Patents by Inventor Hironobu Hyakutake
Hironobu Hyakutake 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: 8882961Abstract: The density of a treatment fluid in exhaust gas is reduced, the amount of the treatment fluid that flows into exhausting equipment connected to a substrate treatment apparatus is reduced, and a load on the exhausting equipment is reduced. A substrate treatment apparatus includes: a substrate treating unit that treats a substrate; a treatment fluid supply unit that supplies, to the substrate treating unit, a treatment fluid used to treat the substrate; and an exhaust gas treating unit into which an exhaust gas containing the treatment fluid discharged from the substrate treating unit is introduced. The exhaust gas treating unit includes spray nozzles that spray a solvent toward the exhaust gas, the solvent dissolving the treatment fluid, thereby reducing the density of the treatment fluid in the exhaust gas. The exhaust gas treating unit has porous dispersion plates that cause the exhaust gas to disperse.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2009Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hironobu Hyakutake, Koji Yamashita, Shingo Kamitomo
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Publication number: 20140283887Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a cleaning tank configured to clean a target substrate; a drying chamber configured to communicate with an upper area of the cleaning tank and dry the target substrate picked up from the cleaning tank; a first drying gas supply unit configured to supply a first drying gas containing vapor of a solvent for removing a liquid; a second drying gas supply unit configured to supply a second drying gas not containing the vapor of the solvent for removing the liquid; a substrate holder configured to pick up the target substrate from the cleaning tank and transfer the target substrate to the drying chamber; and a controller configured to output a control signal to alternately supply the first drying gas and the second drying gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2014Publication date: September 25, 2014Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hiroshi Tanaka, Hironobu Hyakutake, Takashi Uno
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Patent number: 8778092Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing method including cleaning a substrate by immersing the substrate in a cleaning solution in a longitudinal direction while the cleaning solution is supplied to a cleaning tank; transferring the substrate picked up from the cleaning tank to a drying chamber while holding the substrate in a longitudinal direction; and drying the substrate in the drying chamber communicating with an upper area of the cleaning tank by alternately supplying a first drying gas containing vapor of a solvent for removing a liquid and a second drying gas without containing the vapor of the solvent for removing the liquid to an area where the substrate is exposed between the upper area of the cleaning tank and the drying chamber after an upper end of the cleaned substrate is picked up from a liquid surface of the cleaning solution.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2011Date of Patent: July 15, 2014Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hiroshi Tanaka, Hironobu Hyakutake, Takashi Uno
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Patent number: 8685169Abstract: Disclosed are a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method and a storage medium, capable of removing contaminant materials from a substrate by using SPM liquid (sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide mixture) while preventing degradation of the function of the SPM liquid for removing the contaminant materials. The SPM liquid is filled in a processing bath and the substrate is immersed in the SPM liquid. A heating unit is provided in the circulation path to heat the SPM liquid. A hydrogen peroxide supply line supplements hydrogen peroxide to the SPM liquid in the circulation path. A control unit adjusts the temperature of the SPM liquid to the predetermined temperature in the range of 135° C. to 170° C. based on a temperature detection value and outputs a control signal to supplement the sulfuric acid to compensate for the SPM liquid as the SPM liquid is evaporated by heating.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2010Date of Patent: April 1, 2014Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hironobu Hyakutake, Toshihide Takashima
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Patent number: 8577502Abstract: A processing apparatus is provided for enhancing throughput in the manufacture of semiconductor wafers and/or liquid crystal substrates, by reducing the time required for performing a rinsing process. A position of an object to be processed is controlled, such that a distance between the surface position of a rinsing liquid upon the rinsing process and a top end position of the object to be processed becomes shorter than a distance between the surface position of a chemical liquid upon a chemical liquid process and the top end position of the object to be processed. Alternatively, the position of the object to be processed is controlled, such that the distance between the surface position of the rinsing liquid upon the rinsing process and the top end position of the object to be processed becomes shorter than a distance between the bottom face position of the rinsing liquid and a bottom end position of the object to be processed.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2007Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hiroshi Tanaka, Hironobu Hyakutake, Yuji Kamikawa
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Publication number: 20110290279Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a process tank including a pair of opposed sidewalls, storing a chemical liquid therein and processing a plurality of substrates by the chemical liquid; a substrate holding mechanism including a holding part holding the plurality of substrates, and a back part connected to the holding part and interposed between the substrates held by the holding part and one of the pair of sidewalls when the substrate holding mechanism is loaded into the process tank. A heating device is disposed on the process tank and heats the stored chemical liquid. The heating device includes a first heating device disposed on the one sidewall, and a second heating device disposed on the other sidewall. Outputs of the first heating device and the second heating device are independently controlled.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2011Publication date: December 1, 2011Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hironobu HYAKUTAKE, Shinichiro Shimomura
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Publication number: 20110259521Abstract: The density of a treatment fluid in exhaust gas is reduced, the amount of the treatment fluid that flows into exhausting equipment connected to a substrate treatment apparatus is reduced, and a load on the exhausting equipment is reduced. A substrate treatment apparatus includes: a substrate treating unit that treats a substrate; a treatment fluid supply unit that supplies, to the substrate treating unit, a treatment fluid used to treat the substrate; and an exhaust gas treating unit into which an exhaust gas containing the treatment fluid discharged from the substrate treating unit is introduced. The exhaust gas treating unit includes spray nozzles that spray a solvent toward the exhaust gas, the solvent dissolving the treatment fluid, thereby reducing the density of the treatment fluid in the exhaust gas. The exhaust gas treating unit has porous dispersion plates that cause the exhaust gas to disperse.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2009Publication date: October 27, 2011Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hironobu Hyakutake, Koji Yamashita, Shingo Kamitomo
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Publication number: 20110220153Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing method including cleaning a substrate by immersing the substrate in a cleaning solution in a longitudinal direction while the cleaning solution is supplied to a cleaning tank; transferring the substrate picked up from the cleaning tank to a drying chamber while holding the substrate in a longitudinal direction; and drying the substrate in the drying chamber communicating with an upper area of the cleaning tank by alternately supplying a first drying gas containing vapor of a solvent for removing a liquid and a second drying gas without containing the vapor of the solvent for removing the liquid to an area where the substrate is exposed between the upper area of the cleaning tank and the drying chamber after an upper end of the cleaned substrate is picked up from a liquid surface of the cleaning solution.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 8, 2011Publication date: September 15, 2011Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Hiroshi Tanaka, Hironobu Hyakutake, Takashi Uno
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Publication number: 20110126860Abstract: Disclosed are a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method and a storage medium, capable of removing contaminant materials from a substrate by using SPM liquid (sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide mixture) while preventing degradation of the function of the SPM liquid for removing the contaminant materials. The SPM liquid is filled in a processing bath and the substrate is immersed in the SPM liquid. A heating unit is provided in the circulation path to heat the SPM liquid. A hydrogen peroxide supply line supplements hydrogen peroxide to the SPM liquid in the circulation path. A control unit adjusts the temperature of the SPM liquid to the predetermined temperature in the range of 135° C. to 170° C. based on a temperature detection value and outputs a control signal to supplement the sulfuric acid to compensate for the SPM liquid as the SPM liquid is evaporated by heating.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 23, 2010Publication date: June 2, 2011Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Hironobu HYAKUTAKE, Toshihide TAKASHIMA
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Publication number: 20100223805Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing device, in which for a filtration material to remove particles contained in a gas used for a drying process, the accretion attached on the filtration material can be removed in a state where the filtration material is disposed on a flow path through which gas flows. The disclosed substrate processing device performs a drying process on a substrate by generating a drying gas from a drying gas generating unit, removing particles in the drying gas by having the drying gas flow through a filtration material, and contacting the gas with the substrate with a liquid remaining thereon in a processing unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 5, 2010Publication date: September 9, 2010Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Hironobu HYAKUTAKE, Hideki NISHIMURA, Hiroshi TANAKA
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Publication number: 20080097647Abstract: The feature of the present invention is to enhance the throughput of manufacturing semiconductor wafers and/or liquid crystal substrates, by reducing the time required for performing a rinsing process. In this invention, the position of an object to be processed is controlled, such that a distance (L1) between the surface position (LV1) of a rinsing liquid upon the rinsing process and a top end position (LV2) of the object to be processed (wafers 2) becomes shorter than a distance (L2) between the surface position (LV3) of a chemical liquid upon a chemical liquid process and the top end position (LV4) of the object to be processed (wafers 2).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2007Publication date: April 24, 2008Inventors: Hiroshi Tanaka, Hironobu Hyakutake, Yuji Kamikawa
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Patent number: 6293288Abstract: Cleaning liquid supply nozzles 32 are provided within a processing tank 30 for cleaning semiconductor wafers W. A distilled water source 31 and the cleaning liquid supply nozzles 32 are connected via a distilled water supply pipeline 33 and a chemical supply tank 36 and the cleaning liquid supply nozzles 32 are connected via a chemical supply pipeline 35. A flow-rate adjustment valve 37 is provided in the distilled water supply pipeline 33, and the supply of distilled water from the distilled water supply pipeline 33 to the processing tank 30 and the supply of a chemical from the chemical supply pipeline 35 to the processing tank 30 are switched by a switching valve 34.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2001Date of Patent: September 25, 2001Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Naoki Shindo, Shigenori Kitahara, Hironobu Hyakutake
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Publication number: 20010009156Abstract: Cleaning liquid supply nozzles 32 are provided within a processing tank 30 for cleaning semiconductor wafers W. A distilled water source 31 and the cleaning liquid supply nozzles 32 are connected via a distilled water supply pipeline 33 and a chemical supply tank 36 and the cleaning liquid supply nozzles 32 are connected via a chemical supply pipeline 35. A flow-rate adjustment valve 37 is provided in the distilled water supply pipeline 33, and the supply of distilled water from the distilled water supply pipeline 33 to the processing tank 30 and the supply of a chemical from the chemical supply pipeline 35 to the processing tank 30 are switched by a switching valve 34.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2001Publication date: July 26, 2001Inventors: Naoki Shindo, Shigenori Kitahara, Hironobu Hyakutake
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Patent number: 6203627Abstract: A cleaning method for cleaning, an object to be, processed. The object is cleaned by immersing the object into a cleaning liquid within a processing tank. The cleaning method includes the steps of: detecting the temperature of the cleaning liquid in which the object to be processed is immersed or to be immersed, and generating a corresponding temperature signal; determining an immersion time for the immersion of the object in the cleaning liquid, based on the temperature signal; and immersing the object to be processed in the cleaning liquid, for the immersion time.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 1999Date of Patent: March 20, 2001Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Naoki Shindo, Shigenori Kitahara, Hironobu Hyakutake