Patent ID: 7368017

Claim:
An apparatus for depositing a planarizing layer over a wafer, comprising: a tank defined by a bottom and an enclosing wall, the tank being configured to contain an electroless plating solution; a wafer support structure disposed within the tank, the wafer support structure being configured to support a wafer at a submerged position within the electroless plating solution to be contained within the tank; a planar member disposed above and substantially parallel to the wafer support structure, the planar member capable of being positioned proximate to the wafer to be supported by the wafer support structure such that the planar member serves as an upper confinement boundary for material deposited on the wafer through electroless plating reactions; and a radiant energy source disposed above the planar member and above the wafer support structure, the radiant energy source being oriented to direct radiant energy through the planar member and to the wafer to be supported by the wafer support structure.