Patents by Inventor Hisanori Matsuo

Hisanori Matsuo 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: 20240308018
    Abstract: Included are: at least one sensor that detects a physical quantity of an object during polishing and/or during cleaning and/or during drying of a substrate; a conversion section that converts a sensor value during polishing and/or during cleaning and/or during drying detected by the sensor into a feature amount for each processing step with respect to a trained machine learning model; and an inference section that outputs at least one predicted value of a number of defects, a size of a defect, and a position of a defect in a target substrate by inputting target data including the feature amount to the trained machine learning model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Publication date: September 19, 2024
    Inventors: Yuta SUZUKI, Hiroki TAKAHASHI, Akira NAKAMURA, Katsuhide WATANABE, Hisanori MATSUO, Takahito KAGOSHIMA
  • Patent number: 11926018
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for polishing, comprising a polishing table configured to support and rotate a polishing pad; a holder configured to hold an object and press the object against the polishing pad; a polishing solution supply device provided with a contact member and configured to supply a polishing solution to an opening in a bottom face of the contact member in a state that the contact member comes into contact with or is adjacent to the polishing pad, thereby spreading the polishing solution on the polishing pad, the polishing solution supply device causing at least part of used polishing solution returned by rotation of the polishing pad to be dammed up by the contact member and setting the contact member either in a direction of keeping the dammed up polishing solution on the polishing pad or in a direction of discharging the dammed up polishing solution, according to an angle of the polishing solution supply device with respect to a radial direction of the polishing pad; an arm linked with
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayoshi Ito, Hisanori Matsuo, Itsuki Kobata, Takuya Moriura
  • Publication number: 20240075579
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a surface property measuring apparatus for a polishing pad used for polishing a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, a surface property measuring method for a polishing pad, and a surface property judging mehod for a polishing pad. The surface property measuring apparatus (30) includes: a light-emitting structure (32) configured to irradiate the polishing pad (2) with light from a plurality of directions as viewed from a polishing surface (2a) of the polishing pad (2); and a light-receiving structure (32) configured to receive reflected light traveling in a plurality of directions from the surface of the polishing pad (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Kohei OHSHIMA, Hisanori MATSUO, Toshifumi KIMBA, Nobuyuki TAKADA
  • Patent number: 11897080
    Abstract: There is disclosed a polishing apparatus which can regulate a surface temperature of the polishing pad without causing a defect such as a scratch on a substrate such as a wafer. The polishing apparatus includes: a non-contact type pad-temperature regulating device; a pad-temperature measuring device. The pad-temperature measuring device is arranged adjacent to the pad-temperature regulating device and on a downstream side of the pad-temperature regulating device in a rotation direction of a polishing table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi Kabasawa, Yasuyuki Motoshima, Hisanori Matsuo, Keisuke Kamiki
  • Patent number: 11897078
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus that is capable of referring to a storage in which a machine learning model is stored, the machine learning model being learned using learning data in which a feature amount of a signal regarding a frictional force between a polishing member and a substrate in polishing or a feature amount of a temperature of the polishing member or the substrate in polishing is input, and data regarding a film thickness of the polished substrate or a parameter related to yield of a product included in the polished substrate is output, the device including: a polishing table provided with the polishing member and configured to be rotatable; a polishing head facing the polishing table and configured to be rotatable, wherein the substrate is attachable to a surface facing the polishing table; a control unit configured to perform control to polish the substrate by pressing the substrate against the polishing member while rotating the polishing table and the polishing head having the substrate attached there
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Nakamura, Tsuneo Torikoshi, Yuta Suzuki, Hisanori Matsuo, Takahito Kagoshima
  • Publication number: 20230026751
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus and a polishing method for polishing a workpiece, such as a wafer on which a pattern is formed, on a polishing pad, and more particularly, relates to a polishing apparatus and a polishing method for detecting a geometric element of a pattern, such as a pitch. The polishing apparatus includes: a polishing table (3) configured to support a polishing pad (2); a polishing head (1) configured to press a workpiece (W), having a pattern formed therein, against the polishing pad (2) and polish a surface of the workpiece (W), an imaging device (20) disposed in the polishing table (3) and configured to generate an image including at least the pattern of the workpiece (W), and an image analysis system (30) configured determining a geometric element of the pattern of the workpiece (W) based on the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Hisanori MATSUO, Keisuke SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20220347814
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus includes a polishing table which supports a polishing pad, a polishing head which polishes a substrate by pressing the substrate against a polishing surface of the polishing pad, a pad temperature measuring device which measures a temperature of the polishing surface, a pad temperature adjusting device which adjusts the temperature of the polishing surface, and a control device which controls the operation of the pad temperature adjusting device based on the temperature of the polishing surface measured by the pad temperature measuring device. The pad temperature adjusting device includes a pad heater which is disposed to be separated upward from the polishing surface, and the pad heater includes a longitudinal portion which extends in a substantially radial direction of the polishing pad and a slit-shaped injection port which is formed in a longitudinal direction of the longitudinal portion and injects a heating fluid toward the polishing surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: BAN ITO, YASUYUKI MOTOSHIMA, SEUNGHO YUN, SHUJI UOZUMI, SHUMPEI MIURA, HISANORI MATSUO, KENICHI SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20220063050
    Abstract: The present application relates to a polishing apparatus. The polishing apparatus includes a window member configured to penetrate infrared rays; a polishing pad configured to embed the window member; a polishing head configured to hold a substrate (W) rotatably and press the substrate against the polishing pad; and an infrared thermometer arranged below the window member, and configured to measure a surface temperature of the substrate held by the polishing head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventor: Hisanori MATSUO
  • Publication number: 20210347010
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for polishing, comprising a polishing table configured to support and rotate a polishing pad; a holder configured to hold an object and press the object against the polishing pad; a polishing solution supply device provided with a contact member and configured to supply a polishing solution to an opening in a bottom face of the contact member in a state that the contact member comes into contact with or is adjacent to the polishing pad, thereby spreading the polishing solution on the polishing pad, the polishing solution supply device causing at least part of used polishing solution returned by rotation of the polishing pad to be dammed up by the contact member and setting the contact member either in a direction of keeping the dammed up polishing solution on the polishing pad or in a direction of discharging the dammed up polishing solution, according to an angle of the polishing solution supply device with respect to a radial direction of the polishing pad; an arm linked with
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Masayoshi ITO, Hisanori MATSUO, Itsuki KOBATA, Takuya MORIURA
  • Publication number: 20210291312
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus that is capable of referring to a storage in which a machine learning model is stored, the machine learning model being learned using learning data in which a feature amount of a signal regarding a frictional force between a polishing member and a substrate in polishing or a feature amount of a temperature of the polishing member or the substrate in polishing is input, and data regarding a film thickness of the polished substrate or a parameter related to yield of a product included in the polished substrate is output, the device including: a polishing table provided with the polishing member and configured to be rotatable; a polishing head facing the polishing table and configured to be rotatable, wherein the substrate is attachable to a surface facing the polishing table; a control unit configured to perform control to polish the substrate by pressing the substrate against the polishing member while rotating the polishing table and the polishing head having the substrate attached there
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Akira Nakamura, Tsuneo Torikoshi, Yuta Suzuki, Hisanori Matsuo, Takahito Kagoshima
  • 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: 20210114164
    Abstract: There is disclosed a polishing apparatus which can regulate a surface temperature of the polishing pad without causing a defect such as a scratch on a substrate such as a wafer. The polishing apparatus includes: a non-contact type pad-temperature regulating device; a pad-temperature measuring device. The pad-temperature measuring device is arranged adjacent to the pad-temperature regulating device and on a downstream side of the pad-temperature regulating device in a rotation direction of a polishing table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Masashi KABASAWA, Yasuyuki MOTOSHIMA, Hisanori MATSUO, Keisuke KAMIKI
  • Patent number: 10710208
    Abstract: A polishing method and a polishing apparatus which can increase a polishing rate and can control a polishing profile of a substrate being polished by adjusting a surface temperature of a polishing pad are disclosed. The polishing method for polishing a substrate by pressing the substrate against a polishing pad on a polishing table includes a pad temperature adjustment step of adjusting a surface temperature of the polishing pad, and a polishing step of polishing the substrate by pressing the substrate against the polishing pad having the adjusted surface temperature. In the pad temperature adjustment step, the surface temperature of a part of an area of the polishing pad, the area being to be brought in contact with the substrate, is adjusted during the polishing step so that the rate of temperature change of a temperature profile in a radial direction of the surface of the polishing pad becomes constant in the radial direction of the polishing pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toru Maruyama, Hisanori Matsuo, Yasuyuki Motoshima
  • Patent number: 10478936
    Abstract: A polishing pad surface property measuring method which can measure surface properties of a polishing pad that reflect CMP performance by applying a laser beam to the polishing pad at a plurality of incident angles is disclosed. The method includes applying a laser beam to a surface of the polishing pad, and receiving light reflected by the surface of the polishing pad and performing Fourier transform on the received light to determine surface properties of the polishing pad. The laser beam is applied to the polishing pad at a plurality of incident angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignees: EBARA CORPORATION, Kyushu Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Hisanori Matsuo, Yoshihiro Mochizuki, Keisuke Suzuki, Takahiro Tajiri, Panart Khajornrungruang
  • Patent number: 10414018
    Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus which can maintain a surface temperature of a polishing pad at a desired target temperature. The apparatus for regulating a surface temperature of a polishing pad, includes: a pad contact member which is contactable with a surface of the polishing pad and which has a heating flow passage and a cooling flow passage formed therein; a heating-liquid supply pipe coupled to the heating flow passage; a cooling-liquid supply pipe coupled to the cooling flow passage; a first flow control valve attached to the heating-liquid supply pipe; a second flow control valve attached to the cooling-liquid supply pipe; a pad-temperature measuring device configured to measure a surface temperature of the polishing pad; and a valve controller configured to operate the first flow control valve and the second flow control valve based on the surface temperature of the polishing pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Maruyama, Hisanori Matsuo, Yasuyuki Motoshima, Yohei Eto, Mitsunori Komatsu
  • Patent number: 10401285
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for measuring surface properties of a polishing pad which measures surface properties such as surface topography or surface condition of a polishing pad used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The apparatus for measuring surface properties of a polishing pad includes a laser beam source configured to emit a laser beam, and a photodetector configured to detect scattered light that is reflected and scattered by the polishing pad, an optical Fourier transform being performed on the detected scattered light to produce an intensity distribution corresponding to a spatial wavelength spectrum based on surface topography of the polishing pad. The laser beam is applied to the polishing pad at such an incident angle that the laser beam does not reach a bottom portion of a pore formed in the surface of the polishing pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignees: EBARA CORPORATION, Kyushu Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Hisanori Matsuo, Keiichi Kimura, Keisuke Suzuki, Panart Khajornrungruang, Takashi Kushida
  • Patent number: 10369675
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a CMP apparatus having a polishing pad surface property measuring device for measuring surface properties such as surface topography or surface condition of a polishing pad used for polishing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hisanori Matsuo
  • Publication number: 20190126428
    Abstract: A heat exchanger capable of preventing sticking of slurry is disclosed. The heat exchanger includes: a flow passage structure having a heating flow passage and a cooling flow passage formed therein; and a water-repellent material covering a side surface of the flow passage structure. A side surface of the heat exchanger is constituted by the water-repellent material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Toru MARUYAMA, Yasuyuki MOTOSHIMA, Hisanori MATSUO, Masashi KABASAWA
  • Publication number: 20190118334
    Abstract: A polishing method and a polishing apparatus which can increase a polishing rate and can control a polishing profile of a substrate being polished by adjusting a surface temperature of a polishing pad are disclosed. The polishing method for polishing a substrate by pressing the substrate against a polishing pad on a polishing table includes a pad temperature adjustment step of adjusting a surface temperature of the polishing pad, and a polishing step of polishing the substrate by pressing the substrate against the polishing pad having the adjusted surface temperature. In the pad temperature adjustment step, the surface temperature of a part of an area of the polishing pad, the area being to be brought in contact with the substrate, is adjusted during the polishing step so that the rate of temperature change of a temperature profile in a radial direction of the surface of the polishing pad becomes constant in the radial direction of the polishing pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Toru MARUYAMA, Hisanori MATSUO, Yasuyuki MOTOSHIMA
  • Patent number: 10259098
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus polishes a surface of a substrate by pressing the substrate against a polishing pad on a polishing table. The polishing apparatus is configured to control a temperature of the polishing surface of the polishing pad by blowing a gas on the polishing pad during polishing. The polishing apparatus includes a pad temperature control mechanism having at least one gas ejection nozzle for ejecting a gas toward the polishing pad and configured to blow the gas onto the polishing pad to control a temperature of the polishing pad, and an atomizer having at least one nozzle for ejecting a liquid or a mixed fluid of a gas and a liquid and configured to blow the liquid or the mixed fluid onto the polishing pad to remove foreign matters on the polishing pad. The pad temperature control mechanism and the atomizer are formed into an integral unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Motoshima, Toru Maruyama, Hisanori Matsuo