrate and an electrode, pressing the substrate against a processing pad assembly with a force less than about 2 psi, providing motion between the substrate and pad assembly in contact therewith and electrochemically removing a portion of the exposed layer during a first electrochemical processing step in a barrier processing station.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method for electroprocessing a substrate, comprising: establishing an electrically-conductive path through an electrolyte between an exposed layer of barrier material on the substrate and an electrode; pressing the substrate against a processing pad assembly with a force le

What is claimed is: 1. A method for electroprocessing a substrate, comprising: establishing an electrically-conductive path through an electrolyte between an exposed layer of barrier material on the substrate and an electrode; pressing the substrate against a processing pad assembly with a force less than about 2 psi; providing motion between the substrate and pad assembly in contact therewith; detecting an endpoint of a first electrochemical processing step at or just prior to breakthrough of the exposed layer of barrier material; electrochemically processing the exposed layer of barrier material in a second electrochemical processing step in the barrier processing station; detecting an endpoint of the second electrochemical processing step; and electrochemically removing a portion of the exposed layer during the electrochemical processing steps in a barrier processing station. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of establishing a conductive path further comprises: flowing electrolyte from below the electrode through the processing pad assembly into contact with the substrate. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second electrochemical processing step further comprises: detecting a first endpoint; electroprocessing the substrate at a slower rate; and detecting a second endpoint indicative of residual barrier material being cleared from the substrate. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second electrochemical processing step further comprises: overpolishing the substrate after detection of the second endpoint. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of detecting the first endpoint further comprises: detecting a first discontinuity in a current passing between the substrate and the electrode. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of detecting the second endpoint further comprises: detecting a second discontinuity in the current passing between the substrate and the electrode. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing motion between the substrate and pad assembly further comprises: rotating the pad assembly at a rate less than about 50 revolutions per minute. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing motion between the substrate and pad assembly further comprises: rotating the substrate at a rate less than 50 revolutions per minute. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte further comprises a catalyst and at least one of sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, amino acid, organic amine, phthalic acid, organic carbolic acid, or picolinic acid or its derivatives. 10. A method for electroprocessing a substrate, comprising: establishing an electrically-conductive path through an electrolyte between an exposed layer of barrier material on the substrate and an electrode; pressing the substrate against a processing pad assembly with a force less than about 2 psi; providing motion between the substrate and pad assembly in contact therewith; electrochemically removing a portion of the exposed layer during a first electrochemical processing step in a barrier processing station disposed within an enclosure of a processing system; and removing, within the processing system, a conductive layer disposed over the barrier layer. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of removing further comprises: electrochemically processing the conductive layer. 12. The method of claim 11 further comprising: transferring the substrate between a first electrochemical processing station to the barrier processing station. 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the conductive layer is tungsten. 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the conductive layer is cooper. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the barrier material is at least one of ruthenium, titanium, titanium nitride, tantalum and tantalum nitride. 16. A method of electrochemically processing a substrate having an exposed conductive layer and an underlying barrier layer, comprising: establishing an electrically-conductive path through an electrolyte between the exposed layer of conductive material on the substrate and an electrode; electrochemically removing a portion of the exposed layer during a first electrochemical processing step in a first processing station; transferring the substrate to a barrier removal station; pressing the substrate against a processing pad assembly disposed in the barrier removal station with a force less than about 2 psi; establishing an electrically-conductive path through an electrolyte between the barrier layer and an electrode; and electrochemically processing the barrier layer. 17. The method of claim 16 further comprising: detecting an endpoint of the first electrochemical processing step at or just prior to breakthrough of the exposed layer of conductive material; electrochemically processing the exposed layer of conductive material in a second electrochemical processing step; and detecting an endpoint of the second electrochemical processing step. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second electrochemical processing step is performed in a second processing station. 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the barrier processing step further comprises: detecting an endpoint of a first electrochemical processing step at or just prior to breakthrough of the exposed layer of barrier material; electrochemically processing the exposed layer of barrier material in a second electrochemical processing step in the barrier processing station; and detecting an endpoint of the second electrochemical processing step. 20. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of establishing a conductive path in the barrier station further comprises: flowing electrolyte from below the electrode through the processing pad assembly into contact with the substrate. 21. The method of claim 19, wherein the second electrochemical processing step further comprises: overpolishing the substrate after detection of the second endpoint. 22. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of detecting the first endpoint further comprises: detecting a first discontinuity in a current passing between the substrate and the electrode. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of detecting the second endpoint further comprises: detecting a second discontinuity in the current passing between the substrate and the electrode. 24. The method of claim 16 further comprising: rotating the pad assembly in the barrier removal station at a rate less than about 50 revolutions per minute. 25. The method of claim 24 further comprising: rotating the substrate in contact with the pad assembly in the barrier removal station at a rate less than 50 revolutions per minute. 26. The method of claim 16, wherein the electrolyte in the barrier removal station further comprises a catalyst and at least one of sulfuric or phosphoric acid. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the electrolyte in the barrier removal station has a different composition than the electrolyte in the first processing station. 28. The method of claim 26, wherein the electrolyte in the barrier removal station includes abrasives. 29. A method of electrochemically processing a substrate having an exposed conductive layer and an underlying barrier layer comprising: disposing the substrate on a processing pad assembly in a first processing station of a processing system; establishing an electrically-conductive path through an electrolyte between the exposed layer of conductive material on the substrate and an electrode; providing a polishing motion between the processing pad assembly and the substrate in contact therewith; electrochemically removing a portion of the exposed layer during a first electrochemical processing step in the first processing station; detecting an endpoint of the first electrochemical processing step at or just prior to breakthrough of the exposed layer of conductive material; electrochemically processing the exposed layer of conductive material in a second electrochemical processing step; detecting an endpoint of the second electrochemical processing step; transferring the substrate to a barrier removal station; pressing the substrate against the processing pad assembly in the barrier removal station with a force less than 2 psi; establishing an electrically-conductive path through an electrolyte between the barrier layer and an electrode disposed in the barrier removal station; electrochemically removing a portion of the barrier layer during a first electrochemical barrier processing step in a barrier processing station; detecting an endpoint of the first electrochemical barrier processing step at or just prior to breakthrough of barrier material; electrochemically processing the barrier material in a second electrochemical barrier processing step in the barrier processing station; and detecting an endpoint of the second electrochemical processing step.