Patents by Inventor Akito Hirano

Akito Hirano has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11959197
    Abstract: A first aspect of the present invention is carbon fiber wherein the surface of a monofilament has a center line average roughness Ra of 6.0 nm or more and 13 nm or less, and the monofilament has a long diameter/short diameter ratio of 1.11 or more and 1.245 or less. A second aspect of the present invention is carbon fiber precursor acrylic fiber wherein the surface of a monofilament has a center line average roughness Ra of 18 nm or more and 27 nm or less, and the monofilament has a long diameter/short diameter ratio of 1.11 or more and 1.245 or less. The carbon fiber according to the first aspect is obtained by stabilizing and carbonizing under specific conditions the carbon fiber precursor acrylic fiber according to the second aspect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
    Inventors: Naomasa Matsuyama, Yuutarou Nakamura, Norifumi Hirota, Hiroko Matsumura, Katsuhiko Ikeda, Kouki Wakabayashi, Tadashi Ootani, Akihiro Itou, Kenji Hirano, Akito Hatayama, Kenji Kaneta, Atsushi Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20240105465
    Abstract: There is provided a technique that includes: (a) supplying a first gas containing a Group 14 element to a substrate including a recess; (b) supplying a second gas containing a Group 15 or Group 13 element to the substrate; (c) forming a first film containing the Group 14 element in the recess by performing (a) and (b) with the second gas at a first concentration, and stopping film formation before the recess is filled up with the first film; and (d) after (c), performing (b) with the second gas at a second concentration and heat-treating the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Kokusai Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro MIYAKURA, Akito Hirano, Yasunobu Koshi, Yasuhiro Megawa
  • Publication number: 20230349065
    Abstract: There is provided a technique that includes: (a) forming a first film containing a Group 14 element on a substrate at a film-forming temperature; (b) performing a crystal growth of the first film by performing a heat treatment to the first film at a first temperature; and (c) moving the Group 14 element contained in at least part of the first film toward the substrate to crystallize the first film by performing the heat treatment to the first film at a second temperature higher than the first temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: Kokusai Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro MIYAKURA, Atsushi MORIYA, Yasuhiro MEGAWA, Yasunobu KOSHI, Akito HIRANO
  • Publication number: 20230295837
    Abstract: There is provided a technique that includes: (a) forming a modified layer by modifying at least a portion of an oxide film of a substrate by performing, a predetermined number of times: (a1) supplying a fluorine-containing gas to the substrate including the oxide film; and (a2) supplying a first reducing gas to the substrate; and (b) supplying the fluorine-containing gas to the substrate after the modified layer is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2022
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Applicant: Kokusai Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kaichiro MINAMI, Naonori AKAE, Akito HIRANO, Sadayasu SUYAMA, Takayuki YAMAMOTO, Shunsuke ASAKURA, Yugo ORIHASHI, Yasuhiro MEGAWA
  • Patent number: 10840094
    Abstract: There is provided a technique that includes: (a) forming a silicon germanium film in an amorphous state so as to embed an inside of a recess formed on a surface of a substrate, by supplying a first silicon-containing gas and a germanium-containing gas to the substrate at a first temperature; (b) raising a temperature of the substrate from the first temperature to a second temperature, which is higher than the first temperature; and (c) forming a silicon film on the silicon germanium film by supplying a second silicon-containing gas to the substrate at the second temperature, wherein in (c), the silicon germanium film as a base of the silicon film is crystallized while the silicon film is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiyohiko Maeda, Masato Terasaki, Yasuhiro Megawa, Takahiro Miyakura, Akito Hirano, Takashi Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20190206679
    Abstract: There is provided a technique that includes: (a) forming a silicon germanium film in an amorphous state so as to embed an inside of a recess formed on a surface of a substrate, by supplying a first silicon-containing gas and a germanium-containing gas to the substrate at a first temperature; (b) raising a temperature of the substrate from the first temperature to a second temperature, which is higher than the first temperature; and (c) forming a silicon film on the silicon germanium film by supplying a second silicon-containing gas to the substrate at the second temperature, wherein in (c), the silicon germanium film as a base of the silicon film is crystallized while the silicon film is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2018
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Applicant: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiyohiko MAEDA, Masato TERASAKI, Yasuhiro MEGAWA, Takahiro MIYAKURA, Akito HIRANO, Takashi NAKAGAWA
  • Patent number: 10192735
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes generating hydrogen radicals by plasma excitation of hydrogen gas and exposing a surface of a substrate on which silicon and metal are exposed to a reducing atmosphere created with the hydrogen radicals, and generating hydrogen radicals and hydroxyl radicals by plasma excitation of a mixed gas of hydrogen gas and oxygen-containing gas and oxidizing the silicon exposed on the surface of the substrate by exposing the surface of the substrate to the hydrogen radicals and hydroxyl radicals to obtain the substrate on which the metal and oxidized silicon are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsushi Ueda, Tadashi Terasaki, Unryu Ogawa, Akito Hirano
  • Patent number: 10049870
    Abstract: To inhibit excessive oxidation and increase oxidation resistance of a polysilicon film on a substrate during recovery process, an oxygen-containing silicon layer present on the substrate is modified into a silicon oxynitride layer or a silicon nitride layer with high nitrogen concentration prior to the recovery process by heating the substrate and supplying active species containing nitrogen radicals and hydrogen radicals for increasing nitrogen content in the silicon oxynitride layer or the silicon nitride layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Kokusai Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Akito Hirano
  • Publication number: 20170338106
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes generating hydrogen radicals by plasma excitation of hydrogen gas and exposing a surface of a substrate on which silicon and metal are exposed to a reducing atmosphere created with the hydrogen radicals, and generating hydrogen radicals and hydroxyl radicals by plasma excitation of a mixed gas of hydrogen gas and oxygen-containing gas and oxidizing the silicon exposed on the surface of the substrate by exposing the surface of the substrate to the hydrogen radicals and hydroxyl radicals to obtain the substrate on which the metal and oxidized silicon are formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Tatsushi UEDA, Tadashi TERASAKI, Unryu OGAWA, Akito HIRANO
  • Patent number: 9754780
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes generating hydrogen radicals by plasma excitation of hydrogen gas and exposing a surface of a substrate on which silicon and metal are exposed to a reducing atmosphere created with the hydrogen radicals, and generating hydrogen radicals and hydroxyl radicals by plasma excitation of a mixed gas of hydrogen gas and oxygen-containing gas and oxidizing the silicon exposed on the surface of the substrate by exposing the surface of the substrate to the hydrogen radicals and hydroxyl radicals to obtain the substrate on which the metal and oxidized silicon are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Tatsushi Ueda, Tadashi Terasaki, Unryu Ogawa, Akito Hirano
  • Publication number: 20160172191
    Abstract: There are provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a process chamber accommodating a substrate including a polysilicon film having an oxygen-containing layer formed thereon; a heating unit installed in the process chamber to heat the substrate; a gas supply unit configured to supply a process gas containing nitrogen and hydrogen to the substrate in the process chamber; an excitation unit configured to excite the process gas supplied into the process chamber; an exhaust unit configured to exhaust an inside of the process chamber; and a control unit configured to control at least the heating unit, the gas supply unit, the excitation unit and the exhaust unit so as to modify the oxygen-containing layer into an oxynitride layer or a nitride layer by heating the substrate to a predetermined temperature using the heating unit, exciting the process gas supplied by the gas supply unit using the excitation unit, and supplying the process gas excited by the excitation unit to the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Inventor: Akito HIRANO
  • Publication number: 20160086797
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes generating hydrogen radicals by plasma excitation of hydrogen gas and exposing a surface of a substrate on which silicon and metal are exposed to a reducing atmosphere created with the hydrogen radicals, and generating hydrogen radicals and hydroxyl radicals by plasma excitation of a mixed gas of hydrogen gas and oxygen-containing gas and oxidizing the silicon exposed on the surface of the substrate by exposing the surface of the substrate to the hydrogen radicals and hydroxyl radicals to obtain the substrate on which the metal and oxidized silicon are formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Tatsushi UEDA, Tadashi TERASAKI, Unryu OGAWA, Akito HIRANO
  • Patent number: 9236242
    Abstract: A substrate can be appropriately oxidized, while oxidation of the substrate can be suppressed. The present invention includes a step of generating mixed plasma by causing a mixed gas of hydrogen (H2) gas and oxygen (O2) or oxygen-containing gas supplied to a processing chamber to form a plasma discharge, and processing the starting substrate by the mixed plasma; and a step of generating hydrogen plasma by causing hydrogen (H2) gas supplied to the processing chamber to form a plasma discharge, and processing the substrate by the hydrogen plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Tatsushi Ueda, Tadashi Terasaki, Unryu Ogawa, Akito Hirano
  • Patent number: 8334215
    Abstract: A substrate can be appropriately oxidized, while oxidation of the substrate can be suppressed. The present invention includes a step of generating mixed plasma by causing a mixed gas of hydrogen (H2) gas and oxygen(O2) or oxygen/containing gas supplied to a processing chamber to form a plasma discharge, and processing the starting substrate by the mixed plasma; and a step of generating hydrogen plasma by causing hydrogen (H2) gas supplied to the processing chamber to form a plasma discharge, and processing the substrate by the hydrogen plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsushi Ueda, Tadashi Terasaki, Unryu Ogawa, Akito Hirano
  • Patent number: 8178445
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for a semiconductor device, that loads a substrate on which a film containing oxygen atoms, chlorine atoms, and metal atoms is formed into a processing chamber so as to be supported by a substrate support part. The substrate is heated by the substrate support part. The inside of the processing chamber is exhausted by a gas exhaust part while supplying nitrogen atoms-containing gas and hydorgen atoms-containing gas into the processing chamber by a gas supply part. A plasma generation part is then used to excite the nitrogen atoms-containing gas and the hydrogen atoms-containing gas supplied into the processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Tadashi Horie, Akito Hirano, Tadashi Terasaki
  • Patent number: 8133820
    Abstract: Substrate contamination from tungsten is prevented. A substrate processing method comprises a main treatment process for oxidizing a substrate containing tungsten with a gas containing oxygen, and a cleaning process for removing tungsten oxides with a gas containing hydrogen. The main treatment process includes loading the substrate containing metal into the processing chamber; supplying gas containing oxygen into the processing chamber; and supplying electric power to a high-frequency electric power supply to generate plasma containing oxygen elements, stopping the supply of electric power, and unloading the substrate from the processing chamber. The cleaning process includes supplying gas containing hydrogen into the processing chamber after unloading the substrate; supplying electric power to a high-frequency electric power supply to generate plasma containing hydrogen elements; and stopping the supply of electric power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventor: Akito Hirano
  • Patent number: 8066894
    Abstract: A substrate can be appropriately oxidized, while oxidation of the substrate can be suppressed. The present invention includes a step of generating mixed plasma by causing a mixed gas of hydrogen (H2) gas and oxygen (O2) or oxygen-containing gas supplied to a processing chamber to form a plasma discharge, and processing the starting substrate by the mixed plasma; and a step of generating hydrogen plasma by causing hydrogen (H2) gas supplied to the processing chamber to form a plasma discharge, and processing the substrate by the hydrogen plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsushi Ueda, Tadashi Terasaki, Unryu Ogawa, Akito Hirano
  • Publication number: 20100317199
    Abstract: To reduce a residual amount of chlorine atoms and oxygen atoms in a metal nitride film, and improve oxidation resistance of the metal nitride, film, in a temperature range of not deteriorating the characteristics of other film adjacent to the metal nitride film. A substrate processing apparatus is provided, comprising: a processing chamber into which a substrate is loaded, having thereon a substrate containing oxygen atoms, chlorine atoms, and metal atoms; a substrate support part for supporting and heating the substrate in the processing chamber; a gas supply part for supplying nitrogen atoms-containing gas and hydrogen atoms-containing gas into the processing chamber; a gas exhaust part for exhausting inside of the processing chamber; a plasma generation part for exciting the nitrogen atoms-containing gas and the hydrogen atoms-containing gas supplied into the processing chamber; and a control part for controlling the substrate support part, the gas supply part, and the plasma generation part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Tadashi Horie, Akito Hirano, Tadashi Terasaki
  • Patent number: 7795156
    Abstract: Disclosed is a producing method of a semiconductor device comprising a step of forming a tunnel insulating film of a flash device comprising a first nitridation step of forming a first silicon oxynitride film by nitriding a silicon oxide film formed on a semiconductor silicon base by one of plasma nitridation and thermal nitridation, the plasma nitridation carrying out nitridation process by using a gas activated by plasma discharging a first gas including a first compound which has at least a nitrogen atom in a chemical formula thereof, and the thermal nitridation carrying out nitridation process using heat by using a second gas including a second compound which has at least a nitrogen atom in a chemical formula thereof, and a second nitridation step of forming a second silicon oxynitride film by nitriding the first silicon oxynitride film by the other of the plasma nitridation and the thermal nitridation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Tadashi Terasaki, Akito Hirano, Masanori Nakayama, Unryu Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20090258506
    Abstract: Substrate contamination from tungsten is prevented. A substrate processing method comprises a main treatment process for oxidizing a substrate containing tungsten with a gas containing oxygen, and a cleaning process for removing tungsten oxides with a gas containing hydrogen. The main treatment process includes a step of loading the substrate containing metal into the processing chamber; a step of supplying gas containing oxygen into the processing chamber; and a step of supplying electric power to a high-frequency electric power supply after supplying the gas to generate plasma containing oxygen elements in order to process the substrate, a step of stopping the supply of electric power to the high-frequency electric power supply, and a step of unloading the substrate from the processing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventor: Akito Hirano