Patents by Inventor Shuichi Ishizuka

Shuichi Ishizuka 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: 6727182
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a process for a fluorine containing carbon film (a CF film), which can put an interlayer insulator film of a fluorine containing carbon film into practice. A conductive film, e.g., a TiN film 41, is formed on a CF film 4. After a pattern of a resist film 42 is formed thereon, the TiN film 41 is etched with, e.g., BCl3 gas. Thereafter, when the surface of the wafer is irradiated with O2 plasma, the CF film is chemically etched, and the resist film 42 is also etched. However, since the TiN film 41 functions as a mask, a predetermined hole can be formed. Although an interconnection layer of aluminum or the like is formed on the surface of the CF film 4, the TiN film 41 functions as an adhesion layer for adhering the interconnection layer to the CF film 4 and serves as a part of the interconnection layer. As the mask, an insulator film of SiO2 or the like may be substituted for the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Akahori, Shuichi Ishizuka, Shunichi Endo, Takeshi Aoki, Tadashi Hirata
  • Patent number: 6537904
    Abstract: When a semiconductor device using fluorine-containing carbon films (CF films) 21, 22, 23 as inter-layer dielectric films is fabricated using boron nitride films (BN films) as hard masks 31, 32, 33, total inter-wiring capacitance of the semiconductor device can be made low. After a first CF film 21 as an inter-layer dielectric film is stacked, a hard mask 31 composed of a BN film is stacked on the CF film 21, and thereafter selectively removed by etching to form a predetermined groove pattern. The CF film 21 is next etched by using the hard mask 31 as a mask to form grooves for forming wiring layers 51. Then, Cu is buried into the grooves to complete the semiconductor device. Since this semiconductor device uses the CF film and the MN film having low relative dielectric constants, the relative dielectric constant of the entire semiconductor device can be made low. As a result, its total inter-wiring capacitance can be made low as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Shuichi Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 6443165
    Abstract: A method for use in a plasma treatment system that shortens the time required for the cleaning of a fluorine containing carbon film adheared in a vacuum vessel and protects the surface of a transfer table when the cleaning is carried out. After a CF film is deposited by, e.g., a plasma treatment system, the cleaning of the CF film adhered in a vacuum vessel 2 is carried out. In the cleaning, a plasma of O2 gas is produced, and the C—C and C—F bonds on the surface of the CF film are physically and chemically cut by the active species of O produced by the plasma. The O2 gas penetrates into the CF film at places where the C—C and C—F bonds have been cut, to react with C of the CF film to form CO2 which scatters. On the other hand, F scatters as F2. Thus, the CF film is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Akahori, Masaki Tozawa, Yoko Naito, Risa Nakase, Shuichi Ishizuka, Masahide Saito, Tadashi Hirata
  • Patent number: 6419985
    Abstract: A method for producing an insulator film for use as an interlayer dielectric film in a semiconductor device having a multi-level interconnection structure is disclosed. An inert plasma producing gas, such as argon, is introduced into a vacuum vessel along with a thin film deposition gas, such as a compound gas containing fluorine and carbon. Activation of the plasma producing gas activates the thin film producing gas, resulting in a thin fluorine containing carbon insulator film on the semiconductor device. In order to thermally stabilize the insulator layer, the semiconductor device is annealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Ltd.
    Inventor: Shuichi Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 6355902
    Abstract: Microwave is introduced into a plasma chamber of a plasma processing apparatus and magnetic field is applied thereto to allow plasma generation gas to be placed in plasma state by the electron cyclotron resonance. This plasma is introduced into a film forming chamber of the plasma processing apparatus to allow film forming gas including compound gas of carbon and fluorine or compound gas of carbon, fluorine and hydrogen, and hydro carbon gas to be placed in plasma state. In addition, an insulating film consisting of fluorine added carbon film is formed by the film forming gas placed in plasma state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Akahori, Masaki Tozawa, Yoko Naito, Risa Nakase, Osamu Yokoyama, Shuichi Ishizuka, Shunichi Endo, Masahide Saito, Takeshi Aoki, Tadashi Hirata
  • Publication number: 20010020608
    Abstract: Microwave is introduced into a plasma chamber of a plasma processing apparatus and magnetic field is applied thereto to allow plasma generation gas to be placed in plasma state by the electron cyclotron resonance. This plasma is introduced into a film forming chamber of the plasma processing apparatus to allow film forming gas including compound gas of carbon and fluorine or compound gas of carbon, fluorine and hydrogen, and hydro carbon gas to be placed in plasma state. In addition, an insulating film consisting of fluorine added carbon film is formed by the film forming gas placed in plasma state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2001
    Publication date: September 13, 2001
    Inventors: Takashi Akahori, Masaki Tozawa, Yoko Naito, Risa Nakase, Osamu Yokoyama, Shuichi Ishizuka, Shunichi Endo, Masahide Saito, Takeshi Aoki, Tadashi Hirata
  • Publication number: 20010001741
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a process for a fluorine containing carbon film (a CF film), which can put an interlayer insulator film of a fluorine containing carbon film into practice.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 1998
    Publication date: May 24, 2001
    Inventors: TAKASHI AKAHORI, SHUICHI ISHIZUKA, SHUNICHI ENDO, TAKESHI AOKI, TADASHI HIRATA
  • Patent number: 6215087
    Abstract: Microwave is introduced into a plasma chamber of a plasma processing apparatus and magnetic field is applied thereto to allow plasma generation gas to be placed in plasma state by the electron cyclotron resonance. This plasma is introduced into a film forming chamber of the plasma processing apparatus to allow film forming gas including compound gas of carbon and fluorine or compound gas of carbon, fluorine and hydrogen, and hydro carbon gas to be placed in plasma state. In addition, an insulating film consisting of fluorine added carbon film is formed by the film forming gas placed in plasma state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Akahori, Masaki Tozawa, Yoko Naito, Risa Nakase, Osamu Yokoyama, Shuichi Ishizuka, Shunichi Endo, Masahide Saito, Takeshi Aoki, Tadashi Hirata
  • Patent number: 6087614
    Abstract: The invention is intended to produce a plasma of uniform density in a wide region and to achieve plasma processing of a surface of a wafer (W) highly uniformly. A transmission window (23) which transmits a microwave is held on an upper wall of a vacuum vessel (2) having a plasma chamber (21) and a film forming chamber (22), and a waveguide (4) for guiding the microwave of 2.45 GHz for propagation into the vacuum vessel (2) in a TM mode is joined to the outer surface of the transmission window (23). The waveguide (4) has a rectangular waveguide section (41) a cylindrical waveguide section (42) serving as a TM converter, and a conical waveguide section (43) having an exit end connected to the outer surface of the transmission window (23). The microwave is propagated in a TM mode into the vacuum vessel (2) and a magnetic field is created in the vacuum vessel (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shuichi Ishizuka, Risa Nakase, Takeshi Aoki
  • Patent number: 5531834
    Abstract: A plasma film forming apparatus comprises gas supply means for feeding a processing gas into a processing chamber, a first electrode opposed to an object of processing in the processing chamber, a second electrode in the form of a flat coil facing the first electrode across the object of processing, pressure regulating means for keeping the pressure in the processing chamber at 0.1 Torr or below, heating means for heating the object of processing to a predetermined temperature, and application means for applying radio-frequency power between the first and second electrodes, whereby the processing gas is converted into a plasma such that a film is formed on the surface of the object of processing through reaction of ions or active seeds in the plasma. When radio-frequency power is applied between the pair of electrodes, a radio-frequency electric field is formed. Since one of the electrodes is the flat coil, however, a magnetic field is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuichi Ishizuka, Kohei Kawamura, Jiro Hata, Akira Suzuki
  • Patent number: 5522934
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus comprises a susceptor for supporting a target object to be processed having a target surface to be processed in a process vessel, a plurality of process gas supply nozzles for supplying a process gas for the target object into the process vessel, and an RF coil for generating an electromagnetic wave in the process vessel to generate a plasma of the process gas. The supplying nozzles have process gas injection holes formed at a plurality of levels in a direction substantially perpendicular to the target surface of the target object in the process vessel, and the gas injection holes located at an upper level are closer to a center of the target surface than gas injection holes located at a lower level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Akira Suzuki, Shuichi Ishizuka, Kohei Kawamura, Jiro Hata
  • Patent number: 5476182
    Abstract: An etching apparatus for etching an insulating film of an object to be processed having the insulating film comprises a first chamber into which an inert gas is introduced, a plasma generating section for converting the inert gas to a plasma in the first chamber, a second chamber, which communicates with the first chamber, for receiving a reactive gas for etching the insulating film and generating radicals of the reactive gas therein, and a support electrode for supporting the object to be processed in the second chamber and attracting ions in the plasma of the inert gas to the object to be processed. The radicals is generated when the reactive gas introduced into the second chamber is excited by the plasma of the inert gas diffused from the first chamber to the second chamber. The insulating film and the radicals react with each other by the assist of the ions of the inert gas, thereby etching the insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1995
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shuichi Ishizuka, Kohei Kawamura, Jiro Hata