Patents by Inventor Kazuo Sawai

Kazuo Sawai 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: 20160300698
    Abstract: A pattern forming system includes: a forming device configured to form a pattern by etching a film on a substrate in a processing vessel; a member in the processing vessel that is positioned in the processing vessel to increase uniformity of the pattern in a surface of the substrate; a measurement apparatus configured to measure a shape or a critical dimension of the pattern; a control device configured to control a temperature of the member in the processing vessel; a processing gas supply unit configured to introduce a processing gas to the processing vessel; and an exhaust device configured to depressurize an inside of the processing vessel to a certain pressure level. The control device is configured to control the temperature of the member in the processing vessel based on the measured shape or the measured critical dimension of the pattern through a feedback control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Keisuke Tanaka, Kazuo Sawai, Hiroshi Nagahata
  • Patent number: 9396911
    Abstract: A determination method, a control method, a determination apparatus, a pattern forming system, and a storage medium can determine a replacement time of a focus ring accurately and quickly. The determination method is capable of determining the replacement time of a focus ring that surrounds a substrate to increase uniformity of a pattern in a surface of the substrate when the pattern is formed by etching a film on the substrate. The determination method includes measuring a shape or a critical dimension of the pattern; and determining the replacement time of the focus ring based on the measured shape or the measured critical dimension of the pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Keisuke Tanaka, Kazuo Sawai, Hiroshi Nagahata
  • Patent number: 8500950
    Abstract: A method includes forming a resist film on an etching target layer disposed on a test substrate, and performing sequential light exposure with a predetermined test pattern on the resist film sequentially at a plurality of areas, while respectively using different combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value, along with subsequent development, thereby forming resist patterns at the plurality of areas; then etching the etching target layer, removing the resist patterns, and measuring shapes of etched patterns at the plurality of areas by means of a scatterometory technique; and determining a management span of combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value admissible to obtain an etched pattern with a predetermined shape, with reference to the light exposure amounts and focus values used in the sequential light exposure, the line widths of the resist patterns, and the line widths of the etched patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kazuo Sawai, Akihiro Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20120249986
    Abstract: A determination method, a control method, a determination apparatus, a pattern forming system, and a storage medium can determine a replacement time of a focus ring accurately and quickly. The determination method is capable of determining the replacement time of a focus ring that surrounds a substrate to increase uniformity of a pattern in a surface of the substrate when the pattern is formed by etching a film on the substrate. The determination method includes measuring a shape or a critical dimension of the pattern; and determining the replacement time of the focus ring based on the measured shape or the measured critical dimension of the pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Keisuke Tanaka, Kazuo Sawai, Hiroshi Nagahata
  • Publication number: 20110220287
    Abstract: A method includes forming a resist film on an etching target layer disposed on a test substrate, and performing sequential light exposure with a predetermined test pattern on the resist film sequentially at a plurality of areas, while respectively using different combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value, along with subsequent development, thereby forming resist patterns at the plurality of areas; then etching the etching target layer, removing the resist patterns, and measuring shapes of etched patterns at the plurality of areas by means of a scatterometory technique; and determining a management span of combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value admissible to obtain an etched pattern with a predetermined shape, with reference to the light exposure amounts and focus values used in the sequential light exposure, the line widths of the resist patterns, and the line widths of the etched patterns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuo SAWAI, Akihiro Sonoda
  • Patent number: 8007968
    Abstract: In the present invention, patterning for the first time is performed on a film to be worked above the front surface of a substrate, and the actual dimension of the pattern formed by the patterning for the first time is measured. Based on the dimension measurement result of the patterning or the first time, the condition of patterning for the second time is then set. In this event, the condition of the patterning for the second time is set so that a difference between the dimension of the patterning for the first time and its target dimension is equal to a difference between the dimension of the patterning for the second time and its target dimension. Thereafter, the patterning for the second time is performed under the set patterning condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Yamada, Tadayuki Yamaguchi, Yuuichi Yamamoto, Yasuhito Saiga, Kazuo Sawai
  • Patent number: 7960078
    Abstract: A method includes forming a resist film on an etching target layer disposed on a test substrate, and performing sequential light exposure with a predetermined test pattern on the resist film sequentially at a plurality of areas, while respectively using different combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value, along with subsequent development, thereby forming resist patterns at the plurality of areas; then etching the etching target layer, removing the resist patterns, and measuring shapes of etched patterns at the plurality of areas by means of a scatterometory technique; and determining a management span of combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value admissible to obtain an etched pattern with a predetermined shape, with reference to the light exposure amounts and focus values used in the sequential light exposure, the line widths of the resist patterns, and the line widths of the etched patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kazuo Sawai, Akihiro Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20090258304
    Abstract: In the present invention, patterning for the first time is performed on a film to be worked above the front surface of a substrate, and the actual dimension of the pattern formed by the patterning for the first time is measured. Based on the dimension measurement result of the patterning or the first time, the condition of patterning for the second time is then set. In this event, the condition of the patterning for the second time is set so that a difference between the dimension of the patterning for the first time and its target dimension is equal to a difference between the dimension of the patterning for the second time and its target dimension. Thereafter, the patterning for the second time is performed under the set patterning condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Yamada, Tadayuki Yamaguchi, Yuuichi Yamamoto, Yasuhito Saiga, Kazuo Sawai
  • Publication number: 20070298335
    Abstract: A method includes forming a resist film on an etching target layer disposed on a test substrate, and performing sequential light exposure with a predetermined test pattern on the resist film sequentially at a plurality of areas, while respectively using different combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value, along with subsequent development, thereby forming resist patterns at the plurality of areas; then etching the etching target layer, removing the resist patterns, and measuring shapes of etched patterns at the plurality of areas by means of a scatterometory technique; and determining a management span of combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value admissible to obtain an etched pattern with a predetermined shape, with reference to the light exposure amounts and focus values used in the sequential light exposure, the line widths of the resist patterns, and the line widths of the etched patterns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuo Sawai, Akihiro Sonoda