Patents by Inventor Michiaki Matsushita
Michiaki Matsushita 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).
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Patent number: 11699608Abstract: A substrate storage apparatus includes a stage on which a cassette that has a lid detachably mounted to an opening is disposed, a lid attaching/detaching plate that performs attaching/detaching of the lid to/from the opening of the cassette disposed on the stage, and is provided to be movable between a mounting position in contact with the lid disposed at a position of the opening and a retracted position not in contact with the lid disposed at the position of the opening, a lid holding sensor that detects whether the lid is being held by the lid attaching/detaching plate, and a controller that determines presence/absence of abnormality related to attachment/detachment of the lid based on a detection result of the lid holding sensor.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2018Date of Patent: July 11, 2023Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Akihiro Matsumoto, Michiaki Matsushita, Akira Murata, Minoru Tashiro
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Publication number: 20210347584Abstract: A substrate transfer apparatus includes: a non-conductive support with an upper surface that faces a substrate and supports the substrate; a mover that moves the support to transfer the substrate; a connector that connects the support and the mover while being grounded; a conductive contact that is provided on the upper surface of the support, and supports the substrate in contact with a lower surface of the substrate such that the substrate is not brought into contact with the support; a strip-shaped conductive path that is provided to connect the contact and the connector. The strip-shaped conductive path is provided with a bent portion such that an interval of the strip-shaped conductive path formed by the bent portion is at least twice a width of the strip-shaped conductive path.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2021Publication date: November 11, 2021Inventors: Hitoshi HASHIMA, Tohru TOCHIHARA, Michiaki MATSUSHITA, Hidekazu KIYAMA
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Publication number: 20200058531Abstract: A substrate storage apparatus includes a stage on which a cassette that has a lid detachably mounted to an opening is disposed, a lid attaching/detaching plate that performs attaching/detaching of the lid to/from the opening of the cassette disposed on the stage, and is provided to be movable between a mounting position in contact with the lid disposed at a position of the opening and a retracted position not in contact with the lid disposed at the position of the opening, a lid holding sensor that detects whether the lid is being held by the lid attaching/detaching plate, and a controller that determines presence/absence of abnormality related to attachment/detachment of the lid based on a detection result of the lid holding sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2018Publication date: February 20, 2020Inventors: Akihiro MATSUMOTO, Michiaki MATSUSHITA, Akira MURATA, Minoru TASHIRO
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Patent number: 10424499Abstract: A substrate accommodating and processing apparatus is provided with a cassette mounting table, a processing part, a substrate transfer mechanism, a partition wall, a cassette stage, and a lid attaching/detaching mechanism. The lid attaching/detaching mechanism is provided with a key configured to be engaged with a key hole installed in the lid, and configured to switch a latch between locking and unlocking positions. The mechanism is also provided with a lid abnormality detecting sensor, a lid attaching/detaching mechanism closing sensor, a lid attaching/detaching mechanism opening sensor, a pressure sensor and a control part.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2017Date of Patent: September 24, 2019Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Akihiro Matsumoto, Michiaki Matsushita, Satoru Shinto, Kazunori Kuratomi
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Publication number: 20170178941Abstract: A substrate accommodating and processing apparatus is provided with a cassette mounting table, a processing part, a substrate transfer mechanism, a partition wall, a cassette stage, and a lid attaching/detaching mechanism. The lid attaching/detaching mechanism is provided with a key configured to be engaged with a key hole installed in the lid, and configured to switch a latch between locking and unlocking positions. The mechanism is also provided with a lid abnormality detecting sensor, a lid attaching/detaching mechanism closing sensor, a lid attaching/detaching mechanism opening sensor, a pressure sensor and a control part.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2017Publication date: June 22, 2017Inventors: Akihiro MATSUMOTO, Michiaki MATSUSHITA, Satoru SHINTO, Kazunori KURATOMI
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Patent number: 9627237Abstract: A substrate accommodating and processing apparatus is provided with a cassette mounting table, a processing part, a substrate transfer mechanism, a partition wall, a cassette stage, and a lid attaching/detaching mechanism. The lid attaching/detaching mechanism is provided with a key configured to be engaged with a key hole installed in the lid, and configured to switch a latch between locking and unlocking positions. The mechanism is also provided with a lid abnormality detecting sensor, a lid attaching/detaching mechanism closing sensor, a lid attaching/detaching mechanism opening sensor, a pressure sensor and a control part.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2014Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Akihiro Matsumoto, Michiaki Matsushita, Satoru Shinto, Kazunori Kuratomi
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Publication number: 20140199140Abstract: A substrate accommodating and processing apparatus is provided with a cassette mounting table, a processing part, a substrate transfer mechanism, a partition wall, a cassette stage, and a lid attaching/detaching mechanism. The lid attaching/detaching mechanism is provided with a key configured to be engaged with a key hole installed in the lid, and configured to switch a latch between locking and unlocking positions. The mechanism is also provided with a lid abnormality detecting sensor, a lid attaching/detaching mechanism closing sensor, a lid attaching/detaching mechanism opening sensor, a pressure sensor and a control part.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2014Publication date: July 17, 2014Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Akihiro MATSUMOTO, Michiaki MATSUSHITA, Satoru SHINTO, Kazunori KURATOMI
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Patent number: 8528889Abstract: A substrate support device including a support member having a lower-surface support section to support a lower surface of a substrate; and a position restriction section provided on the lower-surface support section, the position restriction section being formed to surround a periphery of the substrate supported on the lower-surface support section and restrict a position of the substrate. At least one of the lower-surface support section and the position restriction section includes a base material and a protective film formed to cover the base material and prevent at least one of wear and chemical erosion to which the base material will be subject. The substrate support device further includes, for example, a base that supports the support member, and a driving structure that moves the support member in a relative fashion with respect to the base, and is constructed as a substrate transport device.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2010Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Seiji Nakano, Michiaki Matsushita, Naruaki Iida, Suguru Enokida, Katsuhiro Morikawa
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Patent number: 8206076Abstract: A cassette waiting block is connected to a transfer in/out block of a coating and developing treatment system, and in the cassette waiting block, a cassette transfer in/out unit, a cassette waiting unit, a cassette delivery unit, and a substrate processing unit are provided. In the cassette waiting block, a cassette transfer unit for transferring the cassette between the cassette transfer in/out unit, the cassette waiting unit, and the cassette deliver unit, and a transfer unit for transferring the substrate between the cassette in the cassette waiting unit and the substrate processing unit are provided. Each cassette waiting unit has an opening mechanism for opening a port of the cassette.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2008Date of Patent: June 26, 2012Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Issei Ueda, Yasushi Hayashida, Akira Miyata, Kensei Yamamoto, Yuichi Yamamoto, Michiaki Matsushita
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Publication number: 20100243168Abstract: A substrate support device including a support member having a lower-surface support section to support a lower surface of a substrate; and a position restriction section provided on the lower-surface support section, the position restriction section being formed to surround a periphery of the substrate supported on the lower-surface support section and restrict a position of the substrate. At least one of the lower-surface support section and the position restriction section includes a base material and a protective film formed to cover the base material and prevent at least one of wear and chemical erosion to which the base material will be subject. The substrate support device further includes, for example, a base that supports the support member, and a driving structure that moves the support member in a relative fashion with respect to the base, and is constructed as a substrate transport device.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2010Publication date: September 30, 2010Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Seiji Nakano, Michiaki Matsushita, Naruaki Iida, Suguru Enokida, Katsuhiro Morikawa
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Publication number: 20090003825Abstract: A cassette waiting block is connected to a transfer in/out block of a coating and developing treatment system, and in the cassette waiting block, a cassette transfer in/out unit, a cassette waiting unit, a cassette delivery unit, and a substrate processing unit are provided. In the cassette waiting block, a cassette transfer unit for transferring the cassette between the cassette transfer in/out unit, the cassette waiting unit, and the cassette deliver unit, and a transfer unit for transferring the substrate between the cassette in the cassette waiting unit and the substrate processing unit are provided. Each cassette waiting unit has an opening mechanism for opening a port of the cassette.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 11, 2008Publication date: January 1, 2009Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Issei Ueda, Yasushi Hayashida, Akira Miyata, Kensei Yamamoto, Yuichi Yamamoto, Michiaki Matsushita
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Patent number: 6874515Abstract: A substrate dual-side processing apparatus has a processor to apply a specific process to a front surface and a rear surface of a substrate, a reversing unit to reverse the substrate and a substrate-transfer mechanism to transfer the substrate between the processor and the reversing unit. The reversing unit has a holder for holding the substrate when the substrate is being transferred to and from the substrate-transfer mechanism and a rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate, thus the substrate being reversed while held by the holders. The reversing unit may have a pair of holders for holding the substrate at the front and rear surfaces, a drive mechanism for driving the pair of holders so that the holders become close to or apart from each other and a rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate, thus the substrate being reversed while held by the holders.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2002Date of Patent: April 5, 2005Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Akira Ishihara, Michiaki Matsushita, Yukihiko Sakata
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Publication number: 20050042555Abstract: A coating and developing apparatus has an interface section equipped with a temperature adjuster (a cooling unit). A temperature-raised substrate due to exposure on periphery of the substrate outside a circuit-forming area thereon is adjusted to a predetermined temperature by the temperature adjuster and then transferred to an exposing apparatus. The temperature adjustments before exposure provide almost the same temperature over many substrates to be transferred to the exposing apparatus for less thermal effects to exposing processing, thus achieving high yields. The interface section is further provided with first and second transfer mechanisms, the first serving to transfer substrates between the processor and the exposing apparatus and the second serving to transfer substrates to each unit of a shelf section, for high transfer performance, thus achieving high throughput.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2004Publication date: February 24, 2005Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Michiaki Matsushita, Masataka Matsunaga, Seiji Kozawa
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Patent number: 6814809Abstract: A coating and developing apparatus has an interface section equipped with a temperature adjuster (a cooling unit). A temperature-raised substrate due to exposure on periphery of the substrate outside a circuit-forming area thereon is adjusted to a predetermined temperature by the temperature adjuster and then transferred to an exposing apparatus. The temperature adjustments before exposure provide almost the same temperature over many substrates to be transferred to the exposing apparatus for less thermal effects to exposing processing, thus achieving high yields. The interface section is further provided with first and second transfer mechanisms, the first serving to transfer substrates between the processor and the exposing apparatus and the second serving to transfer substrates to each unit of a shelf section, for high transfer performance, thus achieving high throughput.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2001Date of Patent: November 9, 2004Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Michiaki Matsushita, Masataka Matsunaga, Seiji Kozawa
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Publication number: 20020157692Abstract: A substrate dual-side processing apparatus has a processor to apply a specific process to a front surface and a rear surface of a substrate, a reversing unit to reverse the substrate and a substrate-transfer mechanism to transfer the substrate between the processor and the reversing unit. The reversing unit has a holder for holding the substrate when the substrate is being transferred to and from the substrate-transfer mechanism and a rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate, thus the substrate being reversed while held by the holders. The reversing unit may have a pair of holders for holding the substrate at the front and rear surfaces, a drive mechanism for driving the pair of holders so that the holders become close to or apart from each other and a rotating mechanism for rotating the substrate, thus the substrate being reversed while held by the holders.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2002Publication date: October 31, 2002Inventors: Akira Ishihara, Michiaki Matsushita, Yukihiko Sakata
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Publication number: 20020076658Abstract: A coating and developing apparatus has an interface section equipped with a temperature adjuster (a cooling unit). A temperature-raised substrate due to exposure on periphery of the substrate outside a circuit-forming area thereon is adjusted to a predetermined temperature by the temperature adjuster and then transferred to an exposing apparatus. The temperature adjustments before exposure provide almost the same temperature over many substrates to be transferred to the exposing apparatus for less thermal effects to exposing processing, thus achieving high yields. The interface section is further provided with first and second transfer mechanisms, the first serving to transfer substrates between the processor and the exposing apparatus and the second serving to transfer substrates to each unit of a shelf section, for high transfer performance, thus achieving high throughput.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2001Publication date: June 20, 2002Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Michiaki Matsushita, Masataka Matsunaga, Seiji Kozawa
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Publication number: 20010055522Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus is composed of: a mounting table for mounting thereon a cassette including a lid detachably attached on an opening for carrying in/out a wafer; a cassette station for processing the wafer housed in the cassette on the mounting table; a sub-arm mechanism for taking the wafer out of the cassette on the mounting table, transferring it to the cassette station, and returning the wafer after processing to the cassette on the mounting table; a partition plate for partitioning an atmosphere on the sub-arm mechanism side from an atmosphere on the mounting table side; a slide stage for moving the cassette in a direction of an opening of the partition plate on the mounting table; a lid removing mechanism for removing the lid from the opening of the cassette through the opening of the partition plate; and an X-axis cylinder for controlling a thrust of the slide stage.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2001Publication date: December 27, 2001Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Masatoshi Kaneda, Michiaki Matsushita
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Patent number: 6319322Abstract: Temperature regulation is performed at a buffer cassette in which a wafer is temporarily housed before and after being delivered to/from an aligner, or at an inlet-side delivery stage of a portion for delivering a wafer to the aligner, in reference with a state of temperature regulation of the wafer in the aligner, so that the temperature of the wafer can be more accurately regulated on a temperature regulating plate in the aligner in a shorter time. Therefore, circuit patterns can be accurately transferred, and throughput can be improved by speeding up the processing.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 1999Date of Patent: November 20, 2001Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Issei Ueda, Michiaki Matsushita, Kazuhiko Ito, Tadayuki Yamaguchi
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Patent number: 5964954Abstract: There is provided a double-sided substrate cleaning apparatus including a carrier station for loading/unloading a carrier in which objects to be processed are stored, a convey mechanism for conveying an object taken out from the carrier station, at least one cleaning mechanism, arranged along a convey path on which the convey mechanism conveys the object, for cleaning the object, and an object reversing mechanism, arranged along the convey path, for reversing the object.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 1997Date of Patent: October 12, 1999Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo Electron Kyushu LimitedInventors: Hiroyuki Matsukawa, Akira Yonemizu, Michiaki Matsushita, Akihiro Fujimoto, Takashi Takekuma, Hidetami Yaegashi, Takahide Fukuda
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Patent number: 5686143Abstract: There is provided a double-sided substrate cleaning apparatus including a carrier station for loading/unloading a carrier in which objects to be processed are stored, a convey mechanism for conveying an object taken out from the carrier station, at least one cleaning mechanism, arranged along a convey path on which the convey mechanism conveys the object, for cleaning the object, and an object reversing mechanism, arranged along the convey path, for reversing the object.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 1996Date of Patent: November 11, 1997Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo Electron Kyushu LimitedInventors: Hiroyuki Matsukawa, Akira Yonemizu, Michiaki Matsushita, Akihiro Fujimoto, Takashi Takekuma, Hidetami Yaegashi, Takahide Fukuda