Patents by Inventor Seiya Inoue

Seiya Inoue 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).

  • Publication number: 20250259879
    Abstract: A member for a semiconductor manufacturing equipment includes a ceramic substrate, wherein the ceramic substrate includes a central portion with a central portion upper surface on which a wafer is to be placed, and an outer peripheral portion with an outer peripheral portion upper surface on which a focus ring is to be placed, the outer peripheral portion being located lower than the central portion upper surface, wherein the central portion includes a central portion plug placement hole that vertically penetrates the central portion, and a central portion plug that is embedded in the central portion plug placement hole, and wherein the outer peripheral portion includes an outer peripheral portion plug placement hole that vertically penetrates the outer peripheral portion, and an outer peripheral portion plug embedded in the outer peripheral portion plug placement hole and having a lower relative permittivity than the central portion plug.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2024
    Publication date: August 14, 2025
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Seiya INOUE, Tatsuya KUNO
  • Patent number: 12340990
    Abstract: A member for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, includes: a base substrate that has a wafer-placement-table support and a focus-ring-placement-table support; a focus-ring placement table that is joined to the focus-ring-placement-table support; a wafer placement table that is separate from the focus-ring placement table, that overlaps an inner peripheral portion of the focus-ring placement table in plan view, and that is joined to the inner peripheral portion of the focus-ring placement table and to the wafer-placement-table support; an internal space that is surrounded by a lower surface of the wafer placement table, an outer peripheral surface of the wafer-placement-table support, an inner peripheral surface of the focus-ring placement table, and an upper surface of the focus-ring-placement-table support; and a communication path that is provided at the base substrate and that causes the internal space and an outside of the base substrate to communicate with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2025
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Takebayashi, Tatsuya Kuno, Seiya Inoue
  • Patent number: 12266557
    Abstract: A wafer placement table includes an alumina base that has a wafer placement surface on its upper surface, and incorporates an electrode; a brittle cooling base bonded to a lower surface of the alumina base; and a ductile connection member stored in a storage hole, opened in a lower surface of the cooling base, in a state of restricted axial rotation and in a state of engaging with an engagement section of the storage hole, the ductile connection member having a male thread section or a female thread section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Kuno, Seiya Inoue
  • Patent number: 12266515
    Abstract: A wafer placement includes an alumina substrate having a wafer placement surface at an upper surface, and incorporating an electrode; a brittle cooling substrate which is bonded to a lower surface of the alumina substrate, and in which a refrigerant flow path is formed; and a ductile connection member stored in a storage hole opened in a lower surface of the cooling substrate in a state of restricted axial rotation and in a state of being engaged with an engagement section of the storage hole, the ductile connection member having a male thread section or a female thread section, wherein the storage hole is provided in the refrigerant flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Kuno, Seiya Inoue
  • Publication number: 20250105043
    Abstract: A member for semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a ceramic plate that has an upper surface including a reference surface on which multiple small projections for supporting a wafer are provided and that contains an electrostatic electrode; a plug arrangement hole that is provided in the ceramic plate; an electrostatic electrode opening portion that is provided at a position in the electrostatic electrode through which the plug arrangement hole extends; a cooling plate that is provided on a lower surface of the ceramic plate; a gas hole that extends through the cooling plate and that is in communication with the plug arrangement hole; a plug that is arranged in the plug arrangement hole and that includes a gas flow path; and a raised portion that surrounds the gas flow path and that has a top surface higher than the reference surface and lower than top surfaces of the small projections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2024
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Seiya INOUE, Tatsuya KUNO
  • Publication number: 20250079229
    Abstract: A wafer placement table includes: a ceramic substrate that has a wafer placement surface at an upper surface of the ceramic substrate; an electrode that is incorporated in the ceramic substrate; and an electrically conductive electrode extraction portion that is incorporated in the ceramic substrate and is electrically connected to the electrode. A volume content percentage of a ceramic material that is identical to a main component of the ceramic substrate is high in the electrode extraction portion compared with the electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2024
    Publication date: March 6, 2025
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Seiya INOUE, Tatsuya KUNO, Shinya YOSHIDA, Takahiro ANDO
  • Publication number: 20250079134
    Abstract: A member for semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a central ceramic member having a wafer placement surface on an upper surface; an annular outer circumferential ceramic member having a focus ring placement surface on an upper surface; and a conductive base member having a central support joined to the central ceramic member, and an outer circumferential support joined to the outer circumferential ceramic member, wherein an outer circumferential surface of the central ceramic member and an inner circumferential surface of the outer circumferential ceramic member each change in diameter in an up-down direction, and a maximum diameter of the outer circumferential surface of the central ceramic member is smaller than a maximum diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the outer circumferential ceramic member, and larger than a minimum diameter of the inner circumferential surface of the outer circumferential ceramic member, and the central ceramic member is insulating ceramics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2024
    Publication date: March 6, 2025
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya KUNO, Seiya INOUE
  • Publication number: 20250069865
    Abstract: A member for semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a ceramic plate including a horizontal and circular wafer placement surface, and a horizontal and annular focus ring placement surface provided on an outer circumference of the wafer placement surface at a position lower than the wafer placement surface by one step, and a connection part that connects the wafer placement surface and the focus ring placement surface; and a cooling plate provided on a lower surface of the ceramic plate, wherein the connection part has a lateral surface of a circular truncated cone with a diameter that increases from the wafer placement surface to the focus ring placement surface, and the diameter of the upper surface of the circular truncated cone matches the outer diameter of the wafer placement surface, and the diameter of the lower surface of the circular truncated cone matches the inner diameter of the focus ring placement surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2024
    Publication date: February 27, 2025
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya KUNO, Seiya INOUE
  • Publication number: 20250069929
    Abstract: A member for semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a ceramic plate having a wafer placement surface on an upper surface, an electrostatic electrode embedded in the ceramic plate, an electrode lead-out portion embedded in the ceramic plate and extending downward from the electrostatic electrode, a terminal hole extending from a lower surface of the ceramic plate to the electrode lead-out portion, a terminal in the terminal hole, a conductive bonding portion located between the terminal and the electrode lead-out portion and bonding the terminal and the electrode lead-out portion together. The terminal hole has a terminal hole tapering surface that tapers toward a bottom of the hole, and the terminal hole tapering surface intersects a lateral surface of the electrode lead-out portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2024
    Publication date: February 27, 2025
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Seiya INOUE, Tatsuya KUNO, Tomoyuki MINAMI
  • Patent number: 12237156
    Abstract: A wafer placement table includes an upper substrate including a ceramic substrate and having a wafer placement surface, a lower substrate disposed on a lower surface of the upper substrate including a refrigerant flow path or a refrigerant flow-path groove, a through hole extending through the lower substrate in an up-down direction to intersect with the refrigerant flow path or the refrigerant flow-path groove, a screw hole provided in the lower surface of the upper substrate, at a position facing the through hole, a screw member inserted from a lower surface of the lower substrate into the through hole and screwed into the screw hole, and a refrigerant-leakage prevention member that prevents the refrigerant from leaking out to the lower surface of the lower substrate through the through hole into which the screw member is inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Kuno, Masaki Ishikawa, Seiya Inoue
  • Patent number: 12211729
    Abstract: A member for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes: a ceramic plate that has a wafer placement surface at an upper surface thereof; a plug disposition hole that extends through the ceramic plate in an up-down direction and that has a truncated conical space whose upper opening is larger than a lower opening thereof; a truncated conical plug that is disposed in the plug disposition hole, that allows gas to flow in the up-down direction, and whose upper surface is larger than a lower surface thereof; an adhesive layer that is provided between the plug disposition hole and the truncated conical plug; an electrically conductive baseplate that is joined to a lower surface of the ceramic plate through a joint layer; and a gas supply path that is provided in the baseplate and the joint layer and that supplies gas to the truncated conical plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Natsuki Hirata, Shinya Yoshida, Tatsuya Kuno, Seiya Inoue, Taro Usami, Kenji Yonemoto, Aoi Saito
  • Patent number: 12211726
    Abstract: A member for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, includes: a ceramic plate that has a ceramic plate through hole; an electroconductive base plate that has a base plate through hole and that is disposed on a lower surface side of the ceramic plate; an insulating sleeve which is inserted into the base plate through hole and of which an outer peripheral surface is adhered to an inner peripheral surface of the base plate through hole via an adhesion layer; and a sleeve through hole that passes through the insulating sleeve in the up-down direction and that communicates with the ceramic plate through hole. The insulating sleeve has a tool engaging portion that is engageable with an external tool, and upon being engaged with the external tool, the tool engaging portion transmits rotation torque of the external tool to the insulating sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Seiya Inoue, Tatsuya Kuno, Natsuki Hirata, Kenji Yonemoto
  • Patent number: 12211671
    Abstract: A wafer placement table includes: a ceramic substrate having a wafer placement surface at an upper surface, and incorporating an electrode; a cooling substrate which is bonded to a lower surface of the ceramic substrate, and in which a refrigerant flow path is formed; a power supply terminal connected to the electrode; and a power supply terminal hole vertically penetrating the cooling substrate and storing the power supply terminal. The power supply terminal hole intersects with the refrigerant flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Kuno, Seiya Inoue
  • Publication number: 20250014939
    Abstract: A member for semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a ceramic plate in which an electrode is embedded; a power feeder receiving hole extending from a lower surface of the ceramic plate to a position close to the electrode; a power feeder inserted in the power feeder receiving hole; a recess extending from a bottom surface of the power feeder receiving hole to the electrode or an electrode lead-out portion attached to the electrode, the recess having an opening diameter smaller than a diameter of the power feeder receiving hole and greater than or equal to a diameter of the power feeder; a first brazing material layer filling the recess; and a second brazing material layer bonding an entire end surface of the power feeder to the first brazing material layer and not extending to a boundary between the bottom surface and a side surface of the power feeder receiving hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2023
    Publication date: January 9, 2025
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuya KUNO, Seiya INOUE
  • Publication number: 20250014875
    Abstract: A wafer placement table includes a ceramic substrate having a wafer placement surface on an upper surface thereof and containing an electrode therein; a conductive substrate disposed adjacent to a lower surface of the ceramic substrate, serving also as a plasma generating electrode, and having the same diameter as the ceramic substrate; a support substrate disposed adjacent to a lower surface of the conductive substrate, having a greater diameter than the conductive substrate, and electrically insulated from the conductive substrate; and a mounting flange constituting a part of the support substrate and radially extending out of the conductive substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2024
    Publication date: January 9, 2025
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Seiya INOUE, Tatsuya KUNO
  • Patent number: 12191123
    Abstract: A wafer placement table includes a ceramic base including an electrode, a cooling base including a coolant flow path formed therein, a bonding layer bonding the ceramic base and the cooling base, a stepped hole penetrating the bonding layer and the cooling base and including an upper hole portion with a small diameter, a lower hole portion with a large diameter, and a hole stepped portion between the upper hole portion and the lower hole portion, the upper hole portion passing through a region in which the coolant flow path is formed, a stepped insulating pipe inserted through the stepped hole and including an upper pipe portion with a small diameter, a lower pipe portion with a large diameter, and a pipe stepped portion between the upper pipe portion and the lower pipe portion; and a connection terminal bonded to the electrode and inserted through the stepped insulating pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Takebayashi, Tatsuya Kuno, Seiya Inoue
  • Patent number: 12176186
    Abstract: A wafer placement table includes a ceramic substrate having a wafer placement surface on an upper surface thereof and containing an electrode therein; a conductive substrate disposed adjacent to a lower surface of the ceramic substrate, serving also as a plasma generating electrode, and having the same diameter as the ceramic substrate; a support substrate disposed adjacent to a lower surface of the conductive substrate, having a greater diameter than the conductive substrate, and electrically insulated from the conductive substrate; and a mounting flange constituting a part of the support substrate and radially extending out of the conductive substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Seiya Inoue, Tatsuya Kuno
  • Patent number: 12150215
    Abstract: A wafer placement table includes a ceramic plate, an electrode embedded in the ceramic plate, a hollow ceramic shaft attached to a surface of the ceramic plate, a power-supplying member running inside the ceramic shaft and connected to a terminal of the electrode, a plate-side attaching site defined on the ceramic plate and to which the power-supplying member is attached, a power-source-side attaching site defined at a free end of the ceramic shaft and to which the power-supplying member is attached, and a redirecting member provided inside the ceramic shaft. The power-source-side attaching site is defined in correspondence with the plate-side attaching site and in such a manner as to be shifted from the plate-side attaching site in plan view. The redirecting member holds the power-supplying member such that the power-supplying member extending from the power-source-side attaching site is forcibly redirected toward the plate-side attaching site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Seiya Inoue, Reo Watanabe, Yuma Iwata
  • Publication number: 20240364241
    Abstract: A feeder member is used to supply electricity to an electrode embedded in a ceramic base. The feeder member includes an electrode-side terminal that is made of a high-melting-point metal containing material and joined to the electrode, an intermediate member that is made of a Cu containing material and directly joined to the electrode-side terminal without using a brazing material, a cable support member that is made of a Cu containing material and joined to the intermediate member, and a cable that is made of a Cu containing material and that has one end whose end surface is welded to the cable support member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2023
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Taro USAMI, Seiya INOUE, Tatsuya KUNO, Tomoyuki MINAMI
  • Patent number: 12131891
    Abstract: A wafer placement table includes a ceramic base having a wafer placement surface on its top surface where a wafer is able to be placed and incorporating an electrode, a cooling base bonded to a bottom surface of the ceramic base and having a refrigerant flow channel, a plurality of holes extending through the cooling base in an up and down direction, and a heat exchange promoting portion that is provided in an area around at least one of the plurality of holes and that promotes heat exchange between refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow channel and a wafer placed on the wafer placement surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Seiya Inoue, Tatsuya Kuno