Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Sotozaki

Hiroshi Sotozaki 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).

  • Patent number: 11642755
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce an amount of use of the polishing liquid. There is provided an apparatus for polishing an object to be polished using a polishing pad having a polishing surface, the apparatus including: a polishing table for supporting the polishing pad, the polishing table being configured to be rotatable; a substrate holding unit configured to hold the object to be polished and press the object against the polishing pad; a supplying device for supplying polishing liquid to the polishing surface in a state in which the supplying device is pressed against the polishing pad; and a pressing mechanism configured to press the supplying device against the polishing pad, in which the pressing mechanism is capable of respectively adjusting pressing forces for pressing the sidewalls of on the upstream side and the downstream side of the supplying device against the polishing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Pohan Chen, Hiroshi Sotozaki, Tadakazu Sone
  • Patent number: 11612983
    Abstract: Provided is a polishing apparatus and polishing method which can preferably adjust a temperature of a surface of a polishing pad. A polishing apparatus includes: a polishing table configured to be rotatable, and to support the polishing pad; a substrate configured to hold an object to be polished, and to press the object to be polished against the polishing pad; a polishing liquid supplying portion configured to supply a polishing liquid to a polishing surface; a polishing liquid removing portion configured to remove the polishing liquid from the polishing surface; and a temperature adjuster configured to adjust a temperature of the polishing surface. In a rotating direction of the polishing table, the polishing liquid supplying portion, a polishing region where the object to be polished is pressed against the polishing surface by the substrate, the polishing liquid removing portion, and the temperature adjuster are disposed in this order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sotozaki, Tadakazu Sone
  • Patent number: 11465256
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for polishing an object to be polished using a polishing pad having a polishing surface, the apparatus including a polishing table for supporting the polishing pad, the polishing table being configured to be rotatable, a substrate holding unit configured to hold the object to be polished and pressing the object to be polished against the polishing pad, and a polishing-liquid removing unit configured to remove polishing liquid from the polishing surface. The polishing-liquid removing unit includes a rinse unit configured to jet cleaning liquid onto the polishing surface and a sucking unit configured to suck the polishing liquid on the polishing surface onto which the cleaning liquid is jetted. The rinse unit includes a cleaning space surrounded by a sidewall. The sidewall includes an opening section for opening the cleaning space toward a radial direction outer side of the polishing table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sotozaki, Pohan Chen, Tadakazu Sone
  • Patent number: 11426834
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing a substrate is disclosed. The apparatus includes a polishing section configured to polish a substrate, a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate, and a cleaning section configured to clean and dry the polished substrate. The cleaning section has plural cleaning lines for cleaning plural substrates. The plural cleaning lines have plural cleaning modules and plural transfer robots for transferring the substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsuru Miyazaki, Seiji Katsuoka, Naoki Matsuda, Junji Kunisawa, Kenichi Kobayashi, Hiroshi Sotozaki, Hiroyuki Shinozaki, Osamu Nabeya, Shinya Morisawa, Takahiro Ogawa, Natsuki Makino
  • Patent number: 11413723
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce an amount of use of the polishing liquid. There is provided an apparatus for polishing an object to be polished using a polishing pad having a polishing surface, the apparatus including: a polishing table for supporting the polishing pad, the polishing table being configured to be rotatable; a substrate holding unit configured to hold the object to be polished and press the object against the polishing pad; a supplying device for supplying polishing liquid to the polishing surface in a state in which the supplying device is pressed against the polishing pad; and a pressing mechanism configured to press the supplying device against the polishing pad, in which the pressing mechanism is capable of respectively adjusting pressing forces for pressing the sidewalls of on the upstream side and the downstream side of the supplying device against the polishing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Pohan Chen, Hiroshi Sotozaki, Tadakazu Sone
  • Publication number: 20210283746
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for polishing, comprising a table configured to support a polishing pad; a polishing head configured to hold a substrate; and a polishing solution supply device configured to supply a polishing solution between the polishing pad and the substrate. The polishing solution supply device comprises a plurality of polishing solution supply ports arrayed in a direction intersecting with a rotating direction of the polishing pad in a state that the polishing solution supply device is placed on an upstream side in rotation of the polishing pad relative to the substrate. The polishing solution supply device supplies the polishing solution, such that the polishing solution supplied from the plurality of polishing solution supply ports has a predetermined flow rate distribution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Takuya MORIURA, Hiroshi SOTOZAKI, Tadakazu SONE, Masayoshi ITO, Itsuki KOBATA, Hisanori MATSUO, Tetsuya TERADA
  • Publication number: 20210229240
    Abstract: Provided is a polishing apparatus and polishing method which can preferably adjust a temperature of a surface of a polishing pad. A polishing apparatus includes: a polishing table configured to be rotatable, and to support the polishing pad; a substrate configured to hold an object to be polished, and to press the object to be polished against the polishing pad; a polishing liquid supplying portion configured to supply a polishing liquid to a polishing surface; a polishing liquid removing portion configured to remove the polishing liquid from the polishing surface; and a temperature adjuster configured to adjust a temperature of the polishing surface. In a rotating direction of the polishing table, the polishing liquid supplying portion, a polishing region where the object to be polished is pressed against the polishing surface by the substrate, the polishing liquid removing portion, and the temperature adjuster are disposed in this order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sotozaki, Tadakazu Sone
  • Patent number: 11007621
    Abstract: Provided is a polishing apparatus and polishing method which can preferably adjust a temperature of a surface of a polishing pad. A polishing apparatus includes: a polishing table configured to be rotatable, and to support the polishing pad; a substrate configured to hold an object to be polished, and to press the object to be polished against the polishing pad; a polishing liquid supplying portion configured to supply a polishing liquid to a polishing surface; a polishing liquid removing portion configured to remove the polishing liquid from the polishing surface; and a temperature adjuster configured to adjust a temperature of the polishing surface. In a rotating direction of the polishing table, the polishing liquid supplying portion, a polishing region where the object to be polished is pressed against the polishing surface by the substrate, the polishing liquid removing portion, and the temperature adjuster are disposed in this order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sotozaki, Tadakazu Sone
  • Patent number: 10987776
    Abstract: A method, which can accurately determine in a short time a relationship between a load of a dresser and a pressure of a gas supplied to an air cylinder, is disclosed. The method includes determining a first contact point where a load measurement device is brought into contact with a polishing table, calculating a relational expression composed to a quadratic function showing a relationship between a measured load and a measured pressure, determining a second contact point where the dresser is brought into contact with a polishing surface of a polishing pad, calculating an amount of correction from the pressure of the gas at the first contact point and the pressure of the gas at the second contact point, and correcting the relational expression based on the calculated amount of correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Pohan Chen, Tadakazu Sone, Kenichi Suzuki, Hiroshi Sotozaki
  • Patent number: 10730162
    Abstract: Disclosed is a turntable cloth peeling jig including: a cylindrical winding cylinder including a slit formed on an outer periphery of the cylindrical winding cylinder and extending in an axial direction thereof; a cloth clamping member disposed inside the winding cylinder and configured to clamp an outer peripheral edge of a cloth inserted into the slit; an extension bar attached to one end portion of the winding cylinder so as to extend coaxially therewith; an engaging portion provided at a tip end portion of the extension bar and engaged with a rotation jig configured to rotate the winding cylinder; and a handle provided in the engaging portion and configured to support the winding cylinder when rotating the rotating jig.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sotozaki, Kenichiro Saito, Tadakazu Sone
  • Patent number: 10661411
    Abstract: There is disclosed a polishing-surface cleaning apparatus to which a polishing liquid, such as slurry, is less likely to be attached. The polishing-surface cleaning apparatus includes an arm having a fluid passage, a nozzle communicating with the fluid passage, and a weld material securing the nozzle to the arm. The weld material fills a gap between a bottom surface of the arm and an edge of a front-end surface of the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryuichi Kosuge, Hiroshi Sotozaki, Takeshi Kodera, Ryo Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20200047309
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing a substrate is disclosed. The apparatus includes a polishing section configured to polish a substrate, a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate, and a cleaning section configured to clean and dry the polished substrate. The cleaning section has plural cleaning lines for cleaning plural substrates. The plural cleaning lines have plural cleaning modules and plural transfer robots for transferring the substrates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Mitsuru Miyazaki, Seiji Katsuoka, Naoki Matsuda, Junji Kunisawa, Kenichi Kobayashi, Hiroshi Sotozaki, Hiroyuki Shinozaki, Osamu Nabeya, Shinya Morisawa, Takahiro Ogawa, Natsuki Makino
  • Publication number: 20200039029
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for polishing an object to be polished using a polishing pad having a polishing surface, the apparatus including a polishing table for supporting the polishing pad, the polishing table being configured to be rotatable, a substrate holding unit configured to hold the object to be polished and pressing the object to be polished against the polishing pad, and a polishing-liquid removing unit configured to remove polishing liquid from the polishing surface. The polishing-liquid removing unit includes a rinse unit configured to jet cleaning liquid onto the polishing surface and a sucking unit configured to suck the polishing liquid on the polishing surface onto which the cleaning liquid is jetted. The rinse unit includes a cleaning space surrounded by a sidewall. The sidewall includes an opening section for opening the cleaning space toward a radial direction outer side of the polishing table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sotozaki, Pohan Chen, Tadakazu Sone
  • Publication number: 20200039031
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to reduce an amount of use of the polishing liquid. There is provided an apparatus for polishing an object to be polished using a polishing pad having a polishing surface, the apparatus including: a polishing table for supporting the polishing pad, the polishing table being configured to be rotatable; a substrate holding unit configured to hold the object to be polished and press the object against the polishing pad; a supplying device for supplying polishing liquid to the polishing surface in a state in which the supplying device is pressed against the polishing pad; and a pressing mechanism configured to press the supplying device against the polishing pad, in which the pressing mechanism is capable of respectively adjusting pressing forces for pressing the sidewalls of on the upstream side and the downstream side of the supplying device against the polishing surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Pohan Chen, Hiroshi Sotozaki, Tadakazu Sone
  • Patent number: 10486285
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing a substrate is disclosed. The apparatus includes a polishing section configured to polish a substrate, a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate, and a cleaning section configured to clean and dry the polished substrate. The cleaning section has plural cleaning lines for cleaning plural substrates. The plural cleaning lines have plural cleaning modules and plural transfer robots for transferring the substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: EBARA Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuru Miyazaki, Seiji Katsuoka, Naoki Matsuda, Junji Kunisawa, Kenichi Kobayashi, Hiroshi Sotozaki, Hiroyuki Shinozaki, Osamu Nabeya, Shinya Morisawa, Takahiro Ogawa, Natsuki Makino
  • Publication number: 20180345454
    Abstract: A method, which can accurately determine in a short time a relationship between a load of a dresser and a pressure of a gas supplied to an air cylinder, is disclosed. The method includes determining a first contact point where a load measurement device is brought into contact with a polishing table, calculating a relational expression composed to a quadratic function showing a relationship between a measured load and a measured pressure, determining a second contact point where the dresser is brought into contact with a polishing surface of a polishing pad, calculating an amount of correction from the pressure of the gas at the first contact point and the pressure of the gas at the second contact point, and correcting the relational expression based on the calculated amount of correction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Pohan CHEN, Tadakazu SONE, Kenichi SUZUKI, Hiroshi SOTOZAKI
  • Publication number: 20180290263
    Abstract: Provided is a polishing apparatus and polishing method which can preferably adjust a temperature of a surface of a polishing pad. A polishing apparatus includes: a polishing table configured to be rotatable, and to support the polishing pad; a substrate configured to hold an object to be polished, and to press the object to be polished against the polishing pad; a polishing liquid supplying portion configured to supply a polishing liquid to a polishing surface; a polishing liquid removing portion configured to remove the polishing liquid from the polishing surface; and a temperature adjuster configured to adjust a temperature of the polishing surface. In a rotating direction of the polishing table, the polishing liquid supplying portion, a polishing region where the object to be polished is pressed against the polishing surface by the substrate, the polishing liquid removing portion, and the temperature adjuster are disposed in this order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2018
    Publication date: October 11, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroshi SOTOZAKI, Tadakazu SONE
  • Publication number: 20180009081
    Abstract: Disclosed is a turntable cloth peeling jig including: a cylindrical winding cylinder including a slit formed on an outer periphery of the cylindrical winding cylinder and extending in an axial direction thereof; a cloth clamping member disposed inside the winding cylinder and configured to clamp an outer peripheral edge of a cloth inserted into the slit; an extension bar attached to one end portion of the winding cylinder so as to extend coaxially therewith; an engaging portion provided at a tip end portion of the extension bar and engaged with a rotation jig configured to rotate the winding cylinder; and a handle provided in the engaging portion and configured to support the winding cylinder when rotating the rotating jig.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sotozaki, Kenichiro Saito, Tadakazu Sone
  • Publication number: 20170252894
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing a substrate is disclosed. The apparatus includes a polishing section configured to polish a substrate, a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate, and a cleaning section configured to clean and dry the polished substrate. The cleaning section has plural cleaning lines for cleaning plural substrates. The plural cleaning lines have plural cleaning modules and plural transfer robots for transferring the substrates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Inventors: Mitsuru MIYAZAKI, Seiji KATSUOKA, Naoki MATSUDA, Junji KUNISAWA, Kenichi KOBAYASHI, Hiroshi SOTOZAKI, Hiroyuki SHINOZAKI, Osamu NABEYA, Shinya MORISAWA, Takahiro OGAWA, Natsuki MAKINO
  • Patent number: 9687957
    Abstract: An apparatus for processing a substrate is disclosed. The apparatus includes a polishing section configured to polish a substrate, a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate, and a cleaning section configured to clean and dry the polished substrate. The cleaning section has plural cleaning lines for cleaning plural substrates. The plural cleaning lines have plural cleaning modules and plural transfer robots for transferring the substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuru Miyazaki, Seiji Katsuoka, Naoki Matsuda, Junji Kunisawa, Kenichi Kobayashi, Hiroshi Sotozaki, Hiroyuki Shinozaki, Osamu Nabeya, Shinya Morisawa, Takahiro Ogawa, Natsuki Makino