Patents by Inventor Kazuya Hirata

Kazuya Hirata 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: 20220266393
    Abstract: Irradiation conditions for a laser beam to respective ones of a plurality of regions included in the upper surface of an ingot are set according to the numbers of photons of fluorescence occurring when excitation light is irradiated to the respective regions. Here, it is to be understood that the number of the photons of the fluorescence occurring from a region of an ingot depends on the concentration of an impurity doped in the ingot. A separation layer can therefore be formed at a uniform depth from the upper surface of the ingot even if regions of different impurity concentrations are included in the ingot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Kazuki MORI, Kazuya HIRATA
  • Publication number: 20220236185
    Abstract: A method of detecting a Facet region includes: a fluorescence luminance detecting step of detecting fluorescence luminance unique to SiC by irradiating a SiC ingot with exciting light having a predetermined wavelength from a top surface of the SiC ingot; and a coordinate setting step of setting a region in which the fluorescence luminance is equal to or higher than a predetermined value in the fluorescence luminance detecting step as a non-Facet region, setting a region in which the fluorescence luminance is lower than the predetermined value in the fluorescence luminance detecting step as a Facet region, and setting coordinates of a boundary between the Facet region and the non-Facet region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Yusaku ITO, Naoki MURAZAWA, Kazuya HIRATA
  • Patent number: 11371787
    Abstract: A gas cooler effectively prevents or suppresses an outflow of drain water to the outside. The gas cooler includes a casing, a cooling unit, a seal plate, a lead-in port, a lead-out port, and a drain scattering prevention member. The cooling unit is accommodated within the casing and cools gas. The seal plate is provided in the cooling unit and partitions an inside of the casing into an upper space thorough which the gas before passing through the cooling unit flows and a bottom space through which the gas after passing through the cooling unit flows. The gas is led from the lead-in port into the upper space, and the gas is led out of the bottom space via the lead-out port. The drain scattering prevention member is disposed in the bottom space, and collects the drain water, while allowing the gas to pass therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: KOBELCO COMPRESSORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuya Hirata, Koji Hagihara
  • Publication number: 20220181174
    Abstract: A wafer manufacturing apparatus includes an ingot grinding unit for grinding an upper surface of an ingot to planarize the upper surface of the ingot, a laser applying unit for forming peel-off layers in the ingot at a depth therein, which corresponds to the thickness of a wafer to be produced from the ingot, from the upper surface of the ingot, a wafer peeling unit for holding the upper surface of the ingot and peeling off a wafer from the ingot at the peel-off layers, a tray having an ingot support portion and a wafer support portion, and a belt conveyor unit for delivering the ingot supported on the tray between the ingot grinding unit, the laser applying unit, and the wafer peeling unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Ryohei YAMAMOTO, Kazuya HIRATA
  • Publication number: 20220161367
    Abstract: A wafer producing apparatus detects a facet area from an upper surface of an SiC ingot, sets X and Y coordinates of plural points lying on a boundary between the facet area and a nonfacet area in an XY plane, and sets a focal point of a laser beam having a transmission wavelength to SiC inside the SiC ingot at a predetermined depth from the upper surface of the SiC ingot. The predetermined depth corresponds to the thickness of the SiC wafer to be produced. A control unit increases the energy of the laser beam and raises a position of the focal point in applying the laser beam to the facet area as compared with the energy of the laser beam and a position of the focal point in applying the laser beam to the nonfacet area, according to the X and Y coordinates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Ryohei YAMAMOTO, Kazuya HIRATA
  • Patent number: 11340163
    Abstract: A method of detecting a Facet region includes: a fluorescence luminance detecting step of detecting fluorescence luminance unique to SiC by irradiating a SiC ingot with exciting light having a predetermined wavelength from a top surface of the SiC ingot; and a coordinate setting step of setting a region in which the fluorescence luminance is equal to or higher than a predetermined value in the fluorescence luminance detecting step as a non-Facet region, setting a region in which the fluorescence luminance is lower than the predetermined value in the fluorescence luminance detecting step as a Facet region, and setting coordinates of a boundary between the Facet region and the non-Facet region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusaku Ito, Naoki Murazawa, Kazuya Hirata
  • Publication number: 20220148881
    Abstract: A peeling layer is formed by applying a laser beam only to a central region of a workpiece other than a peripheral region extending inward from the peripheral edge of the workpiece by a predetermined distance. In this case, the application of the laser beam does not form the peeling layer in the peripheral region of the workpiece, and the formation of an ablation trace on the outer peripheral surface of the workpiece is prevented. As a result, it is possible to reduce a probability of occurrence of chipping in the peripheral region of a wafer peeled off from the workpiece when the wafer is subjected to a post-process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventor: Kazuya HIRATA
  • Publication number: 20220132275
    Abstract: A store system includes a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of an RFID medium attached to an item and position information of a visitor terminal carried by a visitor, an event detection unit that detects an event that the RFID medium or the visitor terminal enters or leaves a predetermined area in a store space based on the acquired position information, an event information storage unit that stores event information including an ID that identifies the RFID medium or the visitor terminal, information about the predetermined area based on the position information, and a detection time of the event, and a status determination unit that determines a status, which is a state of the item or is an action content of the visitor, based on the event information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Applicant: SATO HOLDINGS KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuya HIRATA, Ayumi KURIHARA
  • Publication number: 20220130675
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a chip formation wafer includes: forming an epitaxial film on a first main surface of a silicon carbide wafer to provide a processed wafer having one side adjacent to the epitaxial film and the other side; irradiating a laser beam into the processed wafer from the other side of the processed wafer so as to form an altered layer along a surface direction of the processed wafer; and separating the processed wafer with the altered layer as a boundary into a chip formation wafer having the one side of the processed wafer and a recycle wafer having the other side of the processed wafer. The processed wafer has a beveling portion at an outer edge portion of the processed wafer, and an area of the other side is larger than an area of the one side in the beveling portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Masatake NAGAYA, Teruaki KUMAZAWA, Yuji NAGUMO, Kazuya HIRATA, Asahi NOMOTO
  • Publication number: 20220129956
    Abstract: A customer service support system includes a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of a visitor terminal carried by a visitor, and a customer service support unit that transmits customer service support information to a store clerk terminal used by a store clerk for work in response to determining, based on the acquired position information, that the visitor terminal stays in a predetermined area in a store space for a predetermined time or longer, the customer service support information being indicate that it is time for the store clerk to approach the visitor and perform customer service.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Applicant: SATO HOLDINGS KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuya HIRATA, Ayumi KURIHARA
  • Publication number: 20220129961
    Abstract: An item management support system includes a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of an RFID medium attached to an item, and an item management support unit that transmits item management support information to a store clerk terminal used by a store clerk for work in response to determining, based on the acquired position information, that the RFID medium being located in an area different from a predetermined area of a store space divided into a plurality of areas and is located in the different area for a predetermined time or longer, the item management support information being include information about an area where the RFID medium is currently located.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Applicant: SATO HOLDINGS KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuya HIRATA, Ayumi KURIHARA
  • Publication number: 20220102213
    Abstract: A wafer having a first surface, an opposite second surface, and an outer circumferential surface that includes a curved part curved outward in a protruding manner is separated into two wafers. Part of the wafer is removed along the curved part, and a separation origin is formed inside the wafer by positioning the focal point of a laser beam with a wavelength having transmissibility with respect to the wafer inside the wafer and executing irradiation with the laser beam while the focal point and the wafer are relatively moved in such a manner that the focal point is kept inside the wafer. The wafer is separated into two wafers by an external force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Asahi NOMOTO, Kazuya HIRATA
  • Publication number: 20220088717
    Abstract: A wafer manufacturing method includes a Z-coordinate measurement step of deeming a separation layer to be formed as an XY plane and measuring a height Z(X, Y) of an upper surface of an ingot to be irradiated with a laser beam, corresponding to the X-coordinate and the Y-coordinate, and a calculation step of defining a Z-coordinate of the separation layer to be formed as Z0 and calculating a difference from the measured height Z(X, Y) (Z(X, Y)-Z0) to obtain a Z-coordinate of a beam condenser. A separation layer is formed by relatively moving the beam condenser in an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction. The beam condenser is moved in a Z-axis direction on the basis of the Z-coordinate obtained in the calculation step to position a focal point to Z0, and the separation layer is formed. A wafer is separated from the ingot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventor: Kazuya HIRATA
  • Patent number: 11273522
    Abstract: A wafer producing method includes a facet area detecting step of detecting a facet area from an upper surface of an SiC ingot, a coordinates setting step of setting the X and Y coordinates of plural points lying on the boundary between the facet area and a nonfacet area in an XY plane, and a feeding step of setting a focal point of a laser beam having a transmission wavelength to SiC inside the SiC ingot at a predetermined depth from the upper surface of the SiC ingot, the predetermined depth corresponding to the thickness of the SiC wafer to be produced, next applying the laser beam from a focusing unit in a laser processing apparatus to the SiC ingot, and relatively moving the SiC ingot and the focal point in an X direction parallel to the X axis in the XY plane, thereby forming a belt-shaped separation layer extending in the X direction inside the SiC ingot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryohei Yamamoto, Kazuya Hirata
  • Publication number: 20220056953
    Abstract: A machine learning device learns a control condition for a magnetic bearing device that includes a magnetic bearing having a plurality of electromagnets that apply an electromagnetic force to a shaft. The machine learning device includes a learning unit, a state variable acquisition unit, an evaluation data acquisition unit, and an updating unit. The state variable acquisition unit acquires a state variable including at least one parameter correlating with a position of the shaft. The evaluation data acquisition unit acquires evaluation data including at least one parameter selected from a measured value of the position of the shaft, a target value of the position of the shaft, and a parameter correlating with a deviation from the target value. The updating unit updates a learning state of the learning unit by using the evaluation data. The learning unit learns the control condition in accordance with an output of the updating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Shunpei FUJIMOTO, Atsushi SAKAWAKI, Kazuya HIRATA, Hiroshi HIBINO
  • Publication number: 20220032503
    Abstract: An Si substrate manufacturing method includes a separation band forming step of forming a separation band through positioning a focal point of a laser beam with a wavelength having transmissibility with respect to Si to a depth, equivalent to a thickness of an Si substrate to be manufactured, from a flat surface of an Si ingot and irradiating the Si ingot with the laser beam while relatively moving the focal point and the Si ingot in a direction <110> parallel to a cross line at which a crystal plane {100} and a crystal plane {111} intersect or a direction [110] orthogonal to the cross line, and an indexing feed step of executing indexing feed of the focal point and the Si ingot relatively in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the separation band is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Kazuya HIRATA, Shin TABATA
  • Patent number: 11162503
    Abstract: A magnetic bearing device includes a magnetic bearing including a plurality of electromagnets, a displacement sensor configured to output an output signal in accordance with a displacement of a shaft, and a controller configured to control the electromagnets. The controller compensates for a change in levels of the output signal, the change occurring in accordance with a change in ambient temperature around the displacement sensor, based on one or more reference values correlating with the change in levels of the output signal. The one or more reference values are detected for use in controlling the rotary electric machine, a fluid machine system including the rotary electric machine, or an apparatus including the fluid machine system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Sakawaki, Kazuya Hirata
  • Patent number: 11067081
    Abstract: A screw compressor includes: a screw compressor main body; a motor for driving the screw compressor main body; a gearbox interposed between the screw compressor main body and the motor to transmit a driving force of the motor to the screw compressor main body; and a gas cooler positioned below either the screw compressor main body or the motor and attached as a separate body to a side surface of the gearbox.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuya Hirata, Koji Hagihara
  • Patent number: 11060664
    Abstract: A pressure vessel includes a vessel body, a first rib and a second rib. The vessel body includes a first surface and a second surface. The first rib projects in a second direction from the first surface and extends in a first direction. The second rib provided in series with the first rib, projects in the first direction from the second surface, and extends in the second direction. A width in the second direction of the internal space is smaller than a width in the first direction of the internal space. A maximum value of a projection amount of the second rib from the second surface to the outside of the vessel body in the first direction is smaller than the maximum value of a projection amount of the first rib from the first surface to the outside of the vessel body in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: KOBE STEEL, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuto Kataoka, Hirokazu Shukuin, Kazuya Hirata
  • Publication number: 20210197319
    Abstract: A method of processing a SiC ingot includes a resistance value measuring step of measuring an electric resistance value of an end face of the SiC ingot, a laser beam output adjusting step of adjusting the output of a laser beam according to the electric resistance value measured in the resistance value measuring step, and a peeling belt forming step in which, while a laser beam of such a wavelength as to be transmitted through the SiC ingot is being applied to the SiC ingot with a focal point of the laser beam positioned at a depth corresponding to the thickness of a wafer to be formed, the SiC ingot and the focal point are put into relative processing feeding in an X-axis direction to form a belt-shaped peeling belt in the inside of the SiC ingot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventor: Kazuya HIRATA