Patents by Inventor Yosuke KAWABUCHI

Yosuke KAWABUCHI 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: 20170236729
    Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid processing method of drying a substrate held horizontally after supplying deionized water to the substrate. The liquid processing method includes: supplying the deionized water to a front surface of the substrate; supplying a first solvent to the front surface of the substrate after supplying the deionized water; supplying a water-repellent agent to the front surface of the substrate to impart water-repellency to the front surface of the substrate; supplying a second solvent to the front surface of the substrate to which water-repellency is imparted; and removing the second solvent from the front surface of the substrate. A specific gravity of the first solvent is smaller than a specific gravity of the water-repellent agent, and a specific gravity of the second solvent is larger than the specific gravity of the water-repellent agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Yosuke Kawabuchi, Kouzou Tachibana, Mitsunori Nakamori, Kotaro Ooishi, Keisuke Egashira, Koji Tanaka, Hiroaki Inadomi, Masami Yamashita, Yoshiteru Fukuda, Koji Yamashita, Yu Tsurifune, Takuro Masuzumi
  • Patent number: 9362106
    Abstract: A wafer is held horizontally and rotated by a substrate holding mechanism. An aqueous alkaline solution is supplied to a wafer by a nozzle and caused to flow from a central portion to a peripheral edge portion of the wafer, thereby etching the wafer. An amount of oxygen, which is equal to or more than the amount of oxygen in atmospheric air involved in the aqueous alkaline solution flowing on the wafer, is previously dissolved in the aqueous alkaline solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hayato Iwamoto, Yoshiya Hagimoto, Tomoki Tetsuka, Shinichiro Shimomura, Teruomi Minami, Hiroki Sakurai, Hirotaka Maruyama, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Hiroshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9321085
    Abstract: A chemical liquid process is performed on a substrate. Then, a rinse process that supplies a rinse liquid to the substrate is performed. Thereafter, a drying process that dries the substrate is performed while rotating the substrate. The drying process includes a first drying process that rotates the substrate at a first rotational speed; a second drying process that decreases the rotational speed of the substrate to a second rotational speed lower than the first rotational speed after the first drying process. In the second drying process, the rinse liquid and a drying solution are agitated and substituted while generating braking effect. In a third drying process, the rotational speed of the substrate is increased from the second rotational speed to a third rotational speed after the second drying process. Thereafter, in a fourth drying process, the drying solution on the substrate is scattered away by rotating the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Teruomi Minami, Satoru Tanaka, Tatsuya Nagamatsu, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Tsukasa Hirayama, Katsufumi Matsuki
  • Publication number: 20140360536
    Abstract: A throughput in processing a substrate can be improved and a running cost thereof can be reduced. A substrate processing apparatus 1 that processes a substrate 3 with a processing liquid and dries the substrate 3 includes a substrate rotating device 22 configured to rotate the substrate 3; a processing liquid discharging unit 13 configured to discharge the processing liquid toward the substrate 3; a substitution liquid discharging unit 14 configured to discharge a substitution liquid, which is substituted with the processing liquid on the substrate 3, toward the substrate 3 while relatively moving with respect to the substrate 3; and an inert gas discharging unit 15 configured to discharge an inert gas toward a peripheral portion of the substrate 3 in an inclined direction from above the substrate 3 while moving in a direction different from a direction in which the substitution liquid discharging unit 14 is moved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Publication date: December 11, 2014
    Inventors: Yosuke Kawabuchi, Hisashi Kawano, Satoru Tanaka, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Kotaro Oishi, Kazuyoshi Shinohara, Yuki Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8906165
    Abstract: In a substrate processing method according to the present invention, a substrate is first processed using a chemical liquid. Next, the substrate is rinsed by supplying a rinsing liquid thereto while the substrate is being rotated. Thereafter, the substrate is dried while the substrate is being rotated. The drying of the substrate includes reducing a rotating speed of the substrate to a first rotating speed lower than that of the substrate during the rinsing of the substrate, while supplying the rinsing liquid to a central portion of the substrate; moving, from the central portion of the substrate toward a peripheral edge portion thereof, a rinsing liquid supply position to which the rinsing liquid is supplied, after the rotating speed of the substrate has been reduced to the first rotating speed; and supplying a drying liquid to the substrate, after the rinsing liquid supply position has been moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Teruomi Minami, Naoyuki Okamura, Hirotaka Maruyama, Yosuke Kawabuchi
  • Publication number: 20140080312
    Abstract: A wafer is held horizontally and rotated by a substrate holding mechanism. An aqueous alkaline solution is supplied to a wafer by a nozzle and caused to flow from a central portion to a peripheral edge portion of the wafer, thereby etching the wafer. An amount of oxygen, which is equal to or more than the amount of oxygen in atmospheric air involved in the aqueous alkaline solution flowing on the wafer, is previously dissolved in the aqueous alkaline solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Inventors: Hayato IWAMOTO, Yoshiya HAGIMOTO, Tomoki TETSUKA, Shinichiro SHIMOMURA, Teruomi MINAMI, Hiroki SAKURAI, Hirotaka MARUYAMA, Yosuke KAWABUCHI, Hiroshi TANAKA
  • Patent number: 8545640
    Abstract: In a substrate processing method according to the present invention, a cleaning liquid nozzle supplies a rinsing liquid to a central portion of a substrate and thereafter moves from a position corresponding to the central portion of the substrate to a position corresponding to a peripheral, edge portion thereof while supplying the rinsing liquid before stopping at the position corresponding to the peripheral edge portion. Next, a drying liquid nozzle moves from the position corresponding to the peripheral edge portion to the position corresponding to the central portion while supplying a drying liquid. Then, the drying liquid nozzle is kept stationary at the position corresponding to the central portion for a predetermined period of time while supplying the drying liquid. Thereafter, a gas nozzle moves from the position corresponding to the central portion to the position corresponding to the peripheral edge portion while supplying an inert gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Teruomi Minami, Naoyuki Okamura, Yosuke Kawabuchi
  • Patent number: 8475668
    Abstract: Provided are a substrate liquid processing apparatus, a substrate liquid processing method, and a computer readable storage medium having a substrate liquid processing program stored therein that can prevent the occurrence of the electrostatic breakdown caused by the discharge of electric charges in a substrate. The substrate liquid processing apparatus processes a circuit-forming surface of the substrate with a chemical liquid. Furthermore, prior to processing the substrate with the chemical liquid, the substrate liquid processing apparatus performs an anti-static process for an surface opposite to the circuit-forming surface of the substrate by an anti-static liquid, thereby emitting the electric charges on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tanaka, Teruomi Minami, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Norihiro Ito, Fumihiro Kamimura, Takashi Yabuta, Kazuki Kosai, Takeshi Uno, Kenji Sekiguchi, Yasushi Fujii
  • Publication number: 20110315169
    Abstract: In a substrate processing method according to the present invention, a cleaning liquid nozzle supplies a rinsing liquid to a central portion of a substrate and thereafter moves from a position corresponding to the central portion of the substrate to a position corresponding to a peripheral, edge portion thereof while supplying the rinsing liquid before stopping at the position corresponding to the peripheral edge portion. Next, a drying liquid nozzle moves from the position corresponding to the peripheral edge portion to the position corresponding to the central portion while supplying a drying liquid. Then, the drying liquid nozzle is kept stationary at the position corresponding to the central portion for a predetermined period of time while supplying the drying liquid. Thereafter, a gas nozzle moves from the position corresponding to the central portion to the position corresponding to the peripheral edge portion while supplying an inert gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Teruomi MINAMI, Naoyuki Okamura, Yosuke Kawabuchi
  • Publication number: 20110308549
    Abstract: In a substrate processing method according to the present invention, a substrate is first processed using a chemical liquid. Next, the substrate is rinsed by supplying a rinsing liquid thereto while the substrate is being rotated. Thereafter, the substrate is dried while the substrate is being rotated. The drying of the substrate includes reducing a rotating speed of the substrate to a first rotating speed lower than that of the substrate during the rinsing of the substrate, while supplying the rinsing liquid to a central portion of the substrate; moving, from the central portion of the substrate toward a peripheral edge portion thereof, a rinsing liquid supply position to which the rinsing liquid is supplied, after the rotating speed of the substrate has been reduced to the first rotating speed; and supplying a drying liquid to the substrate, after the rinsing liquid supply position has been moved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Teruomi MINAMI, Naoyuki Okamura, Hirotaka Maruyama, Yosuke Kawabuchi
  • Publication number: 20110089137
    Abstract: Provided are a substrate liquid processing apparatus, a substrate liquid processing method, and a computer readable storage medium having a substrate liquid processing program stored therein that can prevent the occurrence of the electrostatic breakdown caused by the discharge of electric charges in a substrate. The substrate liquid processing apparatus processes a circuit-forming surface of the substrate with a chemical liquid. Furthermore, prior to processing the substrate with the chemical liquid, the substrate liquid processing apparatus performs an anti-static process for an surface opposite to the circuit-forming surface of the substrate by an anti-static liquid, thereby emitting the electric charges on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroshi TANAKA, Teruomi MINAMI, Yosuke KAWABUCHI, Norihiro ITO, Fumihiro KAMIMURA, Takashi YABUTA, Kazuki KOSAI, Takeshi UNO, Kenji SEKIGUCHI, Yasushi FUJII