Patents by Inventor Hitoshi Sakamoto

Hitoshi Sakamoto 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).

  • Electrostatic chuck and its manufacturing method
    Patent number: 7283346
    Abstract: An electrode pattern of an electrostatic chuck includes linear portions in a radial direction and a plurality of concentric C-shaped portions branching out from the linear portions. The linear portions are disposed opposite to each other in a diametrical direction and are such that they lie on a line that is almost straight. The C-shaped portions are engaged alternately like teeth of a comb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuto Yoshida, Masahiko Inoue, Ryuichi Matsuda, Hitoshi Sakamoto
  • Idle air control apparatus in multiple throttle body
    Patent number: 7263969
    Abstract: To make easier designing of an idle control apparatus for a multiple throttle body inexpensively, first and second air control holes (5, 6) are open to an upper side wall (2a) of a valve body slidable hole (2) of a control apparatus main body (1) in an idle air control apparatus (S) between one side wall (17) of a first throttle body (T1) and another side wall surface (26) of a second throttle body (T2), first and second air holes (9, 10) are open to a lower side wall (2b), first and second bypass air passages (18, 27) communicate with the first and second air control hole (5, 6) via the one and other side wall surfaces (17, 26) respectively, and first and second air introduction path (19, 28) communicate with the first and second air holes (9, 10) via the one and other sidewall surfaces (17, 26) respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Keihin Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Sakamoto
  • Interconnection structure
    Patent number: 7262500
    Abstract: In a metal film production apparatus, a copper plate member is etched with a Cl2 gas plasma within a chamber to form a precursor comprising a Cu component and a Cl2 gas; and the temperatures of the copper plate member and a substrate and a difference between their temperatures are controlled as predetermined, to deposit the Cu component of the precursor on the substrate, thereby forming a film of Cu. In this apparatus, Cl* is formed in an excitation chamber of a passage communicating with the interior of the chamber to flow a Cl2 gas, and the Cl* is supplied into the chamber to withdraw a Cl2 gas from the precursor adsorbed onto the substrate, thereby promoting a Cu film formation reaction. The apparatus has a high film formation speed, can use an inexpensive starting material, and can minimize impurities remaining in the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Phyzchemix Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sakamoto, Naoki Yahata, Toshihiko Nishimori, Yoshiyuki Ooba, Hiroshi Tonegawa, Ikumasa Koshiro, Yuzuru Ogura
  • Carbon material for electric double layer capacitor electrodes
    Patent number: 7256157
    Abstract: A carbon material for electric double layer capacitor electrodes which is obtained by a heat treatment and an activation treatment of a material pitch having a softening point in a range of 150 to 350° C., a ratio of amounts by atom of hydrogen to carbon (H/C) in a range of 0.50 to 0.90 and a content of optically anisotropic components of 50% or greater. The material pitch is preferably a synthetic pitch obtained by polymerizing a condensed polycyclic hydrocarbon such as naphthalene, methylnaphthalene, anthracene, phenanthrene, acenaphthene, acenaphthylene and pyrene in the presence of an ultra-strong acid catalyst such as a hydrogen fluoride-boron trifluoride complex. Electric double layer capacitors having a high electrode density and a high electrostatic capacity per unit volume can be constructed using the carbon material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Tsuruya, Koichi Kanno, Hitoshi Sakamoto, Yuzuru Takahashi
  • Thin film preparation apparatus
    Publication number: 20070163503
    Abstract: A thin film preparation apparatus performs film formation by supplying a precursor CuCl with increased supply accuracy and Cl* from a material supply apparatus outside a chamber into the chamber with the use of a member to be etched, which has been temperature-controlled independently, and depositing a Cu component of the CuCl on a substrate, without complicating temperature control (simply by heating control by a heater), and without the influence of radiation from a plasma.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2006
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keeyoung Jun, Hitoshi Sakamoto, Suguru Noda
  • Barrier metal film production apparatus, barrier metal film production method, metal film production method, and metal film production apparatus
    Publication number: 20070141274
    Abstract: A Cl2 gas plasma is generated at a site within a chamber between a substrate and a metal member. The metal member is etched with the Cl2 gas plasma to form a precursor. A nitrogen gas is excited in a manner isolated from the chamber accommodating the substrate. A metal nitride is formed upon reaction between excited nitrogen and the precursor, and formed as a film on the substrate. After film formation of the metal nitride, a metal component of the precursor is formed as a film on the metal nitride on the substrate. In this manner, a barrier metal film with excellent burial properties and a very small thickness is produced at a high speed, with diffusion of metal being suppressed and adhesion to the metal being improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sakamoto, Naoki Yahata, Ryuichi Matsuda, Yoshiyuki Ooba, Toshihiko Nishimori
  • Barrier metal film production apparatus, barrier metal film production method, metal film production method, and metal film production apparatus
    Publication number: 20070117363
    Abstract: A Cl2 gas plasma is generated at a site within a chamber between a substrate and a metal member. The metal member is etched with the Cl2 gas plasma to form a precursor. A nitrogen gas is excited in a manner isolated from the chamber accommodating the substrate. A metal nitride is formed upon reaction between excited nitrogen and the precursor, and formed as a film on the substrate. After film formation of the metal nitride, a metal component of the precursor is formed as a film on the metal nitride on the substrate. In this manner, a barrier metal film with excellent burial properties and a very small thickness is produced at a high speed, with diffusion of metal being suppressed and adhesion to the metal being improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Publication date: May 24, 2007
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sakamoto, Naoki Yahata, Ryuichi Matsuda, Yoshiyuki Ooba, Toshihiko Nishimori
  • Method and apparatus for production of metal film or the like
    Patent number: 7208421
    Abstract: In a metal film production apparatus, a copper plate member is etched with a Cl2 gas plasma within a chamber to form a precursor comprising a Cu component and a Cl2 gas; and the temperatures of the copper plate member and a substrate and a difference between their temperatures are controlled as predetermined, to deposit the Cu component of the precursor on the substrate, thereby forming a film of Cu. In this apparatus, Cl* is formed in an excitation chamber of a passage communicating with the interior of the chamber to flow a Cl2 gas, and the Cl* is supplied into the chamber to withdraw a Cl2 gas from the precursor adsorbed onto the substrate, thereby promoting a Cu film formation reaction. The apparatus has a high film formation speed, can use an inexpensive starting material, and can minimize impurities remaining in the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sakamoto, Naoki Yahata, Toshihiko Nishimori, Yoshiyuki Ooba, Hiroshi Tonegawa, Ikumasa Koshiro, Yuzuru Ogura
  • Barrier metal film production apparatus, barrier metal film production method, metal film production method, and metal film production apparatus
    Publication number: 20070087577
    Abstract: A Cl2 gas plasma is generated at a site within a chamber between a substrate and a metal member. The metal member is etched with the Cl2 gas plasma to form a precursor. A nitrogen gas is excited in a manner isolated from the chamber accommodating the substrate. A metal nitride is formed upon reaction between excited nitrogen and the precursor, and formed as a film on the substrate. After film formation of the metal nitride, a metal component of the precursor is formed as a film on the metal nitride on the substrate. In this manner, a barrier metal film with excellent burial properties and a very small thickness is produced at a high speed, with diffusion of metal being suppressed and adhesion to the metal being improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Publication date: April 19, 2007
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sakamoto, Naoki Yahata, Ryuichi Matsuda, Yoshiyuki Ooba, Toshihiko Nishimori
  • Idle air control apparatus in multiple throttle body
    Publication number: 20070079803
    Abstract: To make easier designing of an idle control apparatus for a multiple throttle body inexpensively, first and second air control holes (5, 6) are open to an upper side wall (2a) of a valve body slidable hole (2) of a control apparatus main body (1) in an idle air control apparatus (S) between one side wall (17) of a first throttle body (T1) and another side wall surface (26) of a second throttle body (T2), first and second air holes (9, 10) are open to a lower side wall (2b), first and second bypass air passages (18, 27) communicate with the first and second air control hole (5, 6) via the one and other side wall surfaces (17, 26) respectively, and first and second air introduction path (19, 28) communicate with the first and second air holes (9, 10) via the one and other sidewall surfaces (17, 26) respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Publication date: April 12, 2007
    Applicant: Keihin Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Sakamoto
  • Idle air control device in multiple throttle body
    Publication number: 20070068487
    Abstract: To provide a plural openings control type idle air control device with a low cost by adding a few parts for controlling plural bypass air passages to a single openings control type idle air control device for opening and closing a single bypass air passage, a valve body 3 is formed at a lower end part of a valve body driving mechanism 1 along the operating direction X-X of the valve body driving mechanism 1, a cylindrical plunger 5 is mounted on an outer periphery of the valve body 3, plural bypass air passages 16a, 16b connected with plural intake passages are provided to be opened on a side wall of a valve body storage chamber 13, and plural openings of the bypass air passages are controlled so as to be opened and closed by the plunger 5 slidably provided in the valve body storage chamber 13.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Applicant: Keihin Corporation
    Inventor: Hitoshi Sakamoto
  • Apparatus for the formation of a metal film
    Publication number: 20060191481
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming a metal film, including a reaction vessel for housing a substrate, a precursor feeding device for bubbling a carrier gas through a liquid organometallic complex, vaporizing the organometallic complex, producing a precursor from the vaporized organometallic complex, and feeding the precursor into the reaction vessel, a rotating magnetic field generator for creating a rotating magnetic field in a space above the substrate, and a second plasma generator for generating a plasma from a reducing gas fed into the reaction vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sakamoto, Toshihiko Nishimori, Saneyuki Goya, Takao Abe, Noriaki Ueda
  • Apparatus for the formation of a metal film
    Publication number: 20060191477
    Abstract: An apparatus for forming a metal film, including a reaction vessel in which a substrate to be treated is placed, a raw material gas feed pipe inserted into the inlet vessel for feeding chlorine or hydrogen chloride, a spiral tube attached to the inner end of the raw material gas feed pipe, having a raw material gas flow passage whose inner surface is made of copper, and equipped with a heating element, an atomic reducing gas producing device for producing an atomic reducing gas within the reaction vessel, at least in the neighborhood of the substrate to be treated, and an evacuation device for evacuating any gas from the reaction vessel and the raw material gas flow passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Publication date: August 31, 2006
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sakamoto, Toshihiko Nishimori, Saneyuki Goya, Takao Abe, Noriaki Ueda
  • Method for the formation of a metal film
    Publication number: 20060177583
    Abstract: A method for forming a metal film, including bringing a raw material gas containing a halogen into contact with a hot metallic filament, thereby etching the filament with the raw material gas to produce a precursor composed of a metallic component contained in the filament and the halogen contained in the raw material gas, producing an atomic reducing gas by heating a reducing gas to a high temperature, passing the precursor through the atomic reducing gas to remove the halogen from the precursor, and directing the resulting metallic ion or neutral metal onto a substrate to form a thin metal film on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sakamoto, Toshihiko Nishimori, Saneyuki Goya, Takao Abe, Noriaki Ueda
  • Metal film vapor phase deposition method and vapor phase deposition apparatus
    Publication number: 20060118046
    Abstract: A copper film vapor phase deposition method includes the steps of exposing high-purity copper to a plasma of a gas containing chlorine gas to etch the high-purity copper, thereby generating active CuxCly, wherein x is 1 to 3, y is 1 to 3, gas, and forming a copper film by transporting the CuxCly gas onto the surface of a substrate to be processed. By using inexpensive high-purity copper and inexpensive chlorine, hydrogen chloride, or chlorine and hydrogen as source gases, a copper film containing no residual impurity such as carbon and having high film quality can be formed with high reproducibility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2006
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sakamoto, Naoki Yahata
  • Copyright information management system
    Patent number: 7058608
    Abstract: A copyright information management system supporting the management and protection of products comprised of digitalized multimedia content in a product distribution environment. The copyright information management system (10) provides a copyright information management center (11), provided in a product distribution environment (15) where products are distributed through communications lines (14) between a product provider (12) including at least one of a copyright owner and distributor and a product user (13) receiving the product, for exchanging information relating to the products through the communications lines (14). The copyright information management center (11) centrally manages all copyright information through the communications lines (14) by preregistering copyright information relating to the individual products in the center (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignees: Sunmoretec Co., LTD, Suntory Limited
    Inventors: Tomohiro Nagata, Takashi Nagi, Masao Iwamoto, Hitoshi Sakamoto
  • Metal film production apparatus
    Publication number: 20060110535
    Abstract: A source gas is supplied into a chamber through a nozzle, and electromagnetic waves are thrown from a plasma antenna into the chamber. The resulting Cl2 gas plasma causes an etching reaction to a plurality of copper protrusions, which are arranged between a substrate and a ceiling member in a discontinuous state relative to the flowing direction of electricity in the plasma antenna, to form a precursor (CuxCly). The precursor (CuxCly) transported toward the substrate controlled to a lower temperature than the temperature of an etched member is converted into only Cu ions by a reduction reaction, and directed at the substrate to form a thin Cu film on the surface of the substrate. The speed of film formation is fast, the cost is markedly decreased, and the resulting thin Cu film is of high quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2005
    Publication date: May 25, 2006
    Inventors: Ryuichi Matsuda, Naoki Yahata, Hitoshi Sakamoto
  • Metal film vapor phase deposition method and vapor phase deposition apparatus
    Patent number: 7048973
    Abstract: A copper film vapor phase deposition method includes the steps of exposing high-purity copper to a plasma of a gas containing chlorine gas to etch the high-purity copper, thereby generating active CuxCly, wherein x is 1 to 3, y is 1 to 3, gas, and forming a copper film by transporting the CuxCly gas onto the surface of a substrate to be processed. By using inexpensive high-purity copper and inexpensive chlorine, hydrogen chloride, or chlorine and hydrogen as source gases, a copper film containing no residual impurity such as carbon and having high film quality can be formed with high reproducibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sakamoto, Naoki Yahata
  • Barrier metal film production apparatus, barrier metal film production method, metal film production method, and metal film production apparatus
    Publication number: 20060054593
    Abstract: A Cl2 gas plasma is generated at a site within a chamber between a substrate and a metal member. The metal member is etched with the Cl2 gas plasma to form a precursor. A nitrogen gas is excited in a manner isolated from the chamber accommodating the substrate. A metal nitride is formed upon reaction between excited nitrogen and the precursor, and formed as a film on the substrate. After film formation of the metal nitride, a metal component of the precursor is formed as a film on the metal nitride on the substrate. In this manner, a barrier metal film with excellent burial properties and a very small thickness is produced at a high speed, with diffusion of metal being suppressed and adhesion to the metal being improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Hitoshi Sakamoto, Naoki Yahata, Ryuichi Matsuda, Yoshiyuki Ooba, Toshihiko Nishimori
  • Method and device for data transmission
    Patent number: 7012964
    Abstract: Data indicative of a transfer mode of a transmission packet may be inserted into a payload portion contained in a serial digital transfer interface (SDTI) transmission packet. Also, data indicative of a timing mode of the transmission packet may be inserted into this payload portion. As the transfer mode, there may be provided a synchronous transfer mode and an isochronous transfer mode in addition to an asynchronous transfer mode. A timing mode may prescribe a timing mode in which a transmission packet may be transferred in synchronism with a field of a transmission frame. There may be provided a normal mode using a first field, an advanced mode using a second field and a dual mode using both fields. Depending upon the manner in which the timing mode is set, a system delay between the transmission and the reception can be minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony United Kingdom Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakano, Yasuo Iwasaki, Yoshihiro Murakami, Tetsuya Iwamoto, Katsumi Tahara, Hitoshi Sakamoto, James Hedley Wilkinson