Patents by Inventor Tadashi Nishiyama

Tadashi Nishiyama 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: 20240022693
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a substrate imaging apparatus includes: a rotary holding unit that holds and rotates a substrate; a mirror member having a reflecting surface that opposes an end face of the substrate and a peripheral portion of a back surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, the reflecting surface being inclined with respect to a rotation axis of the rotary holding unit; and a camera having an imaging device that receives both first light and second light through a lens, the first light coming from a peripheral portion of a front surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, and the second light being a reflected light of second light which comes from the end face of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit and is reflected by the reflecting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Norihisa KOGA, Tadashi NISHIYAMA, Yasuaki NODA
  • Publication number: 20230395380
    Abstract: A processing method in one embodiment includes: a step that takes an image of the end face of a reference substrate, whose warp amount is known, over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the reference substrate; a step that takes an image of the end face of a substrate over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the substrate; a step that calculates warp amount of the substrate based on the obtained shape data; a step that forms a resist film on a surface of the substrate; a step that determines the supply position from which an organic solvent is to be supplied to a peripheral portion of the resist film and dissolves the peripheral portion by the solvent supplied from the supply position to remove the same from the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yasuaki NODA, Tadashi NISHIYAMA
  • Patent number: 11832026
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a substrate imaging apparatus includes: a rotary holding unit that holds and rotates a substrate; a mirror member having a reflecting surface that opposes an end face of the substrate and a peripheral portion of a back surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, the reflecting surface being inclined with respect to a rotation axis of the rotary holding unit; and a camera having an imaging device that receives both first light and second light through a lens, the first light coming from a peripheral portion of a front surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, and the second light being a reflected light of second light which comes from the end face of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit and is reflected by the reflecting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Norihisa Koga, Tadashi Nishiyama, Yasuaki Noda
  • Patent number: 11823922
    Abstract: A substrate inspection apparatus includes: a storage configured to store inspection image data obtained from a captured image of a periphery of a substrate on which a film is formed, and an inspection recipe; an edge detector configured to detect a target edge as an edge of an inspection target film on the basis of the inspection image data stored in the storage by using the inspection recipe stored in the storage; a periphery calculator configured to calculate a position of a theoretical periphery of the substrate; and a width calculator configured to calculate a width between the theoretical periphery of the substrate and the target edge on the basis of position data of the theoretical periphery of the substrate obtained by the periphery calculator and position data of the target edge obtained by the edge detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Akiko Kiyotomi, Masato Hosaka, Tadashi Nishiyama, Kazuya Hisano
  • Publication number: 20230333531
    Abstract: This method includes: a step of imaging, by an imaging apparatus in a substrate treatment system, a reference substrate which is a reference for condition setting and acquiring a captured image of the reference substrate; a step of imaging, by the imaging apparatus, a treated substrate on which the predetermined treatment has been performed under a current treatment condition and acquiring a captured image of the treated substrate; a step of calculating a deviation amount in color information between the captured image of the treated substrate and the captured image of the reference substrate; a step of calculating a correction amount of the treatment condition based on a correlation model acquired in advance and on the deviation amount in the color information; and a step of setting the treatment condition based on the correction amount, wherein steps other than the step of acquiring a captured image of the reference substrate are performed for each of the treatment apparatuses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Takuya MORI, Tadashi NISHIYAMA, Akiko KIYOTOMI, Hiroshi TOMITA
  • Patent number: 11791162
    Abstract: A processing method in one embodiment includes: a step that takes an image of the end face of a reference substrate, whose warp amount is known, over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the reference substrate; a step that takes an image of the end face of a substrate over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the substrate; a step that calculates warp amount of the substrate based on the obtained shape data; a step that forms a resist film on a surface of the substrate; a step that determines the supply position from which an organic solvent is to be supplied to a peripheral portion of the resist film and dissolves the peripheral portion by the solvent supplied from the supply position to remove the same from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yasuaki Noda, Tadashi Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 11726438
    Abstract: This method includes a step of imaging, by an imaging apparatus in a substrate treatment system, a reference substrate which is a reference for condition setting and acquiring a captured image of the reference substrate; and a step of imaging, by the imaging apparatus, a treated substrate on which the predetermined treatment has been performed under a current treatment condition and acquiring a captured image of the treated substrate. A deviation amount in color information between the captured image of the treated substrate and the captured image of the reference substrate is calculated. A correction amount of the treatment condition is calculated based on a correlation model acquired in advance and on the deviation amount in the color information. Also included is a step of setting the treatment condition based on the correction amount and performing the treatment on a target substrate based on the set treatment condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takuya Mori, Tadashi Nishiyama, Akiko Kiyotomi, Hiroshi Tomita
  • Publication number: 20230224559
    Abstract: A substrate inspection apparatus configured to inspect a substrate with an image obtained by imaging a surface of the substrate includes a holder 31 configured to hold the substrate; a first light source unit 51 configured to emit visible light to the substrate held by the holder 31; a second light source unit 52 configured to emit infrared light to the substrate held by the holder 31; a first imaging sensor configured to capture a visible light image of the surface of the substrate by receiving first reflected light emitted from the substrate as a result of radiating the visible light; and a second imaging sensor configured to capture an infrared light image of the surface of the substrate by receiving second reflected light emitted from the substrate as a result of radiating the infrared light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Daisuke Kajiwara, Tadashi Nishiyama, Hiroshi Tomita
  • Publication number: 20230197480
    Abstract: A substrate inspection apparatus includes: a storage configured to store inspection image data obtained from a captured image of a periphery of a substrate on which a film is formed, and an inspection recipe; an edge detector configured to detect a target edge as an edge of an inspection target film on the basis of the inspection image data stored in the storage by using the inspection recipe stored in the storage; a periphery calculator configured to calculate a position of a theoretical periphery of the substrate; and a width calculator configured to calculate a width between the theoretical periphery of the substrate and the target edge on the basis of position data of the theoretical periphery of the substrate obtained by the periphery calculator and position data of the target edge obtained by the edge detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Akiko KIYOTOMI, Masato HOSAKA, Tadashi NISHIYAMA, Kazuya HISANO
  • Patent number: 11669955
    Abstract: Defects of substrates are inspected when executing a job in which a treatment recipe for substrates and the substrates being treatment objects are designated to perform predetermined treatments on the substrates. An imaging step successively images substrates. A first determination step decomposes, in order from the substrate as head of the job, a planar distribution of pixel values in a substrate image captured at the imaging step into pixel value distribution components using a Zernike polynomial, calculates Zernike coefficients of the pixel value distribution components corresponding to defects to be detected, and determines presence or absence of a defect based on the calculated Zernike coefficients. A second determination step determines, from predetermined timing after one or more substrates is determined to have no defect at the first determination step, presence or absence of a defect based on the substrate image determined to have no defect at the first determination step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shin Inoue, Kazuya Hisano, Akiko Kiyotomi, Tadashi Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 11609502
    Abstract: A substrate inspection apparatus includes: a storage configured to store inspection image data obtained from a captured image of a periphery of a substrate on which a plurality of films is formed, and an inspection recipe; and an edge detector configured to detect a target edge as an edge of an inspection target film among the films on the basis of the inspection image data stored in the storage by using the inspection recipe stored in the storage. Each of edges of the films extends along the periphery of the substrate. The inspection recipe is configured by combining parameters each of which has one option specified among a plurality of options.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Akiko Kiyotomi, Masato Hosaka, Tadashi Nishiyama, Kazuya Hisano
  • Patent number: 11469435
    Abstract: A dummy cell disposed at least at one end of a cell stack body in a fuel cell stack includes a dummy electrode assembly. The dummy electrode assembly includes a plate, and a pair of electrodes joined to both surfaces of the plate through adhesive layers, respectively. The adhesive layers are disposed only in a second area that lies outside a first area corresponding to a power generation area of a power generation cell in the dummy electrode assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tadashi Nishiyama
  • Publication number: 20220237770
    Abstract: A substrate inspection apparatus for inspecting a substrate, includes: an acquisition part configured to acquire an estimated image of an inspection target substrate after a process by a substrate processing apparatus, based on an image estimation model created by a machine learning by using a captured image before the process by the substrate processing apparatus and a captured image after the process by the substrate processing apparatus for each of a plurality of substrates, and a captured image of the inspection target substrate before the process by the substrate processing apparatus; and a determination part configured to determine the presence or absence of a defect in the inspection target substrate, based on a captured image of the inspection target substrate and the estimated image of the inspection target substrate after the process by the substrate processing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Shuji IWANAGA, Tadashi NISHIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20220216498
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a stack body formed by stacking a plurality of fuel cells together in a stacking direction. A second end plate is provided at one end of the stack body in the stacking direction. A pair of coolant supply passages are provided at upper and lower positions of the second end plate for allowing a coolant to flow into the fuel cells. A coolant supply manifold member is attached to the second end plate, and an insulating plate is provided between the second end plate and the coolant supply manifold member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Masaharu Suzuki, Yusuke Nara, Tadashi Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 11378388
    Abstract: A substrate inspection method includes a first process of taking, while rotating a holding table where a reference substrate is held, an image of an end surface of the reference substrate; a second process of obtaining shape data on the end surface of the reference substrate by processing the image; a third process of taking, while rotating the holding table where a target substrate is held, an image of an end surface of the target substrate; a fourth process of obtaining shape data on the end surface of the target substrate by processing the image; and a fifth process of calculating a warpage amount of the target substrate by obtaining a difference between the shape data obtained in the second process and in the fourth process under a condition that a rotational position of the holding table in the first process coincides with that in the third process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuya Hisano, Akiko Kiyotomi, Yasuaki Noda, Keisuke Hamamoto, Tadashi Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 11276872
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a stack body formed by stacking a plurality of fuel cells together in a stacking direction. A second end plate is provided at one end of the stack body in the stacking direction. A pair of coolant supply passages are provided at upper and lower positions of the second end plate for allowing a coolant to flow into the fuel cells. A coolant supply manifold member is attached to the second end plate, and an insulating plate is provided between the second end plate and the coolant supply manifold member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaharu Suzuki, Yusuke Nara, Tadashi Nishiyama
  • Publication number: 20210280891
    Abstract: A dummy cell disposed at least at one end of a cell stack body in a fuel cell stack includes a dummy electrode assembly. The dummy electrode assembly includes a plate, and a pair of electrodes joined to both surfaces of the plate through adhesive layers, respectively. The adhesive layers are disposed only in a second area that lies outside a first area corresponding to a power generation area of a power generation cell in the dummy electrode assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventor: Tadashi NISHIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20210185282
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a substrate imaging apparatus includes: a rotary holding unit that holds and rotates a substrate; a mirror member having a reflecting surface that opposes an end face of the substrate and a peripheral portion of a back surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, the reflecting surface being inclined with respect to a rotation axis of the rotary holding unit; and a camera having an imaging device that receives both first light and second light through a lens, the first light coming from a peripheral portion of a front surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, and the second light being a reflected light of second light which comes from the end face of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit and is reflected by the reflecting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Norihisa KOGA, Tadashi NISHIYAMA, Yasuaki NODA
  • Publication number: 20210166365
    Abstract: A method for inspecting defects of substrates when executing a job in which a treatment recipe for the substrates and the substrates being treatment objects are designated to perform predetermined treatments on the substrates, includes: an imaging step of successively imaging the substrates; a first determination step of decomposing, in order from the substrate being a head of the job, a planar distribution of pixel values in a substrate image captured at the imaging step into a plurality of pixel value distribution components using a Zernike polynomial, calculating Zernike coefficients of the pixel value distribution components corresponding to defects to be detected, and determining presence or absence of a defect of the substrate based on the calculated Zernike coefficients; and a second determination step of determining, from predetermined timing after at least one substrate is determined to have no defect at the first determination step, presence or absence of a defect of the substrate being a determinat
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Shin INOUE, Kazuya HISANO, Akiko KIYOTOMI, Tadashi NISHIYAMA
  • Patent number: 10958879
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a substrate imaging apparatus includes: a rotary holding unit that holds and rotates a substrate; a mirror member having a reflecting surface that opposes an end face of the substrate and a peripheral portion of a back surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, the reflecting surface being inclined with respect to a rotation axis of the rotary holding unit; and a camera having an imaging device that receives both first light and second light through a lens, the first light coming from a peripheral portion of a front surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, and the second light being a reflected light of second light which comes from the end face of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit and is reflected by the reflecting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Norihisa Koga, Tadashi Nishiyama, Yasuaki Noda