Patents by Inventor Kento Tsukano

Kento Tsukano 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: 11133176
    Abstract: In a substrate processing method, as a liquid film forming process, a liquid film of a processing liquid covering a surface of a substrate W is formed by supplying the processing liquid onto the surface of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W at a first rotation number. After the liquid film forming process, as a supply stopping process, a rotation number of the substrate W is set to be of a value equal to or less than the first rotation number and a supply of the processing liquid onto the substrate W is stopped. After the supply stopping process, as a liquid amount adjusting process, a liquid amount of the processing liquid forming the liquid film is reduced by setting the rotation number of the substrate W to a rotation number larger than the first rotation number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kento Tsukano, Gentaro Goshi, Takuro Masuzumi, Hiromi Kiyose, Shogo Fukui
  • Patent number: 10950465
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of cleaning a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate having a surface wet by a liquid is brought into contact with a supercritical fluid so as to perform a drying process of drying the substrate. The method includes a cleaning gas filling process and an exhausting process. The cleaning gas filling process fills a cleaning gas containing isopropyl alcohol in the substrate processing apparatus. The exhausting process exhausts the cleaning gas from an inside of the substrate processing apparatus after the cleaning gas filling process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shotaro Kitayama, Gentaro Goshi, Hiroki Ohno, Keisuke Egashira, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Hiroshi Marumoto, Takuro Masuzumi, Kento Tsukano, Hiromi Kiyose
  • Patent number: 10692739
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment to the present disclosure includes: a main body which has therein a processing space capable of accommodating the substrate; a holding unit which holds the substrate in the main body; a supply unit which is provided at a side of the substrate held by the holding unit and supplies the processing fluid into the processing space; a discharge unit which discharges the processing fluid from an inside of the processing space; and a flow path limiting unit which limits a lower end of a flow path at an upstream side which is formed while the processing fluid flows from the supply unit to the discharge unit. Further, an upper end of the flow path limiting unit is disposed at a position higher than the upper surface of the substrate held by the holding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yosuke Kawabuchi, Gentaro Goshi, Keisuke Egashira, Hiroki Ohno, Hiroshi Marumoto, Takuro Masuzumi, Kento Tsukano, Shotaro Kitayama
  • Patent number: 10576493
    Abstract: Provided is a substrate processing apparatus in which a drying process of drying a substrate using a processing fluid in a supercritical state is performed. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing container in which the drying process is performed; a discharge valve provided in a discharge flow path that discharges the processing fluid from the processing container; and a controller configured to control the discharge valve. When the inside of the processing container is decompressed from a first pressure at which the processing fluid is in the supercritical state to an atmospheric pressure, through a second pressure than the first pressure and a third pressure lower than the second pressure, the controller controls a valve opening degree of the discharge valve so that the decompression rate is equal from the second pressure to the third pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Keisuke Egashira, Gentaro Goshi, Hiroshi Marumoto, Kento Tsukano
  • Publication number: 20200020550
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a drying processing unit 17, a drain line L2, an acquisition device 75 and a determination unit 19C. The drying processing unit 17 is configured to perform, by bringing a supercritical fluid into contact with a substrate having a surface wet by a liquid to replace the liquid with the supercritical fluid, a drying processing on the substrate. The drain line L2 is provided in the drying processing unit 17, and configured to drain the fluid from the drying processing unit 17. The acquisition device 75 is provided on the drain line L2, and configured to acquire optical information upon the fluid drained from the drying processing unit 17. The determination unit 19C is configured to detect presence or absence of the liquid within the drying processing unit 17 based on the optical information acquired by the acquisition device 75.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: Gentaro Goshi, Keisuke Egashira, Kento Tsukano, Hiroshi Marumoto
  • Patent number: 10504718
    Abstract: During at least part of a time period for a pressure increasing step of increasing a pressure inside a processing container from a pressure lower than a critical pressure of a processing fluid to a pressure higher than the critical pressure, pressure increasing is performed by supplying the processing fluid into the processing container from a fluid supply source while discharging the processing fluid from the processing container at a controlled discharge flow rate. Particles attached to the surfaces of members inside the processing container travel upward by the supply of the processing fluid into the processing container from the fluid supply source. The particles are discharged along with the processing fluid from the processing container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hiroki Ohno, Keisuke Egashira, Gentaro Goshi, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Shotaro Kitayama, Hiroshi Marumoto, Takuro Masuzumi, Kento Tsukano, Hiromi Kiyose
  • Patent number: 10395950
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus performs: a pressure raising process of raising a pressure within the processing container to a processing pressure higher than a critical pressure of the processing fluid, after the substrate is accommodated in the processing container; and a circulation process of supplying the processing fluid to the processing container and discharging the processing fluid from the processing container while keeping a pressure at which the processing fluid is maintained in the supercritical state, within the processing container. In the pressure raising process, the supply of the processing fluid from the second fluid supply unit is stopped and the processing fluid is supplied from the first fluid supply unit into the processing container until at least the pressure within the processing container reaches the critical pressure. In the circulation process, the processing fluid is supplied into the processing container from the second fluid supply unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Gentaro Goshi, Keisuke Egashira, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Hiromi Kiyose, Takuro Masuzumi, Hiroki Ohno, Kento Tsukano, Hiroshi Marumoto, Shotaro Kitayama
  • Publication number: 20190051519
    Abstract: In a substrate processing method, as a liquid film forming process, a liquid film of a processing liquid covering a surface of a substrate W is formed by supplying the processing liquid onto the surface of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W at a first rotation number. After the liquid film forming process, as a supply stopping process, a rotation number of the substrate W is set to be of a value equal to or less than the first rotation number and a supply of the processing liquid onto the substrate W is stopped. After the supply stopping process, as a liquid amount adjusting process, a liquid amount of the processing liquid forming the liquid film is reduced by setting the rotation number of the substrate W to a rotation number larger than the first rotation number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Kento Tsukano, Gentaro Goshi, Takuro Masuzumi, Hiromi Kiyose, Shogo Fukui
  • Publication number: 20180264504
    Abstract: Provided is a substrate processing apparatus in which a drying process of drying a substrate using a processing fluid in a supercritical state is performed. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing container in which the drying process is performed; a discharge valve provided in a discharge flow path that discharges the processing fluid from the processing container; and a controller configured to control the discharge valve. When the inside of the processing container is decompressed from a first pressure at which the processing fluid is in the supercritical state to an atmospheric pressure, through a second pressure than the first pressure and a third pressure lower than the second pressure, the controller controls a valve opening degree of the discharge valve so that the decompression rate is equal from the second pressure to the third pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Keisuke Egashira, Gentaro Goshi, Hiroshi Marumoto, Kento Tsukano
  • Publication number: 20180254180
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus of an exemplary embodiment includes a liquid processing unit, a detection unit, and a post-processing unit. The liquid processing unit supplies a liquid to a substrate to form a liquid film on the substrate. The detection unit detects the amount of a liquid on the substrate to determine whether the amount of the liquid is acceptable or not. The post-processing unit processes the substrate having the liquid film formed thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventors: Gentaro Goshi, Keisuke Egashira, Kento Tsukano, Hiroshi Marumoto, Takuro Masuzumi, Katsuhiro Ookawa, Hiromi Kiyose
  • Publication number: 20180254200
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment to the present disclosure includes: a main body which has therein a processing space capable of accommodating the substrate; a holding unit which holds the substrate in the main body; a supply unit which is provided at a side of the substrate held by the holding unit and supplies the processing fluid into the processing space; a discharge unit which discharges the processing fluid from an inside of the processing space; and a flow path limiting unit which limits a lower end of a flow path at an upstream side which is formed while the processing fluid flows from the supply unit to the discharge unit. Further, an upper end of the flow path limiting unit is disposed at a position higher than the upper surface of the substrate held by the holding unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventors: Yosuke Kawabuchi, Gentaro Goshi, Keisuke Egashira, Hiroki Ohno, Hiroshi Marumoto, Takuro Masuzumi, Kento Tsukano, Shotaro Kitayama
  • Publication number: 20180158699
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of cleaning a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate having a surface wet by a liquid is brought into contact with a supercritical fluid so as to perform a drying process of drying the substrate. The method includes a cleaning gas filling process and an exhausting process. The cleaning gas filling process fills a cleaning gas containing isopropyl alcohol in the substrate processing apparatus. The exhausting process exhausts the cleaning gas from an inside of the substrate processing apparatus after the cleaning gas filling process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Publication date: June 7, 2018
    Inventors: Shotaro Kitayama, Gentaro Goshi, Hiroki Ohno, Keisuke Egashira, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Hiroshi Marumoto, Takuro Masuzumi, Kento Tsukano, Hiromi Kiyose
  • Publication number: 20180138035
    Abstract: During at least part of a time period for a pressure increasing step of increasing a pressure inside a processing container from a pressure lower than a critical pressure of a processing fluid to a pressure higher than the critical pressure, pressure increasing is performed by supplying the processing fluid into the processing container from a fluid supply source while discharging the processing fluid from the processing container at a controlled discharge flow rate. Particles attached to the surfaces of members inside the processing container travel upward by the supply of the processing fluid into the processing container from the fluid supply source. The particles are discharged along with the processing fluid from the processing container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Hiroki Ohno, Keisuke Egashira, Gentaro Goshi, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Shotaro Kitayama, Hiroshi Marumoto, Takuro Masuzumi, Kento Tsukano, Hiromi Kiyose
  • Publication number: 20180138058
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes: a processing container; and a supply line which connects the processing container with a fluid source that delivers a supercritical processing fluid. A first opening/closing valve is provided in the supply line. A first throttle is provided on a downstream side of the first opening/closing valve to change the supercritical processing fluid flowing through the supply line to a gaseous state when a pressure within the processing container is equal to or lower than a critical pressure of the processing fluid. A first filter is provided on a downstream side of the first throttle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: Keisuke Egashira, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Gentaro Goshi, Hiroki Ohno, Hiroshi Marumoto, Takuro Masuzumi, Kento Tsukano, Shotaro Kitayama, Satoshi Okamura
  • Publication number: 20180130675
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus performs: a pressure raising process of raising a pressure within the processing container to a processing pressure higher than a critical pressure of the processing fluid, after the substrate is accommodated in the processing container; and a circulation process of supplying the processing fluid to the processing container and discharging the processing fluid from the processing container while keeping a pressure at which the processing fluid is maintained in the supercritical state, within the processing container. In the pressure raising process, the supply of the processing fluid from the second fluid supply unit is stopped and the processing fluid is supplied from the first fluid supply unit into the processing container until at least the pressure within the processing container reaches the critical pressure. In the circulation process, the processing fluid is supplied into the processing container from the second fluid supply unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Gentaro Goshi, Keisuke Egashira, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Hiromi Kiyose, Takuro Masuzumi, Hiroki Ohno, Kento Tsukano, Hiroshi Marumoto, Shotaro Kitayama