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).
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Publication number: 20230234091Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2023Publication date: July 27, 2023Inventors: Chikara NOBUKUNI, Tomoaki OJIMA, Takuya ITAHASHI, Ryoichi HORIGUCHI, Shota WAKAYAMA
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Patent number: 11691172Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: July 1, 2020Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Chikara Nobukuni, Tomoaki Ojima, Takuya Itahashi, Ryoichi Horiguchi, Shota Wakayama
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Patent number: 11043399Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 27, 2019Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Tomiyasu Maezono, Sadamichi Mori, Kouji Takuma, Chikara Nobukuni, Keigo Satake, Shinji Sugahara, Masahiro Yoshida
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Publication number: 20210001370Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2020Publication date: January 7, 2021Inventors: Chikara NOBUKUNI, Tomoaki OJIMA, Takuya ITAHASHI, Ryoichi HORIGUCHI, Shota WAKAYAMA
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Publication number: 20200211867Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2019Publication date: July 2, 2020Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Tomiyasu Maezono, Sadamichi Mori, Kouji Takuma, Chikara Nobukuni, Keigo Satake, Shinji Sugahara, Masahiro Yoshida
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Patent number: 10591935Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 13, 2018Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Yasuhiro Takaki, Hiroshi Komiya, Chikara Nobukuni, Keigo Satake, Atsushi Anamoto
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Publication number: 20190079544Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 13, 2018Publication date: March 14, 2019Inventors: Yasuhiro Takaki, Hiroshi Komiya, Chikara Nobukuni, Keigo Satake, Atsushi Anamoto
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Patent number: 10162371Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 10, 2014Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Yasuhiro Takaki, Hiroshi Komiya, Chikara Nobukuni, Keigo Satake, Atsushi Anamoto
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Publication number: 20150131403Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2014Publication date: May 14, 2015Inventors: Yasuhiro Takaki, Hiroshi Komiya, Chikara Nobukuni, Keigo Satake, Atsushi Anamoto