Patents by Inventor Yoshifumi Amano

Yoshifumi Amano 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: 20190043742
    Abstract: A measurement processing process S103 of measuring a cut width of a film based on an image obtained by imaging, with an imaging unit 270, a peripheral portion of a substrate which is processed based on a substrate processing recipe; a creation process S602 of creating a management list in which a set value of the cut width of the film, a measurement value of the cut width of the film measured through the measurement processing process and time information at which the measurement result is obtained are correlated; an analysis process S603 (S606) of analyzing a state of the processed substrate based on the created management list; and a notification process S605 (S608, S609) of making a preset notification to a user based on an analysis result obtained through the analysis process are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Amano, Satoshi Morita, Ryoji Ikebe, Isamu Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 10128137
    Abstract: A measurement processing process S103 of measuring a cut width of a film based on an image obtained by imaging, with an imaging unit 270, a peripheral portion of a substrate which is processed based on a substrate processing recipe; a creation process S602 of creating a management list in which a set value of the cut width of the film, a measurement value of the cut width of the film measured through the measurement processing process and time information at which the measurement result is obtained are correlated; an analysis process S603 (S606) of analyzing a state of the processed substrate based on the created management list; and a notification process S605 (S608, S609) of making a preset notification to a user based on an analysis result obtained through the analysis process are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Amano, Satoshi Morita, Ryoji Ikebe, Isamu Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 10046372
    Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus includes a plurality of liquid processing units, a plurality of individual exhaust paths, a common exhaust path, a first outside air intake section, a first regulation valve, a second outside air intake section, and a second regulation valve. The liquid processing units perform a liquid processing on a processing target object. An exhaust gas from an inside of the liquid processing unit flows in the individual exhaust paths. The exhaust gas from the individual exhaust paths flows in the common exhaust path. The first outside air intake section is formed at the most upstream side to introduce outside air. The first regulation valve is provided in the first outside air intake section. The second outside air intake section is formed at a downstream side of the common exhaust path from the connection. The second regulation valve is provided in the second outside air intake section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kazuya Goda, Yoshifumi Amano, Nobuya Yamamoto, Go Ayabe
  • Publication number: 20180108544
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holding unit configured to hold a substrate; a first processing liquid nozzle configured to supply a first processing liquid to a peripheral portion of the substrate; a second processing liquid nozzle configured to supply a second processing liquid, the temperature of which is lower than that of the first processing liquid, to the peripheral portion of the substrate; a first gas supply port configured to supply a first gas at a first temperature to a first gas supplied place on the peripheral portion of the substrate; and a second gas supply port configured to supply a second gas at a second temperature lower than the first temperature to a place closer to the center in the radial direction as compared to the first gas supplied place with respect to the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Namba, Fitrianto, Yoichi Tokunaga, Yoshifumi Amano
  • Patent number: 9895711
    Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus including: a substrate rotary-holding unit configured to rotate a substrate while holding the substrate; and a processing liquid supply unit configured to supply a processing liquid to a bottom surface of the substrate held by the substrate rotary-holding unit. The substrate rotary-holding unit includes: a base plate disposed spaced apart from the substrate below the substrate; a cover member supported by the base plate and disposed outside an outer periphery of the substrate; and a discharge port formed between the base plate and the cover member and configured to discharge an air stream occurring below the substrate. The support portion of the base plate and the cover member protrudes outwards from a top surface of the base plate to be connected to the cover member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Jian Zhang, Yoshifumi Amano, Eiichiro Okamoto, Yuki Ito
  • Patent number: 9859136
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate holding unit configured to hold a substrate; a first processing liquid nozzle configured to supply a first processing liquid to a peripheral portion of the substrate; a second processing liquid nozzle configured to supply a second processing liquid, the temperature of which is lower than that of the first processing liquid, to the peripheral portion of the substrate; a first gas supply port configured to supply a first gas at a first temperature to a first gas supplied place on the peripheral portion of the substrate; and a second gas supply port configured to supply a second gas at a second temperature lower than the first temperature to a place closer to the center in the radial direction as compared to the first gas supplied place with respect to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hiromitsu Namba, . Fitrianto, Yoichi Tokunaga, Yoshifumi Amano
  • Patent number: 9818626
    Abstract: When a substrate W is processed, a ring-shaped protective wall is located above the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and extends in a circumferential direction of the substrate. A radial position of an external periphery of a lower end of the protective wall is the same as a radial position of an internal periphery of a peripheral portion of an upper surface of the substrate held by a substrate holding unit, or is located at a radial outside. A first gap is formed between the protective wall and an upper surface of the substrate, a second gap is formed between the protective wall and a wall that defines the upper opening of the cup, and when the interior space of the cup is exhausted, a gas present above the substrate is introduced through the first gap and the second gap into the interior space of the cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Jiro Higashijima, Yoshifumi Amano, Eiichiro Okamoto, Yuki Ito
  • Patent number: 9793142
    Abstract: When a substrate W is processed, a cover member covers a peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and a central portion of the substrate located at an inner position than the peripheral portion in a radial direction is exposed without being covered by the cover member. A gap is formed between the lower surface of the cover member and the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit. When the interior space of the cup is exhausted, a gas present above the interior space of the cup is introduced from a space enclosed by the internal peripheral surface of the cover member through the gap into the interior space of the cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Jiro Higashijima, Yoshifumi Amano, Eiichiro Okamoto, Yuki Ito
  • Patent number: 9782807
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing system including a substrate processing apparatus that includes a nozzle configured to eject a processing liquid to a substrate. The system includes a jig sensor configured to detect whether a checking jig provided with a liquid receiving unit receiving the processing liquid ejected from the nozzle and configured to check an ejection state of the processing liquid from the nozzle is installed at a predetermined position of the substrate processing apparatus; and a controller configured to control the ejection of the processing liquid from the nozzle. When it is determined that the checking jig is installed at the predetermined position of the substrate processing apparatus based on detection of the jig sensor in a state where the ejection of the processing liquid from the nozzle is prohibited, the controller permits the ejection of the processing liquid from the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Amano, Yuki Ito, Eiichiro Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20170287750
    Abstract: A measurement processing process S103 of measuring a cut width of a film based on an image obtained by imaging, with an imaging unit 270, a peripheral portion of a substrate which is processed based on a substrate processing recipe; a creation process S602 of creating a management list in which a set value of the cut width of the film, a measurement value of the cut width of the film measured through the measurement processing process and time information at which the measurement result is obtained are correlated; an analysis process S603 (S606) of analyzing a state of the processed substrate based on the created management list; and a notification process S605 (S608, S609) of making a preset notification to a user based on an analysis result obtained through the analysis process are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Amano, Satoshi Morita, Ryoji Ikebe, Isamu Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20170287704
    Abstract: Whether a film on a peripheral portion of a substrate is appropriately removed is rapidly determined without depending on a kind of the film on the peripheral portion to be removed. An acquisition process S502 of acquiring information upon the kind of the film of the substrate; a selection process S503 of selecting a measurement setting corresponding to the acquired kind of the film from a table for measurement settings previously stored in a storage unit; a control process S504 of controlling an imaging unit 270 to image the peripheral portion of the substrate by using the measurement setting selected in the selection process are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Amano, Satoshi Morita, Ryoji Ikebe, Isamu Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20170287703
    Abstract: Imaging can be performed well even when an imaging device is disposed at a position facing a peripheral portion of a substrate. A substrate processing apparatus 16 which performs a processing of removing a film on a peripheral portion of a substrate W includes a rotating/holding unit 210 configured to hold and rotate the substrate; a first processing liquid supply unit 250A configured to supply a first processing liquid for removing the film onto the peripheral portion of the substrate while the substrate is being rotated in a first rotational direction R1 by the rotating/holding unit; and an imaging unit 270 provided at a position in front of an arrival region 902 of the first processing liquid on the substrate with respect to the first rotational direction R1, and configured to image the peripheral portion of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Amano, Satoshi Morita, Ryoji Ikebe, Isamu Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20170278728
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus includes a substrate holding unit, a brush, an arm, a discharge portion and a guide member. The substrate holding unit is configured to hold a substrate rotatably. The brush has a main body, a cleaning body provided at a lower portion of the main body and configured to be pressed onto the substrate, and a hollow portion formed in the main body and provided with an open top and an open bottom. The arm is configured to rotatably support the main body with a spindle therebetween. The discharge portion is provided at the arm, and plural kinds of processing liquids are discharged from the discharge portion while being switched. The guide member is provided between the discharge portion and the brush, and is configured to receive the processing liquid discharged from the discharge portion and guide the received processing liquid into the hollow portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Amano, Yuki Ito, Kento Kurusu
  • Patent number: 9623434
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes substrate holding unit that holds wafer W horizontally, rotation driving unit that rotates the substrate holding unit, first chemical liquid nozzle that discharges first chemical liquid toward the peripheral portion of wafer W, second chemical liquid nozzle that discharges second chemical liquid, which is different from the first chemical liquid, toward the peripheral portion of wafer, and first nozzle driving unit and second nozzle driving unit each moves the first chemical liquid nozzle and the second chemical liquid nozzle, respectively. Each chemical liquid nozzle is moved by each nozzle driving unit between processing position disposed when a chemical liquid is discharged toward the peripheral portion of wafer W, and stand-by position disposed when the chemical liquid is not discharged. Each stand-by position is disposed in the center side of wafer W compared to the processing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Amano
  • Patent number: 9564347
    Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus including: a second housing; a first housing capable of being brought into contact with the second housing; a holding part configured to hold an object to be processed; a rotation driving part configured to rotate the object to be processed held by the holding part; front-side process-liquid supply nozzle configured to supply a process liquid onto a peripheral portion of a front surface of the object to be processed held by the holding part; and a storage part disposed on a side of a rear surface of the object to be processed held by the holding part, the storage part being configured to store the process liquid having been passed through the object to be processed. The respective first housing and the second housing can be moved in one direction, so that the first housing and the second housing can be brought into contact and separated from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Amano, Satoshi Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20170028450
    Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus includes a plurality of liquid processing units, a plurality of individual exhaust paths, a common exhaust path, a first outside air intake section, a first regulation valve, a second outside air intake section, and a second regulation valve. The liquid processing units perform a liquid processing on a processing target object. An exhaust gas from an inside of the liquid processing unit flows in the individual exhaust paths. The exhaust gas from the individual exhaust paths flows in the common exhaust path. The first outside air intake section is formed at the most upstream side to introduce outside air. The first regulation valve is provided in the first outside air intake section. The second outside air intake section is formed at a downstream side of the common exhaust path from the connection. The second regulation valve is provided in the second outside air intake section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Inventors: Kazuya Goda, Yoshifumi Amano, Nobuya Yamamoto, Go Ayabe
  • Patent number: 9536761
    Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a cup 50 configured to receive a processing liquid supplied onto a substrate. The cup includes a ring-shaped first exhaust space 530 in contact with a top opening 50A, and a ring-shaped second exhaust space 540 which is in contact with an exhaust port 52 and is disposed adjacent to the first exhaust space, and the first exhaust space and the second exhaust space communicate with each other intermittently or continuously along an entire circumference thereof. Further, the cup has an inner wall that confines an inner periphery of the second exhaust space, and the inner wall includes a first wall portion 581 serving as an upper part of the inner wall, and a second wall portion which serves as a lower part of the inner wall and is located at an inner position than the first wall portion in a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Amano, Yuki Ito, Eiichiro Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20160300734
    Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a first processing block, a second processing block, and a reversing device. The first processing block includes a first processing unit configured to perform a process on a substrate with a first surface of the substrate facing upward, and a first transfer device configured to carry the substrate into/from the first processing unit. The second processing block includes a second processing unit configured to perform a process on the substrate with a second surface of the substrate, which is opposite to the first surface, facing upward, and a second transfer device configured to carry the substrate into/from the second processing unit. The reversing device is provided on a transfer path of the substrate from the first processing block to the second processing block, and is configured to reverse the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Amano
  • Publication number: 20160221046
    Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus including: a substrate rotary-holding unit configured to rotate a substrate while holding the substrate; and a processing liquid supply unit configured to supply a processing liquid to a bottom surface of the substrate held by the substrate rotary-holding unit. The substrate rotary-holding unit includes: a base plate disposed spaced apart from the substrate below the substrate; a cover member supported by the base plate and disposed outside an outer periphery of the substrate; and a discharge port formed between the base plate and the cover member and configured to discharge an air stream occurring below the substrate. The support portion of the base plate and the cover member protrudes outwards from a top surface of the base plate to be connected to the cover member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventors: Jian Zhang, Yoshifumi Amano, Eiichiro Okamoto, Yuki Ito
  • Publication number: 20160148366
    Abstract: Disclosed is a measurement processing device including: a processing unit configured to control an imaging device to image a substrate, on which a processing film is removed from the peripheral edge portion, and an enclosure member that surrounds the substrate. A captured image obtained by the imaging device is processed to measure a cut width in which the processing film is absent in the peripheral edge portion of the substrate, and a gap width between a peripheral edge end of the substrate and the enclosure member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2015
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Amano, Yuki Ito, Eiichiro Okamoto, Kazuya Iwanaga, Ryoji Ikebe