Patents by Inventor Kiyotaka Ishibashi

Kiyotaka Ishibashi 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: 11692269
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing container having a cylindrical shape; a pair of plasma electrodes arranged along the longitudinal direction of the processing container while facing each other; and a radio-frequency power supply configured to supply a radio-frequency power to the pair of plasma electrodes. In the pair of plasma electrodes, an inter-electrode distance at a position distant from a power feed position to which the radio-frequency power is supplied is longer than an inter-electrode distance at the power feed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Matsuura, Kiyotaka Ishibashi
  • Publication number: 20200378005
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing container having a cylindrical shape; a pair of plasma electrodes arranged along the longitudinal direction of the processing container while facing each other; and a radio-frequency power supply configured to supply a radio-frequency power to the pair of plasma electrodes. In the pair of plasma electrodes, an inter-electrode distance at a position distant from a power feed position to which the radio-frequency power is supplied is longer than an inter-electrode distance at the power feed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Hiroyuki MATSUURA, Kiyotaka ISHIBASHI
  • Patent number: 10570512
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a placing table provided to be rotatable around an axis; a gas supplying section that supplies gas to regions through which a substrate sequentially passes while being moved in a circumferential direction with respect to the axis as the placing table is rotated; and a plasma generating section that generates plasma using the supplied gas. The plasma generating section includes an antenna that radiates microwaves, and a coaxial waveguide that supplies the microwaves to the antenna. Line segments constituting a plane shape of the antenna when viewed in a direction along the axis include two line segments which are spaced to be distant from each other as being spaced away from the axis. The coaxial waveguide supplies the microwaves to the antenna from a gravity center of the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Toshihiko Iwao, Takahiro Hirano, Kiyotaka Ishibashi, Satoru Kawakami
  • Patent number: 10388557
    Abstract: Provided is a holding stage structure which holds a substrate and disposed in a process chamber that is vacuum-evacuatable and allows a predetermined process to be performed on the substrate therein. The holding stage structure includes: a holding stage body on which the substrate is placed; an elevation pin mechanism lowering the substrate on the holding stage body or raising the substrate from the holding stage body; and a stepped portion formed on the holding stage body so that a peripheral portion of a rear surface of the substrate placed on the holding stage body is exposed to a processing gas supplied into the process chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kohei Kawamura, Yasuo Kobayashi, Toshihisa Nozawa, Kiyotaka Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 9767993
    Abstract: This microwave plasma processing apparatus has, as a gas introduction mechanism for introducing a working gas inside a chamber (10), electrical discharge prevention members (96(1) to 96(8)), each of which is provided to a plurality of dielectric window gas passages (94(1) to (94(8)) through which a dielectric window (54) passes. Each electrical discharge prevention member (96(n)), a portion (114) of which protrudes only a height h, which is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance H, upward from the rear surface of a dielectric window (52) on the inlet side, passes through an opening (54a) of a slot plate (54), and inserts into a branched gas supply path (92(n)) of a gas branch part (90). The gas branch part (90), spring coils (116) and the slot plate (54), which surround the protruding portion (114) of each electrical discharge prevention member (96(n)), constitute an enclosing conductor (118).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Ishibashi, Osamu Morita
  • Patent number: 9767994
    Abstract: A shower plate is disposed in a processing chamber in a plasma processing apparatus, and plasma excitation gas is released into the processing chamber so as to generate plasma. A ceramic member having a plurality of gas release holes having a diameter of 20 ?m to 70 ?m, and/or a porous gas-communicating body having pores having a maximum diameter of not more than 75 ?m communicating in the gas-communicating direction are sintered and bonded integrally with the inside of each of a plurality of vertical holes which act as release paths for the plasma excitation gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignees: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Masahiro Okesaku, Tadahiro Ohmi, Tetsuya Goto, Takaaki Matsuoka, Toshihisa Nozawa, Atsutoshi Inokuchi, Kiyotaka Ishibashi
  • Publication number: 20170253972
    Abstract: Provided is a substrate processing including: a plasma generation source configured to generate the plasma within the processing container; a substrate holding mechanism configured to hold the substrate within the processing container; a separation plate disposed between the plasma generation source and the substrate holding mechanism and having a plurality of openings formed therein, in which the plurality of openings are configured to neutralize the plasma generated in the plasma generation source so as to form neutral particles, and to irradiate the neutral particles onto the substrate; and a directivity adjusting mechanism configured to adjust directivity of the neutral particles irradiated onto the substrate such that a plurality of peak values of an incident angle distribution of the neutral particles on the substrate are distributed at positions which are deviated from a normal direction of the substrate and located on both sides of the normal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2017
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Applicants: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, TOHOKU TECHNO ARCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyotaka ISHIBASHI, Yoshiyuki KIKUCHI, Seiji SAMUKAWA
  • Patent number: 9670584
    Abstract: A plasma processing device including a stage for holding a substrate, a processing vessel, a first supply unit, a masking portion, a dielectric member, a microwave introduction unit, and a second supply unit. The first supply unit supplies a first process gas for layer deposition to the processing space. The masking portion is electrically conductive and has a first surface facing the processing space, a second surface at an opposite side, and one or more through holes extending from the first surface to the second surface. The dielectric member is in contact with the second surface of the masking portion, and is formed with one or more cavities connected to the one or more through holes. The microwave introduction unit introduces microwaves to the dielectric member. The second supply unit supplies a second process gas for plasma processing into the cavities of the dielectric member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Kiyotaka Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 9595425
    Abstract: An antenna, a dielectric window, a plasma processing apparatus and a plasma processing method are capable of improving uniformity of a substrate surface processing amount in the surface of the substrate. The antenna includes the dielectric window 16; and a slot plate 20, provided on one side of the dielectric window 16, having a plurality of slots 133. The dielectric window 16 has a flat surface 146 surrounded by a ring-shaped first recess; and a plurality of second recesses 153 formed on the flat surface 146 so as to surround a center of the flat surface 146. Here, the flat surface 146 is formed on the other side of the dielectric window 16. When viewed from a thickness direction of the slot plate, a center of each second recess 153 is located within each slot 133 of the slot plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Naoki Matsumoto, Wataru Yoshikawa, Jun Yoshikawa, Kazuki Moyama, Kiyotaka Ishibashi, Osamu Morita, Takehiro Tanikawa
  • Patent number: 9418822
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma generating device configured to generate a plasma within a processing vessel by using a high frequency wave generated by a microwave generator 41 including a magnetron 42 configured to generate the high frequency wave; detectors 54a and 54b configured to measure a power of a traveling wave that propagates to a load side and a power of a reflected wave reflected from the load side, respectively; and a voltage control circuit 53a configured to control a voltage supplied to the magnetron 42 by a power supply 43. Further, the voltage control circuit 53a includes a load control device configured to supply, to the magnetron 42, a voltage corresponding to a power calculated by adding a power calculated based on the power of the reflected wave measured by the detector 54b to the power of the traveling wave measured by the detector 54a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazushi Kaneko, Naoki Matsumoto, Koji Koyama, Kazunori Funazaki, Hideo Kato, Kiyotaka Ishibashi
  • Publication number: 20160093474
    Abstract: A substrate processing method for performing a plasma process on a processing target substrate by a plasma processing apparatus is provided. The plasma processing apparatus comprises: a processing chamber; a gas supply unit; a mounting table; a microwave generator; a dielectric plate; a slot antenna plate; a wavelength shortening plate; and a microwave supply unit, and the microwave supply unit comprises a coaxial waveguide and a distance varying device. The substrate processing method comprises: mounting the processing target substrate on the mounting table; generating microwave by the microwave generator; and varying, by the distance varying device, a distance in a radial direction between a part of an outer surface of an inner conductor and a facing member facing a part of an outer surface of the inner conductor in order to uniformly generate plasma under a lower surface of the dielectric plate in the processing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Ishibashi, Osamu Morita
  • Publication number: 20160020135
    Abstract: Provided is a holding stage structure which holds a substrate and disposed in a process chamber that is vacuum-evacuatable and allows a predetermined process to be performed on the substrate therein. The holding stage structure includes: a holding stage body on which the substrate is placed; an elevation pin mechanism lowering the substrate on the holding stage body or raising the substrate from the holding stage body; and a stepped portion formed on the holding stage body so that a peripheral portion of a rear surface of the substrate placed on the holding stage body is exposed to a processing gas supplied into the process chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Kohei KAWAMURA, Yasuo KOBAYASHI, Toshihisa NOZAWA, Kiyotaka ISHIBASHI
  • Patent number: 9237638
    Abstract: A microwave supply unit 20 of a plasma processing apparatus 11 includes a stub member 51 configured to be extensible from the outer conductor 33 toward the inner conductor 32. The stub member 51 serves as a distance varying device for varying a distance in the radial direction between a part of the outer surface 36 of the inner conductor 32 and a facing member facing the part of the outer surface of the inner conductor 32 in the radial direction, i.e., the cooling plate protrusion 47. The stub member 51 includes a rod-shaped member 52 supported at the outer conductor 33 and configured to be extended in the radial direction; and a screw 53 as a moving distance adjusting member for adjusting a moving distance of the rod-shaped member 52 in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Ishibashi, Osamu Morita
  • Patent number: 9177846
    Abstract: Provided is a holding stage structure which holds a substrate and disposed in a process chamber that is vacuum-evacuatable and allows a predetermined process to be performed on the substrate therein. The holding stage structure includes: a holding stage body on which the substrate is placed; an elevation pin mechanism lowering the substrate on the holding stage body or raising the substrate from the holding stage body; and a stepped portion formed on the holding stage body so that a peripheral portion of a rear surface of the substrate placed on the holding stage body is exposed to a processing gas supplied into the process chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kohei Kawamura, Yasuo Kobayashi, Toshihisa Nozawa, Kiyotaka Ishibashi
  • Publication number: 20150232993
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a placing table provided to be rotatable around an axis; a gas supplying section that supplies gas to regions through which a substrate sequentially passes while being moved in a circumferential direction with respect to the axis as the placing table is rotated; and a plasma generating section that generates plasma using the supplied gas. The plasma generating section includes an antenna that radiates microwaves, and a coaxial waveguide that supplies the microwaves to the antenna. Line segments constituting a plane shape of the antenna when viewed in a direction along the axis include two line segments which are spaced to be distant from each other as being spaced away from the axis. The coaxial waveguide supplies the microwaves to the antenna from a gravity center of the antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Toshihiko IWAO, Takahiro HIRANO, Kiyotaka ISHIBASHI, Satoru KAWAKAMI
  • Patent number: 9111726
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber, a stage, a dielectric member, a microwave introduction device, an injector, and an electric field shield. The processing chamber has a processing space therein. The stage is provided within the processing chamber. The dielectric member has a through hole and is provided to face the stage. The microwave introduction device is configured to introduce microwave into the processing space via the dielectric member. The injector has at least one through hole and is made of a dielectric material, e.g., a bulk dielectric material. The injector is provided within the dielectric member. The injector and the through hole of the dielectric member form a path for supplying a processing gas into the processing space. The electric field shield encloses the injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuki Moyama, Kiyotaka Ishibashi, Osamu Morita, Takehiro Tanikawa, Naoki Matsumoto, Naoki Mihara, Wataru Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20150197853
    Abstract: Provided is a substrate processing including: a plasma generation source configured to generate the plasma within the processing container; a substrate holding mechanism configured to hold the substrate within the processing container; a separation plate disposed between the plasma generation source and the substrate holding mechanism and having a plurality of openings formed therein, in which the plurality of openings are configured to neutralize the plasma generated in the plasma generation source so as to form neutral particles, and to irradiate the neutral particles onto the substrate; and a directivity adjusting mechanism configured to adjust directivity of the neutral particles irradiated onto the substrate such that a plurality of peak values of an incident angle distribution of the neutral particles on the substrate are distributed at positions which are deviated from a normal direction of the substrate and located on both sides of the normal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Applicants: TOHOKU TECHNO ARCH CO., LTD., TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kiyotaka ISHIBASHI, Yoshiyuki KIKUCHI, Seiji SAMUKAWA
  • Publication number: 20150069674
    Abstract: A shower plate is disposed in a processing chamber in a plasma processing apparatus, and plasma excitation gas is released into the processing chamber so as to generate plasma. A ceramic member having a plurality of gas release holes having a diameter of 20 ?m to 70 ?m, and/or a porous gas-communicating body having pores having a maximum diameter of not more than 75 ?m communicating in the gas-communicating direction are sintered and bonded integrally with the inside of each of a plurality of vertical holes which act as release paths for the plasma excitation gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Inventors: Masahiro OKESAKU, Tadahiro OHMI, Tetsuya GOTO, Takaaki MATSUOKA, Toshihisa NOZAWA, Atsutoshi INOKUCHI, Kiyotaka ISHIBASHI
  • Patent number: 8967080
    Abstract: A plasma generation chamber of a plasma processing apparatus is closed by a top plate 3. The top plate 3 has recesses 3A on its surface facing the plasma generation chamber and a central recess 3B on an opposite surface. The top plate 3 is coupled to an antenna thereon. If a microwave is supplied to the antenna, the microwave is radiated through slots of the antenna. The microwave is propagated through the top plate 3 such that the microwave has a plane of polarization and the microwave forms a circularly polarized wave as a whole. Here, resonance absorption of the microwave occurs at a side surface of recesses 3A and the microwave is propagated within the recesses 3A in a single mode. Strong plasma can be generated within each of the recesses 3A, so that a stable plasma mode can be generated in the top plate 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Caizhong Tian, Kiyotaka Ishibashi, Toshihisa Nozawa
  • Patent number: 8925351
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a top plate hermetically attached to an upper opening of a tubular shaped container body for forming a processing container of a plasma processing apparatus is provided. The manufacturing method includes the steps of; preparing a top plate body comprised of a dielectric body for transmitting an electromagnetic wave, and having a gas ejection hole for ejecting a gas into the processing container; forming a discharge prevention member having a discharge prevention member body comprised of a dielectric body having a permeability, and a dense member comprised of a dielectric body without a permeability covering at least a side face of the discharge prevention member body; and attaching the discharge prevention member in the gas ejection hole of the top plate body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Caizhong Tian, Toshihisa Nozawa, Kiyotaka Ishibashi