Patents by Inventor Yoshio Takemura

Yoshio Takemura 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: 7107701
    Abstract: There are provided a substrate drying method and apparatus by which an attachment amount of particles to surfaces of substrates can be reduced when the substrates are exposed from pure water, and occurrence of non-uniform drying can be prevented by improving drying efficiency of the substrates. Air or an inert gas, and gaseous or droplet-like isopropyl alcohol (hereinafter, referred to as IPA) are supplied into a space on a liquid level of the pure water in a drying chamber, and pure water on a liquid level side is drained from the liquid level or the vicinity of the liquid level of the pure water, while raising the pure water in which the substrates are immersed together with the substrates, the substrates are exposed from the pure water above the liquid level in the drying chamber, and, at the same time, the pure water held on the exposed surfaces of the substrates is replaced by IPA, whereby the substrates are dried.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Toho Kasei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Takemura, Susumu Matsuda, Hiroaki Mizunoe
  • Publication number: 20040139626
    Abstract: There are provided a substrate drying method and apparatus by which an attachment amount of particles to surfaces of substrates can be reduced when the substrates are exposed from pure water, and occurrence of non-uniform drying can be prevented by improving drying efficiency of the substrates. Air or an inert gas, and gaseous or droplet-like isopropyl alcohol (hereinafter, referred to as IPA) are supplied into a space on a liquid level of the pure water in a drying chamber, and pure water on a liquid level side is drained from the liquid level or the vicinity of the liquid level of the pure water, while raising the pure water in which the substrates are immersed together with the substrates, the substrates are exposed from the pure water above the liquid level in the drying chamber, and, at the same time, the pure water held on the exposed surfaces of the substrates is replaced by IPA, whereby the substrates are dried.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Inventors: Yoshio Takemura, Susumu Matsuda, Hiroaki Mizunoe
  • Patent number: 6219936
    Abstract: Nitrogen gas is jetted into a space on the liquid level of pure water in a drying chamber in which wafers are immersed. Simultaneously therewith, liquid-phase isopropyl alcohol is jetted at a temperature higher than the temperature of the wafers and in the vicinity of jetting openings for the nitrogen gas. When the wafers are exposed above the liquid level in the drying chamber, the pure water held on both front and rear surfaces of the wafers is replaced by the isopropyl alcohol of mist-form. The isopropyl alcohol is then evaporated, whereby the wafers are dried.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Toho Kasei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kedo, Yoshio Takemura, Susumu Matsuda