Patents by Inventor Natsuki Makino

Natsuki Makino 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: 7387717
    Abstract: A plating method and apparatus for a substrate fills a metal, e.g., copper, into a fine interconnection pattern formed in a semiconductor substrate. The apparatus has a substrate holding portion 36 horizontally holding and rotating a substrate with its surface to be plated facing upward. A seal material 90 contacts a peripheral edge portion of the surface, sealing the portion in a watertight manner. A cathode electrode 88 passes an electric current upon contact with the substrate. A cathode portion 38 rotates integrally with the substrate holding portion 36. An electrode arm portion 30 is above the cathode portion 38 and movable horizontally and vertically and has an anode 98 face-down. Plating liquid is poured into a space between the surface to be plated and the anode 98 brought close to the surface to be plated. Thus, plating treatment and treatments incidental thereto can be performed by a single unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignees: Ebara Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Junji Kunisawa, Mitsuko Odagaki, Natsuki Makino, Koji Mishima, Kenji Nakamura, Hiroaki Inoue, Norio Kimura, Tetsuo Matsuda, Hisashi Kaneko, Nobuo Hayasaka, Katsuya Okumura, Manabu Tsujimura, Toshiyuki Morita
  • Patent number: 7374646
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrolytic processing apparatus which is capable of increasing an in-plane uniformity of a film thickness of a plated film by making more uniform an electric field distribution over an entire surface to be processed of a substrate even if the substrate has a large area, and controlling more uniformly a speed, over the entire surface to be processed of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Hidenao Suzuki, Kazufumi Nomura, Kunihito Ide, Hiroyuki Kanda, Koji Mishima, Naoki Mihara, Natsuki Makino, Seiji Katsuoka
  • Publication number: 20080035171
    Abstract: A porous member cleaning method enables effective cleaning of the interior of a porous member even when it has a small pore size, a high density and a large volume. The porous member cleaning method includes: disposing a porous member in a hermetic space, and cleaning the interior of the porous member with a pressurized cleaning liquid passing through the interior of the porous member; and then disposing the porous member in said hermetic space or in a different hermetic space, and supplying pressurized pure water to the interior of the porous member so that the pure water passes through the interior of the porous member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kanda, Natsuki Makino, Kazufumi Nomura
  • Patent number: 7208074
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus fills a metal such as copper or the like in fine interconnection patterns or trenches defined in a semiconductor substrate. The substrate processing apparatus has a loading/unloading unit for placing a substrate cassette to allow a substrate to be loaded and unloaded, a substrate treating unit for treating a substrate, and a transfer robot for transferring a substrate between the loading/unloading unit and the substrate treating unit. The loading/unloading unit, the substrate treating unit, and the transfer robot are installed in a single facility. The loading/unloading unit has a rotary table which is horizontally rotatable for positioning the substrate cassette in a position to detect the substrate cassette placed in the loading/unloading unit and to remove the substrate from the substrate cassette with the transfer robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Mishima, Junji Kunisawa, Natsuki Makino, Norio Kimura, Hiroaki Inoue, Kenji Nakamura, Moriji Matsumoto, Takahiro Nanjo, Mitsuko Odagaki
  • Publication number: 20070034526
    Abstract: An electrolytic processing apparatus can planarize uniformly over an entire surface of a substrate under a low pressure without any damages to the substrate. The electrolytic processing apparatus has a substrate holder configured to hold and rotate a substrate having a metal film formed on a surface of the substrate and an electrolytic processing unit configured to perform an electrolytic process on the substrate held by the substrate holder. The electrolytic processing unit has a rotatable processing electrode, a polishing pad attached to the rotatable processing electrode, and a pressing mechanism configured to press the polishing pad against the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Inventors: Natsuki Makino, Junji Kunisawa, Keisuke Namiki, Yukio Fukunaga, Katsuyuki Musaka, Ray Fang, Emanuel Cooper, John Cotte, Hariklia Deligianni, Keith Kwietniak, Brett Baker-O'Neal, Matteo Flotta, Philippe Vereecken
  • Publication number: 20060027452
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus fills a metal such as copper or the like in fine interconnection patterns or trenches defined in a semiconductor substrate. The substrate processing apparatus has a loading/unloading unit for placing a substrate cassette to allow a substrate to be loaded and unloaded, a substrate treating unit for treating a substrate, and a transfer robot for transferring a substrate between the loading/unloading unit and the substrate treating unit. The loading/unloading unit, the substrate treating unit, and the transfer robot are installed in a single facility. The loading/unloading unit has a rotary table which is horizontally rotatable for positioning the substrate cassette in a position to detect the substrate cassette placed in the loading/unloading unit and to remove the substrate from the substrate cassette with the transfer robot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Inventors: Koji Mishima, Junji Kunisawa, Natsuki Makino, Norio Kimura, Hiroaki Inoue, Kenji Nakamura, Moriji Matsumoto, Takahiro Nanjo, Mitsuko Odagaki
  • Publication number: 20050155865
    Abstract: There is provided an electrolytic processing apparatus and method which can produce products having various specifications with enhanced productivity, thus reducing the production cost, and which can respond flexibly to the movement toward finer interconnects in semiconductor devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Publication date: July 21, 2005
    Inventors: Koji Mishima, Keisuke Namiki, Masao Hodai, Junji Kunisawa, Natsuki Makino, Yukio Fukunaga
  • Publication number: 20050023149
    Abstract: The present invention provides a plating apparatus which uses an insoluble anode and which can perform plating of a substrate stably while preventing oxygen gas, generated due to the use of the insoluble anode, from causing defects in the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2004
    Publication date: February 3, 2005
    Inventors: Tsutomu Nakada, Junji Kunisawa, Hiroyuki Kanda, Mizuki Nagai, Satoru Yamamoto, Koji Mishima, Shinya Morisawa, Seiji Katsuoka, Natsuki Makino, Yukio Fukunaga
  • Publication number: 20040256238
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electrolytic processing apparatus which is capable of increasing the in-plane uniformity of the film thickness of a plated film by making more uniform an electric field distribution over the entire surface to be processed of a substrate even if the substrate has a large area and controlling more uniformly the speed, over the entire surface to be processed of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: Hidenao Suzuki, Kazufumi Nomura, Kunihito Ide, Hiroyuki Kanda, Koji Mishima, Naoki Mihara, Natsuki Makino, Seiji Katsuoka
  • Publication number: 20040195106
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a plating method and a plating apparatus which can attain embedding of copper into fine interconnection patterns with use of a plating liquid having high throwing power and leveling properties, and which can make film thickness of a plated film substantially equal between an interconnection region and a non-interconnection region. A plating method comprises filling a plating liquid containing metal ions and an additive into a plating space formed between a substrate and an anode disposed closely to the substrate so as to face the substrate, and changing concentration of the additive in the plating liquid filled into the plating space during a plating process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventors: Koji Mishima, Hiroaki Inoue, Natsuki Makino, Junji Kunisawa, Kenji Nakamura, Tetsuo Matsuda, Hisashi Kaneko, Toshiyuki Morita
  • Patent number: 6767437
    Abstract: In an electroplating apparatus, an electrolytic agent is filled into the portion between an anode and a dummy cathode which is opposite substantially face to face and parallel to the anode, and an electric current is supplied to this portion, thereby suppressing changes in properties of a black film during the period in which plating to a substrate to be processed is stopped. In particular, by applying an electric current to the anode immediately before plating to the substrate is resumed, the film formation characteristics of plating to the substrate can be maximally stabilized. This can reduce the consumption power and dissolution of the anode. This apparatus is particularly effective in copper plating in which the formation of a black film is significant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Matsuda, Hisashi Kaneko, Koji Mishima, Natsuki Makino, Junji Kunisawa
  • Publication number: 20040134789
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus fills a metal such as copper or the like in fine interconnection patterns or trenches defined in a semiconductor substrate. The substrate processing apparatus has a loading/unloading unit for placing a substrate cassette to allow a substrate to be loaded and unloaded, a substrate treating unit for treating a substrate, and a transfer robot for transferring a substrate between the loading/unloading unit and the substrate treating unit. The loading/unloading unit, the substrate treating unit, and the transfer robot are installed in a single facility. The loading/unloading unit has a rotary table which is horizontally rotatable for positioning the substrate cassette in a position to detect the substrate cassette placed in the loading/unloading unit and to remove the substrate from the substrate cassette with the transfer robot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Inventors: Koji Mishima, Junji Kunisawa, Natsuki Makino, Norio Kimura, Hiroaki Inoue, Kenji Nakamura, Moriji Matsumoto, Takahiro Nanjo, Mitsuko Odagaki
  • Publication number: 20040129576
    Abstract: There is provided an electrolytic processing apparatus and method that can improve the flatness of a plated film on a substrate even when fine grooves and large grooves are co-present in the surface of the substrate, enabling a later CMP processing to be carried out in a short time while preventing dishing during the CMP processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Inventors: Natsuki Makino, Junji Kunisawa
  • Patent number: 6746589
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a plating method and a plating apparatus which can attain embedding of copper into fine interconnection patterns with use of a plating liquid having high throwing power and leveling properties, and which can make film thickness of a plated film substantially equal between an interconnection region and a non-interconnection region. A plating method comprises filling a plating liquid containing metal ions and an additive into a plating space formed between a substrate and an anode disposed closely to the substrate so as to face the substrate, and changing concentration of the additive in the plating liquid filled into the plating space during a plating process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignees: Ebara Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Koji Mishima, Hiroaki Inoue, Natsuki Makino, Junji Kunisawa, Kenji Nakamura, Tetsuo Matsuda, Hisashi Kaneko, Toshiyuki Morita
  • Publication number: 20040069646
    Abstract: A plating method and apparatus for a substrate fills a metal, e.g., copper, into a fine interconnection pattern formed in a semiconductor substrate. The apparatus has a substrate holding portion 36 horizontally holding and rotating a substrate with its surface to be plated facing upward. A seal material 90 contacts a peripheral edge portion of the surface, sealing the in a watertight manner. A cathode electrode 88 passes an electric current upon contact with the substrate. A cathode portion 38 rotates integrally with the substrate holding portion 36. An electrode arm portion 30 is above the cathode portion 38 and movable horizontally and vertically and has an anode 98 face-down. Plating liquid is poured into a space between the surface to be plated and the anode 98 brought close to the surface to be plated. Thus, plating treatment and treatments incidental thereto can be performed by a single unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2003
    Publication date: April 15, 2004
    Inventors: Junji Kunisawa, Mitsuko Odagaki, Natsuki Makino, Koji Mishima, Kenji Nakamura, Hiroaki Inoue, Norio Kimura, Tetsuo Matsuda, Hisashi Kaneko, Nobuo Hayasaka, Katsuya Okumura, Manabu Tsujimura, Toshiyuki Morita
  • Patent number: 6689257
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus fills a metal such as copper or the like in fine interconnection patterns or trenches defined in a semiconductor substrate. The substrate processing apparatus has a loading/unloading unit for placing a substrate cassette to allow a substrate to be loaded and unloaded, a substrate treating unit for treating a substrate, and a transfer robot for transferring a substrate between the loading/unloading unit and the substrate treating unit. The loading/unloading unit, the substrate treating unit, and the transfer robot are installed in a single facility. The loading/unloading unit has a rotary table which is horizontally rotatable for positioning the substrate cassette in a position to detect the substrate cassette placed in the loading/unloading unit and to remove the substrate from the substrate cassette with the transfer robot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Mishima, Junji Kunisawa, Natsuki Makino, Norio Kimura, Hiroaki Inoue, Kenji Nakamura, Moriji Matsumoto, Takahiro Nanjo, Mitsuko Odagaki
  • Patent number: 6632335
    Abstract: A plating method and apparatus for a substrate fills a metal, e.g., copper, into a fine interconnection pattern formed in a semiconductor substrate. The apparatus has a substrate holding portion 36 horizontally holding and rotating a substrate with its surface to be plated facing upward. A seal material 90 contacts a peripheral edge portion of the surface, sealing the portion in a watertight manner. A cathode electrode 88 passes an electric current upon contact with the substrate. A cathode portion 38 rotates integrally with the substrate holding portion 36. An electrode arm portion 30 is above the cathode portion 38 and movable horizontally and vertically and has an anode 98 face-down. Plating liquid is poured into a space between the surface to be plated and the anode 98 brought close to the surface to be plated. Thus, plating treatment and treatments incidental thereto can be performed by a single unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignees: Ebara Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Junji Kunisawa, Mitsuko Odagaki, Natsuki Makino, Koji Mishima, Kenji Nakamura, Hiroaki Inoue, Norio Kimura, Tetsuo Matsuda, Hisashi Kaneko, Nobuo Hayasaka, Katsuya Okumura, Manabu Tsujimura, Toshiyuki Morita
  • Publication number: 20020056647
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a plating method and a plating apparatus which can attain embedding of copper into fine interconnection patterns with the use of a plating liquid having high throwing power and leveling properties, and which can make the film thickness of the plated film substantially equal between the interconnection region and the non-interconnection region, thereby facilitating a later CMP processing. A plating method comprising filling a plating liquid containing metal ions and an additive into a plating space formed between a substrate and an anode disposed closely to the substrate so as to face the substrate, and changing the concentration of the additive in the plating liquid filled into the plating space during a plating process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Publication date: May 16, 2002
    Inventors: Koji Mishima, Hiroaki Inoue, Natsuki Makino, Junji Kunisawa, Kenji Nakamura, Tetsuo Matsuda, Hisashi Kaneko, Toshiyuki Morita
  • Publication number: 20020033339
    Abstract: A substrate is plated with a metal film of uniform thickness only in a limited area thereof which is to be plated. A substrate plating apparatus has a substrate holder for holding a substrate and a plating cell for plating a portion of a surface, to be plated, of the substrate held by the substrate holder. The plating cell has an anode disposed so as to cover the portion of the surface, to be plated, of the substrate held by the substrate holder, a cathode for supplying a current to the surface, to be plated, of the substrate in such a state that the cathode is brought into contact with the substrate, a plating liquid supplying device for supplying a plating liquid between the anode and the surface, to be plated, of the substrate, and a power source for applying a voltage between the anode and the cathode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2001
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Inventors: Norio Kimura, Koji Mishima, Junji Kunisawa, Hiroaki Inoue, Natsuki Makino, Tetsuo Matsuda, Hisashi Kaneko
  • Publication number: 20020020627
    Abstract: This invention relates, particularly, to a plating method and apparatus for a substrate for uses, such as the filling of a metal, e.g., copper (Cu), into a fine interconnection pattern (recesses) formed in a semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2000
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Inventors: Junji Kunisawa, Mitsuko Odagaki, Natsuki Makino, Koji Mishima, Kenji Nakamura, Hiroaki Inoue, Norio Kimura, Tetsuo Matsuda, Hisashi Kaneko, Nobuo Hayasaka, Katsuya Okumura, Manabu Tsujimura, Toshiyuki Morita