Patents by Inventor Hiroaki Inadomi
Hiroaki Inadomi 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: 20170256398Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes a container body, and a holding member that conveys the substrate from an outside of the container body into the container body and holds the substrate inside the container body during the processing. A substrate support pin supporting a wafer and a cooling plate cooling the holding member are provided outside the container body.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2017Publication date: September 7, 2017Inventors: Hiroaki Inadomi, Satoshi Okamura, Satoshi Biwa
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Publication number: 20170236729Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid processing method of drying a substrate held horizontally after supplying deionized water to the substrate. The liquid processing method includes: supplying the deionized water to a front surface of the substrate; supplying a first solvent to the front surface of the substrate after supplying the deionized water; supplying a water-repellent agent to the front surface of the substrate to impart water-repellency to the front surface of the substrate; supplying a second solvent to the front surface of the substrate to which water-repellency is imparted; and removing the second solvent from the front surface of the substrate. A specific gravity of the first solvent is smaller than a specific gravity of the water-repellent agent, and a specific gravity of the second solvent is larger than the specific gravity of the water-repellent agent.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2017Publication date: August 17, 2017Inventors: Yosuke Kawabuchi, Kouzou Tachibana, Mitsunori Nakamori, Kotaro Ooishi, Keisuke Egashira, Koji Tanaka, Hiroaki Inadomi, Masami Yamashita, Yoshiteru Fukuda, Koji Yamashita, Yu Tsurifune, Takuro Masuzumi
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Publication number: 20160336201Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus is provided including: a liquid processing unit that processes a substrate with a processing liquid; a carry-in port formed in the liquid processing unit and configured to carry-in the substrate in a dry-state before the substrate is processed with the processing liquid; a carry-out port formed in the liquid processing unit and configured to carry-out the substrate in a wet-state after completing the liquid processing; a supercritical dry processing unit that performs a dry processing for the substrate using a supercritical fluid; a first substrate transport unit that transports the substrate in a dry-state before the substrate is processed with the processing liquid to the carry-out port of the liquid processing unit; and a second substrate transport unit that transports the substrate in a wet-state after completing the liquid processing from the carry-out port of the liquid processing unit to the supercritical dry processing unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 26, 2016Publication date: November 17, 2016Inventor: Hiroaki INADOMI
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Patent number: 9496158Abstract: Provided is a processing apparatus for performing a processing of a substrate to be processed using a high-pressure fluid to prevent the generation of particles and ensure airtightness in the processing container. A sealing member is installed to surround a carrying port of the processing chamber, the carrying port is closed by the cover, and the cover is restricted from retreating by the pressure in the processing chamber by a lock plate, thereby processing the wafer in the processing chamber using the high-pressure fluid. Since the sealing member is pressurized by the internal atmosphere of the processing chamber to be pressed toward the cover during the drying process, a gap between the cover and the processing chamber may be airtightly closed. Since the sealing member does not slide with respect to the processing chamber or the cover, the generation of particles is suppressed.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2012Date of Patent: November 15, 2016Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Mikio Nakashima, Hiroaki Inadomi, Satoshi Okamura
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Patent number: 9449857Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus is provided including: a liquid processing unit that processes a substrate with a processing liquid; a carry-in port formed in the liquid processing unit and configured to carry-in the substrate in a dry-state before the substrate is processed with the processing liquid; a carry-out port formed in the liquid processing unit and configured to carry-out the substrate in a wet-state after completing the liquid processing; a supercritical dry processing unit that performs a dry processing for the substrate using a supercritical fluid; a first substrate transport unit that transports the substrate in a dry-state before the substrate is processed with the processing liquid to the carry-out port of the liquid processing unit; and a second substrate transport unit that transports the substrate in a wet-state after completing the liquid processing from the carry-out port of the liquid processing unit to the supercritical dry processing unit.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2013Date of Patent: September 20, 2016Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventor: Hiroaki Inadomi
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Patent number: 8814563Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate heating apparatus including a hot plate that heats a substrate, and a cooling plate that supports the substrate and moves between a first position (home position) and the second position above the hot plate to transfer wafers between the two positions. A heat-radiating fin structure is connected to the cooling plate to move together with the cooling plate. The fin structure is thermally connected to the cooling plate via heat pipes. A suction port is arranged so as to locate adjacent to the fin structure when the cooling plate is in the home position. The fin structure is cooled by a gas passing therethrough before flown into the suction port, whereby the cooling plate is cooled through heat transfer from the cooling plate to the fin structure through the heat pipes.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2010Date of Patent: August 26, 2014Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shinichi Hayashi, Hiroaki Inadomi
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Publication number: 20140145390Abstract: In the present disclosure, the high-pressure chamber includes a chamber main body including a flat rectangular parallelepiped block of a metal which is formed with a flat cavity that serves as a substrate processing space in which a processing using a high-pressure fluid is performed on a substrate, and the substrate processing space being formed by machining the block from one of faces of the block other than the widest face towards another face opposing thereto. In a case where the cavity is constituted as a through hole, the though hole is provided with a cover configured to open or close the cavity on one side of the through hole, and a second block configured to air-tightly seal the cavity on the other side.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2013Publication date: May 29, 2014Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Kazuyuki Mitsuoka, Gen You, Hiroki Ohno, Takehiko Orii, Takayuki Toshima, Hiroaki Inadomi
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Publication number: 20130327363Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus is provided including: a liquid processing unit that processes a substrate with a processing liquid; a carry-in port formed in the liquid processing unit and configured to carry-in the substrate in a dry-state before the substrate is processed with the processing liquid; a carry-out port formed in the liquid processing unit and configured to carry-out the substrate in a wet-state after completing the liquid processing; a supercritical dry processing unit that performs a dry processing for the substrate using a supercritical fluid; a first substrate transport unit that transports the substrate in a dry-state before the substrate is processed with the processing liquid to the carry-out port of the liquid processing unit; and a second substrate transport unit that transports the substrate in a wet-state after completing the liquid processing from the carry-out port of the liquid processing unit to the supercritical dry processing unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2013Publication date: December 12, 2013Inventor: Hiroaki Inadomi
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Patent number: 8567417Abstract: An ultrasonic cleaning apparatus including: a cleaning tank for storing a cleaning liquid; an object-to-be-processed holder for insertion into the cleaning tank, the holder holding an object to be processed and immersing the object into the cleaning liquid; a vibrator disposed on a bottom part of the cleaning tank; and an ultrasonic oscillator configured to make the vibrator ultrasonically vibrate. In the cleaning tank, a lateral holding member configured to hold the object is disposed. The holder is configured to be laterally moved by a driving apparatus. The control device is configured to control the driving apparatus such that the holder is laterally moved after the object has been held by the lateral holding member, and the control device is configured to control the ultrasonic oscillator such that the vibrator is made to ultrasonically vibrate so that the ultrasonic vibration from the vibrator is propagated to the object.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2010Date of Patent: October 29, 2013Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Yuji Kamikawa, Hiroaki Inadomi, Hideyuki Yamamoto, Hiroshi Komiya, Koji Egashira
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Publication number: 20120266925Abstract: Provided is a processing apparatus for performing a processing of a substrate to be processed using a high-pressure fluid to prevent the generation of particles and ensure airtightness in the processing container. A sealing member is installed to surround a carrying port of the processing chamber, the carrying port is closed by the cover, and the cover is restricted from retreating by the pressure in the processing chamber by a lock plate, thereby processing the wafer in the processing chamber using the high-pressure fluid. Since the sealing member is pressurized by the internal atmosphere of the processing chamber to be pressed toward the cover during the drying process, a gap between the cover and the processing chamber may be airtightly closed. Since the sealing member does not slide with respect to the processing chamber or the cover, the generation of particles is suppressed.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2012Publication date: October 25, 2012Inventors: Mikio Nakashima, Hiroaki Inadomi, Satoshi Okamura
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Patent number: 8237092Abstract: A substrate heating apparatus includes a top plate arranged above a hot plate so that a vertical space is formed between the hot plate and the top plate. The top plate has an evacuated internal chamber serving as a vacuum insulating layer that suppresses heat transfer from a first surface of the top plate facing the hot plate to a second surface of the top plate opposite to the first surface. When heating the substrate, a gas flow flowing through the space between the hot plate and the top plate is generated.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2010Date of Patent: August 7, 2012Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shinichi Hayashi, Tetsuo Fukuoka, Tetsuya Oda, Hiroaki Inadomi
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Patent number: 8080765Abstract: A substrate heating apparatus includes a top plate arranged above a hot plate so that a vertical space is formed between the hot plate and the top plate. The top plate has an evacuated internal chamber serving as a vacuum insulating layer that suppresses heat transfer from a first surface of the top plate facing the hot plate to a second surface of the top plate opposite to the first surface. When heating the substrate, a gas flow flowing through the space between the hot plate and the top plate is generated.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2010Date of Patent: December 20, 2011Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shinichi Hayashi, Tetsuo Fukuoka, Tetsuya Oda, Hiroaki Inadomi
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Publication number: 20110079240Abstract: An ultrasonic cleaning apparatus including: a cleaning tank for storing a cleaning liquid; an object-to-be-processed holder for insertion into the cleaning tank, the holder holding an object to be processed and immersing the object into the cleaning liquid; a vibrator disposed on a bottom part of the cleaning tank; and an ultrasonic oscillator configured to make the vibrator ultrasonically vibrate. In the cleaning tank, a lateral holding member configured to hold the object is disposed. The holder is configured to be laterally moved by a driving apparatus. The control device is configured to control the driving apparatus such that the holder is laterally moved after the object has been held by the lateral holding member, and the control device is configured to control the ultrasonic oscillator such that the vibrator is made to ultrasonically vibrate so that the ultrasonic vibration from the vibrator is propagated to the object.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2010Publication date: April 7, 2011Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Yuji KAMIKAWA, Hiroaki Inadomi, Hideyuki Yamamoto, Hiroshi Komiya, Koji Egashira
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Publication number: 20100326351Abstract: A substrate heating apparatus includes a top plate arranged above a hot plate so that a vertical space is formed between the hot plate and the top plate. The top plate has an evacuated internal chamber serving as a vacuum insulating layer that suppresses heat transfer from a first surface of the top plate facing the hot plate to a second surface of the top plate opposite to the first surface. When heating the substrate, a gas flow flowing through the space between the hot plate and the top plate is generated.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2010Publication date: December 30, 2010Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Shinichi HAYASHI, Tetsuo FUKUOKA, Tetsuya ODA, Hiroaki INADOMI
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Publication number: 20100330815Abstract: A substrate heating apparatus includes a top plate arranged above a hot plate so that a vertical space is formed between the hot plate and the top plate. The top plate has an evacuated internal chamber serving as a vacuum insulating layer that suppresses heat transfer from a first surface of the top plate facing the hot plate to a second surface of the top plate opposite to the first surface. When heating the substrate, a gas flow flowing through the space between the hot plate and the top plate is generated.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2010Publication date: December 30, 2010Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Shinichi Hayashi, Tetsuo Fukuoka, Tetsuya Oda, Hiroaki Inadomi
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Patent number: 7812285Abstract: A substrate heating apparatus includes a top plate arranged above a hot plate so that a vertical space is formed between the hot plate and the top plate. The top plate has an evacuated internal chamber serving as a vacuum insulating layer that suppresses heat transfer from a first surface of the top plate facing the hot plate to a second surface of the top plate opposite to the first surface. When heating the substrate, a gas flow flowing through the space between the hot plate and the top plate is generated.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2005Date of Patent: October 12, 2010Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shinichi Hayashi, Tetsuo Fukuoka, Tetsuya Oda, Hiroaki Inadomi
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Publication number: 20100255204Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate heating apparatus including a hot plate that heats a substrate, and a cooling plate that supports the substrate and moves between a first position (home position) and the second position above the hot plate to transfer wafers between the two positions. A heat-radiating fin structure is connected to the cooling plate to move together with the cooling plate. The fin structure is thermally connected to the cooling plate via heat pipes. A suction port is arranged so as to locate adjacent to the fin structure when the cooling plate is in the home position. The fin structure is cooled by a gas passing therethrough before flown into the suction port, whereby the cooling plate is cooled through heat transfer from the cooling plate to the fin structure through the heat pipes.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2010Publication date: October 7, 2010Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Shinichi HAYASHI, Hiroaki INADOMI
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Patent number: 7780438Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate heating apparatus including a hot plate that heats a substrate, and a cooling plate that supports the substrate and moves between a first position (home position) and the second position above the hot plate to transfer wafers between the two positions. A heat-radiating fin structure is connected to the cooling plate to move together with the cooling plate. The fin structure is thermally connected to the cooling plate via heat pipes. A suction port is arranged so as to locate adjacent to the fin structure when the cooling plate is in the home position. The fin structure is cooled by a gas passing therethrough before flown into the suction port, whereby the cooling plate is cooled through heat transfer from the cooling plate to the fin structure through the heat pipes.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2006Date of Patent: August 24, 2010Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Shinichi Hayashi, Hiroaki Inadomi
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Patent number: 7758340Abstract: A heating device provided with a cooling plate and a heating plate is formed in a low height, and floats a substrate above the cooling plate and the heating plate and moves the substrate horizontally between the cooling plate and the heating plate by the pressure of a gas. A heating device 2 includes a cooling plate 3 provided with flotation gas spouting ports 3a, and a heating plate provided with flotation gas spouting ports. The flotation gas spouting ports 3a and 3b are arranged along a wafer moving passage and are formed so as to spout the gas obliquely upward toward a first end of the wafer moving passage on the side of the cooling plate. A pushing member 51 is brought into contact with a back part of a wafer W with respect to a direction in which the wafer W is moved to move the wafer W in a direction toward the heating plate 6 opposite a direction in which the flotation gas is spouted.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2006Date of Patent: July 20, 2010Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Masami Akimoto, Shinichi Hayashi, Naruaki Iida, Hiroaki Inadomi
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Publication number: 20070160947Abstract: A heating device provided with a cooling plate and a heating plate is formed in a low height, and floats a substrate above the cooling plate and the heating plate and moves the substrate horizontally between the cooling plate and the heating plate by the pressure of a gas. A heating device 2 includes a cooling plate 3 provided with flotation gas spouting ports 3a, and a heating plate provided with flotation gas spouting ports. The flotation gas spouting ports 3a and 3b are arranged along a wafer moving passage and are formed so as to spout the gas obliquely upward toward a first end of the wafer moving passage on the side of the cooling plate. A pushing member 51 is brought into contact with a back part of a wafer W with respect to a direction in which the wafer W is moved to move the wafer W in a direction toward the heating plate 6 opposite a direction in which the flotation gas is spouted.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2006Publication date: July 12, 2007Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Masami AKIMOTO, Shinichi Hayashi, Naruaki Ilda, Hiroaki Inadomi