Patents by Inventor Naofumi Kishita

Naofumi Kishita 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).

  • Patent number: 10643872
    Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid processing apparatus including: a plurality of substrate placement regions; a nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate from each processing position; a nozzle placement region provided behind a row of the substrate placement regions; an arm that detachably holds the nozzle at one end side; a driving unit that horizontally pivots the arm around a pivot axis; and a controller that outputs a control signal to convey the nozzle from the nozzle placement region to a standby position corresponding to a processing position of a conveyance destination, cause the nozzle to stand by at the standby position, and then, convey the nozzle to the processing position. The standby position is outside the substrate placement regions and is located between the processing position and the nozzle placement region when viewed in a front-and-rear direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masahiro Abe, Hiroichi Inada, Tohru Azuma, Tsunenaga Nakashima, Naofumi Kishita, Hideki Kajiwara
  • Patent number: 9899244
    Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus includes multiple substrate holding units each configured to horizontally hold a substrate and arranged in a left/right direction; a moving unit that is spaced from an arrangement of the substrate holding units in a forward/backward direction and is moved in the left/right direction; a nozzle standby unit, provided between a movement path of the moving unit and the arrangement of the substrate holding units, at which a nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit is on standby; and a rotatable arm having one end at which a nozzle holding unit that detachably holds the nozzle and the other end rotatably provided at the moving unit. The nozzle is transferred between the nozzle standby unit and a supply position where the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate together by the moving unit and the rotatable arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Naofumi Kishita
  • Publication number: 20170358464
    Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid processing apparatus including: a plurality of substrate placement regions; a nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate from each processing position; a nozzle placement region provided behind a row of the substrate placement regions; an arm that detachably holds the nozzle at one end side; a driving unit that horizontally pivots the arm around a pivot axis; and a controller that outputs a control signal to convey the nozzle from the nozzle placement region to a standby position corresponding to a processing position of a conveyance destination, cause the nozzle to stand by at the standby position, and then, convey the nozzle to the processing position. The standby position is outside the substrate placement regions and is located between the processing position and the nozzle placement region when viewed in a front-and-rear direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Masahiro Abe, Hiroichi Inada, Tohru Azuma, Tsunenaga Nakashima, Naofumi Kishita, Hideki Kajiwara
  • Patent number: 9620394
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a cleaning member has an annular part and an opening positioned radially inside the annular part, and can be moved up and down between a first position and a second position relative to a cleaning nozzle. For cleaning of the back surface of the wafer, the cleaning member is placed at its first position that allows a cleaning liquid to reach the back surface of the substrate through the opening of the cleaning member. For cleaning of the cup structure, the cleaning member placed at its second position higher than the first position is being rotated, and a cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning nozzle collides with an annular part of the cleaning member and is guided to the inner surface of a cup structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Naofumi Kishita, Yuji Sakai
  • Publication number: 20150214046
    Abstract: There is provided a periphery coating method of coating a coating liquid on a periphery region of a substrate. The method includes performing a scan-in process of moving the coating liquid nozzle from an outside of an edge of the substrate to a position above the periphery region of the substrate while rotating the substrate and discharging the coating liquid from the coating liquid nozzle; and performing a scan-out process of moving the coating liquid nozzle from the position above the periphery region of the substrate to the outside of the edge of the substrate while rotating the substrate and discharging the coating liquid from the coating liquid nozzle. Further, in the scan-out process, the coating liquid nozzle is moved at a speed lower than a speed at which the coating liquid is moved to a side of an edge of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Inventors: Shinichi Hatakeyama, Yoshitomo Sato, Kazuyuki Tashiro, Naofumi Kishita
  • Patent number: 9082614
    Abstract: There is provided a periphery coating method of coating a coating liquid on a periphery region of a substrate. The method includes performing a scan-in process of moving the coating liquid nozzle from an outside of an edge of the substrate to a position above the periphery region of the substrate while rotating the substrate and discharging the coating liquid from the coating liquid nozzle; and performing a scan-out process of moving the coating liquid nozzle from the position above the periphery region of the substrate to the outside of the edge of the substrate while rotating the substrate and discharging the coating liquid from the coating liquid nozzle. Further, in the scan-out process, the coating liquid nozzle is moved at a speed lower than a speed at which the coating liquid is moved to a side of an edge of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinichi Hatakeyama, Yoshitomo Sato, Kazuyuki Tashiro, Naofumi Kishita
  • Patent number: 9027508
    Abstract: A periphery coating unit performs a scan-in process of moving a resist liquid nozzle 27 from an outside of an edge Wb of a wafer W to a position above a periphery region Wc of the wafer W while rotating the wafer W and discharging a resist liquid from the resist liquid nozzle 27; and a scan-out process of moving the resist liquid nozzle 27 from the position above the periphery region Wc of the wafer W to the outside of the edge Wb of the wafer W while rotating the wafer W and discharging the resist liquid from the resist liquid nozzle 27. Further, in the scan-out process, the resist liquid nozzle 27 is moved at a speed v2 lower than a speed v3 at which the resist liquid is moved to a side of the edge Wb of the wafer W.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinichi Hatakeyama, Yoshitomo Sato, Kazuyuki Tashiro, Naofumi Kishita
  • Publication number: 20140370199
    Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus includes multiple substrate holding units each configured to horizontally hold a substrate and arranged in a left/right direction; a moving unit that is spaced from an arrangement of the substrate holding units in a forward/backward direction and is moved in the left/right direction; a nozzle standby unit, provided between a movement path of the moving unit and the arrangement of the substrate holding units, at which a nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit is on standby; and a rotatable arm having one end at which a nozzle holding unit that detachably holds the nozzle and the other end rotatably provided at the moving unit. The nozzle is transferred between the nozzle standby unit and a supply position where the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate together by the moving unit and the rotatable arm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventor: Naofumi Kishita
  • Publication number: 20140261163
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a cleaning member has an annular part and an opening positioned radially inside the annular part, and can be moved up and down between a first position and a second position relative to a cleaning nozzle. For cleaning of the back surface of the wafer, the cleaning member is placed at its first position that allows a cleaning liquid to reach the back surface of the substrate through the opening of the cleaning member. For cleaning of the cup structure, the cleaning member placed at its second position higher than the first position is being rotated, and a cleaning liquid discharged from the cleaning nozzle collides with an annular part of the cleaning member and is guided to the inner surface of a cup structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Naofumi KISHITA, Yuji SAKAI
  • Publication number: 20140154890
    Abstract: A periphery coating unit performs a scan-in process of moving a resist liquid nozzle 27 from an outside of an edge Wb of a wafer W to a position above a periphery region Wc of the wafer W while rotating the wafer W and discharging a resist liquid from the resist liquid nozzle 27; and a scan-out process of moving the resist liquid nozzle 27 from the position above the periphery region Wc of the wafer W to the outside of the edge Wb of the wafer W while rotating the wafer W and discharging the resist liquid from the resist liquid nozzle 27. Further, in the scan-out process, the resist liquid nozzle 27 is moved at a speed v2 lower than a speed v3 at which the resist liquid is moved to a side of the edge Wb of the wafer W.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinichi Hatakeyama, Yoshitomo Sato, Kazuyuki Tashiro, Naofumi Kishita
  • Patent number: 8722152
    Abstract: A wet processing apparatus for wet-processing substrates can suppress the reduction of throughput when some component part thereof becomes unserviceable. The wet processing apparatus includes a first nozzle unit and a second nozzle unit. When the wet processing apparatus operates in a normal mode, a substrate carrying mechanism is controlled so as to deliver substrates alternately to processing units of a first group and those of a second group so that the substrates are processed sequentially in order. When the processing units of the first group (the second group) are unserviceable due to the inoperativeness of the substrate holders, a processing liquid supply system or a nozzle support mechanism, the nozzle unit for the processing units of the second group (the first group) is moved to process substrates by the serviceable ones of the first group (the second group).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Naofumi Kishita, Kouji Fujimura, Yoshitaka Hara
  • Patent number: 8671875
    Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid processing apparatus capable of increasing the number of arranged substrate retainers without increasing the total exhaust amount of the liquid processing apparatus. A N-number (N is an integer identical to or greater than three) of cup bodies are inhaled and exhausted in total exhaust amount E through a plurality of separate exhaustion passage each having a first damper, and through a common exhaustion passage connected in common downstream of the separate exhaustion passages. The first dampers are configured such that an external air is received from the cup body in a first intake amount of external air E1 for one of the cup bodies where a chemical liquid nozzle is placed at a setting location facing a wafer, and an external air is received from each of the other cup bodies in a second intake amount of external air E2 less than the first amount E1 and the intake amount of external air from both each of the other cup bodies and each of branched passages equals (E?E1)/(n?1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shuichi Nagamine, Naofumi Kishita, Satoshi Biwa, Kouji Fujimura
  • Publication number: 20130273256
    Abstract: A wet processing apparatus for wet-processing substrates can suppress the reduction of throughput when some component part thereof becomes unserviceable. The wet processing apparatus includes a first nozzle unit and a second nozzle unit. When the wet processing apparatus operates in a normal mode, a substrate carrying mechanism is controlled so as to deliver substrates alternately to processing units of a first group and those of a second group so that the substrates are processed sequentially in order. When the processing units of the first group (the second group) are unserviceable due to the inoperativeness of the substrate holders, a processing liquid supply system or a nozzle support mechanism, the nozzle unit for the processing units of the second group (the first group) is moved to process substrates by the serviceable ones of the first group (the second group).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Publication date: October 17, 2013
    Inventors: Naofumi KISHITA, Kouji FUJIMURA, Yoshitaka HARA
  • Patent number: 8522714
    Abstract: A wet processing apparatus for wet-processing substrates can suppress the reduction of throughput when some component part thereof becomes unserviceable. The wet processing apparatus includes a first nozzle unit and a second nozzle unit. When the wet processing apparatus operates in a normal mode, a substrate carrying mechanism is controlled so as to deliver substrates alternately to processing units of a first group and those of a second group so that the substrates are processed sequentially in order. When the processing units of the first group (the second group) are unserviceable due to the inoperativeness of the substrate holders, a processing liquid supply system or a nozzle support mechanism, the nozzle unit for the processing units of the second group (the first group) is moved to process substrates by the serviceable ones of the first group (the second group).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Naofumi Kishita, Kouji Fujimura, Yoshitaka Hara
  • Patent number: 8375887
    Abstract: The invention includes a lower guide unit which obliquely extends downward to an outside from a position closely opposed to a peripheral edge portion of a rear surface of the substrate held on the substrate holding unit, and is formed in an annular shape in a circumferential direction of the substrate; and an upper guide unit which has an upper end surface located at a substantially same height as a front surface of the substrate held on the substrate holding unit, forms a lower annular flow path between the upper guide unit and the lower guide unit for guiding downward together with a gas flow a treatment solution scattering from the substrate, is formed in an annular shape opposed to the lower guide unit to surround an outside lower region of the substrate, and has an inner peripheral surface having a longitudinal-sectional shape curved to bulge outward and extending downward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Koji Takayanagi, Naofumi Kishita
  • Patent number: 8354141
    Abstract: A liquid treatment apparatus treating a surface of a substrate held generally horizontally on a stage in a housing by supplying a treating liquid to said surface from a supply nozzle. The liquid treatment apparatus includes a cup body provided so as to surround the substrate held in the substrate holding part laterally, the cup body being mounted detachably to a base inside the housing from an upward direction thereof; a cup body holding part holding the cup body detachably; and an elevating mechanism moving the cup body holding part up and down between a first position at which the cup body is mounted upon the base body and a second position located above the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tsunenaga Nakashima, Gouichi Iwao, Naofumi Kishita, Nobuhiro Ogata
  • Publication number: 20110220216
    Abstract: A liquid treatment apparatus treating a surface of a substrate held generally horizontally on a stage in a housing by supplying a treating liquid to said surface from a supply nozzle. The liquid treatment apparatus includes a cup body provided so as to surround the substrate held in the substrate holding part laterally, the cup body being mounted detachably to a base inside the housing from an upward direction thereof; a cup body holding part holding the cup body detachably; and an elevating mechanism moving the cup body holding part up and down between a first position at which the cup body is mounted upon the base body and a second position located above the first position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tsunenaga NAKASHIMA, Gouichi Iwao, Naofumi Kishita, Nobuhiro Ogata
  • Publication number: 20110217473
    Abstract: A wet processing apparatus for wet-processing substrates can suppress the reduction of throughput when some component part thereof becomes unserviceable. The wet processing apparatus includes a first nozzle unit and a second nozzle unit. When the wet processing apparatus operates in a normal mode, a substrate carrying mechanism is controlled so as to deliver substrates alternately to processing units of a first group and those of a second group so that the substrates are processed sequentially in order. When the processing units of the first group (the second group) are unserviceable due to the inoperativeness of the substrate holders, a processing liquid supply system or a nozzle support mechanism, the nozzle unit for the processing units of the second group (the first group) is moved to process substrates by the serviceable ones of the first group (the second group).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Naofumi KISHITA, Kouji Fujimura, Yoshitaka Hara
  • Patent number: 7984690
    Abstract: A liquid treatment apparatus treating a surface of a substrate held generally horizontally on a stage in a housing by supplying a treating liquid to said surface from a supply nozzle. The liquid treatment apparatus includes a cup body provided so as to surround the substrate held in the substrate holding part laterally, the cup body being mounted detachably to a base inside the housing from an upward direction thereof; a cup body holding part holding the cup body detachably; and an elevating mechanism moving the cup body holding part up and down between a first position at which the cup body is mounted upon the base body and a second position located above the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tsunenaga Nakashima, Gouichi Iwao, Naofumi Kishita, Nobuhiro Ogata
  • Publication number: 20100227056
    Abstract: The invention includes a lower guide unit which obliquely extends downward to an outside from a position closely opposed to a peripheral edge portion of a rear surface of the substrate held on the substrate holding unit, and is formed in an annular shape in a circumferential direction of the substrate; and an upper guide unit which has an upper end surface located at a substantially same height as a front surface of the substrate held on the substrate holding unit, forms a lower annular flow path between the upper guide unit and the lower guide unit for guiding downward together with a gas flow a treatment solution scattering from the substrate, is formed in an annular shape opposed to the lower guide unit to surround an outside lower region of the substrate, and has an inner peripheral surface having a longitudinal-sectional shape curved to bulge outward and extending downward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Koji Takayanagi, Naofumi Kishita