Patents by Inventor Koji Takayanagi

Koji Takayanagi 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: 8414972
    Abstract: In a coating step, a substrate is rotated at a high speed, and in that state a resist solution is discharged from a first nozzle to a central portion of the substrate to apply the resist solution over the substrate. Subsequently, in a flattening step, the rotation of the substrate is decelerated and the substrate is rotated at a low speed to flatten the resist solution on the substrate. In this event, the discharge of the resist solution by the first nozzle in the coating step is performed until a middle of the flattening step, and when the discharge of the resist solution is finished in the flattening step, the first nozzle is moved to move a discharge position of the resist solution from the central portion of the substrate. According to the present invention, the resist solution can be applied uniformly within the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kousuke Yoshihara, Tomohiro Iseki, Koji Takayanagi
  • Patent number: 8375887
    Abstract: The invention includes a lower guide unit which obliquely extends downward to an outside from a position closely opposed to a peripheral edge portion of a rear surface of the substrate held on the substrate holding unit, and is formed in an annular shape in a circumferential direction of the substrate; and an upper guide unit which has an upper end surface located at a substantially same height as a front surface of the substrate held on the substrate holding unit, forms a lower annular flow path between the upper guide unit and the lower guide unit for guiding downward together with a gas flow a treatment solution scattering from the substrate, is formed in an annular shape opposed to the lower guide unit to surround an outside lower region of the substrate, and has an inner peripheral surface having a longitudinal-sectional shape curved to bulge outward and extending downward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Koji Takayanagi, Naofumi Kishita
  • Patent number: 8318247
    Abstract: The present invention includes: a first step of discharging a coating solution from a nozzle to a center portion of the substrate to apply the coating solution on a surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate; a second step of decelerating, after the first step, the rotation of the substrate and continuously rotating the substrate; and a third step of accelerating, after the second step, the rotation of the substrate to dry the coating solution on the substrate, wherein: the substrate is rotated at a fixed speed of a first speed immediately before the first step; and in the first step, the rotation of the substrate which is at the first speed before start of the first step is gradually accelerated after the start of the first step so as to make the speed continuously change, and the acceleration of the rotation of the substrate is gradually decreased so as to make the speed of the rotation of the substrate converge in a second speed higher than the first speed at end of the first step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kousuke Yoshihara, Tomohiro Iseki, Koji Takayanagi
  • Patent number: 8304018
    Abstract: There is provided a coating method which can efficiently apply a coating liquid, such as a liquid resist, to the entire surface of a wafer even when the coating liquid is supplied in a smaller amount than a conventional one, and can therefore reduce the consumption of the coating liquid. The coating method includes: a first step of rotating the substrate at a first rotating speed while supplying the coating liquid onto approximately the center of the rotating substrate; a second step of rotating the substrate at a second rotating speed which is lower than the first rotating speed; a third step of rotating the substrate at a third rotating speed which is higher than the second rotating speed; and a fourth step of rotating the substrate at a fourth rotating speed which is higher than the second rotating speed and lower than the third rotating speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Koji Takayanagi, Tomohiro Iseki, Katsunori Ichino, Kousuke Yoshihara
  • Publication number: 20120276753
    Abstract: A coating treatment apparatus supplying a coating solution to a front surface of a rotated substrate and diffusing the supplied coating solution to an outer periphery side of the substrate to thereby apply the coating solution on the front surface of the substrate includes: a substrate holding part holding a substrate; a rotation part rotating the substrate held on the substrate holding part; a supply part supplying a coating solution to a front surface of the substrate held on the substrate holding part; and an airflow control plate provided at a predetermined position above the substrate held on the substrate holding part for locally changing an airflow above the substrate rotated by the rotation part at an arbitrary position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kousuke YOSHIHARA, Koji Takayanagi, Shinichi Hatakeyama
  • Publication number: 20110052807
    Abstract: A substrate is rotated at a first rotation number (first step). The rotation of the substrate is decelerated to 1500 rpm that is a second rotation number and the substrate is rotated at the second rotation number for 0.5 seconds (second step). The rotation of the substrate is further decelerated to a third rotation number and the substrate is rotated at the third rotation number (third step). The rotation of the substrate is accelerated to a fourth rotation number and the substrate is rotated at the fourth rotation number (fourth step). A resist solution is continuously supplied to a center portion of the substrate from a middle of the first step to a middle of the third step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Katsunori Ichino, Koji Takayanagi, Tomohiro Noda
  • Publication number: 20100227056
    Abstract: The invention includes a lower guide unit which obliquely extends downward to an outside from a position closely opposed to a peripheral edge portion of a rear surface of the substrate held on the substrate holding unit, and is formed in an annular shape in a circumferential direction of the substrate; and an upper guide unit which has an upper end surface located at a substantially same height as a front surface of the substrate held on the substrate holding unit, forms a lower annular flow path between the upper guide unit and the lower guide unit for guiding downward together with a gas flow a treatment solution scattering from the substrate, is formed in an annular shape opposed to the lower guide unit to surround an outside lower region of the substrate, and has an inner peripheral surface having a longitudinal-sectional shape curved to bulge outward and extending downward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Koji Takayanagi, Naofumi Kishita
  • Publication number: 20100209607
    Abstract: There is provided a coating method which can efficiently apply a coating liquid, such as a liquid resist, to the entire surface of a wafer even when the coating liquid is supplied in a smaller amount than a conventional one, and can therefore reduce the consumption of the coating liquid. The coating method includes: a first step of rotating the substrate at a first rotating speed while supplying the coating liquid onto approximately the center of the rotating substrate; a second step of rotating the substrate at a second rotating speed which is lower than the first rotating speed; a third step of rotating the substrate at a third rotating speed which is higher than the second rotating speed; and a fourth step of rotating the substrate at a fourth rotating speed which is higher than the second rotating speed and lower than the third rotating speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Koji Takayanagi, Tomohiro Iseki, Katsunori Ichino, Kousuke Yoshihara
  • Publication number: 20100112209
    Abstract: In a coating step, a substrate is rotated at a high speed, and in that state a resist solution is discharged from a first nozzle to a central portion of the substrate to apply the resist solution over the substrate. Subsequently, in a flattening step, the rotation of the substrate is decelerated and the substrate is rotated at a low speed to flatten the resist solution on the substrate. In this event, the discharge of the resist solution by the first nozzle in the coating step is performed until a middle of the flattening step, and when the discharge of the resist solution is finished in the flattening step, the first nozzle is moved to move a discharge position of the resist solution from the central portion of the substrate. According to the present invention, the resist solution can be applied uniformly within the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kousuke Yoshihara, Tomohiro Iseki, Koji Takayanagi
  • Publication number: 20090181174
    Abstract: In the present invention, a substrate is adjusted in temperature such that its contact portion held on a substrate holding unit and its outer peripheral portion outside the contact portion are at different temperatures. The temperature of the contact portion is adjusted such that the contact portion and the substrate holding unit are at the same temperature when the substrate is held on the substrate holding unit. The temperature-adjusted substrate is then held and rotated by the substrate holding unit, and a coating solution is applied onto the rotating substrate to form a coating film with a uniform film thickness, so that even if the number of times of coating treatment for substrates increases, the film thickness of the coating film to be formed on the substrate can be made uniform.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2009
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kousuke YOSHIHARA, Tomohiro Iseki, Koji Takayanagi, Kentaro Yoshihara
  • Publication number: 20090087559
    Abstract: The present invention includes: a first step of discharging a coating solution from a nozzle to a center portion of the substrate to apply the coating solution on a surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate; a second step of decelerating, after the first step, the rotation of the substrate and continuously rotating the substrate; and a third step of accelerating, after the second step, the rotation of the substrate to dry the coating solution on the substrate, wherein: the substrate is rotated at a fixed speed of a first speed immediately before the first step; and in the first step, the rotation of the substrate which is at the first speed before start of the first step is gradually accelerated after the start of the first step so as to make the speed continuously change, and the acceleration of the rotation of the substrate is gradually decreased so as to make the speed of the rotation of the substrate converge in a second speed higher than the first speed at end of the first step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kousuke Yoshihara, Tomohiro Iseki, Koji Takayanagi
  • Patent number: D610176
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shuichi Nagamine, Naofumi Kishita, Koji Takayanagi, Yuichiro Miyata, Yasushi Takiguchi