Patents by Inventor Kimihiro Fukasawa
Kimihiro Fukasawa 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).
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Publication number: 20190304824Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a placing table having a placing surface on which a workpiece is placed to be subjected to a plasma processing; an elevator configured to raise and lower the workpiece with respect to the placing surface of the placing table; and an elevator controller configured to control the elevator, during a period until a transfer of the workpiece begins after a completion of the plasma processing on the workpiece, to hold the workpiece at a position where the placing surface of the placing table and the workpiece are spaced apart from each other by a distance that prevents an intrusion of a reaction product, and control the elevator, when the transfer of the workpiece begins, to raise the workpiece from the position where the workpiece is held.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2019Publication date: October 3, 2019Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Takayuki SUZUKI, Wataru TAKAYAMA, Takahiro MURAKAMI, Kimihiro FUKASAWA, Shinichiro HAYASAKA
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Patent number: 10254774Abstract: A temperature control method is provided for controlling a plasma processing apparatus that is capable of changing a temperature setting for each step of a plasma process including multiple steps. The method includes a transfer step of performing an entry process for transferring a workpiece into a processing chamber of the plasma processing apparatus and/or an exit process for transferring the workpiece out of the processing chamber, a process execution step of executing the plasma process including multiple steps, and a temperature control step of performing a first temperature control and/or a second temperature control. The first temperature control includes controlling a temperature to a temperature setting of a next process according to a time execution of the plasma process is completed, and the second temperature control includes controlling the temperature to the temperature setting of the next process in parallel with the entry process and/or the exit process.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2012Date of Patent: April 9, 2019Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Tatsuya Miura, Wataru Ozawa, Kimihiro Fukasawa, Kazunori Kazama
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Patent number: 9299540Abstract: Provided is a parallel flat-panel type plasma processing apparatus which includes a recipe storing unit storing a processing recipe for performing a plasma processing, a compensation setting unit setting an accumulation time of the plasma processing or the number of processed substrates after starting using a new second electrode and the compensation value of the set temperature of the second electrode in an input screen, and a storage unit storing the compensated set value. The plasma processing apparatus is further equipped with a program for controlling a temperature adjusting mechanism based on a set temperature after compensation by adding a set temperature of an upper electrode written in the processing recipe to the compensation value stored within the storage unit. As a result, the non-uniformity in the plasma processing between the substrates caused by the change of processing atmosphere is suppressed.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2014Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Tatsuya Ogi, Wataru Ozawa, Kimihiro Fukasawa, Kazuhiro Kanaya
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Patent number: 9236230Abstract: It is possible to prevent processing gases from being mixed when alternately supplying the processing gases while alternately switching the processing gases and to suppressed a transient phenomenon more efficiently as compared to conventional cases. When supplying at least two kinds of processing gases (e.g., a C4F6 gas and a C4F8 gas) into a processing chamber while alternately switching the at least two kinds of processing gases during a plasma process on a wafer, the supply of each processing gas can be alternately turned on and off by alternately setting an instruction flow rate of a mass flow controller to be a predetermined flow rate and a zero flow rate while a downstream opening/closing valve provided at a downstream side of the mass flow controller is open.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2012Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Yoshiyuki Kato, Norihiko Amikura, Risako Miyoshi, Kimihiro Fukasawa
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Publication number: 20150001181Abstract: Provided is a parallel flat-panel type plasma processing apparatus which includes a recipe storing unit storing a processing recipe for performing a plasma processing, a compensation setting unit setting an accumulation time of the plasma processing or the number of processed substrates after starting using a new second electrode and the compensation value of the set temperature of the second electrode in an input screen, and a storage unit storing the compensated set value. The plasma processing apparatus is further equipped with a program for controlling a temperature adjusting mechanism based on a set temperature after compensation by adding a set temperature of an upper electrode written in the processing recipe to the compensation value stored within the storage unit. As a result, the non-uniformity in the plasma processing between the substrates caused by the change of processing atmosphere is suppressed.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2014Publication date: January 1, 2015Inventors: Tatsuya OGI, Wataru OZAWA, Kimihiro FUKASAWA, Kazuhiro KANAYA
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Patent number: 8864934Abstract: Provided is a parallel flat-panel type plasma processing apparatus which includes a recipe storing unit storing a processing recipe for performing a plasma processing, a compensation setting unit setting an accumulation time of the plasma processing or the number of processed substrates after starting using a new second electrode and the compensation value of the set temperature of the second electrode in an input screen, and a storage unit storing the compensated set value. The plasma processing apparatus is further equipped with a program for controlling a temperature adjusting mechanism based on a set temperature after compensation by adding a set temperature of an upper electrode written in the processing recipe to the compensation value stored within the storage unit. As a result, the non-uniformity in the plasma processing between the substrates caused by the change of processing atmosphere is suppressed.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2012Date of Patent: October 21, 2014Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Tatsuya Ogi, Wataru Ozawa, Kimihiro Fukasawa, Kazuhiro Kanaya
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Publication number: 20140288726Abstract: A temperature control method is provided for controlling a plasma processing apparatus that is capable of changing a temperature setting for each step of a plasma process including multiple steps. The method includes a transfer step of performing an entry process for transferring a workpiece into a processing chamber of the plasma processing apparatus and/or an exit process for transferring the workpiece out of the processing chamber, a process execution step of executing the plasma process including multiple steps, and a temperature control step of performing a first temperature control and/or a second temperature control. The first temperature control includes controlling a temperature to a temperature setting of a next process according to a time execution of the plasma process is completed, and the second temperature control includes controlling the temperature to the temperature setting of the next process in parallel with the entry process and/or the exit process.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2012Publication date: September 25, 2014Inventors: Tatsuya Miura, Wataru Ozawa, Kimihiro Fukasawa, Kazunori Kazama
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Publication number: 20120305188Abstract: It is possible to prevent processing gases from being mixed when alternately supplying the processing gases while alternately switching the processing gases and to suppressed a transient phenomenon more efficiently as compared to conventional cases. When supplying at least two kinds of processing gases (e.g., a C4F6 gas and a C4F8 gas) into a processing chamber while alternately switching the at least two kinds of processing gases during a plasma process on a wafer, the supply of each processing gas can be alternately turned on and off by alternately setting an instruction flow rate of a mass flow controller to be a predetermined flow rate and a zero flow rate while a downstream opening/closing valve provided at a downstream side of the mass flow controller is open.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2012Publication date: December 6, 2012Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Yoshiyuki KATO, Norihiko AMIKURA, Risako MIYOSHI, Kimihiro FUKASAWA
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Publication number: 20120248067Abstract: Provided is a parallel flat-panel type plasma processing apparatus which includes a recipe storing unit storing a processing recipe for performing a plasma processing, a compensation setting unit setting an accumulation time of the plasma processing or the number of processed substrates after starting using a new second electrode and the compensation value of the set temperature of the second electrode in an input screen, and a storage unit storing the compensated set value. The plasma processing apparatus is further equipped with a program for controlling a temperature adjusting mechanism based on a set temperature after compensation by adding a set temperature of an upper electrode written in the processing recipe to the compensation value stored within the storage unit. As a result, the non-uniformity in the plasma processing between the substrates caused by the change of processing atmosphere is suppressed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2012Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Tatsuya Ogi, Wataru Ozawa, Kimihiro Fukasawa, Kazuhiro Kanaya
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Patent number: 7409253Abstract: A substrate processing system allows to reduce the number of works that should be done by a software engineer. The system 100 includes a substrate processing apparatus 101; a substrate processing controller 102 for controlling the substrate processing apparatus 101; and a server 103 for storing therein commands, i.e., instructional statements, for defining an operation of each device. The substrate processing controller 102 has a RAM 105 serving as a work space for creating a macro file corresponding to each of processes divided from the whole substrate processing or for changing the content of a macro file; and an executor 108 composed of, e.g., CPU for executing a process sequence macro obtained by a combination of the created macro files. The user creates a macro file describing a sequential operation of each process or changes the content of a macro file by arranging the stored commands.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 2004Date of Patent: August 5, 2008Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Noriaki Shimizu, Kimihiro Fukasawa, Kazuhiro Kanaya, Jun Shoji
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Publication number: 20060149403Abstract: [Purpose] The present invention provides a system and method for processing a substrate while reducing the number of works that should be done by a software engineer; and a program for performing the method. [Constitution] A substrate processing system 100 includes a substrate processing apparatus 101; a substrate processing controller 102 for controlling the substrate processing apparatus 101; and a server 103 for storing therein commands, i.e., instructional statements, for defining an operation of each device. The substrate processing controller 102 has a RAM 105 serving as a work space for creating a macro file corresponding to each of processes divided from the whole substrate processing or for changing the content of a macro file; and an executor 108 composed of, e.g., CPU for executing a process sequence macro obtained by a combination of the created macro files.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 16, 2004Publication date: July 6, 2006Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Noriaki Shimizu, Kimihiro Fukasawa, Kazuhiro Kanaya, Jun Shoji