Patents by Inventor Norihiko Sasagawa
Norihiko Sasagawa 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: 10755952Abstract: Disclosed is a chemical liquid discharge mechanism. The mechanism includes: a storage portion including a chemical liquid storage space; a diluent supply port opened to supply a diluent for reducing a viscosity of the chemical liquid to the storage space; a vertex flow forming portion that forms vortex flows in the diluent and the chemical liquid by supplying a fluid to the storage space to stir the diluent and the chemical liquid; and a liquid discharge port opened to an upper side of the diluent supply port in the storage space such that, by the supply of the diluent, the diluent and the chemical liquid flow into the liquid discharge port to be discharged from the storage space. Thus, the viscosity of the waste liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port may be reduced, and thus, it is not necessary to largely set the inclination of the liquid discharge path.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2018Date of Patent: August 25, 2020Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Norihiko Sasagawa, Hiroichi Inada, Masahito Hamada
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Patent number: 10168618Abstract: A liquid processing method includes: accommodating a substrate horizontally in each of a first processing region and a second processing region, for performing therein a process on the substrate by a processing solution from a nozzle; rotating a rotary body about a vertical axis; keeping a plurality of processing nozzles provided at the rotary body; supplying different kinds of processing solutions to the substrate from the plurality of processing nozzles; holding a processing nozzle selected from the plurality of processing nozzles by a nozzle holder provided at the rotary body; transferring the nozzle holder into selected one of the first and the second processing regions by a nozzle transfer device; and rotating the rotary body by a rotation driving unit so as to allow a front of the nozzle holder in a forward/backward direction thereof to face the selected one of the first and the second processing regions.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2015Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Norihiko Sasagawa, Hiroichi Inada, Yasushi Takiguchi
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Publication number: 20180350633Abstract: Disclosed is a chemical liquid discharge mechanism. The mechanism includes: a storage portion including a chemical liquid storage space; a diluent supply port opened to supply a diluent for reducing a viscosity of the chemical liquid to the storage space; a vertex flow forming portion that forms vortex flows in the diluent and the chemical liquid by supplying a fluid to the storage space to stir the diluent and the chemical liquid; and a liquid discharge port opened to an upper side of the diluent supply port in the storage space such that, by the supply of the diluent, the diluent and the chemical liquid flow into the liquid discharge port to be discharged from the storage space. Thus, the viscosity of the waste liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port may be reduced, and thus, it is not necessary to largely set the inclination of the liquid discharge path.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2018Publication date: December 6, 2018Inventors: Norihiko Sasagawa, Hiroichi Inada, Masahito Hamada
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Patent number: 10074548Abstract: Disclosed is a chemical liquid discharge mechanism. The mechanism includes: a storage portion including a chemical liquid storage space; a diluent supply port opened to supply a diluent for reducing a viscosity of the chemical liquid to the storage space; a vertex flow forming portion that forms vortex flows in the diluent and the chemical liquid by supplying a fluid to the storage space to stir the diluent and the chemical liquid; and a liquid discharge port opened to an upper side of the diluent supply port in the storage space such that, by the supply of the diluent, the diluent and the chemical liquid flow into the liquid discharge port to be discharged from the storage space. Thus, the viscosity of the waste liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port may be reduced, and thus, it is not necessary to largely set the inclination of the liquid discharge path.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2015Date of Patent: September 11, 2018Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Norihiko Sasagawa, Hiroichi Inada, Masahito Hamada
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Publication number: 20160054653Abstract: A liquid processing method includes: accommodating a substrate horizontally in each of a first processing region and a second processing region, for performing therein a process on the substrate by a processing solution from a nozzle; rotating a rotary body about a vertical axis; keeping a plurality of processing nozzles provided at the rotary body; supplying different kinds of processing solutions to the substrate from the plurality of processing nozzles; holding a processing nozzle selected from the plurality of processing nozzles by a nozzle holder provided at the rotary body; transferring the nozzle holder into selected one of the first and the second processing regions by a nozzle transfer device; and rotating the rotary body by a rotation driving unit so as to allow a front of the nozzle holder in a forward/backward direction thereof to face the selected one of the first and the second processing regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2015Publication date: February 25, 2016Inventors: Norihiko Sasagawa, Hiroichi Inada, Yasushi Takiguchi
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Publication number: 20160008840Abstract: Disclosed is a chemical liquid discharge mechanism. The mechanism includes: a storage portion including a chemical liquid storage space; a diluent supply port opened to supply a diluent for reducing a viscosity of the chemical liquid to the storage space; a vertex flow forming portion that forms vortex flows in the diluent and the chemical liquid by supplying a fluid to the storage space to stir the diluent and the chemical liquid; and a liquid discharge port opened to an upper side of the diluent supply port in the storage space such that, by the supply of the diluent, the diluent and the chemical liquid flow into the liquid discharge port to be discharged from the storage space. Thus, the viscosity of the waste liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port may be reduced, and thus, it is not necessary to largely set the inclination of the liquid discharge path.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2015Publication date: January 14, 2016Inventors: Norihiko Sasagawa, Hiroichi Inada, Masahito Hamada
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Patent number: 9195138Abstract: There is provided a liquid processing apparatus including a first and a second processing regions provided in a left-right direction, each for accommodating a substrate and performing a process on the substrate by a processing solution from a nozzle; a rotary body rotatable about a vertical axis; a plurality of nozzles provided at the rotary body while kept in a standby state at an outside of the processing regions, commonly used for the processing regions; a nozzle transfer device, having a nozzle holder moving back and forth, provided at the rotary body and configured to transfer a nozzle into a selected one of the processing regions while holding the selected nozzle by the nozzle holder; and a rotation driving unit configured to rotate the rotary body so as to allow a front of the nozzle holder in a forward/backward direction thereof to face the selected one of the processing regions.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2011Date of Patent: November 24, 2015Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Norihiko Sasagawa, Hiroichi Inada, Yasushi Takiguchi
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Publication number: 20120052190Abstract: There is provided a liquid processing apparatus including a first and a second processing regions provided in a left-right direction, each for accommodating a substrate and performing a process on the substrate by a processing solution from a nozzle; a rotary body rotatable about a vertical axis; a plurality of nozzles provided at the rotary body while kept in a standby state at an outside of the processing regions, commonly used for the processing regions; a nozzle transfer device, having a nozzle holder moving back and forth, provided at the rotary body and configured to transfer a nozzle into a selected one of the processing regions while holding the selected nozzle by the nozzle holder; and a rotation driving unit configured to rotate the rotary body so as to allow a front of the nozzle holder in a forward/backward direction thereof to face the selected one of the processing regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2011Publication date: March 1, 2012Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Norihiko Sasagawa, Hiroichi Inada, Yasushi Takiguchi
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Patent number: 7326299Abstract: A process liquid supply nozzle comprises a substantially tubular main nozzle provided with a discharge port for discharging a coating liquid, a substantially bowl-shaped nozzle holder provided with a through-hole into which the main nozzle can be inserted, and a free space formed between the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle holder and the outer circumferential surface of the main nozzle, at least a prescribed cleaning liquid being supplied into the free space. The nozzle holder or the nozzle is relatively movable in the vertical direction such that the coating liquid is discharged from the discharge port under the state that the discharge port of the main nozzle projects downward from the through-hole, and the nozzle is cleaned with the cleaning liquid under the state that the nozzle is housed in the nozzle holder.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2004Date of Patent: February 5, 2008Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Makoto Muramatsu, Hitoshi Hashima, Norihiko Sasagawa, Takeshi Hirao
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Publication number: 20040173153Abstract: A process liquid supply nozzle comprises a substantially tubular main nozzle provided with a discharge port for discharging a coating liquid, a substantially bowl-shaped nozzle holder provided with a through-hole into which the main nozzle can be inserted, and a free space formed between the inner circumferential surface of the nozzle holder and the outer circumferential surface of the main nozzle, at least a prescribed cleaning liquid being supplied into the free space. The nozzle holder or the nozzle is relatively movable in the vertical direction such that the coating liquid is discharged from the discharge port under the state that the discharge port of the main nozzle projects downward from the through-hole, and the nozzle is cleaned with the cleaning liquid under the state that the nozzle is housed in the nozzle holder.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2004Publication date: September 9, 2004Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Makoto Muramatsu, Hitoshi Hashima, Norihiko Sasagawa, Takeshi Hirao