Patents by Inventor Kunihiko Koike

Kunihiko Koike 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).

  • Publication number: 20220143655
    Abstract: There is provided a gas cluster processing device for performing a predetermined process on a workpiece by irradiating the workpiece with a gas cluster, including: a processing container in which the workpiece is disposed; a gas supply part configured to supply a gas for generating the gas cluster; a flow rate controller configured to control a flow rate of the gas supplied from the gas supply part; a cluster nozzle configured to receive the gas for generating the gas cluster at a predetermined supply pressure, spray the gas into the processing container maintained in a vacuum state, and convert the gas into the gas cluster through an adiabatic expansion; and a pressure control part provided in a pipe between the flow rate controller and the cluster nozzle and including a back pressure controller configured to control a supply pressure of the gas for generating the gas cluster.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Kazuya DOBASHI, Takehiko ORII, Yukimasa SAITO, Kunihiko KOIKE, Takehiko SENOO, Koichi IZUMI, Yu YOSHINO, Tadashi SHOJO, Keita KANEHIRA
  • Patent number: 11267021
    Abstract: There is provided a gas cluster processing device for performing a predetermined process on a workpiece by irradiating the workpiece with a gas cluster, including: a processing container in which the workpiece is disposed; a gas supply part configured to supply a gas for generating the gas cluster; a flow rate controller configured to control a flow rate of the gas supplied from the gas supply part; a cluster nozzle configured to receive the gas for generating the gas cluster at a predetermined supply pressure, spray the gas into the processing container maintained in a vacuum state, and convert the gas into the gas cluster through an adiabatic expansion; and a pressure control part provided in a pipe between the flow rate controller and the cluster nozzle and including a back pressure controller configured to control a supply pressure of the gas for generating the gas cluster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignees: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, IWATANI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuya Dobashi, Takehiko Orii, Yukimasa Saito, Kunihiko Koike, Takehiko Senoo, Koichi Izumi, Yu Yoshino, Tadashi Shojo, Keita Kanehira
  • Publication number: 20210107041
    Abstract: There is provided a gas cluster processing device for performing a predetermined process on a workpiece by irradiating the workpiece with a gas cluster, including: a processing container in which the workpiece is disposed; a gas supply part configured to supply a gas for generating the gas cluster; a flow rate controller configured to control a flow rate of the gas supplied from the gas supply part; a cluster nozzle configured to receive the gas for generating the gas cluster at a predetermined supply pressure, spray the gas into the processing container maintained in a vacuum state, and convert the gas into the gas cluster through an adiabatic expansion; and a pressure control part provided in a pipe between the flow rate controller and the cluster nozzle and including a back pressure controller configured to control a supply pressure of the gas for generating the gas cluster.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Kazuya DOBASHI, Takehiko ORII, Yukimasa SAITO, Kunihiko KOIKE, Takehiko SENOO, Koichi IZUMI, Yu YOSHINO, Tadashi SHOJO, Keita KANEHIRA
  • Patent number: 9533268
    Abstract: A method and apparatus, for supplying high-pressure mixed gas of a low-vapor-pressure first gas as an active gas and a high-vapor-pressure second gas, are arranged to reduce an amount of the first gas discarded. The mixed gas in a high-pressure state is supplied from a mixing container to a use point. Upon reduction of pressure in the mixing container to a setpoint as a result of supply to the use point, a predetermined amount of the first gas is charged into a replenishment container connected to the mixing container by a replenishment line having a replenishment valve, and which is evacuated. As the second gas is charged into the replenishment container charged with the first gas, the replenishment valve is opened such that the first gas in the replenishment container is forced out by the second gas, thereby charging the mixing container with the mixed gas in the high-pressure condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignees: IWATANI CORPORATION, CENTRAL GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Kunihiko Koike, Yu Yoshino, Naohisa Makihira, Takehiko Senoo, Toshihiro Aida, Tomoya Biro, Hiroshi Ichimaru, Masahiro Tainaka
  • Patent number: 9447502
    Abstract: Provided is a means for fixing calcium phosphate onto the surface of a metal by a treatment method which uses no acid and produces less residue. A method of producing a calcium phosphate composite in which calcium phosphate is bonded to the surface of a base material, the method including a surface treatment step of bringing the surface of the base material into contact with a surface treating agent, and then into contact with a silane coupling agent, to surface treat the base material; a polymerization step of initiating, after the surface treatment step, polymerization of the silane coupling agent by means of a polymerization initiator; and a bonding step of bonding the silane coupling agent at the surface of the base material after the polymerization step, with calcium phosphate; wherein the base material is a metal, and the surface treating agent is ozone water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignees: IWATANI CORPORATION, SOFSERA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiko Koike, Yasumichi Kogai, Masami Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 9416445
    Abstract: Provided is a method for treating the inner surface of a chlorine trifluoride supply passage that enables reliable prevention of the reduction in the concentration of ClF3 in a reaction chamber during process operation. The method includes: integrally connecting a gas supply passage (2) and a gas discharge passage (3) to a processing chamber (1) of a processing apparatus in which chlorine trifluoride is used as an etching gas; and applying chlorine trifluoride gas having a concentration equal to or higher than the concentration of chlorine trifluoride gas supplied during etching process operation on inner surfaces of at least the processing chamber (1) and the gas supply passage (2) among the processing chamber (1), the gas supply passage (2), and the gas discharge passage (3), which are integrally formed, to coat the inner surfaces of at least the processing chamber (1) and the gas supply passage (2) with a fluoride film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: IWATANI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yu Yoshino, Kunihiko Koike, Manabu Saeda, Toshiki Manabe
  • Patent number: 9080131
    Abstract: The disclosed device and method produce high concentration ozonated water by connecting a high concentration ozone gas-supplying system that comprises an ozone gas-generating unit (1) for forming ozone gas, an ozone gas-concentrating unit (2) for concentrating the ozone gas formed, a concentrated ozone gas-pressurizing unit (3) for pressurizing the concentrated ozone gas output from the ozone gas-concentrating unit (2), and a cooling mechanism (13) for cooling the concentrated ozone gas-pressurizing unit (3), to an ozone gas-dissolving unit (4) to dissolve the high pressure, concentrated ozone gas in pure water and produce the high concentration ozonated water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignees: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA, IWATANI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiko Koike, Sadaki Nakamura, Naohisa Makihira, Koichi Izumi, Goichi Inoue, Norikazu Hohshi, Takashi Minamihonoki
  • Publication number: 20150041430
    Abstract: Provided is a method for treating the inner surface of a chlorine trifluoride supply passage that enables reliable prevention of the reduction in the concentration of ClF3 in a reaction chamber during process operation. The method includes: integrally connecting a gas supply passage (2) and a gas discharge passage (3) to a processing chamber (1) of a processing apparatus in which chlorine trifluoride is used as an etching gas; and applying chlorine trifluoride gas having a concentration equal to or higher than the concentration of chlorine trifluoride gas supplied during etching process operation on inner surfaces of at least the processing chamber (1) and the gas supply passage (2) among the processing chamber (1), the gas supply passage (2), and the gas discharge passage (3), which are integrally formed, to coat the inner surfaces of at least the processing chamber (1) and the gas supply passage (2) with a fluoride film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: IWATANI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yu Yoshino, Kunihiko Koike, Manabu Saeda, Toshiki Manabe
  • Patent number: 8945278
    Abstract: A method of concentrating ozone gas including: causing ozone gas contained in ozone-oxygen mixture gas to be selectively adsorbed to adsorbents which are filled in a non-cooled state in at least two adsorbing cylinders arranged parallel to one another; desorbing the ozone gas from the adsorbents by subjecting a depressurizing process to each adsorbing cylinder during an ozone gas desorption operation; repeating an adsorption step and a desorption step alternately in the at least two adsorbing cylinders; and controlling the adsorbing cylinders, in such a way that one of the adsorbing cylinders is performing the adsorption step while another one of the adsorbing cylinders is performing the desorption step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Iwatani Corporation
    Inventors: Naohisa Makihira, Sadaki Nakamura, Goichi Inoue, Kunihiko Koike
  • Publication number: 20150020890
    Abstract: A method and apparatus, for supplying high-pressure mixed gas of a low-vapor-pressure first gas as an active gas and a high-vapor-pressure second gas, are arranged to reduce an amount of the first gas discarded. The mixed gas in a high-pressure state is supplied from a mixing container to a use point. Upon reduction of pressure in the mixing container to a setpoint as a result of supply to the use point, a predetermined amount of the first gas is charged into a replenishment container connected to the mixing container by a replenishment line having a replenishment valve, and which is evacuated. As the second gas is charged into the replenishment container charged with the first gas, the replenishment valve is opened such that the first gas in the replenishment container is forced out by the second gas, thereby charging the mixing container with the mixed gas in the high-pressure condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Kunihiko KOIKE, Yu YOSHINO, Naohisa MAKIHIRA, Takehiko SENOO, Toshihiro AIDA, Tomoya BIRO, Hiroshi ICHIMARU, Masahiro TAINAKA
  • Publication number: 20140061031
    Abstract: A processing method having excellent processing performance at a low flow rate is provided. A method for processing a surface of a sample uses reactive clusters produced by adiabatic expansion of a gas mixture ejected from a nozzle into a vacuum processing chamber. The gas mixture contains a reactive gas chlorine trifluoride, a first inert gas argon, and a second inert gas xenon. The gas mixture in an inlet of the nozzle has a pressure of 0.4 MPa (abs) or more. The reactive gas constitutes 3% by volume or more and 10% by volume or less. The first inert gas constitutes 40% by volume or more and 94% by volume or less. The second inert gas constitutes 3% by volume or more and 50% by volume or less of the gas mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicants: Kyoto University, Iwatani Corporation
    Inventors: Yu YOSHINO, Kunihiko KOIKE, Takehiko SENOO, Jiro MATSUO, Toshio SEKI
  • Patent number: 8580347
    Abstract: A method of the present invention for producing a calcium phosphate complex including a substrate and calcium phosphate bonded to a surface of the substrate, the method includes the steps of: (a) treating the surface of the substrate; and (b) bonding the calcium phosphate onto the surface of the substrate after the step (a), the step (a) being the step of placing the surface of the substrate in contact with ozone water. Therefore, the method of the present invention makes it possible to bond calcium phosphate and the substrate at a high bonding strength and at a high coverage. In addition, the method of the present invention provides an easy method for producing a calcium phosphate complex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignees: Iwatani Corporation, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center
    Inventors: Kunihiko Koike, Masami Nakagawa, Tsutomu Furuzono
  • Patent number: 8461051
    Abstract: A method for processing a sample using an electrically neutral reactive cluster is provided. The surface of a sample is processed by jetting out a mixed gas that is composed of a reactive gas and a gas with a boiling point lower than that of the reactive gas from a gas jetting part of a vacuum process room in which the sample is placed by a pressure in a range in which the mixed gas is not liquefied, in a predetermined direction, while adiabatically-expanding the mixed gas, thereby generating a reactive cluster and jetting the reactive cluster against the sample in the vacuum process room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignees: Iwatani Corporation, Kyoto University
    Inventors: Kunihiko Koike, Takehiko Senoo, Yu Yoshino, Shuhei Azuma, Jiro Matsuo, Toshio Seki, Satoshi Ninomiya
  • Publication number: 20130079269
    Abstract: The disclosed device and method produce high concentration ozonated water by connecting a high concentration ozone gas-supplying system that comprises an ozone gas-generating unit (1) for forming ozone gas, an ozone gas-concentrating unit (2) for concentrating the ozone gas formed, a concentrated ozone gas-pressurizing unit (3) for pressurizing the concentrated ozone gas output from the ozone gas-concentrating unit (2), and a cooling mechanism (13) for cooling the concentrated ozone gas-pressurizing unit (3), to an ozone gas-dissolving unit (4) to dissolve the high pressure, concentrated ozone gas in pure water and produce the high concentration ozonated water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2010
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicants: IWATANI CORPORATION, SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiko Koike, Sadaki Nakamura, Naohisa Makihira, Koichi Izumi, Goichi Inoue, Norikazu Hohshi, Takashi Minamihonoki
  • Patent number: 8404022
    Abstract: A method of concentrating ozone gas in which, although the apparatus configuration is simple, ozone gas of a predetermined concentration can be efficiently taken out, and an apparatus therefor are provided. In a method of concentrating ozone gas in which an ozone-oxygen mixture gas is acted in an adsorbing column that is filled with an adsorbent, to cause the adsorbent to selectively adsorb the ozone gas, and the selectively adsorbed ozone gas is desorbed, thereby concentrating and purifying the ozone gas, the ozone-oxygen mixture gas is acted on the adsorbent in a non-cooled state to cause the ozone gas to be selectively adsorbed to the adsorbent, the adsorbing column is vacuumed when performing an operation desorbing of the ozone gas, thereby desorbing the ozone gas from the adsorbent, and an initial amount of the leading out of the desorbed ozone gas is not recovered, thereby obtaining high-concentration ozone gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Iwatani Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiko Koike, Sadaki Nakamura, Naohisa Makihira, Koichi Izumi, Shigenori Takatori
  • Publication number: 20130061750
    Abstract: A method of concentrating ozone gas including: causing ozone gas contained in ozone-oxygen mixture gas to be selectively adsorbed to adsorbents which are filled in a non-cooled state in at least two adsorbing cylinders arranged parallel to one another; desorbing the ozone gas from the adsorbents by subjecting a depressurizing process to each adsorbing cylinder during an ozone gas desorption operation; repeating an adsorption step and a desorption step alternately in the at least two adsorbing cylinders; and controlling the adsorbing cylinders, in such a way that one of the adsorbing cylinders is performing the adsorption step while another one of the adsorbing cylinders is performing the desorption step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: IWATANI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naohisa Makihira, Sadaki Nakamura, Goichi Inoue, Kunihiko Koike
  • Publication number: 20120114832
    Abstract: Provided is a means for fixing calcium phosphate onto the surface of a metal by a treatment method which uses no acid and produces less residue. A method of producing a calcium phosphate composite in which calcium phosphate is bonded to the surface of a base material, the method including a surface treatment step of bringing the surface of the base material into contact with a surface treating agent, and then into contact with a silane coupling agent, to surface treat the base material; a polymerization step of initiating, after the surface treatment step, polymerization of the silane coupling agent by means of a polymerization initiator; and a bonding step of bonding the silane coupling agent at the surface of the base material after the polymerization step, with calcium phosphate; wherein the base material is a metal, and the surface treating agent is ozone water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: SOFSERA CORPORATION, IWATANI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kunihiko Koike, Yasumichi Kogai, Masami Nakagawa
  • Patent number: D867933
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiko Koike, Toshihiro Imaeda
  • Patent number: D892683
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shuichiro Yamamoto, Kunihiko Koike
  • Patent number: D892684
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shuichiro Yamamoto, Kunihiko Koike