Patents by Inventor Tomonori HIRAO
Tomonori HIRAO 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).
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Patent number: 11658058Abstract: Provided is a substrate holding apparatus capable of appropriately holding a substrate. The substrate holding apparatus is suggested to hold a substrate including a portion to be plated that is exposed to a plating solution and an edge portion that is an area outside the portion to be plated. The substrate holding apparatus comprises a grasp module to come in contact with the edge portion of the substrate and thereby grasp the substrate, a suction module to attract the portion to be plated of the substrate by suction to hold the portion to be plated, and a protrusion provided at a position corresponding to the portion to be plated in the substrate, and protruding toward the substrate to be held by the substrate holding apparatus more than the suction module.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Takahiro Abe, Takuya Tsushima, Tomonori Hirao
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Patent number: 11434580Abstract: To provide a plating apparatus that prevents or reduces a diversion of an electric field. According to one embodiment, a plating apparatus for performing a plating process on a substrate held onto a substrate holder is provided. The plating apparatus includes a plating tank configured to receive the substrate holder holding the substrate, a block member that extends to an inside of the plating tank from a wall surface of the inside of the plating tank, and is movable inside the plating tank, and a moving mechanism configured to move the block member toward the substrate holder disposed inside the plating tank.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2020Date of Patent: September 6, 2022Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Tomonori Hirao, Gaku Yamasaki, Takahiro Abe, Toshio Yokoyama
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Patent number: 11339496Abstract: There is provided a shielding plate that adjusts an electric potential distribution on a substrate near the substrate. According to one embodiment, there is provided a plating apparatus for performing a plating process on the substrate. The plating apparatus includes a substrate holder, the shielding plate, and a moving mechanism. The substrate holder holds the substrate. The shielding plate is disposed adjacent to the substrate holder. The moving mechanism moves the shielding plate in a direction of approaching the substrate holder and a direction away from the substrate holder. The shielding plate is moved to the substrate holder by the moving mechanism to be contactable with the substrate holder.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2020Date of Patent: May 24, 2022Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventor: Tomonori Hirao
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Patent number: 11332838Abstract: A plating apparatus including a plating bath, a substrate holder to be arranged in the plating bath and adapted to hold a substrate, an anode for generating an electric field between the substrate and the anode, and at least one electric field shielding body for shielding the substrate holder and a part or the whole of the electric field, wherein the electric field shielding body has an opening portion for allowing the electric field between the substrate and the anode to pass therethrough, and is configured so as to be capable of adjusting an opening size in a first direction of the opening portion and an opening size in a second direction of the opening portion independently of each other.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2018Date of Patent: May 17, 2022Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Gaku Yamasaki, Tomonori Hirao, Toshio Yokoyama
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Publication number: 20210262109Abstract: Provided is a substrate holding apparatus capable of appropnately holding a substrate. The substrate holding apparatus is suggested to hold a substrate including a portion to be plated that is exposed to a plating solution and an edge portion that is an area outside the portion to be plated. The substrate holding apparatus comprises a grasp module to come in contact with the edge portion of the substrate and thereby grasp the substrate, a suction module to attract the portion to be plated of the substrate by suction to hold the portion to be plated, and a protrusion provided at a position corresponding to the portion to be plated in the substrate, and protruding toward the substrate to be held by the substrate holding apparatus more than the suction module.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2021Publication date: August 26, 2021Inventors: Takahiro Abe, Takuya Tsushima, Tomonori Hirao
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Patent number: 11098413Abstract: To reduce fluctuation of the liquid level of plating solution caused by the operation of a paddle. A plating apparatus for plating a substrate is provided. The plating apparatus includes: a plating bath configured to store plating solution; a paddle that is arranged in the plating bath and configured to stir the plating solution; and a liquid level fluctuation reducing member that is arranged in the plating bath, has a flow path through which the plating solution passes, and is configured to increase a flow velocity of the plating solution passing through the flow path to attenuate energy of waves formed by the plating solution.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2018Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Shao Hua Chang, Tomonori Hirao
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Publication number: 20210210368Abstract: An adjusting system is controlled such that an arrangement of the substrate is adjusted based on detection by a first sensor, and a second sensor is controlled to detect a characteristic point formed in advance on a plate surface of the substrate, wherein the arrangement of the substrate has been adjusted based on the detection by the first sensor. Moreover, it is checked whether a position of the characteristic point detected by the second sensor is within an allowable range, and the adjusting system is controlled to adjust the arrangement of the substrate based on the detection by the second sensor when the position of the characteristic point detected by the second sensor is within the allowable range, and the attaching/detaching system is controlled to attach the substrate to the substrate holder after the arrangement of the substrate is adjusted based on the detection by the second sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 4, 2021Publication date: July 8, 2021Inventors: Toshio Yokoyama, Tomonori Hirao, Takuya Tsushima, Hirotaka Ohashi
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Patent number: 11015261Abstract: To provide a substrate holder and a plating apparatus that can easily position a substrate. A substrate holder includes a substrate holding body for holding a substrate, and a first holding member and a second holding member that interpose and hold the substrate holding body therebetween, and the first holding member includes an opening portion through which the plating target surface of the substrate is exposed, and a power supply member configured to be in contact with a plating target surface of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2017Date of Patent: May 25, 2021Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Yoshitaka Mukaiyama, Toshio Yokoyama, Junitsu Yamakawa, Takuya Tsushima, Tomonori Hirao, Sho Tamura, Hirotaka Ohashi
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Publication number: 20200392641Abstract: There is provided a shielding plate that adjusts an electric potential distribution on a substrate near the substrate. According to one embodiment, there is provided a plating apparatus for performing a plating process on the substrate. The plating apparatus includes a substrate holder, the shielding plate, and a moving mechanism. The substrate holder holds the substrate. The shielding plate is disposed adjacent to the substrate holder. The moving mechanism moves the shielding plate in a direction of approaching the substrate holder and a direction away from the substrate holder. The shielding plate is moved to the substrate holder by the moving mechanism to be contactable with the substrate holder.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2020Publication date: December 17, 2020Inventor: Tomonori Hirao
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Publication number: 20200277709Abstract: To provide a plating apparatus that prevents or reduces a diversion of an electric field. According to one embodiment, a plating apparatus for performing a plating process on a substrate held onto a substrate holder is provided. The plating apparatus includes a plating tank configured to receive the substrate holder holding the substrate, a block member that extends to an inside of the plating tank from a wall surface of the inside of the plating tank, and is movable inside the plating tank, and a moving mechanism configured to move the block member toward the substrate holder disposed inside the plating tank.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2020Publication date: September 3, 2020Inventors: Tomonori Hirao, Gaku Yamasaki, Takahiro Abe, Toshio Yokoyama
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Patent number: 10577706Abstract: A plating apparatus includes a processing bath configured to store a processing liquid therein, a transporter configured to immerse a substrate holder, holding a substrate, in the processing liquid, raise the substrate holder out of the processing bath, and transport the substrate holder in a horizontal direction, and a gas flow generator configured to generate a clean gas flow forward of the substrate with respect to a direction in which the substrate holder is transported. The transporter moves the gas flow generator together with the substrate holder in the horizontal direction while transporting the substrate holder in the horizontal direction.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2019Date of Patent: March 3, 2020Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventor: Tomonori Hirao
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Publication number: 20190233964Abstract: A plating apparatus includes a processing bath configured to store a processing liquid therein, a transporter configured to immerse a substrate holder, holding a substrate, in the processing liquid, raise the substrate holder out of the processing bath, and transport the substrate holder in a horizontal direction, and a gas flow generator configured to generate a clean gas flow forward of the substrate with respect to a direction in which the substrate holder is transported. The transporter moves the gas flow generator together with the substrate holder in the horizontal direction while transporting the substrate holder in the horizontal direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2019Publication date: August 1, 2019Inventor: Tomonori HIRAO
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Patent number: 10294576Abstract: A plating apparatus includes a processing bath configured to store a processing liquid therein, a transporter configured to immerse a substrate holder, holding a substrate, in the processing liquid, raise the substrate holder out of the processing bath, and transport the substrate holder in a horizontal direction, and a gas flow generator configured to generate a clean gas flow forward of the substrate with respect to a direction in which the substrate holder is transported. The transporter moves the gas flow generator together with the substrate holder in the horizontal direction while transporting the substrate holder in the horizontal direction.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2016Date of Patent: May 21, 2019Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventor: Tomonori Hirao
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Publication number: 20190112727Abstract: To reduce fluctuation of the liquid level of plating solution caused by the operation of a paddle. A plating apparatus for plating a substrate is provided. The plating apparatus includes: a plating bath configured to store plating solution; a paddle that is arranged in the plating bath and configured to stir the plating solution; and a liquid level fluctuation reducing member that is arranged in the plating bath, has a flow path through which the plating solution passes, and is configured to increase a flow rate of the plating solution passing through the flow path to attenuate energy of waves formed by the plating solution.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2018Publication date: April 18, 2019Inventors: Shao Hua CHANG, Tomonori HIRAO
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Publication number: 20190093250Abstract: A plating apparatus including a plating bath, a substrate holder to be arranged in the plating bath and adapted to hold a substrate, an anode for generating an electric field between the substrate and the anode, and at least one electric field shielding body for shielding the substrate holder and a part or the whole of the electric field, wherein the electric field shielding body has an opening portion for allowing the electric field between the substrate and the anode to pass therethrough, and is configured so as to be capable of adjusting an opening size in a first direction of the opening portion and an opening size in a second direction of the opening portion independently of each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2018Publication date: March 28, 2019Inventors: Gaku YAMASAKI, Tomonori HIRAO, Toshio YOKOYAMA
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Publication number: 20190084777Abstract: To provide a substrate holder and a plating apparatus that can easily position a substrate. A substrate holder includes a substrate holding body for holding a substrate, and a first holding member and a second holding member that interpose and hold the substrate holding body therebetween, and the first holding member includes an opening portion through which the plating target surface of the substrate is exposed, and a power supply member configured to be in contact with a plating target surface of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2017Publication date: March 21, 2019Inventors: Yoshitaka MUKAIYAMA, Toshio YOKOYAMA, Junitsu YAMAKAWA, Takuya TSUSHIMA, Tomonori HIRAO, Sho TAMURA, Hirotaka OHASHI
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Publication number: 20180223444Abstract: The present invention provides a plating apparatus capable of individually controlling a plating process on a front surface and a back surface of a substrate and a substrate holder usable for such a plating apparatus. A substrate holder for holding a substrate which is a plating target during a plating process is provided and such a substrate holder includes a body part for holding the substrate, provided with a first opening and a second opening, the body part is configured such that when the body part holds the substrate, a plated region on the front surface of the substrate is exposed through the first opening and a plated region on the back surface of the substrate is exposed through the second opening and a sealing part that protrudes from a peripheral portion is included in at least part of the peripheral portion of the body part.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2018Publication date: August 9, 2018Inventors: Toshio YOKOYAMA, Tomonori HIRAO, Sho TAMURA
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Publication number: 20160281254Abstract: A plating apparatus includes a processing bath configured to store a processing liquid therein, a transporter configured to immerse a substrate holder, holding a substrate, in the processing liquid, raise the substrate holder out of the processing bath, and transport the substrate holder in a horizontal direction, and a gas flow generator configured to generate a clean gas flow forward of the substrate with respect to a direction in which the substrate holder is transported. The transporter moves the gas flow generator together with the substrate holder in the horizontal direction while transporting the substrate holder in the horizontal direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 10, 2016Publication date: September 29, 2016Inventor: Tomonori HIRAO
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Patent number: 9388504Abstract: A plating apparatus includes a processing bath configured to store a processing liquid therein, a transporter configured to immerse a substrate holder, holding a substrate, in the processing liquid, raise the substrate holder out of the processing bath, and transport the substrate holder in a horizontal direction, and a gas flow generator configured to generate a clean gas flow forward of the substrate with respect to a direction in which the substrate holder is transported. The transporter moves the gas flow generator together with the substrate holder in the horizontal direction while transporting the substrate holder in the horizontal direction.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2014Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventor: Tomonori Hirao
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Publication number: 20140295093Abstract: A plating apparatus includes a processing bath configured to store a processing liquid therein, a transporter configured to immerse a substrate holder, holding a substrate, in the processing liquid, raise the substrate holder out of the processing bath, and transport the substrate holder in a horizontal direction, and a gas flow generator configured to generate a clean gas flow forward of the substrate with respect to a direction in which the substrate holder is transported. The transporter moves the gas flow generator together with the substrate holder in the horizontal direction while transporting the substrate holder in the horizontal direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 24, 2014Publication date: October 2, 2014Inventor: Tomonori HIRAO