Patent ID: 8518224

Claim:
A plating apparatus, comprising: a lower chamber comprising a plurality of anode zones separated by a plurality of insulation shields; wherein each anode zone forms an anode electrolyte circulation; an upper chamber comprising a plurality of cathode zones separated by said plurality of insulation shields; wherein the cathode electrolyte circulation within each cathode zone is independently controlled; a gas bubble collector having pleated channels of v-shaped or inverted v-shaped cross-sections, being placed between the lower chamber and the upper chamber, wherein the gas bubble collector collects bubbles, forces them to coalesce, and guides the coalesced bubble to move out of the apparatus; a flow dispersing device, being placed at the top of the upper chamber; a substrate holder, being placed above said flow dispersing device for holding substrate and conducting electrical current to the substrate; a power supply with a plurality of independently controlled channels; an electrolyte flow control devices for controlling electrolyte flows within the zones of the chambers; a plurality of flow distribution sub-system for distributing electrolyte flows into the chambers.