Patents by Inventor Hiroki Ohno

Hiroki Ohno 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: 20130333726
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a substrate processing apparatus including: a processing chamber configured to process a substrate; a fluid supply source configured to supply a substrate processing fluid used in processing for the substrate in a predetermined pressure; a constant pressure supplying path configured to supply the substrate processing fluid from the fluid supply source to the processing chamber in a predetermined pressure without boosting the pressure of the substrate processing liquid; a boosted pressure supplying path configured to boost the pressure of the substrate processing fluid from the fluid supply source into a predetermined pressure by a booster mechanism and supply the pressure boosted substrate processing fluid to the processing chamber; and a control unit configured to switch over the constant pressure supplying path and the boosted pressure supplying path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Inventors: Gentaro GOSHI, Kazuyuki MITSUOKA, Gen YOU, Hiroki OHNO, Takehiko ORII, Takayuki TOSHIMA
  • Patent number: 8372212
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying method comprises cleaning a semiconductor substrate with a chemical solution, rinsing the semiconductor substrate with pure water after the cleaning, changing a liquid covering a surface of the semiconductor substrate from the pure water to alcohol by supplying the alcohol to the surface after the rinsing, guiding the semiconductor substrate having the surface wetted with the alcohol into a chamber, discharging oxygen from the chamber by supplying an inert gas into the chamber, putting the alcohol into a supercritical state by increasing temperature in the chamber to a critical temperature of the alcohol or higher after the discharge of the oxygen, and discharging the alcohol from the chamber by lowering pressure in the chamber and changing the alcohol from the supercritical state to a gaseous state. The chamber contains SUS. An inner wall face of the chamber is subjected to electrolytic polishing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yohei Sato, Hisashi Okuchi, Hiroshi Tomita, Hidekazu Hayashi, Yukiko Kitajima, Takayuki Toshima, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Kazuyuki Mitsuoka, Gen You, Hiroki Ohno, Takehiko Orii
  • Publication number: 20130019905
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying method for a semiconductor substrate, comprises introducing the semiconductor substrate into a chamber in a state, a surface of the semiconductor substrate being wet with alcohol, substituting the alcohol on the semiconductor substrate with a supercritical fluid of carbon dioxide by impregnating the semiconductor substrate to the supercritical fluid in the chamber, and discharging the supercritical fluid and the alcohol from the chamber and reducing a pressure inside the chamber. The method further comprises performing a baking treatment by supplying an oxygen gas or an ozone gas to the chamber after the reduction of the pressure inside the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventors: Linan JI, Hidekazu Hayashi, Hiroshi Tomita, Hisashi Okuchi, Yohei Sato, Takayuki Toshima, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Kazuyuki Mitsuoka, Gen You, Hiroki Ohno, Takehiko Orii
  • Patent number: 8337659
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a spin chuck (3) that holds a substrate (W) and rotates the same. A process liquid supply system (11, . . . ) is disposed to supply a process liquid to the substrate rotated by the spin chuck. There are disposed a fluid nozzle (12) that supplies to the substrate a drying fluid having a higher volatility than that of the process liquid, and an inert gas nozzle (13) that supplies an inert gas to the substrate. A nozzle moving mechanism (15, 52, . . . ) is disposed that moves the nozzles (12, 13) radially outward relative to a rotational center (Po) of the substrate, while maintaining the inert gas nozzle nearer to the rotational center of the substrate than the fluid nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takehiko Orii, Kenji Sekiguchi, Noritaka Uchida, Satoru Tanaka, Hiroki Ohno
  • Publication number: 20120304485
    Abstract: A substrate processing method and apparatus which can remove an anti-drying liquid, which has entered a three-dimensional pattern with recessed portions formed in a substrate, in a relatively short time. The substrate processing method includes the steps of: carrying a substrate, having a three-dimensional pattern formed in a surface, into a processing container, said pattern being covered with an anti-drying liquid that has entered the recessed portions of the pattern; heating the substrate and supplying a pressurizing gas or a fluid in a high-pressure state into the processing container, thereby forming a high-pressure atmosphere in the processing container before the anti-drying liquid vaporizes to such an extent as to cause pattern collapse and bringing the anti-drying liquid into a high-pressure state while keeping the liquid in the recessed portions of the pattern; and thereafter discharging a fluid in a high-pressure state or a gaseous state from the processing container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hidekazu Hayashi, Yohei Sato, Hisashi Okuchi, Hiroshi Tomita, Kazuyuki Mitsuoka, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Takehiko Orii, Gen You, Hiroki Ohno, Takayuki Toshima
  • Publication number: 20120247516
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a supercritical drying method comprises cleaning a semiconductor substrate with a chemical solution, rinsing the semiconductor substrate with pure water after the cleaning, changing a liquid covering a surface of the semiconductor substrate from the pure water to alcohol by supplying the alcohol to the surface after the rinsing, guiding the semiconductor substrate having the surface wetted with the alcohol into a chamber, discharging oxygen from the chamber by supplying an inert gas into the chamber, putting the alcohol into a supercritical state by increasing temperature in the chamber to a critical temperature of the alcohol or higher after the discharge of the oxygen, and discharging the alcohol from the chamber by lowering pressure in the chamber and changing the alcohol from the supercritical state to a gaseous state. The chamber contains SUS. An inner wall face of the chamber is subjected to electrolytic polishing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Inventors: Yohei SATO, Hisashi OKUCHI, Hiroshi TOMITA, Hidekazu HAYASHI, Yukiko KITAJIMA, Takayuki TOSHIMA, Mitsuaki IWASHITA, Kazuyuki MITSUOKA, Gen YOU, Hiroki OHNO, Takehiko ORII
  • Publication number: 20120187088
    Abstract: There are provided a liquid processing method and a liquid processing apparatus capable of providing a high etching rate and a high etching selectivity for silicon nitride against silicon oxide, and a storage medium storing the method thereon. In the method for etching, by an etching solution, a substrate on which silicon nitride and silicon oxide are exposed, the etching solution is produced by mixing a fluorine ion source material, water and a boiling point adjusting agent; the produced etching solution is heated to a substrate processing temperature equal to or higher than 140° C.; after a temperature of the etching solution reaches the substrate processing temperature, the temperature of the etching solution is maintained at the substrate processing temperature for a first preset time; and after a lapse of the first preset time, the substrate is etched by the etching solution maintained at the substrate processing temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroki Ohno, Takehiko Orii
  • Patent number: 8197606
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate cleaning method for prevent damage to a pattern formed on a substrate. The substrate cleaning method includes cleaning the substrate by striking cleaning particulates carried in a flow of dry air or inert gas against a surface of the substrate, and removing the cleaning particulates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tsukasa Watanabe, Naoki Shindo, Hiroki Ohno, Kenji Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 8147617
    Abstract: A wafer W is processed by supplying a two-fluid, high pressure jet water, or mega-sonic water onto the wafer W, while rotating the wafer W in an essentially horizontal state. After supply of the cleaning fluid is stopped, the wafer W is dried by rotating the wafer W at a higher speed than that used in supplying the cleaning fluid. No rinsing process using purified water is performed in a period after stopping supply of the cleaning fluid and before rotating the substrate at the higher speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kenji Sekiguchi, Hiroki Ohno
  • Patent number: 8137478
    Abstract: A substrate (W) is processed with the use of a process liquid such as a deionized water. Then, a first fluid which is more volatile than the process liquid is supplied to an upper surface of the substrate (W) from a fluid nozzle (12) to form a liquid film. Next, a second fluid which is more volatile than the process liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate (W) from the fluid nozzle (12), while the wafer (W) is being rotated. During this supply operation, a supply position (Sf) of the second fluid to the substrate (W) is moved radially outward from a rotational center (Po) of the substrate (W). As a result, it is possible to prevent the generation of particles on the substrate (W) after it is dried by using the first and second fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kenji Sekiguchi, Noritaka Uchida, Satoru Tanaka, Hiroki Ohno
  • Patent number: 8056257
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber, and a cleaning-liquid supply unit that supplies a cleaning liquid containing hydrofluoro ether onto a substrate to be processed placed in the chamber. In the chamber, there is further disposed a gas supply unit that supplies into the chamber a gas for preventing moisture from being adhered to a substrate to be processed, when a cleaning liquid containing hydrofluoro ether is supplied onto the substrate to be processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hiroki Ohno, Kenji Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 8042742
    Abstract: A non-contact IC label comprising an electrically insulating first substrate; an electrically connected antenna coil and IC chip provided on one surface of said substrate; a magnetic layer provided on said one surface of said substrate so as to cover said antenna coil and said IC chip, a first adhesive layer provided on said magnetic layer, an electrically insulating second substrate provided on said first adhesive layer, a second adhesive layer provided on said second substrate, a release paper provided on said second adhesive layer, and an overlay material provided on a third adhesive layer on the other surface of said first substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Toppan Forms Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kagaya, Yoshiaki Ide, Takeshi Yamakami, Hiroki Ohno
  • Publication number: 20100307543
    Abstract: A substrate (W) is processed with the use of a process liquid such as a deionized water. Then, a first fluid which is more volatile than the process liquid is supplied to an upper surface of the substrate (W) from a fluid nozzle (12) to form a liquid film. Next, a second fluid which is more volatile than the process liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate (W) from the fluid nozzle (12), while the wafer (W) is being rotated. During this supply operation, a supply position (Sf) of the second fluid to the substrate (W) is moved radially outward from a rotational center (Po) of the substrate (W). As a result, it is possible to prevent the generation of particles on the substrate (W) after it is dried by using the first and second fluids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kenji SEKIGUCHI, Noritaka Uchida, Satoru Tanaka, Hiroki Ohno
  • Patent number: 7837804
    Abstract: In a dry process after a cleaning process using a cleaning-liquid nozzle and a rinse process using a side rinse nozzle are performed on a wafer W, the wafer W is turned, feeding of pure water to a center point of the wafer W from a pure-water nozzle is started, and substantially at the same, injection of a nitrogen gas from a gas nozzle to a center portion of the wafer W at a point at an adequate distance apart from the center of the wafer W is started. Next, while the pure-water nozzle is caused to scan toward the periphery of the wafer W, the gas nozzle is caused to scan toward the periphery of the wafer W in an area radially inward of the position of the pure-water nozzle after the gas nozzle passes the center of the wafer W.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hiroki Ohno, Kenji Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 7806989
    Abstract: A substrate (W) is processed with the use of a process liquid such as a deionized water. Then, a first fluid which is more volatile than the process liquid is supplied to an upper surface of the substrate (W) from a fluid nozzle (12) to form a liquid film. Next, a second fluid which is more volatile than the process liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate (W) from the fluid nozzle (12), while the wafer (W) is being rotated. During this supply operation, a supply position (Sf) of the second fluid to the substrate (W) is moved radially outward from a rotational center (Po) of the substrate (W). As a result, it is possible to prevent the generation of particles on the substrate (W) after it is dried by using the first and second fluids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kenji Sekiguchi, Noritaka Uchida, Satoru Tanaka, Hiroki Ohno
  • Patent number: 7803230
    Abstract: In a substrate cleaning method and a substrate cleaning method according to the present invention, a brush 3 is brought into contact with a substrate W while rotating the same, and a cleaning position Sb of the brush 3 is moved relative to the substrate W from a center part of the substrate W toward a peripheral part thereof. A process fluid formed of liquid droplets and a gas is sprayed by a two-fluid nozzle 5 onto the substrate W, and a cleaning position Sn of the two-fluid nozzle 5 is moved relative to the substrate W from a center part of the substrate W toward a peripheral part thereof. During the movement of the cleaning position Sb of the brush 3 from the center part of the substrate W toward the peripheral part thereof, the cleaning position Sb of the two-fluid nozzle is positioned nearer to a center P0 than the cleaning position Sb of the brush 3. Since contaminations of the brush are prevented from adhering again to the wafer, it can be avoided that the wafer W is contaminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masaru Amai, Kenji Sekiguchi, Takehiko Orii, Hiroki Ohno, Satoru Tanaka, Takuya Mori
  • Publication number: 20100206329
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate cleaning method for prevent damage to a pattern formed on a substrate. The substrate cleaning method includes cleaning the substrate by striking cleaning particulates carried in a flow of dry air or inert gas against a surface of the substrate, and removing the cleaning particulates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tsukasa WATANABE, Naoki SHINDO, Hiroki OHNO, Kenji SEKIGUCHI
  • Patent number: 7767006
    Abstract: Water vapor is mixed to O3 gas generated by an ozone generator of discharge type. The mixed fluid is cooled by a cooler, thereby impurities such as metals and nitrogen oxides contained in the O3 gas dissolve into condensed water. Subsequently, a gas-liquid separator separates the O3 gas from the condensed water. Water vapor is mixed with the O3 gas again. The mixed fluid passes through a metal trap composed of a container containing plural silicon chips as a metal adsorbent, thereby to remove the remaining metals therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yoshichika Tokuno, Norihiro Ito, Takehiko Orii, Mitsunori Nakamori, Tadashi Iino, Hiroki Ohno, Yusuke Saito
  • Publication number: 20090114583
    Abstract: Ion exchange equipment which can deal with counter-flow regeneration or split-flow regeneration while simplifying a water collector. The ion exchange equipment comprises a first water collection pipe (14) communicating with a first channel (10) formed in a lid member (7) at a resin containing section (2), and second water collection pipe (20) communicating with a second channel (11) formed in the lid member (7), wherein an inner diameter of the second water collection pipe (20) is set larger than an outer diameter of the first water collection pipe (14). The water collection pipes (14, 20) have axes set coaxially with the axis of the resin containing section (2) and form a double pipe, and a third channel (12) communicating with the resin containing section (2) is formed in the lid member (7).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Yoneda, Saburo Nakamura, Hajime Abe, Katsufumi Isshiki, Hiroki Ohno, Gen Sato
  • Publication number: 20080251101
    Abstract: In a dry process after a cleaning process using a cleaning-liquid nozzle and a rinse process using a side rinse nozzle are performed on a wafer W, the wafer W is turned, feeding of pure water to a center point of the wafer W from a pure-water nozzle is started, and substantially at the same, injection of a nitrogen gas from a gas nozzle to a center portion of the wafer W at a point at an adequate distance apart from the center of the wafer W is started. Next, while the pure-water nozzle is caused to scan toward the periphery of the wafer W, the gas nozzle is caused to scan toward the periphery of the wafer W in an area radially inward of the position of the pure-water nozzle after the gas nozzle passes the center of the wafer W.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2005
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Inventors: Hiroki Ohno, Kenji Sekiguchi