Patents by Inventor Akira Susaki
Akira Susaki 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: 9633898Abstract: An etching liquid which can selectively remove only a copper layer in an etching process of a multilayer structure including a cobalt layer and the copper layer is disclosed. The etching liquid is an etching liquid for etching the copper layer in the multilayer structure including the copper layer and the cobalt layer. This etching liquid includes at least one acid selected from a group consisting of citric acid, oxalic acid, malic acid, and malonic acid, and hydrogen peroxide, the etching liquid having pH in a range of 4.3 to 5.5.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2015Date of Patent: April 25, 2017Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Akira Susaki, Keiichi Kurashina
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Publication number: 20160130702Abstract: A method of operating an electroless plating apparatus is disclosed. The operating method includes: storing in the electroless plating apparatus an order of priority of the plurality of processes which has been predetermined based on a stability of a processed substrate with respect to pure water; supplying pure water into the holder storage bath when any of the plurality of processing baths malfunctions; determining whether or not a relieving process can be performed, the relieving process being a process of performing a higher-priority process on a substrate; if the relieving process can be performed, performing the relieving process and then immersing the substrate holder holding the substrate in the pure water in the holder storage bath; and if the relieving process cannot be performed, immersing the substrate holder, holding the substrate, in the pure water held in the holder storage bath without performing the relieving process.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2015Publication date: May 12, 2016Applicant: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Yoichi NAKAGAWA, Yoshitaka MUKAIYAMA, Akira SUSAKI, Kunio OISHI
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Publication number: 20160042993Abstract: An etching liquid which can selectively remove only a copper layer in an etching process of a multilayer structure including a cobalt layer and the copper layer is disclosed. The etching liquid is an etching liquid for etching the copper layer in the multilayer structure including the copper layer and the cobalt layer. This etching liquid includes at least one acid selected from a group consisting of citric acid, oxalic acid, malic acid, and malonic acid, and hydrogen peroxide, the etching liquid having pH in a range of 4.3 to 5.5.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2015Publication date: February 11, 2016Inventors: Akira SUSAKI, Keiichi KURASHINA
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Publication number: 20150267302Abstract: An electroless plating method which can prevent stoppage of a plating reaction and a decrease in a plating rate is disclosed. This method includes: circulating a plating solution through a plating bath while heating the plating solution; immersing the substrate in the plating solution in the plating bath; forming a first electroless plating film on the substrate while circulating the plating solution at a first flow rate during a period from when the substrate is immersed in the plating solution until a predetermined time elapses; and forming a second electroless plating film on the first electroless plating film while circulating the plating solution at a second flow rate that is lower than the first flow rate after the predetermined time has elapsed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2015Publication date: September 24, 2015Inventors: Makoto Kubota, Akira Susaki, Masashi Shimoyama, Tsutomu Nakada
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Publication number: 20150191830Abstract: An etching Liquid which can selectively remove only a copper layer in an etching process of a multilayer structure including a cobalt layer and the copper layer is disclosed. The etching liquid is an etching liquid for etching the copper layer in the multilayer structure including the copper layer and the cobalt layer. This etching liquid includes at least one acid selected from a group consisting of citric acid, oxalic acid, malic acid, and malonic acid, and hydrogen peroxide, the etching liquid having pH in a range of 4.3 to 5.5.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 5, 2015Publication date: July 9, 2015Inventors: Akira SUSAKI, Keiichi KURASHINA
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Publication number: 20140299476Abstract: An electroplating method is disclosed. The method includes preparing a substrate having via holes in a surface thereof, performing a pretreatment of the substrate surface by immersing the substrate in a pretreatment liquid containing a plating suppressor to adsorb the plating suppressor onto the substrate surface, immersing the pretreated substrate in a plating solution containing a plating suppressor and a plating accelerator to replace the pretreatment liquid, attached to the substrate surface including interior surfaces of the via holes, with the plating solution, and then electroplating the substrate surface to fill the via holes with metal.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2014Publication date: October 9, 2014Inventors: Shingo YASUDA, Akira OWATARI, Mizuki NAGAI, Akira SUSAKI
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Patent number: 8357284Abstract: A metal film-forming method is capable of forming a metal film on a surface of a base metal film, formed on a surface of a substrate, with sufficient adhesion to the base metal film even when a natural oxide film is formed on the surface of the base metal film. The metal film-forming method includes: preparing a substrate having a base metal film formed on a surface; and carrying out electroplating of the substrate using the base metal film as a cathode and another metal as an anode while immersing the substrate in a solution containing a metal complex and a reducing material, both dissolved in a solvent, to form a metal film, deriving from a metal contained in the metal complex, on the surface of the base metal film.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2010Date of Patent: January 22, 2013Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Akira Susaki, Tsutomu Nakada, Hideki Tateishi
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Patent number: 8205625Abstract: A surface treatment apparatus of a substrate can clean a substrate surface in the air without employing a vacuum apparatus, and can remove a natural oxide film or an organic material, such as BTA, from the substrate surface without resorting to plasma cleaning. The surface treatment apparatus includes: an inert gas supply section for supplying an inert gas to the whole or part of a substrate surface to form an oxygen-blocking zone; a heating section for keeping the substrate surface at a predetermined temperature; and a cleaning gas supply section for supplying a cleaning gas to the oxygen-blocking zone to clean the substrate surface.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2007Date of Patent: June 26, 2012Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Hideki Tateishi, Tsutomu Nakada, Akira Susaki, Shohei Shima, Yukio Fukunaga
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Publication number: 20110155581Abstract: A metal film-forming method is capable of forming a metal film on a surface of a base metal film, formed on a surface of a substrate, with sufficient adhesion to the base metal film even when a natural oxide film is formed on the surface of the base metal film. The metal film-forming method includes: preparing a substrate having a base metal film formed on a surface; and carrying out electroplating of the substrate using the base metal film as a cathode and another metal as an anode while immersing the substrate in a solution containing a metal complex and a reducing material, both dissolved in a solvent, to form a metal film, deriving from a metal contained in the metal complex, on the surface of the base metal film.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2010Publication date: June 30, 2011Inventors: Akira SUSAKI, Tsutomu Nakada, Hideki Tateishi
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Patent number: 7947156Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus can carry out removal of a passive layer (ruthenium oxide) present on a surface of a ruthenium film and electroplating successively, and can reduce the terminal effect at the time of the removal of the passive layer (ruthenium oxide) from the ruthenium film. The substrate processing apparatus includes: an electrolytic processing apparatus for electrochemically removing a passive layer, formed on a surface of a ruthenium film on a substrate, by electrolytic processing with the ruthenium film as a cathode; a copper electroplating apparatus for carrying out copper electroplating on the surface of the ruthenium film on the substrate; and an apparatus frame housing the electrolytic processing apparatus and the copper electroplating apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2007Date of Patent: May 24, 2011Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Kanda, Akira Susaki, Satoru Yamamoto, Tsutomu Nakada
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Publication number: 20100097607Abstract: A film thickness measuring method can carry out measurement of a thickness of an oxide film more simply in a shorter time. The film thickness measuring method includes determining a thickness of an oxide film or thin film of a metal or alloy by solely using a phase difference ?, measured by ellipsometry, based on a predetermined relationship between the phase difference ? and the thickness of the oxide film or thin film of the metal or alloy.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 1, 2006Publication date: April 22, 2010Inventors: Akira Susaki, Shohei Shima, Yukio Fukunaga, Hideki Tateishi, Junko Mine
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Publication number: 20100032315Abstract: An electrolytic processing apparatus, prior to carrying out plating directly on, e.g., a ruthenium film of a substrate using the ruthenium film as a seed layer, can securely remove a passive layer formed on a surface of the ruthenium film even when the substrate is a large-sized high-resistance substrate, such as a 300-mm wafer, thereby reducing the terminal effect during the subsequent plating, improving the quality of a plated film and enabling filling of a void-free plated film into a fine interconnect pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2009Publication date: February 11, 2010Inventors: Junko Mine, Akira Susaki, Hiroyuki Kanda, Tsutomu Nakada
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Publication number: 20090020434Abstract: A substrate processing method makes it possible to fill interconnect recesses, such as trenches, with a defect-free interconnect material by carrying out electroplating directly on a surface of a ruthenium film as a barrier layer. The substrate processing method comprises: providing a substrate having interconnect recesses formed in a substrate surface and having a ruthenium film formed in the entire substrate surface including interior surfaces of the interconnect recesses; keeping the substrate surface in contact with a plating solution for a predetermined time to adsorb an additive in the plating solution onto the ruthenium film, and then carrying out electroplating to form a conductive film on a surface of the ruthenium film.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2008Publication date: January 22, 2009Inventors: Akira Susaki, Tsutomu Nakada, Satoru Yamamoto, Keiichi Kurashina, Hiroyuki Kanda
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Patent number: 7413983Abstract: The present invention provides a plating method and a plating apparatus which can securely form a metal film (protective film) by electroless plating on the exposed surfaces of a base metal, such as interconnects without the formation of voids in the base metal. The plating method including providing a semiconductor device having an embedded interconnect structure, carrying out pretreatment of interconnects with a pre-treatment liquid containing a surface activating agent for the interconnects, carrying out catalytic treatment of the interconnects with a catalytic treatment liquid containing catalyst metal ions and an excessive etching inhibitor for the interconnects, and forming a protective film by electroless plating selectively on the surfaces of the interconnects.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2004Date of Patent: August 19, 2008Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Hiroaki Inoue, Akira Susaki
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Publication number: 20080124932Abstract: An surface treatment apparatus of a substrate can clean a substrate surface in the air without employing a vacuum apparatus, and can remove a natural oxide film or an organic material, such as BTA, from the substrate surface without resorting to plasma cleaning. The surface treatment apparatus includes: an inert gas supply section for supplying an inert gas to the whole or part of a substrate surface to form an oxygen-blocking zone; a heating section for keeping the substrate surface at a predetermined temperature; and a cleaning gas supply section for supplying a cleaning gas to the oxygen-blocking zone to clean the substrate surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2007Publication date: May 29, 2008Inventors: Hideki Tateishi, Tsutomu Nakada, Akira Susaki, Shohei Shima, Yukio Fukunaga
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Publication number: 20080099340Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus can carry out removal of a passive layer (ruthenium oxide) present on a surface of a ruthenium film and electroplating successively, and can reduce the terminal effect at the time of the removal of the passive layer (ruthenium oxide) from the ruthenium film. The substrate processing apparatus includes: an electrolytic processing apparatus for electrochemically removing a passive layer, formed on a surface of a ruthenium film on a substrate, by electrolytic processing with the ruthenium film as a cathode; a copper electroplating apparatus for carrying out copper electroplating on the surface of the ruthenium film on the substrate; and an apparatus frame housing the electrolytic processing apparatus and the copper electroplating apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2007Publication date: May 1, 2008Inventors: Hiroyuki Kanda, Akira Susaki, Satoru Yamamoto, Tsutomu Nakada
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Publication number: 20080047583Abstract: A substrate processing method can form highly-reliable interconnects with little current leakage between interconnects without causing significant damage to the interconnects. The substrate processing method comprises heating and reacting a contaminant on a substrate with a carboxylic acid in an atmosphere containing the carboxylic acid, thereby removing the contaminant.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2005Publication date: February 28, 2008Inventors: Akira Fukunaga, Akira Susaki, Junko Mine, Xinming Wang
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Publication number: 20070289604Abstract: To provide an apparatus and a method capable of supplying a gas containing an evaporated reducing organic compound while strictly controlling the flow rate thereof to process a surface of a metal on a substrate without causing any deterioration of various types of films forming a semiconductor element with a simple apparatus configuration. The apparatus includes a process chamber 10 for keeping a substrate W therein, the process chamber 10 being gastight, an evacuation control system 20 for controlling the pressure in the process chamber 10, and a process gas supply system 30 for supplying a process gas containing a reducing organic compound to the process chamber 10.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2005Publication date: December 20, 2007Inventors: Yukio Fukunaga, Akira Susaki, Junji Kunisawa, Hiroyuki Ueyama, Shohei Shima, Akira Fukunaga, Hideki Tateishi, Junko Mine
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Publication number: 20070251088Abstract: A substrate processing method is useful for filling a hole formed in a substrate with conductive material. The substrate processing method includes forming a non-through hole in a substrate, and filling the non-through hole with conductive material by plating. The plating is performed using a plating solution containing solid particles.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2007Publication date: November 1, 2007Inventors: Akira Susaki, Tsutomu Nakada
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Patent number: 7157370Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a highly reliable multi-level interconnect structure having a low effective dielectric constant and which can be easily manufactured with a relatively inexpensive process, and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a lower-level interconnect and an upper-level interconnect, each surrounded by a barrier layer, and a via plug surrounded by a barrier layer and electrically connecting the lower-level interconnect and the upper-level interconnect.Type: GrantFiled: July 19, 2004Date of Patent: January 2, 2007Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Hiroaki Inoue, Akira Susaki