Patents by Inventor Ikuo Sawada
Ikuo Sawada 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: 8696814Abstract: A disclosed film deposition apparatus includes a process chamber inside which a reduced pressure space is maintained; a gas supplying portion that supplies a film deposition gas to the process chamber; a substrate holding portion that is made of a material including carbon as a primary constituent and holds a substrate in the process chamber; a coil that is arranged outside the process chamber and inductively heats the substrate holding portion; and a thermal insulation member that covers the substrate holding portion and is arranged to be separated from the process chamber, wherein the reduced pressure space is separated into a film deposition gas supplying space to which the film deposition gas is supplied and a thermal insulation space defined between the substrate holding portion and the process chamber, and wherein a cooling medium is supplied to the thermal insulation space.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2007Date of Patent: April 15, 2014Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, Rohm Co., Ltd.Inventors: Eisuke Morisaki, Hirokatsu Kobayashi, Jun Yoshikawa, Ikuo Sawada, Tsunenobu Kimoto, Noriaki Kawamoto, Masatoshi Aketa
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Patent number: 8636871Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a first electrode and a second electrode so arranged in the upper portion of a processing chamber as to face a mounting table, a gas supply unit for supplying a processing gas between the first electrode and the second electrode, a RF power supply unit for applying a RF power between the first electrode and the second electrode for converting the process gas supplied between the electrodes into a plasma, and a gas exhaust unit for evacuating the inside of the processing chamber to a vacuum level from the lower portion of the processing chamber. Since the electron temperature in the plasma is low near a substrate on the mounting table, damage to the substrate caused by the plasma can be suppressed. In addition, since a metal can be used as a material for the processing chamber, the processing chamber can have good temperature controllability.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2007Date of Patent: January 28, 2014Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Ikuo Sawada, Peter Ventzek, Tatsuro Ohshita, Kazuyoshi Matsuzaki, Songyun Kang
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Patent number: 8419960Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus performs a process on a substrate by using plasma. The plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber; a mounting table which is located in the processing chamber and on which a substrate is mounted; a gas shower head formed of a conductive material provided to face the mounting table and having at the bottom surface thereof a plurality of gas injection openings for supplying a processing gas into the processing chamber; an induction coil to which a high frequency current is supplied to generate an inductively coupled plasma in a region surrounding a space below the gas shower head; a negative voltage supplying unit for applying a negative DC voltage to the gas shower head to allow an electrical field, which is induced by the induction coil, to be drawn to a central portion of the processing region; and a unit for evacuating the processing chamber.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2009Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Ikuo Sawada, Songyun Kang, Shigeru Kasai
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Publication number: 20130011555Abstract: The invention is a coating apparatus including: a substrate-holding part that holds a substrate horizontally; a chemical nozzle that supplies a chemical to a central portion of the substrate horizontally held by the substrate-holding part; a rotation mechanism that causes the substrate-holding part to rotate to thereby spread out the chemical on a surface of the substrate by centrifugal force, for coating the whole surface with the chemical; a gas-flow-forming unit that forms a down flow of an atmospheric gas on the surface of the substrate horizontally held by the substrate-holding part; a gas-discharging unit that discharges an atmosphere around the substrate; and a gas nozzle that supplies a laminar-flow-forming gas to the surface of the substrate, the laminar-flow-forming gas having a coefficient of kinematic viscosity larger than that of the atmospheric gas; wherein the atmospheric gas or the laminar-flow-forming gas are supplied to the central portion of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 25, 2012Publication date: January 10, 2013Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Ikuo SAWADA, Kazuyoshi MATSUZAKI, Takashi TANAKA, Mitsuaki IWASHITA, Mizue MUNAKATA
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Publication number: 20120247390Abstract: Disclosed is a film formation apparatus (1a) that forms a thin film upon a substrate (S), wherein partitions (41) separate the space above the substrate (S) into a plasma generation space (401) and an exhaust space (402) and extend downward from the ceiling of the processing container (10) to form an opening between the substrate (S) and the bottom end of the partitions, in which gas flows from the plasma generation space (401) to the exhaust space (402). An activating mechanism (42, 43) generates plasma by activating a first reactant gas that has been supplied to the plasma generation space (401). A second reactant gas supply section (411, 412) supplies a second reactant gas to the bottom of the plasma generation space (401), and an evacuation opening (23) evacuates the exhaust space (402) from a position that is higher than the bottom end of the partitions (41).Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2010Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Ikuo Sawada, Song Yun Kang, Masaaki Matsukuma, Shigeru Kasai, Masato Morishima
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Publication number: 20120160833Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus for heat treating a plurality of substrates, includes: a processing chamber which accommodates the plurality of substrates to be subjected to the heat treatment; a substrate holding member which holds the plurality of substrates in a vertical arrangement and is capable of being loaded into/unloaded from the processing chamber; an induction heating coil which forms an induction magnetic field for induction heating in the processing chamber; a high frequency power supply which applies high frequency power to the induction heating coil; and induction heating bodies including spiral-shaped parts which are respectively installed to overlap with the plurality of substrates in the processing chamber and generate heat by a flow of induction current generated by applying the high frequency power to the induction heating coil.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2011Publication date: June 28, 2012Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Ikuo SAWADA, Shigetoshi HOSAKA
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Publication number: 20120160274Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid processing apparatus that processes a substrate with a processing liquid. The processing apparatus includes: a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate; a processing liquid supply unit configured to supply the processing liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holder; a rinsing liquid supply unit configured to supply a rinsing liquid to the substrate; and a light emitting element configured to emit light of a wavelength range, which is absorbed only by the substrate, and irradiate the emitted light to the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2011Publication date: June 28, 2012Inventors: Shigeru Kasai, Ayuta Suzuki, Ikuo Sawada, Naoki Shindo, Masatake Yoneda, Kazuhiro Ooya
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Publication number: 20110240222Abstract: A gas shower head having many gas discharging ports formed on the lower surface is provided on the top wall of a processing container such that the gas shower head faces a placing table on which a substrate is to be placed, and the top wall of the processing container at the periphery of the gas shower head is composed of a dielectric material. A coil is provided on the dielectric material, and the phase of high frequency waves to be supplied to the gas shower head and the coil is adjusted so that the phase of the electrical field in a processing region above the substrate and the phase of the electrical field in the peripheral region surrounding the processing region are same or opposite to each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2009Publication date: October 6, 2011Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Ikuo Sawada, Songyun Kang, Shigeru Kasai
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Publication number: 20110174778Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus performs a process on a substrate by using plasma. The plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber; a mounting table which is located in the processing chamber and on which a substrate is mounted; a gas shower head formed of a conductive material provided to face the mounting table and having at the bottom surface thereof a plurality of gas injection openings for supplying a processing gas into the processing chamber; an induction coil to which a high frequency current is supplied to generate an inductively coupled plasma in a region surrounding a space below the gas shower head; a negative voltage supplying unit for applying a negative DC voltage to the gas shower head to allow an electrical field, which is induced by the induction coil, to be drawn to a central portion of the processing region; and a unit for evacuating the processing chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 7, 2009Publication date: July 21, 2011Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Ikuo Sawada, Songyun Kang, Shigeru Kasai
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Publication number: 20100297346Abstract: A vaporizing unit, in supplying a gas material produced by vaporizing a liquid material onto a substrate to conduct a film forming process, can vaporize the liquid material with high efficiency to suppress generation of particles. With the vaporizing unit, positively or negatively charged bubbles, which have a diameter of 1000 nm or less, are produced in the liquid material, and the liquid material is atomized to form a mist of the liquid material. Further, the mist of the liquid material is heated and vaporized. The fine bubbles are uniformly dispersed in advance in the liquid material, so that very fine and uniform mist particles of the liquid material are produced when the liquid material is atomized, which makes heat exchange readily conducted. By vaporizing the mist of the liquid material, vaporization efficiency is enhanced, and generation of particles can be suppressed.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2008Publication date: November 25, 2010Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Ikuo Sawada, Sumie Nagaseki, Kyoko Ikeda, Tatsuro Ohshita
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Publication number: 20100092666Abstract: A disclosed film deposition apparatus includes a process chamber inside which a reduced pressure space is maintained; a gas supplying portion that supplies a film deposition gas to the process chamber; a substrate holding portion that is made of a material including carbon as a primary constituent and holds a substrate in the process chamber; a coil that is arranged outside the process chamber and inductively heats the substrate holding portion; and a thermal insulation member that covers the substrate holding portion and is arranged to be separated from the process chamber, wherein the reduced pressure space is separated into a film deposition gas supplying space to which the film deposition gas is supplied and a thermal insulation space defined between the substrate holding portion and the process chamber, and wherein a cooling medium is supplied to the thermal insulation space.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2007Publication date: April 15, 2010Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Eisuke Morisaki, Hirokatsu Kobayashi, Jun Yoshikawa, Ikuo Sawada, Tsunenobu Kimoto, Noriaki Kawamoto, Masatoshi Aketa
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Publication number: 20100006543Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a first electrode and a second electrode so arranged in the upper portion of a processing chamber as to face a mounting table, a gas supply unit for supplying a processing gas between the first electrode and the second electrode, a RF power supply unit for applying a RF power between the first electrode and the second electrode for converting the process gas supplied between the electrodes into a plasma, and a gas exhaust unit for evacuating the inside of the processing chamber to a vacuum level from the lower portion of the processing chamber. Since the electron temperature in the plasma is low near a substrate on the mounting table, damage to the substrate caused by the plasma can be suppressed. In addition, since a metal can be used as a material for the processing chamber, the processing chamber can have good temperature controllability.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2007Publication date: January 14, 2010Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Ikuo Sawada, Peter Ventzek, Tatsuro Ohshita, Kazuyoshi Matsuzaki, Songyun Kang
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Patent number: 7642193Abstract: A method of pre-treating a mask layer prior to etching an underlying thin film is described. A thin film, such as a dielectric film, is etched using plasma that is enhanced with a ballistic electron beam. In order to reduce the loss of pattern definition, such as line edge roughness effects, the mask layer is treated with an oxygen-containing plasma or halogen-containing plasma or a noble gas plasma or a combination of two or more thereof prior to proceeding with the etching process.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2006Date of Patent: January 5, 2010Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Peter L. G. Ventzek, Lee Chen, Akira Koshiishi, Ikuo Sawada
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Patent number: 7572386Abstract: A method of pre-treating a mask layer prior to etching an underlying thin film is described. A thin film, such as a dielectric film, is etched using plasma that is enhanced with a ballistic electron beam. In order to reduce the loss of pattern definition, such as line edge roughness effects, the mask layer is treated with an electron beam in the absence of an atomic halogen specie prior to proceeding with the etching process.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2006Date of Patent: August 11, 2009Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Peter L.G. Ventzek, Lee Chen, Akira Koshiishi, Ikuo Sawada
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Publication number: 20090194236Abstract: A plurality of concentric ring-shaped slots (300) to (304) are formed in a planar antenna member (3), and the thickness of conductors in the central part is made relatively thin and the thickness of peripheral conductors is made relatively thick, so that a microwave can easily pass through the slots (300) to (304) without being attenuated, and a uniform electric field distribution can be provided and uniform high-density plasma can be generated in a processing space on an average. As a result, an object to be processed can be provided close to the antenna member (3) and the object can be uniformly processed at high speed.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2005Publication date: August 6, 2009Applicants: KYOTO UNIVERSITY, TOKYO ELETRON LIMITEDInventors: Kouichi Ono, Hiroyuki Kousaka, Kiyotaka Ishibashi, Ikuo Sawada
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Publication number: 20090184109Abstract: A processing apparatus subjects an object to be processed W to a heat process. The processing apparatus comprises: a processing vessel 22 capable of containing a object to be processed W; a coil part for induction heating 104 that is disposed outside the processing vessel 22; a radiofrequency power source 110 configured to apply a radiofrequency power to the coil part for induction heating 104; a gas supply part 90 configured to introduce a gas into the processing vessel 22; a holding part 24 configured to hold the object to be processed W in the processing vessel 22; and a induction heating element N that is inductively heated by a radiofrequency from the coil part for induction heating 104 so as to heat the object to be processed W. The induction heating element N is provided with a cut groove for controlling a flow of an eddy current generated on the induction heating element.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2009Publication date: July 23, 2009Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Ikuo Sawada, Hiroyuki Matsuura, Toshiki Takahashi
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Publication number: 20090162547Abstract: The invention is a coating apparatus including: a substrate-holding part that holds a substrate horizontally; a chemical nozzle that supplies a chemical to a central portion of the substrate horizontally held by the substrate-holding part; a rotation mechanism that causes the substrate-holding part to rotate in order to spread out the chemical on a surface of the substrate by a centrifugal force, for coating the whole surface with the chemical; a gas-flow-forming unit that forms a down flow of an atmospheric gas on the surface of the substrate horizontally held by the substrate-holding part; a gas-discharging unit that discharges an atmosphere around the substrate; and a gas nozzle that supplies a laminar-flow-forming gas to the surface of the substrate, the laminar-flow-forming gas having a coefficient of kinematic viscosity larger than that of the atmospheric gas; wherein the atmospheric gas or the laminar-flow-forming gas are supplied to the central portion of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2006Publication date: June 25, 2009Inventors: Ikuo Sawada, Kazuyoshi Matsuzaki, Takashi Tanaka, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Mizue Munakata
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Publication number: 20080311313Abstract: For a substrate (W) placed in an airtight processing vessel (1), plasma is generated by introducing a microwave to a radial line slot antenna (4). Conditions are set such that the pressure in the processing vessel is in the range of from 7.32 Pa to 8.65 Pa, the microwave power is in the range of from 2000W to 2300W, the distance (L1) between the surface of the substrate and an opposed face of a raw-material supply member (3) is in the range of from 70 mm to 105 mm, and the distance (L2) between the surface of the substrate and an opposed face of a discharge gas supply member (2) is in the range of from 100 mm to 140 mm. Under these conditions, a raw-material gas consisting of a cyclic C5F8 gas is activated based on energy of the microwave. Consequently, film-forming species containing C4F6 ions and/or C4F6 radicals in a greater content can be obtained. Thus, a fluorine-added carbon film excellent in the leak properties and heat stability can be securely formed.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 4, 2005Publication date: December 18, 2008Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Yasuo Kobayashi, Tomohiro Ohta, Songyun Kang, Ikuo Sawada
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Patent number: 7449414Abstract: A method of pre-treating a mask layer prior to etching an underlying thin film is described. A thin film, such as a dielectric film, is etched using plasma that is enhanced with a ballistic electron beam. In order to reduce the loss of pattern definition, such as line edge roughness effects, the mask layer is treated with a hydrocarbon chemistry or hydrofluorocarbon chemistry or fluorocarbon chemistry or combination of two or more thereof prior to proceeding with the etching process.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2006Date of Patent: November 11, 2008Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Peter L. G. Ventzek, Lee Chen, Akira Koshiishi, Ikuo Sawada
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Publication number: 20080038926Abstract: A method of pre-treating a mask layer prior to etching an underlying thin film is described. A thin film, such as a dielectric film, is etched using plasma that is enhanced with a ballistic electron beam. In order to reduce the loss of pattern definition, such as line edge roughness effects, the mask layer is treated with a hydrocarbon chemistry or hydrofluorocarbon chemistry or fluorocarbon chemistry or combination of two or more thereof prior to proceeding with the etching process.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2006Publication date: February 14, 2008Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Peter L.G. Ventzek, Lee Chen, Akira Koshiishi, Ikuo Sawada