Patents by Inventor Akiko Kai
Akiko Kai 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).
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Patent number: 11960209Abstract: A developing treatment method for performing a developing treatment on a resist film on a substrate, includes the following. (A) supplying a developing solution to the substrate and developing the resist film to form a resist pattern; (B) supplying a water-based cleaning liquid to the developed substrate to clean the substrate with the water-based cleaning liquid; (C) applying an aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer to the substrate cleaned with the water-based cleaning liquid to form a hydrophilic layer having a hydrophilic property on a surface of the substrate; and (D) cleaning the substrate on which the hydrophilic layer has been formed, with a rinse liquid. (B) includes (a) accelerating a rotation speed of the substrate; and (b) after (a), decelerating the rotation speed of the substrate until a start of (C), wherein a deceleration in (b) is lower than an acceleration in (a).Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2020Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Akiko Kai, Hiroshi Ichinomiya
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Patent number: 11848189Abstract: A substrate processing method includes supplying a developing liquid configured to form a resist pattern onto a surface of a substrate on which a resist film is formed; performing multiple cycles of a cleaning processing of supplying a modifying liquid containing a modifying agent having a hydrophilic group onto the surface of the substrate on which the resist pattern is formed and supplying a rinse liquid configured to remove the modifying liquid onto the surface of the substrate; and drying the surface of the substrate after performing the multiple cycles of the cleaning processing.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2020Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Takahiro Shiozawa, Hiroki Tadatomo, Akiko Kai, Hiroshi Ichinomiya
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Patent number: 11823918Abstract: A substrate processing method includes supplying a processing liquid to a peripheral edge of a surface of a substrate to form a processing film on the peripheral edge of the surface of the substrate; and bringing a molding solvent supplied to an inner region than a region of the surface of the substrate to which the processing liquid is supplied, into contact with an interface of the processing liquid that faces a central side of the surface.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2021Date of Patent: November 21, 2023Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventor: Akiko Kai
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Patent number: 11720026Abstract: A developing treatment method performs a developing treatment on a resist film on a substrate. The method includes: a pattern forming step of forming a resist pattern by supplying a developing solution to the substrate and developing the resist film on the substrate; a coating step of coating the developed substrate with an aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer; and a rinse step of cleaning the substrate by supplying a rinse solution to the substrate coated with the aqueous solution of the water-soluble polymer.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2017Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Akiko Kai, Kousuke Yoshihara, Kouichirou Tanaka, Hiroshi Ichinomiya
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Patent number: 11508589Abstract: When performing a liquid processing on a substrate W being rotated and removing a processing liquid by a cleaning liquid, a cleaning liquid nozzle 421 configured to discharge a cleaning liquid slantly with respect to a surface of the substrate W toward a downstream side of a rotational direction of the substrate W and a gas nozzle 411 configured to discharge a gas toward a position adjacent to a central portion side of the substrate W when viewed from a liquid arrival position R of the cleaning liquid are moved from the central portion side toward a peripheral portion side. A rotation number of the substrate is varied such that rotation number in a period during which the liquid arrival position R moves in the second region becomes smaller than a maximum rotation number in a period during which the liquid arrival position moves in the first region.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2018Date of Patent: November 22, 2022Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Akiko Kai, Kouichirou Tanaka, Hiroshi Ichinomiya, Masahiro Fukuda
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Patent number: 11488846Abstract: A substrate processing method includes supplying a water-soluble polymer solution to a surface of a substrate having, on a surface of the substrate, a resist film on which no pattern is formed, after an immersion exposure process, hydrophilizing a surface of the resist film using the supplied water-soluble polymer solution, supplying, after the hydrophilizing, a cleaning liquid to the surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate to remove the water-soluble polymer solution that has not contributed to the hydrophilizing, and drying the substrate supplied with the cleaning liquid, wherein the water-soluble polymer solution has a pH value that allows an acid concentration in the resist film to fall within a permissible range.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2020Date of Patent: November 1, 2022Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventor: Akiko Kai
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Publication number: 20220068670Abstract: A substrate processing method includes supplying a processing liquid to a peripheral edge of a surface of a substrate to form a processing film on the peripheral edge of the surface of the substrate; and bringing a molding solvent supplied to an inner region than a region of the surface of the substrate to which the processing liquid is supplied, into contact with an interface of the processing liquid that faces a central side of the surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2021Publication date: March 3, 2022Inventor: Akiko KAI
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Publication number: 20210134615Abstract: A substrate processing method includes supplying a water-soluble polymer solution to a surface of a substrate having, on a surface of the substrate, a resist film on which no pattern is formed, after an immersion exposure process, hydrophilizing a surface of the resist film using the supplied water-soluble polymer solution, supplying, after the hydrophilizing, a cleaning liquid to the surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate to remove the water-soluble polymer solution that has not contributed to the hydrophilizing, and drying the substrate supplied with the cleaning liquid, wherein the water-soluble polymer solution has a pH value that allows an acid concentration in the resist film to fall within a permissible range.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2020Publication date: May 6, 2021Inventor: Akiko KAI
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Publication number: 20210063885Abstract: A developing treatment method for performing a developing treatment on a resist film on a substrate, includes: (A) supplying a developing solution to the substrate and developing the resist film to form a resist pattern; (B) supplying a water-based cleaning liquid to the developed substrate to clean the substrate with the water-based cleaning liquid; (C) applying an aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer to the substrate cleaned with the water-based cleaning liquid to form a hydrophilic layer having a hydrophilic property on a surface of the substrate; and (D) cleaning the substrate on which the hydrophilic layer has been formed, with a rinse liquid, the (B) including: (a) accelerating a rotation speed of the substrate; and (b) after the (a), decelerating the rotation speed of the substrate until a start of the (C), wherein a deceleration in the (b) is lower than an acceleration in the (a).Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2020Publication date: March 4, 2021Inventors: Akiko KAI, Hiroshi ICHINOMIYA
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Publication number: 20210066097Abstract: A substrate processing method includes supplying a developing liquid configured to form a resist pattern onto a surface of a substrate on which a resist film is formed; performing multiple cycles of a cleaning processing of supplying a modifying liquid containing a modifying agent having a hydrophilic group onto the surface of the substrate on which the resist pattern is formed and supplying a rinse liquid configured to remove the modifying liquid onto the surface of the substrate; and drying the surface of the substrate after performing the multiple cycles of the cleaning processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2020Publication date: March 4, 2021Inventors: Takahiro Shiozawa, Hiroki Tadatomo, Akiko Kai, Hiroshi Ichinomiya
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Publication number: 20200357662Abstract: A tank includes a container part having an upper wall, a sidewall and a bottom wall to store a processing liquid therein, a liquid discharge passage installed at a position higher than a liquid surface of the processing liquid stored in the container part to discharge the processing liquid into the container part, and a gas discharge passage installed at a position higher than the liquid surface to discharge a gas into the container part. The liquid discharge passage discharges the processing liquid from the liquid discharge port so that the processing liquid is brought into contact with a portion above the liquid surface of an inner surface of the sidewall. The gas discharge passage discharges the gas from the gas discharge port so that the gas is brought into contact with a portion above the liquid surface of an inner surface of the container part.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 8, 2020Publication date: November 12, 2020Inventors: Tomohiko MUTA, Daiki SHIBATA, Akiko KAI, Makoto OGATA
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Publication number: 20200064742Abstract: A developing treatment method for performing a developing treatment on a resist film on a substrate, includes: a pattern forming step of forming a resist pattern by supplying a developing solution to the substrate and developing the resist film on the substrate; a coating step of coating the developed substrate with an aqueous solution of a water-soluble polymer; and a rinse step of cleaning the substrate by supplying a rinse solution to the substrate coated with the aqueous solution of the water-soluble polymer.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2017Publication date: February 27, 2020Inventors: Akiko KAI, Kousuke YOSHIHARA, Kouichirou TANAKA, Hiroshi ICHINOMIYA
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Publication number: 20190096706Abstract: When performing a liquid processing on a substrate W being rotated and removing a processing liquid by a cleaning liquid, a cleaning liquid nozzle 421 configured to discharge a cleaning liquid slantly with respect to a surface of the substrate W toward a downstream side of a rotational direction of the substrate W and a gas nozzle 411 configured to discharge a gas toward a position adjacent to a central portion side of the substrate W when viewed from a liquid arrival position R of the cleaning liquid are moved from the central portion side toward a peripheral portion side. A rotation number of the substrate is varied such that rotation number in a period during which the liquid arrival position R moves in the second region becomes smaller than a maximum rotation number in a period during which the liquid arrival position moves in the first region.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2018Publication date: March 28, 2019Inventors: Akiko Kai, Kouichirou Tanaka, Hiroshi Ichinomiya, Masahiro Fukuda
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Patent number: 9972512Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate includes a substrate holding device that rotates a substrate in horizontal position, a nozzle holding device holding processing liquid and gas nozzles, the liquid nozzle discharging processing liquid from a discharge port such that the liquid is discharged obliquely to surface of the substrate, the gas nozzle discharging gas perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate, a moving device that moves the nozzle device with respect to the surface of the substrate, and a control device including circuitry that controls the nozzle, substrate and moving devices such that while the substrate is rotated, the liquid is discharged to peripheral portion toward downstream side in rotation direction and along tangential direction of the substrate and gas is discharged from the gas nozzle toward position adjacent to liquid landing position of the liquid on the surface and is on center side of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2017Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Akiko Kai, Takafumi Niwa, Shogo Takahashi, Hiroshi Nishihata, Yuichi Terashita, Teruhiko Kodama
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Publication number: 20180019112Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate includes a substrate holding device that rotates a substrate in horizontal position, a nozzle holding device holding processing liquid and gas nozzles, the liquid nozzle discharging processing liquid from a discharge port such that the liquid is discharged obliquely to surface of the substrate, the gas nozzle discharging gas perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate, a moving device that moves the nozzle device with respect to the surface of the substrate, and a control device including circuitry that controls the nozzle, substrate and moving devices such that while the substrate is rotated, the liquid is discharged to peripheral portion toward downstream side in rotation direction and along tangential direction of the substrate and gas is discharged from the gas nozzle toward position adjacent to liquid landing position of the liquid on the surface and is on center side of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2017Publication date: January 18, 2018Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Akiko KAI, Takafumi NIWA, Shogo TAKAHASHI, Hiroshi NISHIHATA, Yuichi TERASHITA, Teruhiko KODAMA
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Patent number: 9786488Abstract: A liquid processing method for liquid-processing a substrate includes setting a substrate on a substrate holding device which rotates the substrate such that the substrate is held in horizontal position, supplying processing liquid to center portion of the substrate such that the center portion positioned center side with respect to peripheral portion of the substrate is liquid-processed, positioning a discharge port of a processing liquid nozzle toward downstream side in rotation direction such that the liquid is discharged to the peripheral portion obliquely to surface of the substrate and along tangential direction of the substrate while the substrate is rotated, and discharging gas from a gas nozzle perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate toward position that is adjacent to liquid landing position of the liquid on the surface of the substrate and is on the center side of the substrate, while the liquid is discharged to the peripheral portion.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2015Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Akiko Kai, Takafumi Niwa, Shogo Takahashi, Hiroshi Nishihata, Yuichi Terashita, Teruhiko Kodama
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Publication number: 20160096203Abstract: A liquid processing method for liquid-processing a substrate includes setting a substrate on a substrate holding device which rotates the substrate such that the substrate is held in horizontal position, supplying processing liquid to center portion of the substrate such that the center portion positioned center side with respect to peripheral portion of the substrate is liquid-processed, positioning a discharge port of a processing liquid nozzle toward downstream side in rotation direction such that the liquid is discharged to the peripheral portion obliquely to surface of the substrate and along tangential direction of the substrate while the substrate is rotated, and discharging gas from a gas nozzle perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate toward position that is adjacent to liquid landing position of the liquid on the surface of the substrate and is on the center side of the substrate, while the liquid is discharged to the peripheral portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2015Publication date: April 7, 2016Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Akiko Kai, Takafumi Niwa, Shogo Takahashi, Hiroshi Nishihata, Yuichi Terashita, Teruhiko Kodama