Patents Assigned to SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
  • Heat treatment method and heat treatment apparatus that manage heat treatment of dummy wafer
    Patent number: 11049732
    Abstract: Heat treatment is performed on a dummy wafer with halogen lamps or the like to perform dummy treatment of adjusting the temperature of in-chamber structures including a susceptor and the like. A dummy recipe for the dummy treatment is prepared in advance, and a maximum value and a minimum value each being a threshold for the number of times of dummy treatment are set. After the dummy treatment is started, the number of times of dummy treatment is counted. Comparison determination between the number of times of dummy treatment at the time point when carriers storing semiconductor wafers each to be a product are transported in to a heat treatment apparatus and the set maximum value and minimum value is performed. In this manner, the timing of the end of the dummy treatment and the start of the treatment of product wafers is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinichi Ikeda
  • Inkjet printer and maintenance method
    Patent number: 11040538
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a maintenance solution supply mechanism. In response to switching of a three-way valve provided in an ink pipe, a maintenance solution is supplied from a maintenance tank to each head through a maintenance pipe. The maintenance tank is a common tank. This suppresses size increase of the printer compared to provision of an individual maintenance tank for each head. The maintenance pipe is connected to the ink pipe at a position downstream of an intermediary tank. This eliminates the need of replacement of ink in the intermediary tank by the maintenance solution during supply of the maintenance solution. This allows reduction in the consumptions of the ink and the maintenance solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuto Suzuki, Katsuaki Takeuchi, Mitsuru Tanemoto
  • Color prediction method
    Patent number: 11044384
    Abstract: First, a color close to a prediction target color is selected as a similar color from among a plurality of sample colors for which spectral reflectances of a plurality of patches are obtained. Next, for a similar color, a relational equation representing the relationship between the spectral reflectances of a solid patch (a patch with the highest ink density) and the spectral reflectances of a color prediction target patch is obtained. Finally, the spectral reflectances of the solid patch for the prediction target color are applied to the relational equation, by which predicted values of spectral reflectances of the color prediction target patch for the prediction target color are obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi
  • SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND RECIPE SELECTION METHOD
    Publication number: 20210165328
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a preprocessing forming step of forming a preprocessing film on a surface of a substrate having the surface on which a first region and a second region in which different substances are exposed are present, a preprocessing film separating step of separating the preprocessing film from the surface of the substrate with a stripping liquid, a processing film forming step of forming a processing film on the surface of the substrate after the preprocessing film separating step, and a processing film separating step of separating the processing film from the surface of the substrate with the stripping liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Applicant: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuya AKIYAMA, Yukifumi YOSHIDA, Song ZHANG
  • Heat treatment method for managing dummy wafer
    Patent number: 11024521
    Abstract: Dummy running is carried out which performs preheating treatment using halogen lamps and flash heating treatment using flash lamps on a dummy wafer to control the temperature of in-chamber structures including a susceptor and the like. In this process, a wear-and-tear value is calculated by adding up the amounts of electric power inputted to the halogen lamps or the like each time the preheating treatment or the flash heating treatment is performed. The wear-and-tear value is an indicator indicating the degree of deterioration of the dummy wafer. If the wear-and-tear value of the dummy wafer is not less than a predetermined threshold value, an alarm is issued. This allows an operator of a heat treatment apparatus to recognize that the deterioration of the dummy wafer reaches a limit value and to reliably grasp the dummy wafer suffering advanced deterioration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Ueno, Kazuhiko Fuse, Mao Omori
  • Image processing method and recording medium
    Patent number: 11025924
    Abstract: To divide appropriately an image including cells into a plurality of types of regions in accordance with image features, the image processing method of the invention includes acquiring an original image which includes a cell which is cultured, dividing the original image into blocks each of which consists of a predetermined number of pixels and obtaining spatial frequency components that an image in each block has, classifying each of the blocks into a plurality of clusters in a multi-dimensional feature value space in which intensity of a DC component among the spatial frequency components and intensity of each of a plurality of AC components which are different in a spatial frequency from one another are regarded as feature values; and dividing the original image into a plurality of regions on the basis of a result of the classification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroki Fujimoto
  • Heat treatment method and heat treatment apparatus for managing dummy wafer
    Patent number: 11024524
    Abstract: Dummy running is carried out which performs preheating treatment using halogen lamps and flash heating treatment using flash lamps on a dummy wafer to control the temperature of in-chamber structures including a susceptor and the like. In this process, a preheating counter or a flash heating counter is incremented each time the preheating treatment or the flash heating treatment is performed. An alarm is issued, if the preheating counter or the flash heating counter that is a wear-and-tear value of the dummy wafer is not less than a predetermined threshold value. This allows an operator of a heat treatment apparatus to recognize that the deterioration of the dummy wafer reaches a limit value, thereby preventing the erroneous treatment of a dummy wafer suffering advanced deterioration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Ueno, Kazuhiko Fuse, Mao Omori
  • Image processing method and recording medium for extracting region of imaging target from image
    Patent number: 11017206
    Abstract: An image processing method includes acquiring an original image including cells as an imaging target, performing band-pass filtering on the original image with respect to a spatial frequency component within a band determined in accordance with a width of an outline of the imaging target and attenuating relatively other spatial frequency component outside the band, segmenting an image after the filtering into a first region having density higher than a threshold value and a second region, connecting the first regions sandwiching the second region by changing a portion of the sandwiched second region to the first region in an image after the segmenting, converting a closed region which is the second region in an image after the connection surrounded by the first region into the first region, and dividing the first region having, a neck into regions at a position of the neck in an image after the converting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Saruwatari, Tomoyasu Furuta
  • Fume determination method, substrate processing method, and substrate processing equipment
    Patent number: 11011398
    Abstract: In equipment that supplies a processing liquid on a top surface of a substrate while holding the substrate horizontally in a chamber a generation status of fumes is determined. Specifically, an image of a predetermined imaging area in the chamber is captured. Then, the generation status of fumes in the chamber is determined based on luminance values of the captured image acquired by the capturing of an image. Accordingly, it is possible to quantitatively determine whether a generation status of fumes in a chamber is normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Endo, Masayuki Hayashi, Nobuyuki Shibayama, Hideji Naohara, Hiroaki Kakuma, Yuji Okita, Tatsuya Masui
  • Image processing method and shading reference data generation method
    Patent number: 11010633
    Abstract: A technology capable of effectively and stably correcting brightness unevenness in an image obtained by imaging is provided. An image processing method includes an image obtaining step of obtaining an original image obtained by imaging an imaging object together with a substantially uniform background, an approximation step of specifying an approximation formula for approximating a two-dimensional luminance profile of the original image to a probability density function of a two-dimensional normal distribution, and a correction step of correcting a luminance value of each pixel constituting the original image on the basis of a luminance value of the two-dimensional luminance profile expressed by the approximation formula.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Fujimoto, Kazutaka Taniguchi
  • Light-irradiation heat treatment method and heat treatment apparatus
    Patent number: 11004693
    Abstract: A plurality of flash lamps that irradiate a semiconductor wafer with flash light are arrayed in a plane. The array of the plurality of flash lamps is divided into two zones: a central zone including a region opposed to a central portion of the semiconductor wafer to be treated, and a peripheral zone outside the central zone. During flash light irradiation, an emission time of a flash lamp belonging to the peripheral zone is set to be longer than an emission time of a flash lamp belonging to the central zone. Thus, a greater amount of flash light is applied to the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer, where a temperature drop is relatively likely to occur, than to the central portion thereof, thus preventing a relative temperature drop in the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer during flash heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Fuse
  • Light irradiation type heat treatment apparatus
    Patent number: 10998206
    Abstract: Prior to heat treatment of a semiconductor wafer to be treated, a dummy wafer is placed on a susceptor made of quartz, and the susceptor is preheated by irradiation with light from halogen lamps. A controller controls an output from the halogen lamps, based on the temperature of the susceptor measured with a radiation thermometer. The radiation thermometer receives infrared radiation of a wavelength longer than 4 ?m to measure the temperature of the susceptor. The radiation thermometer is able to receive only infrared radiation emitted from the susceptor to accurately measure the temperature of the susceptor, regardless of whether or not a wafer is held by the susceptor, because quartz is opaque in a wavelength range longer than 4 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yukio Ono
  • Light irradiation type heat treatment method
    Patent number: 10998214
    Abstract: A transportation preparation operation for transporting a semiconductor wafer from a treatment chamber is started before a temperature of the semiconductor wafer decreases to a transportable temperature. A gate valve is closed after a treatment on the semiconductor wafer is started, and an operation of transporting the semiconductor wafer into the treatment chamber is completed. A period of time for treating the semiconductor wafer and a period of time for transporting the semiconductor wafer in and out are overlapped with each other, thus a time required for transporting the semiconductor wafer W into and out of the treatment chamber can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masashi Furukawa, Yoshio Ito, Hiroki Yoshii
  • Substrate processing device and substrate processing method
    Patent number: 10998203
    Abstract: A substrate processing device includes a holding member for holding a substrate, and an opposed member having a body portion and an extended portion extending from at least a part of a peripheral edge part of the body portion. A protrusion is provided on one part of a tip side part of the extended portion and a side surface part of the holding member, and the other part is provided with a restricting structure disposed opposite to the protrusion and restricting relative motion of the protrusion. The relative motion between the holding member and the opposed member is restricted, and the substrate processing device further includes a rotating mechanism, and a nozzle for discharging a processing solution and the protrusion and the restricting structure are disposed below an upper surface of the holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daichi Yoshitomi, Kazuki Inoue, Masaki Iwami, Hiroaki Ishii
  • Heat treatment method and heat treatment apparatus for managing heat treatment of dummy wafer
    Patent number: 10998207
    Abstract: Product recipes in which a treatment procedure and treatment conditions of heat treatment of product wafers are specified are created timely. Dummy recipes in which a treatment procedure and treatment conditions of heat treatment of dummy wafers are specified are also created. Each of the product recipes and a corresponding one of the dummy recipes are stored in association with each other. Dummy treatment of a dummy wafer starts when a controller receives an advance notice signal indicating that product wafers will arrive at a heat treatment apparatus. The dummy wafers are stored in a dummy carrier permanently installed on a load port exclusive to the dummy carrier. The dummy treatment is performed in accordance with a dummy recipe associated with a product recipe corresponding to the product wafers scheduled to arrive at the heat treatment apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinichi Ikeda
  • Print control device, page data correction method, and raster data generation method
    Patent number: 10990332
    Abstract: In a print control device 10, a page data correction portion 140 receives page data Dpg included in manuscript data Dd and, when the page data Dpg includes a predetermined type of barcode font with a data resolution different from a print resolution, corrects font data within barcode data while maintaining a barcode length, such that any bars and spaces included in a character represented by the barcode font have widths corresponding to natural numbers of pixels with a resolution that is a natural number multiple of the print resolution. A rasterization processing portion 160 rasterizes corrected page data with a high resolution and thereafter anti-aliases the rasterized page data, thereby generating print-resolution raster data Drs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi
  • Method for fabricating p-type gallium nitride semiconductor and method of heat treatment
    Patent number: 10985021
    Abstract: A gallium nitride (GaN) substrate is injected with magnesium as a p-type dopant. The GaN substrate undergoes preheating through irradiation with light from halogen lamps in an atmosphere containing nitrogen and hydrogen, and further undergoes heating to a high temperature for a super-short time through irradiation with flashes of light from flash lamps. Heating the GaN substrate in the atmosphere containing nitrogen and hydrogen complements removed nitrogen, thus preventing nitrogen shortage. Such a heating process also enables heat treatment while supplying hydrogen to the GaN substrate. The heating process further enables crystal defects in the GaN substrate to be recovered. With these effects, the p-type dopant injected into the GaN substrate is activated with high efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideaki Tanimura, Takahiro Yamada, Shinichi Kato, Takayuki Aoyama
  • Determination method and substrate processing equipment
    Patent number: 10985038
    Abstract: In equipment that executes a drying process of forming a liquid membrane on a top surface of a substrate W which is held horizontally and gradually enlarging a dry area from which the liquid membrane has been removed, quality of the drying process is determined. Specifically, first, the top surface of the substrate is repeatedly imaged by an imaging unit during execution of the drying process. Then, it is determined whether the dry area is in a normal state based on a plurality of captured images acquired by the imaging. Accordingly, it is possible to quantitatively determine whether a dry area is in a normal state based on a plurality of captured images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideji Naohara, Hiroaki Kakuma, Yuji Okita, Tatsuya Masui
  • Substrate cleaning device, substrate processing apparatus, substrate cleaning method and substrate processing method
    Patent number: 10985008
    Abstract: An outer peripheral end of a substrate is held with a plurality of chuck pins provided at a spin plate abutting against a plurality of portions of the outer peripheral end of the substrate, and the spin plate is rotated about a rotation axis. A cleaning head is moved by a head moving mechanism while being pressed against a back surface of the substrate held by the plurality of chuck pins by the head moving mechanism, and foreign matter on the back surface of the substrate is removed by polishing with the cleaning head. A reaction force against a load applied to the back surface of the substrate by the cleaning head is generated in the substrate by auxiliary pins. Alternatively, the back surface of the substrate, which has been cleaned or is being cleaned by the cleaning head, is further cleaned by a cleaning brush.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Nishiyama
  • Heat treatment method and heat treatment apparatus for heating substrate by emitting flashing light
    Patent number: 10978309
    Abstract: A first flash heating is performed in which a flash lamp emits a first flashing light to a semiconductor wafer having been heated to a first preheating temperature equal to or lower than 650 degrees C. by a light emission from a halogen lamp so that the temperature of a surface of the semiconductor wafer reaches 1000 degrees C. or higher. Then, a second flash heating is performed in which a second flashing light is emitted to the semiconductor wafer having been further heated by a light emission of the halogen lamp. Performing the first flash heating can suppress diffusion of impurity in the subsequent second flash heating. In the second flash heating, the impurity is activated and introduced crystal defects are recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenichi Yokouchi