Patents Assigned to ULVAC, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11972932
    Abstract: [Object] To improve step coverage of a coating film [Solving Means] A deposition apparatus that includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a first power supply source, a second power supply source, and a phase adjuster is used. The first power supply source includes a first high-frequency power source and a first matching circuit, the first high-frequency power source outputting first high-frequency power, the first matching circuit being connected between the first high-frequency power source and the first electrode. The second power supply source includes a second matching circuit that outputs second high-frequency power, the second high-frequency power having the same period as the first high-frequency power and being lower than the first high-frequency power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Ulvac, Inc.
    Inventors: Toshihiko Nakahata, Kazuyoshi Hashimoto, Harumasa Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20240120233
    Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus of this invention having a stage on which is disposed the to-be-processed substrate further has a lifting/rotation mechanism capable of lifting the to-be-processed substrate lying on the stage off from an upper surface of the stage to a predetermined height position so that, at this lifted position, the to-be-processed substrate is capable of rotation about a substrate center by a predetermined rotational angle. The lifting/rotation mechanism has: a driving rod built into the stage so as to be moveable up and down and also be rotatable; and a substrate supporting body having a base end plate part capable of contacting a central region, including the substrate center, of the to-be-processed substrate. The substrate supporting body further has at least two arm plate parts elongated from the base end plate part outward thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Tetsushi Fujinaga, Yukinobu Numata, Yasuo Ookubo, Daiki Shimada
  • Patent number: 11935936
    Abstract: [Object] It is an object of the present invention to provide an aluminum alloy film having excellent bending resistance and heat resistance, and a thin film transistor including the aluminum alloy film. [Solving Means] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an aluminum alloy film according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: an Al pure metal that includes at least one type of a first additive element selected from the group consisting of Zr, Sc, Mo, Y, Nb, and Ti. A content of the first additive element is 0.01 atomic % or more and 1.0 atomic % or less. Such an aluminum alloy film has excellent bending resistance and excellent heat resistance. Further, also etching can be performed on the aluminum alloy film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Yuusuke Ujihara, Motoshi Kobayashi, Yasuhiko Akamatsu, Tomohiro Nagata, Ryouta Nakamura, Junichi Nitta, Yasuo Nakadai
  • Patent number: 11923178
    Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus SM of this invention has: a vacuum chamber which performs a predetermined processing on a to-be-processed substrate that is set in position in the vacuum chamber. Inside the vacuum chamber there is disposed a deposition preventive plate) which is made up of a fixed deposition preventive plate and a moveable deposition preventive plate which is moveable in one direction. Further provided are: a metal block body disposed in a vertical posture on an inner wall surface of the vacuum chamber; and a cooling means for cooling the block body. In a processing position in which a predetermined vacuum processing is performed on the to-be-processed substrate, a top surface of the block body is arranged to be in proximity to or in contact with the moveable deposition preventive plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Koji Suzuki, Hideto Nagashima, Yoshinori Fujii
  • Publication number: 20240069519
    Abstract: An information processing device of the present invention includes a first acquisition unit, a second acquisition unit, and a machine learning processing unit. The first acquisition unit acquires total event status information. The second acquisition unit acquires time-series detection result information. The machine learning processing unit performs one or both of learning processing and determination processing. In the learning processing, a learning model is generated by performing machine learning with the time-series detection result information acquired by the second acquisition unit as an input for each piece of the total event status information acquired by the first acquisition unit. In the determination processing, a determination is performed on the generated learning model by inputting the time-series detection result information acquired by the second acquisition unit for each piece of the total event status information acquired by the first acquisition unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: ULVAC, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshinori FUJII
  • Publication number: 20240055239
    Abstract: In a method in which inside a vacuum chamber, a silicon target and a to-be-deposited object are disposed in a positional relationship to face each other; a sputtering gas, containing therein nitrogen gas, is introduced into the vacuum chamber which is in a vacuum atmosphere; a negative potential is applied to the silicon target such that a silicon nitride film having a tensile stress is deposited in a reactive sputtering on a surface of the to-be-deposited object that is placed in an electrically floated state. The method includes steps: in which the to-be-deposited object is made to a state in which a bias potential is free from being applied thereto; and at least one of a flow ratio of the nitrogen gas to the sputtering gas, and the potential to be applied to the silicon target is controlled such that the surface of the silicon target can be maintained in a transition mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Applicant: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Yuta Ando, Akira Igari, Naoki Morimoto
  • Patent number: 11901162
    Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus of the present invention is a vacuum processing apparatus which performs plasma processing. The vacuum processing apparatus includes an electrode flange, a shower plate, an insulating shield, a processing chamber in which a processing-target substrate is to be disposed, an electrode frame, and a slide plate. The electrode frame and the slide plate are slidable in response to thermal deformation that occurs when a temperature of the shower plate is raised or lowered. The shower plate is supported by the electrode frame using a support member penetrating through an elongated hole. The elongated hole is formed so that the support member is relatively movable in the elongated hole in response to thermal deformation that occurs when a temperature of the shower plate is raised or lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Takehisa Miyaya, Yosuke Jimbo, Yoshiaki Yamamoto, Kenji Eto, Yoichi Abe
  • Patent number: 11891685
    Abstract: The vacuum processing apparatus for performing predetermined vacuum processing on a processing surface of a to-be-processed substrate is made up of: a vacuum chamber having disposed therein a to-be-processed substrate and having formed, on an upper wall of the vacuum chamber, a mounting opening facing the processing surface where a direction in which the processing surface looks is defined as an upper side; a processing unit for performing therein vacuum processing; and a communication pipe having a predetermined length and being interposed between the vacuum chamber and the processing unit such that predetermined processing is performed, through the communication pipe, on the to-be-processed substrate inside the vacuum chamber. The processing unit has an engaging means to which is coupled a swing arm for swinging about a rotary shaft extending perpendicularly to a vertical direction for selectively engaging the vacuum chamber and the communication pipe or the processing unit and the communication pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Yukihito Tashiro, Shigeru Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 11869791
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technology capable of inhibiting, in a vacuum processing apparatus that conveys a plurality of substrate holders along a conveying path formed to have a projected shape on a vertical surface, the projected shape being a continuous ring shape, dust from being generated during conveyance of a substrate holder. The present invention includes, in a vacuum chamber 2, an anti-sag member 35 assembled to a first drive unit 36 provided on an outer side with respect to a conveying direction of the conveying path, the vacuum chamber 2 including a conveying path formed to have a projected shape on the vertical surface, the projected shape being a continuous ring shape, a single vacuum atmosphere being formed in the vacuum chamber 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Ulvac, Inc.
    Inventors: Dai Takagi, Yuu Mizushima, Toshiyuki Koizumi
  • Publication number: 20230420220
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus according to the invention includes a chamber, an inner electrode, an outer electrode, a plasma generating power source, and a gas introduction part. The plasma generating power source applies alternating-current power to the outer electrode. The outer electrode includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode. The plasma generating power source includes a first high-frequency power source, a second high-frequency power source, and a power splitter. The first high-frequency power source applies alternating-current power having a first frequency ?1 to the first electrode and the second electrode. The second high-frequency power source applies alternating-current power having a second frequency ?2 to the third electrode. A relationship of ?1>?2 is satisfied. The power splitter is configured to split the alternating-current power into the first electrode and the second electrode with a predetermined split ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: ULVAC, Inc.
    Inventors: Taichi SUZUKI, Yasuhiro MORIKAWA, Kenta DOI, Toshiyuki NAKAMURA
  • Patent number: 11842887
    Abstract: A film formation apparatus of the present invention is a film formation apparatus which performs deposition on a substrate to be processed, and includes a supply device that is disposed in an evacuable vacuum chamber and supplies a deposition material, and a holding device that holds the substrate to be processed during deposition. The holding device includes a deposition preventing plate that covers a region to which the deposition material is adhered in the holding device, a holder that holds the substrate to be processed, and a position setter that sets a position of the substrate to be processed when the deposition preventing plate and the holder sandwich and hold the substrate to be processed. The position setter includes a roller that comes into contact with a peripheral edge end surface portion of the substrate to be processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Toshinori Kaneko, Tetsuhiro Ohno
  • Publication number: 20230357919
    Abstract: There is provided an evaporation source adapted for use in a vapor deposition apparatus in which by heating, in an induction heating method, a crucible filled with a vapor deposition material, the entire crucible including a cap body attains a top-heat state. An evaporation source is provided with: a crucible filled with the vapor deposition material; a cap body to close an upper surface opening of the crucible; and an induction heating coil disposed around the crucible and the cap body. Further, the cap body is provided with a discharge part which allows the passage of the vapor deposition material evaporated or sublimated by heating. The cap body is provided on an external surface thereof with projections each having a corner part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Applicant: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Masashi Umehara, Hironori Wakamatsu, Toshimitsu Nakamura, Fumitsugu Yanagihori
  • Publication number: 20230279536
    Abstract: A vapor deposition source for a vacuum vapor deposition apparatus according to the present invention disposed in a vacuum chamber to evaporate a solid vapor deposition material to be vapor-deposited on an object to be subjected to vapor deposition includes: a crucible configured to accommodate the vapor deposition material therein and having a discharge port through which the evaporated vapor deposition material is discharged toward the object to be subjected to vapor deposition; and a heating means configured to heat the vapor deposition material in the crucible. In the crucible, an evaporation facilitator is provided, a partial portion of the evaporation facilitator being immersed in the vapor deposition material liquefied by heating, with a gap between the remaining portion of the evaporation facilitator and an inner surface of the crucible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Applicant: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Nakamura, Jungo Onoda
  • Patent number: 11732965
    Abstract: A freeze-drying device includes a controller configured to control depressurization of containers filled with a liquid including a raw material and a medium to freeze the liquid from a liquid surface. The freeze-drying device also includes a gas capture pump configured to exhaust a freeze-drying chamber accommodating the containers, and a positive-displacement pump configured to discharge gas from a space accommodating the gas capture pump. The controller executes an exhaust mitigation process that performs the depressurization at an exhaust capability that is less than a rated exhaust capability of the freeze-drying device. The controller uses a partial pressure value of the medium to determine when the exhaust mitigation process ends. The controller maintains an exhaust speed of the gas capture pump and decreases an exhaust speed of the positive-displacement pump in the exhaust mitigation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Yoshimoto, Yoichi Ohinata, Tomomitsu Ozeki
  • Publication number: 20230207295
    Abstract: A cathode unit includes first and second magnet units that are driven to rotate around an axis on a side opposed to a sputtering surface of a target. The first magnet unit is configured to cause a first leakage magnetic field to act on a space in front of the sputtering surface including a target center inward. The second magnet unit is configured to cause a second leakage magnetic field to act locally in the space in front of the sputtered surface located between the target center and the outer edge of the target and to enable self-holding discharge under low pressure of plasma confined by the second leakage magnetic field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicant: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Toshiya Aoyagi, Makoto Arai, Satoru Takasawa
  • Patent number: 11674217
    Abstract: A method of the invention which manufactures a substrate with a transparent conductive film, includes: preparing a base body that has a top surface and a back surface and has an a-Si film coating at least one of the top surface and the back surface; and setting temperatures of the base body and the a-Si film to be in the range of 70 to 220° C. in a film formation space having a processing gas containing hydrogen, applying a sputtering voltage to a target, carrying out DC sputtering, and thereby forming the a-Si film on a transparent conductive film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Junsuke Matsuzaki, Hirohisa Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11665809
    Abstract: A high-frequency power circuit includes a first antenna circuit and a second antenna circuit that are connected in parallel to a matching box connected to a high-frequency power supply. The first antenna circuit include a first antenna, a first distribution capacitor, and a first variable capacitor. The second antenna circuit includes a second antenna, a second distribution capacitor, and a second variable capacitor. A controller sets a capacitance of the first variable capacitor based on a detection result of a phase difference between current and voltage in a series-connected portion of the first antenna and the first variable capacitor during plasma production to reduce this phase difference and sets a capacitance of the second variable capacitor based on a detection result of a phase difference between current and voltage in a series-connected portion of the second antenna and the second variable capacitor during plasma production to reduce this phase difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Kenta Doi, Toshiyuki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11646199
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to forming a sub-stoichiometric metal-oxide film using a modified atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. In a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a first precursor and a second precursor are selected. The first precursor can include a metal and a first ligand. The second precursor can include the same metal and a second ligand. A substrate can be exposed to the first precursor during a first pulse of an ALD cycle. The substrate can be exposed to the second precursor during a second pulse of the ALD cycle. The second pulse can occur directly after the first pulse without an intervening thermal oxidant. The substrate can be exposed to the thermal oxidant during a third pulse of the ALD cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, ULVAC. Inc.
    Inventors: John Rozen, Martin Michael Frank, Yohei Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20230138552
    Abstract: A cathode unit for a magnetron sputtering apparatus includes a backing plate joined to an upper side opposed to a sputtering surface of a target set in a posture facing an inside of a vacuum chamber and a magnet unit disposed above the backing plate at an interval, a refrigerant passage through which a refrigerant can flow being formed in the backing plate, in which a surface pressure applying unit is provided, the surface pressure applying unit applying, toward an upper outer surface of the backing plate from above the backing plate, a surface pressure equivalent to pressure applied to an upper inner surface of the backing plate when the refrigerant is circulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: ULVAC, INC.
    Inventors: Koji Suzuki, Hideto Nagashima, Katsuya Hara, Hideki Mataga
  • Patent number: 11628565
    Abstract: A substrate transport device includes an arm, an end effector coupled to the arm, a driver configured to lift the arm so that the end effector receives a substrate, and a controller configured to control an output of the driver to change a lifting speed of the arm. While lifting the arm at a first speed to lift the end effector toward the substrate, the controller changes the lifting speed to a second speed that is lower than the first speed when the end effector starts to raise a height position of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: ULVAC, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Musha, Hirofumi Minami, Takayuki Suzuki