Patents by Inventor Hitoshi Murata

Hitoshi Murata 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: 9957616
    Abstract: The present invention is directed providing a technique capable of reducing a time for stabilizing a temperature in a processing chamber. The technique includes: a substrate support configured to support a substrate; a thermal insulation unit disposed below the substrate support; a processing chamber configured to accommodate the substrate support and where the substrate is processed; a first heating unit disposed around the processing chamber and configured to heat an inside of the processing chamber from a lateral side thereof; and a second heating unit disposed between the substrate support and the thermal insulation unit inside the processing chamber, the second heating unit including a heater having a substantially annular shape and a suspending member extending downward from the heater, wherein a diameter of the heater is smaller than that of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Murata, Yuichi Wada, Takashi Yahata, Hidenari Yoshida, Shuhei Saido
  • Publication number: 20170335458
    Abstract: Described herein is a technique capable of reducing the time necessary for stabilizing the inner temperature of the processing furnace. A substrate processing apparatus may include: a wafer retainer configured to support a plurality of wafers; an upright cylindrical process vessel; a seal cap configured to cover an opening at a lower end of the process vessel; a first heater configured to heat an inside of the process vessel from a lateral side thereof; an insulating unit disposed between the seal cap and the wafer retainer; and a second heater facing at least one of the plurality of wafers and configured to heat the at least one of the plurality of wafers, the second heater including: a pillar penetrating centers of the seal cap and the insulating unit; an annular member connected to and concentric with the pillar; a pair of connecting parts connecting end portions of the annular member to the pillar; and a heating element disposed inside the annular member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Hitoshi MURATA, Takashi YAHATA, Yuichi WADA, Takatomo YAMAGUCHI, Shuhei SAIDO
  • Patent number: 9779970
    Abstract: A heater supporting device for use in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is provided so as to improve the uniformity of a temperature property and the expected lifespan by preventing support pieces from being damaged and separated from piece holders, and preventing deterioration in adiabatic efficiency in the vicinity of a ceiling of a vertical type furnace. A heating element of a coil shape is disposed around an object. The support pieces are vertically connected in multiple. Hollows of an elliptical shape are formed between the respective support pieces. Concave insertions are formed on one of upper and lower surfaces of the respective support pieces, and convex insertions are formed on the other one of the upper and lower surfaces of the respective support pieces. The convex insertions are insert-fitted with the concave insertions. The support pieces are vertically connected in multiple by insert-fitting the concave insertions to the convex insertions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kosugi, Hitoshi Murata, Shinobu Sugiura, Masaaki Ueno
  • Patent number: 9695511
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus including a vertical reaction container; an insulating wall formed of an insulating material and including a reaction container accommodation chamber for accommodating the reaction container therein; a heater installed in an inner wall of the reception container reception chamber on the insulating wall; an air circulation channel installed vertically in a sidewall of the insulating wall; a blower for distributing air upward or downward in the air circulation channel; intake valves for communicating the air circulation channel with the air; and exhaust valves for communicating the air circulation channel with an equipment exhaust system. In a temperature elevating process and a temperature lowering process, the intake valves and the exhaust valves are switched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Murata, Tetsuya Kosugi, Masaaki Ueno, Masashi Sugishita
  • Patent number: 9587884
    Abstract: A heat insulation structure, which has a cylindrical side wall part formed in a multilayer structure, includes: a cooling gas supply port provided in an upper portion of a side wall outer layer disposed in an outer side of the side wall part; a cooling gas passage provided between a side wall inner layer disposed in an inner side of the side wall part and the side wall outer layer; a space provided in an inner side of the side wall inner layer; a plurality of blowout holes provided in the side wall inner layer for distributing cooling gas from the cooling gas passage to the space; a buffer area continuously provided in the cooling gas supply port and the cooling gas passage; and a throttle part configured to reduce a cross-sectional area of a boundary surface between the buffer area and the cooling gas passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kosugi, Motoya Takewaki, Hitoshi Murata, Masaaki Ueno
  • Patent number: 9460946
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a heating part including a cylindrical-shaped heat insulator and a heating wire arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the heat insulator, a heat-insulating part configured to define a cylindrical space between the heating part and the heat insulating part, a cooling gas introduction portion coupled to the cylindrical space and provided above the heat-insulating part to surround the heating part, and a cooling gas discharge portion provided at an approximately same height as that of the cooling gas introduction portion in the diameter direction extending from approximately the center of the cooling gas introduction portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Murata, Tetsuya Kosugi
  • Patent number: 9449849
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using a heating device capable of suppressing shearing of a holder due to thermal deformation of the heating element included in the heating device. The method includes: loading a substrate into a process chamber surrounded by a heating device including a heating element; and increasing temperature of the heating element including a mountain part and a valley part alternately connected in plurality to form a meander shape with both ends thereof being fixed to an insulating body installed at an outer circumference of the heating element wherein the heating element is fixed to the insulating body by a holding body disposed in a holding body receiving part installed at end of the valley part having a cutout part having a width larger than that of the valley part to heat the substrate in the process chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Murata, Tetsuya Kosugi, Shinobu Sugiura
  • Publication number: 20160244878
    Abstract: The present invention is directed providing a technique capable of reducing a time for stabilizing a temperature in a processing chamber. The technique includes: a substrate support configured to support a substrate; a thermal insulation unit disposed below the substrate support; a processing chamber configured to accommodate the substrate support and where the substrate is processed; a first heating unit disposed around the processing chamber and configured to heat an inside of the processing chamber from a lateral side thereof; and a second heating unit disposed between the substrate support and the thermal insulation unit inside the processing chamber, the second heating unit including a heater having a substantially annular shape and a suspending member extending downward from the heater, wherein a diameter of the heater is smaller than that of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Hitoshi MURATA, Yuichi WADA, Takashi YAHATA, Hidenari YOSHIDA, Shuhei SAIDO
  • Publication number: 20150221532
    Abstract: A ceiling heat insulator installed above a side wall heat insulator of a heating apparatus for a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate is provided. The ceiling heat insulator includes a gas-flow path installed therein to allow a cooling gas to pass therethrough so that the ceiling heat insulator has a solid cross-sectional area in an outer edge side of the ceiling heat insulator that is smaller than that in a center side of the ceiling heat insulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Tetsuya KOSUGI, Motoya TAKEWAKI, Masaaki UENO, Hitoshi MURATA
  • Patent number: 9064912
    Abstract: A heating device includes: a heating element including a mountain part and a valley part alternately connected in plurality to form a meander shape, and a holding body receiving part an end of the valley part, where a width of the holding body receiving part is greater than that of the valley part; an insulating body installed at an outer circumference of the heating element with both ends of the heating element fixed thereto; and a staple pin penetrating the holding body receiving part and a neighboring holdings body receiving part to fix the heating element to the insulating body, where the staple pin is dislocated with respect to a center of the holding body receiving part and an amount of dislocation of the staple pin varies according to a distance between the holding body receiving part and the both ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric, Inc.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Murata, Tetsuya Kosugi, Shinobu Sugiura, Masaaki Ueno
  • Publication number: 20150093909
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus including a vertical reaction container; an insulating wall formed of an insulating material and including a reaction container accommodation chamber for accommodating the reaction container therein; a heater installed in an inner wall of the reception container reception chamber on the insulating wall; an air circulation channel installed vertically in a sidewall of the insulating wall; a blower for distributing air upward or downward in the air circulation channel; intake valves for communicating the air circulation channel with the air; and exhaust valves for communicating the air circulation channel with an equipment exhaust system. In a temperature elevating process and a temperature lowering process, the intake valves and the exhaust valves are switched.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Hitoshi MURATA, Tetsuya KOSUGI, Masaaki UENO, Masashi SUGISHITA
  • Publication number: 20140322926
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device using a heating device capable of suppressing shearing of a holder due to thermal deformation of the heating element included in the heating device. The method includes: loading a substrate into a process chamber surrounded by a heating device including a heating element; and increasing temperature of the heating element including a mountain part and a valley part alternately connected in plurality to form a meander shape with both ends thereof being fixed to an insulating body installed at an outer circumference of the heating element wherein the heating element is fixed to the insulating body by a holding body disposed in a holding body receiving part installed at end of the valley part having a cutout part having a width larger than that of the valley part to heat the substrate in the process chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Hitoshi Murata, Tetsuya Kosugi, Shinobu Sugiura
  • Patent number: 8847124
    Abstract: Provided are a heating device, a substrate processing apparatus, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which can suppress differences between heating bodies, and simultaneously, can suppress shearing of a holder due to thermal deformation of the heating element. The heating device comprises: a heating element including a mountain part and a valley part that are alternately connected in plurality in a meander shape with both ends being fixed; holding body receiving parts respectively installed at ends of the valley parts and formed as cutout parts having a width larger than a width of the valley part; an insulating body installed at an outer circumference of the heating element; and a holding body disposed in the holding body receiving part and fixed to the insulating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Murata, Tetsuya Kosugi, Shinobu Sugiura
  • Publication number: 20140287375
    Abstract: A heat insulation structure, which has a cylindrical side wall part formed in a multilayer structure, includes: a cooling gas supply port provided in an upper portion of a side wall outer layer disposed in an outer side of the side wall part; a cooling gas passage provided between a side wall inner layer disposed in an inner side of the side wall part and the side wall outer layer; a space provided in an inner side of the side wall inner layer; a plurality of blowout holes provided in the side wall inner layer for distributing cooling gas from the cooling gas passage to the space; a buffer area continuously provided in the cooling gas supply port and the cooling gas passage; and a throttle part configured to reduce a cross-sectional area of a boundary surface between the buffer area and the cooling gas passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Tetsuya KOSUGI, Motoya TAKEWAKI, Hitoshi MURATA, Masaaki UENO
  • Patent number: 8535444
    Abstract: Provided is a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus comprises a reaction vessel configured to process a substrate, and a heating device. The heating device comprises at least one sidewall insulating part surrounding the reaction vessel, a ceiling insulating part placed on the sidewall insulating part and comprising a plurality of stress relief grooves, and a heating element installed at an inner side of the sidewall insulating part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Murata, Tetsuya Kosugi, Shinobu Sugiura
  • Patent number: 8277560
    Abstract: A CVD apparatus cleaning method that efficiently removes by-product such as SiO2 or Si3N4 adhered to and deposited on surfaces of an inner wall, an electrode, and the like in a reaction chamber at a film forming step. In the cleaning method the discharged cleaning gas amount is very small, environmental influences such as global warming can be lessened, and cost can be reduced. A CVD apparatus supplying reactive gas into a reaction chamber and forming a deposited film on a surface of a base material provided in the reaction chamber includes an exhaust gas recycling path recycling an exhaust gas reaching the reaction chamber from downstream of a pump on an exhaust path for exhausting a gas from an inner part of the reaction chamber through the pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignees: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Canon Anelva Corporation, Ulvac, Inc., Kanto Denka Kogyo Co., Ltd., Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Showa Denko K.K., Sony Corporation, Tokyo Eectron Limited, Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc., Panasonic Corporation, Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha, Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Katsuo Sakai, Seiji Okura, Masaji Sakamura, Kaoru Abe, Hitoshi Murata, Etsuo Wani, Kenji Kameda, Yuki Mitsui, Yutaka Ohira, Taisuke Yonemura, Akira Sekiya
  • Publication number: 20120006506
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a heating part including a cylindrical-shaped heat insulator and a heating wire arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the heat insulator, a heat-insulating part configured to define a cylindrical space between the heating part and the heat insulating part, a cooling gas introduction portion coupled to the cylindrical space and provided above the heat-insulating part to surround the heating part, and a cooling gas discharge portion provided at an approximately same height as that of the cooling gas introduction portion in the diameter direction extending from approximately the center of the cooling gas introduction portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Hitoshi MURATA, Tetsuya KOSUGI
  • Patent number: D793974
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Murata, Takatomo Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: D793975
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Murata, Yuichi Wada, Takashi Yahata, Hidenari Yoshida, Shuhei Saido
  • Patent number: D795209
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Murata, Yuichi Wada, Takashi Yahata, Takatomo Yamaguchi, Shuhei Saido