Patents by Inventor Manabu Tsujimura
Manabu Tsujimura 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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Patent number: 7387717Abstract: A plating method and apparatus for a substrate fills a metal, e.g., copper, into a fine interconnection pattern formed in a semiconductor substrate. The apparatus has a substrate holding portion 36 horizontally holding and rotating a substrate with its surface to be plated facing upward. A seal material 90 contacts a peripheral edge portion of the surface, sealing the portion in a watertight manner. A cathode electrode 88 passes an electric current upon contact with the substrate. A cathode portion 38 rotates integrally with the substrate holding portion 36. An electrode arm portion 30 is above the cathode portion 38 and movable horizontally and vertically and has an anode 98 face-down. Plating liquid is poured into a space between the surface to be plated and the anode 98 brought close to the surface to be plated. Thus, plating treatment and treatments incidental thereto can be performed by a single unit.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2003Date of Patent: June 17, 2008Assignees: Ebara Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Junji Kunisawa, Mitsuko Odagaki, Natsuki Makino, Koji Mishima, Kenji Nakamura, Hiroaki Inoue, Norio Kimura, Tetsuo Matsuda, Hisashi Kaneko, Nobuo Hayasaka, Katsuya Okumura, Manabu Tsujimura, Toshiyuki Morita
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Patent number: 7361076Abstract: A polishing method can automatically reset polishing conditions according to a state of a polishing member based on data on a polishing profile changing with time, thereby extending life of the polishing member and obtaining flatness of a polished surface with higher accuracy. The polishing method, includes steps of: independently applying a desired pressure by each of pressing portions of a top ring on a polishing object; estimating a polishing profile of the polishing object based on set pressure values, and calculating a recommended polishing pressure value so that a difference between the polishing profile of the polishing object after it is polished under certain polishing conditions and a desired polishing profile becomes smaller; and polishing the polishing object with the recommended polishing pressure value.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2007Date of Patent: April 22, 2008Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Kunihiko Sakurai, Tetsuji Togawa, Yoshihiro Mochizuki, Akira Fukuda, Hirokuni Hiyama, Kazuto Hirokawa, Manabu Tsujimura
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Publication number: 20080090501Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes an arrangement of a plurality of units to deal with various operations and a robot having at least one arm. The plurality of units are disposed around the robot and include a loading unit for receiving thereon a, e.g. dry, workpiece to be polished, a polishing system including at least one polishing unit for polishing the workpiece, a washing system and a drying system at least including one washing unit for washing and drying the polished workpiece, and an unloading unit for receiving thereon a resultant clean and dry polished workpiece.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2007Publication date: April 17, 2008Inventors: Katsuya Okumura, Riichirou Aoki, Hiromi Yajima, Seiji Ishikawa, Manabu Tsujimura
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Publication number: 20070254558Abstract: A polishing apparatus (30) has a polishing surface (32), a top ring (36) for holding a wafer (W), motors (46, 56) to move the polishing surface (32) and the wafer (W) relative to each other at a relative speed, and a vertical movement mechanism (54) to press the wafer (W) against the polishing surface (32) under a pressing pressure. The polishing apparatus (30) also has a controller (44) to adjust a polishing condition in a non-Preston range in which a polishing rate is not proportional to a product of the pressing pressure and the relative speed. The polishing apparatus (30) can simultaneously achieve uniform supply of a chemical liquid to a surface of the wafer (W) and a uniform polishing rate within the surface of the wafer (W).Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2005Publication date: November 1, 2007Inventors: Masako Kodera, Yoshihiro Mochizuki, Akira Fukuda, Akira Kodera, Hirokuni Hiyama, Manabu Tsujimura, Kazuto Hirokawa, Akira Fukunaga
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Publication number: 20070243797Abstract: A polishing method for polishing a workpiece using the chemical polishing process endpoint detecting technology is applicable to actual polishing processes and polishing apparatus. The polishing method including pressing the workpiece against a polishing surface of a polishing table, moving the workpiece and the polishing surface relatively to each other to polish the workpiece, and disposing a gas suction pipe having a gas inlet port, directly above the polishing surface, supplying an atmospheric gas from above the polishing surface through the gas inlet port to a gas detector via the gas suction pipe, and monitoring a particular gas contained in the atmospheric gas with the gas detector while the workpiece is being polished.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2007Publication date: October 18, 2007Inventors: Akira Fukunaga, Noburu Shimizu, Shintaro Kamioka, Manabu Tsujimura
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Publication number: 20070232203Abstract: A polishing method can prevent scratches in a polished surface of a polishing object, caused by foreign matter adhering to a surface of a polishing member, thus preventing the attendant lowering of the yield even when the polishing object is large-sized. The polishing method includes: specifying a foreign matter adhesion position or a foreign matter adhesion area in a surface of the polishing member; and intensively cleaning the foreign matter adhesion position or the foreign matter adhesion area in the surface of the polishing member.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2007Publication date: October 4, 2007Inventors: Akira Fukuda, Hirokuni Hiyama, Manabu Tsujimura
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Publication number: 20070224916Abstract: A polishing method can automatically reset polishing conditions according to a state of a polishing member based on data on a polishing profile changing with time, thereby extending life of the polishing member and obtaining flatness of a polished surface with higher accuracy. The polishing method, includes steps of: independently applying a desired pressure by each of pressing portions of a top ring on a polishing object; estimating a polishing profile of the polishing object based on set pressure values, and calculating a recommended polishing pressure value so that a difference between the polishing profile of the polishing object after it is polished under certain polishing conditions and a desired polishing profile becomes smaller; and polishing the polishing object with the recommended polishing pressure value.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 22, 2007Publication date: September 27, 2007Inventors: Kunihiko Sakurai, Tetsuji Togawa, Yoshihiro Mochizuki, Akira Fukuda, Hirokuni Hiyama, Kazuto Hirokawa, Manabu Tsujimura
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Publication number: 20070205112Abstract: A polishing apparatus (30) has a polishing surface (32), a top ring (36) for holding a wafer (W), motors (46, 56) to move the polishing surface (32) and the wafer (W) relative to each other at a relative speed, and a vertical movement mechanism (54) to press the wafer (W) against the polishing surface (32) under a pressing pressure. The polishing apparatus (30) also has a controller (44) to adjust a polishing condition in a non-Preston range in which a polishing rate is not proportional to a product of the pressing pressure and the relative speed. The polishing apparatus (30) can simultaneously achieve uniform supply of a chemical liquid to a surface of the wafer (W) and a uniform polishing rate within the surface of the wafer (W).Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2007Publication date: September 6, 2007Inventors: Masako Kodera, Yoshihiro Mochizuki, Akira Fukuda, Akira Kodera, Hirokuni Hiyama, Manabu Tsujimura, Kazuto Hirokawa, Akira Fukunaga
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Patent number: 7234999Abstract: A polishing method can automatically reset polishing conditions according to a state of a polishing member based on data on a polishing profile changing with time, thereby extending life of the polishing member and obtaining flatness of a polished surface with higher accuracy. The polishing method, includes steps of: independently applying a desired pressure by each of pressing portions of a top ring on a polishing object; estimating a polishing profile of the polishing object based on set pressure values, and calculating a recommended polishing pressure value so that a difference between the polishing profile of the polishing object after it is polished under certain polishing conditions and a desired polishing profile becomes smaller; and polishing the polishing object with the recommended polishing pressure value.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2006Date of Patent: June 26, 2007Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Kunihiko Sakurai, Tetsuji Togawa, Yoshihiro Mochizuki, Akira Fukuda, Hirokuni Hiyama, Kazuto Hirokawa, Manabu Tsujimura
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Publication number: 20070099426Abstract: A polishing method polishes a substrate so as to remove an interconnect metal film and a barrier film formed on portions other than interconnect recesses. The method includes performing a first polishing process of polishing a surface of the substrate After performing the first polishing process, the surface of the substrate is cleaned. After cleaning, a second polishing process is performed for further polishing the surface of the substrate. At least one of performing the first polishing process and performing the second polishing process includes performing electrolytic polishing.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2005Publication date: May 3, 2007Inventors: Manabu Tsujimura, Akira Fukunaga, Yutaka Wada, Itsuki Kobata
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Patent number: 7207864Abstract: The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus comprises a polishing table having a polishing surface, and a top ring, and the workpiece is interposed between the polishing table and the top ring and pressed at a predetermined pressure to polish the workpiece. The polishing apparatus comprises at least two dressing units for dressing the polishing surface by being brought into contact with the polishing surface, which is a surface of a polishing cloth.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2006Date of Patent: April 24, 2007Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Kenji Kamimura, Norio Kimura, Satoshi Okamura, Hideo Aizawa, Makoto Akagi, Katsuhiko Tokushige, Hisanori Matsuo, Manabu Tsujimura
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Patent number: 7198552Abstract: A polishing apparatus for polishing a surface of a workpiece includes a housing unit, a partition wall partitioning an interior of the housing unit into a first chamber and a second chamber, a polishing section disposed in the first chamber and having a turntable with an abrasive cloth mounted on an upper surface thereof and a top ring positioned above the turntable for supporting the workpiece to be polished and pressing the workpiece against the abrasive cloth, and a cleaning section disposed in the second chamber and cleaning the workpiece which has been polished. The polishing apparatus further includes a transferring device for transferring the workpiece which has been polished from the polishing section to the cleaning section through an opening and an exhaust system for exhausting ambient air from each of the polishing section and cleaning section separately and independently.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2005Date of Patent: April 3, 2007Assignees: Ebara Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Toyomi Nishi, Tetsuji Togawa, Harumitsu Saito, Manabu Tsujimura, Hiromi Yajima, Kazuaki Himukai, Shoichi Kodama, Yukio Imoto, Riichiro Aoki, Masako Watase, Atsushi Shigeta, Shiro Mishima, Gisuke Kouno
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Publication number: 20070061036Abstract: A polishing method can automatically reset polishing conditions according to a state of a polishing member based on data on a polishing profile changing with time, thereby extending life of the polishing member and obtaining flatness of a polished surface with higher accuracy. The polishing method, includes steps of: independently applying a desired pressure by each of pressing portions of a top ring on a polishing object; estimating a polishing profile of the polishing object based on set pressure values, and calculating a recommended polishing pressure value so that a difference between the polishing profile of the polishing object after it is polished under certain polishing conditions and a desired polishing profile becomes smaller; and polishing the polishing object with the recommended polishing pressure value.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 15, 2006Publication date: March 15, 2007Inventors: Kunihiko Sakurai, Tetsuji Togawa, Yoshihiro Mochizuki, Akira Fukuda, Hirokuni Hiyama, Kazuto Hirokawa, Manabu Tsujimura
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Publication number: 20070020918Abstract: The present invention provides a substrate processing method that can perform improved flattening and processing upon the formation of interconnects. The a substrate processing method includes a step of eliminating a level difference in a surface of a interconnect material to flatten a surface, a step of removing the interconnect material until the interconnect material present in the non-interconnect region of the substrate becomes a thin film or remains partly on a barrier material, a step of removing the interconnect material in the form of the thin film or remaining partly on the barrier material, a step of simultaneously removing the unnecessary interconnect material and the barrier material until the barrier material present in the non-interconnect region becomes a thin film or remains partly, and a step of removing the unnecessary interconnect material and the barrier material in the form of the thin film.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2004Publication date: January 25, 2007Applicant: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Kazuto Hirokawa, Manabu Tsujimura
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Patent number: 7150673Abstract: A polishing method can automatically reset polishing conditions according to a state of a polishing member based on data on a polishing profile changing with time, thereby extending life of the polishing member and obtaining flatness of a polished surface with higher accuracy. The polishing method, includes steps of: independently applying a desired pressure by each of pressing portions of a top ring on a polishing object; estimating a polishing profile of the polishing object based on set pressure values, and calculating a recommended polishing pressure value so that a difference between the polishing profile of the polishing object after it is polished under certain polishing conditions and a desired polishing profile becomes smaller; and polishing the polishing object with the recommended polishing pressure value.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2005Date of Patent: December 19, 2006Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Kunihiko Sakurai, Tetsuji Togawa, Yoshihiro Mochizuki, Akira Fukuda, Hirokuni Hiyama, Kazuto Hirokawa, Manabu Tsujimura
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Patent number: 7101255Abstract: This invention pertains to a polishing apparatus for polishing a semiconductor wafer. The apparatus comprises a storage section that is capable of receiving a workpiece to be polished and a polished workpiece. The polishing unit that polishes the workpiece includes a primary polishing table and a secondary polishing table, wherein the polishing surface of the secondary polishing table is constructed to be arranged such that at least a portion of a surface of the workpiece being polished by the polishing surface of the secondary polishing table extends beyond an edge of the polishing surface of the secondary polishing table. Also provided is a film thickness measuring device, which measures the thickness of a film formed on a polished workpiece while the polished workpiece is held by a top ring above a pusher.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2005Date of Patent: September 5, 2006Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Seiji Katsuoka, Manabu Tsujimura, Kunihiko Sakurai, Hiroyuki Osawa
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Publication number: 20060194521Abstract: The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus comprises a polishing table having a polishing surface, and a top ring, and the workpiece is interposed between the polishing table and the top ring and pressed at a predetermined pressure to polish the workpiece. The polishing apparatus comprises at least two dressing units for dressing the polishing surface by being brought into contact with the ppolishing surface, which is a surface of a polishing cloth.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2006Publication date: August 31, 2006Inventors: Kenji Kamimura, Norio Kimura, Satoshi Okamura, Hideo Aizawa, Makoto Akagi, Katsuhiko Tokushige, Hisanori Matsuo, Manabu Tsujimura
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Publication number: 20060172665Abstract: A polishing tool is used for polishing a workpiece (13) such as a semiconductor wafer to a flat mirror finish. The polishing tool has a polishing table (10) and a polishing pad (11) attached to an upper surface of the polishing table (10). The polishing pad (11) has a plurality of polishing pad pieces (111) attached to the polishing table (10). It is possible to facilitate adjustment of polishing performance over a surface of the workpiece (13) and replacement of a polishing pad (10).Type: ApplicationFiled: March 12, 2004Publication date: August 3, 2006Inventors: Katsuya Okumura, Manabu Tsujimura
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Patent number: 7040968Abstract: The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, to a flat mirror finish. The polishing apparatus comprises a polishing table having a polishing surface, and a top ring, and the workpiece is interposed between the polishing table and the top ring and pressed at a predetermined pressure to polish the workpiece. The polishing apparatus comprises at least two dressing units for dressing the polishing surface by being brought into contact with the polishing surface, which is a surface of a polishing cloth.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2005Date of Patent: May 9, 2006Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Kenji Kamimura, Norio Kimura, Satoshi Okamura, Hideo Aizawa, Makoto Akagi, Katsuhiko Tokushige, Hisanori Matsuo, Manabu Tsujimura
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Publication number: 20060086618Abstract: An interconnects-forming method can form a film of interconnect material, having a sufficient adhesion, by electroplating uniformly on an entire surface of a substrate and thus can form highly-reliable embedded interconnects even when the design rule is strict, and which can remove an extra interconnect material at a lower pressure. The interconnects-forming method, including: forming a conductive film on a surface of a substrate having interconnect recesses formed in an insulating film, said conductive film being insoluble in an electrolytic plating solution for the formation of a film of an interconnect material; forming a film of the interconnect material by electroplating on a surface of the conductive film serving as a seed film while filling the interconnect recesses with the interconnect material; and removing an extra interconnect material of the film formed on the conductive film, thereby forming interconnects of the interconnect material embedded in the interconnect recesses.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2005Publication date: April 27, 2006Inventors: Akira Fukunaga, Manabu Tsujimura