Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Tomita

Hiroshi Tomita 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).

  • Method for forming interconnection pattern and semiconductor device
    Patent number: 8772164
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method for forming an interconnection pattern includes forming an insulating pattern, forming a self-assembled film, and forming a conductive layer. The insulating pattern has a side surface on a major surface of a matrix. The self-assembled film has an affinity with a material of the insulating pattern on the side surface of the insulating pattern. The forming the conductive layer includes depositing a conductive material on a side surface of the self-assembled film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yasuhito Yoshimizu, Satoshi Wakatsuki, Hisashi Okuchi, Atsuko Sakata, Hiroshi Tomita
  • METHOD FOR CHEMICAL PLANARIZATION AND CHEMICAL PLANARIZATION APPARATUS
    Publication number: 20140187042
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method is disclosed for chemical planarization. The method can include forming a surface layer on a to-be-processed film having irregularity. The surface layer binds to or adsorbs onto the to-be-processed film along the irregularity to suppress dissolution of the to-be-processed film. The method can include planarizing the to-be-processed film in a processing solution dissolving the to-be-processed film, by rotating the to-be-processed film and a processing body while the to-be-processed film contacting the processing body via the surface layer, removing the surface layer on convex portions of the irregularity while leaving the surface layer on concave portions of the irregularity and making dissolution degree of the convex portions larger than dissolution degree of the concave portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yukiteru Matsui, Masako Kodera, Hiroshi Tomita, Gaku Minamihaba, Akifumi Gawase
  • SUPERCRITICAL DRYING METHOD FOR SEMICONDUCTOR SUBSTRATE
    Publication number: 20140174482
    Abstract: In one embodiment, after rinsing a semiconductor substrate having a fine pattern formed thereon with pure water, the pure water staying on the semiconductor substrate is substituted with a water soluble organic solvent, and then, the semiconductor substrate is introduced into a chamber in a state wet with the water soluble organic solvent. Then, the water soluble organic solvent is turned into a supercritical state by increasing a temperature inside of the chamber. Thereafter, the inside of the chamber is reduced in pressure while keeping the inside of the chamber at a temperature enough not to liquefy the pure water (i.e., rinsing pure water mixed into the water soluble organic solvent), and further, the water soluble organic solvent in the supercritical state is changed into a gaseous state, to be discharged from the chamber, so that the semiconductor substrate is dried.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yohei Sato, Hisashi Okuchi, Hiroshi Tomita, Hidekazu Hayashi, Yukiko Kitajima
  • METHOD FOR CLEANING IMPRINTING MASK
    Publication number: 20140170307
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, provided is a method for cleaning an imprinting mask including a template having an uneven pattern, a base layer disposed on the template, and a sacrificial film disposed on the base layer. In the method for cleaning the imprinting mask, the sacrificial film is removed, and a contaminant adhered on the sacrificial film is removed from the template pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Inventors: Hiroshi TOMITA, Hidekazu HAYASHI
  • Light-receiving channel rhodopsin having improved expression efficiency
    Patent number: 8754048
    Abstract: Disclosed is a Volvox carteri-derived light-receiving channel rhodopsin with an improved expression efficiency on a cell membrane. Specifically disclosed is a modified Volvox carteri-derived light-receiving channel rhodopsin protein. The protein is modified to contain an N-terminal region of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii-derived channel rhodopsin-1 at the N-terminal of the Volvox carteri-derived light-receiving channel rhodopsin protein, wherein the N-terminal region is involved in cell membrane-localized expression and contains no transmembrane domain of the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii-derived channel rhodopsin-1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Tohoku University
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tomita, Eriko Sugano
  • SUBSTRATE REFERENCE IMAGE CREATION METHOD, SUBSTRATE DEFECT INSPECTION METHOD, SUBSTRATE REFERENCE IMAGE CREATION APPARATUS, SUBSTRATE DEFECT INSPECTION UNIT AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER STORAGE MEDIUM
    Publication number: 20140160451
    Abstract: In the present invention, a planar distribution of pixel values in a picked-up substrate image is decomposed into a plurality of pixel value distribution components through use of a Zernike polynomial for each of substrate images; Zernike coefficients of the pixel value distribution components decomposed through use of the Zernike polynomial are calculated; a median value and values deviated from the median value by a predetermined value or more are extracted for every Zernike coefficients having a same couple of degrees from the calculated Zernike coefficients; substrate images having the extracted values are specified; and a substrate image being a defect inspection reference is created by combining the specified substrate images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Izumi HASEGAWA, Hiroshi TOMITA, Shuji IWANAGA, Tadashi NISHIYAMA
  • Wet etching method for silicon nitride film
    Patent number: 8741168
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an etching method includes: supplying an etching-resistant material; and etching the silicon nitride film. The supplying includes supplying the etching-resistant material to a processing surface including a surface of a silicon nitride film and a surface of a non-etching film, the non-etching film including a material different from the silicon nitride film. The etching includes etching the silicon nitride film using an etchant in a state of the etching-resistant material being formed relatively more densely on the surface of the non-etching film than on the surface of the silicon nitride film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yasuhito Yoshimizu, Hisashi Okuchi, Hiroshi Tomita
  • Pretensioner, seatbelt retractor including the pretensioner, and seatbelt apparatus including the seatbelt retractor
    Patent number: 8720950
    Abstract: A ring gear 15 of a pretensioner 8 includes a plurality of levers 17 and one arc-shaped stopper 16 to allow force transmission members to smoothly move in a pipe, to facilitate setting of a stopper for stopping rotation of a ring gear, and to reduce the cost with a simple structure. During operation of the pretensioner 8, the levers 17 are sequentially pressed by balls 12a to rotate a pinion 19 and a spool in a seatbelt retracting direction. When the ring gear 15 rotates by a predetermined rotation amount, an outer peripheral edge 16c of the stopper 16 contacts and presses the opposing ball 12a. Since the ball 12a is thereby clamped between the stopper 16 and an inner peripheral surface 10d1 of a pipe I0, the ring gear 15 is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tomita, Yuichiro Hodatsu
  • ROTARY BLADE FOR WEED CUTTER
    Publication number: 20140123503
    Abstract: A rotary blade for a weed cutter, in which a center face part including an axial center of a thin disc body 1 wholly made of a spiral steel material is in the form of a horizontal plane, and a circumferential part adjacent to the center face part has a one rotation-directional corrugated cutting part having one side face of concave form and the other side face of convex form, wherein the cutting part face is corrugated in the circular curved-surface form instead of the triangular form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI-KAISHA TOMITAHAMONO
    Inventor: Hiroshi TOMITA
  • METHOD OF REMOVING COATING FILM OF SUBSTRATE PERIPHERAL PORTION, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND NON-TRANSITORY STORAGE MEDIUM
    Publication number: 20140124479
    Abstract: A method of removing a coating film of a substrate peripheral portion, is provided with holding and supporting a circular substrate by allowing a transfer body to transfer a rear surface of the substrate to a supporting part; removing a coating film in the shape of a ring by a predetermined width size by supplying a solvent from a solvent nozzle to a peripheral portion of the coating film formed on the surface of the substrate; transferring the substrate to an inspection module for inspecting a state of the coating film by imaging the entire surface of the substrate; detecting a removal region of the coating film based on image data acquired by the inspection module; and correcting a delivery position of a succeeding substrate with respect to the supporting part by the transfer body based on the detection result of the removal region of the coating film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroshi TOMITA, Kazuya HISANO
  • VARIABLE LEAD END MILL
    Publication number: 20140119844
    Abstract: A variable lead end mill has a plurality of peripheral cutting edges with different helix angles, the variable lead end mill having a flute bottom diameter of a plurality of helix flutes making up rake faces of the plurality of the peripheral cutting edges, the flute bottom diameter increasing in an axial direction from a tool tip toward a shank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2011
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: OSG CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jiro Osawa, Tasuku Itoh, Shigetoshi Ukei, Hiroshi Tomita
  • Supercritical drying method for semiconductor substrate
    Patent number: 8709170
    Abstract: In one embodiment, after rinsing a semiconductor substrate having a fine pattern formed thereon with pure water, the pure water staying on the semiconductor substrate is substituted with a water soluble organic solvent, and then, the semiconductor substrate is introduced into a chamber in a state wet with the water soluble organic solvent. Then, the water soluble organic solvent is turned into a supercritical state by increasing a temperature inside of the chamber. Thereafter, the inside of the chamber is reduced in pressure while keeping the inside of the chamber at a temperature enough not to liquefy the pure water (i.e., rinsing pure water mixed into the water soluble organic solvent), and further, the water soluble organic solvent in the supercritical state is changed into a gaseous state, to be discharged from the chamber, so that the semiconductor substrate is dried.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yohei Sato, Hisashi Okuchi, Hiroshi Tomita, Hidekazu Hayashi, Yukiko Kitajima
  • Method for chemical planarization and chemical planarization apparatus
    Patent number: 8703004
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method is disclosed for chemical planarization. The method can include forming a surface layer on a to-be-processed film having irregularity. The surface layer binds to or adsorbs onto the to-be-processed film along the irregularity to suppress dissolution of the to-be-processed film. The method can include planarizing the to-be-processed film in a processing solution dissolving the to-be-processed film, by rotating the to-be-processed film and a processing body while the to-be-processed film contacting the processing body via the surface layer, removing the surface layer on convex portions of the irregularity while leaving the surface layer on concave portions of the irregularity and making dissolution degree of the convex portions larger than dissolution degree of the concave portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yukiteru Matsui, Masako Kodera, Hiroshi Tomita, Gaku Minamihaba, Akifumi Gawase
  • Cleaning method, cleaning apparatus
    Patent number: 8695145
    Abstract: Transferring plural semiconductor substrates under a state being held with predetermined intervals; holding the plural semiconductor substrates with roll brushes provided in plural pieces by each front side and back side of the plural semiconductor substrates, longitudinal directions of the roll brushes being oriented in parallel relative to the front side and the back side; and cleaning the plural semiconductor substrates by rotating the plural roll brushes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yasuhito Yoshimizu, Hisashi Okuchi, Hiroshi Tomita
  • DEPOSIT REMOVAL METHOD
    Publication number: 20140083979
    Abstract: A deposit removal method for removing deposits deposited on the surface of a pattern formed on a substrate by etching, includes an oxygen plasma treatment process for exposing the substrate to oxygen plasma while heating the substrate and a cycle treatment process for, after the oxygen plasma treatment process, repeating multiple cycles of a first period and a second period. In the first period, the substrate is exposed to a mixture of hydrogen fluoride gas and alcohol gas inside a processing chamber and the partial pressure of the alcohol gas is set to the first partial pressure. In the second period, the partial pressure of the alcohol gas is set to the second partial pressure lower than the first partial pressure by exhausting the inside of the processing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2012
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigeru Tahara, Eiichi Nishimura, Hiroshi Tomita, Tokuhisa Ohiwa, Hisashi Okuchi, Mitsuhiro Omura
  • MANUFACTURING METHOD OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE
    Publication number: 20140065555
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a manufacturing method includes forming a desired pattern containing an uneven pattern on a substrate, subjecting the surface of the desired pattern to a water repellent treatment, forming a resist film on the desired pattern, performing an exposure treatment to expose the uneven pattern, rinsing the substrate with water, and drying the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Yasuhito YOSHIMIZU, Hiroshi TOMITA, Hisashi OKUCHI
  • MANUFACTURING METHOD AND MANUFACTURING APPARATUS OF FUNCTIONAL ELEMENT
    Publication number: 20140065765
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, the manufacturing method of a functional element includes filling a solvent comprising hydrogen gas and having organic molecules dispersed therein into a gap between the first electrode and the second electrode formed facing the first electrode, and forming an organic layer containing the organic molecules mentioned above between the first electrode and the second electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tomita, Hisashi Okuchi, Yasuhito Yoshimizu, Yusuke Tanaka
  • INSPECTION DEVICE, BONDING SYSTEM AND INSPECTION METHOD
    Publication number: 20140055599
    Abstract: An inspection device for inspecting the interior of an overlapped substrate produced by bonding one substrate and another substrate, comprising: a first holding unit configured to hold the rear surface of the overlapped substrate and include a cutout formed to expose a portion of the rear surface of the overlapped substrate when viewed from the top; a second holding unit configured to hold and rotate the overlapped substrate; an infrared irradiator configured to irradiate the rear surface or front surface exposed from the cutout of the overlapped substrate held on the first holding unit with an infrared ray; and an image pickup unit configured to receive the infrared ray emitted from the infrared irradiator and image the overlapped substrate held on the first holding unit in division for each of regions exposed from the cutout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinji KOGA, Akinori MIYAHARA, Hiroshi TOMITA, Shuji IWANAGA, Takeshi TAMURA
  • INSPECTION DEVICE, BONDING SYSTEM AND INSPECTION METHOD
    Publication number: 20140054463
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus of inspecting an overlapped substrate obtained by bonding substrates together is provided. The apparatus includes a first holding unit configured to hold and rotate the overlapped substrate, and a displacement gauge configured to measure displacements of peripheral sides of a first substrate and a second substrate constituting the overlapped substrate while rotating the overlapped substrate held by the first holding unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinji KOGA, Akinori MIYAHARA, Hiroshi TOMITA, Shuji IWANAGA, Takeshi TAMURA
  • Pretensioner, seat belt retractor with pretensioner, and seat belt unit including seat belt retractor
    Patent number: 8641097
    Abstract: There is provided a pretensioner. The pretensioner includes: a pipe; a gas generator that generates a gas in the pipe in an emergency case; a gas generator mount on which the gas generator is mounted; a spool driving mechanism that rotates a spool in a direction to retract a seatbelt by the gas generated by the gas generator in the emergency case; a discharge hole formed in the pipe so as to allow communication between inside and outside of the pipe; and a blocking member configured to block the discharge hole from inside of the pipe, the blocking member being configured to open the discharge hole when the blocking member is pressed from outside of the pipe with a pressing force equal to or greater than a given pressing force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Takata Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichiro Hodatsu, Hiroshi Tomita