Patents by Inventor Junichi Hagihara
Junichi Hagihara 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).
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Publication number: 20240019487Abstract: A wafer inspection system is provided. The wafer inspection system includes: a transfer region in which a transfer device is arranged; an inspection region in which test heads for inspecting a substrate are arranged; and a maintenance region in which the test heads are maintained. The inspection region is located between the transfer region and the maintenance region, a plurality of inspection rooms accommodating the test heads are adjacent to each other in the inspection region, and the test heads are configured to be unloaded from the inspection region to the maintenance region.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2023Publication date: January 18, 2024Inventors: Junichi Hagihara, Shigekazu Komatsu, Kunihiro Furuya, Tadayoshi Hosaka, Naoki Muramatsu
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Patent number: 11762012Abstract: A wafer inspection system is provided. The wafer inspection system includes: a transfer region in which a transfer device is arranged; an inspection region in which test heads for inspecting a substrate are arranged; and a maintenance region in which the test heads are maintained. The inspection region is located between the transfer region and the maintenance region, a plurality of inspection rooms accommodating the test heads are adjacent to each other in the inspection region, and the test heads are configured to be unloaded from the inspection region to the maintenance region.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2022Date of Patent: September 19, 2023Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Junichi Hagihara, Shigekazu Komatsu, Kunihiro Furuya, Tadayoshi Hosaka, Naoki Muramatsu
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Publication number: 20230134360Abstract: A wafer inspection system is provided. The wafer inspection system includes: a transfer region in which a transfer device is arranged; an inspection region in which test heads for inspecting a substrate are arranged; and a maintenance region in which the test heads are maintained. The inspection region is located between the transfer region and the maintenance region, a plurality of inspection rooms accommodating the test heads are adjacent to each other in the inspection region, and the test heads are configured to be unloaded from the inspection region to the maintenance region.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2022Publication date: May 4, 2023Inventors: Junichi Hagihara, Shigekazu Komatsu, Kunihiro Furuya, Tadayoshi Hosaka, Naoki Muramatsu
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Patent number: 11567123Abstract: A wafer inspection system is provided. The wafer inspection system comprises: a transfer region in which a transfer device is arranged; an inspection region in which test heads for inspecting a substrate are arranged; and a maintenance region in which the test heads are maintained. The inspection region is located between the transfer region and the maintenance region, a plurality of inspection rooms accommodating the test heads are adjacent to each other in the inspection region, and the test heads are configured to be unloaded from the inspection region to the maintenance region.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2021Date of Patent: January 31, 2023Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Junichi Hagihara, Shigekazu Komatsu, Kunihiro Furuya, Tadayoshi Hosaka, Naoki Muramatsu
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Patent number: 11061071Abstract: A wafer inspection system is provided. The wafer inspection system includes: a transfer region in which a transfer device is arranged; an inspection region in which test heads for inspecting a substrate are arranged; and a maintenance region in which the test heads are maintained. The inspection region is located between the transfer region and the maintenance region, a plurality of inspection rooms accommodating the test heads are adjacent to each other in the inspection region, and the test heads are configured to be unloaded from the inspection region to the maintenance region.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2020Date of Patent: July 13, 2021Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Junichi Hagihara, Shigekazu Komatsu, Kunihiro Furuya, Tadayoshi Hosaka, Naoki Muramatsu
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Publication number: 20210190861Abstract: A wafer inspection system is provided. The wafer inspection system comprises: a transfer region in which a transfer device is arranged; an inspection region in which test heads for inspecting a substrate are arranged; and a maintenance region in which the test heads are maintained. The inspection region is located between the transfer region and the maintenance region, a plurality of inspection rooms accommodating the test heads are adjacent to each other in the inspection region, and the test heads are configured to be unloaded from the inspection region to the maintenance region.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 10, 2021Publication date: June 24, 2021Inventors: Junichi Hagihara, Shigekazu Komatsu, Kunihiro Furuya, Tadayoshi Hosaka, Naoki Muramatsu
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Patent number: 10976364Abstract: A wafer inspection system is provided. The wafer inspection system comprises: a transfer region in which a transfer device is arranged; an inspection region in which test heads for inspecting a substrate are arranged; and a maintenance region in which the test heads are maintained. The inspection region is located between the transfer region and the maintenance region, a plurality of inspection rooms accommodating the test heads are adjacent to each other in the inspection region, and the test heads are configured to be unloaded from the inspection region to the maintenance region.Type: GrantFiled: July 16, 2020Date of Patent: April 13, 2021Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Junichi Hagihara, Shigekazu Komatsu, Kunihiro Furuya, Tadayoshi Hosaka, Naoki Muramatsu
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Publication number: 20200400743Abstract: A wafer inspection system is provided. The wafer inspection system includes: a transfer region in which a transfer device is arranged; an inspection region in which test heads for inspecting a substrate are arranged; and a maintenance region in which the test heads are maintained. The inspection region is located between the transfer region and the maintenance region, a plurality of inspection rooms accommodating the test heads are adjacent to each other in the inspection region, and the test heads are configured to be unloaded from the inspection region to the maintenance region.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2020Publication date: December 24, 2020Inventors: Junichi Hagihara, Shigekazu Komatsu, Kunihiro Furuya, Tadayoshi Hosaka, Naoki Muramatsu
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Publication number: 20200348358Abstract: A wafer inspection system is provided. The wafer inspection system comprises: a transfer region in which a transfer device is arranged; an inspection region in which test heads for inspecting a substrate are arranged; and a maintenance region in which the test heads are maintained. The inspection region is located between the transfer region and the maintenance region, a plurality of inspection rooms accommodating the test heads are adjacent to each other in the inspection region, and the test heads are configured to be unloaded from the inspection region to the maintenance region.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 16, 2020Publication date: November 5, 2020Inventors: Junichi Hagihara, Shigekazu Komatsu, Kunihiro Furuya, Tadayoshi Hosaka, Naoki Muramatsu
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Patent number: 10753972Abstract: A wafer inspection system is provided. The wafer inspection system comprises: a transfer region in which a transfer device is arranged; an inspection region in which test heads for inspecting a substrate are arranged; and a maintenance region in which the test heads are maintained. The inspection region is located between the transfer region and the maintenance region, a plurality of inspection rooms accommodating the test heads are adjacent to each other in the inspection region, and the test heads are configured to be unloaded from the inspection region to the maintenance region.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2017Date of Patent: August 25, 2020Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Junichi Hagihara, Shigekazu Komatsu, Kunihiro Furuya, Tadayoshi Hosaka, Naoki Muramatsu
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Publication number: 20200064400Abstract: A wafer inspection system is provided. The wafer inspection system comprises: a transfer region in which a transfer device is arranged; an inspection region in which test heads for inspecting a substrate are arranged; and a maintenance region in which the test heads are maintained. The inspection region is located between the transfer region and the maintenance region, a plurality of inspection rooms accommodating the test heads are adjacent to each other in the inspection region, and the test heads are configured to be unloaded from the inspection region to the maintenance region.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2019Publication date: February 27, 2020Inventors: Junichi Hagihara, Shigekazu Komatsu, Kunihiro Furuya, Tadayoshi Hosaka, Naoki Muramatsu
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Publication number: 20170234924Abstract: A wafer inspection system is provided. The wafer inspection system comprises: a transfer region in which a transfer device is arranged; an inspection region in which test heads for inspecting a substrate are arranged; and a maintenance region in which the test heads are maintained. The inspection region is located between the transfer region and the maintenance region, a plurality of inspection rooms accommodating the test heads are adjacent to each other in the inspection region, and the test heads are configured to be unloaded from the inspection region to the maintenance region.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 1, 2017Publication date: August 17, 2017Inventors: Junichi Hagihara, Shigekazu Komatsu, Kunihiro Furuya, Tadayoshi Hosaka, Naoki Muramatsu
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Patent number: 9671459Abstract: A maintenance carriage of a wafer inspection apparatus can easily unload a test head. A wafer inspection apparatus 10 includes a cell tower 12 in which cells 11 are arranged at four levels, and each of the cells 11 accommodates a test head 15. At an outside of the cell tower 12, a maintenance carriage 27 is arranged. The maintenance carriage 27 includes a carriage base 29 configured to be moved through rollers 28; a test head case 31 configured to accommodate the test head 15; a lift device 30 provided uprightly from the carriage base 29 and configured to move up and down the test head case 31; and a horizontal position adjusting stage 35 provided between a lifter 34 of the lift device 30 and the test head case 31 and configured to move the test head case 31 horizontally with respect to the lifter 34.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2014Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignees: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, NIPPO PRECISION CO., LTDInventors: Junichi Hagihara, Shigekazu Komatsu, Kunihiro Furuya, Tadayoshi Hosaka, Naoki Muramatsu
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Publication number: 20150115991Abstract: A maintenance carriage of a wafer inspection apparatus can easily unload a test head. A wafer inspection apparatus 10 includes a cell tower 12 in which cells 11 are arranged at four levels, and each of the cells 11 accommodates a test head 15. At an outside of the cell tower 12, a maintenance carriage 27 is arranged. The maintenance carriage 27 includes a carriage base 29 configured to be moved through rollers 28; a test head case 31 configured to accommodate the test head 15; a lift device 30 provided uprightly from the carriage base 29 and configured to move up and down the test head case 31; and a horizontal position adjusting stage 35 provided between a lifter 34 of the lift device 30 and the test head case 31 and configured to move the test head case 31 horizontally with respect to the lifter 34.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2014Publication date: April 30, 2015Inventors: Junichi Hagihara, Shigekazu Komatsu, Kunihiro Furuya, Tadayoshi Hosaka, Naoki Muramatsu
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Patent number: 8456186Abstract: A reliability evaluation test apparatus of this invention includes a wafer storage section which stores a wafer in a state wherein the electrode pads of a number of devices formed on the wafer and the bumps of a contactor are totally in electrical contact with each other. The wafer storage section transmits/receives a test signal to/from a measurement section and has a hermetic and heat insulating structure. The wafer storage section has a pressure mechanism which presses the contactor and a heating mechanism which directly heats the wafer totally in contact with the contactor to a predetermined high temperature. The reliability of an interconnection film and insulating film formed on the semiconductor wafer are evaluated under an accelerated condition.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2007Date of Patent: June 4, 2013Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, Ibiden Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kiyoshi Takekoshi, Hisatomi Hosaka, Junichi Hagihara, Kunihiko Hatsushika, Takamasa Usui, Hisashi Kaneko, Nobuo Hayasaka, Yoshiyuki Ido
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Patent number: 8167521Abstract: The present invention restrains, during a transfer of a substrate, a central portion of the substrate from being warped by its own weight, which might be caused by a super-enlargement of a diameter of the substrate. A substrate transfer apparatus 18 includes: a support part 17 which is moved above a substrate w of a large diameter; and an upside grip mechanism 28 disposed on the support part 17, the upside grip mechanism 28 capable of supporting a peripheral portion of the substrate w from above. The support part 17 is provided with a non-contact sucking and holding part 30 having a suction hole 31 and a blow hole 32. The non-contact sucking and holding part 30 sucks and holds the substrate w in a non-contact manner, by blowing a gas onto the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate w and sucking the central portion to form an air layer 50 such that the central portion of the wafer w is not warped.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2007Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Ken Nakao, Hitoshi Kato, Junichi Hagihara
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Patent number: 7981217Abstract: Disclosed herein is a vertical heat treatment apparatus which includes a thermal reactor having a reactor opening, a cover that hermetically closes the reactor opening, a holder that holds a large number of to-be-processed substrates via a ring-shaped support plate in such a manner as to arrange the substrates vertically at predetermined intervals, and an elevator mechanism that loads the holder into and unloads the holder from the thermal reactor. A transfer mechanism has a plurality of transfer plates that are arranged at predetermined intervals to carry to-be-processed substrates, and transfers the to-be-processed substrates between the storage container and the holder. The support plate is divided into an outer support plate and an inner support plate. The outer support plate has a cutout section through which the transfer plates can vertically pass to transfer the to-be-processed substrates.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2008Date of Patent: July 19, 2011Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventor: Junichi Hagihara
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Patent number: 7859283Abstract: A probe apparatus is capable of being scaled-down and reducing a manufacturing cost thereof in a probe apparatus having a plurality of probe apparatus main bodies. A loader unit for transferring a wafer between carriers accommodating therein wafers and the probe apparatus main bodies includes: an upper camera for imaging the arrangement of chips to be inspected of the wafer; a lower camera for imaging probe needles; an X-Y-? stage for moving the position of the wafer W in a horizontal direction and a second loader mechanism for moving the wafer in a vertical direction. Accordingly, a fine alignment of the wafer is performed by the loader unit to adjust the position of the wafer.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2009Date of Patent: December 28, 2010Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Yasuhito Yamamoto, Masaru Suzuki, Junichi Hagihara
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Patent number: 7791362Abstract: An inspection apparatus includes a movable mounting table having a temperature control device, an elevation drive unit for vertically moving the mounting table, a controller for controlling the elevation drive unit and a probe card having probes arranged above the mounting table. The elevation drive unit includes first and second driving shafts connected to each other through coupling members to drive the mounting table, a motor for driving the first and second driving shafts, and a torque detection unit for detecting a torque between the first and second driving shafts based on a contact load between the probes and the at least one device. The controller includes a torque controller for controlling the torque based on detection results of the torque detection unit when the probe card expands or contracts due to temperature variation.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2008Date of Patent: September 7, 2010Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventor: Junichi Hagihara
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Patent number: 7777511Abstract: An inspection apparatus includes a movable mounting table for mounting thereon a target object, a probe card disposed above the mounting table and a control unit for controlling the mounting table. The target object is inspected by bringing a plurality of electrode pads of the target object mounted on the mounting table into contact with a plurality of probes of the probe card with a predetermined contact load by overdriving the mounting table. Further, the mounting table includes a mounting body whose temperature is controllable, a support body for supporting the mounting body, an elevation driving mechanism provided in the support body and pressure sensors provided between the mounting body and the support body to thereby detect the contact load. The control unit controls the elevation driving mechanism in accordance with detection signals from the pressure sensors.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2008Date of Patent: August 17, 2010Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventor: Junichi Hagihara