Patents by Inventor Chikara Nobukuni

Chikara Nobukuni 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: 20230234091
    Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus includes: a tank configured to store a processing liquid supplied from a processing liquid supply source; a circulation passage connected to the tank; a pump installed at the circulation passage; a plurality of liquid processors configured to perform liquid processing on a substrate; and a plurality of supply passages configured to supply the processing liquid to the plurality of liquid processors respectively, wherein the circulation passage includes a main passage portion provided with the pump, and a first branch passage portion and a second branch passage portion branching from the main passage portion, and the processing liquid flowing out from the tank passes through the main passage portion, then flows into the first branch passage portion and the second branch passage portion, and then returns to the tank through the first branch passage portion and the second branch passage portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2023
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Chikara NOBUKUNI, Tomoaki OJIMA, Takuya ITAHASHI, Ryoichi HORIGUCHI, Shota WAKAYAMA
  • Patent number: 11691172
    Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus includes: a tank configured to store a processing liquid supplied from a processing liquid supply source; a circulation passage connected to the tank; a pump installed at the circulation passage; a plurality of liquid processors configured to perform liquid processing on a substrate; and a plurality of supply passages configured to supply the processing liquid to the plurality of liquid processors respectively, wherein the circulation passage includes a main passage portion provided with the pump, and a first branch passage portion and a second branch passage portion branching from the main passage portion, and the processing liquid flowing out from the tank passes through the main passage portion, then flows into the first branch passage portion and the second branch passage portion, and then returns to the tank through the first branch passage portion and the second branch passage portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Chikara Nobukuni, Tomoaki Ojima, Takuya Itahashi, Ryoichi Horiguchi, Shota Wakayama
  • Patent number: 11043399
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a storage; processors; a liquid supply which supplies, into the storage, at least a first liquid composed of a processing liquid or source liquids for composing the processing liquid; a detector which detects a value of a parameter indicating a state of the first liquid supplied into the storage or a state of the processing liquid in the storage; and a controller which controls the processors to perform a liquid processing in sequence. The controller determines, based on a detection result of the value of the parameter, whether it is possible to supply the processing liquid continuously into a preset number of processors concurrently under a condition requested by the processors, and, if not, the controller performs a simultaneous processing restricting control of reducing a number of processors which are supposed to perform the liquid processing concurrently to be lower than the preset number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tomiyasu Maezono, Sadamichi Mori, Kouji Takuma, Chikara Nobukuni, Keigo Satake, Shinji Sugahara, Masahiro Yoshida
  • Publication number: 20210001370
    Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus includes: a tank configured to store a processing liquid supplied from a processing liquid supply source; a circulation passage connected to the tank; a pump installed at the circulation passage; a plurality of liquid processors configured to perform liquid processing on a substrate; and a plurality of supply passages configured to supply the processing liquid to the plurality of liquid processors respectively, wherein the circulation passage includes a main passage portion provided with the pump, and a first branch passage portion and a second branch passage portion branching from the main passage portion, and the processing liquid flowing out from the tank passes through the main passage portion, then flows into the first branch passage portion and the second branch passage portion, and then returns to the tank through the first branch passage portion and the second branch passage portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: Chikara NOBUKUNI, Tomoaki OJIMA, Takuya ITAHASHI, Ryoichi HORIGUCHI, Shota WAKAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20200211867
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a storage; processors; a liquid supply which supplies, into the storage, at least a first liquid composed of a processing liquid or source liquids for composing the processing liquid; a detector which detects a value of a parameter indicating a state of the first liquid supplied into the storage or a state of the processing liquid in the storage; and a controller which controls the processors to perform a liquid processing in sequence. The controller determines, based on a detection result of the value of the parameter, whether it is possible to supply the processing liquid continuously into a preset number of processors concurrently under a condition requested by the processors, and, if not, the controller performs a simultaneous processing restricting control of reducing a number of processors which are supposed to perform the liquid processing concurrently to be lower than the preset number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tomiyasu Maezono, Sadamichi Mori, Kouji Takuma, Chikara Nobukuni, Keigo Satake, Shinji Sugahara, Masahiro Yoshida
  • Patent number: 10591935
    Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a tank; a circulation line; a processing unit connected to the circulation line through a branch line and configured to perform a liquid processing on a substrate using a processing liquid flowing through the circulation line; a processing liquid producing mechanism configured to produce the processing liquid by mixing at least two kinds of raw material liquids supplied from respective raw material liquid sources at a controlled mixing ratio; a concentration measuring device configured to measure a concentration of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation line and a concentration of the processing liquid flowing through the processing liquid supply line; and a control device configured to control the processing liquid producing mechanism based on the measured concentrations of the processing liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Takaki, Hiroshi Komiya, Chikara Nobukuni, Keigo Satake, Atsushi Anamoto
  • Publication number: 20190079544
    Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a tank; a circulation line; a processing unit connected to the circulation line through a branch line and configured to perform a liquid processing on a substrate using a processing liquid flowing through the circulation line; a processing liquid producing mechanism configured to produce the processing liquid by mixing at least two kinds of raw material liquids supplied from respective raw material liquid sources at a controlled mixing ratio; a concentration measuring device configured to measure a concentration of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation line and a concentration of the processing liquid flowing through the processing liquid supply line; and a control device configured to control the processing liquid producing mechanism based on the measured concentrations of the processing liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Takaki, Hiroshi Komiya, Chikara Nobukuni, Keigo Satake, Atsushi Anamoto
  • Patent number: 10162371
    Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a tank; a circulation line; a processing unit connected to the circulation line through a branch line and configured to perform a liquid processing on a substrate using a processing liquid flowing through the circulation line; a processing liquid producing mechanism configured to produce the processing liquid by mixing at least two kinds of raw material liquids supplied from respective raw material liquid sources at a controlled mixing ratio; a concentration measuring device configured to measure a concentration of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation line and a concentration of the processing liquid flowing through the processing liquid supply line; and a control device configured to control the processing liquid producing mechanism based on the measured concentrations of the processing liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Takaki, Hiroshi Komiya, Chikara Nobukuni, Keigo Satake, Atsushi Anamoto
  • Publication number: 20150131403
    Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a tank; a circulation line; a processing unit connected to the circulation line through a branch line and configured to perform a liquid processing on a substrate using a processing liquid flowing through the circulation line; a processing liquid producing mechanism configured to produce the processing liquid by mixing at least two kinds of raw material liquids supplied from respective raw material liquid sources at a controlled mixing ratio; a concentration measuring device configured to measure a concentration of the processing liquid flowing through the circulation line and a concentration of the processing liquid flowing through the processing liquid supply line; and a control device configured to control the processing liquid producing mechanism based on the measured concentrations of the processing liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Takaki, Hiroshi Komiya, Chikara Nobukuni, Keigo Satake, Atsushi Anamoto