Patents Assigned to Tokyo Electron Ltd.
  • Patent number: 11569101
    Abstract: A fluid supply device and a fluid supply method capable of stably supplying a supercritical fluid includes a fluid supply device for supplying a fluid in a liquid state before being changed to a supercritical fluid toward a processing chamber. The fluid supply device comprises a condenser that condenses and liquefies a fluid in a gas state, a tank that stores the fluid condensed and liquefied by the condenser, a pump that pressure-feeds the liquefied fluid stored in the tank toward the processing chamber, and a heating means provided to a flow path communicating with a discharge side of the pump and for partially changing the liquid in the flow path to a supercritical fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignees: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED, TOKYO ELECTRON LTD.
    Inventors: Toshihide Yoshida, Yukio Minami, Tsutomu Shinohara
  • Patent number: 9921089
    Abstract: A pressure type flow rate control apparatus is provided wherein flow rate of fluid passing through an orifice is computed as Qc=KP1 (where K is a proportionality constant) or as Qc=KP2m (P1-P2)n (where K is a proportionality constant, m and n constants) by using orifice upstream side pressure P1 and/or orifice downstream side pressure P2. A fluid passage between the downstream side of a control valve and a fluid supply pipe of the pressure type flow rate control apparatus comprises at least 2 fluid passages in parallel, and orifices having different flow rate characteristics are provided for each of these fluid passages, wherein fluid in a small flow quantity area flows to one orifice for flow control of fluid in the small flow quantity area, while fluid in a large flow quantity area flows to the other orifice for flow control of fluid in the large flow quantity area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignees: Fujikin Incorporated, National University Corporation Tohuku University, Tokyo Electron Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Masahito Saito, Shoichi Hino, Tsuyoshi Shimazu, Kazuyuki Miura, Kouji Nishino, Masaaki Nagase, Katsuyuki Sugita, Kaoru Hirata, Ryousuke Dohi, Takashi Hirose, Tsutomu Shinohara, Nobukazu Ikeda, Tomokazu Imai, Toshihide Yoshida, Hisashi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9383758
    Abstract: A pressure type flow rate control apparatus is provided wherein flow rate of fluid passing through an orifice is computed as Qc=KP1 (where K is a proportionality constant) or as Qc=KP2m(P1?P2)n (where K is a proportionality constant, m and n constants) by using orifice upstream side pressure P1 and/or orifice downstream side pressure P2. A fluid passage between the downstream side of a control valve and a fluid supply pipe of the pressure type flow rate control apparatus comprises at least 2 fluid passages in parallel, and orifices having different flow rate characteristics are provided for each of these fluid passages, wherein fluid in a small flow quantity area flows to one orifice for flow control of fluid in the small flow quantity area, while fluid in a large flow quantity area flows to the other orifice for flow control of fluid in the large flow quantity area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignees: Fujikin Incorporated, National University Corporation Tohoku University, Tokyo Electron Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Masahito Saito, Shoichi Hino, Tsuyoshi Shimazu, Kazuyuki Miura, Kouji Nishino, Masaaki Nagase, Katsuyuki Sugita, Kaoru Hirata, Ryousuke Dohi, Takashi Hirose, Tsutomu Shinohara, Nobukazu Ikeda, Tomokazu Imai, Toshihide Yoshida, Hisashi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9098082
    Abstract: The invention supplies a quantity Q of gas while dividing at flow rate ratio Q1/Q2 from a gas supply facility equipped with a flow controller. A total quantity Q=Q1+Q2 of gas is supplied into a chamber at flow rate Q1 and Q2 through shower plates fixed to ends of branch supply lines by providing open/close valves with a plurality of branch supply lines GL1 and GL2, respectively, to supply the specified quantity of gas from the gas supply facility, and by utilizing bypass line BL1 on the downstream side of the open/close valve OV1 and branched from GL1, bypass line BL2 on the downstream side of the open/close valve OV2 and branched from GL2, pressure type division quantity controller connected to the bypass line BL1 and the bypass line BL2, a sensor measuring pressure inside branch supply line GL1, and another sensor measuring pressure inside branch supply line GL2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignees: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED, Tokyo Electron Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Sugiyama, Nobukazu Ikeda, Kouji Nishino, Ryousuke Dohi, Toyomi Uenoyama
  • Patent number: 9010369
    Abstract: A pressure type flow rate control apparatus is provided wherein flow rate of fluid passing through an orifice is computed as Qc=KP1 (where K is a proportionality constant) or as Qc=KP2m (P1?P2)n (where K is a proportionality constant, m and n constants) by using orifice upstream side pressure P1 and/or orifice downstream side pressure P2. A fluid passage between the downstream side of a control valve and a fluid supply pipe of the pressure type flow rate control apparatus comprises at least 2 fluid passages in parallel, and orifices having different flow rate characteristics are provided for each of these fluid passages, wherein fluid in a small flow quantity area flows to one orifice for flow control of fluid in the small flow quantity area, while fluid in a large flow quantity area flows to the other orifice for flow control of fluid in the large flow quantity area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignees: Fujikin Incorporated, National University Corporation Tohoku University, Tokyo Electron Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Masahito Saito, Shoichi Hino, Tsuyoshi Shimazu, Kazuyuki Miura, Kouji Nishino, Masaaki Nagase, Katsuyuki Sugita, Kaoru Hirata, Ryousuke Dohi, Takashi Hirose, Tsutomu Shinohara, Nobukazu Ikeda, Tomokazu Imai, Toshihide Yoshida, Hisashi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20130340837
    Abstract: The invention supplies a quantity Q of gas while dividing at flow rate ratio Q1/Q2 from a gas supply facility equipped with a flow controller. A total quantity Q=Q1+Q2 of gas is supplied into a chamber at flow rate Q1 and Q2 through shower plates fixed to ends of branch supply lines by providing open/close valves with a plurality of branch supply lines GL1 and GL2, respectively, to supply the specified quantity of gas from the gas supply facility, and by utilizing bypass line BL1 on the downstream side of the open/close valve OV1 and branched from GL1, bypass line BL2 on the downstream side of the open/close valve OV2 and branched from GL2, pressure type division quantity controller connected to the bypass line BL1 and the bypass line BL2, a sensor measuring pressure inside branch supply line GL1, and another sensor measuring pressure inside branch supply line GL2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicants: Tokyo Electron Ltd., Fujikin Incorporated
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Sugiyama, Nobukazu Ikeda, Kouji Nishino, Ryousuke Dohi, Toyomi Uenoyama
  • Publication number: 20130220451
    Abstract: A pressure type flow rate control apparatus is provided wherein flow rate of fluid passing through an orifice is computed as Qc=KP1 (where K is a proportionality constant) or as Qc=KP2m (P1?P2)n (where K is a proportionality constant, m and n constants) by using orifice upstream side pressure P1 and/or orifice downstream side pressure P2. A fluid passage between the downstream side of a control valve and a fluid supply pipe of the pressure type flow rate control apparatus comprises at least 2 fluid passages in parallel, and orifices having different flow rate characteristics are provided for each of these fluid passages, wherein fluid in a small flow quantity area flows to one orifice for flow control of fluid in the small flow quantity area, while fluid in a large flow quantity area flows to the other orifice for flow control of fluid in the large flow quantity area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicants: Fujikin Incorporated, Tokyo Electron Ltd., National University Corporation Tohoku University
    Inventors: Fujikin Incorporated, National University Corporation Tohoku University, Tokyo Electron Ltd.
  • Patent number: 8496022
    Abstract: The invention supplies a quantity Q of gas while dividing at flow rate ratio Q1/Q2 from a gas supply facility equipped with a flow controller. A total quantity Q=Q1+Q2 of gas is supplied into a chamber at flow rate Q1 and Q2 through shower plates fixed to ends of branch supply lines by providing open/close valves with a plurality of branch supply lines GL1 and GL2, respectively, to supply the specified quantity of gas from the gas supply facility, and by utilizing bypass line BL1 on the downstream side of the open/close valve OV1 and branched from GL1 ,bypass line BL2 on the downstream side of the open/close valve OV2 and branched from GL2 ,pressure type division quantity controller connected to the bypass line BL1 and the bypass line BL2 ,a sensor measuring pressure inside branch supply line GL1 ,and another sensor measuring pressure inside branch supply line GL2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignees: Fujikin Incorporated, Tokyo Electron Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Sugiyama, Nobukazu Ikeda, Kouji Nishino, Ryousuke Dohi, Toyomi Uenoyama
  • Patent number: 8418714
    Abstract: A pressure type flow rate control apparatus is provided wherein flow rate of fluid passing through an orifice is computed as Qc=KP1 (where K is a proportionality constant) or as Qc=KP2m(P1?P2)n (where K is a proportionality constant, m and n constants) by using orifice upstream side pressure P1 and/or orifice downstream side pressure P2. A fluid passage between the downstream side of a control valve and a fluid supply pipe of the pressure type flow rate control apparatus comprises at least 2 fluid passages in parallel, and orifices having different flow rate characteristics are provided for each of these fluid passages, wherein fluid in a small flow quantity area flows to one orifice for flow control of fluid in the small flow quantity area, while fluid in a large flow quantity area flows to the other orifice for flow control of fluid in the large flow quantity area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignees: Fujikin Incorporated, National University Corporation Tohoku University, Tokyo Electron Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Masahito Saito, Shoichi Hino, Tsuyoshi Shimazu, Kazuyuki Miura, Kouji Nishino, Masaaki Nagase, Katsuyuki Sugita, Kaoru Hirata, Ryousuke Dohi, Takashi Hirose, Tsutomu Shinohara, Nobukazu Ikeda, Tomokazu Imai, Toshihide Yoshida, Hisashi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8372200
    Abstract: Occurrence of a back-flow of plasma or ignition of gas for plasma excitation in a longitudinal hole portion can be prevented more completely, and a shower plate in which efficient plasma excitation is possible is provided. In shower plate 105, which is arranged in processing chamber 102 of a plasma processing apparatus and discharges gas for plasma excitation into processing chamber, porous-gas passing body 114 having a pore that communicates in the gas flow direction is fixed onto longitudinal hole 112 used as a discharging path of gas for plasma excitation. The pore diameter of a narrow path in a gas flowing path formed of a pore, which communicates to porous-gas passing body 114, is 10 ?m or lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron Ltd., National University Corporation Tohoku University
    Inventors: Masahiro Okesaku, Tetsuya Goto, Tadahiro Ohmi, Kiyotaka Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 8092137
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for transferring a substrate through a gate for loading and unloading is provided, and includes a transfer chamber having the gate for loading and unloading the substrate, a transfer system, which is able to move up and down in the transfer chamber and transfers the substrate by accessing each gate, an adjustment section for a gas down flow, which produces the gas down flow in the transfer chamber and is able to adjust a speed of the gas down flow, and a control section for controlling the speed of the gas down flow using the movement speed of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Ltd.
    Inventor: Motoki Miyasaka
  • Patent number: 8082124
    Abstract: Provided are a data obtaining section (21) that obtains a time-series data fluctuating in accordance with the plasma conditions, a translation error calculation section (24) that calculates a determinism providing an indicator of whether the time-series data in the plasma are deterministic or stochastic, from the time-series data that have been obtained in the data obtaining unit (21), and an abnormal discharge determination section (26) that determines that the plasma is under the abnormal discharge conditions, in the case that the value representing the determinism calculated in the determinism derivation unit is less than or equal to a given threshold value, during the plasma generation. Examples of the value representing the determinism include translation error or permutation entropy. In the case the permutation entropy is used as a value representing the determinism, a permutation entropy calculation section is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignees: Ritsumeikan University, Tokyo Electron Ltd.
    Inventors: Takaya Miyano, Toshiyuki Matsumoto, Naoki Ikeuchi, Tsuyoshi Moriya
  • Patent number: 8063652
    Abstract: The present invention stably maintains contact between probe pins and a wafer. Screws are provided at a plurality of positions in an outer circumferential portion of a printed circuit board. On a lower surface side of the outer circumferential portion of the printed circuit board, a retainer plate is provided, and a bottom end surface of each of the screws is held down with the retainer plate. Turning each of the screws in a state where the bottom end surface of the each of the screws is held down with the retainer plate causes the outer circumferential portion of the printed circuit board to be moved up and down. Adjusting a height of the outer circumferential portion of the printed circuit board by turning each of the screws located at the plurality of positions enables parallelism of the entire probe card with respect to the wafer to be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Amemiya, Syuichi Tsukada
  • Publication number: 20110094596
    Abstract: The present-invention supplies a quantity Q of gas while dividing at flow rate ratio Q1/Q2 from a gas supply facility equipped with a flow controller. A a total quantity Q=Q1+Q2 of gas is supplied into a chamber at flow rate Q1 and Q2 through shower plates fixed to ends of branch supply lines by providing open/close valves with a plurality of branch supply lines GL1 and GL2, respectively, to supply the specified quantity of gas from the gas supply facility, and by utilizing bypass line BL1 on the downstream side of the open/close valve OV1 and branched from GL1, bypass line BL2 on the downstream side of the open/close valve OV2 and branched from GL2, pressure type division quantity controller connected to the bypass line BL1 and the bypass line BL2, sensor measuring pressure inside branch supply line GL1, and another sensor measuring pressure inside branch supply line GL2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicants: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED, TOKYO ELECTRON LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Sugiyama, Nobukazu Ikeda, Kouji Nishino, Ryousuke Dohi, Toyomi Uenoyama
  • Patent number: 7926509
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of controlling the flow rate of clustering fluid using a pressure type flow rate control device in which the flow rate Q of gas passing through an orifice is computed as K=KP1 (where K is a constant) with the gas being in a state where the ratio P2/P1 between the gas pressure P1 on the upstream side of the orifice and the gas pressure P2 on the downstream side of the orifice is held at a value not higher than the critical pressure ratio of the gas wherein the association of molecules is dissociated either by heating the pressure type flow rate control device to the temperature higher than 40° C., or by applying the diluting gas to the clustering fluid to make it lower than a partial pressure so the clustering fluid is permitted to pass through the orifice in a monomolecular state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignees: Fujikin Incorporated, Tokyo Electron Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Kazuhiko Sugiyama, Kenetu Mizusawa, Eiji Takahashi, Tomio Uno, Kouji Nishino, Ryousuke Dohi, Nobukazu Ikeda, Masaaki Nagase
  • Publication number: 20100139775
    Abstract: A pressure type flow control device enabling a reduction in size and an installation cost by accurately controlling the flow of a fluid in a wide flow range. Specifically, the flow of the fluid flowing in an orifice (8) is calculated as Qc=KP1 (K is a proportionality factor) or Qc=KP2m(P1?P2)n (K is a proportionality factor and m and n are constants) by using a pressure P1 on the upstream side of the orifice and a pressure P2 on the downstream side of the orifice. A fluid passage between the downstream side of the control valve of the flow control device and a fluid feed pipe is formed of at least two or more fluid passages positioned parallel with each other. Orifices with different fluid flow characteristics are interposed in the fluid passages positioned parallel with each other. For the control of the fluid in a small flow area, the fluid in the small flow area is allowed to flow to one orifice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2006
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicants: FUJIKIN INCORPORATED, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION TOHOKU UNIVERSITY, TOKYO ELECTRON LTD.
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Masahito Saito, Shoichi Hino, Tsuyoshi Shimazu, Kazuyuki Miura, Kouji Nishino, Masaaki Nagase, Katsuyuki Sugita, Kaoru Hirata, Ryousuke Dohi, Takashi Hirose, Tsutomu Shinohara, Nobukazu Ikeda, Tomokazu Imai, Toshihide Yoshida, Hisashi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7594517
    Abstract: The present invention prevents substantial reduction of flow rate control accuracy in a small flow quantity range, achieves accurate flow rate control over the entire range of flow rate control, and also allows control of a wide pressure range of a chamber with accurate flow rate control. Specifically, a gas supply facility having a plurality of pressure type flow controllers connected in parallel, and a third controller to control operation of the pressure type flow controllers to supply a desired gas exhausted by a vacuum pump to a chamber while controlling its flow rate, is provided wherein one pressure type flow controller is a controller used to control a gas flow rate range up to 10% of the maximum flow rate supplied to the chamber, while the remaining pressure type flow controllers are made to be ones controlling the rest of the gas flow rate range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignees: Fujikin Incorporated, Tokyo Electron Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kannan, Tomio Uno, Ryousuke Dohi, Kouji Nishino, Osamu Nakamura, Atsushi Matsumoto, Nobukazu Ikeda
  • Patent number: 7550075
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing contaminants from a fluid are disclosed. The fluid is introduced into a decontamination chamber such that the fluid is cooled and contaminants fall out within the decontamination chamber, producing a purified fluid. The purified fluid is then retrieved and can be used in a supercritical processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Ltd.
    Inventors: Ronald Thomas Bertram, Douglas Michael Scott
  • Patent number: 7542859
    Abstract: A method of creating a virtual profile library includes obtaining a reference signal. The reference signal is compared to a plurality of signals in a first library. The reference signal is compared to a plurality of signals in a second library. A virtual profile data space is created when first and second matching criteria are not met. The virtual profile data space is created using differences between a profile data spaces associated with the first and second libraries. A first virtual profile signal is created in the virtual profile data space. A difference is calculated between the reference signal and the first virtual profile signal. The difference is compared to a virtual profile library creation criteria. If the virtual profile library creation criteria is met, the first virtual profile signal and the virtual profile data, associated with the first virtual profile signal is stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Ltd.
    Inventors: Merritt Funk, Daniel J. Prager
  • Patent number: 7517814
    Abstract: A method for preparing an oxynitride film on a substrate comprising forming the oxynitride film by exposing a surface of the substrate to oxygen radicals and nitrogen radicals formed by plasma induced dissociation of a process gas comprising nitrogen and oxygen using plasma based on microwave irradiation via a plane antenna member having a plurality of slits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron, Ltd., International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Cory S. Wajda, Kristen Scheer, Toshihara Furakawa