Patents by Inventor Joji KUWAHARA

Joji KUWAHARA 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: 11676842
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus includes a transporting space, transport mechanisms, and heat-treating sections. The transport mechanisms are provided in the transporting space. The heat-treating section, transporting space, and heat-treating section are aligned in the stated order in a transverse direction. One heat-treating section includes a plurality of heat-treating units. The heat-treating units are arranged in a longitudinal direction. The other heat-treating section includes a plurality of heat-treating units. These heat-treating units are also arranged in the longitudinal direction. One transport mechanism transports substrates to the heat-treating units. The other transport mechanism also transports substrates to the heat-treating units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Inventor: Joji Kuwahara
  • Publication number: 20230166301
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus and a substrate transporting method wherein a platform is disposed on a first ID block, and a platform is placed on a second ID block. A currently-used carrier platform is provided only on the first ID block. Accordingly, a substrate is transported in both a forward path and a return path between the first ID block and a second treating block. The substrate is returned not to the first ID block but to the second ID block disposed between the two treating blocks in the return path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2023
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Joji KUWAHARA, Koji KANEYAMA
  • Patent number: 11590540
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus and a substrate transporting method wherein a platform is disposed on a first ID block, and a platform is placed on a second ID block. A currently-used carrier platform is provided only on the first ID block. Accordingly, a substrate is transported in both a forward path and a return path between the first ID block and a second treating block. The substrate is returned not to the first ID block but to the second ID block disposed between the two treating blocks in the return path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Inventors: Joji Kuwahara, Koji Kaneyama
  • Publication number: 20220301912
    Abstract: A substrate transport device includes a hand configured to be capable of holding a substrate, a plurality of reflective photo detectors provided at the hand, a portion position calculator and a substrate position determiner. The plurality of reflective photo detectors respectively emit light toward an outer periphery of the substrate arranged on the hand, respectively receive light reflected from the substrate using linear light transmission surfaces and output signals representing light receiving amounts. A portion position calculator calculates respective positions of a plurality of portions of an outer peripheral end of the substrate in the hand based on output signals of the plurality of reflective photo detectors. A substrate position determiner determines the position of the substrate with respect to the hand based on the calculated positions of the plurality of portions of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventor: Joji KUWAHARA
  • Patent number: 11443968
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus and a substrate transporting method. A platform is placed on a first ID block, and a platform is placed on a second ID block. A currently-used carrier platform is provided only on the first ID block. A substrate is transported in both a forward path and a return path between the first ID block and an IF block. The substrate is sent in the return path from the IF block to the second ID block disposed between a coating block and a developing block without being transported from the IF block to the first ID block. Consequently, transportation process in the return path by the coating block disposed between the first ID block and the second ID block is reduced. As a result, an entire throughput of a substrate treating apparatus can be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Inventor: Joji Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 11348812
    Abstract: Disclosed are a substrate treating apparatus and a substrate transporting method for the substrate treating apparatus. Two treating blocks are arranged so as not to be stacked, and a first treating block, an ID block, and a second treating block are linearly connected horizontally. Accordingly, the number of treatment layers is increasable while a height of the substrate treating apparatus is suppressed. The first and second treating blocks are each connected to the ID block directly. This enables suppression in step of passing a substrate through a treating block without performing any treatment on the substrate, leading to prevention of decrease in throughput. In addition, a substrate buffer is placed in the middle of the two treating blocks. The two treating blocks enable transportation of substrates W with the substrate buffer. Thus, reduction in footprint of the substrate treating apparatus is obtainable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Inventor: Joji Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 11339011
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate treating system and a substrate transporting method. A substrate transport mechanism of an indexer block can take a substrate W into and out of a carrier placed on a platform. Moreover, the substrate transport mechanism transports the substrate W between two treatment layers at different height positions in a first treating block and a second treating block. Accordingly, any delivery block configured to move substrates between two treatment layers in an up-down direction is not necessarily provided between the indexer block and the treating block as in the prior art. This achieves suppression of a footprint of the substrate treating system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Inventor: Joji Kuwahara
  • Publication number: 20220134389
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus and a substrate transporting method wherein a platform is disposed on a first ID block, and a platform is placed on a second ID block. A currently-used carrier platform is provided only on the first ID block. Accordingly, a substrate is transported in both a forward path and a return path between the first ID block and a second treating block. The substrate is returned not to the first ID block but to the second ID block disposed between the two treating blocks in the return path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Joji KUWAHARA, Koji KANEYAMA
  • Patent number: 11302543
    Abstract: A substrate carrier apparatus includes a hand, an advancing/retracting mechanism, an elevation mechanism, a movement mechanism, and a detector. The advancing/retracting mechanism moves the hand in a forward and backward direction to cause the hand to enter and be retracted from a substrate container. The elevation mechanism elevates the hand so that the hand lifts a substrate from below. The movement mechanism moves the hand to a position facing the substrate container. The detector detects a position of the substrate in the forward and backward direction in an entry state where the advancing/retracting mechanism causes the hand to enter the substrate container, moves integrally with the hand, and is disposed at a position adjacent to the substrate in a measurement direction intersecting with the forward and backward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joji Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 11295974
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus includes first and second transport mechanisms, an intermediate transport mechanism, first and second intermediate parts, and a controller. The intermediate transport mechanism is disposed between the first and second transport mechanisms. The first intermediate part is disposed within a first overlapped area where the first transport mechanism and the intermediate transport mechanism are capable of transporting a substrate. The substrate is placed in the first intermediate part. The second intermediate part is disposed within a second overlapped area where the intermediate transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism are capable of transporting the substrate. The substrate is placed in the second intermediate part. The intermediate transport mechanism repeats cycle operation based on the controller's control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Inventor: Joji Kuwahara
  • Publication number: 20220082942
    Abstract: Inclination identifying information for identifying inclination of a substrate with respect to a reference plane is detected. Based on the detected inclination identifying information and a first angle, a holding position of the substrate held by a rotation holder is corrected in a direction that is in parallel to the reference plane such that a distance between a portion of the substrate that is to be processed by a peripheral region processor and the center of the substrate is maintained constant. In this state, processing having directivity of inclination with respect to the reference plane by the first angle is performed on a peripheral region of the substrate by the peripheral region processor while the substrate is rotated by the rotation holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: Joji KUWAHARA, Mitsuya KUSUHARA
  • Patent number: 11260429
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus and a substrate transporting method wherein a platform is disposed on a first ID block, and a platform is placed on a second ID block. A currently-used carrier platform is provided only on the first ID block. Accordingly, a substrate is transported in both a forward path and a return path between the first ID block and a second treating block. The substrate is returned not to the first ID block but to the second ID block disposed between the two treating blocks in the return path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Inventors: Joji Kuwahara, Koji Kaneyama
  • Patent number: 11251060
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus, a carrier transporting method, and a carrier buffer device. A carrier transport mechanism transports a carrier between platforms of two openers and carrier storage shelves. The carrier storage shelves and the carrier transport mechanism are each mounted on a first treating block. Accordingly, the carrier storage shelves and the carrier transport mechanism are not extended horizontally from the indexer block, achieving a compact footprint of a substrate treating apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Inventor: Joji Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 11231651
    Abstract: Inclination identifying information for identifying inclination of a substrate with respect to a reference plane is detected. Based on the detected inclination identifying information and a first angle, a holding position of the substrate held by a rotation holder is corrected in a direction that is in parallel to the reference plane such that a distance between a portion of the substrate that is to be processed by a peripheral region processor and the center of the substrate is maintained constant. In this state, processing having directivity of inclination with respect to the reference plane by the first angle is performed on a peripheral region of the substrate by the peripheral region processor while the substrate is rotated by the rotation holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Inventors: Joji Kuwahara, Mitsuya Kusuhara
  • Patent number: 11152233
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus includes an indexer division, stories, and a controller. Each of the stories includes a first rack, a treating section, and a main transport mechanism. The indexer division includes a carrier rack and a transport device. The transport device performs a feeding operation for transporting substrates from a carrier placed on the carrier rack to the first rack. The transport device further performs an inter-story transporting operation for transporting the substrates between two first racks provided for different stories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Inventors: Yukihiko Inagaki, Joji Kuwahara, Seiji Murai
  • Patent number: 11152242
    Abstract: A second substrate transportation mechanism is generally set to transport a substrate from a substrate buffer unit to a FOUP placed on an opener. However, if a predetermined condition is satisfied, the second substrate transportation mechanism transports a substrate from the FOUP to the substrate buffer unit. That is, the second substrate transportation mechanism performs an operation different from an ordinary substrate transportation operation. Accordingly, a FOUP transportation mechanism can leave a specific FOUP at a placement position (opener) of the specific FOUP from when all the substrates are taken from the specific FOUP to when all the treated substrates are accommodated in the specific FOUP. Thus, the FOUP transportation mechanism can transport FOUPs except for the specific FOUP so that FOUP transportation efficiency can be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Inventors: Joji Kuwahara, Seiji Murai
  • Patent number: 11139192
    Abstract: Disclosed are a substrate treating apparatus and a substrate transporting method. A first ID block takes a substrate from a carrier placed on a carrier platform and sends the taken substrate to one of six treatment layers. Moreover, a second ID block returns the substrate, sent from the treatment layer, for example, to a carrier placed on a platform. This allows the first ID block to transport many substrates to the six treatment layers arranged in an upward/downward direction more rapidly. Moreover, this simultaneously allows the second ID block to transport many substrates, having been sent from the six treatment layers arranged in the upward/downward direction, to the carrier more rapidly. As a result, a throughput of a substrate treating apparatus can be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Inventors: Joji Kuwahara, Koji Kaneyama
  • Patent number: 11127613
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus and a substrate transporting method. An ID block 2, a coating block 3, a developing block 4, and an IF block 6 are arranged in this order. A platform 13 is placed on the ID block 2, and a platform 47 is placed on the IF block 6. A currently-used carrier platform is provided only on an ID block. Accordingly, a substrate is transported in both a forward path and a return path between the ID block and the IF block. According to the disclosure, a substrate W is transported from the IF block 6 to the developing block 4 in the return path, and thereafter, the substrate W is returned back from the developing block 4 to the IF block 6 without being transported to the coating block 3. Consequently, transportation process by the coating block 3 in the return path is reduced so that an entire throughput of a substrate treating apparatus 1 can be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Inventor: Joji Kuwahara
  • Patent number: 11101156
    Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus includes the following elements: an indexer block including indexer robots provided for respective carrier receivers and disposed in horizontally fixed positions, each of the indexer robots having arms for taking substrates out of a carrier and loading the substrates into the carrier on the carrier receiver; a bridge block disposed adjacent the indexer block; and a treating block including a plurality of stacked stories each having at least one treating unit. The bridge block includes a buffer, a pass having a plurality of tables covering a range from a bottom story to a top story of the plurality of stories, and two bridge robots each having an arm for transferring the substrates to and from the pass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Inventors: Joji Kuwahara, Yukihiko Inagaki, Seiji Murai
  • Patent number: 11075101
    Abstract: Each of first and second substrate transportation mechanisms transports a substrate for a FOUP placed not on, for example, each of two openers disposed laterally but on, for example, each of two openers disposed in an upward/downward direction. Thus, even if the number of openers increases, the substrate is transported not by sliding a hand capable of moving forward and backward, but by lifting, lowering, and rotating the hand. Thus, transportation of the substrate can be simplified. Accordingly, standby time of substrate transportation can be reduced, and a decrease in substrate transportation efficiency can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Inventors: Joji Kuwahara, Seiji Murai