Patents by Inventor Takafumi Hayama

Takafumi Hayama 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: 11914298
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid processing apparatus comprising: a stage on which a substrate is placed; a nozzle configured to supply a processing liquid to the substrate placed on the stage and perform a processing on the substrate; a capturing part configured to capture an image of the nozzle so as to acquire image data; and a detector configured to detect a liquid level based on a plurality of the image data acquired by the capturing part at different timings within a period in which a supply of the processing liquid from the nozzle is not performed, wherein the liquid level is formed by the processing liquid or a liquid other than the processing liquid in a processing liquid flow path provided inside the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yuichiro Kunugimoto, Takafumi Hayama, Hidehiro Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20220400232
    Abstract: A monitoring apparatus for a substrate processing apparatus includes: an imaging unit that captures an image of a nozzle of the substrate processing apparatus and a surface of a substrate held by a substrate holder of the substrate processing apparatus; a monitoring data generation unit that generates monitoring video data based on imaging video data captured by the imaging unit during an execution of a substrate process performed by the substrate processing apparatus including a first process and a second process; and a monitoring condition changing unit that changes a generation condition of the monitoring video data during the execution of the substrate process so that at least a resolution or a number of frames of the monitoring video data during an execution of the second process is different from the monitoring video data during an execution of the first process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: Yuichiro KUNUGIMOTO, Keishi HAMADA, Takafumi HAYAMA, Motoi OKADA, Shoki HAMAGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20210080830
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid processing apparatus comprising: a stage on which a substrate is placed; a nozzle configured to supply a processing liquid to the substrate placed on the stage and perform a processing on the substrate; a capturing part configured to capture an image of the nozzle so as to acquire image data; and a detector configured to detect a liquid level based on a plurality of the image data acquired by the capturing part at different timings within a period in which a supply of the processing liquid from the nozzle is not performed, wherein the liquid level is formed by the processing liquid or a liquid other than the processing liquid in a processing liquid flow path provided inside the nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Yuichiro KUNUGIMOTO, Takafumi HAYAMA, Hidehiro SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 10248030
    Abstract: A method for evaluating a process recipe used in a liquid processing apparatus that performs a liquid processing by supplying a processing liquid from a nozzle to a substrate while rotating a holding part horizontally holding the substrate about a vertical axis, includes: storing the process recipe in a first storage part, which includes time-series data of a first combination of parameter values including a position of the nozzle and a rotation speed of the substrate; reading the process recipe from the first storage part; reading a pre-prepared risk data from a second storage part, which is determined by associating a second combination of parameter values with a risk information corresponding to a liquid splash risk; and displaying an assisting data for the first combination of parameter values in the process recipe, based on the process recipe and the pre-prepared risk data read from the first and second storage parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Toyohisa Tsuruda, Yuichiro Kunugimoto, Takafumi Hayama, Keishi Hamada
  • Publication number: 20180239257
    Abstract: A method for evaluating a process recipe used in a liquid processing apparatus that performs a liquid processing by supplying a processing liquid from a nozzle to a substrate while rotating a holding part horizontally holding the substrate about a vertical axis, includes: storing the process recipe in a first storage part, which includes time-series data of a first combination of parameter values including a position of the nozzle and a rotation speed of the substrate; reading the process recipe from the first storage part; reading a pre-prepared risk data from a second storage part, which is determined by associating a second combination of parameter values with a risk information corresponding to a liquid splash risk; and displaying an assisting data for the first combination of parameter values in the process recipe, based on the process recipe and the pre-prepared risk data read from the first and second storage parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2018
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Toyohisa TSURUDA, Yuichiro KUNUGIMOTO, Takafumi HAYAMA, Keishi HAMADA
  • Patent number: 8730446
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel (1) includes a TFT substrate (10), a CF substrate (20) facing the TFT substrate (10), a liquid crystal layer (25) provided between the TFT substrate (10) and the CF substrate (20), an alignment film configured to control alignment of the liquid crystal layer (25), and a sealing member (26) sandwiched between the TFT substrate (10) and the CF substrate (20) and formed in the shape of a frame surrounding the liquid crystal layer (25). In a region (35) where the sealing member (26) is to be provided, a metal pattern (2) is provided which is configured to reflect infrared light emitted from a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer toward the Fourier transform infrared spectrometer in order to determine the presence or absence of the alignment film in the region (35).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takafumi Hayama
  • Publication number: 20140104559
    Abstract: A display panel (100A) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first substrate (12) having an end region (12p) and a pixel formation region (12D), a second substrate (22) arranged so as to face the first substrate (12) and expose the end region (12p) of the first substrate (12), a display medium layer (32) arranged between the first substrate (12) and the second substrate (22), a sealing portion (42a) configured to bond the first substrate (12) to the second substrate (22) and surround the pixel formation region (12D), and an additional sealing portion (44a) arranged in the end region (12p) of the first substrate (12), the additional sealing portion (44a) being composed of the same material as that of the sealing portion (42a), in which the first substrate (12) further includes a metal layer (14a) below the additional sealing portion (44a).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takafumi Hayama
  • Patent number: 8569697
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel (10) comprises a liquid crystal injection port (12) for injecting liquid crystal between a pair of substrates, wherein a metal pattern (16) capable of reflecting infrared is provided in a region for providing a sealing resin for sealing the liquid crystal injection port (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takafumi Hayama
  • Publication number: 20130176519
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel (1) includes: touch switches (50) each constituted by a switch electrode (52) of an active substrate (12) and a set of switch PS electrodes (51) of a counter substrate (11) so as to make conduct electricity when the active substrate (12) or the counter substrate (11) is pressed; and reflection coatings (38 and 39) which reflect infrared light emitted from a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer, the reflection coatings (38 and 39) being provided either in the active substrate (12) or the counter substrate (11) with the switch electrode (52) or the set of switch PS electrodes (51) stacked on a corresponding one of the reflection coatings (38 and 39). This provides a technique for efficiently determining the presence or absence of an alignment film on any touch switch provided inside of a liquid crystal display panel having the function of an in-cell touch sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takafumi Hayama, Shinji Yamagishi
  • Publication number: 20130083278
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device in which a good alignment state can be obtained, and the occurrence of AC image sticking can be suppressed. The present invention is a liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules and being interposed between a pair of substrates, and an alignment layer provided on a side of the liquid crystal layer in at least one of the substrates, wherein the alignment layer includes a liquid crystal alignment polymer having a property of controlling and aligning the liquid crystal molecules, and the surface side chain density in the alignment layer is not less than 2.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yuko Teraoka, Shinichi Terashita, Isamu Miyake, Kouichi Matsuhashi, Koichi Miyachi, Yoshinobu Nakamura, Takafumi Hayama, Yuhji Yashiro
  • Patent number: 8356951
    Abstract: A wet-processing apparatus, which spouts a coating liquid onto a surface of a substrate, includes: nozzles provided with passages for the coating liquid; a light source which illuminates an area between a plane containing the tips of the nozzles and the surface of the substrate; a camera for forming an image of the area; a control unit which provides a spout signal requesting spouting the liquid from the nozzle toward the substrate, and an imaging signal requesting the camera to start an imaging operation; and a decision unit which decides whether or not the liquid was spouted from the nozzle and whether or not changes occurred in the condition of the liquid spouted from the nozzle toward the substrate on the basis of an image formed by the camera and expressing the brightness of the liquid spouted toward the substrate and illuminated by light emitted by the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yasuaki Noda, Akira Fukutomi, Takafumi Hayama
  • Publication number: 20120224132
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel (1) includes a TFT substrate (10), a CF substrate (20) facing the TFT substrate (10), a liquid crystal layer (25) provided between the TFT substrate (10) and the CF substrate (20), an alignment film configured to control alignment of the liquid crystal layer (25), and a sealing member (26) sandwiched between the TFT substrate (10) and the CF substrate (20) and formed in the shape of a frame surrounding the liquid crystal layer (25). In a region (35) where the sealing member (26) is to be provided, a metal pattern (2) is provided which is configured to reflect infrared light emitted from a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer toward the Fourier transform infrared spectrometer in order to determine the presence or absence of the alignment film in the region (35).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventor: Takafumi Hayama
  • Publication number: 20120127457
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel (10) comprises a liquid crystal injection port (12) for injecting liquid crystal between a pair of substrates, wherein a metal pattern (16) capable of reflecting infrared is provided in a region for providing a sealing resin for sealing the liquid crystal injection port (12).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventor: Takafumi Hayama
  • Publication number: 20120050719
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal panel (1) wherein liquid crystal alignment films (18, 24) composed of polyimide are formed on the facing surface of a TFT substrate (10) and a CF substrate (20), and a liquid crystal is sealed between the TFT substrate (10) and the CF substrate (20). On the TFT substrate (10) side, a metal film (40) which can be optically recognized through the CF substrate (20) side and operates as an infrared light reflected plate at the time of measuring the imidization of the liquid crystal alignment film (18) which covers the TFT substrate is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventor: Takafumi Hayama
  • Publication number: 20110286738
    Abstract: A wet-processing apparatus, which spouts a coating liquid onto a surface of a substrate of a substrate, includes: nozzles provided with passages for the coating liquid; a light source which illuminates an area between a plane containing the tips of the nozzles and the surface of the substrate; a camera for forming an image of the area; a control unit which provides a spout signal requesting spouting the liquid from the nozzle toward the substrate, and an imaging signal requesting the camera to start an imaging operation; and a decision unit which decides whether or not the liquid was spouted from the nozzle and whether or not changes occurred in the condition of the liquid spouted from the nozzle toward the substrate on the basis of an image formed by the camera and expressing the brightness of the liquid spouted toward the substrate and illuminated by light emitted by the light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yasuaki Noda, Akira Fukutomi, Takafumi Hayama
  • Patent number: 5825196
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method for detecting a defect of an active matrix liquid crystal panel, the method including a step of inputting a data signal for displaying an image having a luminance level lower than a maximum luminance level to a first signal line while inputting a data signal for displaying a black image to a second signal line and a third signal line, the second signal line and the third signal line adjoining the first signal line, thereby causing pixels corresponding to the first signal line to display a single color. According to the method of the present invention, any defective pixel is displayed darker than normal, owing to a decrease in the transmittance, so that point defects such as S-D leak defects can be easily detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsumi Irie, Nobuyuki Kawase, Takafumi Hayama, Touko Kasahara
  • Patent number: 5786707
    Abstract: In the case where a possible defect of a liquid crystal panel is detected, after the liquid crystal panel is put into an oven with the liquid crystal panel being energized, a second inspecting pulse, which has a larger potential difference than a potential difference of a first inspecting pulse applied to a second signal line on an active matrix substrate, is applied to a second signal line. In the above method, since an insulating layer, which is on the verge of breakage, between a source line and the second signal line can be broken, a possible defect of the liquid crystal panel can be detected as a cross bright line by inspection for turning-on in the panel inspecting step. For this reason, in this method, accuracy of detecting a possible defect can be improved, and the number of S-G leaks in the market is decreased greatly, thereby improving display quality of the liquid crystal panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takafumi Hayama, Katsumi Irie
  • Patent number: 5734450
    Abstract: Common lines are formed in parallel with gate lines. A line which joins those parallel lines is provided in parallel with source lines on the substrate edge part on the gate line terminals side. Another line which joins the same parallel lines is provided in parallel with source lines on the substrate edge part on the opposite side of the gate line terminals. These two terminals are supplied with a signal which is identical with the common signal being applied to an opposing electrode. Depressed portions are provided for each pixel electrode at positions where the source line and common line intersect with each other or in the vicinity of the source line on both sides thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsumi Irie, Yuuichirou Mochizuki, Takafumi Hayama, Tsuyoshi Nagai, Hiroshi Shibuya