Patents by Inventor Satoshi Sendai
Satoshi Sendai 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: 7241372Abstract: A plating apparatus and a plating liquid removing method removes a plating liquid remaining on a substrate-contacting portion, or portions in its vicinity, of a substrate holding member. The plating apparatus comprises a head having a rotatable housing provided with a substrate holding member for holding a substrate, a plating process container, disposed below the head, for holding a plating liquid therein, and a plating liquid removing mechanism for removing plating liquid remaining on the substrate-contacting portion, or the portions in its vicinity, at an inner circumferential edge of the substrate holding member.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2003Date of Patent: July 10, 2007Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Satoshi Sendai, Kenya Tomioka, Katsumi Tsuda
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Patent number: 7166204Abstract: A plating apparatus and method which smoothly perform contact of a plating liquid with a surface of the substrate and which can prevent air bubbles from remaining on the surface to be plated. The plating apparatus includes a plating bath containing a plating liquid in which an anode is immersed, a head portion for holding a substrate detachably and bringing a lower surface, to be plated, of the substrate into contact with an overflow surface of the plating liquid held in the plating bath, a drive mechanism for rotating the head portion, and a tilt mechanism for tilting the head portion so that the substrate held by the head portion is inclined relative to a horizontal plane.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2002Date of Patent: January 23, 2007Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Satoshi Sendai, Kenya Tomioka, Katsumi Tsuda, Masayuki Kumekawa, Koji Mishima
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Publication number: 20060185976Abstract: A plating apparatus continuously plates a surface of a substrate with metal and performs its supplementary process in one housing unit. The plating apparatus comprises a cassette stage for placing a substrate cassette thereon, a pre-treatment unit for pre-treating a surface of a substrate, and a plating unit for plating a surface of the substrate pre-treated in the pre-treatment unit. The plating apparatus further comprises a first substrate stage disposed between the cassette stage and the pre-treatment unit, a cleaning and drying unit disposed between the cassette stage and the first substrate stage, a first transfer device, and a second transfer device. The first transfer device transfers a substrate between the substrate cassette, the cleaning and drying unit, and the first substrate stage. The second transfer device transfers a substrate between the first substrate stage, the pre-treatment unit, and the plating unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2006Publication date: August 24, 2006Inventors: Satoshi Sendai, Kenya Tomioka, Katsumi Tsuda, Naomitsu Ozawa
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Publication number: 20060144714Abstract: A method and apparatus plate a substrate to form wiring by efficiently filling a fine recess formed in a semiconductor substrate with plating metal without a void or contamination. The plating of the substrate to fill a wiring recess formed in the semiconductor substrate with plating metal includes performing an electroless plating process of forming an initial layer on the substrate, and performing an electrolytic plating process of filling the wiring recess with the plating metal, while the initial layer serves as a feeding layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2006Publication date: July 6, 2006Inventors: Akihisa Hongo, Naoaki Ogure, Hiroaki Inous, Satoshi Sendai, Tetsuma Ikegami, Koji Mishima, Shuichi Okuyama, Mizuki Nagai, Ryoichi Kimizuka, Megumi Maruyama
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Patent number: 7033463Abstract: A method and apparatus plate a substrate to form wiring by efficiently filling a fine recess formed in a semiconductor substrate with plating metal without a void or contamination. The plating of the substrate to fill a wiring recess formed in the semiconductor substrate with plating metal includes performing an electroless plating process of forming an initial layer on the substrate, and performing an electrolytic plating process of filling the wiring recess with the plating metal, while the initial layer serves as a feeding layer.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 1999Date of Patent: April 25, 2006Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Akihisa Hongo, Naoaki Ogure, Hiroaki Inoue, Satoshi Sendai, Tetsuma Ikegami, Koji Mishima, Shuichi Okuyama, Mizuki Nagai, Ryoichi Kimizuka, Megumi Maruyama
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Patent number: 6793794Abstract: The present invention relates to a substrate plating apparatus for plating a substrate in a plating bath containing plating solution. An insoluble anode is disposed in the plating bath opposite the substrate. The substrate plating apparatus comprises a circulating vessel or dummy vessel provided separate from the plating bath, with a soluble anode and a cathode disposed in the circulating vessel or dummy vessel. An anion exchange film or selective cation exchange film is disposed between the anode and cathode and isolates the same, wherein metal ions are generated in the circulating vessel or dummy vessel by flowing current between the soluble anode and the cathode therein, and the generated metal ions are supplied to the plating bath.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2002Date of Patent: September 21, 2004Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Akihisa Hongo, Naoaki Ogure, Hiroyuki Ueyama, Junitsu Yamakawa, Mizuki Nagai, Kenichi Suzuki, Atsushi Chono, Satoshi Sendai, Koji Mishima
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Publication number: 20040129575Abstract: A plating apparatus and a plating liquid removing method removes a plating liquid remaining on a substrate-contacting portion, or portions in its vicinity, of a substrate holding member. The plating apparatus comprises a head having a rotatable housing provided with a substrate holding member for holding a substrate, a plating process container, disposed below the head, for holding a plating liquid therein, and a plating liquid removing mechanism for removing plating liquid remaining on the substrate-contacting portion, or the portions in its vicinity, at an inner circumferential edge of the substrate holding member.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2003Publication date: July 8, 2004Inventors: Satoshi Sendai, Kenya Tomioka, Katsumi Tsuda
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Publication number: 20040089555Abstract: A plating apparatus continuously plates a surface of a substrate with metal and performs its supplementary process in one housing unit. The plating apparatus comprises a cassette stage for placing a substrate cassette thereon, a pre-treatment unit for pre-treating a surface of a substrate, and a plating unit for plating a surface of the substrate pre-treated in the pre-treatment unit. The plating apparatus further comprises a first substrate stage disposed between the cassette stage and the pre-treatment unit, a cleaning and drying unit disposed between the cassette stage and the first substrate stage, a first transfer device, and a second transfer device. The first transfer device transfers a substrate between the substrate cassette, the cleaning and drying unit, and the first substrate stage. The second transfer device transfers a substrate between the first substrate stage, the pre-treatment unit, and the plating unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2003Publication date: May 13, 2004Inventors: Satoshi Sendai, Kenya Tomioka, Katsumi Tsuda, Naomitsu Ozawa
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Patent number: 6689216Abstract: A plating apparatus and a plating liquid removing method removes a plating liquid remaining on a substrate-contacting portion, or portions in its vicinity, of a substrate holding member. The plating apparatus comprises a head having a rotatable housing provided with a substrate holding member for holding a substrate, a plating process container, disposed below the head, for holding a plating liquid therein, and a plating liquid removing mechanism for removing plating liquid remaining on the substrate-contacting portion, or the portions in its vicinity, at an inner circumferential edge of the substrate holding member.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2001Date of Patent: February 10, 2004Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Satoshi Sendai, Kenya Tomioka, Katsumi Tsuda
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Patent number: 6660139Abstract: A plating apparatus continuously plates a surface of a substrate with metal and performs its supplementary process in one housing unit. The plating apparatus comprises a cassette stage for placing a substrate cassette thereon, a pre-treatment unit for pre-treating a surface of a substrate, and a plating unit for plating a surface of the substrate pre-treated in the pre-treatment unit. The plating apparatus further comprises a first substrate stage disposed between the cassette stage and the pre-treatment unit, a cleaning and drying unit disposed between the cassette stage and the first substrate stage, a first transfer device, and a second transfer device. The first transfer device transfers a substrate between the substrate cassette, the cleaning and drying unit, and the first substrate stage. The second transfer device transfers a substrate between the first substrate stage, the pre-treatment unit, and the plating unit.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2000Date of Patent: December 9, 2003Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Satoshi Sendai, Kenya Tomioka, Katsumi Tsuda, Naomitsu Ozawa
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Patent number: 6558518Abstract: A substrate such as a semiconductor wafer is plated to fill a metal such as copper (Cu) or the like in interconnection grooves defined in the substrate. An apparatus for plating such a substrate has a plating chamber for holding a plating solution, the plating chamber housing an anode that is immersible in the plating solution held by the plating chamber. A plating solution ejector pipe produces an upward jet of plating solution from a plating solution supplied to the plating chamber from an external source, and a substrate holder removably holds a substrate and positions the substrate such that a surface to be plated of the substrate is held in contact with the jet of plating solution. The plating chamber has a plating solution outlet defined in a bottom thereof for discharging a portion of the supplied plating solution via through-holes defined in the anode and/or around the anode out of the plating chamber.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2000Date of Patent: May 6, 2003Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Satoshi Sendai, Akihisa Hongo, Kenya Tomioka, Katsumi Tsuda, Masayuki Kumekawa, Naoaki Ogure, Kenichi Sasabe
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Publication number: 20030057098Abstract: The present invention relates to a plating apparatus and method which smoothly perform contact of a plating liquid with a surface of the substrate and which can prevent air bubbles from remaining on the surface to be plated. The plating apparatus comprises a plating bath containing a plating liquid in which an anode is immersed, a head portion for holding a substrate detachably and bringing a lower surface, to be plated, of the substrate into contact with an overflow surface of the plating liquid held in the plating bath, a drive mechanism for rotating the head portion, and a tilt mechanism for tilting the head portion so that the substrate held by the head portion is inclined relative to a horizontal plane.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2002Publication date: March 27, 2003Inventors: Satoshi Sendai, Kenya Tomioka, Katsumi Tsuda, Masayuki Kumekawa, Koji Mishima
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Patent number: 6517689Abstract: The present invention is to provide a conduction detection device that can detect electrical conductivity (contact condition) of feeding contacts with conductive layers of a substrate. The present invention also provides an electroplating apparatus, which is able to produce uniform currents to flow through each of feeding contacts. The apparatus has a plating vessel, in which an electrode is disposed opposite to a substrate which is affixed to a plating jig electrically through a plurality of feeding contacts for applying a specific voltage between the electrode and conductive layers provided on a plating surface of the substrate. Plating current flows from the plating jig through the feeding contacts to the substrate. A conduction detection device is provided to detect electrical conductive states between the plurality of feeding contacts and the conductive layer on the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2000Date of Patent: February 11, 2003Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Akihisa Hongo, Kenichi Suzuki, Atsushi Chono, Mitsuo Tada, Akira Ogata, Satoshi Sendai, Koji Mishima
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Patent number: 6500317Abstract: The present invention provides a conductivity sensing device capable of detecting the conductivity (contact state) of the plurality of feeder contacts contacting the conductive area of the substrate, and a plating apparatus capable of forming a plating film of uniform thickness by supplying a uniform plating current through a plurality of feeder contacts.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2000Date of Patent: December 31, 2002Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Junichiro Yoshioka, Satoshi Sendai, Atsushi Chono, Mitsuo Tada, Akihisa Hongo, Yoshitaka Mukaiyama, Kenya Tomioka, Akira Ogata, Kenichi Suzuki, Naomitsu Ozawa
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Publication number: 20020139683Abstract: The present invention relates to a substrate plating apparatus for plating a substrate in a plating bath containing plating solution. An insoluble anode is disposed in the plating bath opposite the substrate. The substrate plating apparatus comprises a circulating vessel or dummy vessel provided separate from the plating bath, with a soluble anode and a cathode disposed in the circulating vessel or dummy vessel. An anion exchange film or selective cation exchange film is disposed between the anode and cathode and isolates the same, wherein metal ions are generated in the circulating vessel or dummy vessel by flowing current between the soluble anode and the cathode therein, and the generated metal ions are supplied to the plating bath.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2002Publication date: October 3, 2002Inventors: Akihisa Hongo, Naoaki Ogure, Hiroyuki Ueyama, Junitsu Yamakawa, Mizuki Nagai, Kenichi Suzuki, Atsushi Chono, Satoshi Sendai, Koji Mishima
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Patent number: 6365020Abstract: The present invention is to provide a wafer plating jig for a plating apparatus having a simple construction and capable of sealing conducting pins from the plating solution completely. The wafer plating jig for gripping a wafer, comprises a main jig body (11) having a plurality of gripping mechanisms (13) and a plurality of conducting pins disposed thereon. A seal packing (20) is provided to surround each of the conducting pins. When the wafer is gripped by the gripping mechanisms (13), each end of the conducting pins individually contacts conductive film formed on the wafer and being sealed by the seal packing (20).Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2000Date of Patent: April 2, 2002Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Junichiro Yoshioka, Kenya Tomioka, Satoshi Sendai, Atsushi Chono, Naomitsu Ozawa
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Patent number: 6365017Abstract: The present invention relates to a substrate plating apparatus for plating a substrate in a plating bath containing plating solution. An insoluble anode is disposed in the plating bath opposite the substrate. The substrate plating apparatus comprises a circulating vessel or dummy vessel provided separate from the plating bath, with a soluble anode and a cathode disposed in the circulating vessel or dummy vessel. An anion exchange film or selective cation exchange film is disposed between the anode and cathode and isolates the same, wherein metal ions are generated in the circulating vessel or dummy vessel by flowing current between the soluble anode and the cathode therein, and the generated metal ions are supplied to the plating bath.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2000Date of Patent: April 2, 2002Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Akihisa Hongo, Naoaki Ogure, Hiroyuki Ueyama, Junitsu Yamakawa, Mizuki Nagai, Kenichi Suzuki, Atsushi Chono, Satoshi Sendai, Koji Mishima
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Publication number: 20020017465Abstract: A plating apparatus and a plating liquid removing method removes a plating liquid remaining on the substrate-contacting portion or its vicinity of a substrate holding member. The plating apparatus comprising a head having a rotatable housing provided with a substrate holding member for holding a substrate, a plating process container, disposed below said head, for holding a plating liquid therein, and a plating liquid removing mechanism for removing a plating liquid remaining on a substrate-contacting portion or its vicinity at an inner circumferential edge of said substrate holding member.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2001Publication date: February 14, 2002Inventors: Satoshi Sendai, Kenya Tomioka, Katsumi Tsuda
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Patent number: 4110260Abstract: The electroconductive composite ceramics composed of an independent phase conglomerates having a particle diameter of at least 20.mu. and a continuous phase connecting mutually the independent phase of conglomerates. Particularly, electroconductive composite ceramics composed of (A) 50-98% by weight of an independent phase of conglomerates having a particle diameter of at least 20 which consists essentially of a phase of insulating or semiconductive ceramics having a high melting point or a mixture thereof and (B) 50-2% by weight of a continuous phase of an electroconductive substance connecting mutually the independent phase of conglomerates. The electroconductive composite ceramics exhibit stable electroconductivity-temperature characteristics at a temperature of 1000.degree. C. or higher and have excellent thermal shock resistance, mechanical strength and chemical resistance.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 1976Date of Patent: August 29, 1978Assignee: Tokyo Denki Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (TDK Electronics Co., Ltd.)Inventors: Hirotaka Yamamoto, Satoshi Sendai, Hideaki Ninomiya