Patents by Inventor Masamichi Hara

Masamichi Hara 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: 20240093362
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure is an apparatus that deposits a film on a substrate disposed in a processing chamber, and includes a process gas supply configured to supply, into the processing chamber, a process gas including a source gas and a carrier gas that carries the source gas, a vacuum pump configured to exhaust an interior of the processing chamber, and a purge gas supply configured to supply a purge gas into the vacuum pump. The purge gas includes a first gas that is identical to the carrier gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Yuichi FURUYA, Masamichi HARA
  • Patent number: 11862488
    Abstract: A substrate stage includes: a stage body having a substrate placing surface on which a substrate is placed in a processing apparatus that performs a processing on the substrate; and a thermocouple configured to detect a temperature near the substrate placing surface of the stage body. The thermocouple includes a temperature measuring unit formed by stacking a first metal film and a second metal film, on a surface on a side of the substrate placing surface of the stage body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masamichi Hara, Yasuyuki Kagaya
  • Patent number: 11862439
    Abstract: In a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, a processing chamber accommodating the substrate is provided. A mounting table is disposed in the processing chamber and configured to attract and hold the substrate using an electrostatic attractive force. A charge amount measurement unit is disposed in the processing chamber and configured to measure charge amount of a substrate attraction surface of the mounting table. A charge neutralization mechanism is configured to neutralize the substrate attraction surface of the mounting table. A retreating mechanism is configured to make the charge amount measurement unit retreat from a measurement position facing the substrate attraction surface of the mounting table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takahiro Kawawa, Hideomi Hosaka, Kouichi Nakajima, Masamichi Hara
  • Publication number: 20210388493
    Abstract: A film forming apparatus for forming a film on a substrate includes a chamber, a substrate support, a gas supply unit, a gas injection member, and a filter. The substrate support is disposed in the chamber to support a substrate placed thereon and maintain the substrate at a film forming temperature. The gas supply unit is configured to supply a gas containing a film forming source gas. The gas injection member is disposed to face the substrate support and has a gas injection area for injecting the gas containing the film forming source gas supplied from the gas supply unit. Further, the filter is disposed to cover at least the gas injection area on a surface of the gas injection member opposite to a surface facing the substrate support, the filter being configured to trap particles in the gas containing the film forming source gas while the gas passes therethrough.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Yuta SORITA, Tetsuya SAITO, Shigeyuki OKURA, Yuichi FURUYA, Masamichi HARA
  • Publication number: 20200335365
    Abstract: A substrate stage includes: a stage body having a substrate placing surface on which a substrate is placed in a processing apparatus that performs a processing on the substrate; and a thermocouple configured to detect a temperature near the substrate placing surface of the stage body. The thermocouple includes a temperature measuring unit formed by stacking a first metal film and a second metal film, on a surface on a side of the substrate placing surface of the stage body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Masamichi Hara, Yasuyuki Kagaya
  • Publication number: 20200312636
    Abstract: In a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, a processing chamber accommodating the substrate is provided. A mounting table is disposed in the processing chamber and configured to attract and hold the substrate using an electrostatic attractive force. A charge amount measurement unit is disposed in the processing chamber and configured to measure charge amount of a substrate attraction surface of the mounting table. A charge neutralization mechanism is configured to neutralize the substrate attraction surface of the mounting table. A retreating mechanism is configured to make the charge amount measurement unit retreat from a measurement position facing the substrate attraction surface of the mounting table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Takahiro KAWAWA, Hideomi HOSAKA, Kouichi NAKAJIMA, Masamichi HARA
  • Patent number: 10468237
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a row of substrate transfer devices 3 which can deliver a wafer W within a transfer chamber; and rows of process modules PM, arranged at right and left sides of the row of the substrate transfer devices along the row, configured to perform processes to the wafer W. The rows of the process modules PM are arranged such that each of the processes can be performed by at least two process modules PM. Thus, when a single process module PM cannot be used, the wafer W can be rapidly transferred to another process module PM which can perform the same process as performed in the corresponding process module. Therefore, even when the single process module PM cannot be used, the processes can be continued to the wafers W without stopping an operation of the apparatus, so that the number of wasted wafers W can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Atsushi Gomi, Tetsuya Miyashita, Shinji Furukawa, Koji Maeda, Masamichi Hara, Naoyuki Suzuki, Hiroshi Miki, Toshiharu Hirata
  • Publication number: 20180315585
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a row of substrate transfer devices 3 which can deliver a wafer W within a transfer chamber; and rows of process modules PM, arranged at right and left sides of the row of the substrate transfer devices along the row, configured to perform processes to the wafer W. The rows of the process modules PM are arranged such that each of the processes can be performed by at least two process modules PM. Thus, when a single process module PM cannot be used, the wafer W can be rapidly transferred to another process module PM which can perform the same process as performed in the corresponding process module. Therefore, even when the single process module PM cannot be used, the processes can be continued to the wafers W without stopping an operation of the apparatus, so that the number of wasted wafers W can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Inventors: Atsushi Gomi, Tetsuya Miyashita, Shinji Furukawa, Koji Maeda, Masamichi Hara, Naoyuki Suzuki, Hiroshi Miki, Toshiharu Hirata
  • Patent number: 10049860
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a row of substrate transfer devices 3 which can deliver a wafer W within a transfer chamber; and rows of process modules PM, arranged at right and left sides of the row of the substrate transfer devices along the row, configured to perform processes to the wafer W. The rows of the process modules PM are arranged such that each of the processes can be performed by at least two process modules PM. Thus, when a single process module PM cannot be used, the wafer W can be rapidly transferred to another process module PM which can perform the same process as performed in the corresponding process module. Therefore, even when the single process module PM cannot be used, the processes can be continued to the wafers W without stopping an operation of the apparatus, so that the number of wasted wafers W can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Atsushi Gomi, Tetsuya Miyashita, Shinji Furukawa, Koji Maeda, Masamichi Hara, Naoyuki Suzuki, Hiroshi Miki, Toshiharu Hirata
  • Patent number: 9976217
    Abstract: The method of forming a thin film feeds a raw material gas causing a reversible decomposition reaction toward an upper surface of substrate placed on a placing table in a processing container; decomposes the raw material gas with a predetermined decomposing scheme thereby forming a thin film of the raw material gas on the surface of the substrate; and feeds a decomposition restraint gas having a characteristic of restraining a thermal decomposition of the raw material gas separately from the raw material gas toward a peripheral portion of the substrate when the raw material gas is fed to the substrate, thereby restraining the thermal decomposition of the raw material gas and selectively preventing the thin film from being formed in the peripheral portion of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Atsushi Gomi, Yasushi Mizusawa, Tatsuo Hatano, Masamichi Hara, Kaoru Yamamoto, Satoshi Taga
  • Patent number: 9896761
    Abstract: A trap mechanism for trapping exhaust gas from a process chamber. The trap assembly includes a housing containing a plurality of trap units. The plurality of trap units are arranged successively along a flow direction of said exhaust gas. Each trap unit includes a set of trap panels parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other. The two opposite surfaces with a larger area of each trap panel are oriented substantially parallel to a flow direction of the exhaust gas flow. The two opposite surfaces with a smaller area of each trap panels are oriented orthogonal to the exhaust gas flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masamichi Hara, Kaoru Yamamoto, Yasushi Mizusawa
  • Patent number: 9673078
    Abstract: A cooling processing apparatus includes: a processing vessel; an electrostatic chuck installed in the processing vessel, the electrostatic chuck having a mounting surface on which an object to be processed is mounted; a cooling mechanism configured to cool the electrostatic chuck; and a lamp heating device configured to remove moisture attached to the mounting surface. Further, a method for operating the cooling processing apparatus includes: decompressing the space in the processing vessel by using the exhaust device; removing the moisture attached to the mounting surface of the electrostatic chuck by using the lamp heating device; and cooling the electrostatic chuck by using the cooling mechanism after the removal of the moisture performed by the lamp heating device is terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tetsuya Miyashita, Masamichi Hara, Naoyuki Suzuki, Kaoru Yamamoto, Kouji Maeda
  • Patent number: 9404180
    Abstract: The disclosed deposition device for forming a thin film using a starter gas comprising an organic metal compound is provided with: a processing container 22; a mounting platform 28 which has a heater 34 for heating the workpiece W; a gas introduction mechanism 80 which introduces the starter gas toward the area more exterior than the outer peripheral end of the workpiece W on the mounting platform 28; an internal partition wall 90 which is disposed such that the lower end of said processing space contacts the mounting platform 28 to form gas outlets 92 between the lower portion of the space and the edges of the mounting platform 28; and a orifice forming member 96 which extends radially inward toward the mounting platform 28 and forms an orifice 98 communicating with the gas outlet 92.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masamichi Hara, Kaoru Yamamoto, Atsushi Gomi, Satoshi Taga
  • Patent number: 9303788
    Abstract: Provided is a load lock device which includes: a container with an opening formed therein and configured to be selectively maintained at an atmospheric environment and a vacuum atmosphere; a holding unit arranged within the container and configured to hold objects to be processed; an elevation mechanism configured to vertically move the holding unit; and a pressure regulating mechanism configured to vacuum-evacuate the container through the opening of the container. The elevation mechanism includes at least two vertically-extended elevation shaft members connected to the holding unit; and a drive unit configured to vertically move the elevation shaft members. The elevation shaft members are arranged opposite each other with the opening interposed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Masamichi Hara, Tetsuya Miyashita
  • Patent number: 9293417
    Abstract: Disclosed is a film-forming method wherein a manganese-containing film is formed on a substrate having a surface to which an insulating film and a copper wiring line are exposed. The film-forming method includes forming a manganese-containing film on the copper wiring line by a CVD method which uses a manganese compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hidenori Miyoshi, Masamichi Hara
  • Publication number: 20150371812
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing system which includes: at least two transfer chambers disposed adjacent each other, each of which including a transfer mechanism configured to transfer a substrate; at least one process chamber connected to each of the at least two transfer chambers, and configured to perform a process on the substrate loaded into the at least one process chamber; a gate valve configured to move into and out of a connection path interconnecting the at least two transfer chambers and configured to separate the at least two transfer chambers from each other; and a substrate holding mechanism attached to the gate valve and configured to hold the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2015
    Publication date: December 24, 2015
    Inventors: Kouji MAEDA, Naoyuki SUZUKI, Tetsuya MIYASHITA, Masamichi HARA
  • Publication number: 20150357222
    Abstract: A cooling processing apparatus includes: a processing vessel; an electrostatic chuck installed in the processing vessel, the electrostatic chuck having a mounting surface on which an object to be processed is mounted; a cooling mechanism configured to cool the electrostatic chuck; and a lamp heating device configured to remove moisture attached to the mounting surface. Further, a method for operating the cooling processing apparatus includes: decompressing the space in the processing vessel by using the exhaust device; removing the moisture attached to the mounting surface of the electrostatic chuck by using the lamp heating device; and cooling the electrostatic chuck by using the cooling mechanism after the removal of the moisture performed by the lamp heating device is terminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Publication date: December 10, 2015
    Inventors: Tetsuya MIYASHITA, Masamichi HARA, Naoyuki SUZUKI, Kaoru YAMAMOTO, Kouji MAEDA
  • Patent number: 9202728
    Abstract: A substrate mounting mechanism on which a target substrate is placed is provided. The substrate mounting mechanism includes a heater plate, which has a substrate mounting surface on which the target substrate is placed and has a heater embedded therein to heat the substrate to a deposition temperature at which a film is deposited. The substrate mounting mechanism also includes a temperature control jacket, which is formed to cover at least a surface of the heater plate other than the substrate mounting surface and adjusts the temperature to a non-deposition temperature below the deposition temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Masamichi Hara, Atsushi Gomi, Shinji Maekawa, Satoshi Taga, Kaoru Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 9121515
    Abstract: A substrate processing device includes a depressurizable hot wall chamber having a sidewall with a temperature which becomes higher than room temperature and a first substrate transferring port provided in the sidewall, a depressurizable transfer chamber having a transfer arm mechanism and a second substrate transferring port, and a gate valve unit provided between the hot wall chamber and the transfer chamber. The gate valve unit includes: a housing having a sidewall provided with communicating holes, a first housing substrate transferring port, and a second housing substrate transferring port; a valve body which is elevatable in the housing; and a double sealing structure having a first sealing member and a second sealing member provided at an outer side of the first sealing member. The communicating holes communicate a gap between the first sealing member and the second sealing member with an internal space of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kaoru Yamamoto, Masamichi Hara, Tetsuya Miyashita
  • Publication number: 20150235815
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a row of substrate transfer devices 3 which can deliver a wafer W within a transfer chamber; and rows of process modules PM, arranged at right and left sides of the row of the substrate transfer devices along the row, configured to perform processes to the wafer W. The rows of the process modules PM are arranged such that each of the processes can be performed by at least two process modules PM. Thus, when a single process module PM cannot be used, the wafer W can be rapidly transferred to another process module PM which can perform the same process as performed in the corresponding process module. Therefore, even when the single process module PM cannot be used, the processes can be continued to the wafers W without stopping an operation of the apparatus, so that the number of wasted wafers W can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Atsushi Gomi, Tetsuya Miyashita, Shinji Furukawa, Koji Maeda, Masamichi Hara, Naoyuki Suzuki, Hiroshi Miki, Toshiharu Hirata