INTEGRATED PLATING AND PLANARIZATION APPARATUS HAVING A VARIABLE-DIAMETER COUNTERELECTRODE

An apparatus for plating and planarizing metal on a substrate includes a plurality of dispensing segments, each having at least one hole for dispensing electroplating solution onto the substrate. The dispensing segments form a circular counterelectrode and are movable with respect to each other during an electroplating process, so that the counterelectrode has a variable diameter. The electroplating solution is thus dispensed on an annular portion of the substrate having a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the counterelectrode; accordingly, the variable-diameter counterelectrode permits localized delivery of the plating solution to the substrate.