Patents Assigned to Ebara Corporation
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Patent number: 11967508Abstract: The present invention relates to a damper control system and a damper control method for controlling an opening degree of an exhaust damper connected to an exhaust duct. The damper control system (300) includes an exhaust damper (310), a first pressure sensor (311), and a controller (315) configured to control an opening degree of the exhaust damper (310). The controller (315) is configured to switch the opening degree of the exhaust damper (310) to an opening degree smaller than a full opening on condition that a shutter (217) is opened.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2020Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Akira Imamura, Mitsuru Miyazaki, Junji Kunisawa
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Patent number: 11958163Abstract: A substrate holding apparatus which can adjust polishing profile precisely is disclosed. The substrate holding apparatus includes an elastic membrane that forms a plurality of pressure chambers for pressing a substrate, and a head body to which the elastic membrane is coupled. The elastic membrane includes a contact portion to be brought into contact with the substrate for pressing the substrate against a polishing pad, an edge circumferential wall extending upwardly from a peripheral edge of the contact portion, and a plurality of inner circumferential walls arranged radially inwardly of the edge circumferential wall and extending upwardly from the contact portion. At least two adjacent inner circumferential walls of the plurality of inner circumferential walls include slope circumferential walls inclined radially inwardly. The slope circumferential walls are inclined radially inwardly in their entirety from their lower ends to upper ends, and extend upwardly.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2021Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Osamu Nabeya, Makoto Fukushima, Keisuke Namiki, Shingo Togashi, Satoru Yamaki, Masahiko Kishimoto, Tomoko Owada
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Patent number: 11958161Abstract: The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus having a surface-property measuring device for measuring surface properties of a polishing pad which is used to polish a substrate, such as semiconductor wafer, and a polishing system including such a polishing apparatus. The polishing apparatus includes a surface-property measuring device (30) for measuring surface properties of a polishing pad (2), a support arm (50) for supporting the surface-property measuring device (30), and a moving unit (53) coupled to the support arm (50) and configured to move the surface-property measuring device (30) from a retreat position to a measure position.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2019Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Keisuke Kamiki, Toru Maruyama, Yasuyuki Motoshima
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Publication number: 20240116151Abstract: A polishing apparatus 1 includes a control device 90. The control device 90 performs: a cleaning process of causing a cleaning solution to flow in a flow channel 70a and then causing a polishing solution to flow in the flow channel 70a when the number of substrates Wf polished by a polishing machine 10 reaches a predetermined number; and a clogging detecting process of detecting whether clogging has occurred in the flow channel based on a pressure or a flow rate of the cleaning solution detected by sensors 60 and 61 when the cleaning solution flows in the flow channel.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2023Publication date: April 11, 2024Applicant: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: MASAYOSHI ITO, TAKUYA MORIURA
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Patent number: 11951588Abstract: An optical film-thickness measuring apparatus capable of eliminating an influence of a fluid flow on optical fiber cables when the fluid, such as pure water, is flowing through a through-hole of a polishing pad, and capable of achieving highly accurate measuring of a film thickness is disclosed. The optical film-thickness measuring apparatus includes: a light-emitting optical fiber cable coupled to a light source; a light-receiving optical fiber cable arranged to receive light reflected from the workpiece; a cable housing surrounding the light-emitting optical fiber cable and the light-receiving optical fiber cable; and a flow-passage structure defining a fluid passage adjacent to the light-emitting optical fiber cable and the light-receiving optical fiber cable. The light-emitting optical fiber cable and the light-receiving optical fiber cable are supported by at least one of the cable housing and the flow-passage structure.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2021Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Masaki Kinoshita, Toshifumi Kimba, Yoshikazu Kato, Yoichi Shiokawa
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Patent number: 11948827Abstract: The disclosure provides one technique for suppressing wear of a cleaning member and unexpected dust generation. A substrate support mechanism 100 includes a first support part 110 which is swingable and has a contact region that can come into contact with a peripheral edge of one surface of a substrate W in a closed state, a second support part 120 which supports the other surface of the substrate W, and a first support part moving part 140 which swings the first support part 110.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2022Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Mitsuru Miyazaki, Hisajiro Nakano, Takuya Inoue
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Patent number: 11945075Abstract: A dresser is enabled to adjust a swing speed in scanning areas set on a polishing member along a swing direction. A surface height of the polishing member in monitoring areas set in advance on the polishing member along the swing direction of the dresser is measured. A dress model matrix defined from the monitoring areas, the scanning areas and a dress model is created. Height profile predicted value is calculated using the dress model and the swing speed in each scanning area or a staying time. Evaluation index is set based on a difference from a target value of a height profile of the polishing member and a step of setting the swing speed in each scanning area of the dresser based on the evaluation index. At least one of parameters to determine the target value or the evaluation index of the height profile is made to change automatically.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2022Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Keita Yagi, Yasumasa Hiroo
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Patent number: 11946470Abstract: An information processing apparatus detecting presence or absence of abnormality of a vacuum pump derived from a product produced within a target vacuum pump, including: a determination unit configured to determine a normal variation range or a normal time variation behavior of a target state quantity which is a state quantity varying depending on a load of gas flowing into the vacuum pump, based on at least one of past target state quantities of the target vacuum pump or another vacuum pump; and a comparison unit configured to compare a current target state quantity of the target vacuum pump with the normal variation range or the normal time variation behavior and output the comparison result.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2018Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Keiji Maishigi, Tetsuro Sugiura, Katsuaki Usui, Masahiro Hatakeyama, Chikako Honma, Toru Osuga, Koichi Iwasaki, Jie Yuan Lin
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Patent number: 11948811Abstract: A cleaning apparatus includes: a cleaning tank that defines a cleaning space for cleaning a wafer; a wafer rotation mechanism that is arranged inside the cleaning tank and holds and rotates the wafer; a cleaning member that contacts and cleans a surface of the wafer, is rotatable around a central axis extending in a lateral direction, and has a length in an axial direction longer than a radius of the wafer; a swing mechanism that swings the cleaning member around a swing axis located inside the cleaning tank to move the cleaning member from a retracted position outside of the wafer to a cleaning position directly above the wafer; a second cleaning means that cleans the surface of the wafer; and a second swing mechanism that swings the second cleaning means around a second swing axis located inside the cleaning tank to pass directly above a center of the wafer.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2020Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Mitsuru Miyazaki, Tomoaki Fujimoto, Koichi Fukaya, Fumitoshi Oikawa, Takuya Inoue
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Publication number: 20240087919Abstract: The present disclosure provides a substrate processing apparatus and a protective layer forming method that can protect surfaces of metal regions after a polishing process from oxidation and adhesion of cutting chips and particles caused in a process after polishing. The substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a polishing device for polishing a semiconductor substrate, a protective layer forming device for forming a protective layer on a surface of the substrate using a silane coupling agent or a resin protective film agent, and a control device. The control device controls the polishing device and the protective layer forming device such that the protective layer forming device forms the protective layer on the substrate after the polishing device finishes polishing the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2023Publication date: March 14, 2024Applicant: Ebara CorporationInventor: Jumpei FUJIKATA
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Patent number: 11926018Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for polishing, comprising a polishing table configured to support and rotate a polishing pad; a holder configured to hold an object and press the object against the polishing pad; a polishing solution supply device provided with a contact member and configured to supply a polishing solution to an opening in a bottom face of the contact member in a state that the contact member comes into contact with or is adjacent to the polishing pad, thereby spreading the polishing solution on the polishing pad, the polishing solution supply device causing at least part of used polishing solution returned by rotation of the polishing pad to be dammed up by the contact member and setting the contact member either in a direction of keeping the dammed up polishing solution on the polishing pad or in a direction of discharging the dammed up polishing solution, according to an angle of the polishing solution supply device with respect to a radial direction of the polishing pad; an arm linked withType: GrantFiled: May 7, 2021Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Masayoshi Ito, Hisanori Matsuo, Itsuki Kobata, Takuya Moriura
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Patent number: 11919048Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of cleaning an optical film-thickness measuring system used for measuring a film thickness of a substrate, such as a wafer, while polishing the substrate. The method includes: cleaning an optical sensor head (7) by supplying a rinsing liquid into a through-hole (51) formed in a polishing pad (2) on a polishing table (3) before or after polishing of a substrate (W) with use of slurry, the optical sensor head (7) being located below the through-hole (51); and discharging the rinsing liquid from the through-hole (51) through a drain line (54).Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2019Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Nobuyuki Takahashi, Toru Maruyama, Taichi Yokoyama, Zhongxin Wen
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Patent number: 11919124Abstract: The present application relates to a pad-temperature regulating apparatus for regulating a temperature of a surface of a polishing pad. The pad-temperature regulating apparatus includes a pad-contact member, a supply system for supplying a heating liquid and a cooling liquid into the pad contact member, a pad-temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature of the surface of the polishing pad, and a controller for performing a PID control of manipulated variables of a first flow control valve and a second flow control valve. The controller includes a memory in which a learned model constructed to maintain a temperature behavior curve, created based on measured values of the pad-temperature measuring device, within a predetermined allowable range, is stored; and a processing device which inputs at least one temperature behavior parameter to the learned model, and performs a calculation to output a change value of PID parameter for the PID control.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2019Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventor: Toru Maruyama
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Patent number: 11911872Abstract: Polishing uniformity of a surface to be polished of a substrate is improved by appropriately according with a state of the surface to be polished during polishing. A substrate processing apparatus includes a table 100 for supporting a substrate WF, a pad holder 226 for holding a polishing pad 222 for polishing the substrate WF supported by the table 100, an elevating mechanism for elevating the pad holder 226 with respect to the substrate WF, a swing mechanism for swinging the pad holder 226 in a radial direction of the substrate WF, supporting members 300A and 300B for supporting the polishing pad 222 swung to outside the table 100 by the swing mechanism, and driving mechanisms 310 and 320 for adjusting at least one of a height and a distance to the substrate WF of the supporting member 300 while polishing the substrate WF.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2021Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Nobuyuki Takada, Hozumi Yasuda
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Patent number: 11911867Abstract: A polishing apparatus which can measure a film thickness with high accuracy without affecting a polishing rate of a wafer is disclosed. The polishing apparatus includes: a polishing head configured to press a wafer against a polishing pad; an illuminating fiber having a distal end disposed in a flow passage formed in the polishing table; a spectrometer configured to resolve reflected light from the wafer in accordance with wavelength and measure an intensity of the reflected light at each of the wavelengths; a light-receiving fiber having a distal end disposed in the flow passage; a liquid supply line communicating with the flow passage; a gas supply line communicating with the flow passage; a liquid supply valve attached to the liquid supply line; a gas supply valve attached to the gas supply line; and an operation controller configured to control operations of the liquid supply valve and the gas supply valve.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2018Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Toshifumi Kimba, Masaki Kinoshita, Yoichi Shiokawa
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Patent number: 11911868Abstract: Accuracy of detection of a fly out of a substrate from a polishing head is improved. A substrate processing apparatus includes a polishing table 350 to which a polishing pad 352 for polishing the substrate is attachable, a polishing head 302 for holding and pressing the substrate against the polishing pad 352, a retainer member disposed surrounding the polishing head 302, a retainer member pressurization chamber disposed adjacent to the retainer member, an arm 360 for holding and turning the polishing head 302, and a slip out detector 910 for detecting a fly out of the substrate from the polishing head 302 based on a turning torque of the arm 360 or based on a flow rate of a fluid supplied to the retainer member pressurization chamber.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2021Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Takashi Mitsuya, Asagi Matsugu, Ayumu Saito
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Patent number: 11911806Abstract: Provided is a substrate cleaning device, an abnormality determination method of a substrate cleaning device, and an abnormality determination program of a substrate cleaning device for determining whether there is an abnormality in a roll cleaning member that is attached. A substrate cleaning device includes: a holder to which a roll cleaning member for cleaning a substrate is attached in a detachable manner; a rotation device which makes the roll cleaning member attached to the holder rotate; a sensor which measures information concerning a vibration of the roll cleaning member during rotation; and a control device which determines, based on a measurement result of the sensor, whether there is an abnormality in the roll cleaning member attached to the holder.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2022Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Masumi Nishijima, Kunimasa Matsushita, Hiroshi Ishikawa
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Patent number: 11913466Abstract: To eliminate accumulation of air while preventing a decrease in pump efficiency, a pump is provided. The pump includes a rotary shaft, an impeller that is attached to the rotary shaft and that rotates with rotation of the rotary shaft, a casing that surrounds the rotary shaft, a shaft sealing device that seals a gap between the casing and the rotary shaft, and a baffle plate part that is located between the impeller and the shaft sealing device and attached to a rotating body. The baffle plate part extends in a direction that is inclined or orthogonal with respect to a surface orthogonal to an axial direction of the rotary shaft.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2020Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Seigo Kyo, Yoichi Nakamura, Akinori Murata, Soichiro Ogawa, Dong Min Kim
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Publication number: 20240062066Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes: an information acquisition part, acquiring recipe information indicating processing content of polishing processing and finishing processing, and transfer time information indicating a transfer time required for each transfer processing; and a schedule creation part, based on the recipe information and the transfer time information, creating a substrate processing schedule by determining a start timing of each processing so that a final processing end time during which a final substrate after the finishing processing is carried out to a substrate carry-out position is shortest.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 17, 2023Publication date: February 22, 2024Applicant: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: CHING WEI HUANG, HIROFUMI OTAKI, TAKAMASA NAKAMURA
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Patent number: D1021832Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2023Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Kenichi Akazawa, Osamu Nabeya, Shingo Togashi, Satoru Yamaki, Tomoko Owada, Cheng Cheng, Yuichi Kato