Patents by Inventor Mitsuhiro Sakai
Mitsuhiro Sakai 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: 6770149Abstract: A method for a cleaning treatment including a step of forming, in a coating mechanism, a coating film on a substrate provided within a cup. The method further includes dissolving, in an edge cleaning mechanism, a portion of the coating film on the substrate using a cleaning liquid, and recovering at least a portion of used cleaning liquid from the edge cleaning mechanism. The recovered cleaning liquid is stored and a level of the stored cleaning liquid is detected. The method also includes supplementing a fresh cleaning liquid to the stored cleaning liquid when a detected level of the stored cleaning liquid is lower than a predetermined level, and using a mixture of the supplemented fresh cleaning liquid and the stored cleaning liquid to clean the cup of the coating mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2002Date of Patent: August 3, 2004Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Fumio Satou, Mitsuhiro Sakai, Takeshi Tsukamoto, Yoichi Honda, Kiyomitsu Yamaguchi
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Publication number: 20020162574Abstract: An apparatus for a treatment is provided, the apparatus comprising a vessel for recovering a treatment liquid flowing out or flying out when the object is treated, cleaning means for cleaning an inner wall surface of the vessel by supplying a cleaning liquid into the vessel, and a circulation system for recovering a discharged liquid discharged from the vessel when the inner wall surface of the vessel is cleaned by the cleaning means and supplying the recovered liquid to the cleaning means.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2002Publication date: November 7, 2002Inventors: Fumio Satou, Mitsuhiro Sakai, Takeshi Tsukamoto, Yoichi Honda, Kiyomitsu Yamaguchi
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Patent number: 6458208Abstract: A film forming apparatus comprising: a spin chuck; a cup; a lid; a first circular/tubular nozzle for supplying a resist solution to a first portion corresponding to the rotation center portion of a rectangular substrate; a plurality of second circular/tubular nozzles that supply the resist solution to a plurality of second portions of the rectangular substrate to which supply of the resist solution by centrifugal force is difficult, the distances between the rotation center portion and each of the second portions being greater than a half of a shorter side of the rectangular substrate; a rectangular nozzle holder that holds the first nozzle and the second nozzles; a mechanism that positions the nozzle holder; a controller that controls an amount of the resist solution from the first and second nozzles, attaches the lid to the cup, and rotates the substrate with the spin chuck; a resist solution tank; a supply tube provided between the resist solution tank and the first and second nozzles; a bellows pump for sType: GrantFiled: August 23, 2000Date of Patent: October 1, 2002Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Noriyuki Anai, Tsutae Omori, Masaaki Takizawa, Mitsuhiro Sakai
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Patent number: 6447608Abstract: A coating process comprises the steps of (a) holding a-substrate using a spin chuck surrounded by inner and outer cups, such that the substrate can rotate, (b) rotating the substrate by rotating the spin chuck, and applying a coating liquid onto the substrate, thereby forming a coating on the substrate, (c) discharging, from the inner and outer cups, that part of the coating liquid which is scattered from the substrate while the substrate is rotated, (d) exhausting the inner and outer cups through a plurality of exhaust ports formed in outer peripheral portions of the outer cup, and (e) reducing, from a peripheral region of the substrate, the mist of the coating liquid which has occurred during the step (b), before the substrate stops rotation.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2000Date of Patent: September 10, 2002Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Mitsuhiro Sakai, Hideyuki Takamori, Masafumi Nomura
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Patent number: 6443641Abstract: Just after resist solution is coated on a substrate, it is dried substantially in a non-heating state. In reality, inertia gas or the like is blown from a shower head to the substrate. Thus, the resist solution coated on the substrate is dried. Consequently, transfer marks that cause the film thickness of resist film to be unequal and the line width of a circuit pattern to fluctuate can be prevented.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2001Date of Patent: September 3, 2002Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hideyuki Takamori, Kiyohisa Tateyama, Kengo Mizosaki, Noriyuki Anai, Mitsuhiro Sakai, Shinobu Tanaka, Yoichi Honda, Yuji Shimomura
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Patent number: 6398879Abstract: An apparatus for a treatment is provided, the apparatus comprising a vessel for recovering a treatment liquid flowing out or flying out when the object is treated, cleaning means for cleaning an inner wall surface of the vessel by supplying a cleaning liquid into the vessel, and a circulation system for recovering a discharged liquid discharged from the vessel when the inner wall surface of the vessel is cleaned by the cleaning means and supplying the recovered liquid to the cleaning means.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2000Date of Patent: June 4, 2002Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Fumio Satou, Mitsuhiro Sakai, Takeshi Tsukamoto, Yoichi Honda, Kiyomitsu Yamaguchi, Kimio Motoda, Yoshitaka Matsuda
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Patent number: 6391110Abstract: An apparatus for a treatment is provided, the apparatus comprising a vessel for recovering a treatment liquid flowing out or flying out when the object is treated, cleaning means for cleaning an inner wall surface of the vessel by supplying a cleaning liquid into the vessel, and a circulation system for recovering a discharged liquid discharged from the vessel when the inner wall surface of the vessel is cleaned by the cleaning means and supplying the recovered liquid to the cleaning means.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2000Date of Patent: May 21, 2002Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Fumio Satou, Mitsuhiro Sakai, Takeshi Tsukamoto, Yoichi Honda, Kiyomitsu Yamaguchi, Tetsuya Sada, Kiyohisa Tateyama
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Publication number: 20010031147Abstract: Just after resist solution is coated on a substrate, it is dried substantially in a non-heating state. In reality, inertia gas or the like is blown from a shower head to the substrate. Thus, the resist solution coated on the substrate is dried. Consequently, transfer marks that cause the film thickness of resist film to be unequal and the line width of a circuit pattern to fluctuate can be prevented.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2001Publication date: October 18, 2001Inventors: Hideyuki Takamori, Kiyohisa Tateyama, Kengo Mizosaki, Noriyuki Anai, Mitsuhiro Sakai, Shinobu Tanaka, Yoichi Honda, Yuji Shimomura
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Publication number: 20010026691Abstract: Just after resist solution is coated on a substrate, it is dried substantially in a non-heating state. In reality, inertia gas or the like is blown from a shower head to the substrate. Thus, the resist solution coated on the substrate is dried. Consequently, transfer marks that cause the film thickness of resist film to be unequal and the line width of a circuit pattern to fluctuate can be prevented.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2001Publication date: October 4, 2001Inventors: Hideyuki Takamori, Kiyohisa Tateyama, Kengo Mizosaki, Noriyuki Anai, Mitsuhiro Sakai, Shinobu Tanaka, Yoichi Honda, Yuji Shimomura
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Patent number: 6261007Abstract: Just after resist solution is coated on a substrate, it is dried substantially in a non-heating state. In reality, inertia gas or the like is blown from a shower head to the substrate. Thus, the resist solution coated on the substrate is dried. Consequently, transfer marks that cause the film thickness of resist film to be unequal and the line width of a circuit pattern to fluctuate can be prevented.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 1999Date of Patent: July 17, 2001Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hideyuki Takamori, Kiyohisa Tateyama, Kengo Mizosaki, Noriyuki Anai, Mitsuhiro Sakai, Shinobu Tanaka, Yoichi Honda, Yuji Shimomura
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Patent number: 6238511Abstract: A method of processing a substrate for removing a coating film from a substrate by dissolving the coating film with a solvent, comprising the steps of (a) supplying a solvent independently to each of peripheral portions of an upper surface side and a lower surface side of the substrate, and (b) supplying the solvent to the peripheral portion of the lower surface side of the substrate in an amount lower than the solvent supplied to the peripheral portion of the lower surface side in the step (a) or lower than that supplied to the peripheral portion of the upper surface side in this step (b), or terminating a supply of the solvent.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 1998Date of Patent: May 29, 2001Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Tetsuya Sada, Tetsu Kawasaki, Mitsuhiro Sakai, Takeshi Tsukamoto
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Patent number: 6203218Abstract: When an edge processing head is scanned in one direction, the discharge of a rinse solution from a rinse solution discharge nozzle at the front in a carrying direction is stopped, a developing solution is discharged from a developing solution discharge nozzle, and a rinse solution is discharged from a rinse solution discharge nozzle at the rear in the carrying direction. Specifically, with a developing solution being discharged to a glass substrate, the discharge of a rinse solution immediately follows the discharge of the developing solution. Thus, the edge processing of the substrate can be performed with minimal increases in the number of processes and in installation.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 1999Date of Patent: March 20, 2001Assignee: Tokyo Electron Ltd.Inventors: Tsutae Omori, Mitsuhiro Sakai, Shinobu Tanaka
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Patent number: 6168665Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprising a substrate mounting table, a cup having an upper opening and surrounding the substrate mounting table, a lid for opening/closing the upper opening of the cup, a support arm for supporting the lid, a first lifting mechanism having a first piston for supporting the support arm directly or indirectly and a first cylinder for guiding the first piston in an up-and-down motion, a second lifting mechanism having a second piston for supporting the support arm directly or indirectly and a second cylinder for guiding the second piston in up-and -down motion, a driving circuit for supplying the pressurized fluid to the first and second cylinders, independently and exhausting the pressurized fluid from the first and second cylinders, independently, and a control mechanism for controlling operations of the driving circuit.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 1998Date of Patent: January 2, 2001Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Mitsuhiro Sakai, Kiyohisa Tateyama, Kimio Motoda
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Patent number: 6165552Abstract: A film-forming method comprises the steps of: (a) holding a rectangular substrate by a spin chuck provided in a cup; (b) positioning a solvent supply nozzle above the rectangular substrate and supplying a solvent to the rectangular substrate, the solvent supply nozzle having a liquid discharge port which has a length at least corresponding to that of a peripheral portion of the rectangular substrate; (c) positioning a process liquid supply nozzle above the rectangular substrate and supplying a process liquid to a portion at a rotation center portion of the rectangular substrate, thereby to form a film; (d) rotating the rectangular substrate in the cup to adjust a film thickness of the film; and (e) thereafter positioning the solvent supply nozzle above one peripheral portion of the rectangular substrate and supplying the solvent to the one peripheral portion of the rectangular substrate, whereby the film is removed from the one peripheral portion of the rectangular substrate, the substrate being subsequentlyType: GrantFiled: August 18, 1998Date of Patent: December 26, 2000Assignee: Tokyo Electron Ltd.Inventors: Noriyuki Anai, Tsutae Omori, Masaaki Takizawa, Mitsuhiro Sakai
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Patent number: 6159541Abstract: A coating process comprises the steps of (a) holding a substrate using a spin chuck surrounded by inner and outer cups, such that the substrate can rotate, (b) rotating the substrate by rotating the spin chuck, and applying a coating liquid onto the substrate, thereby forming a coating on the substrate, (c) discharging, from the inner and outer cups, that part of the coating liquid which is scattered from the substrate while the substrate is rotated, (d) exhausting the inner and outer cups through a plurality of exhaust ports formed in outer peripheral portions of the outer cup, and (e) reducing, from a peripheral region of the substrate, the mist of the coating liquid which has occurred during the step (b), before the substrate stops rotation.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 1998Date of Patent: December 12, 2000Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Mitsuhiro Sakai, Hideyuki Takamori, Masafumi Nomura
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Patent number: 6159288Abstract: An apparatus for a treatment is provided, the apparatus comprising a vessel for recovering a treatment liquid flowing out or flying out when the object is treated, cleaning means for cleaning an inner wall surface of the vessel by supplying a cleaning liquid into the vessel, and a circulation system for recovering a discharged liquid discharged from the vessel when the inner wall surface of the vessel is cleaned by the cleaning means and supplying the recovered liquid to the cleaning means.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 1997Date of Patent: December 12, 2000Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Fumio Satou, Mitsuhiro Sakai, Takeshi Tsukamoto, Yoichi Honda, Kiyomitsu Yamaguchi, Kimio Motoda, Yoshitaka Matsuda, Tetsuya Sada, Kiyohisa Tateyama
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Patent number: 6090205Abstract: A method of processing a substrate having the steps of placing a substrate for forming an LCD on a support, mounting a cover on the substrate in such a manner that a clearance is formed from at least either surface of the substrate placed on the support, introducing developer or pure water into the clearance, bringing the developer or pure water into contact with at least either surface of the substrate, processing the substrate with the developer or pure water, removing the cover from the substrate, and discharging the substrate from the support.Type: GrantFiled: September 14, 1998Date of Patent: July 18, 2000Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Mitsuhiro Sakai, Kiyohisa Tateyama
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Patent number: 6062240Abstract: A treatment device comprising a holding method for holding a substrate such as an LCD substrate; and a treatment solution supply method for supplying a treatment solution on a surface of the substrate wherein the holding method has a substrate-placing portion on which the substrate is disposed, the substrate-placing is made of a synthetic resinous material. Since the holding method has a substrate-placing portion which is made of a synthetic resinous material, the electric charge amount of the substrate can be reduced to prevent various static electricity caused troubles such as the electrostatic destruction of the device formed on the substrate. Further, a discharge noise trouble due to discharge phenomenon from the substrate to a transporting method can be prevented. Further, it is possible to reduce the electric charge amount of the holding method and destaticize the holding method by supplying a destaticizing fluid such as ionized pure water or ionized gas towards above or below the holding method.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 1998Date of Patent: May 16, 2000Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Tetsuya Sada, Norio Uchihira, Mitsuhiro Sakai, Kiyomitsu Yamaguchi
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Patent number: 5945161Abstract: Disclosed is a processing apparatus comprising holding means, support means, process solution supply means, life means, and rotating means. A substrate to be processed is rotatably held by the holding means. An overhanging portion of the substrate extending over an edge of the holding means is supported by the support means to maintain a front surface of the substrate horizontally flat. A process solution is supplied from the process solution supply means onto the front surface of the substrate held by the holding means and supported by the support means. The substrate held by the holding means is vertically moved by the lift means relative to the support means. Further, the substrate moved upward relative to the support means is rotated by the rotating means.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 1997Date of Patent: August 31, 1999Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hiroshi Hashimoto, Kiyohisa Tateyama, Kiyomitsu Yamaguchi, Yoshitaka Matsuda, Norio Uchihira, Mitsuhiro Sakai, Fumio Satou
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Patent number: 5853961Abstract: A method of processing a substrate having the steps of placing a substrate for forming an LCD on a support, mounting a cover on the substrate in such a manner that a clearance is formed from at least either surface of the substrate placed on the support, introducing developer or pure water into the clearance, bringing the developer or pure water into contact with at least either surface of the substrate, processing the substrate with the developer or pure water, removing the cover from the substrate, and discharging the substrate from the support.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 1996Date of Patent: December 29, 1998Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Mitsuhiro Sakai, Kiyohisa Tateyama