Patents by Inventor Takafumi Sasaki

Takafumi Sasaki 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: 9919475
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object is provided. The three-dimensional printing apparatus includes a forming unit to supply a powder to form a powder layer and a head to eject liquid droplets of a forming liquid onto the powder layer to bond particles of the powder layer to form a forming layer. The forming unit and the head form laminated forming layers by sequentially repeating forming the powder layer and ejecting the forming liquid to form a between-layers vacant space formed between the two successive forming layers sequentially laminated in the laminating direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Takafumi Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20180044794
    Abstract: A cleaning method includes: removing deposits adhered to an inside of a processing vessel by forming a film on a substrate in the processing vessel, and thereafter, supplying a cleaning gas into the processing vessel, wherein the removing the deposits includes: a first step of supplying the cleaning gas into the processing vessel at a first flow rate when a temperature of a connection portion connecting an exhaust pipe that exhausts the interior of the processing vessel and the processing vessel is lower than a first temperature; and a second step of supplying the cleaning gas to the processing vessel while gradually decreasing the flow rate of the cleaning gas from the first flow rate to a second flow rate lower than the first flow rate when the temperature of the connection portion reaches a first temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Takatomo YAMAGUCHI, Takafumi SASAKI, Koei KURIBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20170271176
    Abstract: Cleaning processing of each of the inside of a shower head and the inside of a processing space can be sufficiently or appropriately performed even when gas supply is performed via the shower head. A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing space for processing a substrate, a shower head buffer chamber disposed adjacent to the processing space with a dispersion plate having through-holes therebetween, an inert gas supply system configured to supply an inert gas into the shower head buffer chamber to form a gas curtain in the shower head buffer chamber, a first cleaning gas supply system configured to supply a cleaning gas into the processing space, and a control member configured to control the inert gas supply system and the first cleaning gas supply system to concurrently supply the cleaning gas into the processing space and the inert gas into the shower head buffer chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC, INC.
    Inventors: Takafumi SASAKI, Tetsuo Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20170259456
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing three-dimensional objects is provided including a bonding liquid applier and a controller. The bonding liquid applier applies a bonding liquid to a powder layer to form a bonded layer. The controller controls the bonding liquid applier to repeatedly form an (n)th bonded layer by applying a predetermined amount of the bonding liquid per unit area, in multiple times, to a new bonding region in an (n)th powder layer, below which an (n?1)th bonded layer does not exist, and applying the predetermined amount of the bonding liquid per unit area, in a smaller number of times than the multiple times, to an existing bonding region in the (n)th powder layer, below which the (n?1)th bonded layer exists, while increasing a numeral (n) representing an integer of 1 and above in increment of 1, to laminate multiple bonded layers into a three-dimensional object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takafumi SASAKI, Shinichiroh SATOH
  • Publication number: 20170173887
    Abstract: A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes: a supplying unit configured to supply powder to a storage unit to form a layer of the powder; a discharging unit configured to discharge shaping liquid to solidify the powder onto the powder; and a controlling unit configured to generate a control signal for controlling the supplying unit and the discharging unit based on shaping data indicating a shape of a three-dimensional shaped object. The controlling unit is configured to generate the control signal for laminating at least one sacrificial layer separable from at least one shaping layer corresponding to the three-dimensional shaped object in such a position that the at least one sacrificial layer is under the at least one shaping layer, based on the shaping data and powder information stored in advance and indicating change in thickness of a layer of the powder caused by permeation of the shaping liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takafumi SASAKI
  • Patent number: 9644265
    Abstract: Provided are a method of manufacturing semiconductor device, a substrate processing apparatus and a recording medium which are capable of efficiently removing a deposited film in a shower head and suppressing generation of particles. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes (a) forming a film on a substrate by supplying a film forming gas and an inert gas to the substrate in a processing chamber via a shower head, and (b) removing a deposited film deposited in the shower head in (a) by supplying to the shower head an inert gas, which has a temperature lower than that of the inert gas supplied in (a), into the shower head without the substrate loaded in the processing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric, Inc.
    Inventors: Takafumi Sasaki, Tetsuo Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20170095979
    Abstract: A control apparatus controls a three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus including a storing unit configured to store therein powder, a supplying unit configured to supply the powder to the storing unit in layers, and a discharge unit configured to discharge, onto the powder, a fabrication liquid for solidifying the powder. The control apparatus includes a controller configured to control a total amount of the powder supplied from the supplying unit to the storing unit based on fabrication data indicating a shape of a three-dimensional object and powder information indicating a change in dimension of a layer of the powder due to permeation of the fabrication liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Publication date: April 6, 2017
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takafumi SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20160376699
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a gas supply part configured to supply at least one of a film-forming gas, a first inert gas, and a second inert gas supplied at a temperature higher than that of the first inert gas into a process chamber in which a substrate is processed; and a control part configured to control the gas supply part to perform a film-forming process of supplying the film-forming gas and the first inert gas from the gas supply part into the process chamber to process the substrate, and to control a deposited film removing process of directly supplying the second inert gas having a temperature higher than that of the first inert gas from the gas supply part to the process chamber, in a state where there is no substrate in the process chamber, to remove a deposited film deposited within the process chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Takafumi SASAKI, Takatomo YAMAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160368214
    Abstract: A three-dimensional fabrication apparatus includes a fabrication chamber, a liquid discharge device, a vibration applicator, and a controller. In the fabrication chamber, powder is layered to form a powder layer, the powder of the powder layer is bonded together in a desired shape to form a layered fabrication object, and another layered fabrication object is laminated on the layered fabrication object. The liquid discharge device discharges a fabrication liquid onto the powder in the fabrication chamber. The vibration applicator applies vibration to the powder layer onto which the fabrication liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge device. The controller controls and drives the vibration applicator to apply vibration to the powder layer when the liquid discharge device discharges the fabrication liquid onto the powder layer to form the layered fabrication object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takafumi SASAKI, Soyoung PARK, Hiroyuki MIYATA
  • Publication number: 20160322217
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus including: a reaction tube configured to process a plurality of substrates; a heater configured to heat an inside of the reaction tube; a holder configured to arrange and hold the plurality of substrates within the reaction tube; a hydrogen-containing gas supply system including a first nozzle disposed in an area which horizontally surrounds a substrate arrangement area where the plurality of substrates are arranged, and configured to supply a hydrogen-containing gas from a plurality of locations of the area into the reaction tube; an oxygen-containing gas supply system including a second nozzle disposed in the area which horizontally surrounds the substrate arrangement area, and configured to supply an oxygen-containing gas from a plurality of locations of the area into the reaction tube; a pressure controller configured to control a pressure inside the reaction tube to be lower than an atmospheric pressure; and a controller configured to control the heater, the hydrogen-cont
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Masanao FUKUDA, Takafumi SASAKI, Kazuhiro YUASA
  • Publication number: 20160243765
    Abstract: A stereoscopic modeling apparatus is provided. The stereoscopic modeling apparatus includes a modeling tank, a liquid discharger, and a powder supplier. In the modeling tank, a powder layer including a powder is formed and a modeling layer in which the powder in the powder layer is bonded into a required shape is laminated. The liquid discharger discharges a modeling liquid to the powder in the modeling tank. The powder supplier supplies the powder to the modeling tank. The powder supplier supplies the powder to the powder layer while at least a part of the modeling liquid discharged from the liquid discharger and adhered to a surface of the powder layer remains existing on an outermost surface of the powder layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takafumi Sasaki, Takeo Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9412582
    Abstract: A structure for constituting a process chamber in which a plurality of substrates is processed by reacting a predetermined precursor gas therein includes an outer tube having a cylindrical shape with an upper end portion closed and a lower end portion opened, and an inner tube, installed within the outer tube, including a first exhaust slit and a second exhaust slit through which the predetermined precursor gas is exhausted, the first exhaust slit located in a substrate arrangement region in which the plurality of substrates are arranged, and the second exhaust slit located in a region lower than the substrate arrangement region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Takafumi Sasaki, Kazuhiro Morimitsu, Eisuke Nishitani, Tetsuo Yamamoto, Masanao Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20160214320
    Abstract: A stereoscopic modeling apparatus including a modeling part, a modeling unit, and a controller is provided. The modeling part forms a powder layer with a powder. The modeling unit discharges droplets of a modeling liquid on the powder layer to form a modeling layer in which particles of the powder are bonded. The controller causes the modeling part and the modeling unit to repeat forming the powder layer and the modeling layer, respectively, to sequentially laminate the modeling layer to form a stereoscopic modeled product. The droplets include a preceding droplet and a succeeding droplet sequentially discharged to adjacent positions on the powder layer, and the succeeding droplet is discharged after the preceding droplet is discharged and within a time period in which a contact angle between the preceding droplet impacted on the powder layer and the powder in the powder layer remains greater than 90 degrees.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takafumi SASAKI, Takeo YAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 9365928
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a substrate mounting table on which a substrate is mounted; an inert gas supply part configured to supply an inert gas on a surface of the substrate from an upper side of the substrate mounting table at a lateral side of the processing gas supply part; and a plurality of gas exhaust parts configured to exhaust a gas supplied on the surface of the substrate to an upper side, between the processing gas supply part and the inert gas supply part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Shuhei Saido, Yuichi Wada, Takafumi Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20160075085
    Abstract: A three-dimensional printing apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object is provided. The three-dimensional printing apparatus includes a forming unit to supply a powder to form a powder layer and a head to eject liquid droplets of a forming liquid onto the powder layer to bond particles of the powder layer to form a forming layer. The forming unit and the head form laminated forming layers by sequentially repeating forming the powder layer and ejecting the forming liquid to form a between-layers vacant space formed between the two successive forming layers sequentially laminated in the laminating direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Takafumi Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20160068952
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus and a gas distribution assembly thereof are disclosed. A substrate processing apparatus includes a susceptor configured to place a substrate on it, a process gas distribution assembly configured to supply a process gas on a surface of the substrate from the upper side of the susceptor and an inert gas distribution assembly arranged next to the process gas distribution assembly, configured to supply an inert gas on the surface of the substrate from the upper side of the susceptor. The substrate processing apparatus further includes a gas exhausting system, the gas exhausting system has a gas exhausting aperture defined between the process gas distribution assembly and the inert gas distribution assembly, having an exhausting buffer for holding the gases passed through the gas exhausting aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventor: Takafumi SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20160026169
    Abstract: In a numerical controller that controls a machine tool having a plurality of driving axes, coordinate system conversion processing for a machining program is performed in which the machining program is analyzed and then an instruction based on a right-handed coordinate system and an instruction based on a left-handed coordinate system are interchanged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventor: Takafumi SASAKI
  • Publication number: 20150371875
    Abstract: Cleaning processing of each of the inside of a shower head and the inside of a processing space can be sufficiently or appropriately performed even when gas supply is performed via the shower head. A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing space for processing a substrate, a shower head buffer chamber disposed adjacent to the processing space with a dispersion plate having through-holes therebetween, an inert gas supply system configured to supply an inert gas into the shower head buffer chamber to form a gas curtain in the shower head buffer chamber, a first cleaning gas supply system configured to supply a cleaning gas into the processing space, and a control member configured to control the inert gas supply system and the first cleaning gas supply system to concurrently supply the cleaning gas into the processing space and the inert gas into the shower head buffer chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Takafumi SASAKI, Tetsuo YAMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20150361554
    Abstract: A mechanism includes a shower head; and a process space installed at a downstream side of the shower head. The shower head includes: a lid of the shower head having a through hole formed therein; a first dispersion mechanism having a front end to be inserted into the through hole and the other end connected to a gas supplier; a gas guide including a plate part configured to be widened in a downward direction, and a connecting part installed between the plate part and the lid, the connecting part having at least one hole formed therein; and a second dispersion mechanism installed at a downstream side of the gas guide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicant: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Tetsuo YAMAMOTO, Takafumi SASAKI
  • Patent number: 9177799
    Abstract: Provided is a substrate processing apparatus, a semiconductor device manufacturing method, and a substrate manufacturing method. The substrate processing apparatus comprises: a reaction chamber configured to process substrates; a first gas supply system configured to supply at least a silicon-containing gas and a chlorine-containing gas or at least a gas containing silicon and chlorine; a first gas supply unit connected to the first gas supply system; a second gas supply system configured to supply at least a reducing gas; a second gas supply unit connected to the second gas supply system; a third gas supply system configured to supply at least a carbon-containing gas and connected to at least one of the first gas supply unit and the second gas supply unit; and a control unit configured to control the first to third gas supply systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Kokusai Electric, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Imai, Hideji Shibata, Takafumi Sasaki