Patents by Inventor Taichi Hirano

Taichi Hirano 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: 20230377843
    Abstract: A control method of a plasma processing apparatus including a first electrode that places a workpiece thereon includes supplying a bias power to the first electrode, and supplying a source power having a frequency higher than that of the bias power into a plasma processing space. The source power has a first state and a second state. The control method further includes a first control process of alternately applying the first state and the second state of the source power in synchronization with a signal synchronized with a cycle of a radio frequency of the bias power, or a phase within one cycle of a reference electrical state that represents any one of a voltage, current, and electromagnetic field measured in a power feeding system of the bias power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Chishio KOSHIMIZU, Taichi HIRANO, Toru HAYASAKA, Shinji KUBOTA, Koji MARUYAMA, Takashi DOKAN
  • Patent number: 11742181
    Abstract: A control method of a plasma processing apparatus including a first electrode that places a workpiece thereon includes supplying a bias power to the first electrode, and supplying a source power having a frequency higher than that of the bias power into a plasma processing space. The source power has a first state and a second state. The control method further includes a first control process of alternately applying the first state and the second state of the source power in synchronization with a signal synchronized with a cycle of a radio frequency of the bias power, or a phase within one cycle of a reference electrical state that represents any one of a voltage, current, and electromagnetic field measured in a power feeding system of the bias power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Chishio Koshimizu, Taichi Hirano, Toru Hayasaka, Shinji Kubota, Koji Maruyama, Takashi Dokan
  • Patent number: 11742182
    Abstract: A control method of a plasma processing apparatus including a first electrode that places a workpiece thereon includes supplying a bias power to the first electrode, and supplying a source power having a frequency higher than that of the bias power into a plasma processing space. The source power has a first state and a second state. The control method further includes a first control process of alternately applying the first state and the second state of the source power in synchronization with a signal synchronized with a cycle of a radio frequency of the bias power, or a phase within one cycle of a reference electrical state that represents any one of a voltage, current, and electromagnetic field measured in a power feeding system of the bias power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Chishio Koshimizu, Taichi Hirano, Toru Hayasaka, Shinji Kubota, Koji Maruyama, Takashi Dokan
  • Patent number: 11476089
    Abstract: A control method of a plasma processing apparatus including a first electrode that places a workpiece thereon includes supplying a bias power to the first electrode, and supplying a source power having a frequency higher than that of the bias power into a plasma processing space. The source power has a first state and a second state. The control method further includes a first control process of alternately applying the first state and the second state of the source power in synchronization with a signal synchronized with a cycle of a radio frequency of the bias power, or a phase within one cycle of a reference electrical state that represents any one of a voltage, current, and electromagnetic field measured in a power feeding system of the bias power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Chishio Koshimizu, Taichi Hirano, Toru Hayasaka, Shinji Kubota, Koji Maruyama, Takashi Dokan
  • Publication number: 20220216036
    Abstract: A control method of a plasma processing apparatus including a first electrode that places a workpiece thereon includes supplying a bias power to the first electrode, and supplying a source power having a frequency higher than that of the bias power into a plasma processing space. The source power has a first state and a second state. The control method further includes a first control process of alternately applying the first state and the second state of the source power in synchronization with a signal synchronized with a cycle of a radio frequency of the bias power, or a phase within one cycle of a reference electrical state that represents any one of a voltage, current, and electromagnetic field measured in a power feeding system of the bias power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2022
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Chishio KOSHIMIZU, Taichi HIRANO, Toru HAYASAKA, Shinji KUBOTA, Koji MARUYAMA, Takashi DOKAN
  • Publication number: 20210327681
    Abstract: A control method of a plasma processing apparatus including a first electrode that places a workpiece thereon includes supplying a bias power to the first electrode, and supplying a source power having a frequency higher than that of the bias power into a plasma processing space. The source power has a first state and a second state. The control method further includes a first control process of alternately applying the first state and the second state of the source power in synchronization with a signal synchronized with a cycle of a radio frequency of the bias power, or a phase within one cycle of a reference electrical state that represents any one of a voltage, current, and electromagnetic field measured in a power feeding system of the bias power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Chishio KOSHIMIZU, Taichi HIRANO, Toru HAYASAKA, Shinji KUBOTA, Koji MARUYAMA, Takashi DOKAN
  • Publication number: 20200411286
    Abstract: A control method of a plasma processing apparatus including a first electrode that places a workpiece thereon includes supplying a bias power to the first electrode, and supplying a source power having a frequency higher than that of the bias power into a plasma processing space. The source power has a first state and a second state. The control method further includes a first control process of alternately applying the first state and the second state of the source power in synchronization with a signal synchronized with a cycle of a radio frequency of the bias power, or a phase within one cycle of a reference electrical state that represents any one of a voltage, current, and electromagnetic field measured in a power feeding system of the bias power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Chishio KOSHIMIZU, Taichi HIRANO, Toru HAYASAKA, Shinji KUBOTA, Koji MARUYAMA, Takashi DOKAN
  • Patent number: 10755894
    Abstract: A power supply system 90 includes high frequency power supplies 92 and 93 that supply a high frequency power for plasma generation; a DC power supply 91 that supplies a DC voltage to be applied to an electrode; and control unit 94 that controls the high frequency power supplies 92 and 93 and the DC power supply 91 including a first DC power supply unit 101 that supplies a first negative DC voltage V1, a second DC power supply unit 102 that supplies a second negative DC voltage V2 having a higher absolute value than the first negative DC voltage V1, and a selecting circuit 103 that selectively connects the first DC power supply unit 101 and the second DC power supply unit 102 to the electrode; and a discharging circuit 104 connected with a node 109 between the first DC power supply unit 101 and the selecting circuit 103.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Taichi Hirano, Fumitoshi Kumagai
  • Patent number: 10229819
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a high frequency power supply turning a high frequency power ON/OFF and supplying the high frequency power to either one of upper and lower electrodes. A matching circuit and a power transmission line are provided between the high frequency power supply and the either one of the electrodes. A probe detector measures electrical characteristics on the power transmission line and generates measurement signals. A processing unit samples the measurement signals, generates sample values, The processing unit receives a pulse signal corresponding to ON/OFF switching of the high frequency power, generates sample values by sampling the measurement signals at a sampling interval for a period after the lapse of a mask period from an ascending timing thereof until a descending timing thereof, and selects sample values obtained through the last one or more sampling with respect to the descending timing, as detection values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Taichi Hirano, Kenji Sato
  • Patent number: 10115567
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus can efficiently perform a pulse modulation method of switching a high frequency power to be used in a plasma process between a high level and a low level alternately according to a duty ratio of a modulation pulse. In this plasma processing apparatus, when performing a high/low pulse modulation on the high frequency power for plasma generation, if a weighted variable K is set to be 0.5<K<1, a constant reflection wave power PRH is generated on a high frequency transmission line of a plasma generation system even during a pulse-on period Ton. Meanwhile, during a pulse-off period Toff, a reflection wave power PRL decreases. By adjusting the value of K, a balance between the reflection wave power PRH during the pulse-on period Ton and the reflection wave power PRL during the pulse-off period Toff can be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Taichi Hirano, Ken Yoshida, Hikoichiro Sasaki, Satoshi Yamada, Yoshinobu Hayakawa, Junji Ishibashi, Fumitoshi Kumagai
  • Patent number: 10056230
    Abstract: A power supply system includes a high frequency power supply which supplies a high frequency power; a DC power supply which supplies a first negative DC voltage or a second negative DC voltage having an absolute value larger than that of the first DC voltage; and a control unit which performs a power supply control process of repeating a supply and a stop of the supply of the high frequency power alternately; stopping supplies of the first and second DC voltages for a first period, which is a time period from a beginning of the supply of the high frequency power within a period during which the high frequency power is being supplied; supplying the first DC voltage for a second period except the first period within the period; and supplying the second DC voltage for a period during which the supply of the high frequency power is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Taichi Hirano, Junji Ishibashi, Keiki Ito, Kunihiro Sato
  • Publication number: 20180226226
    Abstract: A power supply system 90 includes high frequency power supplies 92 and 93 that supply a high frequency power for plasma generation; a DC power supply 91 that supplies a DC voltage to be applied to an electrode; and control unit 94 that controls the high frequency power supplies 92 and 93 and the DC power supply 91 including a first DC power supply unit 101 that supplies a first negative DC voltage V1, a second DC power supply unit 102 that supplies a second negative DC voltage V2 having a higher absolute value than the first negative DC voltage V1, and a selecting circuit 103 that selectively connects the first DC power supply unit 101 and the second DC power supply unit 102 to the electrode; and a discharging circuit 104 connected with a node 109 between the first DC power supply unit 101 and the selecting circuit 103.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Inventors: Taichi Hirano, Fumitoshi Kumagai
  • Patent number: 9922802
    Abstract: A power supply system 90 includes high frequency power supplies 92 and 93 that supply a high frequency power for plasma generation; a DC power supply 91 that supplies a DC voltage to be applied to an electrode; and control unit 94 that controls the high frequency power supplies 92 and 93 and the DC power supply 91 including a first DC power supply unit 101 that supplies a first negative DC voltage V1, a second DC power supply unit 102 that supplies a second negative DC voltage V2 having a higher absolute value than the first negative DC voltage V1, and a selecting circuit 103 that selectively connects the first DC power supply unit 101 and the second DC power supply unit 102 to the electrode; and a discharging circuit 104 connected with a node 109 between the first DC power supply unit 101 and the selecting circuit 103.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Taichi Hirano, Fumitoshi Kumagai
  • Patent number: 9893475
    Abstract: There is provided a connector including a signal pin that stretches in a first direction and transmits a signal, a substrate that has one surface on which the signal pin is formed, and an electric conductor layer that has ground potential, the electric conductor layer being formed on an opposite surface of the surface of the substrate on which the signal pin is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki Toba, Taichi Hirano, Akira Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9833127
    Abstract: There is provided a wire connection device including an outer frame that has a tubular shape, and a plurality of contacts that are provided in the outer frame, and that have a plurality of pairs of differential contacts to which a plurality of pairs of differential signals are respectively allocated, and a plurality of ground contacts each to which ground is allocated. When viewed from a direction along a central axis of the outer frame, the plurality of contacts are arranged side by side in two rows in a manner that the differential contacts of each pair can be adjacent to each other and in a manner that the number of the ground contacts adjacent to one of the differential contacts of each pair is equal to the number of the ground contacts adjacent to the other one of the differential contacts of the pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignees: SONY OLYMPUS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS INC., SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kei Tomatsu, Taichi Hirano, Akira Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9698539
    Abstract: To be able to further reduce deterioration in signal quality, there is provided a connector including: a signal pin (11) that is connected to a wiring pattern (15) on a mounted substrate (14) and that transmits a signal to an inside and an outside of any apparatus, the mounted substrate (14) having an end disposed in the apparatus; and a shell (13) that is formed of an electric conductor and grounded to ground potential on the mounted substrate (14), in a manner that the shell (13) covers the signal pin (11) in a region in which the signal pin (11) stretches toward the mounted substrate (14).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuaki Toba, Akira Matsuda, Taichi Hirano
  • Publication number: 20160284514
    Abstract: A power supply system includes a high frequency power supply which supplies a high frequency power; a DC power supply which supplies a first negative DC voltage or a second negative DC voltage having an absolute value larger than that of the first DC voltage; and a control unit which performs a power supply control process of repeating a supply and a stop of the supply of the high frequency power alternately; stopping supplies of the first and second DC voltages for a first period, which is a time period from a beginning of the supply of the high frequency power within a period during which the high frequency power is being supplied; supplying the first DC voltage for a second period except the first period within the period; and supplying the second DC voltage for a period during which the supply of the high frequency power is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventors: Taichi Hirano, Junji Ishibashi, Keiki Ito, Kunihiro Sato
  • Publication number: 20160087377
    Abstract: To be able to further reduce deterioration in signal quality, there is provided a connector including: a signal pin (11) that is connected to a wiring pattern (15) on a mounted substrate (14) and that transmits a signal to an inside and an outside of any apparatus, the mounted substrate (14) having an end disposed in the apparatus; and a shell (13) that is formed of an electric conductor and grounded to ground potential on the mounted substrate (14), in a manner that the shell (13) covers the signal pin (11) in a region in which the signal pin (11) stretches toward the mounted substrate (14).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuaki TOBA, Akira MATSUDA, Taichi HIRANO
  • Publication number: 20160079037
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus can efficiently perform a pulse modulation method of switching a high frequency power to be used in a plasma process between a high level and a low level alternately according to a duty ratio of a modulation pulse. In this plasma processing apparatus, when performing a high/low pulse modulation on the high frequency power for plasma generation, if a weighted variable K is set to be 0.5<K<1, a constant reflection wave power PRH is generated on a high frequency transmission line of a plasma generation system even during a pulse-on period Ton. Meanwhile, during a pulse-off period Toff, a reflection wave power PRL decreases. By adjusting the value of K, a balance between the reflection wave power PRH during the pulse-on period Ton and the reflection wave power PRL during the pulse-off period Toff can be controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Taichi Hirano, Ken Yoshida, Hikoichiro Sasaki, Satoshi Yamada, Yoshinobu Hayakawa, Junji Ishibashi, Fumitoshi Kumagai
  • Patent number: 9209570
    Abstract: To provide a connector enabling high quality signal transmission while maintaining compatibility with the current HDMI connector, in a new HDMI interface using pins assigned to a shield, as a data pair. Each of signal electrode pins is arrayed near a shell (grounding conductor) so as to couple with the shell, and differential signals are transmitted with single end. A ground plane is disposed between multiple signal electrode pins of a first stage and the plurality of signal electrode pins of a second stage within a dielectric. Also, connection conductors electrically connecting the ground plane and the grounding conductor are disposed between each of the signal electrode pins of each of the stages within the dielectric. With a pair of signal electrode pins transmitting differential signals, crosstalk from other signal electrode pins can be reduced, and high quality signal transmission is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuaki Toba, Hideyuki Suzuki, Taichi Hirano