Patents by Inventor Satoshi Mizunaga

Satoshi Mizunaga 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).

  • Publication number: 20240093371
    Abstract: Provided is a method of supplying a liquid raw material to a gas supply device. The gas supply device includes: a storage tank that stores the liquid raw material; a heating unit that heats the liquid raw material to generate a raw material gas; a level detecting unit that detects a liquid surface level of the liquid raw material stored in the storage tank; a gas inlet and a gas outlet provided in the storage tank; and a raw material inlet provided in the storage tank. The method includes: determining whether the liquid surface level of the liquid raw material is equal to or lower than a supply target level; and repeating supply of a specified amount of liquid raw material to the storage tank a specified number of times when the liquid surface level of the liquid raw material is equal to or lower than the supply target level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Hiroaki DEWA, Satoshi MIZUNAGA, Naohide ITO
  • Publication number: 20220415661
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber having a gas inlet and a gas outlet; a plasma generator; and a controller configured to cause: (a) providing a substrate including a silicon-containing film and a mask formed on the film; (b) etching the silicon-containing film through the mask to the first depth, thereby forming a recess in the silicon-containing film; (c) forming a protection film at least on the mask and a side wall of the recess formed on the silicon-containing film after (a); and (d) etching the silicon containing film through the mask to a second depth, the second depth being greater than the first depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Akinobu KAKIMOTO, Yoshinobu HAYAKAWA, Satoshi MIZUNAGA, Yasuhiro HAMADA, Mitsuhiro OKADA
  • Publication number: 20220415660
    Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a chamber having a gas inlet and a gas outlet; a plasma generator; and a controller configured to cause: (a) etching a silicon-containing film to a first depth with a first plasma in the chamber, thereby forming a recess in the silicon-containing film; (b) forming a protection film on a side wall of the recess with a second plasma in the chamber, the protection film having a first thickness at an upper portion of the recess and a second thickness at a lower portion of the recess, the second thickness being smaller than the first thickness; and (c) etching the silicon-containing film to a second depth with the third plasma in the chamber, the second depth being greater than the first depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Akinobu KAKIMOTO, Yoshinobu HAYAKAWA, Satoshi MIZUNAGA, Yasuhiro HAMADA, Mitsuhiro OKADA
  • Publication number: 20200035497
    Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a chamber having a gas inlet and a gas outlet; a plasma generator; and a controller configured to cause: (a) etching a silicon-containing film to a first depth with a first plasma in the chamber, thereby forming a recess in the silicon-containing film; (b) forming a protection film on a side wall of the recess with a second plasma in the chamber, the protection film having a first thickness at an upper portion of the recess and a second thickness at a lower portion of the recess, the second thickness being smaller than the first thickness; and (c) etching the silicon-containing film to a second depth with the third plasma in the chamber, the second depth being greater than the first depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Akinobu KAKIMOTO, Yoshinobu HAYAKAWA, Satoshi MIZUNAGA, Yasuhiro HAMADA, Mitsuhiro OKADA
  • Publication number: 20200035496
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber having a gas inlet and a gas outlet; a plasma generator; and a controller configured to cause: (a) providing a substrate including a silicon-containing film and a mask formed on the film; (b) etching the silicon-containing film through the mask to the first depth, thereby forming a recess in the silicon-containing film; (c) forming a protection film at least on the mask and a side wall of the recess formed on the silicon-containing film after (a); and (d) etching the silicon containing film through the mask to a second depth, the second depth being greater than the first depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Akinobu KAKIMOTO, Yoshinobu HAYAKAWA, Satoshi MIZUNAGA, Yasuhiro HAMADA, Mitsuhiro OKADA
  • Patent number: 10460950
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing system including an etching apparatus configured to supply a gas containing fluorocarbon to generate plasma so as to perform an etching process on a film including silicon formed on a substrate, wherein the etching process is performed by using plasma through a mask formed on the film including silicon, a film forming apparatus configured to supply a gas containing carbon so as to form a film including carbon on the etched film including silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Akinobu Kakimoto, Yoshinobu Hayakawa, Satoshi Mizunaga, Yasuhiro Hamada, Mitsuhiro Okada
  • Publication number: 20170125255
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing system including an etching apparatus configured to supply a gas containing fluorocarbon to generate plasma so as to perform an etching process on a film including silicon formed on a substrate, wherein the etching process is performed by using plasma through a mask formed on the film including silicon, a film forming apparatus configured to supply a gas containing carbon so as to form a film including carbon on the etched film including silicon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2015
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Akinobu KAKIMOTO, Yoshinobu HAYAKAWA, Satoshi MIZUNAGA, Yasuhiro HAMADA, Mitsuhiro OKADA
  • Publication number: 20160251755
    Abstract: A method for forming a carbon film on a process surface to be processed of a workpiece includes forming a seed layer on the process surface of the workpiece by supplying an aminosilane-based gas, an aminosilane-based gas having high-order equal to or higher than that of aminodisilane, or a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound gas onto the process surface; and forming the carbon film on the process surface on which the seed layer is formed by supplying a hydrocarbon-based carbon source gas and a thermal decomposition temperature lowering gas for lowering a thermal decomposition temperature of the hydrocarbon-based carbon source gas onto the process surface on which the seed layer is obtained, and by setting a film formation temperature to be lower than the thermal decomposition temperature of the hydrocarbon-based carbon source gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Masayuki KITAMURA, Satoshi MIZUNAGA, Akira SHIMIZU, Akinobu KAKIMOTO
  • Patent number: 9378944
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of present disclosure, a method of forming a carbon film on a substrate to be processed is provided. The method includes loading a substrate to be processed with a carbon film formed thereon into a processing chamber of a film forming apparatus (Process 1), and thermally decomposing a hydrocarbon-based carbon source gas in the processing chamber to form a carbon film on the substrate to be processed (Process 2). In Process 2, a film forming temperature of the carbon film is set to a temperature less than a thermal decomposition temperature of a simple substance of the hydrocarbon-based carbon source gas without plasma assistance, the hydrocarbon-based carbon source gas and a thermal decomposition temperature drop gas containing a halogen element are introduced into the processing chamber, and a non-plasma thermal CVD method is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Obu, Satoshi Mizunaga, Takehiro Otsuka
  • Patent number: 9279183
    Abstract: A method of operating a film forming apparatus includes forming a carbon film on each of surfaces of a plurality of objects held by a holding unit in a processing container and performing a cleaning process with a cleaning gas to remove an unnecessary carbon film adhered on a inside of the processing container, wherein the method further includes, before the forming of the carbon film, forming, on a surface of a member contacting a processing space in the processing container, a tolerant pre-coating film which has a tolerance to the cleaning gas and improves adhesion of the carbon film to the surface of the member. Accordingly, the adhesion of the carbon film is improved, and further, the tolerant pre-coating film remains even when the cleaning process of removing the unnecessary carbon film is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Atsushi Endo, Satoshi Mizunaga, Takehiro Otsuka
  • Patent number: 8993456
    Abstract: Provided is a method of operating a film forming apparatus capable of suppressing generation of particles by improving an adhesion of a carbon film to surfaces of members which are formed of a quartz material and contact a processing space in a processing container. The method includes forming a carbon film on each of surfaces of a plurality of objects held by a holding unit in a processing container formed of a quartz material, wherein the method further includes forming an adhesion film to improve the adhesion of the carbon film, on surfaces of members which are formed of a quartz material and contact a processing space in the processing container. Accordingly, the adhesion of the carbon film to the surface of the member formed of a quartz material contacting the processing space in the processing container is improved, thereby suppressing generation of particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Atsushi Endo, Satoshi Mizunaga, Takehiro Otsuka
  • Publication number: 20140011368
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of present disclosure, a method of forming a carbon film on a substrate to be processed is provided. The method includes loading a substrate to be processed with a carbon film formed thereon into a processing chamber of a film forming apparatus (Process 1), and thermally decomposing a hydrocarbon-based carbon source gas in the processing chamber to form a carbon film on the substrate to be processed (Process 2). In Process 2, a film forming temperature of the carbon film is set to a temperature less than a thermal decomposition temperature of a simple substance of the hydrocarbon-based carbon source gas without plasma assistance, the hydrocarbon-based carbon source gas and a thermal decomposition temperature drop gas containing a halogen element are introduced into the processing chamber, and a non-plasma thermal CVD method is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Tomoyuki OBU, Satoshi MIZUNAGA, Takehiro OTSUKA
  • Publication number: 20120015525
    Abstract: A method of cleaning a thin film forming apparatus, for removing deposits adhering to an inside thereof after supplying a film-forming gas into a reaction chamber to form a amorphous carbon film on a workpiece, includes a heating operation of heating at least one of an inside of the reaction chamber and an inside of an exhaust pipe connected to the reaction chamber to a predetermined temperature; and a removing operation of supplying a cleaning gas containing oxygen gas and hydrogen gas into at least one of the inside of the reaction chamber and the inside of the exhaust pipe heated in the heating operation, heating the cleaning gas to the predetermined temperature to activate the oxygen gas and the hydrogen gas contained in the cleaning gas, and thereafter removing the deposits adhering to the inside of the thin film forming apparatus by the oxygen gas and the hydrogen gas activated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Atsushi ENDO, Kazumi KUBO, Satoshi MIZUNAGA
  • Patent number: 7959737
    Abstract: A method for using a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process includes a first cleaning process of removing by a first cleaning gas a by-product film from an inner surface of a reaction chamber of the film formation apparatus, while supplying the first cleaning gas into the reaction chamber, and setting an interior of the reaction chamber at a first temperature and a first pressure to activate the first cleaning gas. The method further includes a second cleaning process of then removing by a second cleaning gas a contaminant from the inner surface of the reaction chamber, while supplying the second cleaning gas into the reaction chamber, and setting the interior of the reaction chamber at a second temperature and a second pressure to activate the second cleaning gas. The second cleaning gas includes a chlorine-containing gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Okada, Satoshi Mizunaga, Yamato Tonegawa, Toshiharu Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20080132079
    Abstract: A method for using a film formation apparatus for a semiconductor process includes a first cleaning process of removing by a first cleaning gas a by-product film from an inner surface of a reaction chamber of the film formation apparatus, while supplying the first cleaning gas into the reaction chamber, and setting an interior of the reaction chamber at a first temperature and a first pressure to activate the first cleaning gas. The method further includes a second cleaning process of then removing by a second cleaning gas a contaminant from the inner surface of the reaction chamber, while supplying the second cleaning gas into the reaction chamber, and setting the interior of the reaction chamber at a second temperature and a second pressure to activate the second cleaning gas. The second cleaning gas includes a chlorine-containing gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Okada, Satoshi Mizunaga, Yamato Tonegawa, Toshiharu Nishimura