Patents by Inventor Hiroichi Inada
Hiroichi Inada 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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Patent number: 8287954Abstract: There is provided an apparatus including: a processing cup having an opening opened upward to allow a substrate to be loaded and unloaded, an exhaust port for exhausting an unnecessary atmosphere produced in forming a film applied on the substrate, and an aspiration port for aspirating external air; and an aspiration device aspirating the unnecessary atmosphere through the exhaust port, wherein when the substrate is accommodated in the opening of the processing cup, the substrate has a perimeter spaced from the opening by a predetermined gap, and below the substrate accommodated in the processing cup there is formed an exhaust flow path extending from the aspiration port to the exhaust port.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2010Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Kousuke Yoshihara, Hiroichi Inada
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Patent number: 8256370Abstract: A coating apparatus includes a liquid film forming mechanism configured to form a liquid film of a process liquid for preventing a contaminant derived from a coating liquid from being deposited or left on a back side peripheral portion of a substrate. The liquid film forming mechanism includes a counter face portion facing the back side peripheral portion of the substrate and a process liquid supply portion for supplying the process liquid onto the counter face portion. The coating apparatus further includes a posture regulating mechanism disposed around the substrate holding member and configured to damp a vertical wobble of the peripheral portion of the substrate being rotated. The posture regulating mechanism includes delivery holes arrayed in a rotational direction of the substrate and configured to deliver a gas onto a back side region of the substrate on an inner side of the peripheral portion.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2009Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Takahiro Kitano, Koichi Obata, Hiroichi Inada, Nobuhiro Ogata
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Publication number: 20120213925Abstract: A coating method includes holding a substrate in a horizontal state on a substrate holding member; supplying a coating liquid onto a front side central portion of the substrate held on the substrate holding member; rotating the substrate holding member about a vertical axis to spread the coating liquid supplied on the front side central portion of the substrate toward a front side peripheral portion of the substrate by a centrifugal force; and damping a wobble of the substrate being rotated, by a wobble damping mechanism including a gas delivery port and a suction port both disposed to face a back side of the substrate, while delivering a gas from the delivery port and sucking the gas into the suction port.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2012Publication date: August 23, 2012Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Takahiro Kitano, Koichi Obata, Hiroichi Inada, Nobuhiro Ogata
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Patent number: 8225737Abstract: A coating apparatus includes a driving unit configured to rotate a substrate holding member about a vertical axis to spread a coating liquid supplied on a front side central portion of a substrate toward a front side peripheral portion of the substrate by a centrifugal force. The apparatus is provided with a wobble damping mechanism including a gas delivery port and a suction port both disposed to face a back side of the substrate and configured to damp a wobble of the substrate being rotated by delivering a gas from the delivery port and sucking the gas into the suction port.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2009Date of Patent: July 24, 2012Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Takahiro Kitano, Koichi Obata, Hiroichi Inada, Nobuhiro Ogata
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Publication number: 20120183693Abstract: A coating film forming apparatus that holds a substrate upon a spin chuck and forms a coating film by supplying a chemical liquid upon a top surface of said substrate comprises: an outer cup provided detachably to surround the spin chuck; an inner cup provided detachably to surround a region underneath the substrate held upon the chuck; a cleaning nozzle configured to supply a cleaning liquid for cleaning a peripheral edge part of the substrate, such that the cleaning liquid is supplied to a peripheral part of a bottom surface of the substrate; a cutout part for nozzle mounting, the cutout part being provided to the inner cup to engage with the cleaning nozzle; and a cleaning liquid supply tube connected to the cleaning nozzle, the cleaning nozzle being detachable to the cutout part in a state in which the cleaning liquid supply tube is connected.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 19, 2012Publication date: July 19, 2012Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Nobuhiro Ogata, Hiroichi Inada, Taro Yamamoto, Akihiro Fujimoto
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Patent number: 8186298Abstract: A coating film forming apparatus that holds a substrate upon a spin chuck and forms a coating film by supplying a chemical liquid upon a top surface of said substrate comprises: an outer cup provided detachably to surround the spin chuck; an inner cup provided detachably to surround a region underneath the substrate held upon the chuck; a cleaning nozzle configured to supply a cleaning liquid for cleaning a peripheral edge part of the substrate, such that the cleaning liquid is supplied to a peripheral part of a bottom surface of the substrate; a cutout part for nozzle mounting, the cutout part being provided to the inner cup to engage with the cleaning nozzle; and a cleaning liquid supply tube connected to the cleaning nozzle, the cleaning nozzle being detachable to the cutout part in a state in which the cleaning liquid supply tube is connected.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2008Date of Patent: May 29, 2012Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Nobuhiro Ogata, Hiroichi Inada, Taro Yamamoto, Akihiro Fujimoto
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Publication number: 20120052190Abstract: There is provided a liquid processing apparatus including a first and a second processing regions provided in a left-right direction, each for accommodating a substrate and performing a process on the substrate by a processing solution from a nozzle; a rotary body rotatable about a vertical axis; a plurality of nozzles provided at the rotary body while kept in a standby state at an outside of the processing regions, commonly used for the processing regions; a nozzle transfer device, having a nozzle holder moving back and forth, provided at the rotary body and configured to transfer a nozzle into a selected one of the processing regions while holding the selected nozzle by the nozzle holder; and a rotation driving unit configured to rotate the rotary body so as to allow a front of the nozzle holder in a forward/backward direction thereof to face the selected one of the processing regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2011Publication date: March 1, 2012Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Norihiko Sasagawa, Hiroichi Inada, Yasushi Takiguchi
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Publication number: 20110008538Abstract: There is provided an apparatus including: a processing cup having an opening opened upward to allow a substrate to be loaded and unloaded, an exhaust port for exhausting an unnecessary atmosphere produced in forming a film applied on the substrate, and an aspiration port for aspirating external air; and an aspiration device aspirating the unnecessary atmosphere through the exhaust port, wherein when the substrate is accommodated in the opening of the processing cup, the substrate has a perimeter spaced from the opening by a predetermined gap, and below the substrate accommodated in the processing cup there is formed an exhaust flow path extending from the aspiration port to the exhaust port.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2010Publication date: January 13, 2011Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Kousuke Yoshihara, Hiroichi Inada
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Patent number: 7802536Abstract: There is provided an apparatus including: a processing cup having an opening opened upward to allow a substrate to be loaded and unloaded, an exhaust port for exhausting an unnecessary atmosphere produced in forming a film applied on the substrate, and an aspiration port for aspirating external air; and an aspiration device aspirating the unnecessary atmosphere through the exhaust port, wherein when the substrate is accommodated in the opening of the processing cup, the substrate has a perimeter spaced from the opening by a predetermined gap, and below the substrate accommodated in the processing cup there is formed an exhaust flow path extending from the aspiration port to the exhaust port.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2006Date of Patent: September 28, 2010Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Kousuke Yoshihara, Hiroichi Inada
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Publication number: 20090285984Abstract: A coating apparatus includes a driving unit configured to rotate a substrate holding member about a vertical axis to spread a coating liquid supplied on a front side central portion of a substrate toward a front side peripheral portion of the substrate by a centrifugal force. The apparatus is provided with a wobble damping mechanism including a gas delivery port and a suction port both disposed to face a back side of the substrate and configured to damp a wobble of the substrate being rotated by delivering a gas from the delivery port and sucking the gas into the suction port.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2009Publication date: November 19, 2009Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Takahiro KITANO, Koichi OBATA, Hiroichi INADA, Nobuhiro OGATA
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Publication number: 20090285991Abstract: A coating apparatus includes a liquid film forming mechanism configured to form a liquid film of a process liquid for preventing a contaminant derived from a coating liquid from being deposited or left on a back side peripheral portion of a substrate. The liquid film forming mechanism includes a counter face portion facing the back side peripheral portion of the substrate and a process liquid supply portion for supplying the process liquid onto the counter face portion. The coating apparatus further includes a posture regulating mechanism disposed around the substrate holding member and configured to damp a vertical wobble of the peripheral portion of the substrate being rotated. The posture regulating mechanism includes delivery holes arrayed in a rotational direction of the substrate and configured to deliver a gas onto a back side region of the substrate on an inner side of the peripheral portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2009Publication date: November 19, 2009Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Takahiro Kitano, Koichi Obata, Hiroichi Inada, Nobuhiro Ogata
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Publication number: 20080280054Abstract: A coating film forming apparatus that holds a substrate upon a spin chuck and forms a coating film by supplying a chemical liquid upon a top surface of said substrate comprises: an outer cup provided detachably to surround the spin chuck; an inner cup provided detachably to surround a region underneath the substrate held upon the chuck; a cleaning nozzle configured to supply a cleaning liquid for cleaning a peripheral edge part of the substrate, such that the cleaning liquid is supplied to a peripheral part of a bottom surface of the substrate; a cutout part for nozzle mounting, the cutout part being provided to the inner cup to engage with the cleaning nozzle; and a cleaning liquid supply tube connected to the cleaning nozzle, the cleaning nozzle being detachable to the cutout part in a state in which the cleaning liquid supply tube is connected.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2008Publication date: November 13, 2008Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Nobuhiro OGATA, Hiroichi Inada, Taro Yamamoto, Akihiro Fujimoto
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Patent number: 7344600Abstract: Dislocation of processing liquid pouring nozzles is prevented, smooth carrying of the processing liquid pouring nozzles is achieved, and the positional accuracy of the processing liquid pouring nozzles, processing accuracy and yield are improved. A substrate processing apparatus includes a spin chuck (50) for holding and rotating a wafer (W), a plurality of processing liquid pouring nozzles (60) for pouring processing liquids on a surface of the wafer (W), a solvent bath (70) for holding the processing liquid pouring nozzles at their home positions, and a nozzle-carrying arm (80) for detachably gripping desired one of the processing liquid pouring nozzles (60) held on the solvent bath (70) and carrying the desired processing liquid pouring nozzle (60) to a working position above the wafer (W).Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2002Date of Patent: March 18, 2008Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hiroichi Inada, Naofumi Kishita
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Publication number: 20070071890Abstract: There is provided an apparatus including: a processing cup having an opening opened upward to allow a substrate to be loaded and unloaded, an exhaust port for exhausting an unnecessary atmosphere produced in forming a film applied on the substrate, and an aspiration port for aspirating external air; and an aspiration device aspirating the unnecessary atmosphere through the exhaust port, wherein when the substrate is accommodated in the opening of the processing cup, the substrate has a perimeter spaced from the opening by a predetermined gap, and below the substrate accommodated in the processing cup there is formed an exhaust flow path extending from the aspiration port to the exhaust port.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2006Publication date: March 29, 2007Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Kousuke Yoshihara, Hiroichi Inada
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Patent number: 6982102Abstract: The present invention is a coating unit for applying a coating solution on a substrate, comprising: a container enclosing the substrate; a casing for accommodating the container therein; a supply device for supplying a predetermined gas into the casing; a first exhaust pipe for exhausting an atmosphere inside the container; a second exhaust pipe for exhausting an atmosphere inside the casing; a first adjusting device which is disposed in the first exhaust pipe, for adjusting a flow rate of an atmosphere passing through the first exhaust pipe; and a second adjusting device which is disposed in the second exhaust pipe, for adjusting a flow rate of an atmosphere passing through the second exhaust pipe. According to the present invention, the second exhaust pipe is usable for adjusting the exhaust flow rate to maintain a pressure inside the casing at a positive pressure.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2004Date of Patent: January 3, 2006Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hiroichi Inada, Shinichi Hayashi
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Patent number: 6919913Abstract: A CCD camera and a laser displacement measurement apparatus are provided on a transfer apparatus for transferring a wafer between processing units. The transfer apparatus performs a predetermined image pickup in each processing unit with the CCD camera and the laser displacement measurement apparatus 62 to perform monitoring of a required place in the processing unit. According to the above configuration, it is possible to monitor the required place in the processing unit without an increase in number of components and further without consideration of a space for provision of an image pickup means.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2000Date of Patent: July 19, 2005Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hiroichi Inada, Issei Ueda
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Publication number: 20050145168Abstract: Dislocation of processing liquid pouring nozzles is prevented, smooth carrying of the processing liquid pouring nozzles is achieved, and the positional accuracy of the processing liquid pouring nozzles, processing accuracy and yield are improved. A substrate processing apparatus includes a spin chuck (50) for holding and rotating a wafer (W), a plurality of processing liquid pouring nozzles (60) for pouring processing liquids on a surface of the wafer (W), a solvent bath (70) for holding the processing liquid pouring nozzles at their home positions, and a nozzle-carrying arm (80) for detachably gripping desired one of the processing liquid pouring nozzles (60) held on the solvent bath (70) and carrying the desired processing liquid pouring nozzle (60) to a working position above the wafer (W).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2002Publication date: July 7, 2005Inventors: Hiroichi Inada, Naofumi Kishita
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Publication number: 20040175497Abstract: The present invention is a coating unit for applying a coating solution on a substrate, comprising: a container enclosing the substrate; a casing for accommodating the container therein; a supply device for supplying a predetermined gas into the casing; a first exhaust pipe for exhausting an atmosphere inside the container; a second exhaust pipe for exhausting an atmosphere inside the casing; a first adjusting device which is disposed in the first exhaust pipe, for adjusting a flow rate of an atmosphere passing through the first exhaust pipe; and a second adjusting device which is disposed in the second exhaust pipe, for adjusting a flow rate of an atmosphere passing through the second exhaust pipe. According to the present invention, the second exhaust pipe is usable for adjusting the exhaust flow rate to maintain a pressure inside the casing at a positive pressure.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2004Publication date: September 9, 2004Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hiroichi Inada, Shinichi Hayashi
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Patent number: 6752872Abstract: The present invention is a coating unit for applying a coating solution on a substrate, comprising: a container enclosing the substrate; a casing for accommodating the container therein; a supply device for supplying a predetermined gas into the casing; a first exhaust pipe for exhausting an atmosphere inside the container; a second exhaust pipe for exhausting an atmosphere inside the casing; a first adjusting device which is disposed in the first exhaust pipe, for adjusting a flow rate of an atmosphere passing through the first exhaust pipe; and a second adjusting device which is disposed in the second exhaust pipe, for adjusting a flow rate of an atmosphere passing through the second exhaust pipe. According to the present invention, the second exhaust pipe is usable for adjusting the exhaust flow rate to maintain a pressure inside the casing at a positive pressure.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2001Date of Patent: June 22, 2004Assignee: Tokyo, Electron LimitedInventors: Hiroichi Inada, Shinichi Hayashi
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Patent number: 6730599Abstract: The present invention is a film forming method of forming a film of a treatment solution on the front face of a substrate in a treatment chamber including the steps of: supplying the treatment solution to the substrate mounted on a holding member in the treatment chamber in states of gas being supplied into the treatment chamber and of an atmosphere in the treatment chamber being exhausted; and measuring the temperature of the front face of the substrate before the supply of the treatment solution. The measurement of the temperature of the front face of the substrate before the supply of the treatment solution enables the check of the temperature of the front face of the substrate and the temperature distribution. Then, the measured result is compared with a previously obtained ideal temperature distribution for the formation of a film with a uniform thickness, thereby predicting the film thickness of the film which will be formed in the following processing.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2003Date of Patent: May 4, 2004Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hiroichi Inada, Shuichi Nagamine