Patents by Inventor Kazuo Yabe

Kazuo Yabe 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: 11923177
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing container having a vertical tubular shape and an opening formed in a side wall of the processing container, the processing container configured to accommodate a plurality of substrates in multiple stages; a plasma partition wall airtightly provided on an outer wall of the processing container and configured to cover the opening and define a plasma generation space; a plasma electrode provided along the plasma partition wall; and a processing gas supplier provided outside the plasma generation space and configured to supply a plasma generation gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Keiji Tabuki, Yamato Tonegawa, Kazumasa Igarashi, Kazuo Yabe
  • Patent number: 11781219
    Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a processing container accommodating a substrate therein, a plasma generator having a plasma generation space communicating with an inside of the processing container, a first gas supply provided in the plasma generation space and configured to supply a hydrogen gas, and a second gas supply provided in the processing container and configured to supply a hydrogen gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuo Yabe, Kazumasa Igarashi, Yamato Tonegawa
  • Publication number: 20220270940
    Abstract: An abnormality detection method includes: supplying a gas controlled to a selected rate to a gas supply pipe via the gas pipe connected to the gas supply pipe, thereby introducing the gas into a reaction region of a processing container provided in a processing apparatus from a gas hole of the gas supply pipe; measuring a pressure inside the gas pipe by a pressure gauge attached to the gas pipe; and detecting an abnormality of at least one of the gas supply pipe and the gas pipe based on the pressure measured at the measuring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Shingo HISHIYA, Nobutoshi TERASAWA, Fumiaki NAGAI, Kazuaki SASAKI, Hiroaki KIKUCHI, Masayuki KITAMURA, Kazuo YABE, Motoshi FUKUDOME, Tatsuya MIYAHARA, Eiji KIKAMA, Yuki TANABE, Tomoyuki NAGATA
  • Publication number: 20220013333
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing container having a vertical tubular shape and an opening formed in a side wall of the processing container, the processing container configured to accommodate a plurality of substrates in multiple stages; a plasma partition wall airtightly provided on an outer wall of the processing container and configured to cover the opening and define a plasma generation space; a plasma electrode provided along the plasma partition wall; and a processing gas supplier provided outside the plasma generation space and configured to supply a plasma generation gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Keiji TABUKI, Yamato TONEGAWA, Kazumasa IGARASHI, Kazuo YABE
  • Publication number: 20200299839
    Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a processing container accommodating a substrate therein, a plasma generator having a plasma generation space communicating with an inside of the processing container, a first gas supply provided in the plasma generation space and configured to supply a hydrogen gas, and a second gas supply provided in the processing container and configured to supply a hydrogen gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Kazuo YABE, Kazumasa IGARASHI, Yamato TONEGAWA
  • Patent number: 10351952
    Abstract: A film formation apparatus of forming a thin film by stacking a molecular layer of an oxide on a surface of a substrate in a vacuum atmosphere formed within a vacuum chamber includes: a source gas supply unit supplying a source gas containing a source to the substrate; an atmosphere gas supply unit supplying an atmosphere gas to the vacuum chamber; an energy supply unit supplying energy to the ozone atmosphere; a control unit configured to output a control signal for repeatedly performing a cycle including a supply of the source gas, a supply of the atmosphere gas, and a supply of energy plural times; a buffer region connected to the vacuum chamber, an inert gas being supplied to the buffer region; and a partition unit partitioning the buffer region with respect to the vacuum chamber and making the buffer region communicate with the vacuum chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuo Yabe, Akira Shimizu
  • Patent number: 10290496
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a protrusion portion formed by a side peripheral wall of a processing container which swells outward, and configured to form a vertically elongated space communicating with a processing space for accommodating a substrate holder and performing a process; a gas discharge portion provided in the vertically elongated space, and configured to discharge a process gas into the processing space; an antenna provided in the protrusion portion along a vertical direction and supplied with a high-frequency power for converting the process gas into a plasma in the vertically elongated space; and a shield extending leftward and rightward in the protrusion portion at positions closer to the processing space than the antenna and configured to shield an electric field formed by the antenna and to suppress a formation of the plasma in the processing space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Jun Ogawa, Kazuo Yabe
  • Publication number: 20180090311
    Abstract: There is provided a boron film forming method which includes forming a boron film on a target substrate by CVD by supplying a boron-containing gas as a film-forming source gas to the target substrate while heating the target substrate to a predetermined temperature, the boron film being made of boron and inevitable impurities and used for a semiconductor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Takahiro MIYAHARA, Kazuo YABE, Shigeru NAKAJIMA
  • Publication number: 20180033618
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a protrusion portion formed by a side peripheral wall of a processing container which swells outward, and configured to form a vertically elongated space communicating with a processing space for accommodating a substrate holder and performing a process; a gas discharge portion provided in the vertically elongated space, and configured to discharge a process gas into the processing space; an antenna provided in the protrusion portion along a vertical direction and supplied with a high-frequency power for converting the process gas into a plasma in the vertically elongated space; and a shield extending leftward and rightward in the protrusion portion at positions closer to the processing space than the antenna and configured to shield an electric field formed by the antenna and to suppress a formation of the plasma in the processing space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventors: Jun OGAWA, Kazuo YABE
  • Patent number: 9552981
    Abstract: A metal oxide film forming method includes: repeating a cycle a first predetermined number of times, the cycle including supplying a gas containing an organic metal precursor into a processing chamber where an object to be processed is accommodated, and supplying oxygen gas into the processing chamber after the gas containing the organic metal precursor is supplied into the processing chamber; and supplying ozone gas into the processing chamber, wherein repeating the cycle and supplying the ozone gas are repeated a second predetermined number of times, so that a metal oxide film is formed on a surface of the object to be processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuo Yabe, Jun Ogawa
  • Patent number: 9425071
    Abstract: A film forming method for obtaining a thin film by laminating molecular layers of oxide on a surface of a substrate in a vacuum atmosphere includes performing a cycle a plurality of times. The cycle includes: supplying a source gas containing a source to the substrate in a vacuum vessel to adsorb the source onto the substrate; forming an ozone atmosphere containing ozone having a concentration not less than that where a chain decomposition reaction is caused in the vacuum vessel; and forcibly decomposing the ozone by supplying energy to the ozone atmosphere to generate active species of oxygen, and oxidizing the source adsorbed onto the surface of the substrate by the active species to obtain the oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignees: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, IWATANI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuo Yabe, Akira Shimizu, Koichi Izumi, Masahiro Furutani
  • Publication number: 20160148801
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus, that performs oxidization on a surface of a substrate in a vacuum atmosphere formed in a vacuum chamber, includes an atmosphere gas supply part configured to supply an atmosphere gas into the vacuum chamber to form a processing atmosphere containing ozone and hydrogen donor, wherein a concentration of the ozone is above a threshold concentration to trigger chain reaction of decomposition. The substrate processing apparatus further includes an energy supply part configured to supply an energy to the processing atmosphere to oxidize a surface of a substrate with reactive species generated by forcibly decomposing the ozone and hydroxyl radical generated by reaction of the hydrogen donor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Kazuo YABE, Akira SHIMIZU, Kazuhide HASEBE
  • Publication number: 20150361550
    Abstract: Film formation apparatus includes: rotation mechanism to repeat alternately placing the substrate in first region and second region; raw material gas supply unit to supply the first region with gaseous raw material; processing space formation member to move up and down to form processing space isolated from the first region; atmosphere gas supply unit to supply atmosphere gas for forming ozone atmosphere where chain decomposition reaction is generated; energy supply unit to forcibly decompose the ozone by supplying energy to the ozone atmosphere and to obtain the oxide by oxidizing the raw material adsorbed to surface of the substrate; buffer region connected to the processing space and being supplied with inert gas; and partition unit to partition the buffer region off from the processing space when the atmosphere gas is supplied to the processing space and to have the buffer region communicate with the processing space when ozone is decomposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Inventors: Kazuo YABE, Akira SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20150354060
    Abstract: A film formation apparatus of forming a thin film by stacking a molecular layer of an oxide on a surface of a substrate in a vacuum atmosphere formed within a vacuum chamber includes: a source gas supply unit supplying a source gas containing a source to the substrate; an atmosphere gas supply unit supplying an atmosphere gas to the vacuum chamber; an energy supply unit supplying energy to the ozone atmosphere; a control unit configured to output a control signal for repeatedly performing a cycle including a supply of the source gas, a supply of the atmosphere gas, and a supply of energy plural times; a buffer region connected to the vacuum chamber, an inert gas being supplied to the buffer region; and a partition unit partitioning the buffer region with respect to the vacuum chamber and making the buffer region communicate with the vacuum chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Kazuo YABE, Akira SHIMIZU
  • Publication number: 20150318170
    Abstract: A film forming method for obtaining a thin film by laminating molecular layers of oxide on a surface of a substrate in a vacuum atmosphere includes performing a cycle a plurality of times. The cycle includes: supplying a source gas containing a source to the substrate in a vacuum vessel to adsorb the source onto the substrate; forming an ozone atmosphere containing ozone having a concentration not less than that where a chain decomposition reaction is caused in the vacuum vessel; and forcibly decomposing the ozone by supplying energy to the ozone atmosphere to generate active species of oxygen, and oxidizing the source adsorbed onto the surface of the substrate by the active species to obtain the oxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: Kazuo YABE, Akira SHIMIZU, Koichi IZUMI, Masahiro FURUTANI
  • Publication number: 20150228473
    Abstract: A metal oxide film forming method includes: repeating a cycle a first predetermined number of times, the cycle including supplying a gas containing an organic metal precursor into a processing chamber where an object to be processed is accommodated, and supplying oxygen gas into the processing chamber after the gas containing the organic metal precursor is supplied into the processing chamber; and supplying ozone gas into the processing chamber, wherein repeating the cycle and supplying the ozone gas are repeated a second predetermined number of times, so that a metal oxide film is formed on a surface of the object to be processed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Publication date: August 13, 2015
    Inventors: Kazuo YABE, Jun OGAWA
  • Patent number: 8853100
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of present disclosure, a film formation method is provided. The film formation method includes supplying a first process gas as a source gas for obtaining a reaction product to a substrate while rotating a turntable and revolving the substrate, and supplying a second process gas as a gas for nitriding the first process gas adsorbed to the substrate to the substrate in a position spaced apart along a circumferential direction of the turntable from a position where the first process gas is supplied to the substrate. Further, the film formation method includes providing a separation region along the circumferential direction of the turntable between a first process gas supply position and a second process gas supply position, and irradiating ultraviolet rays on a molecular layer of the reaction product formed on the substrate placed on the turntable to control stresses generated in a thin film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masanobu Igeta, Jun Sato, Kazuo Yabe, Hitoshi Kato, Yusaku Izawa
  • Publication number: 20140004713
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of present disclosure, a film formation method is provided. The film formation method includes supplying a first process gas as a source gas for obtaining a reaction product to a substrate while rotating a turntable and revolving the substrate, and supplying a second process gas as a gas for nitriding the first process gas adsorbed to the substrate to the substrate in a position spaced apart along a circumferential direction of the turntable from a position where the first process gas is supplied to the substrate. Further, the film formation method includes providing a separation region along the circumferential direction of the turntable between a first process gas supply position and a second process gas supply position, and irradiating ultraviolet rays on a molecular layer of the reaction product formed on the substrate placed on the turntable to control stresses generated in a thin film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: Masanobu IGETA, Jun SATO, Kazuo YABE, Hitoshi KATO, Yusaku IZAWA
  • Publication number: 20120028471
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming a thin film on a substrate; forming a resist mask which forms a photoresist mask having an elliptical hole pattern on the thin film; shrinking a hole size of the second pattern by forming an insulating film on a side wall of the second pattern of the photoresist layer; and etching the thin film using the insulating film and the photoresist layer which form the second pattern having the shrinked hole size as a mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Publication date: February 2, 2012
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kenichi Oyama, Kazuo Yabe, Hidetami Yaegashi
  • Publication number: 20090110824
    Abstract: In accordance with a set temperature profile including: a first step in which a temperature is varied from a first temperature to a second temperature during a first time period; a second step in which the temperature is maintained at the second temperature during a second time period; and a third step in which the temperature is varied from the second temperature to a third temperature; a substrate is subjected to a film deposition process. The first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature are determined based on the first relationship between temperature and film thickness, the measured film thicknesses at the plurality of positions, and a predetermined target film thickness. There are calculated expected film thicknesses at a plurality of positions on a substrate to be actually processed in accordance with the set temperature profile corresponding to the determined first temperature, the determined second temperature, and the determined third temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Inventors: Yuichi Takenaga, Takahito Kasai, Minoru Obata, Yoshihiro Takezawa, Kazuo Yabe