Patents by Inventor Shigeru Tahara

Shigeru Tahara 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: 20240146258
    Abstract: A power amplifier circuit that includes an external input terminal and an external output terminal; a first power amplifier, a second power amplifier, a third power amplifier, and a fourth power amplifier; a transformer including an input-side coil and an output-side coil; and a first transmission line, the external input terminal being connected to an input terminal of the first and second power amplifiers, an output terminal of the first power amplifier is connected to an input terminal of the third and fourth power amplifiers, output terminals of the third and fourth power amplifiers being connected to a first and second end of the input-side coil respectively, the external output terminal being connected to a first end of the output-side coil, and an output terminal of the second power amplifier being connected to a second end of the output-side coil via the first transmission line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2024
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Applicant: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji TAHARA, Shigeru TSUCHIDA, Kae YAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 11616194
    Abstract: An etching method includes: preparing a workpiece including a metal multilayer film having a magnetic tunnel junction and a mask formed by an inorganic material on the metal multilayer film; and etching the metal multilayer film by plasma of a mixed gas of ethylene gas and oxygen gas using the mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Ken Ando, Hiroki Maehara, Jun Sato, Kiyoshi Maeda, Shigeru Tahara
  • Patent number: 11404283
    Abstract: A method for etching a ruthenium film includes a first step of etching the ruthenium film by plasma processing using oxygen-containing gas, and a second step of etching the ruthenium film by plasma processing using chlorine-containing gas. The first step and the second step are alternately performed. In the first step and the second step, the ruthenium film is etched at a target control temperature for a target processing time that are determined based on a pre-obtained relation between an etching amount per one cycle including the first step and the second step as a set, a control temperature of the ruthenium film, and processing times of each of the first step and the second step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigeru Tahara, Nobuaki Seki, Takahiko Kato
  • Publication number: 20220199418
    Abstract: A method for processing a substrate that includes: loading the substrate in a plasma processing chamber; performing a cyclic plasma etch process including a plurality of cycles, where each cycle of the plurality of cycles includes: generating a first plasma from a first gas mixture including a fluorosilane and oxygen; performing a deposition step by exposing the substrate to the first plasma to form a passivation film including silicon and fluorine; generating a second plasma from a second gas mixture including a noble gas; and performing an etch step by exposing the substrate to the second plasma.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Du Zhang, Hojin Kim, Shigeru Tahara, Kaoru Maekawa, Mingmei Wang, Jacques Faguet, Remi Dussart, Thomas Tillocher, Philippe Lefaucheux, Gaëlle Antoun
  • Patent number: 11361945
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus of an embodiment includes a chamber body, a stage, a gas supply system, and a plasma generator. The chamber body provides an inner space thereof as a chamber. The stage is provided in the chamber. In the stage, a flow channel for a refrigerant is formed. The gas supply system is configured to supply a first gas causing capillary condensation thereof in a porous film and a second gas for etching a porous film to the chamber. The plasma generator is configured to generate plasma of a gas supplied to the chamber. The gas supply system provides a first flow passage connecting a source of the second gas to the chamber, a second flow passage connecting a source of the first gas to the first flow passage, and a third flow passage connecting a gas discharging apparatus to the second flow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Shigeru Tahara
  • Publication number: 20220102160
    Abstract: An etching method includes: a physical adsorption process of physically adsorbing an adsorbate based on a first processing gas on a film to be etched under a condition that the pressure of the first processing gas is smaller than the saturated vapor pressure of the first processing gas with respect to a temperature of an object to be processed while cooling the object to be processed on which the film to be etched is formed; and an etching process of etching the film to be etched by reacting the adsorbate with the film to be etched by a plasma of a second processing gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited, UNIVERSITE D'ORLEANS
    Inventors: Shigeru TAHARA, Jacques FAGUET, Kaoru MAEKAWA, Kumiko ONO, Nagisa SATO, Remi DUSSART, Thomas TILLOCHER, Philippe LEFAUCHEUX, Gaëlle ANTOUN
  • Patent number: 11120999
    Abstract: A plasma etching method includes a physisorption step for causing an adsorbate that is based on first processing gas to be physisorbed onto a film to be etched, while cooling an object to be processed on which the film to be etched is provided; and an etching step for etching the film to be etched by causing the adsorbate to react with the film to be etched, using the plasma of second processing gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignees: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, UNIVERSITE D'ORLEANS
    Inventors: Koichi Yatsuda, Kaoru Maekawa, Nagisa Sato, Kumiko Ono, Shigeru Tahara, Jacques Faguet, Remi Dussart, Thomas Tillocher, Philippe Lefaucheux, Gaëlle Antoun
  • Publication number: 20210242036
    Abstract: A method for etching an oxide semiconductor film includes: providing a substrate including a mask of a silicon-containing film on an oxide semiconductor film containing at least indium (In), gallium (Ga), and zinc (Zn); supplying a processing gas containing a bromine (Br)-containing gas or an iodine (I)-containing gas; and etching the oxide semiconductor film by plasma generated from the processing gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Masahiro YAMAZAKI, Shigeru Tahara
  • Publication number: 20210028356
    Abstract: An etching method includes: preparing a workpiece including a metal multilayer film having a magnetic tunnel junction and a mask formed by an inorganic material on the metal multilayer film; and etching the metal multilayer film by plasma of a mixed gas of ethylene gas and oxygen gas using the mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Ken ANDO, Hiroki MAEHARA, Jun SATO, Kiyoshi MAEDA, Shigeru TAHARA
  • Publication number: 20200411293
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus of an embodiment includes a chamber body, a stage, a gas supply system, and a plasma generator. The chamber body provides an inner space thereof as a chamber. The stage is provided in the chamber. In the stage, a flow channel for a refrigerant is formed. The gas supply system is configured to supply a first gas causing capillary condensation thereof in a porous film and a second gas for etching a porous film to the chamber. The plasma generator is configured to generate plasma of a gas supplied to the chamber. The gas supply system provides a first flow passage connecting a source of the second gas to the chamber, a second flow passage connecting a source of the first gas to the first flow passage, and a third flow passage connecting a gas discharging apparatus to the second flow passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Shigeru TAHARA
  • Publication number: 20200402814
    Abstract: A method for etching a ruthenium film includes a first step of etching the ruthenium film by plasma processing using oxygen-containing gas, and a second step of etching the ruthenium film by plasma processing using chlorine-containing gas. The first step and the second step are alternately performed. In the first step and the second step, the ruthenium film is etched at a target control temperature for a target processing time that are determined based on a pre-obtained relation between an etching amount per one cycle including the first step and the second step as a set, a control temperature of the ruthenium film, and processing times of each of the first step and the second step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigeru Tahara, Nobuaki Seki, Takahiko Kato
  • Publication number: 20200395221
    Abstract: A method of an embodiment includes (i) a step of supplying a first gas to a chamber, wherein the first gas is perfiuorotetraglyme gas, and (ii) a step of generating plasma of a second gas for etching of a porous film in order to etch the porous film at the same time as the step of supplying a first gas or after the step of supplying a first gas. Partial pressure of the first gas in the chamber or pressure of the first gas in the chamber when only the first gas is supplied to the chamber is higher than critical pressure causing capillary condensation of the first gas in the porous film and is lower than saturated vapor pressure of the first gas at a temperature of the workpiece during execution of the step of supplying a first gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited, L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude, UNIVERSITE D'ORLEANS, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE
    Inventors: Shigeru TAHARA, Keiichiro URABE, Peng SHEN, Christian DUSSARRAT, Jean-Francois DE MARNEFFE, Remi DUSSART, Thomas TILLOCHER
  • Patent number: 10861678
    Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus includes a second electrode configured to support a target substrate thereon, a second RF power supply unit configured to apply a second RF power for providing a bias for ion attraction to the second electrode, and a control system including and an RF controller. The RF controller is configured to switch the second RF power supply unit between a continuous mode that executes continuous supply of the second RF power at a constant power level and a power modulation mode that executes modulation of the second RF power between a first power and a second power larger than the first power. The RF controller is preset to control the second RF power supply unit such that the second RF power supply unit is first operated in the continuous mode for plasma ignition and then is switched into the power modulation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Akira Koshiishi, Noriyuki Kobayashi, Shigeru Yoneda, Kenichi Hanawa, Shigeru Tahara, Masaru Sugimoto
  • Publication number: 20200381264
    Abstract: A plasma etching method includes a physisorption step for causing an adsorbate that is based on first processing gas to be physisorbed onto a film to be etched, while cooling an object to be processed on which the film to be etched is provided; and an etching step for etching the film to be etched by causing the adsorbate to react with the film to be etched, using the plasma of second processing gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicants: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, UNIVERSITE D'ORLEANS
    Inventors: Koichi YATSUDA, Kaoru MAEKAWA, Nagisa SATO, Kumiko ONO, Shigeru TAHARA, Jacques FAGUET, Remi DUSSART, Thomas TILLOCHER, Philippe LEFAUCHEUX, Gaëlle ANTOUN
  • Patent number: 10825688
    Abstract: A method MT in an embodiment is a method for etching an etching target layer EL which is included in a wafer W and contains copper. The wafer W includes the etching target layer EL, and a mask MK provided on the etching target layer EL. In the method MT, the etching target layer EL is etched by repeatedly executing a sequence SQ including a first step of generating a plasma of a first gas in a processing container 12 of a plasma processing apparatus 10 in which the wafer W is accommodated, a second step of generating a plasma of a second gas in the processing container 12, and a third step of generating a plasma of a third gas in the processing container 12. The first gas contains a hydrocarbon gas, the second gas contains either a rare gas or a mixed gas of a rare gas and hydrogen gas, and the third gas contains hydrogen gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigeru Tahara, Daisuke Urayama, Kenji Matsumoto, Hidenori Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 10770308
    Abstract: A method for etching a ruthenium film includes a first step of etching the ruthenium film by plasma processing using oxygen-containing gas, and a second step of etching the ruthenium film by plasma processing using chlorine-containing gas. The first step and the second step are alternately performed. In the first step and the second step, the ruthenium film is etched at a target control temperature for a target processing time that are determined based on a pre-obtained relation between an etching amount per one cycle including the first step and the second step as a set, a control temperature of the ruthenium film, and processing times of each of the first step and the second step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigeru Tahara, Nobuaki Seki, Takahiko Kato
  • Patent number: 10626498
    Abstract: There is provided a method of processing a target object to be processed including a porous film and a mask. The method include supplying a first gas into a processing chamber of a plasma processing apparatus in which the target object including the porous film is accommodated, and generating a plasma of a second gas in the processing chamber to remove the mask. The first gas is a processing gas having a saturated vapor pressure of less than or equal to 133.3 Pa at a temperature of a stage on which the target object is mounted in the processing chamber, or includes the processing gas. In the step of supplying the first gas, no plasma is generated, and a partial pressure of the processing gas supplied into the processing chamber is greater than or equal to 20% of the saturated vapor pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigeru Tahara, Eiichi Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20200010630
    Abstract: A porous film sealing method and porous film sealing material are provided to seal an object to be sealed that has a porous film. The porous film sealing method of the present invention is characterized by including a first step that supplies a first material to a treatment vessel in which is stored an object to be treated that has a porous film, and the first material includes a non-aromatic fluorocarbon having 6 or more carbon atoms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventors: Keiichiro URABE, Peng SHEN, Christian DUSSARRAT, Taiki HATTORI, Shigeru TAHARA
  • Publication number: 20190295856
    Abstract: A method for etching a ruthenium film includes a first step of etching the ruthenium film by plasma processing using oxygen-containing gas, and a second step of etching the ruthenium film by plasma processing using chlorine-containing gas. The first step and the second step are alternately performed. In the first step and the second step, the ruthenium film is etched at a target control temperature for a target processing time that are determined based on a pre-obtained relation between an etching amount per one cycle including the first step and the second step as a set, a control temperature of the ruthenium film, and processing times of each of the first step and the second step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigeru TAHARA, Nobuaki SEKI, Takahiko KATO
  • Publication number: 20190272997
    Abstract: A method MT in an embodiment is a method for etching an etching target layer EL which is included in a wafer W and contains copper. The wafer W includes the etching target layer EL, and a mask MK provided on the etching target layer EL. In the method MT, the etching target layer EL is etched by repeatedly executing a sequence SQ including a first step of generating a plasma of a first gas in a processing container 12 of a plasma processing apparatus 10 in which the wafer W is accommodated, a second step of generating a plasma of a second gas in the processing container 12, and a third step of generating a plasma of a third gas in the processing container 12. The first gas contains a hydrocarbon gas, the second gas contains either a rare gas or a mixed gas of a rare gas and hydrogen gas, and the third gas contains hydrogen gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigeru TAHARA, Daisuke URAYAMA, Kenji MATSUMOTO, Hidenori MIYOSHI