Patents by Inventor Mitsuaki Iwashita

Mitsuaki Iwashita 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: 9523153
    Abstract: A pre-treatment method for plating can form a plating layer having sufficient adhesivity on an inner surface of a recess and on a surface of a substrate at an outside of the recess even when the recess has a high aspect ratio. The pre-treatment method for plating includes a preparation process of preparing the substrate having the recess; a first coupling layer forming process of forming a first coupling layer 21a at least on the inner surface of the recess of the substrate by using a first coupling agent; and a second coupling layer forming process of forming a second coupling layer 21b at least on the surface of the substrate at the outside of the recess by using a second coupling agent after the first coupling layer forming process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takashi Tanaka, Yuichiro Inatomi, Kazutoshi Iwai, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Patent number: 9505019
    Abstract: A plating apparatus of performing a plating process by supplying a plating liquid onto a substrate includes a substrate holding/rotating device configured to hold and rotate the substrate; a discharging device configured to discharge the plating liquid toward the substrate; a plating liquid supplying device configured to supply the plating liquid to the discharging device; and a controller configured to control the discharging device and the plating liquid supplying device. Further, the discharging device includes a first nozzle having a discharge opening, and a second nozzle having a discharge opening configured to be positioned closer to a central portion of the substrate than the discharge opening of the first nozzle. Furthermore, the plating liquid supplying device is configured to set a temperature of the plating liquid supplied to the first nozzle to be higher than a temperature of the plating liquid supplied to the second nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: TOYKO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20160336179
    Abstract: An electroless plating process is performed on an Al layer, which is made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, with an electroless plating liquid which is alkaline and contains a complexing agent. A plating method includes preparing a substrate 10 having a surface (for example, bottom surface of TSV 12) at which an Al layer 22 made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy is exposed; forming a zincate film 30 on a surface of the Al layer by performing a zincate treatment on the substrate; and forming a first electroless plating layer (for example, Co barrier layer 14a) on the surface of the Al layer with an electroless plating liquid (for example, Co-based plating liquid) which is alkaline and contains a complexing agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Nobutaka Mizutani, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Takashi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9487865
    Abstract: A plating apparatus 20 includes a substrate holding device 110 configured to hold a substrate W; a discharging device 21 configured to discharge a plating liquid 35 toward the substrate W held by the substrate holding device 110; and a plating liquid supplying device 30 connected to the discharging device 21 and configured to supply the plating liquid 35 to the discharging device 21. A gas supplying device 170 is configured to heat a heating gas G having a higher specific heat capacity than air and supply the heated heating gas G toward the substrate W held by the substrate holding device 110. Further, a controller 160 is configured to control at least the discharging device 21, the plating liquid supplying device 30, and the gas supplying device 170.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20160307759
    Abstract: A plating method includes forming a catalyst layer 118 on a surface of a substrate including an inner surface of a recess 112; drying the substrate having the catalyst layer formed thereon such that an inside of the recess is dried as well; removing the catalyst layer at least on the surface of the substrate at the outside of the recess by supplying a processing liquid, which is configured to dissolve a material of the surface of the substrate, onto the surface of the substrate while rotating the dried substrate and while preventing or suppressing the processing liquid from being introduced into the dried inside of the recess; and forming a plating layer 119 on the inside of the recess, at which the catalyst layer is not removed, by an electroless plating process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Inventors: Nobutaka Mizutani, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Takashi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20160247765
    Abstract: Adhesivity between a catalyst adsorption layer on a substrate and a barrier metal plating layer can be improved. The catalyst adsorption layer 22 containing a catalyst metal is formed on the substrate 2 by supplying a catalyst solution onto the substrate 2, and a bonding metal layer 22A containing a bonding metal different from the catalyst metal is formed on the catalyst adsorption layer 22 by performing a plating process with the catalyst metal as a catalyst. A barrier metal plating layer 23 is formed on the bonding metal layer 22A by performing a plating process with the bonding metal as a catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka, Nobutaka Mizutani, Yusuke Saito, Kazutoshi Iwai, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20160247683
    Abstract: A catalyst adsorbed on a surface of a substrate is bound to the substrate without leaving residues within a recess of the substrate. A catalyst layer forming method includes forming a catalyst layer 22 by supplying a catalyst solution 32 onto a substrate 2 having a recess 2a to adsorb the catalyst 22A onto a surface of the substrate and onto an inner surface of the recess; rinsing the surface of the substrate 2 and an inside of the recess 2a by supplying a rinse liquid; drying the surface of the substrate 2 and the inside of the recess 2a. Further, by supplying a binder solution 34 containing a binder 22B onto the substrate 2, the catalyst 22A on the surface of the substrate 2 is bound to the substrate 2 by the binder 22B.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka, Nobutaka Mizutani, Yusuke Saito, Kazutoshi Iwai, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Patent number: 9421569
    Abstract: A plating apparatus includes a substrate holding/rotating device that holds/rotates a substrate; and a plating liquid supplying device that supplies a plating liquid onto the substrate. The plating liquid supplying device includes a supply tank that stores the plating liquid; a discharge nozzle that discharges the plating liquid onto the substrate; and a plating liquid supplying line through which the plating liquid of the supply tank is supplied into the discharge nozzle. Further, a first heating device is provided at either one of the supply tank and the plating liquid supplying line of the plating liquid supplying device, and heats the plating liquid to a first temperature. Furthermore, a second heating device is provided at the plating liquid supplying line between the first heating device and the discharge nozzle, and heats the plating liquid to a second temperature equal to or higher than the first temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takashi Tanaka, Yusuke Saito, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Takayuki Toshima
  • Publication number: 20160240436
    Abstract: A metal wiring layer can be formed within a recess of a substrate while suppressing the metal wiring layer from being formed at the outside of the recess. A metal wiring layer forming method includes forming a catalyst layer 5 formed of Pd on a tungsten layer W on a bottom surface 3a of the recess 3 of the substrate 2 without forming the catalyst layer 5 on a surface 3b of an insulating layer of the recess 3; and forming a Ni-based metal wiring layer 7 on the catalyst layer 5 of the recess 3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Takashi Tanaka, Nobutaka Mizutani, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20160190040
    Abstract: A seed layer and a barrier layer located outside a wiring layer on a surface of a substrate are easily removed by an etching process. A metal layer 25 composed of the barrier layer 23 and the seed layer 24 is formed on a surface of the substrate 2 and on an inner surface of a recess 2a, and then, a resist pattern is formed on the metal layer. The wiring layer 27 is formed within the recess 2a by supplying a plating liquid from an opening 26a of the resist pattern 26, and then, the metal layer 25 on the surface of the substrate 2 is removed by the etching process. The metal layer 25 is formed by an electroless plating process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Iwashita, Takashi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20160095228
    Abstract: Adhesion of an underlying diffusion barrier metal film and an electroless copper plating film with respect to an insulating film can be improved. A method for manufacturing a wiring structure includes a process of forming the underlying diffusion barrier metal film 5, including a base metal with respect to copper, on the insulating film 1; and a process of forming the electroless copper plating film 6 on the underlying diffusion barrier metal film 5 by performing an electroless copper displacement plating process with a copper displacement plating solution. The copper displacement plating solution is an acidic copper displacement plating solution of pH1 to pH4, in which copper ions are contained but a reducing agent for reducing the copper ions is not contained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Shoso Shinguhara, Kohei Ota, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Nobutaka Mizutani
  • Patent number: 9255331
    Abstract: An apparatus for a plating process includes: an outer chamber; an inner chamber covered by the outer chamber; a rotatable holding mechanism configured to hold a substrate horizontally and installed in the inner chamber; a fluid supply unit configured to supply a plating solution to a preset position on the substrate; a gas supply device configured to generate a nonreactive gas and control a temperature of the nonreactive gas; a gas supply hole configured to supply the nonreactive gas into the outer chamber and provided in a top surface of the outer chamber; a plurality of gas inlet openings provided at a sidewall of the inner chamber and spaced apart at equal distances; and a rectifying plate disposed above the substrate and below the plurality of gas inlet openings inside the inner chamber, the rectifying plate having a plurality of rectifying holes uniformly disposed in the rectifying plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takashi Tanaka, Yusuke Saito, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Patent number: 9236280
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus including a processing vessel in which a target substrate W is processed by using a high-pressure fluid in a supercritical state or a subcritical state, and pipes that are divided into a first pipe member and a second pipe member in a flowing direction of the fluid and circulate the fluid are connected to processing vessel. A connecting/disconnecting mechanism moves at least one of first and second pipe members between a connection position and a separation position of first pipe member and the second pipe member, and opening/closing valves are installed in each of first and second pipe members and are closed at the time of separating pipe members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takayuki Toshima, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Yuji Kamikawa, Mikio Nakashima
  • Publication number: 20150303103
    Abstract: A catalyst adsorption method can sufficiently adsorb a catalyst to a lower portion of a recess formed in a substrate. A substrate 20 in which a recess 22 is formed is prepared. Then, a catalyst 23 formed of nanoparticles coated with a dispersant is adsorbed to a surface of the substrate 20 by bringing the substrate 20 into contact with a catalyst solution 12 containing the catalyst by a catalyst adsorption device 10. At that time, a high frequency vibration is applied to the catalyst solution 12.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicants: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, A SCHOOL CORPORATION KANSAI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Shoso Shinguhara, Fumihiro Inoue, Hiroshi Miyake, Ryohei Arima, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Takashi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20150247242
    Abstract: A pre-treatment method of plating and a plating system can perform a uniform plating process in which sufficient adhesivity on a surface of a substrate is obtained. The pre-treatment method of plating includes a coupling layer forming process of forming a titanium-based coupling layer 21b on the surface of the substrate with a titanium coupling agent; and a coupling layer modification process of modifying a surface of the titanium-based coupling layer 21b with a modifying liquid after the coupling layer forming process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Iwai, Nobutaka Mizutani, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20150232994
    Abstract: A plating apparatus can perform a plating process on an entire surface of a substrate uniformly. A plating apparatus 20 includes a substrate holding/rotating device 110 configured to hold and rotate a substrate 2; a discharging device 21 configured to discharge a plating liquid toward the substrate 2 held on the substrate holding/rotating device 110; and a controller 160 configured to control the substrate holding/rotating device 110 and the discharging device 21. Further, the discharging device 21 includes a first nozzle 40 having a multiple number of discharge openings 41 arranged in a radial direction of the substrate 2 or having a discharge opening 42 extended in the radial direction of the substrate 2; and a second nozzle 45 having a discharge opening 46 configured to be positioned closer to a central portion of the substrate 2 than the discharge opening of the first nozzle 40.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20150218702
    Abstract: A multiple number of accurately-patterned metal layers can be formed on a substrate. On a substrate 11, a patterned first metal layer 12 is formed (see FIG. 1A), and then, a metal sacrificial layer 15 is formed on the first metal layer 12 (see FIG. 1B). Further, an aqueous solution containing an ionized metal allowed to be substituted with a metal of the metal sacrificial layer 15 is coated on the metal sacrificial layer 15, so that a catalyst layer 16 is formed on the metal sacrificial layer 15 (see FIG. 1E) . Thereafter, a second metal layer 18 is formed on the catalyst layer 16 by performing an electroless plating process (see FIG. 1F). Furthermore, the substrate 11 is etched by using the second metal layer 18 as a mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Nobutaka Mizutani, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Takashi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20150167174
    Abstract: A plating method can improve uniformity in thickness of a plating layer formed on an inner surface of a recess. The plating method includes a loading process of loading the substrate in which the recess is formed into a casing; and a plating process of supplying a plating liquid to the substrate and forming a plating layer having a specific function on an inner surface of the recess. In the plating process, after supplying the plating liquid to the substrate and filling the plating liquid into the recess, a plating liquid having a higher temperature than a temperature of the plating liquid is supplied to the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2013
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Nobutaka Mizutani, Takashi Tanaka, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20150147476
    Abstract: A plating method can improve uniformity in a thickness of a plating layer formed on an inner surface of a recess. The plating method includes a loading process of loading the substrate in which the recess is formed into a casing; and a plating process of supplying a plating liquid to the substrate and forming a plating layer having a specific function on an inner surface of the recess. The plating process includes a first plating process of supplying a first plating liquid to the substrate and forming a first plating layer; and a second plating process of supplying a second plating liquid to the substrate and forming a second plating layer on the first plating layer after the first plating process. Further, a concentration of an additive contained in the first plating liquid is different from a concentration of an additive contained in the second plating liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Nobutaka Mizutani, Takashi Tanaka, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20150140816
    Abstract: Catalytic metal nanoparticles can be attached on a base. A pre-treatment method for plating includes a catalytic particle-containing film forming process of forming a catalytic particle-containing film on a surface of a substrate by supplying, onto the substrate, a catalytic particle solution which is prepared by dispersing the catalytic metal nanoparticles and a dispersing agent in a solvent containing water; a first heating process of removing moisture contained at least in the catalytic particle-containing film by heating the substrate to a first temperature; and a second heating process of polymerizing the dispersing agent to have a sheet shape by heating the substrate to a second temperature higher than the first temperature after the first heating process and fixing the catalytic metal nanoparticles on a base layer by covering the catalytic metal nanoparticles with the sheet-shaped dispersing agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Takashi Tanaka, Nobutaka Mizutani, Yusuke Saito, Mitsuaki Iwashita