Patents by Inventor Osamu Hirakawa

Osamu Hirakawa 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: 10946419
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing at least one foreign substance includes a detection unit detecting the at least one foreign substance adhered to a holding surface of a suction holding unit configured to suck and hold a substrate, a removal unit removing the at least one foreign substance adhered to the holding surface using fluid, and a movement mechanism configured to move the detection unit and the removal unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Osamu Hirakawa, Yoshitaka Otsuka
  • Patent number: 10422875
    Abstract: A fastening device is configured to be used for fastening an object to a target device. The fastening device includes a holder part configured to hold the object, a fastening part configured to be bonded to the target device, a contact part allowing the fastening part to be located between the contact part and the holder part, and a connecting part for connecting the contact part with the fastening part while allowing the protruding length to be variable. The contact part protrudes toward the target device more than the fastening part by a protruding length, the contact part contacting the target device before the fastening part contacts the target device when being fastened to the target device. This fastening device improves workability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Osamu Hirakawa
  • Publication number: 20190105691
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing at least one foreign substance includes a detection unit detecting the at least one foreign substance adhered to a holding surface of a suction holding unit configured to suck and hold a substrate, a removal unit removing the at least one foreign substance adhered to the holding surface using fluid, and a movement mechanism configured to move the detection unit and the removal unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Osamu HIRAKAWA, Yoshitaka OTSUKA
  • Patent number: 10160015
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing at least one foreign substance includes a detection unit detecting the at least one foreign substance adhered to a holding surface of a suction holding unit configured to suck and hold a substrate, a removal unit removing the at least one foreign substance adhered to the holding surface using fluid, and a movement mechanism configured to move the detection unit and the removal unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Osamu Hirakawa, Yoshitaka Otsuka
  • Patent number: 10071544
    Abstract: A separation apparatus for separating a superposed substrate in which a processing target substrate and a supporting substrate are joined together with an adhesive, into the processing target substrate and the supporting substrate, includes: a first holding unit which holds the processing target substrate; a second holding unit which holds the supporting substrate; a moving mechanism which relatively moves the first holding unit or the second holding unit in a horizontal direction; a load measurement unit which measures a load acting on the processing target substrate and the supporting substrate when the processing target substrate and the supporting substrate are separated; and a control unit which controls the moving mechanism based on the load measured by the load measurement unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Hirakawa, Masaru Honda, Akira Fukutomi, Takeshi Tamura, Jiro Harada, Kazutaka Noda, Xavier Francois Brun
  • Patent number: 9956755
    Abstract: A method includes: a first step of disposing the superposed substrate at a position where the superposed substrate is not in contact with a first holding unit and a second holding unit in a space between the first holding unit and the second holding unit, and supplying an inert gas into the space; a second step of thereafter relatively moving the first holding unit and the second holding unit in the vertical direction, and holding the processing target substrate by the first holding unit and holding the supporting substrate by the second holding unit; and a third step of thereafter relatively moving the first holding unit and the second holding unit in the horizontal direction while heating the processing target substrate held by the first holding unit and the supporting substrate held by the second holding unit, to separate the processing target substrate and the supporting substrate from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Hirakawa, Masaru Honda, Xavier Francois Brun, Charles Wayne Singleton, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9919509
    Abstract: A peeling device for peeling off a substrate to be processed and a support substrate from an overlapped substrate, the overlapped substrate being formed by bonding the substrate to be processed and the support substrate by an adhesive, which includes: a first holding unit configured to heat the substrate to be processed and configured to hold the substrate to be processed; a second holding unit configured to heat the support substrate and configured to hold the support substrate; a moving mechanism configured to horizontally move at least one of the first holding unit and the second holding unit relative to each other; and an inert gas supply mechanism configured to supply an inert gas onto a bonding surface of the substrate to be processed or a bonding surface of the support substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignees: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, INTEL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Hirakawa, Naoto Yoshitaka, Masaru Honda, Xavier Francois Brun, Charles Wayne Singleton, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9827756
    Abstract: A separation apparatus for separating a superposed substrate in which a processing target substrate and a supporting substrate are joined together with an adhesive, into the processing target substrate and the supporting substrate includes: a first holding unit that includes a heating mechanism heating the processing target substrate and holds the processing target substrate; a second holding unit that includes a heating mechanism heating the supporting substrate and holds the supporting substrate; a moving mechanism that relatively moves at least the first holding unit or the second holding unit in a horizontal direction; and a porous part that is annularly provided along an outer peripheral portion of the first holding unit and formed with a plurality of pores, and supplies an inert gas to the outer peripheral portion of the first holding unit holding the processing target substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignees: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Hirakawa, Masaru Honda, Xavier Francois Brun, Charles Wayne Singleton, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9823341
    Abstract: The ultrasonic sensor includes a wave transmitting and receiving device and a cover. The wave transmitting and receiving device has a front surface including a wave transmitting and receiving surface and is configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave through the wave transmitting and receiving surface. The cover covers the wave transmitting and receiving device so as to expose the wave transmitting and receiving surface. The cover is constituted by multiple portions, and the multiple portions are individually made of multiple materials different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Tsuji, Osamu Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 9679798
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate conveyance apparatus capable of suppressing a substrate from being damaged. The substrate conveyance apparatus includes a plurality of nozzles, and a main body unit. The plurality of nozzles are configured to jet a gas toward a surface of a substrate to hold the substrate in a non-contact manner. The main body unit is provided with the plurality of nozzles. At least surfaces of the plurality of nozzles are formed of a resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuharu Iwashita, Osamu Hirakawa, Yasutaka Soma, Takeshi Tamura, Kazutaka Noda, Xavier Francois Brun, Charles Wayne Singleton, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9620099
    Abstract: The ultrasonic transducer device in accordance with the present invention includes a body unit and a fixing member. The body unit includes a housing including a space which is in a front surface of the housing and is for receiving an ultrasonic transducer, and a clip part provided to a side surface of the housing. The fixing member includes a fixing plate including a fixing surface to be attached to a rear surface of an exterior panel of a vehicle, and a through hole to communicate to an opening in the exterior panel, and an interlocked part removably connected to the clip part so that the space faces the through hole. The clip part includes an interlocking part, and a spring part keeping the interlocking part in a position in which the interlocking part is physically connected to the interlocked part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Osamu Hirakawa
  • Patent number: 9613797
    Abstract: A cleaning method that peels off an overlapped substrate and cleans a bonding surface of a peeled substrate to be processed, the overlapped substrate including the substrate to be processed and a support substrate bonded together with a protectant, a peeling agent and an adhesive stacked in order therebetween from the substrate to be processed, the cleaning method comprising: removing the protectant by supplying a solvent of the protectant from a solvent supply part to the bonding surface of the substrate to be processed; and removing the peeling agent by absorbing the peeling agent, which has been peeled from the bonding surface of the substrate to be processed, using a peeling agent absorption part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Osamu Hirakawa, Takashi Sakaue, Hiroshi Komeda, Katsuhiro Iino
  • Publication number: 20170038470
    Abstract: A fastening device is configured to be used for fastening an object to a target device. The fastening device includes a holder part configured to hold the object, a fastening part configured to be bonded to the target device, a contact part allowing the fastening part to be located between the contact part and the holder part, and a connecting part for connecting the contact part with the fastening part while allowing the protruding length to be variable. The contact part protrudes toward the target device more than the fastening part by a protruding length, the contact part contacting the target device before the fastening part contacts the target device when being fastened to the target device. This fastening device improves workability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventor: OSAMU HIRAKAWA
  • Publication number: 20160296982
    Abstract: An apparatus for removing at least one foreign substance includes a detection unit detecting the at least one foreign substance adhered to a holding surface of a suction holding unit configured to suck and hold a substrate, a removal unit removing the at least one foreign substance adhered to the holding surface using fluid, and a movement mechanism configured to move the detection unit and the removal unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Inventors: Osamu HIRAKAWA, Yoshitaka OTSUKA
  • Publication number: 20160291139
    Abstract: The ultrasonic sensor includes a wave transmitting and receiving device and a cover. The wave transmitting and receiving device has a front surface including a wave transmitting and receiving surface and is configured to transmit and receive an ultrasonic wave through the wave transmitting and receiving surface. The cover covers the wave transmitting and receiving device so as to expose the wave transmitting and receiving surface. The cover is constituted by multiple portions, and the multiple portions are individually made of multiple materials different from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Takashi TSUJI, Osamu HIRAKAWA
  • Patent number: 9343349
    Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a substrate holding apparatus is provided. The substrate holding apparatus includes a first holding part, a second holding part and a controller. The first holding part adsorbs and holds a first region including a central portion of a substrate. The second holding part adsorbs and holds a second region located outside the first region of the substrate. The second holding part adsorbs and holds the second region of the substrate after the first holding part adsorbs and holds the first region of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yasuharu Iwashita, Osamu Hirakawa, Eiji Manabe, Takeshi Tamura, Akira Fukutomi
  • Patent number: 9330898
    Abstract: The present invention is used for separating a superposed substrate in which a processing target substrate and a supporting substrate are joined together with an adhesive into the processing target substrate and the supporting substrate, and includes: a separation processing station performing predetermined processing on the processing target substrate, the supporting substrate, and the superposed substrate; a transfer-in/out station transferring the substrates into/from the separation processing station; and a transfer unit transferring the substrates between the separation processing station and the transfer-in/out station, wherein the separation processing station includes: a separation unit separating the superposed substrate into the processing target substrate and the supporting substrate; a first cleaning unit cleaning the processing target substrate separated in the separation unit; and a second cleaning unit cleaning the supporting substrate separated in the separation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Osamu Hirakawa, Naoto Yoshitaka, Masataka Matsunaga, Norihiko Okamoto
  • Patent number: 9296350
    Abstract: An ultrasonic wave device includes a holding member designed to be fixed to an inner surface of a bumper as a vehicle outer panel, and a body block designed to be connected with the holding member. The body block includes a head designed to be inserted in an exposing hole provided at the bumper, and at least one abutting part designed to abut on the inner surface of the bumper at a position closer to the exposing hole than a position where the holding member is fixed. The body block is biased to an outer side of the bumper by a spring force of the clamping part, which is a biasing part provided with the holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Osamu Hirakawa, Yasushi Nagano, Takashi Tsuji
  • Publication number: 20150314339
    Abstract: A cleaning device peels off an overlapped substrate and cleans a bonding surface of a peeled substrate to be processed, the overlapped substrate including the substrate to be processed and a support substrate bonded together with a protectant, a peeling agent and an adhesive stacked in order therebetween from the substrate to be processed. The cleaning device includes: a support part that supports the substrate to be processed; a solvent supply part that supplies a solvent of the protectant to the bonding surface of the substrate to be processed supported by the support part; and a peeling agent absorption part that absorbs and removes the peeling agent which has been peeled from the bonding surface of the substrate to be processed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: Osamu HIRAKAWA, Takashi SAKAUE, Hiroshi KOMEDA, Katsuhiro IINO
  • Patent number: 8997821
    Abstract: A delamination system delaminates a laminated substrate, in which a first substrate and a second substrate are bonded together, into the first substrate and the second substrate. The delamination system has a first processing block processing the laminated substrate or the delaminated first substrate and a second processing block processing the delaminated second substrate. The first processing block has a delamination station having a delamination device that delaminates the laminated substrate transferred by a first transfer device into the first substrate and the second substrate. The second processing block has a second cleaning station and a delivery station. The second cleaning station has a second cleaning device cleaning the delaminated second substrate. The delivery station is disposed between the second cleaning station and the delamination station. The delivery station receives the delaminated second substrate from the delamination station and delivers it to the second cleaning station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Osamu Hirakawa