Patents by Inventor Ken Nakao

Ken Nakao 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: 20150214088
    Abstract: Disclosed is a pickup method in which a first suction unit is caused to approach and come into contact with a chip adhered to an adhesive sheet, and a second suction unit which is formed with a concavity on a contact surface configured to come into contact with the adhesive sheet is caused to approach and come into contact with the adhesive sheet in such a manner as to be opposite to the first suction unit. The adhesive sheet is sucked by the second suction unit that is in contact with the adhesive sheet, and a fluid is injected between the adhesive sheet and the chip by an injection unit. As a result, the adhesive sheet is detached from a portion of the chip opposite to the concavity, and in the state where the chip is being sucked by the first suction unit, the first suction unit is caused to be spaced away from the adhesive sheet that is being sucked by the second suction unit. In this manner, the chip is detached and picked up from the adhesive sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Ken Nakao, Michikazu Nakamura, Itaru Iida, Muneo Harada
  • Publication number: 20140174364
    Abstract: A heat treatment device includes: a processing container that accommodates a plurality of substrates to be subjected to heat treatment; a substrate holding member that holds the plurality of substrates; an induction heating coil that forms an induction magnetic field inside the processing container; a high frequency power supply that applies a high frequency electric power to the induction heating coil; a gas supply mechanism that supplies a processing gas to the inside of the processing container; an exhaust mechanism that exhausts the inside of the processing container; and an induction heating element provided between the induction heating coil and the substrate holding member to enclose the substrate holding member inside the treatment container. The induction heating element is heated by an induction electric current formed by the induction magnetic field, and the substrates are heated by radiation heat from the induction heating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Ken Nakao, Eisuke Morisaki
  • Patent number: 8546185
    Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which includes: providing a plurality of semiconductor substrates formed with through holes which penetrate between main surfaces of the substrates and are filled with porous conductors; stacking the plurality of semiconductor substrates while aligning the porous conductors filled in the through holes; introducing conductive ink containing particle-like conductors into the porous conductors of the plurality of stacked semiconductor substrates; and sintering the plurality of stacked semiconductor substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Ken Nakao, Muneo Harada, Itaru Iida, Eiji Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 8476560
    Abstract: A thermal processing furnace comprises: a tubular heat insulation member 4 surrounding a processing vessel 3 for receiving and thermally processing an object to be processed w; a heating resistor 5 helically arranged on an inner circumferential surface of the heat insulation member 4; and a support member 13 disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the heat insulation member 4, the support member 13 supporting the heating resistor 5 such that the heating resistor 5 can be thermally expanded and thermally shrunk. The thermal processing furnace further comprises: a movement prevention member 15 disposed on the heating resistor 5 to be in contact with one side surface of the support member 13 so as to prevent a downward movement of the heating resistor 5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Makoto Kobayashi, Kenichi Yamaga, Ken Nakao
  • Patent number: 8470720
    Abstract: A wall surface of a film forming container is heated to or above a vaporization temperature of a material monomer, which is used to form an organic film, by using an external heater formed along the wall surface of the film forming container, substrates are heated to a thermal polymerization reaction temperature by using an internal heater that is disposed apart from the external heater and near a substrate-supporting container in which the substrates are received, and the organic film is formed through thermal polymerization occurring on the substrates by supplying the material monomer into the film forming container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Ken Nakao, Muneo Harada
  • Patent number: 8387559
    Abstract: Fluorine gas generators are connected with semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses through a gas supplying system including a storage tank that can store a predetermined quantity of fluorine gas generated in the on-site fluorine gas generators. When one or more of the on-site fluorine gas generators are stopped, fluorine gas is supplied to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses from the storage tank storing a predetermined quantity of fluorine gas, so as to keep the operations of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses. Thereby obtained is a semiconductor manufacturing plant in which fluorine gas generated in the fluorine gas generators can be safely and stably supplied to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses, and with superior cost performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignees: Toyo Tanso Co., Ltd., Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Jiro Hiraiwa, Osamu Yoshimoto, Hiroshi Hayakawa, Tetsuro Tojo, Tsuneyuki Okabe, Takanobu Asano, Shinichi Wada, Ken Nakao, Hitoshi Kato
  • Publication number: 20120252164
    Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which includes: providing a plurality of semiconductor substrates formed with through holes which penetrate between main surfaces of the substrates and are filled with porous conductors; stacking the plurality of semiconductor substrates while aligning the porous conductors filled in the through holes; introducing conductive ink containing particle-like conductors into the porous conductors of the plurality of stacked semiconductor substrates; and sintering the plurality of stacked semiconductor substrates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Ken NAKAO, Muneo HARADA, Itaru IIDA, Eiji YAMAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 8197600
    Abstract: A vaporizer for generating a process gas from a liquid material includes a heat-exchange lower block having a hollow internal space and disposed below the spray port of an injector inside the container. A run-up space for the atomized liquid material is defined between the spray port and the heat-exchange lower block, and an annular space continuous to the run-up space is defined between an inner surface of the container and the heat-exchange lower block. An internal heater is disposed in the internal space of the heat-exchange lower block and includes a carbon wire formed of woven bundles of carbon fibers and sealed in a ceramic envelope. The internal heater is configured to heat the atomized liquid material flowing through the annular space to generate the process gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Ken Nakao, Hitoshi Kato, Tsuneyuki Okabe, Shigeyuki Okura
  • Patent number: 8167521
    Abstract: The present invention restrains, during a transfer of a substrate, a central portion of the substrate from being warped by its own weight, which might be caused by a super-enlargement of a diameter of the substrate. A substrate transfer apparatus 18 includes: a support part 17 which is moved above a substrate w of a large diameter; and an upside grip mechanism 28 disposed on the support part 17, the upside grip mechanism 28 capable of supporting a peripheral portion of the substrate w from above. The support part 17 is provided with a non-contact sucking and holding part 30 having a suction hole 31 and a blow hole 32. The non-contact sucking and holding part 30 sucks and holds the substrate w in a non-contact manner, by blowing a gas onto the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate w and sucking the central portion to form an air layer 50 such that the central portion of the wafer w is not warped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Ken Nakao, Hitoshi Kato, Junichi Hagihara
  • Patent number: 8134100
    Abstract: A heat processing furnace comprises: a processing vessel for receiving an object to be processed by a heat process; a cylindrical heat insulation member surrounding the processing vessel; a helical heating resistor arranged along an inner peripheral surface of the heat insulation member; a support member for supporting the heating resistor. The support member includes a base part positioned on an inside of the heating resistor, and a plurality of support pieces extending radially outward from the base part through spaces between adjacent portions of the heating resistor so as to support the heating resistor, the support member being formed to have a comb-like shape. An upper surface part of each of the support pieces is formed to have a curved shape in order to reduce a frictional resistance generated when the heating resistor is moved upon a thermal expansion and a thermal shrinkage thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Makoto Kobayashi, Ken Nakao
  • Patent number: 8033823
    Abstract: The present invention is a heat processing apparatus comprising: a processing vessel that receives a plurality of objects to be processed in a tier-like manner to subject the objects to be processed to a predetermined heating process; a tubular heater disposed to surround the processing vessel, the tubular heater being capable of heating the objects to be processed; an exhaust heat system for discharging an atmosphere in a space between the heater and the processing vessel; and a cooling unit that blows out a cooling fluid into the space to cool the processing vessel. The heater has a tubular heat insulating member, and a heating resistor arranged on an inner circumference of the heat insulating member. The cooling unit has a plurality of blowing nozzles embedded in the heat insulating member. Each of the blowing nozzles is formed in such a manner that an inlet orifice of the blowing nozzle and an outlet orifice thereof are not linearly aligned to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Ken Nakao, Kazuhiko Kato
  • Publication number: 20110039420
    Abstract: A wall surface of a film forming container is heated to or above a vaporization temperature of a material monomer, which is used to form an organic film, by using an external heater formed along the wall surface of the film forming container, substrates are heated to a thermal polymerization reaction temperature by using an internal heater that is disposed apart from the external heater and near a substrate-supporting container in which the substrates are received, and the organic film is formed through thermal polymerization occurring on the substrates by supplying the material monomer into the film forming container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Ken Nakao, Muneo Harada
  • Patent number: 7888622
    Abstract: A heat-processing furnace comprises: a processing vessel for housing an object to be processed to thermally heat the object to be processed; a cylindrical heat insulating member surrounding the processing vessel; a helical heating resistor disposed along an inner circumferential surface of the heat insulating member; and support members axially disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the heat insulating member, for supporting the heating resistor at predetermined pitches. A plurality of terminal plates are disposed outside the heating resistor at suitable intervals therebetween and attached to the heating resistor, the terminal plates radially passing through the heat insulating member to be extended outside. A plurality of fixing plates are disposed outside the heating resistor at suitable intervals therebetween and attached to the heating resistor, the fixing plates being fixed in the heat insulating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Ken Nakao, Kenichi Yamaga, Makoto Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7862638
    Abstract: A gas supply system according to the present invention comprises a gas filter disposed in a gas supply flow passage through which a gas is supplied to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and a metal component remover disposed in the gas supply flow passage downstream relative to the gas filter, which removes a volatile metal component contained in the gas flowing through the gas supply flow passage by liquefying the volatile metal component. The structure adopted in the gas supply system prevents entry of the volatile metal component, which cannot be eliminated through the gas filter, into the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus as the corrosive gas is supplied thereto by the gas supply flow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shuji Moriya, Ken Nakao
  • Patent number: 7807587
    Abstract: The present invention is a substrate processing apparatus including: a holder that holds substrates in a tier-like manner; a processing container that contains the holder and that conducts a predetermined thermal process to the substrates in a process-gas atmosphere under a predetermined temperature and pressure; a gas-introducing part that introduces a process gas into the processing container; a gas-discharging part that discharges a gas from the processing container to create a predetermined vacuum pressure therein; and a heating part that heats the processing container; wherein the holder is provided with baffle plates each of which forms a processing space for each substrate when the holder is contained in the processing container; the gas-introducing part is provided with gas introduction holes disposed at one lateral side of the respective processing spaces; and the gas-discharging part is provided with gas discharge holes disposed at the other lateral side of the respective processing spaces, opposite
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Matsuura, Ken Nakao
  • Publication number: 20100064969
    Abstract: Fluorine gas generators are connected with semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses through a gas supplying system including a storage tank that can store a predetermined quantity of fluorine gas generated in the on-site fluorine gas generators. When one or more of the on-site fluorine gas generators are stopped, fluorine gas is supplied to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses from the storage tank storing a predetermined quantity of fluorine gas, so as to keep the operations of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses. Thereby obtained is a semiconductor manufacturing plant in which fluorine gas generated in the fluorine gas generators can be safely and stably supplied to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses, and with superior cost performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicants: TOYO TANSO CO., LTD., TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Jiro Hiraiwa, Osamu Yoshimoto, Hiroshi Hayakawa, Tetsuro Tojo, Tsuneyuki Okabe, Takanobu Asano, Shinichi Wada, Ken Nakao, Hitoshi Kato
  • Publication number: 20090305512
    Abstract: The present invention is a substrate processing apparatus including: a holder that holds substrates in a tier-like manner; a processing container that contains the holder and that conducts a predetermined thermal process to the substrates in a process-gas atmosphere under a predetermined temperature and pressure; a gas-introducing part that introduces a process gas into the processing container; a gas-discharging part that discharges a gas from the processing container to create a predetermined vacuum pressure therein; and a heating part that heats the processing container; wherein the holder is provided with baffle plates each of which forms a processing space for each substrate when the holder is contained in the processing container; the gas-introducing part is provided with gas introduction holes disposed at one lateral side of the respective processing spaces; and the gas-discharging part is provided with gas discharge holes disposed at the other lateral side of the respective processing spaces, opposite
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Matsuura, Ken Nakao
  • Publication number: 20090246542
    Abstract: A disclosed plasma process apparatus includes an electromagnetic wave generator that generates electromagnetic waves; a vacuum vessel configured to be hermetically connected with an object to be processed, and evacuated to reduced pressures along with the object to be processed hermetically connected to the vacuum vessel; an electromagnetic wave guiding portion configured to guide the electromagnetic waves generated by the electromagnetic wave generator so that plasma is ignited in the vacuum vessel; a gas supplying portion configured to supply a process gas to the object to be processed hermetically connected to the vacuum vessel; an evacuation portion configured to evacuate the object to be processed hermetically connected to the vacuum vessel; and a voltage source configured to apply a predetermined voltage to the object to be processed hermetically connected to the vacuum vessel so that the plasma ignited in the vacuum vessel is guided to the object to be processed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventors: Ken Nakao, Shuji Moriya, Hiroyuki Kousaka
  • Publication number: 20090194521
    Abstract: A thermal processing furnace comprises: a tubular heat insulation member 4 surrounding a processing vessel 3 for receiving and thermally processing an object to be processed w; a heating resistor 5 helically arranged on an inner circumferential surface of the heat insulation member 4; and a support member 13 disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the heat insulation member 4, the support member 13 supporting the heating resistor 5 such that the heating resistor 5 can be thermally expanded and thermally shrunk. The thermal processing furnace further comprises: a movement prevention member 15 disposed on the heating resistor 5 to be in contact with one side surface of the support member 13 so as to prevent a downward movement of the heating resistor 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Publication date: August 6, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Makoto Kobayashi, Kenichi Yamaga, Ken Nakao
  • Publication number: 20090175705
    Abstract: The present invention restrains, during a transfer of a substrate, a central portion of the substrate from being warped by its own weight, which might be caused by a super-enlargement of a diameter of the substrate. A substrate transfer apparatus 18 includes: a support part 17 which is moved above a substrate w of a large diameter; and an upside grip mechanism 28 disposed on the support part 17, the upside grip mechanism 28 capable of supporting a peripheral portion of the substrate w from above. The support part 17 is provided with a non-contact sucking and holding part 30 having a suction hole 31 and a blow hole 32. The non-contact sucking and holding part 30 sucks and holds the substrate w in a non-contact manner, by blowing a gas onto the central portion of the upper surface of the substrate w and sucking the central portion to form an air layer 50 such that the central portion of the wafer w is not warped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Inventors: Ken Nakao, Hitoshi Kato, Junichi Hagihara