Apparatus and method for controlling plating uniformity

The use of an insulating shield for improving the current distribution in an electrochemical plating bath is disclosed. Numerical analysis is used to evaluate the influence of shield shape and position on plating uniformity. Simulation results are compared to experimental data for nickel deposition from a nickel-sulfamate bath. The shield is shown to be an effective and simple way to improve current distribution uniformity, reducing the measured disparity between the average current density and the current density at center of a plating surface center from about 35% to less than about 10%.