Patents by Inventor Koichiro Ichikawa

Koichiro Ichikawa 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: 8333882
    Abstract: The method of polishing a work is capable of reducing a polishing cost, polishing a surface of the work with high polishing accuracy and easily disposing used polishing liquid and used washing liquid. The method comprises the steps of: pressing the work onto a polishing member; feeding polishing liquid; and relatively moving the work with respect to the polishing member. Electrolytic reduced water produced by electrolyzing an electrolyte solution is used as the polishing liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Fujikoshi Machinery Corp.
    Inventors: Unkai Sato, Koichiro Ichikawa, Yoshinobu Nishimoto, Yoshio Nakamura, Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, Masumi Iihama
  • Publication number: 20100112905
    Abstract: The present invention is a planar template for a CMP tool polishing head possessing a means of securing a wafer in CMP polishing where the back surface of the template is held to the polishing head by retaining means and a method for using the planar template.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventors: Leonard Borucki, Ara Philipossian, Masanori Furukawa, Koichiro Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20100099333
    Abstract: A method for (a) determining the shear force between a wafer head and a polishing pad in a polishing tool using a CMP polishing tool with a plate above the wafer head which hangs or rests on the plate. The plate is connected to the CMP polishing tool by (b) low friction motion means (c). A load cell sensor is fixed to the framework of the polishing tool or another immovable structure. (d) The load cell determines the force from the leading edge of the plate when the wafer head is in contact with the polishing pad. (e) Signals from the load cell sensor reporting the shear force. A CMP polishing tool which includes elements corresponding to each of points (a)-(e) in the above method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Inventors: Fransisca Maria Astrid Sudargho, Ara Philipossian, Leonard Borucki, Masanori Furukawa, Koichiro Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20070108067
    Abstract: The method of polishing a work is capable of reducing a polishing cost, polishing a surface of the work with high polishing accuracy and easily disposing used polishing liquid and used washing liquid. The method comprises the steps of: pressing the work onto a polishing member; feeding polishing liquid; and relatively moving the work with respect to the polishing member. Electrolytic reduced water produced by electrolyzing an electrolyte solution is used as the polishing liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Inventors: Unkai Sato, Koichiro Ichikawa, Yoshinobu Nishimoto, Yoshio Nakamura, Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, Masumi Iihama
  • Patent number: 6332828
    Abstract: A method for chamfer mirror-like polishing a wafer having an orientation flat by rotating the wafer in a state of being pressed by a rotating buffering wheel with a predetermined pressure, is disclosed. Mirror-surface polishing a stable wafer chamfer can be obtained with a relatively simple control system. The invention is predicated in the fact that the wafer rotation speed Ns has low inertial mass and low rotation speed so that the wafer rotation speed control can be obtained with high response property and high accuracy compared to pressing pressure control and buffering wheel control, and it features detecting intrinsic peripheral part, corners and orientation flat part of wafer according to a detection signal of detection means for detecting the wafer mirror-like polishing position and controlling the wafer rotation speed Ns according to the detected wafer mirror-like polishing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd., Fujikoshi Machinery Corp.
    Inventors: Fumihiko Hasegawa, Yasuyoshi Kuroka, Toshihiro Tsuchiya, Koichiro Ichikawa, Yasuo Inada
  • Patent number: 6113463
    Abstract: A method for chamfer mirror-like polishing a wafer having an orientation flat by rotating the wafer in a state of being pressed by a rotating buffering wheel with a predetermined pressure, is disclosed. Mirror-surface polishing a stable wafer chamfer can be obtained with a relatively simple control system. The invention is predicated in the fact that the wafer rotation speed N.sub.s has low inertial mass and low rotation speed so that the wafer rotation speed control can be obtained with high response property and high accuracy compared to pressing pressure control and buffering wheel control, and it features detecting intrinsic peripheral part, corners and orientation flat part of wafer according to a detection signal of detection means for detecting the wafer mirror-like polishing position and controlling the wafer rotation speed N.sub.s according to the detected wafer mirror-like polishing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd., Fujikoshi Machinery Corp.
    Inventors: Fumihiko Hasegawa, Yasuyoshi Kuroka, Toshihiro Tsuchiya, Koichiro Ichikawa, Yasuo Inada
  • Patent number: 5928066
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus of a peripheral chamfered portion of a semiconductor wafer is disclosed. The polishing apparatus comprises: a rotary drum around the periphery of which a tape having an abrasive layer thereon is wound; a first motor for rotating the rotary drum; a wafer holding mechanism which comprises a wafer holding member for holding a wafer, a second motor for rotating the wafer holding member, a supporting member for supporting the wafer holding member and the second motor, and a wafer inclining member for changing the tilt angle of the wafer with respect to the rotary drum by reciprocally rotating the supporting member on a first axis which is substantially parallel with the main surface of the wafer; and a moving member for bringing the wafer held on the supporting member into contact with or separating it from the tape wound around the rotary drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd., Fujikoshi Machinery
    Inventors: Fumihiko Hasegawa, Yasuyoshi Kuroda, Toshihiro Tsuchiya, Koichiro Ichikawa, Yasuo Inada
  • Patent number: 5766065
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus of a peripheral chamfered portion of a semiconductor wafer is disclosed. The polishing apparatus comprises: a rotary drum around the periphery of which a tape having an abrasive layer thereon is wound; a first motor for rotating the rotary drum; a wafer holding mechanism which comprises a wafer holding member for holding a wafer, a second motor for rotating the wafer holding member, a supporting member for supporting the wafer holding member and the second motor, and a wafer inclining member for changing the tilt angle of the wafer with respect to the rotary drum by reciprocally rotating the supporting member on a first axis which is substantially parallel with the main surface of the wafer; and a moving member for bringing the wafer held on the supporting member into contact with or separating it from the tape wound around the rotary drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1998
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd., Fujikoshi Machinery Corp.
    Inventors: Fumihiko Hasegawa, Yasuyoshi Kuroda, Koichiro Ichikawa, Yasuo Inada
  • Patent number: 5733181
    Abstract: An apparatus for polishing the notch of a wafer in an effective and efficient way, which comprises: a flexible tape carrying abrasive grains in the working face thereof; an infeed reel for feeding the tape stored thereon: a take-up reel for taking up the tape fed from the infeed reel; a motor for driving to rotate the take-up reel; a means for blowing a fluid to the backside surface to the edge portion of the notch to be in direct contact along the full periphery of the notch; and a means for oscillating the tape sideways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumihiko Hasegawa, Tatsuo Ohtani, Yasuyoshi Kuroda, Koichiro Ichikawa, Yasuo Inada
  • Patent number: 5727990
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus, which enable mirror-polishing a peripheral chamfered portion of a semiconductor wafer effectively, are disclosed. Mirror-polishing a peripheral side surface of the chamfered portion of the wafer, beveled surfaces thereof, and rounded edges formed between the peripheral side surface and each of the beveled surfaces, are individually carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd., Fujikoshi Machinery Corp.
    Inventors: Fumihiko Hasegawa, Tatsuo Ohtani, Yasuyoshi Kuroda, Koichiro Ichikawa, Yasuo Inada
  • Patent number: 5476413
    Abstract: An apparatus for polishing the periphery portion of a wafer, by which improvement on the polishing velocity may be effected and besides a more efficient spatial usage of the working layer of an abrasive tape is capable, comprising a tape holding fixed abrasive grains thereon; a feed reel for feeding the tape stored by winding itself; a take-up reel for taking up the tape by winding itself; a rotary drum inside of which both of the reels are equipped in such a manner that they are mountable or demountable, where a portion of the tape in the way from the feed reel to the take-up reel is adaptive to wind the rotary drum around the outer cylindrical surface thereof in close contact in the shape of a helicoid and one of the main faces of the wafer is positioned to be in a plane intersecting the central axis of the rotary drum at an angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1995
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd., Fujikoshi Machinery Corp.
    Inventors: Fumihiko Hasegawa, Tatsuo Ohtani, Yasuyoshi Kuroda, Koichiro Ichikawa, Yasuo Inada
  • Patent number: 5458529
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus which can effectively polish a bottom wall of a wafer in the notch portion is disclosed. The polishing apparatus includes: a table for supporting the wafer thereon; a rotary buff having a thickness so that the periphery thereof can enter the notch portion of the wafer, and is rotated around an axis which is parallel with a plane of the surface of the wafer supported on the table; a first rotating member such as a motor for rotating the rotary buff; a movable linkage for supporting the rotary buff; an adjusting member such as a cylinder device for adjusting the pressure applied to the bottom wall of the wafer in the notch portion from the rotary buff; and a second rotating member such as a pulse motor for turning the rotary buff around a predetermined axis so that the applied pressure from the rotary buff acts on the bottom wall of the wafer in the notch portion in a direction approximately perpendicular to the surface of the bottom wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1995
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd., Fujikoshi Machinery Corp.
    Inventors: Fumihiko Hasegawa, Tatsuo Ohtani, Koichiro Ichikawa, Yoshio Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5429544
    Abstract: An polishing apparatus which can effectively polish a bottom wall of a wafer in a notch portion is disclosed. The apparatus includes: a table for supporting the wafer thereon; a rotary buff having a thickness so that the periphery thereof can enter the notch portion of the wafer, and is rotated around an axis which is parallel with a plane of the surface of the wafer supported on the table; a first rotating member such as a motor for rotating the rotary buff; a linkage for supporting the rotary buff; an adjusting member such as a cylinder device for adjusting the pressure applied to the bottom wall of the wafer in the notch portion from the rotary buff; and a second rotating member for turning the table around a predetermined axis which is approximately parallel with the rotary axis of the rotary buff so that the applied pressure from the rotary buff acts on the bottom wall of the wafer in the notch portion in a direction approximately perpendicular to the surface of the bottom wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1995
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Handotal Co., Ltd., Fujikoshi Machinery Corp.
    Inventors: Fumihiko Hasegawa, Tatsuo Ohtani, Koichiro Ichikawa, Yoshio Nakamura