A METHOD AND A DEVICE FOR DEPOSITING OR REMOVING A LAYER ON/FROM A WORKPIECE, AN ANALYSIS METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ANALYSING AN EXPECTED LAYER THICKNESS, A METHOD FOR SETTING UP A DATABASE FOR SUCH AN ANALYSIS METHOD OR DEVICE, AS WELL AS SUCH A DATABAS

摘要

The invention relates, inter alia, to a method for depositing or removing a layer on/from a workpiece, wherein an electrolyte is present between said workpiece and at least one counter electrode and a potential difference is applied between said workpiece and said counter electrode for depositing or removing said layer. The deposition or removal is preceded by an analysis phase, in which an expected layer thickness of the layer to be deposited or removed is calculated on the basis of data from a database. During the analysis phase an expected potential distribution in the electrolyte near the workpiece is calculated, whilst an expected local potential difference between the electrolyte and the workpiece is calculated at least at a specific element on the workpiece. At least the layer thickness at at least one historic specific element stored in the database is retrieved in said database, of which historic specific element at least the local potential difference at least substantially corresponds to the expected local potential difference of the specific element provided on the workpiece, which layer thickness is regarded as the expected layer thickness at the specific element on the workpiece. Subsequently the expected layer thickness is compared to a desired layer thickness at the specific element, whereupon, if the difference between the expected layer thickness and the desired layer thickness exceeds a predetermined value, measures are taken to change the expected local potential difference at the specific element so that the layer thickness to be realised and the desired layer thickness substantially correspond.