Patents by Inventor Eiichi Nishimura

Eiichi Nishimura 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: 20150138658
    Abstract: An aspect of the present invention is a door mirror having a door mirror main body attached to a door mirror attaching part of a vehicle body, the door mirror including a shared base fixed to the door mirror attaching part and configured to support the door mirror main body, which is shared, and an exclusive cover configured to cover a peripheral region of the door mirror attaching part and selected from a group of different types of exclusive covers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: MURAKAMI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiichi Nishimura, Toru Shimura
  • Publication number: 20150132970
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing reaction products that are deposited when an etching target film contained in a target object to be processed is etched is provided with: a processing chamber; a partition plate; a plasma source; a mounting table; a first processing gas supply unit; a second processing gas supply unit. The processing chamber defines a space, and the partition plate is arranged within the processing chamber and divides the space into a plasma generating space and a substrate processing space, while suppressing permeation of ions and vacuum ultraviolet rays. The plasma source generates a plasma in the plasma forming space. The mounting table is arranged in the substrate processing space to mount the target object thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Eiichi Nishimura, Akitaka Shimizu, Fumiko Yamashita, Daisuke Urayama
  • Publication number: 20150132960
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus that can appropriately carry out desired plasma processing on a substrate. The substrate is accommodated in an accommodating chamber. An ion trap partitions the accommodating chamber into a plasma producing chamber and a substrate processing chamber. High-frequency antennas are disposed in the plasma producing chamber. A process gas is introduced into the plasma producing chamber. The substrate is mounted on a mounting stage disposed in the substrate processing chamber, and a bias voltage is applied to the mounting stage. The ion trap has grounded conductors and insulating materials covering surfaces of the conductors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicants: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, OSAKA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Eiichi Nishimura, Masato Morishima, Morihiro Takanashi, Akitaka Shimizu, Yuichi Setsuhara
  • Publication number: 20150104951
    Abstract: Provided is a method of etching a copper layer. The method includes generating plasma of a processing gas within a processing container which accommodates an object to be processed that includes the copper layer and a metal mask formed on the copper layer. The metal mask contains titanium. In addition, the processing gas includes CH4 gas, oxygen gas, and a noble gas. In an exemplary embodiment, the metal mask may include a layer made of TiN.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Eiichi NISHIMURA, Keiichi SHIMODA, Kei NAKAYAMA
  • Patent number: 8993352
    Abstract: A plasma processing method is used to etch a multilayered material having a stacked structure, in which a first magnetic layer, an insulating layer, a second magnetic layer, and a mask material are stacked in sequence, in a plasma processing apparatus including a processing chamber that partitions a processing space where plasma is generated and a gas supply unit that supplies a processing gas into the processing space. The plasma processing method includes a mask forming process of forming a mask on the second magnetic layer by etching the mask material; an etching process of supplying the processing gas into the processing chamber to generate plasma, etching the second magnetic layer by the mask, and stopping the etching on a surface of the insulating layer. Further, the second magnetic layer contains CoFeB, the insulating layer contains MgO, and the processing gas contains H2 and F or a fluorine compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Eiichi Nishimura, Tadashi Kotsugi, Takashi Sone
  • Publication number: 20150079790
    Abstract: This semiconductor device manufacturing method is provided with: a film-forming step wherein a silicon nitride layer or a silicon oxide layer is formed such that a side wall portion of a silicon-containing layer, which is formed on a substrate and patterned, is covered with the silicon nitride layer or the silicon oxide layer; and a plasma etching step wherein the silicon-containing layer is selectively removed, and the silicon nitride layer or the silicon oxide layer formed on the side wall portion is left. In the plasma etching step, an etching gas containing SF6 gas is used.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Eiichi Nishimura, Tadashi Kotsugi, Fumiko Yamashita, Kenji Adachi
  • Publication number: 20150064925
    Abstract: A deposit removing method includes an exposing process of heating and exposing a substrate to oxygen plasma; and a cycle process in which the substrate is exposed to an atmosphere of a mixture gas of a hydrogen fluoride gas and an alcohol gas, and a first period during which a total pressure of the mixture gas or a partial pressure of the alcohol gas is set to be a first total pressure or a first partial pressure and a second period during which the total pressure or the partial pressure is set to be a second total pressure lower than the first total pressure or a second partial pressure lower than the first partial pressure are repeated multiple cycles. A supply amount of the mixture gas from a first region including a central portion of the substrate is larger than that from a second region outside the first region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Shigeru TAHARA, Eiichi NISHIMURA
  • Patent number: 8961737
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus comprises a plasma generation chamber where plasma is generated by exciting a processing gas with high-frequency power applied to a coil wound around a side wall of a reaction container, a processing chamber where a specific type of processing is executed on a wafer with the plasma thus generated and a high-frequency power source capable of selectively outputting either first high-frequency power with a reference frequency or second high-frequency power with a frequency (2n+1)/2 times the reference frequency, to be applied to the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Eiichi Nishimura
  • Patent number: 8962489
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for etching a film contains cobalt and palladium is provided. A hard mask is provided on the film. The method film includes a process “a” of etching the film by ion sputter etching, a process “b” of exposing a workpiece to plasma of a first gas containing halogen elements after the process “a” of etching of the film, a process “c” of exposing the workpiece to plasma of a second gas containing carbons after the process “b” of exposing the workpiece to the plasma of the first gas, and a process “d” of exposing the workpiece to plasma of a third gas containing a noble gas after the process “c” of exposing the workpiece to the plasma of the second gas. In the method, a temperature of a placement table on which the workpiece is placed is set to a first temperature of 10° C. or less in the process “a”, process “b” and process “c”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Eiichi Nishimura, Masato Kushibiki
  • Patent number: 8961805
    Abstract: A method for performing dry etching on a metal film containing Pt via a mask layer includes performing dry etching on the metal film by generating a plasma of an etching gas including a gaseous mixture of H2 gas, CO2 gas, methane gas and rare gas. With the dry etching method, it is possible to make a vertical sidewall of a hole or trench more vertical without using a halogen gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Eiichi Nishimura, Takashi Sone
  • Publication number: 20150050750
    Abstract: A plasma processing method of etching a multilayered material having a structure where a first magnetic layer 105 and a second magnetic layer 103 are stacked with an insulating layer 104 therebetween is performed by a plasma processing apparatus 10 including a processing chamber 12 where a processing space S is formed; and a gas supply unit 44 of supplying a processing gas into the processing space, and includes a first etching process where the first magnetic layer is etched by supplying a first processing and generating plasma, and the first etching process is stopped on a surface of the insulating layer; and a second etching process where a residue Z is removed by supplying a second processing gas and generating plasma. The first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer contain CoFeB, the first processing gas contains Cl2, and the second processing gas contains H2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Sone, Daisuke Urayama, Masato Kushibiki, Nao Koizumi, Wataru Kume, Eiichi Nishimura, Fumiko Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20150048049
    Abstract: A method for causing a first polymer and a second polymer of a block copolymer to be self-assembled on an underlayer film and forming a periodic pattern in a guide layer is provided. The method includes a first etching process of etching the second polymer by plasma generated from a first gas, a first film deposition process of depositing a first protective film on surfaces of the first polymer and the guide layer except for an etched portion of the second polymer by plasma generated from a second gas after the first etching process, and a second etching process of further etching the second polymer by the plasma generated from the first gas after the first film deposition process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Eiichi Nishimura, Fumiko Yamashita, Satoko Niitsuma
  • Publication number: 20150013908
    Abstract: An etching apparatus includes a controller configured to control a high frequency power supply to supply a high frequency power to a mounting table for etching a polymer layer formed on a base layer placed on the mounting table, using plasma generated from a predetermined gas supplied from a gas supply source by the high frequency power, the polymer layer having a periodic pattern of a first polymer and a second polymer formed by self-assembling the first polymer and the second polymer of a block copolymer that is capable of being self-assembled, the high frequency power being set for etching the polymer layer using the generated plasma such that the second polymer is removed and a pattern of the first polymer is formed for subsequently etching the base layer using the pattern of the first polymer as a mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Eiichi NISHIMURA, Tadashi KOTSUGI, Fumiko YAMASHITA
  • Patent number: 8877081
    Abstract: An etching method of etching a periodic pattern formed by self-assembling a first polymer and a second polymer of a block copolymer that is capable of being self-assembled, the etching method includes supplying a high frequency power which is set such that a great amount of ion energy is distributed within a range smaller than ion energy distribution at which an etching yield of the first polymer is generated and larger than or equal to ion energy distribution at which an etching yield of the second polymer is generated, and supplying a predetermined gas, generating plasma from the supplied gas by the high frequency power, and etching the periodic pattern on a processing target object by using the generated plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Eiichi Nishimura, Tadashi Kotsugi, Fumiko Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20140287591
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for etching a film contains cobalt and palladium is provided. A hard mask is provided on the film. The method film includes a process “a” of etching the film by ion sputter etching, a process “b” of exposing a workpiece to plasma of a first gas containing halogen elements after the process “a” of etching of the film, a process “c” of exposing the workpiece to plasma of a second gas containing carbons after the process “b” of exposing the workpiece to the plasma of the first gas, and a process “d” of exposing the workpiece to plasma of a third gas containing a noble gas after the process “c” of exposing the workpiece to the plasma of the second gas. In the method, a temperature of a placement table on which the workpiece is placed is set to a first temperature of 10° C. or less in the process “a”, process “b” and process “c”.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Eiichi NISHIMURA, Masato KUSHIBIKI
  • Publication number: 20140251945
    Abstract: In a method of etching a metal layer of an object to be processed, the metal layer is etched by ion sputtering etching while forming a protective film containing carbon on a surface of a mask of the object. The object is exposed to an oxygen plasma after etching the metal layer. The object is exposed to hexafluoroacetylacetone after exposing the object to the oxygen plasma.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Eiichi NISHIMURA, Fumiko YAMASHITA, Koyumi SASA
  • Patent number: 8815495
    Abstract: A disclosed mask pattern forming method includes isotropically coating a surface of a resist pattern array having a predetermined line width with a silicon oxide film, embedding a gap in the resist pattern array coated by the silicon oxide film with a carbon film, removing the carbon film from the upper portion and etching back the carbon film while leaving the carbon film within the gap in any order, removing the remaining carbon film and etching back the upper portion of the resist pattern array to have a predetermined film thickness in any order, and forming a first mask pattern array which has a center portion having a predetermined width and film sidewall portions sandwiching the predetermined width, and arranged interposing a space width substantially the same as the predetermined line width with an asking process provided to the resist pattern array exposed from the removed silicon oxide film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masato Kushibiki, Eiichi Nishimura
  • Publication number: 20140206198
    Abstract: One embodiment of the deposit removal method includes: preparing a substrate having a pattern on which a deposit is deposited, the pattern being formed by etching; exposing the substrate to a first atmosphere containing hydrogen fluoride gas; exposing the substrate to oxygen plasma while heating after the step of exposing the substrate to the first atmosphere; and exposing the substrate to a second atmosphere containing hydrogen fluoride gas to remove the deposit on the substrate after the step of exposing the substrate to the oxygen plasma.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigeru TAHARA, Eiichi NISHIMURA, Takanori MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 8778206
    Abstract: In a substrate processing method, a polysilicon layer 38 on a wafer W is etched with a bromine cation 45a and a bromine radical 45b in plasma generated from a processing gas containing a hydrogen bromide gas, an oxygen gas, and a nitrogen trifluoride gas, and then, is ashed with an oxygen radical 46 and a nitrogen radical 47 in plasma generated from a processing gas containing an oxygen gas and a nitrogen gas. Thereafter, the polysilicon layer 38 is etched with a fluorine cation 48a and a fluorine radical 48b in plasma generated from a processing gas containing an argon gas and a nitrogen trifluoride gas. While the polysilicon layer 38 is ashed, an oxidation process is performed on a silicon bromide generated by etching the polysilicon layer 38 with the bromine cation 45a.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Eiichi Nishimura, Takashi Sone, Fumiko Yamashita
  • Patent number: 8772172
    Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes a plasma etching step for etching an etching target film formed on a substrate accommodated in a processing chamber. In the plasma etching step, a processing gas including a gaseous mixture containing predetermined gases is supplied into the processing chamber, and a cycle including a first step in which a flow rate of at least one of the predetermined gases is set to a first value during a first time period and a second step in which the flow rate thereof is set to a second value that is different from the first value during a second time period is repeated consecutively at least three times without removing a plasma. The first time period and the second time period are set to about 1 to 15 seconds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masato Kushibiki, Eiichi Nishimura