Patent ID: 7247563

Claim:
A method for void-free filling a metal or an alloy inside openings by electrochemical deposition (ECD), said method comprising steps of: providing a substrate with at least one opening and a field surrounding the at least one opening, said at least one opening having a bottom and sidewalls surfaces, said substrate comprising an electrically conductive surface, said conductive surface comprising at least the bottom surface of the at least one opening; immersing the substrate in an electrolyte contained in an electrochemical deposition (ECD) cell, the ECD cell comprising at least one anode and a cathode, wherein the cathode comprising at least a portion of the conductive surface of the substrate, and wherein the electrolyte comprises plating metallic ions and at least one inhibitor additive, said metallic ions and at least one inhibitor additive having concentrations; providing agitation of the electrolyte across the surface of the substrate immersed in the electrolyte, wherein the agitation of the electrolyte comprises moving one or more wiping blades, or one or more wiping pads, or one or more wiping brushes, relative to the substrate and/or moving the substrate relative to one or more wiping brushes, or relative to one or more wiping pads, or relative to one or more wiping blades, said agitation having a strength; and applying electrical current between the at least one anode and the cathode to generate an average electroplating current density of at least 20 mA/cm 2 ; wherein the strength of the agitation and the concentration of the metallic ions are adequate to provide void-free filling of the at least one opening.