Patents by Inventor Shinfuku Nomura

Shinfuku Nomura 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: 20210140039
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a device for forming at least a diamond film on a surface of a substrate, the device comprising: a container configured to hold a raw material liquid and to place the substrate in the raw material liquid; an electrode part comprising a positive electrode and a negative electrode and configured to generate a plasma in the raw material liquid; a raw material gas supply part and a carrier gas supply part, each of the raw material gas supply part and the carrier gas supply part being connected to the electrode part; and a power source configured to apply a voltage to the electrode part, wherein the power source is a direct current power source, and the electrode part further comprises an adjunctive member, and the adjunctive member is attached to an electrode at a plasma generation region of the electrode part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Inventors: Hiromichi TOYOTA, Shinfuku NOMURA, Toshiyuki SHIMADA
  • Patent number: 9943822
    Abstract: A nanometer-size-particle production apparatus and method are provided which can prevent the occurrence of waste fluids, and which makes quick and continuous syntheses feasible while suppressing damages to the electrode. The nanometer-size-particle production apparatus is for synthesizing nanometer size particles in a liquid by means of plasma in the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION EHIME UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Hattori, Shinfuku Nomura, Hiromichi Toyota, Shinobu Mukasa
  • Patent number: 9440213
    Abstract: A nanometer-size-particle production apparatus is provided which can prevent the occurrence of waste fluids, and which makes quick and continuous syntheses feasible while suppressing damages to the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION EHIME UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Hattori, Shinfuku Nomura, Hiromichi Toyota, Shinobu Mukasa
  • Publication number: 20160194213
    Abstract: A nanometer-size-particle production apparatus is provided which can prevent the occurrence of waste fluids, and which makes quick and continuous syntheses feasible while suppressing damages to the electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Applicant: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION EHIME UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yoshiaki HATTORI, Shinfuku NOMURA, Hiromichi TOYOTA, Shinobu MUKASA
  • Patent number: 8685360
    Abstract: This invention is to provide a method for the production of diamond at a high rate and in a high efficiency using in-liquid plasma. The present invention is a method for the production of diamond using electromagnetic waves irradiated to a liquid containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in which the ratio of hydrogen atoms to the sum of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms is from 0.75 to 0.82 and the ratio of carbon atoms to the sum of carbon atoms and oxygen atoms is from 0.47 to 0.58 so as to generate plasma in the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisya Toyota Jidosyokki, Ehime University
    Inventors: Shinfuku Nomura, Hiromichi Toyota, Shinobu Mukasa
  • Patent number: 8653404
    Abstract: An in-liquid plasma electrode according to the present invention is an in-liquid plasma electrode for generating plasma in a liquid and has an electrically conductive member having an electric discharge end surface in contact with the liquid, and an electrically insulating member covering an outer periphery of the conductive member at least except the electric discharge end surface. Preferably, d and x satisfy ?2d?x?2d, where d is a length of a minor axis of the cross section when a conductive end portion of the electrically conductive member having the electric discharge end surface has an approximately circular cross section, or d is a length of a short side of the cross section when the conductive end portion has an approximately rectangular cross section, and x is a distance from a reference plane to a plane containing the electric discharge end surface when the reference plane is an end surface of the electrically insulating member that is approximately parallel with the electric discharge end surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki, Ehime University
    Inventors: Hitotoshi Murase, Toshihisa Shimo, Hiroaki Takashima, Hiromichi Toyota, Shinfuku Nomura, Tsunehiro Maehara
  • Publication number: 20140042011
    Abstract: A nanometer-size-particle production apparatus is provided which can prevent the occurrence of waste fluids, and which makes quick and continuous syntheses feasible while suppressing damages to the electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION EHIME UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Hattori, Shinfuku Nomura, Hiromichi Toyota, Shinobu Mukasa
  • Patent number: 8607732
    Abstract: In an in-liquid plasma film-forming apparatus having: a vessel 1 being capable of accommodating a substrate “S” and a liquid “L” including raw material therein; an electrode 2 for in-liquid plasma, electrode 2 which is disposed in the vessel 1; an electric power device 3 for supplying electricity to the electrode 2 for in-liquid plasma; the electrode 2 for in-liquid plasma is equipped with: a main electrode 21 having a discharging end 22; an auxiliary electrode 26 not only facing the discharging end 22 but also being disposed between the discharging end 22 and the substrate “S” that face each other; and a plasma generating unit 29 having a space that is demarcated by a surface 22a of the discharging end 22 and a surface 26a of the auxiliary electrode 26 facing the surface 22a, and being for generating plasma by means of electricity being supplied to the main electrode 21.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki, National University Corporation Ehime University
    Inventors: Kenji Shibata, Toshihisa Shimo, Kyoko Kumagai, Hidetaka Hayashi, Shinya Okuda, Shinfuku Nomura, Hiromichi Toyota
  • Patent number: 8541068
    Abstract: The process for producing an amorphous carbon film of the present invention is a process for producing an amorphous carbon film comprising contacting a surface of a substrate S with bubbles B which have been formed in a liquid L containing an organic compound and inside which plasma has been generated, so as to form an amorphous carbon film on the surface of the substrate S, and the liquid L contains one or more selected from phenols and alcohols having a carbon number of from 1 to 12. According to the present invention, a hard amorphous carbon film can be formed easily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki, Ehime Univeristy
    Inventors: Hitotoshi Murase, Toshihisa Shimo, Shinfuku Nomura, Hiromichi Toyota, Hiroshi Yamashita, Makoto Kuramoto
  • Publication number: 20110229656
    Abstract: In an in-liquid plasma film-forming apparatus having: a vessel 1 being capable of accommodating a substrate “S” and a liquid “L” including raw material therein; an electrode 2 for in-liquid plasma, electrode 2 which is disposed in the vessel 1; an electric power device 3 for supplying electricity to the electrode 2 for in-liquid plasma; the electrode 2 for in-liquid plasma is equipped with: a main electrode 21 having a discharging end 22; an auxiliary electrode 26 not only facing the discharging end 22 but also being disposed between the discharging end 22 and the substrate “S” that face each other; and a plasma generating unit 29 having a space that is demarcated by a surface 22a of the discharging end 22 and a surface 26a of the auxiliary electrode 26 facing the surface 22a, and being for generating plasma by means of electricity being supplied to the main electrode 21.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki, National University Corporation Ehime University
    Inventors: Kenji Shibata, Toshihisa Shimo, Kyoko Kumagai, Hidetaka Hayashi, Shinya Okuda, Shinfuku Nomura, Hiromichi Toyota
  • Publication number: 20090200157
    Abstract: [Problems] An object of this invention is to provide a method for the production of diamond at a high rate and in a high efficiency using in-liquid plasma. [Solving Means] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention relates to a method for the production of diamond, characterized in that, electromagnetic wave is irradiated to a liquid containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen in which the ratio of hydrogen atoms to the sum of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms is from 0.75 to 0.82 and the ratio of carbon atoms to the sum of carbon atoms and oxygen atoms is from 0.47 to 0.58 so as to generate plasma in the liquid whereby diamond is manufactured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventors: Shinfuku Nomura, Hiromichi Toyota, Shinobu Mukasa
  • Publication number: 20090123657
    Abstract: The process for producing an amorphous carbon film of the present invention is a process for producing an amorphous carbon film comprising contacting a surface of a substrate S with bubbles B which have been formed in a liquid L containing an organic compound and inside which plasma has been generated, so as to form an amorphous carbon film on the surface of the substrate S, and the liquid L contains one or more selected from phenols and alcohols having a carbon number of from 1 to 12. According to the present invention, a hard amorphous carbon film can be formed easily.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2006
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Inventors: Hitotoshi Murase, Toshihisa Shimo, Shinfuku Nomura, Hiromichi Toyota, Hiroshi Yamashita, Makoto Kuramoto
  • Publication number: 20090109141
    Abstract: An in-liquid plasma electrode 1 according to the present invention is an in-liquid plasma electrode for generating plasma in a liquid L and has a conductive member 11 having an electric discharge end surface 111 in contact with the liquid L, and an insulating member 16 covering an outer periphery of the conductive member 11 at least except the electric discharge end surface 111. Preferably, d and x satisfy ?2d?x?2d, where d is a length of a minor axis of the cross section when a conductive end portion 110 of the conductive member 11 having the electric discharge end surface 11 has a roughly circular cross section, or d is a length of a short side of the cross section when the conductive end portion 110 has a roughly rectangular cross section, and x is a distance from a reference plane 161 to a plane containing the electric discharge end surface 111 when the reference plane 161 is an end surface 161 of the insulating member 16 in roughly parallel with the electric discharge end surface 111.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventors: Hitotoshi Murase, Toshihisa Shimo, Hiroaki Takashima, Hiromichi Toyota, Shinfuku Nomura, Tsunehiro Maehara
  • Publication number: 20080210664
    Abstract: Plasma generated in water vapor bubbles present in a water-containing liquid is brought into contact, in the liquid, with an article having a contact angle with water of 90° or less. The plasma is contacted with an organic substance adhering to the article to thereby remove the organic substance from the article. By bringing the plasma into contact with the article, the surface of the article is etched without breaking the article. The article may comprise a material composed of both a hydrophobic part having a contact angle with water exceeding 90° and a hydrophilic part having a contact angle with water of 90° or less. In this case only the hydrophobic part is etched by bringing the plasma into contact with the article.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Publication date: September 4, 2008
    Applicants: Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd., National University Corporation Ehime University
    Inventors: Masamoto Uenishi, Shinfuku Nomura, Hiromichi Toyota
  • Patent number: 7067204
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating plasma in a liquid. The apparatus includes an ultrasonic wave generator for generating bubbles in the liquid, and an electromagnetic wave generator for continuously irradiating electromagnetic waves to the liquid from within the liquid in order to generate plasma. The method of generating plasma in a liquid includes the steps of generating bubbles in the liquid by irradiating ultrasonic waves in the liquid, and generating plasma in the bubbles by continuously irradiating electromagnetic waves from within the liquid to the bubbles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: National University Corporation Ehime University
    Inventors: Shinfuku Nomura, Toyota Hiromichi
  • Publication number: 20050227115
    Abstract: A submerged plasma generator comprising bubble forming means for forming bubbles in a liquid and an electro-magnetic wave generator for radiating electromagnetic waves in a liquid, wherein plasma is generated by, while forming bubbles in a liquid, irradiating the bubbles with electromagnetic waves so that plasma which has high energy but is macroscopically of low temperature and which is safe and is easy to handle can be realized. The submerged plasma generator can be used in, for example, the formation of a film on a substrate and the decomposition of toxic substances such as dioxin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Inventors: Shinfuku Nomura, Toyota Hiromichi