Patent ID: 8685221

Claim:
A method for void-free filling a metal or an alloy inside openings by electrochemical deposition (ECD), said method comprising steps of: (a) providing a substrate with at least one opening and a field surrounding the at least one opening, said at least one opening having surfaces, said substrate comprising an electrically conductive surface, said conductive surface comprising at least one surface of the at least one opening; (b) 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 comprises 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 said at least one inhibitor additive having concentrations; (c) providing agitation of the electrolyte across the surface of the substrate immersed in the electrolyte; and (d) applying electrical current between the at least one anode and the cathode to generate an average electroplating current density on the substrate; wherein the agitation, the concentrations of the metallic ions and the at least one inhibitor additive, and the average electroplating current density are such as to produce void-free, electrodeposited metallic filling of the at least one opening, and wherein a height of electrodeposited surface bumps, or transition steps or humps, or transition spikes is less than 140 nm.