Patents by Inventor Kenichi Yamaga

Kenichi Yamaga 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: 9829145
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a heat insulation wall body, by which the heat insulation wall body can be manufactured economically. The method is a manufacturing method of a heat insulation wall body having a groove portion formed by a first side wall, a second side wall and a groove bottom. The method includes dispersing and mixing a heat insulating material in an aqueous medium to prepare a slurried heat insulating material, bringing a molding die having a vent and a surface corresponding to a shape of the groove portion, into the obtained slurried heat insulating material, and dehydrating the slurried heat insulating material via the vent, and releasing the molding die from the heat insulating material to prepare the heat insulation wall body in which a depth of the groove portion is fixed, and a width of the groove bottom is varied in a longitudinal direction of the groove portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Makoto Kobayashi, Kenichi Yamaga
  • Patent number: 9790597
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus that performs a film formation process on a substrate placed on one side of a rotary table includes: a main heating mechanism configured to heat the substrate; an auxiliary heating mechanism configured to adjust an intensity of light irradiated from the auxiliary heating mechanism in an inward/outward direction of the rotary table; a temperature measurement part configured to detect a temperature distribution of the substrate in the inward/outward direction of the rotary table; a position detection part configured to detect a position of the rotary table in a rotational direction of the rotary table; and a control part configured to control the intensity of the light irradiated from the auxiliary heating mechanism based on a temperature measurement data obtained by the temperature measurement part, a data corresponding to a target temperature distribution of the substrate, and a position detection value detected by the position detection part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Kenichi Yamaga
  • Publication number: 20170226639
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus that performs a film formation process on a substrate placed on one side of a rotary table includes: a main heating mechanism configured to heat the substrate; an auxiliary heating mechanism configured to adjust an intensity of light irradiated from the auxiliary heating mechanism in an inward/outward direction of the rotary table; a temperature measurement part configured to detect a temperature distribution of the substrate in the inward/outward direction of the rotary table; a position detection part configured to detect a position of the rotary table in a rotational direction of the rotary table; and a control part configured to control the intensity of the light irradiated from the auxiliary heating mechanism based on a temperature measurement data obtained by the temperature measurement part, a data corresponding to a target temperature distribution of the substrate, and a position detection value detected by the position detection part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventor: Kenichi YAMAGA
  • Patent number: 9466515
    Abstract: A heat treatment furnace includes: a processing vessel configured to accommodate therein at least one object to be processed; a cylindrical heat insulating member covering a periphery of the processing vessel; and a heater disposed along an inner circumferential surface of the heat insulating member. The heater includes strip-shaped corrugated heater elements disposed along the inner circumferential surface of the heat insulating member, each of the heater elements having valley portions protruding outward and mountain portions protruding inward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignees: NICHIAS CORPORATION, TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Makoto Kobayashi, Kenichi Yamaga, Akira Sasaki, Daisuke Ikeda, Takahiro Koike
  • Patent number: 9099505
    Abstract: A thermal processing apparatus including: a cylindrical processing vessel; a support unit to be loaded into and unloaded from the vessel; and a heating furnace surrounding an outer periphery of the vessel, with a cooling space therebetween. The furnace is connected to a cooling-gas introduction unit, including a gas introduction passage to which a blowing fan is connected, for introducing a cooling gas into the cooling space during a temperature lowering operation after a thermal process. The furnace is connected to a cooling-gas discharge unit, including a heat exchanger, a suction fan, and a gas discharge passage, for discharging the cooling gas of a raised temperature from the cooling space. Connected to the gas discharge passage at a position upstream of the heat exchanger is a temperature-lowering gas introduction unit for introducing a temperature-lowering gas to the cooling gas of a raised temperature so as to lower its temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yoshinori Kusakabe, Kenichi Yamaga
  • Publication number: 20140113087
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a heat insulation wall body, by which the heat insulation wall body can be manufactured economically. The method is a manufacturing method of a heat insulation wall body having a groove portion formed by a first side wall, a second side wall and a groove bottom. The method includes dispersing and mixing a heat insulating material in an aqueous medium to prepare a slurried heat insulating material, bringing a molding die having a vent and a surface corresponding to a shape of the groove portion, into the obtained slurried heat insulating material, and dehydrating the slurried heat insulating material via the vent, and releasing the molding die from the heat insulating material to prepare the heat insulation wall body in which a depth of the groove portion is fixed, and a width of the groove bottom is varied in a longitudinal direction of the groove portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Makoto Kobayashi, Kenichi Yamaga
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20120329002
    Abstract: A heat treatment furnace includes: a processing vessel configured to accommodate therein at least one object to be processed; a cylindrical heat insulating member covering a periphery of the processing vessel; and a heater disposed along an inner circumferential surface of the heat insulating member. The heater includes strip-shaped corrugated heater elements disposed along the inner circumferential surface of the heat insulating member, each of the heater elements having valley portions protruding outward and mountain portions protruding inward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicants: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, NICHIAS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto KOBAYASHI, Kenichi YAMAGA, Akira SASAKI, Daisuke IKEDA, Takahiro KOIKE
  • Publication number: 20120270169
    Abstract: A temperature-measuring substrate (50) for use in a heat treatment apparatus (2) for performing heat treatment of a substrate W to be processed, includes: a substrate body (62); an oscillator (64) including a piezoelectric element (68) and provided in the substrate body; and an antenna portion (66) connected to the oscillator and provided beside or around the periphery of the substrate body. The temperature-measuring substrate can reduce the attenuation of radio waves emitted by the oscillator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Kenichi YAMAGA
  • Patent number: 8253075
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus with a process chamber, a tubular heater, a heat exhaust system and a cooling section. The heater surrounds an outer circumference of the process chamber. The heat exhaust system exhausts an atmosphere in a space between the heater and the process chamber. The cooling section blows a cooling fluid into the space to cool the atmosphere. The heater includes a tubular heat insulator, a heat generating resistor on an inner circumference of the heat insulator, and an outer shell provided on an outer circumference of the heat insulator. The cooling section includes at least one annular flow path between the heat insulator and the outer shell, and an outlet in the heat insulator. The outlet blows cooling fluid toward a vertical central axis of the heat insulator, or in a direction oblique to the direction toward vertical central axis of the heat insulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Makoto Kobayashi, Kenichi Yamaga, Takanori Saito
  • Patent number: 8089031
    Abstract: The present invention provides a heating apparatus for heating objects to be processed, which can detect a temperature of the objects to be processed with higher precision and accuracy, thereby to achieve higher precision temperature control. A heating apparatus 2 includes a processing vessel 8 configured to contain therein a plurality of objects W to be processed, the objects W including objects 58a to 58e to be processed for temperature measurement, each object 58a to 58e having each corresponding elastic wave element 60a to 60e, a heating means 10 adapted for heating the objects W to be processed, and a holding means 22 adapted to hold the objects W to be processed. To the processing vessel 8, a transmitter antenna 52 adapted to transmit an electric wave for measurement toward each elastic wave element 60a to 60e, and a receiver antenna 52 adapted to receive an electric wave having a frequency corresponding to the temperature and generated from each elastic wave element 60a to 60e are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Kenichi Yamaga
  • Patent number: 8080767
    Abstract: A thermal processing apparatus comprising a processing vessel containing, in addition to a plurality of objects subject to heat treatment, an acoustic wave device for temperature measurement. A holding unit holds the plurality of objects to be processed and an object for temperature measurement utilizing an acoustic wave device. A heating unit heats the objects to be processed and the object for temperature measurement. A first conductive member functions as an antenna for transmitting an electromagnetic wave toward the acoustic wave device in the processing vessel; a second conductive member functions as a receiver antenna for receiving an electromagnetic wave dependent on a temperature of the acoustic wave device which is emitted from the acoustic wave device. A temperature analysis part obtains a temperature of the object based on the electromagnetic wave received by the receiver antenna, and a temperature control part controls the heating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kenichi Yamaga, Wenling Wang
  • Patent number: 8023806
    Abstract: There is provided a heat processing furnace capable of quickly increasing and decreasing a temperature, while achieving improvement in durability. A heat processing furnace 2 comprises: a processing vessel 3 for accommodating an object to be processed w and performing thereto a heat process; and a cylindrical heater 5 disposed to surround an outer circumference of the processing vessel 3, for heating the object to be processed w. The heater 5 includes a cylindrical heat insulating member 16, and heating resistors 18 arranged along an inner circumferential surface of the heat insulating member 16. Each of the heating resistors 18 is formed of a strip-shaped member that is bent into a waveform having peak portions and trough portions. Pin members 20 are arranged in the heat insulating member 16 at suitable intervals therebetween, the pin members 20 holding the heating resistor 18 such that the heating resistor 18 is movable in a radial direction of the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Ichikawa, Makoto Kobayashi, Kenichi Yamaga
  • Patent number: 7974525
    Abstract: The present invention is a heat processing furnace comprising: a processing vessel for accommodating an object to be processed and performing thereto a heat process; and a cylindrical heater disposed to surround a circumference of the processing vessel, for heating the object to be processed; wherein: the heater includes a cylindrical heat insulating member, ribbed shelf sections that are axially formed in a tier-like manner on an inner circumference of the heat insulating member, and heating resistance wires of a helical pattern that are placed along the respective shelf sections; and pin members are arranged in the heat insulating member at suitable intervals therebetween, the pin members holding the heating resistance wires such that the heating resistance wires are movable in a radial direction of the heater, while preventing dropout of the heating resistance wires from the shelf sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Makoto Kobayashi, Takashi Ichikawa, Kenichi Yamaga
  • Publication number: 20110076632
    Abstract: A thermal processing apparatus including: a cylindrical processing vessel; a support unit to be loaded into and unloaded from the vessel; and a heating furnace surrounding an outer periphery of the vessel, with a cooling space therebetween. The furnace is connected to a cooling-gas introduction unit, including a gas introduction passage to which a blowing fan is connected, for introducing a cooling gas into the cooling space during a temperature lowering operation after a thermal process. The furnace is connected to a cooling-gas discharge unit, including a heat exchanger, a suction fan, and a gas discharge passage, for discharging the cooling gas of a raised temperature from the cooling space. Connected to the gas discharge passage at a position upstream of the heat exchanger is a temperature-lowering gas introduction unit for introducing a temperature-lowering gas to the cooling gas of a raised temperature so as to lower its temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yoshinori KUSAKABE, Kenichi Yamaga
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20100224614
    Abstract: The present invention provides a heat treatment apparatus having a high degree of freedom of an outlet design and capable of adjusting the rate of a reduction in the temperature of each part of a heater without using an adjustment valve. The heat treatment apparatus having a simple flow path structure can be constructed with simplified sealing and a reduced cost. The heat treatment apparatus 1 includes a process chamber 2, a tubular heater 3, a heat exhaust system 25 and a cooling section 26. The process chamber 2 accommodates objects W to be placed in multiple stages and to be treated. A predetermined heat treatment is performed in the process chamber. The heater 3 surrounds an outer circumference of the process chamber 2 and heats the objects W to be treated. The heat exhaust system 25 is adapted to exhaust an atmosphere present in a space 24 existing between the heater 3 and the process chamber 2. The cooling section 26 is adapted to blow a cooling fluid into the space 24 to cool the atmosphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Makoto Kobayashi, Kenichi Yamaga, Takanori Saito
  • Publication number: 20090311807
    Abstract: The present invention is a thermal processing apparatus comprising: a processing vessel capable of being evacuated, the processing vessel also being capable of accommodating, in addition to a plurality of objects, an object for temperature measurement equipped with an elastic wave device; a holding unit configured to be loaded into and unloaded from the processing vessel, while the holding unit holding the plurality of objects to be processed and the object for temperature measurement; a gas introduction unit configured to introduce a gas into the processing vessel; a heating unit configured to heat the plurality of objects to be processed and the object for temperature measurement that are accommodated in the processing vessel; a first conductive member configured to function as a transmitter antenna connected to a transmitter through a radiofrequency line, for transmitting an electric wave for measurement toward the elastic wave device accommodated in the processing vessel; a second conductive member config
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kenichi Yamaga, Wenling Wang
  • 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
  • Patent number: D604257
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, Toshiba Ceramics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Inatomi, Kenichi Yamaga, Hiroyuki Honma