Patents by Inventor Mitsuhiro Ohkuni
Mitsuhiro Ohkuni 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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Publication number: 20090159209Abstract: The plasma etching method first forms a coating film on the inner surface of the chamber. Next, an etching process is performed on a wafer under a condition in which the coating film is formed, and thereafter a reaction product adhered onto the coating film in the etching process is removed together with the coating film. Each of these processes is implemented at a frequency in which the condition of the chamber inner surface is nearly always the same at the time of initiating the etching process.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2009Publication date: June 25, 2009Inventors: Mitsuhiro OHKUNI, Keiichi Matsunaga
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Patent number: 7494827Abstract: The plasma etching method first forms a coating film on the inner surface of the chamber. Next, an etching process is performed on a wafer under a condition in which the coating film is formed, and thereafter a reaction product adhered onto the coating film in the etching process is removed together with the coating film. Each of these processes is implemented at a frequency in which the condition of the chamber inner surface is nearly always the same at the time of initiating the etching process.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2006Date of Patent: February 24, 2009Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventors: Mitsuhiro Ohkuni, Keiichi Matsunaga
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Patent number: 7268083Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus includes: a chamber capable of reducing pressure; a substrate support provided inside the chamber to place a substrate; a first electrode which is arranged outside and in proximity to the chamber and to which high frequency power is applied to generate plasma of an etching gas in the chamber; and a second electrode comprising a plurality of separated electrodes which are arranged between the chamber and the first electrode and to each of which high frequency power is applied independently.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2004Date of Patent: September 11, 2007Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventor: Mitsuhiro Ohkuni
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Publication number: 20070074815Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus includes: a chamber capable of reducing pressure; a substrate support provided inside the chamber to place a substrate; a first electrode which is arranged outside and in proximity to the chamber and to which high frequency power is applied to generate plasma of an etching gas in the chamber; and a second electrode comprising a plurality of separated electrodes which are arranged between the chamber and the first electrode and to each of which high frequency power is applied independently.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2006Publication date: April 5, 2007Applicant: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventor: Mitsuhiro Ohkuni
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Publication number: 20070004208Abstract: The plasma processing apparatus is provided with a chamber comprising a dielectric wall at the position opposing an object to be processed. A flat coil arranged exterior of the dielectric wall creates an induction magnetic field for generating the plasma. A plate-shaped electrode capable of functioning as a Faraday shield is arranged between the flat coil and the dielectric wall. And the apparatus provide with a heating unit configured to heat the periphery of the dielectric wall. The apparatus can prevent reaction products from adhering to the periphery of a dielectric wall by increasing the periphery temperature of the dielectric wall during an etching process, and suppressing the generation of particles.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2006Publication date: January 4, 2007Inventor: Mitsuhiro Ohkuni
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Publication number: 20060286806Abstract: The plasma etching method first forms a coating film on the inner surface of the chamber. Next, an etching process is performed on a wafer under a condition in which the coating film is formed, and thereafter a reaction product adhered onto the coating film in the etching process is removed together with the coating film. Each of these processes is implemented at a frequency in which the condition of the chamber inner surface is nearly always the same at the time of initiating the etching process.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2006Publication date: December 21, 2006Inventors: Mitsuhiro Ohkuni, Keiichi Matsunaga
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Publication number: 20050199343Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus includes: a chamber capable of reducing pressure; a substrate support provided inside the chamber to place a substrate; a first electrode which is arranged outside and in proximity to the chamber and to which high frequency power is applied to generate plasma of an etching gas in the chamber; and a second electrode comprising a plurality of separated electrodes which are arranged between the chamber and the first electrode and to each of which high frequency power is applied independently.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2004Publication date: September 15, 2005Inventor: Mitsuhiro Ohkuni
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Patent number: 6582551Abstract: In a chamber, there are provided a sample stage on which a semiconductor substrate is placed, a gas inlet port for introducing etching gas, and a gas outlet port for exhausting the gas. A slide valve having a valve element which rotates relative to a valve seat is provided between the sample stage and the gas outlet port to adjust the amount of gas exhausted from the gas outlet port with the rotation of the valve element. A spiral coil for generating a high-frequency induction field and thereby changing the etching gas into a plasma is rotatably provided over the chamber. A rotation shift rotates the spiral coil in response to the rotation of the valve element of the slide valve such that the higher-voltage region of the spiral coil approximately coincides with the exhaust-side region of the slide valve.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2002Date of Patent: June 24, 2003Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventor: Mitsuhiro Ohkuni
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Publication number: 20020134509Abstract: In a chamber, there are provided a sample stage on which a semiconductor substrate is placed, a gas inlet port for introducing etching gas, and a gas outlet port for exhausting the gas. A slide valve having a valve element which rotates relative to a valve seat is provided between the sample stage and the gas outlet port to adjust the amount of gas exhausted from the gas outlet port with the rotation of the valve element. A spiral coil for generating a high-frequency induction field and thereby changing the etching gas into a plasma is rotatably provided over the chamber. Rotative driving means rotates the spiral coil in response to the rotation of the valve element of the slide valve such that the higher-voltage region of the spiral coil approximately coincides with the exhaust-side region of the slide valve.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 8, 2002Publication date: September 26, 2002Applicant: Matsushita Electronics CorporationInventor: Mitsuhiro Ohkuni
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Patent number: 6409877Abstract: An apparatus for plasma etching comprises a chamber, a gas inlet port provided in the chamber to introduce etching gas into the chamber, a gas outlet port provided in a side portion of the chamber to exhaust the gas from said chamber, a sample stage provided within the chamber, and a spiral coil disposed externally of the chamber and in opposing relation with the sample stage to generate a plasma composed of the etching gas with a high-frequency induction field. The higher-voltage region of the spiral coil and the exhaust-side region of the sample stage are positioned on substantially the same side relative to the center axis of the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2001Date of Patent: June 25, 2002Assignee: Matsushita Electronics CorporationInventor: Mitsuhiro Ohkuni
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Publication number: 20020033231Abstract: An apparatus for plasma etching comprises a chamber, a gas inlet port provided in the chamber to introduce etching gas into the chamber, a gas outlet port provided in a side portion of the chamber to exhaust the gas from said chamber, a sample stage provided within the chamber, and a spiral coil disposed externally of the chamber and in opposing relation with the sample stage to generate a plasma composed of the etching gas with a high-frequency induction field. The higher-voltage region of the spiral coil and the exhaust-side region of the sample stage are positioned on substantially the same side relative to the center axis of the chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2001Publication date: March 21, 2002Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRONICS CORPORATIONInventor: Mitsuhiro Ohkuni
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Patent number: 6355183Abstract: In a chamber, there are provided a sample stage on which a semiconductor substrate is placed, a gas inlet port for introducing etching gas, and a gas outlet port for exhausting the gas. A slide valve having a valve element which rotates relative to a valve seat is provided between the sample stage and the gas outlet port to adjust the amount of gas exhausted from the gas outlet port with the rotation of the valve element. A spiral coil for generating a high-frequency induction field and thereby changing the etching gas into a plasma is rotatably provided over the chamber. Rotative driving means rotates the spiral coil in response to the rotation of the valve element of the slide valve such that the higher-voltage region of the spiral coil approximately coincides with the exhaust-side region of the slide valve.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 1999Date of Patent: March 12, 2002Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventor: Mitsuhiro Ohkuni
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Patent number: 6274502Abstract: An apparatus for plasma etching comprises a chamber, a gas inlet port provided in the chamber to introduce etching gas into the chamber, a gas outlet port provided in a side portion of the chamber to exhaust the gas from said chamber, a sample stage provided within the chamber, and a spiral coil disposed externally of the chamber and in opposing relation with the sample stage to generate a plasma composed of the etching gas with a high-frequency induction field. The higher-voltage region of the spiral coil and the exhaust-side region of the sample stage are positioned on substantially the same side relative to the center axis of the chamber.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 1998Date of Patent: August 14, 2001Assignee: Matsushita Electronics CorporationInventor: Mitsuhiro Ohkuni
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Patent number: 6210593Abstract: In etching a target film to be etched antecedently, an etching rate is measured at each of the peripheral and central portions of the target film. If the etching rate is higher at the peripheral portion of the target film to be etched antecedently than at the central portion thereof, a focus ring positioned around a wafer is moved upward in etching a target film to be etched subsequently, so that the quantity of radicals arriving at the peripheral portion of the target film to be etched subsequently is decreased. If the etching rate is lower at the peripheral portion of the target film to be etched antecedently than at the central portion thereof, the focus ring is moved downward in etching the target film to be etched subsequently, so that the quantity of radicals arriving at the peripheral portion of the target film to be etched subsequently is increased.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 1998Date of Patent: April 3, 2001Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Mitsuhiro Ohkuni, Masafumi Kubota
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Patent number: 6187688Abstract: After an organic bottom anti-reflective coating (12) is deposited on an underlying film (11), a resist pattern (15) is formed on the organic bottom anti-reflective coating (12). Dry etching is performed with respect to the organic bottom anti-reflective coating (12) masked with the resist pattern (15) to form an anti-reflective coating pattern. The dry-etching of the organic bottom anti-reflective coating (12) is performed by using etching gas containing gas having the S component such as SO2/O2-based etching gas or COS/O2-based etching gas.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 1998Date of Patent: February 13, 2001Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Mitsuhiro Ohkuni, Shunsuke Kugo, Tomoyuki Sasaki, Kenji Tateiwa, Hideo Nikoh
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Patent number: 5424905Abstract: Three electrodes are disposed at lateral sides of a plasma generating chamber of an etching apparatus serving as a plasma generating apparatus. A sample stage is disposed at a lower part of the plasma generating chamber, and an opposite electrode is disposed at an upper part thereof. High frequency electric power having a first frequency is supplied to the sample stage and the opposite electrode. Respectively supplied to the three electrodes 4, 5, 6 are high frequency electric powers which are oscillated by a three-phase magnetron, which have a second frequency different from the first frequency and of which respective phases are successively different by about 120.degree. from one another, thus forming a rotational electric field in the plasma generating chamber.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 1993Date of Patent: June 13, 1995Assignee: Matsushita Electric Company, Ltd.Inventors: Noboru Nomura, Kenji Harafuji, Masafumi Kubota, Tokuhiko Tamaki, Mitsuhiro Ohkuni, Ichiro Nakayama
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Patent number: 5404079Abstract: On the inner surface of a chamber are circumferentially disposed three lateral electrodes at regular intervals. To the lateral electrodes are applied three high-frequency electric powers of 50 MHz, each differing in phase by approximately 120.degree.. On the bottom of the chamber is placed a sample stage serving as a second electrode, around which is provided a ring-shaped earth electrode. To the sample stage is applied high-frequency electric power of 13.56 MHz. The distance between each of the three lateral electrodes and the earth electrode is longer than the distance between the sample stage and the earth electrode.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 1993Date of Patent: April 4, 1995Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Mitsuhiro Ohkuni, Masafumi Kubota, Noboru Nomura, Ichiro Nakayama, Tokuhiko Tamaki
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Patent number: 5345145Abstract: A plasma generating method comprises: a first step of disposing a plurality of lateral electrodes at lateral sides of a plasma generating part in a vacuum chamber; a second step of respectively applying, to the lateral electrodes, high frequency electric powers of which frequencies are the same as one another and of which phases are different from one another, thereby to excite, in the plasma generating part, a high frequency rotating electric field to cause electrons under translational motions in the plasma generating part to present oscillating or rotating motions; and a third step of applying, to the plasma generating part, a magnetic field substantially at a right angle to the working plane of the high frequency rotating electric field, thereby to convert the translational movement of the electrons in the plasma generating part into revolving motions under oscillating or rotating motions by which the electrons revolve in the plasma generating part.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 1993Date of Patent: September 6, 1994Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kenji Harafuji, Mitsuhiro Ohkuni, Tokuhiko Tamaki, Masafumi Kubota, Noboru Nomura
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Patent number: 5332880Abstract: At lateral sides of a plasma generating part under a vacuum, first to fourth lateral electrodes are so disposed as to surround the plasma generating part. High frequency electric power is supplied to the first lateral electrode from a first high frequency power supply, high frequency electric power is supplied to the second lateral electrode from the first high frequency power supply through a first delay circuit, high frequency electric power is supplied to the third lateral electrode from the first high frequency power supply through the first delay circuit and through a second delay circuit, and high frequency electric power is supplied to the fourth lateral electrode from the first high frequency power supply through the first and second delay circuits and through a third delay circuit.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 1993Date of Patent: July 26, 1994Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masafumi Kubota, Kenji Harafuji, Tokuhiko Tamaki, Mitsuhiro Ohkuni, Noboru Nomura, Ichiro Nakayama