Patents by Inventor Kiyohiro Matsushita

Kiyohiro Matsushita 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: 9478414
    Abstract: A method is for hydrophobization of a surface of a silicon-containing film by atomic layer deposition (ALD), wherein the surface is subjected to atmospheric exposure. The method includes: (i) providing a substrate with a silicon-containing film formed thereon; and (ii) forming on a surface of the silicon-containing film a hydrophobic atomic layer as a protective layer subjected to atmospheric exposure, by exposing the surface to a silicon-containing treating gas without exciting the gas. The treating gas is capable of being chemisorbed on the surface to form a hydrophobic atomic layer thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Akiko Kobayashi, Akinori Nakano, Dai Ishikawa, Kiyohiro Matsushita
  • Publication number: 20160093485
    Abstract: A method is for hydrophobization of a surface of a silicon-containing film by atomic layer deposition (ALD), wherein the surface is subjected to atmospheric exposure. The method includes: (i) providing a substrate with a silicon-containing film formed thereon; and (ii) forming on a surface of the silicon-containing film a hydrophobic atomic layer as a protective layer subjected to atmospheric exposure, by exposing the surface to a silicon-containing treating gas without exciting the gas. The treating gas is capable of being chemisorbed on the surface to form a hydrophobic atomic layer thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Akiko Kobayashi, Akinori Nakano, Dai Ishikawa, Kiyohiro Matsushita
  • Patent number: 9190263
    Abstract: A method for forming a modified low-k SiOCH film on a substrate, includes: providing a low-k SiOCH film formed on a substrate by flowable CVD; exposing the low-k SiOCH film to a gas containing a Si—N bond in its molecule without applying electromagnetic energy to increase Si—O bonds and/or Si—C bonds in the film; and then curing the low-k SiOCH film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Dai Ishikawa, Kiyohiro Matsushita, Akinori Nakano, Shintaro Ueda, Hirofumi Arai
  • Patent number: 9136108
    Abstract: A method for restoring a porous surface of a dielectric layer formed on a substrate, includes: (i) providing in a reaction space a substrate on which a dielectric layer having a porous surface with terminal hydroxyl groups is formed as an outer layer; (ii) supplying gas of a Si—N compound containing a Si—N bond to the reaction space to chemisorb the Si—N compound onto the surface with the terminal hydroxyl groups; (iii) irradiating the Si—N compound-chemisorbed surface with a pulse of UV light in an oxidizing atmosphere to oxidize the surface and provide terminal hydroxyl groups to the surface; and (iv) repeating steps (ii) through (iii) to form a film on the porous surface of the dielectric layer for restoration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Kiyohiro Matsushita, Hirofumi Arai
  • Patent number: 9029272
    Abstract: A method for forming a gap-fill SiOCH film on a patterned substrate includes: (i) providing a substrate having recessed features on its surface; (ii) filling the recessed features of the substrate with a SiOCH film which is flowable and non-porous; (iii) after completion of step (ii), exposing the SiOCH film to a plasma including a hydrogen plasma; and (iv) curing the plasma-exposed SiOCH film with UV light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Akinori Nakano, Shintaro Ueda, Dai Ishikawa, Kiyohiro Matsushita
  • Publication number: 20150118864
    Abstract: A method for forming a gap-fill SiOCH film on a patterned substrate includes: (i) providing a substrate having recessed features on its surface; (ii) filling the recessed features of the substrate with a SiOCH film which is flowable and non-porous; (iii) after completion of step (ii), exposing the SiOCH film to a plasma including a hydrogen plasma; and (iv) curing the plasma-exposed SiOCH film with UV light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Applicant: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Akinori Nakano, Shintaro Ueda, Dai Ishikawa, Kiyohiro Matsushita
  • Publication number: 20150064932
    Abstract: A method for restoring a porous surface of a dielectric layer formed on a substrate, includes: (i) providing in a reaction space a substrate on which a dielectric layer having a porous surface with terminal hydroxyl groups is formed as an outer layer; (ii) supplying gas of a Si—N compound containing a Si—N bond to the reaction space to chemisorb the Si—N compound onto the surface with the terminal hydroxyl groups; (iii) irradiating the Si—N compound-chemisorbed surface with a pulse of UV light in an oxidizing atmosphere to oxidize the surface and provide terminal hydroxyl groups to the surface; and (iv) repeating steps (ii) through (iii) to form a film on the porous surface of the dielectric layer for restoration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Kiyohiro Matsushita, Hirofumi Arai
  • Publication number: 20150056821
    Abstract: A method for forming a modified low-k SiOCH film on a substrate, includes: providing a low-k SiOCH film formed on a substrate by flowable CVD; exposing the low-k SiOCH film to a gas containing a Si—N bond in its molecule without applying electromagnetic energy to increase Si—O bonds and/or Si—C bonds in the film; and then curing the low-k SiOCH film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Dai Ishikawa, Kiyohiro Matsushita, Akinori Nakano, Shintaro Ueda, Hirofumi Arai
  • Patent number: 8785215
    Abstract: A method for repairing process-related damage of a dielectric film includes: (i) adsorbing a first gas containing silicon on a surface of the damaged dielectric film without depositing a film in the absence of reactive species, (ii) adsorbing a second gas containing silicon on a surface of the dielectric film, followed by applying reactive species to the surface of the dielectric film, to form a monolayer film thereon, and (iii) repeating step (ii). The duration of exposing the surface to the first gas in step (i) is longer than the duration of exposing the surface to the second gas in step (ii).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Akiko Kobayashi, Yosuke Kimura, Dai Ishikawa, Kiyohiro Matsushita
  • Patent number: 8664627
    Abstract: A method for supplying gas over a substrate in a reaction chamber wherein a substrate is placed on a pedestal, includes: supplying a first gas from a first side of the reaction chamber to a second side of the reaction chamber opposite to the first side; and adding a second gas to the first gas from sides of the reaction chamber other than the first side of the reaction chamber so that the second gas travels from sides of the substrate other than the first side in a downstream direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Dai Ishikawa, Kiyohiro Matsushita
  • Publication number: 20140041588
    Abstract: A method for supplying gas over a substrate in a reaction chamber wherein a substrate is placed on a pedestal, includes: supplying a first gas from a first side of the reaction chamber to a second side of the reaction chamber opposite to the first side; and adding a second gas to the first gas from sides of the reaction chamber other than the first side of the reaction chamber so that the second gas travels from sides of the substrate other than the first side in a downstream direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Dai Ishikawa, Kiyohiro Matsushita
  • Publication number: 20130337583
    Abstract: A method for repairing process-related damage of a dielectric film includes: (i) adsorbing a first gas containing silicon on a surface of the damaged dielectric film without depositing a film in the absence of reactive species, (ii) adsorbing a second gas containing silicon on a surface of the dielectric film, followed by applying reactive species to the surface of the dielectric film, to form a monolayer film thereon, and (iii) repeating step (ii). The duration of exposing the surface to the first gas in step (i) is longer than the duration of exposing the surface to the second gas in step (ii).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: ASM IP Holding B.V.
    Inventors: Akiko Kobayashi, Yosuke Kimura, Dai Ishikawa, Kiyohiro Matsushita
  • Publication number: 20130068970
    Abstract: A UV irradiation apparatus for treating substrates includes: at least two process stations each provided with a UV transmissive window; at least one electric UV lamp using two electrodes in a gas tube extending over the UV transmissive windows of the process stations aligned along the gas tube and shared by the process stations; a UV transmissive zone disposed between the UV lamp and the process stations and provided with reflectors; and shutters for blocking UV light from being transmitted to the respective process stations independently.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventor: Kiyohiro Matsushita
  • Patent number: 8241991
    Abstract: A method for forming an interconnect structure with airgaps, includes: providing a structure having a trench formed on a substrate; depositing a spacer oxide layer on sidewalls of the trench as sidewall spacers by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition; filling the trench having the sidewall spacers with copper; removing the sidewall spacers to form an airgap structure; and encapsulating the airgap structure, wherein airgaps are formed between the filled copper and the sidewalls of the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Julian J. Hsieh, Nobuyoshi Kobayashi, Akira Shimizu, Kiyohiro Matsushita, Atsuki Fukazawa
  • Publication number: 20110217838
    Abstract: A method for forming an interconnect structure with airgaps, includes: providing a structure having a trench formed on a substrate; depositing a spacer oxide layer on sidewalls of the trench as sidewall spacers by plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition; filling the trench having the sidewall spacers with copper; removing the sidewall spacers to form an airgap structure; and encapsulating the airgap structure, wherein airgaps are formed between the filled copper and the sidewalls of the trench.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Julian J. Hsieh, Nobuyoshi Kobayashi, Akira Shimizu, Kiyohiro Matsushita, Atsuki Fukazawa
  • Publication number: 20110159202
    Abstract: A method for sealing pores at a surface of a dielectric layer formed on a substrate, includes: providing a substrate on which a dielectric layer having a porous surface is formed as an outermost layer; placing the substrate in an evacuatable chamber; irradiating the substrate with UV light in an atmosphere of hydrocarbon and/or oxy-hydrocarbon gas; sealing pores at the porous surface of the dielectric layer as a result of the irradiation; and continuously irradiating the substrate with UV light in the atmosphere of hydrocarbon and/or oxy-hydrocarbon gas until a protective film having a desired thickness is formed on the dielectric layer as a result of the irradiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Kiyohiro Matsushita, Yosuke Kimura, Ippei Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 7807566
    Abstract: A method for determining conditions for forming a dielectric SiOCH film, includes: (i) forming a dielectric SiOCH film on a substrate under conditions; (ii) evaluating the conditions using a ratio of Si—CH3 bonding strength to Si—O bonding strength of the film as formed in step (i); (iii) if the ratio is 2.50 % or higher, confirming the conditions, and if the ratio is less than 2.50 %, changing the conditions by changing at least one of the susceptor temperature, the distance between upper and lower electrodes, the RF power, and the curing time; and (iv) repeating steps (i) to (iii) until the ratio is 2.50 % or higher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Naoto Tsuji, Kiyohiro Matsushita, Manabu Kato, Noboru Takamure
  • Patent number: 7789965
    Abstract: A method of cleaning a UV irradiation chamber includes steps of: (i) after completion of irradiating a substrate with UV light transmitted through an optical transmitted window provided in the UV irradiation chamber, generating radical species of a cleaning gas outside the UV irradiation chamber; and (ii) introducing the radical species from the outside of the UV irradiation chamber into the UV irradiation chamber, thereby cleaning the optical transmitted window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Kiyohiro Matsushita, Hideaki Fukuda, Kenichi Kagami
  • Patent number: 7763869
    Abstract: A UV light irradiating apparatus for irradiating a semiconductor substrate with UV light includes: a reactor in which a substrate-supporting table is provided; a UV light irradiation unit connected to the reactor for irradiating a semiconductor substrate placed on the substrate-supporting table with UV light through a light transmission window; and a liquid layer forming channel disposed between the light transmission window and at least one UV lamp for forming a liquid layer through which the UV light is transmitted. The liquid layer is formed by a liquid flowing through the liquid layer forming channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: ASM Japan K.K.
    Inventors: Kiyohiro Matsushita, Kenichi Kagami
  • Publication number: 20100151151
    Abstract: A method of forming a low-k film containing silicon and carbon on a substrate by plasma CVD, includes: supplying gas of a precursor having a Si—R—O—R—Si bond into a reaction space in which a substrate is placed; and exciting the gas in the reaction space, thereby depositing a film on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: ASM JAPAN K.K.
    Inventors: Kiyohiro Matsushita, Akinori Nakano, Ryo Kawaguchi, Yuya Nonaka