Patents by Inventor MASATO SHINADA

MASATO SHINADA 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: 20240120182
    Abstract: There is a placing table comprising: an electrostatic chuck having a chuck electrode, wherein the electrostatic chuck is configured to attract and hold a substrate on a placing surface and to be rotatable; a freezing device having a contact surface in contact with or separated from a surface of the electrostatic chuck opposite to the placing surface and configured to cool the electrostatic chuck; and a power controller configured to superimpose a radio frequency (RF) bias voltage applied to the electrostatic chuck on a chuck voltage applied to the chuck electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Yusuke KIKUCHI, Masato Shinada
  • Patent number: 11939665
    Abstract: A film thickness measurement apparatus includes: a stage that places a substrate having a film formed thereon and measures a thickness of the film in-situ in a film forming apparatus; a film thickness meter including a light emitter that emits light toward the substrate disposed on the stage and a light receiving sensor that receives the light reflected by the substrate for measuring the thickness of the film in-situ; a moving mechanism including a multi-joint arm that moves an irradiation point of the light on the substrate; a distance meter that measures a distance between the light receiving sensor and the irradiation point on the substrate; and a distance adjustor that adjusts the distance between the light receiving sensor and the irradiation point on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMTED
    Inventors: Masato Shinada, Tamaki Takeyama, Kazunaga Ono, Naoyuki Suzuki, Hiroaki Chihaya, Einstein Noel Abarra
  • Patent number: 11851750
    Abstract: An apparatus for performing a sputtering process on a substrate is provided. The apparatus includes a processing chamber having a substrate support on which the substrate is placed, a target for emitting target particles to be adhered to the substrate by plasma formed in the processing chamber, a magnet, provided on a rear surface of the target, for adjusting a state of the plasma on the surface of the target, and a magnet moving mechanism for repeatedly moving the magnet between a position on one side and a position on the other side set across a center portion on the rear surface of the target. The apparatus further includes a collimator having two regulating plates for limiting an incident angle of the target particles to the substrate, and an arrangement position adjustment mechanism adjusting positions of the two regulating plates according to the movement of the magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masato Shinada, Einstein Noel Abarra, Hiroyuki Toshima, Shota Ishibashi
  • Patent number: 11823879
    Abstract: There is provided a film formation apparatus which forms a film on a substrate by sputtering. The apparatus comprises: a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate; and a plurality of cathodes configured to hold targets that emit sputtered particles, and connected to a power supply. At least one of the plurality of cathodes holds the targets of a plurality of types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masato Shinada, Tetsuya Miyashita, Naoki Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20230349036
    Abstract: With respect to a substrate processing method performed by a substrate processing apparatus including a vacuum chamber, a stage disposed in the vacuum chamber and including a heater, a gas supply that supplies a gas into the vacuum chamber, an exhaust device that exhaust the gas in the vacuum chamber, and an electrode installed in the vacuum chamber, the electrode being connected to the stage and applying a voltage to the heater, the substrate processing method includes performing a discharge countermeasure process including lowering the voltage applied to the heater while a pressure in the vacuum chamber is within a discharge pressure range, the discharge pressure range being determined based on Paschen's law as a pressure range in which discharge occurs in the vacuum chamber, and applying the voltage to the heater in response to determining that the pressure in the vacuum chamber is out of the discharge pressure range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Masato SHINADA, Junichi TAKEI, Naoki TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20230323538
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing method for a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus comprises: a processing chamber; a placing stand provided inside the processing chamber, configured to place a substrate on a placing surface, and having a gas path; a freezing device having a contact surface to be in contact with or separated from a surface to be contacted of the placing stand and configured to cool the placing stand; a gas supply pipe connected to the gas path and configured to introduce a heat transfer gas; and a cooling part provided outside the processing chamber and connected to the gas supply pipe. The substrate processing method comprises: (a) cooling the heat transfer gas by the cooling part; and (b) supplying the cooled heat transfer gas between the placing surface and a back surface of the substrate from the gas path through the gas supply pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Inventors: Yusuke KIKUCHI, Masato SHINADA
  • Patent number: 11742190
    Abstract: A sputtering apparatus includes a first target and a second target that emit sputter particles, a substrate support configured to support a substrate, and a slit plate disposed between the first and the second targets and the substrate and having a slit unit through which the sputter particles pass. The slit unit includes a first slit to the first and the second target side and a second slit to the substrate side. The second slit has a first protrusion and a second protrusion protruding toward the center of the second slit. When the slit unit is viewed from the first target, the first protrusion is hidden. When the slit unit is viewed from the second target, the second protrusion is hidden.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Einstein Noel Abarra, Hiroyuki Toshima, Shota Ishibashi, Hiroyuki Iwashita, Tatsuo Hirasawa, Masato Shinada
  • Publication number: 20230249306
    Abstract: A method of cooling a substrate by bringing a cooler into direct contact with a stage on which the substrate is placed, and processing the substrate while rotating the stage in a state in which the cooler is moved away from the stage, includes: cooling the cooler to a target temperature in a state in which the stage is brought into direct contact with the cooler, and cooling the stage to an initial cooling temperature; raising a temperature of the stage; controlling the temperature of the stage to a steady cooling temperature when the temperature of the stage reaches the steady cooling temperature; and placing the substrate on the stage kept at the steady cooling temperature, and continuously performing a substrate processing on a plurality of substrates while rotating the stage in a state in which the stage is moved away from the cooler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: Yusuke KIKUCHI, Masato SHINADA, Motoi YAMAGATA, Hiroshi SONE
  • Patent number: 11664207
    Abstract: A film-forming apparatus comprises: a processing chamber defining a processing space, a first sputter-particle emitter and a second sputter-particle emitter having targets, respectively, from which sputter-particles are emitted in different oblique directions in the processing space, a sputter-particle blocking plate having a passage hole through which the sputter particles emitted from the first sputter-particle emitter and the second sputter-particle emitter pass, a substrate support configured to support a substrate and provided at a side opposite the first sputter-particle emitter and the second sputter-particle emitter with respect to the sputter-particle blocking plate in the processing space, a substrate moving mechanism configured to linearly move the substrate supported on the substrate support, and a controller configured to control the emission of sputter-particles from the first sputter-particle emitter and the second sputter-particle emitter while controlling the substrate moving mechanism to mov
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Masato Shinada, Hiroyuki Toshima
  • Publication number: 20230051865
    Abstract: The PVD apparatus includes a chamber, a plurality of stages, a first target holder, a power supply mechanism, and a shield. The plurality of stages are provided inside the chamber, and each of the plurality of stages is configured to place at least one substrate on an upper surface thereof. The first target holder is configured to hold at least one target provided for one stage, the target being exposed to a space inside the chamber. The power supply mechanism supplies power to the target via the first target holder. The shield is provided inside the chamber and a part of the shield is disposed between a first stage and a second stage in the plurality of stages, and between a first processing space on the first stage and a second processing space on the second stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takuya SEINO, Yasushi KODASHIMA, Naoki WATANABE, Hiroyuki TOSHIMA, Masato SHINADA, Tetsuya MIYASHITA
  • Patent number: 11581171
    Abstract: A cathode unit for performing a sputtering film formation includes: a target that emits sputtering particles; a target cooler that includes a cooling plate to which the target is bonded; and a power supply that supplies a power to the target. The target has a high-temperature region that has a higher temperature than other regions of the target during a film formation. The cooling plate includes a coolant flow space through which a coolant flows, and a first wall and a second wall that define the coolant flow space in a thickness direction. In the coolant flow space, a flow path of the coolant is formed by a first partition plate and a second partition plate. The first partition plate does not exist at a portion of the coolant flow space that corresponds to the high-temperature region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Masato Shinada, Einstein Noel Abarra
  • Patent number: 11542592
    Abstract: A film forming system comprises a chamber, a stage, a holder, a cathode magnet, a shield, a first moving mechanism, and a second moving mechanism. The chamber provides a processing space. The stage is provided in the processing space and configured to support a substrate. The holder is configured to hold a target that is provided in the processing space. The cathode magnet is provided outside the chamber with respect to the target. The shield has a slit and is configured to block particles released from the target around the slit. The first moving mechanism is configured to move the shield between the stage and the target along a scanning direction substantially parallel to a surface of the substrate mounted on the stage. The second moving mechanism is configured to move the cathode magnet along the scanning direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Masato Shinada, Naoki Watanabe, Tetsuya Miyashita, Hiroaki Chihaya
  • Patent number: 11512388
    Abstract: There is provided a film forming apparatus, including: a processing chamber having a processing space in which a film forming process is performed on a substrate; a substrate support part configured to support the substrate inside the processing chamber; at least one sputtering particle emission part including a target and configured to emit sputtering particles to the substrate from the target; and at least one etching particle emission part configured to emit etching particles having an etching action with respect to the substrate, wherein the sputtering particles emitted from the at least one sputtering particle emission part are deposited on the substrate to form a film, and a portion of the film is etched by the etching particles emitted from the at least one etching particle emission part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Masato Shinada, Hiroyuki Toshima
  • Patent number: 11495446
    Abstract: A film formation device includes a target holder configured to hold a target for emitting sputtering particles in a processing space inside a processing chamber, a sputtering particle emitting part configured to emit the sputtering particles from the target, a sputtering particle shielding plate having a passage hole through which the emitted sputtering particles pass, a shielding member provided to shield the passage hole, a movement mechanism configured to move the shielding member in the horizontal direction, and a controller. The controller controls the shielding member, which has the placement portion on which a substrate is placed, to be moved in one direction of the horizontal direction, and controls the sputtering particles to be emitted from the target. The sputtering particles passed through the passage hole are deposited on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Masato Shinada, Hiroyuki Toshima, Einstein Noel Abarra
  • Publication number: 20220328343
    Abstract: A processing method for processing a substrate includes: a first arrangement step of mounting, on a stage provided in a processing container to mount the substrate on the stage, a plate-shaped protective member which is prepared in advance at a location in the processing container different from a location on the stage and which is configured to protect an upper surface of the stage; an adjustment step of adjusting a distance between the stage and an annular cover member provided above an edge portion of the stage to a second distance different from a first distance between the stage and the cover member when the substrate is processed; and a pretreatment step of performing a pretreatment in the processing container to change a state in the processing container to a predetermined state, wherein the protective member has a thickness different from a thickness of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Takuya UMISE, Masato SHINADA, Tetsuya MIYASHITA
  • Publication number: 20220238314
    Abstract: A mounting table structure includes a mounting table on which a substrate is mounted, a refrigerating mechanism configured to cool the substrate, an elevating drive part configured to move the mounting table or the refrigerating mechanism up and down, and at least one contact provided at a position between the refrigerating mechanism and the mounting table which face each other. The refrigerating mechanism and the mounting table are allowed to be brought into contact with each other via the contact by moving the mounting table or the refrigerating mechanism up and down by the elevating drive part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Motoi YAMAGATA, Hiroshi SONE, Masato SHINADA
  • Publication number: 20220223390
    Abstract: There is provided a film formation apparatus which forms a film on a substrate by sputtering. The apparatus comprises: a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate; and a plurality of cathodes configured to hold targets that emit sputtered particles, and connected to a power supply. At least one of the plurality of cathodes holds the targets of a plurality of types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2022
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Masato SHINADA, Tetsuya MIYASHITA, Naoki WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20220208534
    Abstract: There is provided a sputtering apparatus comprising: a target from which sputtered particles are emitted; a substrate support configured to support a substrate; a substrate moving mechanism configured to move the substrate in one direction; and a shielding member disposed between the target and the substrate support and having an opening through which the sputtered particles pass. The shielding member includes a first shielding member and a second shielding member disposed in a vertical direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Masato SHINADA, Tetsuya MIYASHITA, Einstein Noel ABARRA
  • Publication number: 20220081757
    Abstract: A film forming apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a processing chamber accommodating a plurality of substrates; a plurality of substrate supporting units disposed in the processing chamber and configured to place the substrates thereon; a substrate moving mechanism configured to linearly move the substrate supporting units in a first direction; sputter particle emitting units, each having a target for emitting sputter particles into the processing chamber; and a controller configured to control the sputter particle emitting units and the substrate moving mechanism. The controller controls the substrate moving mechanism to linearly move the substrate supporting units on which the substrates are placed in the first direction and controls the sputter particle emitting units to emit sputter particles to be deposited on the substrates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: Masato Shinada, Naoki Watanabe, Tetsuya Miyashita, Hiroyuki Toshima, Einstein Noel Abarra, Shota Ishibashi
  • Publication number: 20220044920
    Abstract: A sputtering apparatus includes a first target and a second target that emit sputter particles, a substrate support configured to support a substrate, and a slit plate disposed between the first and the second targets and the substrate and having a slit unit through which the sputter particles pass. The slit unit includes a first slit to the first and the second target side and a second slit to the substrate side. The second slit has a first protrusion and a second protrusion protruding toward the center of the second slit. When the slit unit is viewed from the first target, the first protrusion is hidden. When the slit unit is viewed from the second target, the second protrusion is hidden.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventors: Einstein Noel ABARRA, Hiroyuki TOSHIMA, Shota ISHIBASHI, Hiroyuki IWASHITA, Tatsuo HIRASAWA, Masato SHINADA