Patents by Inventor Nobutaka Mizutani

Nobutaka Mizutani 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: 9711363
    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: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Nobutaka Mizutani, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Takashi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9653350
    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: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takashi Tanaka, Nobutaka Mizutani, Yusuke Saito, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Patent number: 9650717
    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: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Iwai, Nobutaka Mizutani, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Patent number: 9653354
    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: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takashi Tanaka, Nobutaka Mizutani, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20170121822
    Abstract: A plating apparatus can suppress a time period during which a plating liquid is used in a plating from being reduced. In the plating apparatus 1, after a plating liquid supply unit 53 supplies, to a substrate W1, a plating liquid which exerts a preset plating performance within a preset concentration range and which has an initial temperature adjusted to be lower than a preset plating temperature; and an initial concentration adjusted such that a concentration of the plating liquid at a moment when a temperature of the plating liquid has reached the preset plating temperature is equal to or higher than a lower limit of the preset concentration range and equal to or below a median value of the preset concentration range, a plating liquid heating unit 63 heats the plating liquid supplied to the substrate W1 to the preset plating temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Nobutaka Mizutani, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Yuichiro Inatomi
  • Publication number: 20170084480
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus can remove, from a substrate having a copper wiring formed by a dry etching process using an organic etching gas, e.g., one or more kinds of organic etching gases selected from a methane gas, a CF-based gas, a carboxylic acid-based gas containing a methyl group and an alcohol-based gas, an organic polymer which is originated from the organic etching gas and generated in the dry etching process and adheres to a surface of the substrate. In a substrate processing apparatus 1, a first processing unit 4 includes a first cleaning liquid supply unit 43a configured to supply a first cleaning liquid L1 selected from a chemical liquid containing hydrogen peroxide and a chemical liquid containing a polar organic solvent, and the first cleaning liquid L1 is supplied onto a substrate W1 from the first cleaning liquid supply unit 43a.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Nobutaka Mizutani, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Takashi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9552994
    Abstract: A plating apparatus 20 includes a substrate holding device 110 configured to hold and rotate the substrate 2; a first discharge device 30 configured to discharge a plating liquid toward the substrate 2 held on the substrate holding device 110; and a top plate 21 that is provided above the substrate 2 and has an opening 22. The first discharge device 30 includes a first discharge unit 33 configured to discharge the plating liquid toward the substrate 2, and the first discharge unit 33 is configured to be moved between a discharge position where the plating liquid is discharged and a standby position where the plating liquid is not discharged. Further, the first discharge unit 33 is configured to be overlapped with the opening 22 of the top plate 21 at the discharge position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka, Nobutaka Mizutani, Yusuke Saito, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20160372367
    Abstract: Reliability of a plating process and reliability of a component manufactured through the plating process can be improved by suppressing peeling between plating layers formed by electroless plating. In a plating method, a plated component manufactured by the plating method, and a plating system 1 configured to manufacture the plated component by the plating method, a second electroless plating layer 39, which is made of a copper alloy and formed by the electroless plating, is formed on a surface of a first electroless plating layer 38 formed by the electroless plating. The first electroless plating layer 38 is a barrier layer configured to suppress diffusion of copper and is made of cobalt or a cobalt alloy. The second electroless plating layer 39 is a seed layer for forming an electrolytic plating layer of copper on a surface thereof and is made of an alloy of copper and nickel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka, Nobutaka Mizutani
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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: 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
  • 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: 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
  • Publication number: 20150099355
    Abstract: A plating apparatus 20 includes a substrate holding device 110 configured to hold and rotate the substrate 2; a first discharge device 30 configured to discharge a plating liquid toward the substrate 2 held on the substrate holding device 110; and a top plate 21 that is provided above the substrate 2 and has an opening 22. The first discharge device 30 includes a first discharge unit 33 configured to discharge the plating liquid toward the substrate 2, and the first discharge unit 33 is configured to be moved between a discharge position where the plating liquid is discharged and a standby position where the plating liquid is not discharged. Further, the first discharge unit 33 is configured to be overlapped with the opening 22 of the top plate 21 at the discharge position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka, Nobutaka Mizutani, Yusuke Saito, Mitsuaki Iwashita