Patents by Inventor Hirokazu Ueda

Hirokazu Ueda 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: 20150132929
    Abstract: Provided is a method for injecting a dopant into a substrate to be processed. A method in one embodiment of the present invention includes: (a) a step for preparing, in a processing container, a substrate to be processed; and (b) a step for injecting a dopant into the substrate by supplying a doping gas containing AsH3, an inert gas, and H2 gas to the inside of the processing container, and applying plasma excitation energy to the inside of the processing container. In the step of injecting the dopant, the ratio of hydrogen partial pressure to the gas total pressure in the processing container is set within the range of 0.0015-0.003.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Masahiro Horigome, Hirokazu Ueda, Masahiro Oka, Masahiro Yamazaki, Takenao Nemoto
  • Patent number: 9029249
    Abstract: Disclosed is a plasma doping apparatus provided with a plasma generating mechanism. The plasma generating mechanism includes a microwave generator that generates microwave for plasma excitation, a dielectric window that transmits the microwave generated by the microwave generator into a processing container, and a radial line slot antenna formed with a plurality of slots. The radial line slot antenna radiates the microwave to the dielectric window. A control unit controls the plasma doping apparatus such that a doping gas and a gas for plasma excitation are supplied into the processing container by a gas supply unit in a state where the substrate is placed on a holding unit, and then plasma is generated by the plasma generating mechanism to perform doping on the substrate such that the concentration of the dopant implanted into the substrate is less than 1×1013 atoms/cm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ueda, Masahiro Oka, Masahiro Horigome, Yuuki Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20150087140
    Abstract: A film forming method according to an embodiment includes: (a) a step of supplying a first precursor gas of a semiconductor material into a processing vessel in which a processing target substrate is disposed, the first precursor gas being adsorbed onto the processing target substrate during the step; (b) a step of supplying a second precursor gas of a dopant material into the processing vessel, the second precursor gas being adsorbed onto the processing target substrate during the step; and (c) a step of generating the plasma of a reaction gas in the processing vessel, a plasma treatment being performed during the step so as to modify a layer adsorbed onto the processing target substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nozawa, Hirokazu Ueda
  • Publication number: 20140367699
    Abstract: The method for fabricating a semiconductor device is to fabricate a semiconductor device including GaN (gallium nitride) that composes a semiconductor layer and includes a step of forming a gate insulating film. In the step, at least one film selected from the group consisting of a SiO2 film and an Al2O3 film is formed on a nitride layer containing GaN by using microwave plasma and the formed film is used as at least a part of the gate insulating film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Applicants: TOHOKU UNIVERSITY, FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD., TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Akinobu TERAMOTO, Hiroshi KAMBAYASHI, Hirokazu UEDA, Yuichiro MOROZUMI, Katsushige HARADA, Kazuhide HASEBE, Tadahiro OHMI
  • Publication number: 20140357068
    Abstract: A plasma doping apparatus which performs doping by injecting dopants into a substrate to be processed. The apparatus includes a processing container, a gas supplying unit configured to supply a doping gas and an inert gas for plasma excitation into the processing container, a holding table configured to hold the substrate to be processed, a plasma generating mechanism configured to generate plasma in the processing container using a microwave, a pressure adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a pressure in the processing container, and a control unit configured to control the plasma doping apparatus. The control unit controls the pressure adjusting mechanism to set the pressure in the processing container to be equal to or more than 100 mTorr and less than 500 mTorr such that a plasma processing is performed on the substrate to be processed using the plasma generated by the plasma generating mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Masahiro Horigome, Hirokazu Ueda, Masahiro Oka, Yuuki Kobayashi, Takayuki Karakawa
  • Publication number: 20140302666
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for doping a surface of a substrate with a dopant, with the dopant being for example phosphine or arsine. The doping is performed with a plasma formed primarily of an inert gas such as helium or argon, with a low concentration of the dopant. To provide conformal doping, preferably to form a monolayer of the dopant, the gas flow introduction location is switched during the doping process, with the gas mixture primarily introduced through a center top port in the process chamber during a first period of time followed by introduction of the gas mixture primarily through peripheral or edge injection ports for a second period of time, with the switching continuing in an alternating fashion as the plasma process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Peter VENTZEK, Takenao NEMOTO, Hirokazu UEDA, Yuuki KOBAYASHI, Masahiro HORIGOME
  • Publication number: 20140227458
    Abstract: Disclosed is a plasma evaluation method that evaluates plasma P that forms a nitride film by an atomic layer deposition method. First, light emission from the plasma P generated from a gas G that contains nitrogen atoms and hydrogen atoms is detected. Then, evaluation of the plasma P is performed by using a result of comparing an intensity ratio between a first peak caused by hydrogen atoms and a second peak different from the first peak and caused by hydrogen atoms in an intensity spectrum of the detected light emission with a reference value calculated in advance from a relationship between the intensity ratio and an indicator that indicates a film quality of the nitride film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takayuki Karakawa, Hirokazu Ueda
  • Publication number: 20140179028
    Abstract: Disclosed is a plasma doping apparatus provided with a plasma generating mechanism. The plasma generating mechanism includes a microwave generator that generates microwave for plasma excitation, a dielectric window that transmits the microwave generated by the microwave generator into a processing container, and a radial line slot antenna formed with a plurality of slots. The radial line slot antenna radiates the microwave to the dielectric window. A control unit controls the plasma doping apparatus such that a doping gas and a gas for plasma excitation are supplied into the processing container by a gas supply unit in a state where the substrate is placed on a holding unit, and then plasma is generated by the plasma generating mechanism to perform doping on the substrate such that the concentration of the dopant implanted into the substrate is less than 1×1013 atoms/cm2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hirokazu UEDA, Masahiro OKA, Masahiro HORIGOME, Yuuki KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20140094024
    Abstract: Disclosed is a plasma doping apparatus including a processing chamber, a substrate holding unit, a plasma generating mechanism, a pressure control mechanism, a bias power supply mechanism, and a control unit. The control unit controls the pressure within the processing chamber to be a first pressure and controls the bias power to be supplied to the holding unit is to be a first bias power for a first plasma process. The control unit also controls the pressure within the processing chamber to be a second pressure which is higher than the first pressure, and controls the bias power to be supplied to the holding unit to be a second bias power which is lower than the first bias power for a second plasma process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Masahiro OKA, Yuuki KOBAYASHI, Hirokazu UEDA, Masahiro HORIGOME
  • Publication number: 20140051263
    Abstract: This film forming method comprises: a first material gas supply step (A) wherein a first raw material gas is supplied over the substrate to be processed so that a first chemical adsorption layer, which is adsorbed on the substrate by means of the first raw material gas is formed on the substrate to be processed, a second material gas supply step (C) wherein a second raw material that is different from the first raw material gas is supplied over the substrate, on which the first chemical adsorption layer has been formed, so that a second chemical adsorption layer, which is adsorbed by means of the second raw material gas, is formed on the first chemical adsorption layer; and a plasma processing step (E) wherein a plasma processing is carried on at least the first and second chemical adsorption layers using microwave plasma.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kouji Tanaka, Hirokazu Ueda
  • Publication number: 20130292700
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device including GaN (gallium nitride) that composes a semiconductor layer and includes forming a gate insulating film, in which at least one film selected from the group of a SiO2 film and an Al2O3 film is formed on a nitride layer containing GaN by using microwave plasma and the formed film is used as at least a part of the gate insulating film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicants: TOHOKU UNIVERSITY, TOKYO ELECTRON LIMTED, Advanced Power Device Research Association
    Inventors: Akinobu Teramoto, Hiroshi Kambayashi, Hirokazu Ueda, Yuichiro Morozumi, Katsushige Harada, Kazuhide Hasebe, Tadahiro Ohmi
  • Patent number: 8497214
    Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing method, the method including: forming a semiconductor element on a semiconductor substrate; and by using microwaves as a plasma source, forming an insulation film on the semiconductor element by performing a CVD process using microwave plasma having an electron temperature of plasma lower than 1.5 eV and an electron density of plasma higher than 1×1011 cm?3 near a surface of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, National University Corporation Tohoku University
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ueda, Toshihisa Nozawa, Takaaki Matsuoka, Akinobu Teramoto, Tadahiro Ohmi
  • Patent number: 8486792
    Abstract: A silicon compound gas, an oxidizing gas, and a rare gas are supplied into a chamber (2) of a plasma processing apparatus (1). A microwave is supplied into the chamber (2), and a silicon oxide film is formed on a target substrate with plasma generated by the microwave. A partial pressure ratio of the rare gas is 10% or more of a total gas pressure of the silicon compound gas, the oxidizing gas, and the rare gas, and an effective flow ratio of the silicon compound gas and the oxidizing gas (oxidizing gas/silicon compound gas) is not less than 3 but not more than 11.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ueda, Yoshinobu Tanaka, Yusuke Ohsawa, Toshihisa Nozawa, Takaaki Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20120190211
    Abstract: In a film forming method, firstly, a processing target substrate W as a base of a semiconductor device is held on a mounting table 34 by an electrostatic chuck. Then, a film forming gas is adsorbed onto the processing target substrate W (a gas adsorption process) ((A) of FIG. 6). Thereafter, the inside of the processing chamber 32 is evacuated in order to remove residues of the film forming gas ((B) of FIG. 6). Upon the completion of the first exhaust process, a plasma process using microwave is performed ((C) of FIG. 6). Upon the completion of the plasma process, the inside of the processing chamber 32 is evacuated in order to remove an unreacted reactant gas and the like ((D) of FIG. 6). These series of steps (A) to (D) are repeated in this sequence until a desired film thickness is obtained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ueda, Yusuke Ohsawa, Masahiro Horigome
  • Publication number: 20120003842
    Abstract: There is provided a silicon oxide film forming method including forming a silicon oxide film on a processing target substrate W by supplying a silicon compound gas, an oxidizing gas and a rare gas into a processing chamber 32 while maintaining a surface temperature of a holding table 34 capable of holding thereon the processing target substrate W at a temperature equal to or lower than about 300° C. and by generating microwave plasma within the processing chamber 32, and performing a plasma process on the silicon oxide film formed on the processing target substrate W by supplying an oxidizing gas and a rare gas into the processing chamber 32 and by generating microwave plasma within the processing chamber 32.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ueda, Yusuke Ohsawa, Yoshinobu Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20110074013
    Abstract: A silicon compound gas, an oxidizing gas, and a rare gas are supplied into a chamber (2) of a plasma processing apparatus (1). A microwave is supplied into the chamber (2), and a silicon oxide film is formed on a target substrate with plasma generated by the microwave. A partial pressure ratio of the rare gas is 10% or more of a total gas pressure of the silicon compound gas, the oxidizing gas, and the rare gas, and an effective flow ratio of the silicon compound gas and the oxidizing gas (oxidizing gas/silicon compound gas) is not less than 3 but not more than 11.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ueda, Yoshinobu Tanaka, Yusuke Ohsawa, Toshihisa Nozawa, Takaaki Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20100216300
    Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing method, the method including: forming a semiconductor element on a semiconductor substrate; and by using microwaves as a plasma source, forming an insulation film on the semiconductor element by performing a CVD process using microwave plasma having an electron temperature of plasma lower than 1.5 eV and an electron density of plasma higher than 1×1011 cm?3 near a surface of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicants: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ueda, Toshihisa Nozawa, Takaaki Matsuoka, Akinobu Teramoto, Tadahiro Ohmi
  • Publication number: 20100075066
    Abstract: A plasma film forming apparatus includes: a processing chamber; a mounting table for mounting thereon a target object; a ceiling plate which is installed at a ceiling portion and is made of a dielectric material; a gas introduction mechanism for introducing a processing gas including a film formation source gas and a supporting gas; and a microwave introduction mechanism which is installed at a ceiling plate's side and has a planar antenna member. The gas introduction mechanism includes: a central gas injection hole for the source gas, located above a central portion of the target object; and a plurality of peripheral gas injection holes for the source gas, arranged above a peripheral portion of the target object along a circumferential direction thereof. A plasma shielding member is installed above the target object and between the central gas injection hole and the peripheral gas injection holes along the circumferential direction thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ueda, Masahiro Horigome
  • Publication number: 20090311872
    Abstract: A gas ring has a ring shape and includes: a gas inlet hole through which a gas is introduced from outside the gas inlet hole into the gas ring; a plurality of gas jets that ejects the gas transferred from the gas inlet hole; and a plurality of branched paths extending along the ring shape from the gas inlet hole to each of the plurality of gas jets. Here, distances between each of the plurality of gas jets to central parts, which are branch points of each of the plurality of branched paths, are identical to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hirokazu UEDA, Yoshinobu TANAKA, Yasuhiro OTSUKA, Masanobu NAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20090208707
    Abstract: Disclosed is a thin film forming method including: a prevention film forming process for forming a charging damage prevention film for preventing a charging damage on a surface of a target object by a sputtering; and a thin film forming process for forming a desired thin film on a surface of the charging damage prevention film, which is formed on the surface of the target object, by a sputtering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ueda, Toshihisa Nozawa