Patents by Inventor Masahito Hamada

Masahito Hamada 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: 10755952
    Abstract: Disclosed is a chemical liquid discharge mechanism. The mechanism includes: a storage portion including a chemical liquid storage space; a diluent supply port opened to supply a diluent for reducing a viscosity of the chemical liquid to the storage space; a vertex flow forming portion that forms vortex flows in the diluent and the chemical liquid by supplying a fluid to the storage space to stir the diluent and the chemical liquid; and a liquid discharge port opened to an upper side of the diluent supply port in the storage space such that, by the supply of the diluent, the diluent and the chemical liquid flow into the liquid discharge port to be discharged from the storage space. Thus, the viscosity of the waste liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port may be reduced, and thus, it is not necessary to largely set the inclination of the liquid discharge path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Norihiko Sasagawa, Hiroichi Inada, Masahito Hamada
  • Publication number: 20180350633
    Abstract: Disclosed is a chemical liquid discharge mechanism. The mechanism includes: a storage portion including a chemical liquid storage space; a diluent supply port opened to supply a diluent for reducing a viscosity of the chemical liquid to the storage space; a vertex flow forming portion that forms vortex flows in the diluent and the chemical liquid by supplying a fluid to the storage space to stir the diluent and the chemical liquid; and a liquid discharge port opened to an upper side of the diluent supply port in the storage space such that, by the supply of the diluent, the diluent and the chemical liquid flow into the liquid discharge port to be discharged from the storage space. Thus, the viscosity of the waste liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port may be reduced, and thus, it is not necessary to largely set the inclination of the liquid discharge path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Norihiko Sasagawa, Hiroichi Inada, Masahito Hamada
  • Patent number: 10074548
    Abstract: Disclosed is a chemical liquid discharge mechanism. The mechanism includes: a storage portion including a chemical liquid storage space; a diluent supply port opened to supply a diluent for reducing a viscosity of the chemical liquid to the storage space; a vertex flow forming portion that forms vortex flows in the diluent and the chemical liquid by supplying a fluid to the storage space to stir the diluent and the chemical liquid; and a liquid discharge port opened to an upper side of the diluent supply port in the storage space such that, by the supply of the diluent, the diluent and the chemical liquid flow into the liquid discharge port to be discharged from the storage space. Thus, the viscosity of the waste liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port may be reduced, and thus, it is not necessary to largely set the inclination of the liquid discharge path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Norihiko Sasagawa, Hiroichi Inada, Masahito Hamada
  • Publication number: 20160008840
    Abstract: Disclosed is a chemical liquid discharge mechanism. The mechanism includes: a storage portion including a chemical liquid storage space; a diluent supply port opened to supply a diluent for reducing a viscosity of the chemical liquid to the storage space; a vertex flow forming portion that forms vortex flows in the diluent and the chemical liquid by supplying a fluid to the storage space to stir the diluent and the chemical liquid; and a liquid discharge port opened to an upper side of the diluent supply port in the storage space such that, by the supply of the diluent, the diluent and the chemical liquid flow into the liquid discharge port to be discharged from the storage space. Thus, the viscosity of the waste liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port may be reduced, and thus, it is not necessary to largely set the inclination of the liquid discharge path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Norihiko Sasagawa, Hiroichi Inada, Masahito Hamada
  • Patent number: 8343284
    Abstract: A film removing device includes an approach stage having a flat approach part having a surface substantially flush with the surface of a substrate supported on a support member. The flat approach part faces a first side surface of the substrate at a corner of the substrate where the first side surface and a second side surface of the substrate join. A film removing nozzle spouts a solvent toward a peripheral part of the substrate and sucks a solution while being moved along the second side surface and the approach stage. A gas is spouted into a gap between the flat approach part and the corner of the substrate so that the gas flows through the gap toward the second side surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shigenori Kamei, Kotaro Ooishi, Masahito Hamada
  • Patent number: 8277884
    Abstract: There is provided a coating and processing apparatus including a spin chuck horizontally holding a quadrangular substrate and rotating the substrate in a horizontal plane, a coating solution nozzle for supplying a coating solution to a front surface of the substrate horizontally held by the spin chuck, and a solvent supply mechanism provided in the spin chuck for supplying a solvent to a back surface of the substrate, in which the solvent supplied to the back surface of the substrate is allowed to reach the back surface and side surface of each of corners of the substrate by centrifugal force, thereby removing the coating solution attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinji Kobayashi, Tetsushi Miyamoto, Masahito Hamada, Masatoshi Kaneda
  • Publication number: 20110247659
    Abstract: A film removing device includes an approach stage having a flat approach part having a surface substantially flush with the surface of a substrate supported on a support member. The flat approach part faces a first side surface of the substrate at a corner of the substrate where the first side surface and a second side surface of the substrate join. A film removing nozzle spouts a solvent toward a peripheral part of the substrate and sucks a solution while being moved along the second side surface and the approach stage. A gas is spouted into a gap between the flat approach part and the corner of the substrate so that the gas flows through the gap toward the second side surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Publication date: October 13, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigenori KAMEI, Kotaro OOISHI, Masahito HAMADA
  • Patent number: 8016976
    Abstract: A film removing device includes an approach stage having a flat approach part having a surface substantially flush with the surface of a substrate supported on a support member. The flat approach part faces a first side surface of the substrate at a corner of the substrate where the first side surface and a second side surface of the substrate join. A film removing nozzle spouts a solvent toward a peripheral part of the substrate and sucks a solution while being moved along the second side surface and the approach stage. A gas is spouted into a gap between the flat approach part and the corner of the substrate so that the gas flows through the gap toward the second side surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shigenori Kamei, Kotaro Ooishi, Masahito Hamada
  • Patent number: 7927657
    Abstract: In a liquid processing apparatus for forming a coating film on a polygonal substrate by spin coating in an ambient with a descending clean air flow, a spin chuck includes a support plate for substantially horizontally supporting the substrate thereon. Air flow control members are provided on the spin chuck such that the air flow control member being disposed adjacent to a periphery of the polygonal substrate supported on the spin chuck, wherein the air flow control member is not provided near corner portions of the substrate supported on the spin chuck. The liquid processing apparatus may includes an air flow regulation ring which is provided with an air inlet having an opening surrounding an outer periphery of the air flow control member, wherein the air inlet communicates with the exhaust unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinji Kobayashi, Tetsushi Miyamoto, Masahito Hamada
  • Patent number: 7819594
    Abstract: A device includes a rotary base; an approach stage; a substrate holding table and a nozzle head. The substrate holding table holds the work by suction, and comes into intimate contact with the approach stage and the rotary base through first and second annular seal members to form a liquid storage space, respectively. When the suction holding and the intimate contact are released, the substrate becomes rotatable together with the rotary base and the approach stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hideo Funakoshi, Masahito Hamada, Yoshiki Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20100034969
    Abstract: There is provided a coating and processing apparatus including a spin chuck horizontally holding a quadrangular substrate and rotating the substrate in a horizontal plane, a coating solution nozzle for supplying a coating solution to a front surface of the substrate horizontally held by the spin chuck, and a solvent supply mechanism provided in the spin chuck for supplying a solvent to a back surface of the substrate, in which the solvent supplied to the back surface of the substrate is allowed to reach the back surface and side surface of each of corners of the substrate by centrifugal force, thereby removing the coating solution attached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Inventors: Shinji KOBAYASHI, Tetsushi Miyamoto, Masahito Hamada, Masatoshi Kaneda
  • Patent number: 7615117
    Abstract: There is provided a coating and processing apparatus including a spin chuck horizontally holding a quadrangular substrate and rotating the substrate in a horizontal plane, a coating solution nozzle for supplying a coating solution to a front surface of the substrate horizontally held by the spin chuck, and a solvent supply mechanism provided in the spin chuck for supplying a solvent to a back surface of the substrate, in which the solvent supplied to the back surface of the substrate is allowed to reach the back surface and side surface of each of corners of the substrate by centrifugal force, thereby removing the coating solution attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinji Kobayashi, Tetsushi Miyamoto, Masahito Hamada, Masatoshi Kaneda
  • Publication number: 20090263577
    Abstract: In a liquid processing apparatus for forming a coating film on a polygonal substrate by spin coating in an ambient with a descending clean air flow, a spin chuck includes a support plate for substantially horizontally supporting the substrate thereon. Air flow control members are provided on the spin chuck such that the air flow control member being disposed adjacent to a periphery of the polygonal substrate supported on the spin chuck, wherein the air flow control member is not provided near corner portions of the substrate supported on the spin chuck. The liquid processing apparatus may includes an air flow regulation ring which is provided with an air inlet having an opening surrounding an outer periphery of the air flow control member, wherein the air inlet communicates with the exhaust unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinji KOBAYASHI, Tetsushi Miyamoto, Masahito Hamada
  • Patent number: 7566365
    Abstract: In a liquid processing apparatus for forming a coating film on a polygonal substrate by spin coating in an ambient with a descending clean air flow, a spin chuck includes a support plate for substantially horizontally supporting the substrate thereon. Air flow control members are provided on the spin chuck such that the air flow control member being disposed adjacent to a periphery of the polygonal substrate supported on the spin chuck, wherein the air flow control member is not provided near corner portions of the substrate supported on the spin chuck. The liquid processing apparatus may includes an air flow regulation ring which is provided with an air inlet having an opening surrounding an outer periphery of the air flow control member, wherein the air inlet communicates with the exhaust unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinji Kobayashi, Tetsushi Miyamoto, Masahito Hamada
  • Patent number: 7553374
    Abstract: In the present invention, a gas flow restraining ring facing corner portions of the front face of a substrate horizontally held on a substrate holding unit and movable up and down, is set to a predetermined height in accordance with a coating treatment. Then, a coating solution containing a coating film forming component and a solvent is applied to the front face of the substrate and spread into a thin film state by a so-called spin coating method, and thereafter the substrate is rotated at a high speed so that the coating solution is dried. In this case, it is possible to control fresh gas flow from above the substrate to decrease the difference in evaporation rate of the solvent between the coating solution on the corner portions of the substrate and the coating solution inside them, thus enabling the coating treatment uniform within a plane on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masahito Hamada, Fumio Hirota, Shinji Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20080176172
    Abstract: A device includes a rotary base; an approach stage; a substrate holding table and a nozzle head. The substrate holding table holds the work by suction, and comes into intimate contact with the approach stage and the rotary base through first and second annular seal members to form a liquid storage space, respectively. When the suction holding and the intimate contact are released, the substrate becomes rotatable together with the rotary base and the approach stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Inventors: Hideo Funakoshi, Masahito Hamada, Yoshiki Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20080041523
    Abstract: A film removing device includes an approach stage having a flat approach part having a surface substantially flush with the surface of a substrate supported on a support member. The flat approach part faces a first side surface of the substrate at a corner of the substrate where the first side surface and a second side surface of the substrate join. A film removing nozzle spouts a solvent toward a peripheral part of the substrate and sucks a solution while being moved along the second side surface and the approach stage. A gas is spouted into a gap between the flat approach part and the corner of the substrate so that the gas flows through the gap toward the second side surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigenori Kamei, Kotaro Ooishi, Masahito Hamada
  • Publication number: 20050181127
    Abstract: In the present invention, a gas flow restraining ring facing corner portions of the front face of a substrate horizontally held on a substrate holding unit and movable up and down, is set to a predetermined height in accordance with a coating treatment. Then, a coating solution containing a coating film forming component and a solvent is applied to the front face of the substrate and spread into a thin film state by a so-called spin coating method, and thereafter the substrate is rotated at a high speed so that the coating solution is dried. In this case, it is possible to control fresh gas flow from above the substrate to decrease the difference in evaporation rate of the solvent between the coating solution on the corner portions of the substrate and the coating solution inside them, thus enabling the coating treatment uniform within a plane on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2005
    Publication date: August 18, 2005
    Inventors: Masahito Hamada, Fumio Hirota, Shinji Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20040180141
    Abstract: There is provided a coating and processing apparatus including a spin chuck horizontally holding a quadrangular substrate and rotating the substrate in a horizontal plane, a coating solution nozzle for supplying a coating solution to a front surface of the substrate horizontally held by the spin chuck, and a solvent supply mechanism provided in the spin chuck for supplying a solvent to a back surface of the substrate, in which the solvent supplied to the back surface of the substrate is allowed to reach the back surface and side surface of each of corners of the substrate by centrifugal force, thereby removing the coating solution attached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Inventors: Shinji Kobayashi, Tetsushi Miyamoto, Masahito Hamada, Masatoshi Kaneda
  • Publication number: 20040180142
    Abstract: In a liquid processing apparatus for forming a coating film on a polygonal substrate by spin coating in an ambient with a descending clean air flow, a spin chuck includes a support plate for substantially horizontally supporting the substrate thereon. Air flow control members are provided on the spin chuck such that the air flow control member being disposed adjacent to a periphery of the polygonal substrate supported on the spin chuck, wherein the air flow control member is not provided near corner portions of the substrate supported on the spin chuck. The liquid processing apparatus may includes an air flow regulation ring which is provided with an air inlet having an opening surrounding an outer periphery of the air flow control member, wherein the air inlet communicates with the exhaust unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2004
    Publication date: September 16, 2004
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinji Kobayashi, Tetsushi Miyamoto, Masahito Hamada