Patents by Inventor Shoichi Okano

Shoichi Okano 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: 20050121051
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning method and an apparatus therefor capable of increasing a particle removal ratio at which particles firmly adhering to a substrate are removed therefrom and increasing a throughput. A substrate such as a wafer or the like placed in a cleaning tank filled therein with a cleaning liquid is cleaned by an ultrasonic vibration. Cleaning of the substrate is carried out in such a manner that an ultrasonic vibration is applied to the substrate from a bottom of the cleaning tank, during which application the substrate is kept at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a direction of acoustic streaming in the cleaning liquid formed by propagation of an ultrasonic wave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2005
    Publication date: June 9, 2005
    Applicant: Kaijo Corporation
    Inventors: Shoichi Okano, Norihisa Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20050034742
    Abstract: The invention provides a cleaning method and a cleaning apparatus in which the quantity of cleaning solvent used may be reduced, and high cleaning property is achieved. The cleaning method of the invention includes a first step of transporting a plate-shaped object to be processed on a support stand by a transporting unit and making hydrophiling preparation on at least one surface thereof, a second step of forming a liquid film on a surface of the object to be processed, on which hydrophiling preparation has made, and a third step of irradiating ultrasonic energy from an ultrasonically oscillating surface provided in the vicinity of the liquid film formed on the surface of the object to be processed so as to be capable of coming into contact therewith onto the object to be processed for cleaning.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2003
    Publication date: February 17, 2005
    Applicant: KAIJO Corporation
    Inventors: Shunsuke Saito, Shoichi Okano, Kaoru Kanezuka
  • Publication number: 20020139390
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning method and an apparatus therefor capable of increasing a particle removal ratio at which particles firmly adhering to a substrate are removed therefrom and increasing a throughput. A substrate such as a wafer or the like placed in a cleaning tank filled therein with a cleaning liquid is cleaned by an ultrasonic vibration. Cleaning of the substrate is carried out in such a manner that an ultrasonic vibration is applied to the substrate from a bottom of the cleaning tank, during which application the substrate is kept at a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a direction of acoustic streaming in the cleaning liquid formed by propagation of an ultrasonic wave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2001
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Inventors: Shoichi Okano, Norihisa Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6216364
    Abstract: A drying apparatus for washed objects is capable of drying the objects in a reduced period of time, effectively preventing contamination of the objects during drying thereof, and attaining energy saving and a reduction in consumption of chemicals used. Mist of an organic solvent is generated by means of an ultrasonic wave in an organic solvent mist generating tank and the objects are immersed in a pure water tank, the pure water tank and organic solvent mist generating tank are then operated to communicate with each other to discharge pure water and place the objects in an atmosphere of the organic solvent mist, and then nitrogen gas is fed to the pure water tank to purge the organic solvent mist with the nitrogen gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: Kaijo Corporation
    Inventors: Akinori Tanaka, Shoichi Okano, Isao Maki