Patents by Inventor Ryuichi Asako

Ryuichi Asako 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: 8268721
    Abstract: There are provided a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device manufacturing method capable of preventing electrical leakage while suppressing increase of wiring resistance and deterioration of productivity. The semiconductor device manufacturing method for forming on a substrate a semiconductor device having a porous low-k film serving as an interlayer insulating film. Further, the semiconductor device manufacturing method includes forming the low-k film on the substrate; etching the low-k film to form a trench or a hole therein; reforming a surface of the low-k film exposed by etching the low-k film by allowing plasma of a nitro compound to act on the exposed surface within the trench or the hole; and filling the trench or the hole with a conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Ryuichi Asako
  • Publication number: 20120132365
    Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus capable of recovering a damage of a low dielectric insulating film exposed to CO2 plasma to obtain the low dielectric insulating film in a good state, thus improving performance and reliability of a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus includes: an etching processing mechanism for performing an etching process that etches a low dielectric insulating film formed on a substrate; a CO2 plasma processing mechanism for performing a CO2 plasma process that exposes the substrate to CO2 plasma after the etching process; a polarization reducing mechanism for performing a polarization reducing process that reduces polarization in the low dielectric insulating film after the CO2 plasma process; and a transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Ryuichi Asako, Gousuke Shiraishi, Shigeru Tahara
  • Publication number: 20120034779
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device manufacturing method, an etching mask (75b) having a predetermined opening pattern is formed on an etching target film (74) disposed on a target object. Then, an etching process is performed on the etching target film (74) through the opening pattern of the etching mask (75b) within a first process chamber, thereby forming a groove or hole (78a) in the etching target film. Then, the target object treated by the etching process is transferred from the first process chamber to a second process chamber, within a vacuum atmosphere. Then, a silylation process is performed on a side surface of the groove or hole (78a), which is an exposed portion of the etching target film (74), within the second process chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Inventors: Satoru SHIMURA, Kazuhiro Kubota, Ryuichi Asako, Seiichi Takayama
  • Patent number: 8101507
    Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus and a semiconductor device manufacturing method capable of recovering a damage of a low dielectric insulating film exposed to CO2 plasma to obtain the low dielectric insulating film in a good state, thus improving performance and reliability of a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device manufacturing method includes: an etching process for etching a low dielectric insulating film formed on a substrate; a CO2 plasma process for exposing the substrate to CO2 plasma after the etching process; and a UV process for irradiating UV to the low dielectric insulating film after the CO2 plasma process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Ryuichi Asako, Gousuke Shiraishi, Shigeru Tahara
  • Publication number: 20120001304
    Abstract: There are provided a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device manufacturing method capable of preventing electrical leakage while suppressing increase of wiring resistance and deterioration of productivity. The semiconductor device manufacturing method for forming on a substrate a semiconductor device having a porous low-k film serving as an interlayer insulating film. Further, the semiconductor device manufacturing method includes forming the low-k film on the substrate; etching the low-k film to form a trench or a hole therein; reforming a surface of the low-k film exposed by etching the low-k film by allowing plasma of a nitro compound to act on the exposed surface within the trench or the hole; and filling the trench or the hole with a conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Ryuichi Asako
  • Patent number: 8075730
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device manufacturing method, an etching mask (75b) having a predetermined opening pattern is formed on an etching target film (74) disposed on a target object. Then, an etching process is performed on the etching target film (74) through the opening pattern of the etching mask (75b) within a first process chamber, thereby forming a groove or hole (78a) in the etching target film. Then, the target object treated by the etching process is transferred from the first process chamber to a second process chamber, within a vacuum atmosphere. Then, a silylation process is performed on a side surface of the groove or hole (78a), which is an exposed portion of the etching target film (74), within the second process chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Satoru Shimura, Kazuhiro Kubota, Ryuichi Asako, Seiichi Takayama
  • Publication number: 20110294232
    Abstract: There is provided a damage recovery method capable of recovering electrical characteristics of a low dielectric insulating film sufficiently while suppressing oxidation of buried metal and generation of pattern defaults. A damaged functional group generated in a surface of the low dielectric insulating film by a processing is substituted with a hydrophobic functional group (ST. 2). A damaged component present under a dense layer generated in the surface of the low dielectric insulating film by the substitution process is recovered by using an ultraviolet heating process (ST. 3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Ryuichi Asako, Yusuke Ohsawa
  • Patent number: 8058153
    Abstract: There is provided a damage recovery method capable of recovering electrical characteristics of a low dielectric insulating film sufficiently while suppressing oxidation of buried metal and generation of pattern defaults. A damaged functional group generated in a surface of the low dielectric insulating film by a processing is substituted with a hydrophobic functional group (ST. 2). A damaged component present under a dense layer generated in the surface of the low dielectric insulating film by the substitution process is recovered by using an ultraviolet heating process (ST. 3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Ryuichi Asako, Yusuke Ohsawa
  • Publication number: 20110120650
    Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes: forming an etching mask having a predetermined circuit pattern on a surface of an etching target film disposed on a semiconductor substrate; etching the etching target film through the etching mask to form a groove or hole in the etching target film; removing the etching mask by a process including at least a process using an ozone-containing gas; and recovering damage of the etching target film caused before or in said removing the etching mask, while supplying a predetermined recovery gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Ryuichi Asako, Kaoru Maekawa, Yasushi Fujii
  • Patent number: 7902077
    Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes: forming an etching mask having a predetermined circuit pattern on a surface of an etching target film disposed on a semiconductor substrate; etching the etching target film through the etching mask to form a groove or hole in the etching target film; removing the etching mask by a process including at least a process using an ozone-containing gas; and recovering damage of the etching target film caused before or in said removing the etching mask, while supplying a predetermined recovery gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Ryuichi Asako, Kaoru Maekawa, Yasushi Fujii
  • Patent number: 7799703
    Abstract: A processing method includes a gas having a Si—CH3 bond supplied into a processing chamber after a target substrate to be processed is loaded into the processing chamber; and a silylation process performed on the target substrate. The internal pressure of the chamber by the supply of the gas having the Si—CH3 bond and the gas supply time are set to be within ranges where the silylation process can be performed while the internal pressure of the chamber is decreased to reach an eligible pressure level where the wafer can be unloaded after the internal pressure of the chamber is increased up to a preset pressure by the supply of the gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Kubota, Naotsugu Hoshi, Yuki Chiba, Ryuichi Asako
  • Publication number: 20100099256
    Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus and a semiconductor device manufacturing method capable of recovering a damage of a low dielectric insulating film exposed to CO2 plasma to obtain the low dielectric insulating film in a good state, thus improving performance and reliability of a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device manufacturing method includes: an etching process for etching a low dielectric insulating film formed on a substrate; a CO2 plasma process for exposing the substrate to CO2 plasma after the etching process; and a UV process for irradiating UV to the low dielectric insulating film after the CO2 plasma process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Ryuichi ASAKO, Gousuke SHIRAISHI, Shigeru TAHARA
  • Patent number: 7521098
    Abstract: A processing method according to the present invention coats a polar liquid film or forms an inorganic film on a surface of an organic film formed on a substrate as a protective film. The processing method comprises a modifying step of curing an organic film by irradiating the organic film with electron beams by means of an electron-beam irradiation device in a rare gas atmosphere, and an applying step of applying a polar liquid to the modified surface of the organic film or a film forming step of forming an inorganic film on the organic film. The organic film is cured and affinity for the polar liquid or the inorganic film is imparted to the organic film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Mitsuoka, Tadashi Onishi, Minoru Honda, Ryuichi Asako, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20090011605
    Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising: a process vessel including a stage on which a substrate is placed, the substrate having a low dielectric constant film with a resist pattern being formed in an upper layer of the low dielectric constant film; an etching-gas supply unit that supplies an etching gas into the process vessel so as to etch the low dielectric constant film; an ashing-gas unit means that supplies an ashing gas into the process vessel so as to ash the resist pattern formed in the upper layer of the low dielectric constant film after the low dielectric constant film has been subjected to an etching process; a plasma generating means that generates a plasma by supplying an energy to the etching gas and the ashing gas in the process vessel; a unit that supplies a dipivaloylmethane gas into the process vessel, after the low dielectric constant film has been subjected to an ashing process, in order to recover a damage layer of the low dielectric con
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Inventors: Yuki Chiba, Eiichi Nishimura, Ryuichi Asako
  • Publication number: 20090001046
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method, an apparatus and the like that may be adopted when executing a specific type of processing on a substrate that includes a recessed portion formed by etching a low dielectric constant insulating film with a low dielectric constant having been formed upon a metal layer. More specifically, a hydrogen radical processing phase in which the surface of the metal layer exposed at the bottom of the recessed portion is cleaned and the low dielectric constant insulating film is dehydrated by supplying hydrogen radicals while heating the substrate to a predetermined temperature and a hydrophobicity processing phase in which the low dielectric constant insulating film exposed at a side surface of the recessed portion is rendered hydrophobic by supplying a specific type of processing gas to the substrate are executed in succession without exposing the substrate to air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuhiro KUBOTA, Shigeru Tahara, Ryuichi Asako
  • Publication number: 20080311728
    Abstract: There is provided a damage recovery method capable of recovering electrical characteristics of a low dielectric insulating film sufficiently while suppressing oxidation of buried metal and generation of pattern defaults. A damaged functional group generated in a surface of the low dielectric insulating film by a processing is substituted with a hydrophobic functional group (ST. 2). A damaged component present under a dense layer generated in the surface of the low dielectric insulating film by the substitution process is recovered by using an ultraviolet heating process (ST. 3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Ryuichi Asako, Yusuke Ohsawa
  • Publication number: 20080194115
    Abstract: A processing method includes a gas having a Si—CH3 bond supplied into a processing chamber after a target substrate to be processed is loaded into the processing chamber; and a silylation process performed on the target substrate. The internal pressure of the chamber by the supply of the gas having the Si—CH3 bond and the gas supply time are set to be within ranges where the silylation process can be performed while the internal pressure of the chamber is decreased to reach an eligible pressure level where the wafer can be unloaded after the internal pressure of the chamber is increased up to a preset pressure by the supply of the gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Publication date: August 14, 2008
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuhiro KUBOTA, Naotsugu Hoshi, Yuki Chiba, Ryuichi Asako
  • Publication number: 20080057728
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device manufacturing method, an etching mask (75b) having a predetermined opening pattern is formed on an etching target film (74) disposed on a target object. Then, an etching process is performed on the etching target film (74) through the opening pattern of the etching mask (75b) within a first process chamber, thereby forming a groove or hole (78a) in the etching target film. Then, the target object treated by the etching process is transferred from the first process chamber to a second process chamber, within a vacuum atmosphere. Then, a silylation process is performed on a side surface of the groove or hole (78a), which is an exposed portion of the etching target film (74), within the second process chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Satoru Shimura, Kazuhiro Kubota, Ryuichi Asako, Seiichi Takayama
  • Publication number: 20080045025
    Abstract: A method includes forming an etching mask having a predetermined circuit pattern on an Si-containing low dielectric constant film disposed on a semiconductor substrate; performing etching on the Si-containing low dielectric constant film through the etching mask by use of an F-containing gas, thereby forming a groove or hole; performing ashing by use of NH3 gas after said etching, thereby removing the etching mask; removing a by-product generated during said ashing; and then supplying a predetermined recovery gas, thereby recovering damage of the Si-containing low dielectric constant film caused before or in said removing the etching mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Ryuichi ASAKO, Yuki CHIBA, Kazuhiro KUBOTA
  • Publication number: 20070122752
    Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes: forming an etching mask having a predetermined circuit pattern on a surface of an etching target film disposed on a semiconductor substrate; etching the etching target film through the etching mask to form a groove or hole in the etching target film; removing the etching mask by a process including at least a process using an ozone-containing gas; and recovering damage of the etching target film caused before or in said removing the etching mask, while supplying a predetermined recovery gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Ryuichi ASAKO, Kaoru Maekawa, Yasushi Fujii