Patents by Inventor Shigehiro Miura

Shigehiro Miura 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: 20170167019
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a process chamber, and a susceptor provided in the process chamber and having a substrate receiving area formed in a top surface thereof. A first plasma generator is configured to perform a first plasma process on a first predetermined area in the substrate receiving area. A first radio frequency power source is connected to the first plasma generator and configured to supply first radio frequency power to the first plasma generator. A second plasma generator is configured to perform a second plasma process on a second predetermined area in the substrate receiving area and to be able to change the second predetermined area. A second radio frequency power source is connected to the second plasma generator and configured to supply second radio frequency power to the second plasma generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Inventors: Kazuhide HASEBE, Shigehiro MIURA
  • Publication number: 20170130333
    Abstract: A plasma processing method is provided. In the plasma processing method, a plurality of types of mixed gases is supplied to a plurality of areas on a film deposited on a surface of a substrate. The plurality of types of mixed gases contains a plurality types of noble gases. The plurality of types of mixed gases has different mix proportions of the plurality types of noble gases from each other. The plurality of types of mixed gases is converted to plasma. A plasma process is performed by using the mixed gases converted to the plasma on the film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2016
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Inventor: Shigehiro MIURA
  • Publication number: 20170125258
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a process chamber, and a turntable provided in the process chamber and including a substrate holding region formed in a top surface along a circumferential direction of the turntable. A surface area increasing region is provided in the top surface of the turntable around the substrate holding region and is configured to increase a surface area of the top surface of the turntable to an area larger than a surface area of a flat surface by including a concavo-convex pattern in its top surface. A process gas supply unit is configured to supply a process gas to the top surface of the turntable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Jun SATO, Shigehiro MIURA
  • Patent number: 9607828
    Abstract: A method of depositing a silicon-containing film using a film deposition apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a turntable provided in a process chamber. In the method, a seed layer is formed on a surface of the substrate by supplying an aminosilane gas from the first process gas supplying unit for a predetermined period of time while rotating the turntable. A boron-containing gas is supplied from the first gas supplying unit to the surface of the substrate while rotating the turntable after finishing the step of forming the seed layer on the surface of the substrate. A silane-based gas is supplied from the second process gas supplying unit to the surface of the substrate while rotating the turntable and causing silicon atoms contained in the silane-based gas to bond with each other on the surface of the substrate by a catalytic action of the boron-containing gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Jun Sato, Shigehiro Miura
  • Patent number: 9601318
    Abstract: A plasma processing method is provided. In the method, a distribution of an amount of processing within a surface of a substrate by a plasma process performed on a film deposited on the substrate is obtained. Next, a flow speed of the plasma processing gas is adjusted by increasing the flow speed of the plasma processing gas supplied to a first area where the amount of processing is expected to be increased or by decreasing the flow speed of the plasma processing gas supplied to a second area where the amount of processing is expected to be decreased. Then, the plasma process is performed on the film deposited on the substrate by supplying the plasma processing gas having the adjusted flow speed into the predetermined plasma process area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigehiro Miura, Hitoshi Kato, Jun Sato, Toshiyuki Nakatsubo, Hiroyuki Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 9583318
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus of performing a plasma process on substrates mounted on an upper surface of a rotary table. The apparatus includes: a heater for heating the substrates; a process gas supply part for supplying a process gas toward the upper surface of the rotary table; an antenna for generating an inductively coupled plasma by converting the process gas to plasma; a light detection part for detecting respective light intensities of R, G and B component as light color components; a calculation part for obtaining an evaluation value corresponding to a change amount before and after supplying a high-frequency power to the antenna, with respect to at least one of the respective light intensities; and an ignition determination part for comparing the evaluation value with a threshold value and to determine that ignition of plasma is not generated if the evaluation value does not exceed the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigehiro Miura, Takeshi Kobayashi, Katsuaki Sugawara, Naohide Ito
  • Patent number: 9583312
    Abstract: A film formation device to conduct a film formation process for a substrate includes a rotating table, a film formation area configured to include a process gas supply part, a plasma processing part, a lower bias electrode provided at a lower side of a position of a height of the substrate on the rotating table, an upper bias electrode arranged at the same position of the height or an upper side of a position of the height, a high-frequency power source part connected to at least one of the lower bias electrode and the upper bias electrode and configured to form a bias electric potential on the substrate in such a manner that the lower bias electrode and the upper bias electrode are capacitively coupled, and an exhaust mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Jun Yamawaku, Chishio Koshimizu, Yohei Yamazawa, Mitsuhiro Tachibana, Hitoshi Kato, Takeshi Kobayashi, Shigehiro Miura, Takafumi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20170051403
    Abstract: A film forming apparatus for performing a predetermine film forming process on a substrate mounted on an upper surface of a rotary table installed within a process vessel while rotating the rotary table and heating the substrate by a heating part, includes: a contact type first temperature measuring part configured to measure a temperature of the heating part; a non-contact type second temperature measuring part configured to measure a temperature of the substrate; and a control part configured to control a power supplied to the heating part based on at least one among a first measurement value measured by the first temperature measuring part and a second measurement value measured by the second temperature measuring part. The control part changes a method for controlling the power when the predetermined film forming process is performed on the substrate and when the substrate is loaded into or unloaded from the process vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2016
    Publication date: February 23, 2017
    Inventors: Masato YONEZAWA, Shigehiro MIURA, Hiroyuki AKAMA, Koji YOSHII
  • Publication number: 20170009341
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a process chamber; a rotary table provided within the process chamber so as to place a substrate on a surface of the rotary table; a first process gas supply region including a first process gas supply part that supplies a first process gas to the substrate; a second process gas supply region including a second process gas supply part that supplies a second process gas to the substrate; first and second exhaust ports provided below the rotary table; and a conductance reduction part that reduces conductance in the vicinity of the first exhaust port in a route along which the second process gas flows toward the first exhaust port through a communication space, the communication space being generated by upward movement of the rotary table and allowing the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port to communicate with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventor: Shigehiro MIURA
  • Publication number: 20170002464
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing method using a processing chamber that is provided with a first process gas supply region, a first exhaust port through which a first process gas supplied to the first process gas supply region is exhausted, a second process gas supply region, a second exhaust port through which a second process gas supplied to the second process gas supply region is exhausted, and a communication space through which the first exhaust port and the second exhaust port communicate with each other, wherein an exhaust pressure in the first exhaust port is set higher than an exhaust pressure in the second exhaust port by a predetermined pressure so as to perform a substrate process while preventing infiltration of the second process gas into the first exhaust port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventors: Shigehiro MIURA, Jun SATO
  • Publication number: 20160379868
    Abstract: A method for depositing a silicon-containing film is performed by causing a silicon-containing gas to adsorb on a first surface of a depression formed in a second surface of a substrate by supplying the silicon-containing gas to the substrate. A silicon component contained in the silicon-containing gas adsorbed on the first surface of the depression is partially etched by supplying an etching gas to the substrate. A silicon-containing film is deposited in the depression by supplying a reaction gas reactable with the silicon component to the substrate so as to produce a reaction product by causing the reaction gas to react with the silicon component left in the depression without being etched.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Jun SATO, Hiroyuki KIKUCHI, Masahiro MURATA, Shigehiro MIURA
  • Publication number: 20160358794
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber and a turntable provided in the vacuum chamber. The turntable includes a substrate receiving area formed in a surface along a circumferential direction thereof. An etching area is provided at a predetermined area along the circumferential direction of the turntable. An etching gas supply unit is provided in the etching area so as to face the surface of the turntable and including gas discharge holes arranged extending in a radial direction of the turntable. A reaction energy decrease prevention unit configured to prevent a decrease in etching reaction energy in an outer area of the turntable in the etching area is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventor: Shigehiro MIURA
  • Patent number: 9502215
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus is provided. According to the apparatus, a main antenna connected to a high frequency power source and an auxiliary antenna electrically insulated from main antenna is arranged. Moreover, projection areas when the main antenna and the auxiliary antenna are seen in a plan view are arranged so as not to overlap with each other. More specifically, the auxiliary antenna is arranged on a downstream side in a rotational direction of the turntable relative to the main antenna. Then, a first electromagnetic field is generated in the auxiliary antenna by way of an induction current flowing through the main antenna, and a second induction plasma is generated even in an area under the auxiliary antenna in addition to an area under the main antenna by resonating the auxiliary antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kato, Shigehiro Miura, Chishio Koshimizu, Jun Yamawaku, Yohei Yamazawa
  • Patent number: 9466483
    Abstract: A film deposition apparatus includes a turntable to rotate a substrate thereon, a process gas supply part to supply a process gas to form a thin film on the substrate, a heating part to heat the substrate up to a predetermined film deposition temperature to form a thin film, a plasma treatment part to treat the thin film for modification, a heat lamp provided above the turntable and configured to heat the substrate up to a temperature higher than the predetermined film deposition temperature by irradiating the substrate with light in an adsorption wavelength range of the substrate, and a control part to output a control signal so as to repeat a step of depositing the thin film and a step of modifying the thin film by the plasma, and then to stop supplying the process gas and to heat the substrate by the heat lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kato, Shigehiro Miura
  • Publication number: 20160293390
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus of performing a plasma process on substrates mounted on an upper surface of a rotary table. The apparatus includes: a heater for heating the substrates; a process gas supply part for supplying a process gas toward the upper surface of the rotary table; an antenna for generating an inductively coupled plasma by converting the process gas to plasma; a light detection part for detecting respective light intensities of R, G and B component as light color components; a calculation part for obtaining an evaluation value corresponding to a change amount before and after supplying a high-frequency power to the antenna, with respect to at least one of the respective light intensities; and an ignition determination part for comparing the evaluation value with a threshold value and to determine that ignition of plasma is not generated if the evaluation value does not exceed the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Shigehiro MIURA, Takeshi KOBAYASHI, Katsuaki SUGAWARA, Naohide ITO
  • Publication number: 20160268105
    Abstract: An operation method of a plasma processing device, includes performing a plasma process on a workpiece by supplying first high frequency power of a predetermined output to an electrode and generating plasma; and performing a charge storage process before the plasma process when a time interval from an end of a previous operation of the plasma processing device exceeds a predetermined interval, the charge storage process including supplying, to the electrode, second high frequency power of a lower output than the predetermined output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Shigehiro MIURA, Hitoshi KATO, Jun SATO, Takeshi KOBAYASHI, Masato YONEZAWA
  • Publication number: 20160258065
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a rotary table arranged in a vacuum chamber, a first reaction gas supply unit that supplies a first reaction gas to a surface of the rotary table, a second reaction gas supply unit that is arranged apart from the first reaction gas supply unit and supplies a second reaction gas, which reacts with the first reaction gas, to the surface of the rotary table, and an activated gas supply unit that is arranged apart from the first and second reaction gas supply units. The activated gas supply unit includes a discharge unit that supplies an activated fluorine-containing gas to the surface of the rotary table, a pipe that is arranged upstream of the discharge unit and supplies the fluorine-containing gas to the discharge unit, and at least one hydrogen-containing gas supply unit arranged at the pipe for supplying a hydrogen-containing gas into the pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventor: Shigehiro MIURA
  • Publication number: 20160260587
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a rotary table arranged in a vacuum chamber, a first reaction gas supply unit that supplies a first reaction gas to a surface of the rotary table, a second reaction gas supply unit that is arranged apart from the first reaction gas supply unit that supplies a second reaction gas, which reacts with the first reaction gas, to the rotary table surface, an activated gas supply unit that is arranged apart from the first and second reaction gas supply units and includes a discharge unit that supplies an activated etching gas to the rotary table surface, and a plurality of purge gas supply units that are provided near the discharge unit for supplying a purge gas to the rotary table surface. A flow rate of the purge gas supplied from each of the purge gas supply units can be independently controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventor: Shigehiro MIURA
  • Publication number: 20160254136
    Abstract: A method of depositing a silicon-containing film using a film deposition apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a turntable provided in a process chamber. In the method, a seed layer is formed on a surface of the substrate by supplying an aminosilane gas from the first process gas supplying unit for a predetermined period of time while rotating the turntable. A boron-containing gas is supplied from the first gas supplying unit to the surface of the substrate while rotating the turntable after finishing the step of forming the seed layer on the surface of the substrate. A silane-based gas is supplied from the second process gas supplying unit to the surface of the substrate while rotating the turntable and causing silicon atoms contained in the silane-based gas to bond with each other on the surface of the substrate by a catalytic action of the boron-containing gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Jun SATO, Shigehiro MIURA
  • Publication number: 20160244877
    Abstract: A film deposition apparatus includes a process chamber having a substantially cylindrical shape, and a turntable to receive a substrate thereon provided in the process chamber. At least one gas nozzle extends toward a central axis of the turntable from an inner side wall of the process chamber above the turntable along a radial direction of the turntable. At least one side wall heater is provided to cover at least part of the inner side wall of the process chamber and/or at least part of a surrounding area of the central axis of the turntable in a wall-shaped manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Hitoshi KATO, Shigehiro MIURA