Patents by Inventor Tadakazu Sone

Tadakazu Sone 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: 11980998
    Abstract: An operation control unit includes a storage device storing a program which includes commands of: obtaining a correlation between a supply position of the polishing liquid in the radial direction of the polishing pad using the liquid injection nozzle and an average polishing rate of the substrate and an distribution of the polishing rate within the substrate; determining a movable range of the liquid injection nozzle according to a predetermined range of an allowable average polishing rate and the correlation between the supply position of the polishing liquid and the average polishing rate; determining an optimal supply position of the polishing liquid from the correlation between the supply position of the polishing liquid and the distribution of the polishing rate within the substrate within the determined movable range of the liquid injection nozzle; and moving the liquid injection nozzle to the determined supply position to polish the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Itsuki Kobata, Takashi Yamazaki, Ryuichi Kosuge, Tadakazu Sone
  • Patent number: 11839948
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus capable of increasing an added value is disclosed. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing table configured to support a polishing pad, a top ring configured to press a substrate against the polishing pad, and a liquid supply mechanism configured to supply a liquid onto the polishing pad. The liquid supply mechanism includes a nozzle arm configured to be movable in a radial direction of the polishing table, and a liquid ejection nozzle attached to the nozzle arm. The liquid ejection nozzle is a fan-shaped nozzle having a liquid throttle surface having a tapered shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Yamazaki, Itsuki Kobata, Ryuichi Kosuge, Tadakazu Sone
  • Patent number: 11642755
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce an amount of use of the polishing liquid. There is provided an apparatus for polishing an object to be polished using a polishing pad having a polishing surface, the apparatus including: a polishing table for supporting the polishing pad, the polishing table being configured to be rotatable; a substrate holding unit configured to hold the object to be polished and press the object against the polishing pad; a supplying device for supplying polishing liquid to the polishing surface in a state in which the supplying device is pressed against the polishing pad; and a pressing mechanism configured to press the supplying device against the polishing pad, in which the pressing mechanism is capable of respectively adjusting pressing forces for pressing the sidewalls of on the upstream side and the downstream side of the supplying device against the polishing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Pohan Chen, Hiroshi Sotozaki, Tadakazu Sone
  • Patent number: 11612983
    Abstract: Provided is a polishing apparatus and polishing method which can preferably adjust a temperature of a surface of a polishing pad. A polishing apparatus includes: a polishing table configured to be rotatable, and to support the polishing pad; a substrate configured to hold an object to be polished, and to press the object to be polished against the polishing pad; a polishing liquid supplying portion configured to supply a polishing liquid to a polishing surface; a polishing liquid removing portion configured to remove the polishing liquid from the polishing surface; and a temperature adjuster configured to adjust a temperature of the polishing surface. In a rotating direction of the polishing table, the polishing liquid supplying portion, a polishing region where the object to be polished is pressed against the polishing surface by the substrate, the polishing liquid removing portion, and the temperature adjuster are disposed in this order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sotozaki, Tadakazu Sone
  • Patent number: 11472002
    Abstract: A substrate polishing apparatus includes a polishing table 30 having a polishing surface 10 in the upper surface, a substrate holding portion 31 that holds a substrate W having a surface to be polished in the lower surface, and a holding portion cover 36 that covers the outer side of the substrate holding portion 31. Between the lower portion of the holding portion cover 36 and the upper surface of the polishing table 30, a gap portion for intake 37 is provided, and in the upper portion of the holding portion cover 36, a pipe for exhaust 39 connected to an exhaust mechanism 38 is provided. By operating the exhaust mechanism 38, a rising air current from the gap portion 37 toward the pipe 39 is formed between the outer surface of the substrate holding portion 31 and the inner surface of the holding portion cover 36.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shinozaki, Hiroshi Aono, Tadakazu Sone, Kenji Shinkai, Hideo Aizawa
  • Patent number: 11465256
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for polishing an object to be polished using a polishing pad having a polishing surface, the apparatus including a polishing table for supporting the polishing pad, the polishing table being configured to be rotatable, a substrate holding unit configured to hold the object to be polished and pressing the object to be polished against the polishing pad, and a polishing-liquid removing unit configured to remove polishing liquid from the polishing surface. The polishing-liquid removing unit includes a rinse unit configured to jet cleaning liquid onto the polishing surface and a sucking unit configured to suck the polishing liquid on the polishing surface onto which the cleaning liquid is jetted. The rinse unit includes a cleaning space surrounded by a sidewall. The sidewall includes an opening section for opening the cleaning space toward a radial direction outer side of the polishing table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sotozaki, Pohan Chen, Tadakazu Sone
  • Patent number: 11413723
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce an amount of use of the polishing liquid. There is provided an apparatus for polishing an object to be polished using a polishing pad having a polishing surface, the apparatus including: a polishing table for supporting the polishing pad, the polishing table being configured to be rotatable; a substrate holding unit configured to hold the object to be polished and press the object against the polishing pad; a supplying device for supplying polishing liquid to the polishing surface in a state in which the supplying device is pressed against the polishing pad; and a pressing mechanism configured to press the supplying device against the polishing pad, in which the pressing mechanism is capable of respectively adjusting pressing forces for pressing the sidewalls of on the upstream side and the downstream side of the supplying device against the polishing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Pohan Chen, Hiroshi Sotozaki, Tadakazu Sone
  • Publication number: 20210283746
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for polishing, comprising a table configured to support a polishing pad; a polishing head configured to hold a substrate; and a polishing solution supply device configured to supply a polishing solution between the polishing pad and the substrate. The polishing solution supply device comprises a plurality of polishing solution supply ports arrayed in a direction intersecting with a rotating direction of the polishing pad in a state that the polishing solution supply device is placed on an upstream side in rotation of the polishing pad relative to the substrate. The polishing solution supply device supplies the polishing solution, such that the polishing solution supplied from the plurality of polishing solution supply ports has a predetermined flow rate distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Takuya MORIURA, Hiroshi SOTOZAKI, Tadakazu SONE, Masayoshi ITO, Itsuki KOBATA, Hisanori MATSUO, Tetsuya TERADA
  • Publication number: 20210229240
    Abstract: Provided is a polishing apparatus and polishing method which can preferably adjust a temperature of a surface of a polishing pad. A polishing apparatus includes: a polishing table configured to be rotatable, and to support the polishing pad; a substrate configured to hold an object to be polished, and to press the object to be polished against the polishing pad; a polishing liquid supplying portion configured to supply a polishing liquid to a polishing surface; a polishing liquid removing portion configured to remove the polishing liquid from the polishing surface; and a temperature adjuster configured to adjust a temperature of the polishing surface. In a rotating direction of the polishing table, the polishing liquid supplying portion, a polishing region where the object to be polished is pressed against the polishing surface by the substrate, the polishing liquid removing portion, and the temperature adjuster are disposed in this order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sotozaki, Tadakazu Sone
  • Publication number: 20210229235
    Abstract: An apparatus for polishing a substrate includes a rotatable polishing table supporting a polishing pad, a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate and press the substrate against a polishing surface of the polishing pad on the rotating polishing table so as to polish the substrate, and a pad-temperature detector configured to measure a temperature of the polishing surface of the polishing pad. The apparatus also includes a pad-temperature regulator configured to contact the polishing surface to regulate the temperature of the polishing surface, and a temperature controller configured to control the temperature of the polishing surface by controlling the pad-temperature regulator based on information on the temperature of the polishing surface detected by the pad-temperature detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Tadakazu SONE, Yasuyuki MOTOSHIMA, Toru MARUYAMA, Katsutoshi ONO, Yoichi SHIOKAWA
  • Patent number: 11007621
    Abstract: Provided is a polishing apparatus and polishing method which can preferably adjust a temperature of a surface of a polishing pad. A polishing apparatus includes: a polishing table configured to be rotatable, and to support the polishing pad; a substrate configured to hold an object to be polished, and to press the object to be polished against the polishing pad; a polishing liquid supplying portion configured to supply a polishing liquid to a polishing surface; a polishing liquid removing portion configured to remove the polishing liquid from the polishing surface; and a temperature adjuster configured to adjust a temperature of the polishing surface. In a rotating direction of the polishing table, the polishing liquid supplying portion, a polishing region where the object to be polished is pressed against the polishing surface by the substrate, the polishing liquid removing portion, and the temperature adjuster are disposed in this order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sotozaki, Tadakazu Sone
  • Patent number: 10987776
    Abstract: A method, which can accurately determine in a short time a relationship between a load of a dresser and a pressure of a gas supplied to an air cylinder, is disclosed. The method includes determining a first contact point where a load measurement device is brought into contact with a polishing table, calculating a relational expression composed to a quadratic function showing a relationship between a measured load and a measured pressure, determining a second contact point where the dresser is brought into contact with a polishing surface of a polishing pad, calculating an amount of correction from the pressure of the gas at the first contact point and the pressure of the gas at the second contact point, and correcting the relational expression based on the calculated amount of correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Pohan Chen, Tadakazu Sone, Kenichi Suzuki, Hiroshi Sotozaki
  • Publication number: 20200269385
    Abstract: An operation control unit includes a storage device storing a program which includes commands of: obtaining a correlation between a supply position of the polishing liquid in the radial direction of the polishing pad using the liquid injection nozzle and an average polishing rate of the substrate and an distribution of the polishing rate within the substrate; determining a movable range of the liquid injection nozzle according to a predetermined range of an allowable average polishing rate and the correlation between the supply position of the polishing liquid and the average polishing rate; determining an optimal supply position of the polishing liquid from the correlation between the supply position of the polishing liquid and the distribution of the polishing rate within the substrate within the determined movable range of the liquid injection nozzle; and moving the liquid injection nozzle to the determined supply position to polish the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Applicant: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: ITSUKI KOBATA, TAKASHI YAMAZAKI, RYUICHI KOSUGE, TADAKAZU SONE
  • Patent number: 10730162
    Abstract: Disclosed is a turntable cloth peeling jig including: a cylindrical winding cylinder including a slit formed on an outer periphery of the cylindrical winding cylinder and extending in an axial direction thereof; a cloth clamping member disposed inside the winding cylinder and configured to clamp an outer peripheral edge of a cloth inserted into the slit; an extension bar attached to one end portion of the winding cylinder so as to extend coaxially therewith; an engaging portion provided at a tip end portion of the extension bar and engaged with a rotation jig configured to rotate the winding cylinder; and a handle provided in the engaging portion and configured to support the winding cylinder when rotating the rotating jig.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sotozaki, Kenichiro Saito, Tadakazu Sone
  • Publication number: 20200198093
    Abstract: A substrate polishing apparatus includes a polishing table 30 having a polishing surface 10 in the upper surface, a substrate holding portion 31 that holds a substrate W having a surface to be polished in the lower surface, and a holding portion cover 36 that covers the outer side of the substrate holding portion 31. Between the lower portion of the holding portion cover 36 and the upper surface of the polishing table 30, a gap portion for intake 37 is provided, and in the upper portion of the holding portion cover 36, a pipe for exhaust 39 connected to an exhaust mechanism 38 is provided. By operating the exhaust mechanism 38, a rising air current from the gap portion 37 toward the pipe 39 is formed between the outer surface of the substrate holding portion 31 and the inner surface of the holding portion cover 36.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Hiroyuki SHINOZAKI, Hiroshi AONO, Tadakazu SONE, Kenji SHINKAI, Hideo AIZAWA
  • Publication number: 20200171621
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus capable of increasing an added value is disclosed. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing table configured to support a polishing pad, a top ring configured to press a substrate against the polishing pad, and a liquid supply mechanism configured to supply a liquid onto the polishing pad. The liquid supply mechanism includes a nozzle arm configured to be movable in a radial direction of the polishing table, and a liquid ejection nozzle attached to the nozzle arm. The liquid ejection nozzle is a fan-shaped nozzle having a liquid throttle surface having a tapered shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Takashi Yamazaki, Itsuki Kobata, Ryuichi Kosuge, Tadakazu Sone
  • Patent number: 10576604
    Abstract: A substrate polishing apparatus includes a polishing table 30 having a polishing surface 10 in the upper surface, a substrate holding portion 31 that holds a substrate W having a surface to be polished in the lower surface, and a holding portion cover 36 that covers the outer side of the substrate holding portion 31. Between the lower portion of the holding portion cover 36 and the upper surface of the polishing table 30, a gap portion for intake 37 is provided, and in the upper portion of the holding portion cover 36, a pipe for exhaust 39 connected to an exhaust mechanism 38 is provided. By operating the exhaust mechanism 38, a rising air current from the gap portion 37 toward the pipe 39 is formed between the outer surface of the substrate holding portion 31 and the inner surface of the holding portion cover 36.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shinozaki, Hiroshi Aono, Tadakazu Sone, Kenji Shinkai, Hideo Aizawa
  • Publication number: 20200039029
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for polishing an object to be polished using a polishing pad having a polishing surface, the apparatus including a polishing table for supporting the polishing pad, the polishing table being configured to be rotatable, a substrate holding unit configured to hold the object to be polished and pressing the object to be polished against the polishing pad, and a polishing-liquid removing unit configured to remove polishing liquid from the polishing surface. The polishing-liquid removing unit includes a rinse unit configured to jet cleaning liquid onto the polishing surface and a sucking unit configured to suck the polishing liquid on the polishing surface onto which the cleaning liquid is jetted. The rinse unit includes a cleaning space surrounded by a sidewall. The sidewall includes an opening section for opening the cleaning space toward a radial direction outer side of the polishing table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sotozaki, Pohan Chen, Tadakazu Sone
  • Publication number: 20200039031
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce an amount of use of the polishing liquid. There is provided an apparatus for polishing an object to be polished using a polishing pad having a polishing surface, the apparatus including: a polishing table for supporting the polishing pad, the polishing table being configured to be rotatable; a substrate holding unit configured to hold the object to be polished and press the object against the polishing pad; a supplying device for supplying polishing liquid to the polishing surface in a state in which the supplying device is pressed against the polishing pad; and a pressing mechanism configured to press the supplying device against the polishing pad, in which the pressing mechanism is capable of respectively adjusting pressing forces for pressing the sidewalls of on the upstream side and the downstream side of the supplying device against the polishing surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Pohan Chen, Hiroshi Sotozaki, Tadakazu Sone
  • Publication number: 20190299360
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes a polishing table supplied with liquid on a upper surface and rotating around a central axis, a liquid receiver having an annular shape and disposed below a peripheral portion of the polishing table, and a drain member having a tubular shape, attached to a peripheral portion of the polishing table, and including a lower end portion extending toward the liquid receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Tadakazu SONE, Ryuichi KOSUGE, Kenji SHINKAI, Hiroshi AONO, Hideo AIZAWA