Patents by Inventor Kenichi Kuwahara

Kenichi Kuwahara 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).

  • Publication number: 20240047239
    Abstract: The plasma processing device according to the present invention includes a processing chamber in which a sample is plasma processed, a radio frequency power supply which supplies radio frequency power for generating plasma, and a sample stand on which the sample is placed. The plasma processing device includes a control device which measures a thickness of a protective film selectively formed on a desired material of the sample using an interference light reflecting from the sample which has been irradiated with an ultraviolet-ray, or determines selectivity of the protective film using the interference light reflecting from the sample which has been irradiated with the ultraviolet-ray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Miyako Matsui, Tatehito Usui, Kenichi Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 11887814
    Abstract: Provided is a plasma processing method capable of improving an etching selectivity of a material to be etched with respect to a mask material and reducing a roughness of a side wall of a mask pattern. The plasma processing method of selectively depositing a deposition film on the mask material with respect to the material to be etched includes controlling an etching parameter so that an incubation time of the mask material is shorter than an incubation time of the material to be etched.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mamoru Yakushiji, Kenichi Kuwahara, Masaaki Taniyama
  • Publication number: 20230411167
    Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including Gate All Around type Field effect transistors includes a step of removing an organic film on an n-type channel; a step of removing a work function control metal film on a bottom surface between channels; a step of forming a protective film onto an organic film on a p-type channel; and a step of removing a work function control metal film on the n-type channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Mamoru Yakushiji, Kenichi Kuwahara, Makoto Miura
  • Patent number: 11658040
    Abstract: The invention provides a plasma processing method in which plasma etching is performed on a film to be etched by using a mask, the plasma processing method including: a deposition step of depositing a deposition film containing a boron element on the mask while a radio frequency power is supplied to a sample table on which a sample formed with the film to be etched is placed; and an etching step of etching the film to be etched by using plasma after the deposition step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaaki Taniyama, Kenichi Kuwahara, Satoshi Une
  • Publication number: 20220384148
    Abstract: Provided is a plasma processing method capable of improving an etching selectivity of a material to be etched with respect to a mask material and reducing a roughness of a side wall of a mask pattern. The plasma processing method of selectively depositing a deposition film on the mask material with respect to the material to be etched includes controlling an etching parameter so that an incubation time of the mask material is shorter than an incubation time of the material to be etched.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Mamoru Yakushiji, Kenichi Kuwahara, Masaaki Taniyama
  • Patent number: 11462416
    Abstract: Provided is a plasma processing method for plasma etching an etching target film formed on a sample. The method includes a protective film forming step of selectively forming a protective film on an upper portion of a pattern formed on the sample and adjusting a width of the formed protective film such that a distribution of the width of the formed protective film in a surface of the sample becomes a desired distribution, and a step of plasma etching the etching target film after the protective film forming step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Miyako Matsui, Kenichi Kuwahara, Tatehito Usui, Hiroyuki Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20210335625
    Abstract: According to a dry etching method using plasma, when an organic film is etched, a first step of irradiating an organic film of a sample only with oxygen radicals while Ar ions are shielded, and a second step of irradiating the organic film with ions of a noble gas are alternately repeated, thereby an accurate etching process can be performed while a variation in etching of the organic film is suppressed. This makes it possible to suppress collapse of an LS pattern formed in a silicon substrate or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventors: Naoyuki KOFUJI, Kenichi KUWAHARA
  • Patent number: 10971369
    Abstract: In cycle etching in which a depo process and an etching process are repeated, a depo film thickness over a pattern is controlled precisely, and etching is executed to have a desired shape stably for a long time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Miyako Matsui, Tatehito Usui, Masaru Izawa, Kenichi Kuwahara
  • Publication number: 20200411327
    Abstract: The invention provides a plasma processing method in which plasma etching is performed on a film to be etched by using a mask, the plasma processing method including: a deposition step of depositing a deposition film containing a boron element on the mask while a radio frequency power is supplied to a sample table on which a sample formed with the film to be etched is placed; and an etching step of etching the film to be etched by using plasma after the deposition step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventors: Masaaki TANIYAMA, Kenichi KUWAHARA, Satoshi UNE
  • Publication number: 20200335354
    Abstract: Provided is a plasma processing method for plasma etching an etching target film formed on a sample. The method includes a protective film forming step of selectively forming a protective film on an upper portion of a pattern formed on the sample and adjusting a width of the formed protective film such that a distribution of the width of the formed protective film in a surface of the sample becomes a desired distribution, and a step of plasma etching the etching target film after the protective film forming step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Miyako Matsui, Kenichi Kuwahara, Tatehito Usui, Hiroyuki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10665516
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an etching method including a reaction layer forming step of forming a reaction layer by adsorption of a gas on a surface of an etching target material, a desorption step of desorbing the reaction layer after the reaction layer forming step, and a removal step of removing the reaction layer or a deposited film, characterized in that the surface of the etching target material is etched by the reaction layer forming step and the desorption step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Miyako Matsui, Kenichi Kuwahara, Naoki Yasui, Masaru Izawa, Tatehito Usui, Takeshi Ohmori
  • Patent number: 10622269
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an etching method including a reaction layer forming step of forming a reaction layer by adsorption of a gas on a surface of an etching target material, a desorption step of desorbing the reaction layer after the reaction layer forming step, and a removal step of removing the reaction layer or a deposited film, characterized in that the surface of the etching target material is etched by the reaction layer forming step and the desorption step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Miyako Matsui, Kenichi Kuwahara, Naoki Yasui, Masaru Izawa, Tatehito Usui, Takeshi Ohmori
  • Publication number: 20200107134
    Abstract: An actuator includes a movable body in which a first yoke and a second yoke overlay in a first direction both sides of a permanent magnet magnetized in the first direction. A side plate portion of the second yoke faces the first yoke across a coil in a direction intersecting the first direction. The movable body includes a holder to which the outer face of the side plate portion of the second yoke is fixed. Thus, viscoelastic members can be disposed between first flat faces of outer walls of the holder and second flat faces of inner walls of a support body, regardless of the shape of the coil and the shape of the second yoke. Hence, the viscoelastic members may be flat members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Akira MORI, Kenichi KUWAHARA, Tetsuo MOMOSE
  • Publication number: 20190237337
    Abstract: In cycle etching in which a depo process and an etching process are repeated, a depo film thickness over a pattern is controlled precisely, and etching is executed to have a desired shape stably for a long time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Miyako MATSUI, Tatehito USUI, Masaru IZAWA, Kenichi KUWAHARA
  • Patent number: 10192749
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a dry-etching method for performing plasma etching in a vertical profile while maintaining selectivity relative to a mask, includes: a first process of etching a film to be etched with use of reactive gas to cause an etching profile of the film to be etched to be formed in a footing profile; and a second process of, after the first process, causing the footing profile to be formed in a vertical profile by means of sputtering etching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Kuwahara, Syuji Enokida
  • Publication number: 20180269118
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an etching method including a reaction layer forming step of forming a reaction layer by adsorption of a gas on a surface of an etching target material, a desorption step of desorbing the reaction layer after the reaction layer forming step, and a removal step of removing the reaction layer or a deposited film, characterized in that the surface of the etching target material is etched by the reaction layer forming step and the desorption step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Miyako MATSUI, Kenichi KUWAHARA, Naoki YASUI, Masaru IZAWA, Tatehito USUI, Takeshi OHMORI
  • Publication number: 20170162397
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a dry-etching method for performing plasma etching in a vertical profile while maintaining selectivity relative to a mask, includes: a first process of etching a film to be etched with use of reactive gas to cause an etching profile of the film to be etched to be formed in a footing profile; and a second process of, after the first process, causing the footing profile to be formed in a vertical profile by means of sputtering etching.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventors: Kenichi KUWAHARA, Syuji ENOKIDA
  • Publication number: 20120003838
    Abstract: Line-wiggling and striation caused by collapse of a pattern after a silicon dioxide film is etched by plasma with the use of a multilayer resist mask are prevented or suppressed. In a plasma etching method of etching a film to be etched by plasma with the use of a multilayer resist mask, the multilayer resist mask includes an upper layer resist, an inorganic intermediate film, and a lower layer resist, and the method includes a side wall protective film forming step of forming a side wall protective film on a side wall of the lower layer resist.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Inventors: Kazumasa Ookuma, Akito Kouchi, Kenichi Kuwahara, Michikazu Morimoto, Go Saito
  • Patent number: D698707
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Nakamura, Kenichi Kuwahara
  • Patent number: D757606
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Youichi Matsuda, Takahiro Matsui, Yoshito Iwauchi, Yuji Ishimoto, Kenichi Kuwahara