Patents by Inventor Junji Kunisawa
Junji Kunisawa 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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Publication number: 20070034526Abstract: An electrolytic processing apparatus can planarize uniformly over an entire surface of a substrate under a low pressure without any damages to the substrate. The electrolytic processing apparatus has a substrate holder configured to hold and rotate a substrate having a metal film formed on a surface of the substrate and an electrolytic processing unit configured to perform an electrolytic process on the substrate held by the substrate holder. The electrolytic processing unit has a rotatable processing electrode, a polishing pad attached to the rotatable processing electrode, and a pressing mechanism configured to press the polishing pad against the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 12, 2005Publication date: February 15, 2007Inventors: Natsuki Makino, Junji Kunisawa, Keisuke Namiki, Yukio Fukunaga, Katsuyuki Musaka, Ray Fang, Emanuel Cooper, John Cotte, Hariklia Deligianni, Keith Kwietniak, Brett Baker-O'Neal, Matteo Flotta, Philippe Vereecken
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Patent number: 7108589Abstract: A polishing apparatus and method has a function of polishing a surface of a film formed on a substrate to a flat mirror finish and a function of polishing unnecessary metal film such as copper film deposited on an outer peripheral portion of the substrate to remove such unnecessary metal film. The polishing apparatus comprises a surface polishing mechanism comprising a polishing table having a polishing surface and a top ring for holding the substrate and pressing the substrate against the polishing surface of the polishing table to thereby polish a surface of the substrate, and an outer periphery polishing mechanism for polishing an outer peripheral portion of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2005Date of Patent: September 19, 2006Assignees: Ebara Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Norio Kimura, Mitsuhiko Shirakashi, Katsuya Okumura, You Ishii, Junji Kunisawa, Hiroyuki Yano
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Patent number: 7055535Abstract: A holding unit holds a substrate to enable a surface of the substrate to be processed. The unit has a vacuum suction member that comes into contact with a peripheral portion of the surface of the substrate and sucks the substrate. A processing apparatus holds the wafer stably and allows an edge, a bevel portion and/or a back surface of the wafer to be processed.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2003Date of Patent: June 6, 2006Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Junji Kunisawa, Norio Kimura, Kenya Ito, Akira Fukunaga, Yuuki Inoue, Hiroshi Tomita, Soichi Nadahara, Motoyuki Sato
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Publication number: 20060086616Abstract: A plating apparatus can securely carry out a flattening plating of a substrate to form a plated film having a flat surface without using a costly mechanism, and without applying an extra plating to the substrate. The plating apparatus includes a substrate holder; a cathode section having a seal member for watertightly sealing a peripheral portion of the substrate, and a cathode electrode for supplying an electric current to the substrate; an anode disposed in a position facing the surface of the substrate; a porous member disposed between the anode and the surface of the substrate; a constant-voltage control section for controlling a voltage applied between the cathode electrode and the anode at a constant value; and a current monitor section for monitoring an electric current flowing between the cathode electrode and the anode, and feeding back a detection signal to the constant-voltage control section.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2005Publication date: April 27, 2006Inventors: Keiichi Kurashina, Mizuki Nagai, Satoru Yamamoto, Hiroyuki Kanda, Koji Mishima, Shinya Morisawa, Junji Kunisawa, Kunihito Ide, Hidenao Suzuki, Emanuel Cooper, Philippe Vereecken, Brett Baker-O' Neal, Hariklia Deligianni
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Publication number: 20060027452Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus fills a metal such as copper or the like in fine interconnection patterns or trenches defined in a semiconductor substrate. The substrate processing apparatus has a loading/unloading unit for placing a substrate cassette to allow a substrate to be loaded and unloaded, a substrate treating unit for treating a substrate, and a transfer robot for transferring a substrate between the loading/unloading unit and the substrate treating unit. The loading/unloading unit, the substrate treating unit, and the transfer robot are installed in a single facility. The loading/unloading unit has a rotary table which is horizontally rotatable for positioning the substrate cassette in a position to detect the substrate cassette placed in the loading/unloading unit and to remove the substrate from the substrate cassette with the transfer robot.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2005Publication date: February 9, 2006Inventors: Koji Mishima, Junji Kunisawa, Natsuki Makino, Norio Kimura, Hiroaki Inoue, Kenji Nakamura, Moriji Matsumoto, Takahiro Nanjo, Mitsuko Odagaki
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Publication number: 20050260933Abstract: A polishing apparatus and method has a function of polishing a surface of a film formed on a substrate to a flat mirror finish and a function of polishing unnecessary metal film such as copper film deposited on an outer peripheral portion of the substrate to remove such unnecessary metal film. The polishing apparatus comprises a surface polishing mechanism comprising a polishing table having a polishing surface and a top ring for holding the substrate and pressing the substrate against the polishing surface of the polishing table to thereby polish a surface of the substrate, and an outer periphery polishing mechanism for polishing an outer peripheral portion of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 25, 2005Publication date: November 24, 2005Inventors: Norio Kimura, Mitsuhiko Shirakashi, Katsuya Okumura, You Ishii, Junji Kunisawa, Hiroyuki Yano
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Patent number: 6935932Abstract: A polishing apparatus and method has a function of polishing a surface of a film formed on a substrate to a flat mirror finish and a function of polishing unnecessary metal film such as copper film deposited on an outer peripheral portion of the substrate to remove such unnecessary metal film. The polishing apparatus comprises a surface polishing mechanism comprising a polishing table having a polishing surface and a top ring for holding the substrate and pressing the substrate against the polishing surface of the polishing table to thereby polish a surface of the substrate, and an outer periphery polishing mechanism for polishing an outer peripheral portion of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2004Date of Patent: August 30, 2005Assignees: Ebara Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Norio Kimura, Mitsuhiko Shirakashi, Katsuya Okumura, You Ishii, Junji Kunisawa, Hiroyuki Yano
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Publication number: 20050155865Abstract: There is provided an electrolytic processing apparatus and method which can produce products having various specifications with enhanced productivity, thus reducing the production cost, and which can respond flexibly to the movement toward finer interconnects in semiconductor devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2004Publication date: July 21, 2005Inventors: Koji Mishima, Keisuke Namiki, Masao Hodai, Junji Kunisawa, Natsuki Makino, Yukio Fukunaga
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Publication number: 20050074559Abstract: The present invention relates to an electroless plating apparatus which can reduce an amount of a plating liquid to be used, maintain a stable plating process, be downsized, reduce an apparatus cost, form a film having a uniform thickness over an entire surface, and prevent a plating liquid from being deteriorated due to a temperature rise. The present invention comprises: a holding device for holding a substrate with a surface, to be plated, facing upwardly; a plating liquid holding mechanism for sealing a periphery of the surface, to be plated, of the substrate held by the holding device; an electroless plating treatment liquid supply device for supplying an electroless plating liquid to the surface, to be plated, of the substrate sealed by the plating liquid holding mechanism to allow supplied electroless plating liquid to be held on the substrate; and a heating apparatus provided below the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2004Publication date: April 7, 2005Inventors: Hiroaki Inoue, Koji Mishima, Tsutomu Karimata, Kenji Nakamura, Moriji Matsumoto, Junji Kunisawa
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Patent number: 6858084Abstract: The present invention relates to an electroless plating apparatus which can reduce an amount of a plating liquid to be used, maintain a stable plating process, be downsized, reduce an apparatus cost, form a film having a uniform thickness over an entire surface, and prevent a plating liquid from being deteriorated due to a temperature rise. The present invention comprises: a holding device for holding a substrate with a surface, to be plated, facing upwardly; a plating liquid holding mechanism for sealing a periphery of the surface, to be plated, of the substrate held by the holding device; an electroless plating treatment liquid supply device for supplying an electroless plating liquid to the surface, to be plated, of the substrate sealed by the plating liquid holding mechanism to allow supplied electroless plating liquid to be held on the substrate; and a heating apparatus provided below the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2001Date of Patent: February 22, 2005Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Hiroaki Inoue, Koji Mishima, Tsutomu Karimata, Kenji Nakamura, Moriji Matsumoto, Junji Kunisawa
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Publication number: 20050023149Abstract: The present invention provides a plating apparatus which uses an insoluble anode and which can perform plating of a substrate stably while preventing oxygen gas, generated due to the use of the insoluble anode, from causing defects in the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2004Publication date: February 3, 2005Inventors: Tsutomu Nakada, Junji Kunisawa, Hiroyuki Kanda, Mizuki Nagai, Satoru Yamamoto, Koji Mishima, Shinya Morisawa, Seiji Katsuoka, Natsuki Makino, Yukio Fukunaga
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Publication number: 20040195106Abstract: The present invention relates to a plating method and a plating apparatus which can attain embedding of copper into fine interconnection patterns with use of a plating liquid having high throwing power and leveling properties, and which can make film thickness of a plated film substantially equal between an interconnection region and a non-interconnection region. A plating method comprises filling a plating liquid containing metal ions and an additive into a plating space formed between a substrate and an anode disposed closely to the substrate so as to face the substrate, and changing concentration of the additive in the plating liquid filled into the plating space during a plating process.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2004Publication date: October 7, 2004Inventors: Koji Mishima, Hiroaki Inoue, Natsuki Makino, Junji Kunisawa, Kenji Nakamura, Tetsuo Matsuda, Hisashi Kaneko, Toshiyuki Morita
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Publication number: 20040166783Abstract: A polishing apparatus and method has a function of polishing a surface of a film formed on a substrate to a flat mirror finish and a function of polishing unnecessary metal film such as copper film deposited on an outer peripheral portion of the substrate to remove such unnecessary metal film. The polishing apparatus comprises a surface polishing mechanism comprising a polishing table having a polishing surface and a top ring for holding the substrate and pressing the substrate against the polishing surface of the polishing table to thereby polish a surface of the substrate, and an outer periphery polishing mechanism for polishing an outer peripheral portion of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2004Publication date: August 26, 2004Inventors: Norio Kimura, Mitsuhiko Shirakashi, Katsuya Okumura, You Ishii, Junji Kunisawa, Hiroyuki Yano
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Patent number: 6767437Abstract: In an electroplating apparatus, an electrolytic agent is filled into the portion between an anode and a dummy cathode which is opposite substantially face to face and parallel to the anode, and an electric current is supplied to this portion, thereby suppressing changes in properties of a black film during the period in which plating to a substrate to be processed is stopped. In particular, by applying an electric current to the anode immediately before plating to the substrate is resumed, the film formation characteristics of plating to the substrate can be maximally stabilized. This can reduce the consumption power and dissolution of the anode. This apparatus is particularly effective in copper plating in which the formation of a black film is significant.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2001Date of Patent: July 27, 2004Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Ebara CorporationInventors: Tetsuo Matsuda, Hisashi Kaneko, Koji Mishima, Natsuki Makino, Junji Kunisawa
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Publication number: 20040134789Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus fills a metal such as copper or the like in fine interconnection patterns or trenches defined in a semiconductor substrate. The substrate processing apparatus has a loading/unloading unit for placing a substrate cassette to allow a substrate to be loaded and unloaded, a substrate treating unit for treating a substrate, and a transfer robot for transferring a substrate between the loading/unloading unit and the substrate treating unit. The loading/unloading unit, the substrate treating unit, and the transfer robot are installed in a single facility. The loading/unloading unit has a rotary table which is horizontally rotatable for positioning the substrate cassette in a position to detect the substrate cassette placed in the loading/unloading unit and to remove the substrate from the substrate cassette with the transfer robot.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2003Publication date: July 15, 2004Inventors: Koji Mishima, Junji Kunisawa, Natsuki Makino, Norio Kimura, Hiroaki Inoue, Kenji Nakamura, Moriji Matsumoto, Takahiro Nanjo, Mitsuko Odagaki
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Publication number: 20040129576Abstract: There is provided an electrolytic processing apparatus and method that can improve the flatness of a plated film on a substrate even when fine grooves and large grooves are co-present in the surface of the substrate, enabling a later CMP processing to be carried out in a short time while preventing dishing during the CMP processing.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2003Publication date: July 8, 2004Inventors: Natsuki Makino, Junji Kunisawa
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Patent number: 6746589Abstract: The present invention relates to a plating method and a plating apparatus which can attain embedding of copper into fine interconnection patterns with use of a plating liquid having high throwing power and leveling properties, and which can make film thickness of a plated film substantially equal between an interconnection region and a non-interconnection region. A plating method comprises filling a plating liquid containing metal ions and an additive into a plating space formed between a substrate and an anode disposed closely to the substrate so as to face the substrate, and changing concentration of the additive in the plating liquid filled into the plating space during a plating process.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2001Date of Patent: June 8, 2004Assignees: Ebara Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Koji Mishima, Hiroaki Inoue, Natsuki Makino, Junji Kunisawa, Kenji Nakamura, Tetsuo Matsuda, Hisashi Kaneko, Toshiyuki Morita
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Patent number: 6722964Abstract: A polishing apparatus and method has a function of polishing a surface of a film formed on a substrate to a flat mirror finish and a function of polishing unnecessary metal film such as copper film deposited on an outer peripheral portion of the substrate to remove such unnecessary metal film. The polishing apparatus comprises a surface polishing mechanism comprising a polishing table having a polishing surface and a top ring for holding the substrate and pressing the substrate against the polishing surface of the polishing table to thereby polish a surface of the substrate, and an outer periphery polishing mechanism for polishing an outer peripheral portion of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2001Date of Patent: April 20, 2004Assignees: Ebara Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Norio Kimura, Mitsuhiko Shirakashi, Katsuya Okumura, You Ishii, Junji Kunisawa, Hiroyuki Yano
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Publication number: 20040069646Abstract: A plating method and apparatus for a substrate fills a metal, e.g., copper, into a fine interconnection pattern formed in a semiconductor substrate. The apparatus has a substrate holding portion 36 horizontally holding and rotating a substrate with its surface to be plated facing upward. A seal material 90 contacts a peripheral edge portion of the surface, sealing the in a watertight manner. A cathode electrode 88 passes an electric current upon contact with the substrate. A cathode portion 38 rotates integrally with the substrate holding portion 36. An electrode arm portion 30 is above the cathode portion 38 and movable horizontally and vertically and has an anode 98 face-down. Plating liquid is poured into a space between the surface to be plated and the anode 98 brought close to the surface to be plated. Thus, plating treatment and treatments incidental thereto can be performed by a single unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 1, 2003Publication date: April 15, 2004Inventors: Junji Kunisawa, Mitsuko Odagaki, Natsuki Makino, Koji Mishima, Kenji Nakamura, Hiroaki Inoue, Norio Kimura, Tetsuo Matsuda, Hisashi Kaneko, Nobuo Hayasaka, Katsuya Okumura, Manabu Tsujimura, Toshiyuki Morita
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Patent number: 6689257Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus fills a metal such as copper or the like in fine interconnection patterns or trenches defined in a semiconductor substrate. The substrate processing apparatus has a loading/unloading unit for placing a substrate cassette to allow a substrate to be loaded and unloaded, a substrate treating unit for treating a substrate, and a transfer robot for transferring a substrate between the loading/unloading unit and the substrate treating unit. The loading/unloading unit, the substrate treating unit, and the transfer robot are installed in a single facility. The loading/unloading unit has a rotary table which is horizontally rotatable for positioning the substrate cassette in a position to detect the substrate cassette placed in the loading/unloading unit and to remove the substrate from the substrate cassette with the transfer robot.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2001Date of Patent: February 10, 2004Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Koji Mishima, Junji Kunisawa, Natsuki Makino, Norio Kimura, Hiroaki Inoue, Kenji Nakamura, Moriji Matsumoto, Takahiro Nanjo, Mitsuko Odagaki