Patents by Inventor Akito Hatano

Akito Hatano 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).

  • Patent number: 9449861
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of reducing a volume occupied exclusively by a substrate processing apparatus. In order to achieve this object, a substrate processing apparatus includes: multiple processing parts that process a substrate W; a transport robot that makes rectilinear motion along one rectilinear axis or each of more rectilinear axes and rotative motion about a vertical axis to transport a substrate to each of the processing parts; a transport chamber defined as operating space for the transport robot; and a transport controller that controls operation of the transport robot. A first partial area defined in the transport chamber has a width (specifically, a width extending along a horizontal axis perpendicular to the one rectilinear axis or the more rectilinear axes) is smaller than a rotative diameter of the transport robot. The transport controller prohibits the rotative motion of the transport robot in the first partial area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akito Hatano, Toyohide Hayashi, Koji Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20160247697
    Abstract: A supply flow passage branches into a plurality of upstream flow passages. A plurality of discharge ports are respectively disposed at a plurality of positions differing in distance from a rotational axis of a substrate. A return flow passage is connected to the upstream flow passage. A downstream heater heats liquid flowing through the upstream flow passage. A downstream switching unit supplies the liquid, supplied to the plurality of upstream flow passages from the supply flow passage, to one of the plurality of discharge ports and the return flow passage, selectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Jun SAWASHIMA, Akito HATANO, Kenji KOBAYASHI, Yuta NISHIMURA, Motoyuki SHIMAI, Toyohide HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20160240413
    Abstract: A supply flow passage branches into a plurality of upstream flow passages. The plurality of upstream flow passages include a branching upstream flow passage that branches into a plurality of downstream flow passages. A plurality of discharge ports are respectively disposed at a plurality of positions differing in distance from a rotational axis and discharge processing liquids, supplied via the plurality of upstream flow passages, toward an upper surface of a substrate held by a substrate holding unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Kenji KOBAYASHI, Jun SAWASHIMA, Yuta NISHIMURA, Akito HATANO, Motoyuki SHIMAI, Toyohide HAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20160240399
    Abstract: A supply flow passage branches into a plurality of upstream flow passages. A plurality of discharge ports are respectively disposed at a plurality of positions differing in distance from a rotational axis of a substrate. Hydrogen peroxide water, that is one of components of a chemical liquid (SPM), is supplied to the upstream flow passage from a component liquid flow passage. A mixing ratio changing unit including a plurality of first flow control valves and a plurality of second flow control valves independently changes mixing ratios of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water included in the chemical liquid to be discharged from the plurality of discharge ports for each of the upstream flow passages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Kenji KOBAYASHI, Jun SAWASHIMA, Yuta NISHIMURA, Akihiro Nakashima, Motoyuki SHIMAI, Akito HATANO
  • Publication number: 20160091306
    Abstract: In a state of mapping sensors having been advanced into a carrier by a sensor advance/withdraw mover, a sensor lifting and lowering device moves the mapping sensors up and down. With this movement, the mapping sensors detect presence or absence of substrates in a horizontal direction crossing a fore-and-aft direction in which the substrates are moved into and out of the carrier, and a height sensor detects heights of the mapping sensors. Consequently, substrate heights are detected in two different locations in the fore-and-aft direction. Based on the substrate heights, a substrate condition acquiring unit acquires a tilt of each substrate relative to the horizontal in the fore-and-aft direction. The tilt of each substrate inside the carrier is acquired in advance, thereby to be able to prevent substrate damage due to contact between a hand of a substrate transport mechanism and the substrates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Koji HASHIMOTO, Akito HATANO, Toyohide HAYASHI, Keiichi TSUCHIYA
  • Publication number: 20160071753
    Abstract: A substrate container includes a housing, rack members, housing-side support members for supporting ends of substrates, a moving mechanism for moving the substrates, a lid, and lid-side support members for supporting ends of the substrates. The housing-side support members have deepest portions for supporting the ends of the substrates to be immovable upward. In a state where the lid is attached to the housing, the housing-side support members and lid-side support members clamp the ends of the substrates in between, with lower surfaces of the substrates out of contact with the rack members, and the housing-side support members support the ends of the substrates in the deepest portions. When the lid detaches from the housing, the moving mechanism moves the substrates supported in the deepest portions to disengage the ends of the substrates from the deepest portions, and places the substrates in a substantially horizontal position on the rack members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Akito HATANO, Koji HASHIMOTO, Kazuhiro HONSHO, Mitsukazu TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20150287624
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of reducing a volume occupied exclusively by a substrate processing apparatus. In order to achieve this object, a substrate processing apparatus includes: multiple processing parts that process a substrate W; a transport robot that makes rectilinear motion along one rectilinear axis or each of more rectilinear axes and rotative motion about a vertical axis to transport a substrate to each of the processing parts; a transport chamber defined as operating space for the transport robot; and a transport controller that controls operation of the transport robot. A first partial area defined in the transport chamber has a width (specifically, a width extending along a horizontal axis perpendicular to the one rectilinear axis or the more rectilinear axes) is smaller than a rotative diameter of the transport robot. The transport controller prohibits the rotative motion of the transport robot in the first partial area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2013
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Akito Hatano, Toyohide Hayashi, Koji Hashimoto