Patents by Inventor Akihiko Morita

Akihiko Morita 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: 20030111178
    Abstract: A first diaphragm adheres to a valve seat thereby closing a passage, and separates from the valve seat thereby opening the passage. A link rod couples a second diaphragm identical in shape to the first diaphragm for opening/closing with the first diaphragm. Therefore, the second diaphragm is mechanically interlocked with the first diaphragm, to compensate for volume change caused in a downstream passage when the first diaphragm is worked. Also when the first diaphragm is rapidly worked, therefore, the second diaphragm immediately compensates for subsequent volume change so that no resist is pulled back to or extruded from the downstream passage. Thus provided is a diaphragm valve capable of stably supplying a solution also when a valve is opened/closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2002
    Publication date: June 19, 2003
    Applicant: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihiko Morita
  • Patent number: 6286525
    Abstract: A plurality of cleaning devices of the same type are attached to one support arm. The cleaning devices are simultaneously moved over a surface to be cleaned of a substrate supported and spun by a substrate supporting and spinning mechanism. Thus, the same type of cleaning devices share the task of cleaning the entire surface of the substrate, thereby to improve cleaning efficiency and shorten cleaning time. Different types of cleaning devices may be attached to the support arm for simultaneous cleaning of the entire surface of the substrate. Where different types of cleaning brushes are attached to the support arm, a cleaning operation may be carried out by simultaneously using cleaning brushes of optimal hardness for different regions on the substrate surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co.
    Inventors: Joichi Nishimura, Akihiko Morita, Masami Ohtani
  • Patent number: 6260562
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus includes a spin support for supporting and spinning a substrate, a nozzle for discharging a cleaning liquid with a given cleaning condition from a discharge opening, a moving mechanism for moving the nozzle at least between center and edge of the substrate, a cleaning condition adjuster for adjusting the cleaning condition, and a controller for controlling the cleaning condition adjuster to vary the cleaning condition according to a cleaning liquid supply position movable over the substrate surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen MFG. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenya Morinishi, Masami Ohtani, Joichi Nishimura, Akihiko Morita
  • Patent number: 6159291
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus for treating a substrate in a predetermined substrate treating region. Each holder arm is supported in a proximal end portion thereof by an arm support to be swingable about a pivotal axis. In time of substrate treatment, the arm support is raised by an air cylinder. With the ascent of the arm support, a cam follower attached to a proximal end of the holder arm is guided by a cam groove. The holder arm, while being raised, turns from a vertical standby posture to a horizontal posture for treating the substrate. As a result, a treating device attached to a distal end of the holder arm moves to a treating position. In the treating position, the treating device treats the substrate. The holder arms are maintained in the vertical standby posture when out of use in substrate treatment. Thus, the holder arms require a reduced standby space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Morita, Joichi Nishimura, Masami Ohtani
  • Patent number: 6062852
    Abstract: A substrate heat-treating apparatus includes a heat-treating plate, and support pins extending through the heat-treating plate to be vertically movable relative thereto. The support pins support each substrate at a lower surface thereof such that edges of the substrate are at a higher level than a central region of the substrate. This construction facilitates air flows into and out of a space between the lower surface of the substrate and the upper surface of the heat-treating plate when the substrate is vertically moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takanori Kawamoto, Masami Ohtani, Yasuo Imanishi, Masao Tsuji, Masaki Iwami, Joichi Nishimura, Akihiko Morita
  • Patent number: 6060697
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus reduces an instantaneous maximum power consumption at turn-on. Power receiving parts of a plurality of processing units are connected to one end of a turn-on switch respectively through switches. The other end of the turn-on switch is connected to an external power source through a breaker. Timer values are set in advance in the timers, respectively. When the turn-on switch is turned on, the timers turn on the associated switches respectively after times which are defined by the timer values, whereby the processing units are provided with electric power, each with a delay of a constant time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Morita, Masami Ohtani, Yasuo Imanishi, Masao Tsuji, Masaki Iwami, Joichi Nishimura, Kazuhiro Nishimura, Tetsuya Hamada, Satoshi Yamamoto, Kenji Kamei
  • Patent number: 6051101
    Abstract: A unit arrangement part comprises a chemical cabinet on its lowermost part, while coating units for forming a resist film on a substrate and developing units for developing the substrate after exposure are arranged on four corners of an apparatus above the chemical cabinet. Further, multistage thermal processing units for thermal-processing the substrate are arranged on front and rear portions of the apparatus above these wet processing units. A cleaning unit for supplying a cleaning liquid such as pure water and cleaning the substrate is arranged on a front side of the apparatus between the coating units as a substrate processing unit. Thus provided is a substrate processing apparatus having excellent workability in maintenance with a high degree of freedom in arrangement of processing units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masami Ohtani, Yasuo Imanishi, Masao Tsuji, Takanori Kawamoto, Masaki Iwami, Joichi Nishimura, Akihiko Morita
  • Patent number: 5881876
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for storing a brush body, made of a hydrophilic sponge-like porous material in a readily usable condition employs a substrate cleaning brush stored in a vessel, which vessel is filled with liquid such that the brush body is submerged in the liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Nonomura, Akihiko Morita, Naoko Onodera, Fumitake Mieno
  • Patent number: 5853483
    Abstract: A substrate supporting device includes support elements for supporting a substrate, and positioning elements for contacting outer peripheries of the substrate to check horizontal movement thereof. A substrate sensor is disposed around the supporting device for detecting the substrate supported thereon. The supporting device is surrounded also by light projectors for horizontally projecting light having projection tracks overlapping, in a plan view, the substrate supported by the substrate supported device and extending at an angle to one another, and light receivers for receiving the projected light. The substrate sensor and light receivers input signals to a microcomputer for determining whether the substrate is correctly supported. A light projector may project a light beam toward the surface of the substrate supporting on the substrate supporting device, and cause the light beam to be reflected by the substrate surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akihiko Morita, Kenji Ueno