Patents by Inventor Sho Kumakura

Sho Kumakura 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: 20250125130
    Abstract: A control method of a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing system. The control method includes: a step a) of partially etching a workpiece to form a recess in the workpiece; a step b) of forming a protective layer on a sidewall of the recess formed in the workpiece; a step c) of further etching the workpiece where the recess and the protective layer are formed; a step d) of repeating the steps b) and c); a step e) of monitoring the obtained workpiece; a step f) of executing a virtual experiment that simulates the steps a) to d); a step g) of deriving a parameter to be applied to at least one of the steps a) to d) based on a monitoring result of the workpiece and a result of the virtual experiment; and a step h) of executing at least one of the steps a) to e).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2024
    Publication date: April 17, 2025
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Sho KUMAKURA
  • Publication number: 20250087454
    Abstract: An etching method includes: (a) providing a substrate, the substrate including a first film and a second film having openings on the first film, the first film containing a metallic element and a non-metallic element, and (b) etching the first film through the openings. The (b) includes: (i) etching the first film through the openings with a first plasma generated from a first processing gas including a halogen-containing gas by supplying a pulse of a radio-frequency power, (ii) modifying a sidewall of a recess formed in the (i) with a second plasma generated from a second processing gas, and (iii) repeating the (i) and the (ii).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2024
    Publication date: March 13, 2025
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Sho KUMAKURA, Soichiro KIMURA, Koyumi SASA, Nobuhiro ODASHIMA, Yuji MASAKI, Noboru TAKEMOTO, Makoto KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20250087455
    Abstract: An etching method includes a step (a) of providing a substrate, the substrate including a first film and a second film having an opening on the first film, the first film containing a metallic element and a non-metallic element, a step (b) of forming a protective film on a sidewall of a recess formed in the first film corresponding to the opening, and a step (c) of etching the first film through the opening with a plasma generated from a processing gas including a halogen-containing gas at the same time as or after the step (b).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2024
    Publication date: March 13, 2025
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Sho KUMAKURA, Soichiro KIMURA, Koyumi SASA, Nobuhiro ODASHIMA, Yuji MASAKI, Noboru TAKEMOTO, Makoto KOBAYASHI, Shota YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20250051915
    Abstract: A plasma processing method includes (a) providing a substrate including a first region including a first material and a second region including a second material different from the first material; (b) supplying a modifying gas for modifying a surface of the first region and a carbon-containing precursor; (c) forming a modified layer by modifying the surface of the first region with plasma generated from a gas mixture including the modifying gas and the carbon-containing precursor by supplying first radio frequency power; and (d) removing the modified layer in a manner that the modified layer and the carbon-containing precursor are caused to react with each other by stopping supply of the first radio frequency power or supplying second radio frequency power smaller than the first radio frequency power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2024
    Publication date: February 13, 2025
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yuta NAKANE, Sho Kumakura
  • Patent number: 12125710
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes: (a) providing a substrate including an etching target film, a first mask formed on the etching target film, and a second mask formed on the first mask, the second mask being different in film type from the first mask and having an opening; (b) selectively etching the first mask with respect to the second mask, thereby forming an opening in the first mask such that an opening dimension of at least a portion of the first mask is larger than an opening dimension of a bottom of the second mask; and (c) etching the etching target film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Sho Kumakura, Yusuke Takino
  • Patent number: 12112954
    Abstract: An etching method includes forming a film on a surface of a substrate having a region to be etched and a mask. The mask is provided on the region and includes an opening that partially exposes the region. The film is made of the same material as that of the region. The etching method further includes etching the region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Maju Tomura, Tomohiko Niizeki, Takayuki Katsunuma, Hironari Sasagawa, Yuta Nakane, Shinya Ishikawa, Kenta Ono, Sho Kumakura, Yusuke Takino, Masanobu Honda
  • Patent number: 12100578
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes forming a pre-coat film on an in-chamber part disposed in a chamber, and subsequently processing one or more substrates. The forming a pre-coat film includes forming a first film on the in-chamber part without using plasma or by using a first plasma generated under a condition that sputtering is suppressed on the in-chamber part, and forming a second film on a surface of the first film by using a second plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Sho Kumakura, Yuta Nakane
  • Patent number: 12071687
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus in the present disclosure includes a plasma processing chamber, a gas supply, a power supply, and a controller. The controller causes (a) forming a first film on side walls of an opening of a processing target using the plasma so that the first film has different thicknesses along a spacing between pairs of side walls facing each other, and (b) forming a second film by performing a film forming cycle one or more times after (a) so that the second film has different thicknesses along the spacing between the pairs of side walls facing each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Michiko Nakaya, Toru Hisamatsu, Shinya Ishikawa, Sho Kumakura, Masanobu Honda, Yoshihide Kihara
  • Publication number: 20240165677
    Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment, a method for cleaning a chamber of a substrate processing apparatus or a component disposed in the chamber includes: (a) forming a second metal-containing substance from a first metal-containing substance adhering to the chamber or the component by using a first processing gas including a fluorine-containing gas in the chamber; and (b) removing the second metal-containing substance by using a second processing gas including a precursor in the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2023
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yuta NAKANE, Sho KUMAKURA
  • Publication number: 20240128092
    Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment, a substrate processing method includes: (a) providing a substrate including a metal-containing film and a mask provided on the metal-containing film; (b) forming a protective film on the mask; and (c) etching the metal-containing film after (b). (c) includes (c1) forming a second metal-containing substance from a first metal-containing substance contained in the metal-containing film by using a first processing gas including a fluorine-containing gas, and (c2) removing the second metal-containing substance by using a second processing gas including a precursor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yuta NAKANE, Sho KUMAKURA
  • Patent number: 11961746
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes (a) forming a recess on a workpiece by partially etching the workpiece; and (b) forming a film having a thickness that differs along a depth direction of the recess, on a side wall of the recess. Step (b) includes (b-1) supplying a first reactant, and causing the first reactant to be adsorbed to the side wall of the recess; and (b-2) supplying a second reactant, and causing the second reactant to react with the first reactant thereby forming a film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Sho Kumakura, Hironari Sasagawa, Maju Tomura, Yoshihide Kihara
  • Publication number: 20240120187
    Abstract: A plasma processing method includes providing a substrate having a recess is provided in a processing container; generating plasma in the processing container to form a film on the recess; monitoring a state of the plasma generated in the generating; and determining necessity of re-execution of the generating and processing conditions for the re-execution based on the monitored plasma state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hironari SASAGAWA, Sho KUMAKURA
  • Publication number: 20240047223
    Abstract: A substrate processing method according to the present disclosure includes: providing a substrate in a chamber, the substrate having an etching target film and a tin-containing film, the tin-containing film defining at least one opening on the etching target film; and forming a modified film by supplying a processing gas to the chamber to form the modified film on a surface of the tin-containing film, the processing gas including a halogen-containing gas or an oxygen-containing gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Sho KUMAKURA, Kenta ONO, Shinya ISHIKAWA
  • Patent number: 11862441
    Abstract: A plasma processing method includes providing a substrate having a recess is provided in a processing container; generating plasma in the processing container to form a film on the recess; monitoring a state of the plasma generated in the generating; and determining necessity of re-execution of the generating and processing conditions for the re-execution based on the monitored plasma state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hironari Sasagawa, Sho Kumakura
  • Publication number: 20230282447
    Abstract: A plasma processing method includes: providing a substrate including a silicon-containing film and a mask film having an opening pattern, on a substrate support; and etching the silicon-containing film using the mask film as a mask, with a plasma generated by a plasma generator provided in the chamber. The etching includes: supplying a processing gas containing one or more gases including carbon, hydrogen, and fluorine into the chamber; generating a plasma from the processing gas by supplying a source RF signal to the plasma generator; and supplying a bias RF signal to the substrate support unit. In the etching, the silicon-containing film is etched by at least hydrogen fluoride generated from the processing gas, while forming a carbon-containing film on at least a part of a surface of the mask film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takahiro YONEZAWA, Takayuki KATSUNUMA, Shinya ISHIKAWA, Koki TANAKA, Sho KUMAKURA
  • Patent number: 11728166
    Abstract: Provided is a method of processing a substrate including an etching target film and a mask having an opening formed on the etching target film. The method includes a) providing the substrate on a stage in a chamber and b) forming a film having a thickness that differs along a film thickness direction of the mask, on a side wall of the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Sho Kumakura, Maju Tomura, Yoshihide Kihara, Hironari Sasagawa
  • Patent number: 11637025
    Abstract: Generation of a deposit can be suppressed and high selectivity can be acquired when etching a first region made of silicon nitride selectively against a second region made of silicon oxide. A method includes preparing a processing target object having the first region and the second region within a chamber provided in a chamber main body of a plasma processing apparatus; generating plasma of a first gas including a gas containing hydrogen within the chamber to form a modified region by modifying a part of the first region with active species of the hydrogen; and generating plasma of a second gas including a gas containing fluorine within the chamber to remove the modified region with active species of the fluorine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Masahiro Tabata, Sho Kumakura
  • Patent number: 11574806
    Abstract: A technique regarding film formation capable of forming a three-dimensional pattern successfully is provided. A film forming method for a processing target object is provided. The processing target object has a supporting base body and a processing target layer. The processing target layer is provided on a main surface of the supporting base body and includes protrusion regions. Each protrusion region is extended upwards from the main surface, and an end surface of each protrusion region is exposed when viewed from above the main surface. The film forming method includes a first process of forming a film on the end surface of each protrusion region; and a second process of selectively exposing one or more end surfaces by anisotropically etching the film formed through the first process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Sho Kumakura, Masahiro Tabata
  • Publication number: 20230010069
    Abstract: A method of processing a substrate is provided. The substrate includes an etching target region and a patterned region. The patterned region is provided on the etching target region. In the method, an organic film is formed on a surface of the substrate. Subsequently, the etching target region is etched by plasma generated from a processing gas. The organic film is formed in a state that the substrate is placed in a processing space within a chamber. When the organic film is formed, a first gas containing a first organic compound is supplied toward the substrate, and then, a second gas containing a second organic compound is supplied toward the substrate. An organic compound constituting the organic film is generated by polymerization of the first organic compound and the second organic compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2022
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Masahiro Tabata, Toru Hisamatsu, Sho Kumakura, Ryuichi Asako, Shinya Ishikawa, Masanobu Honda
  • Publication number: 20220411928
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus in the present disclosure includes a plasma processing chamber, a gas supply, a power supply, and a controller. The controller causes (a) forming a first film on side walls of an opening of a processing target using the plasma so that the first film has different thicknesses along a spacing between pairs of side walls facing each other, and (b) forming a second film by performing a film forming cycle one or more times after (a) so that the second film has different thicknesses along the spacing between the pairs of side walls facing each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Applicant: Tokyo Electro Limited
    Inventors: Michiko NAKAYA, Toru Hisamatsu, Shinya Ishikawa, Sho Kumakura, Masanobu Honda, Yoshihide Kihara