Patents Assigned to Ebara Corporation
  • Patent number: 11542625
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate, the substrate holder comprising: a first holding member; and a second holding member configured to hold the substrate between the first holding member and the second holding member, wherein the first holding member comprises: at least one substrate contact arranged to come into contact with the substrate; at least one seal member provided with a first seal portion configured to cover periphery of a leading end portion of one or a plurality of the substrate contacts; and at least one bus bar electrically connected with the one or plurality of substrate contacts and provided with one or a plurality of first through holes to receive the first seal portion, wherein the leading end portion of the one or plurality of substrate contacts is arranged to pass through the first through hole from a side opposite to the second holding member toward the second holding member and is fixed to the bus bar in a state that the periphery of the leading end port
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Matsutaro Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 11542624
    Abstract: Provided is a technique that can suppress remaining of air bubbles on a lower surface of an electric field shielding plate. A plating apparatus 1000 include a plating tank 10, a substrate holder 30, and an electric field shielding plate 60 configured to be arranged in a portion between an anode 50 and a substrate Wf in an inside of the plating tank for shielding a part of an electric field formed between the anode and the substrate. In a top view of the electric field shielding plate, in the inside of the plating tank, an unshielded region 70 that is without shielded by the electric field shielding plate is disposed. An inclined surface is disposed in a lower surface 61a of the electric field shielding plate, the inclined surface is inclined with respect to a horizontal direction and is configured to release an air bubble existing on the lower surface thereof to the unshielded region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuhito Tsuji
  • Patent number: 11541502
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a polishing section and a transport section. The polishing section has a first polishing unit, a second polishing unit, and a transport mechanism. The first polishing unit has a first polishing apparatus and a second polishing apparatus. The second polishing unit has a third polishing apparatus and a fourth polishing apparatus. Each of the first to fourth polishing apparatuses has a polishing table to which a polishing pad is mounted, a top ring, and auxiliary units that perform a process on the polishing pad during polishing. Around the polishing table, a pair of auxiliary unit mounting units for mounting the respective auxiliary units in a left-right switchable manner with respect to a straight line connecting a swing center of the top ring and a center of rotation of the polishing table is provided at respective positions symmetrical with respect to the straight line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kuniaki Yamaguchi, Hiroshi Shimomoto, Soichi Isobe, Koji Maeda, Kenji Shinkai, Hidetatsu Isokawa, Dai Yoshinari, Masayuki Tamura, Haiyang Xu, Shun Ehara, Kentaro Asano
  • Patent number: 11535949
    Abstract: There is provided the substrate holder for holding a substrate comprising a first holding member, a second holding member, a sealing member, a pin, a ring, and a moving mechanism. The sealing member forms a sealed space inside the substrate holder. The pin is fixed to one of the first holding member and the second holding member. The ring is disposed on another of the first holding member and the second holding member. The ring engages with the pin. The moving mechanism circumferentially moves the ring. The pin and the ring are engaged with one another to fix the first holding member and the second holding member to one another. The pin and the ring are disposed inside the sealed space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaya Seki, Hideki Takayanagi, Kiyoshi Suzuki, Masayuki Satake, Jumpei Fujikata
  • Publication number: 20220401997
    Abstract: The disclosure provides one technique for suppressing wear of a cleaning member and unexpected dust generation. A substrate support mechanism 100 includes a first support part 110 which is swingable and has a contact region that can come into contact with a peripheral edge of one surface of a substrate W in a closed state, a second support part 120 which supports the other surface of the substrate W, and a first support part moving part 140 which swings the first support part 110.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: MITSURU MIYAZAKI, HISAJIRO NAKANO, Takuya INOUE
  • Publication number: 20220402003
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a substrate cleaning device and a substrate processing device capable of suppressing erroneous rotation detection of an optical sensor due to adhesion of droplets or mist. A substrate cleaning device includes a substrate cleaning part for cleaning a substrate, a drive roller for rotating the substrate, a driven roller rotated by the substrate, and a rotation detection part for detecting rotation of the driven roller. The rotation detection part includes a detected part provided on the driven roller, an optical sensor for detecting rotation of the detected part by irradiation with detection light, and a liquid filling part for filling an optical path forming space in which an optical path of the detection light is formed with a liquid having transmittance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Applicant: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: YOHEI ETO, MITSURU MIYAZAKI, HISAJIRO NAKANO
  • Patent number: 11532491
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus and related apparatuses/methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a substrate cleaning apparatus includes: a first spindle group including a first driving spindle having a first driving roller configured to rotate a substrate and an idler spindle having a driven roller rotated by the substrate; a second spindle group including a plurality of second driving spindles each having a second driving roller configured to rotate the substrate; a cleaning mechanism configured to clean the substrate rotated by the first driving roller and the plurality of second driving rollers; and a rotation detector configured to detect the rotational speed of the driven roller. The driven roller is positioned on the opposite side to a direction in which the substrate receives a force from the cleaning mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Hisajiro Nakano, Junji Kunisawa
  • Patent number: 11524322
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a jig for attaching and detaching a cleaning member, which facilitates attaching and detaching the cleaning member to and from a rotation device without holding the cleaning member directly by hand, even when there is no sufficient spacing around the cleaning member. The jig 100 for attaching and detaching a cleaning member 60 includes a pair of jig bodies 110 capable of clamping two ends 63 of a holder 62 of the cleaning member 60, and a connecting mechanism 120 that interlocks the movements of the pair of jig bodies 110 between a clamped state in which two ends 63 of the holder 62 are clamped and a non-clamped state in which the clamped state is released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoaki Fujimoto, Shuichi Suemasa, Tomoatsu Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 11527422
    Abstract: There is provided an exhaust gas processing apparatus configured to cause a processing gas to be exposed to or come into contact with a liquid and thereby detoxify the processing gas. The exhaust gas processing apparatus comprises a suction casing provided with an inlet which the processing gas is sucked into and with an outlet which the processing gas is flowed out from; a liquid tank configured to receive an outlet-side part of the suction casing and store the liquid therein; and one or multiple spray nozzles placed in the liquid tank. The outlet of the suction casing is arranged to be located above a liquid surface of the liquid stored in the liquid tank. The one or multiple spray nozzles are configured to spray the liquid from around the outlet of the suction casing to a peripheral part of the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi Sekine, Takanori Inada, Kazutomo Miyazaki, Naoya Hanafusa
  • Patent number: 11517999
    Abstract: A novel polishing apparatus which determines a polishing end point of a substrate on the basis of a strain of a constituent element of the polishing apparatus caused by friction between a substrate such as a wafer and a polishing pad. The polishing apparatus includes a rotatable polishing table which supports a polishing pad, a polishing head which presses the substrate against the polishing pad, a rotating shaft connected to the polishing head, a support structure which rotatably supports the rotating shaft, a strain measuring instrument which measures a strain of the support structure, and an end point detector which determines a polishing end point of the substrate on the basis of a change in the strain. The strain measuring instrument includes at least one strain sensor fixed to the support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akira Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11517940
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning device that facilitates control of the amount of liquid supplied to a substrate and reduces adverse influences of the liquid supplied to a bearing part on the substrate is provided. The substrate cleaning device includes: a holding part that has a bearing part configured to rotatably hold a cleaning member for cleaning a substrate; a first supply part that has at least a part provided inside the holding part and supplies a first liquid into the cleaning member through the inside of the holding part; and a second supply part that supplies a second liquid to the bearing part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuji Uozumi, Yasuyuki Motoshima, Toru Maruyama
  • Patent number: 11511226
    Abstract: A process gas suction structure for preventing a generation of products from a process gas due to a temperature drop is disclosed. The process gas suction structure includes a double tube structure, and a heating device configured to heat the double tube structure. The double tube structure includes a process-gas flow passage portion where the process gas flows, and a partition portion arranged outside of the process-gas flow passage portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takafumi Sekine, Kazutomo Miyazaki
  • Patent number: 11511386
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus capable of forming a step-shaped recess having a right-angled cross section in an edge portion of a substrate, such as a wafer, is disclosed. The polishing apparatus includes: a substrate rotating device configured to rotate the substrate about a rotation axis; a first roller having a first circumferential surface configured to press a polishing tape against the edge portion of the substrate; and a second roller having a second circumferential surface in contact with the first circumferential surface. The second roller has a tape stopper surface that restricts movement of the polishing tape in a direction away from the rotation axis. The tape stopper surface is located radially outward of the first circumferential surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaya Seki, Masayuki Nakanishi, Makoto Kashiwagi
  • Patent number: 11511389
    Abstract: Disclosed is a polishing head for a polishing apparatus for polishing a quadrangular substrate using a polishing pad attached to a polishing table, comprising a head body portion, a plurality of elastic bags disposed in a surface of the head body portion, which is to face the polishing table, and a substrate holding plate for holding the substrate, the substrate holding plate being pressed by the elastic bags in a direction away from the head body portion, the head body portion being provided with channels for bags, which are in communication with the respective elastic bags, the polishing head further including at least two support plates disposed between the elastic bags on one hand and the substrate holding plate on the other, the elastic bags being configured to press the substrate holding plate through the support plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichi Akazawa, Makoto Kashiwagi, Yu Ishii, Atsushi Yoshida, Kenichi Kobayashi, Tetsuji Togawa, Hozumi Yasuda
  • Patent number: 11515118
    Abstract: Provided is an electron beam irradiation apparatus including: an aligner configured to perform an alignment of an electron beam by deflecting the electron beam; a deflector having a plurality of electrodes and configured to deflect the electron beam after passing through the aligner; and an adjuster configured to adjust deflection caused by the aligner, wherein the adjuster is configured to perform, on each of the plurality of electrodes, detecting an image of the electron beam by applying a test voltage to one of the plurality of electrodes and applying a reference voltage to the other electrodes, determine a position shift of the electron beam based on each position of the image of the electron beam corresponding to each electrode, and adjust deflection of the aligner so as to cancel the position shift of the electron beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Watanabe, Shinichi Okada, Ryo Tajima, Tsutomu Karimata
  • Publication number: 20220375771
    Abstract: A sub-fab area installation apparatus includes: a vacuum pump configured to evacuate a processing gas from a processing chamber of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment; a cooling unit configured to cool a first circulation liquid used in the processing chamber; a heating unit configured to heat a second circulation liquid used in the processing chamber; and a cooling-liquid line configured to pass a cooling liquid therethrough. The cooling liquid is supplied from a cooling source. The cooling-liquid line includes: a distribution line configured to supply the cooling liquid to the vacuum pump and the cooling unit; and a merging return line configured to merge the cooling liquid that has passed through the vacuum pump and the cooling unit and return the cooling liquid to the cooling source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Applicants: EBARA CORPORATION, EBARA REFRIGERATION EQUIPMENT & SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Motoshi KOHAKU, Yukihiro FUKUSUMI, Nobutaka BANNAI, Hiromasa MIYATA, Naoya HANAFUSA, Ken TAOKA, Kazutomo MIYAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20220364770
    Abstract: A multi-refrigeration-cycle apparatus capable of reducing an installation area for equipment installed in a sub-fab and capable of shortening a pipe for delivering a cooling medium to a semiconductor-device manufacturing equipment is disclosed. The multi-refrigeration-cycle apparatus includes: a first refrigeration cycle having a first refrigerant for performing heat exchange with a cooling medium for cooling the semiconductor-device manufacturing equipment, the first refrigerant circulating in the first refrigeration cycle; and a second refrigeration cycle having a second refrigerant for performing heat exchange with the first refrigerant, the second refrigerant circulating in the second refrigeration cycle. At least a part of the first refrigeration cycle is arranged in a clean room where the semiconductor-device manufacturing equipment is installed, and the second refrigeration cycle is arranged in a sub-fab.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Applicants: EBARA CORPORATION, EBARA REFRIGERATION EQUIPMENT & SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Motoshi KOHAKU, Yukihiro FUKUSUMI, Nobutaka BANNAI, Hiromasa MIYATA
  • Patent number: 11501983
    Abstract: Provided is a substrate cleaning apparatus including: a substrate support mechanism configured to support a substrate; and a roll-type first cleaning member configured to clean a first surface of the substrate by rotating while being in contact with a bevel and/or an edge of the first surface of the substrate, wherein a rotation axis of the first cleaning member is in parallel with the substrate, and the first cleaning member has a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomoatsu Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 11495475
    Abstract: Various methods of cleaning a substrate are provided. In one aspect, method of cleaning a substrate, comprising: holding and rotating a substrate by a substrate holder; and supplying a chemical liquid to a chemical liquid nozzle and supplying two fluids to a two-fluid nozzle while moving the chemical-liquid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle radially outwardly from the center to the periphery of the substrate, wherein the distance of the chemical-liquid nozzle from a rotating axis of the substrate holder is longer than the distance of the two-fluid nozzle from the rotating axis of the substrate holder while the chemical-liquid nozzle and the two-fluid nozzle are moved radially outwardly from the rotating axis of the substrate holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Maeda, Hiroshi Shimomoto, Hisajiro Nakano, Masayoshi Imai, Yoichi Shiokawa
  • Patent number: 11492721
    Abstract: The agitation of the plating solution may result in spattering of the plating solution. It have been found that the spattered plating solution can be attached even to portions that are not originally brought into contact with the plating solution in the plating apparatus. There is provided an electroplating apparatus for plating a substrate using a substrate holder, the electroplating apparatus comprising at least one bath for storing the substrate, the substrate holder being provided with a hanger shoulder, and a holder contact, and wherein the electroplating apparatus being provided with a cleaning/drying part provided on at least one side of the bath, the cleaning/drying part being provided for cleaning and/or drying at least one of the hanger shoulder, the holder contact and a contact provided to the bath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhito Tsuji, Mizuki Nagai