Patents by Inventor Takafumi Niwa

Takafumi Niwa 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: 20240248413
    Abstract: A substrate treatment method includes: developing a substrate which has a coating film of an inorganic resist formed on a base film thereon and has been subjected to an exposure treatment, with a developing solution to form a pattern of the inorganic resist; supplying an embedding solution to the developed substrate to fill a space between adjacent protrusions of the pattern; drying the filled embedding solution to form an embedded film on the substrate; and reducing a thickness of the embedded film by an ultraviolet ray.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2024
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Inventors: Takeshi SHIMOAOKI, Arnaud Alain Jean DAUENDORFFER, Keisuke YOSHIDA, Shinichiro KAWAKAMI, Yuya KAMEI, Soichiro OKADA, Takafumi NIWA
  • Publication number: 20240200195
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes preparing a substrate, removing at least a part of a first metal layer, and precipitating a second metal layer. In the preparing of the substrate, the substrate having the first metal layer formed on a front surface thereof is prepared. In the removing of at least the part of the first metal layer, at least the part of the first metal layer formed on a peripheral portion of the substrate is removed. In the precipitating of the second metal layer, the second metal layer is precipitated on the front surface of the substrate by using the first metal layer as a catalyst after the removing of at least the part of the first metal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Publication date: June 20, 2024
    Inventor: Takafumi Niwa
  • Patent number: 11873723
    Abstract: This steam turbine plant comprises: a boiler; a steam turbine; a condenser; a condensate pump; a main steam line that is capable of guiding, to the steam turbine, steam generated in the boiler; a bypass line that is branched from the main steam line and is connected to the condenser; a condensate line that is capable of guiding, to the condensate pump, water in the condenser; a condensate outlet valve that is provided in the condensate line; a water supply line that is capable of guiding, to the boiler, water having a pressure which has been increased in the condensate pump; a first connection unit that is, in the condensate line, branched from a position which is closer to the condenser than the condensate outlet valve is; and a second connection unit that is, in the condensate line, branched from a position which is closer to the condensate pump than the condensate outlet valve is. The first connection unit has a first connection seating that is connectable with a first line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Daiki Fujimura, Takafumi Niwa, Ayumu Kuroshima, Motohiro Goshima
  • Publication number: 20230313703
    Abstract: This steam turbine plant comprises: a boiler; a steam turbine; a condenser; a condensate pump; a main steam line that is capable of guiding, to the steam turbine, steam generated in the boiler; a bypass line that is branched from the main steam line and is connected to the condenser; a condensate line that is capable of guiding, to the condensate pump, water in the condenser; a condensate outlet valve that is provided in the condensate line; a water supply line that is capable of guiding, to the boiler, water having a pressure which has been increased in the condensate pump; a first connection unit that is, in the condensate line, branched from a position which is closer to the condenser than the condensate outlet valve is; and a second connection unit that is, in the condensate line, branched from a position which is closer to the condensate pump than the condensate outlet valve is. The first connection unit has a first connection seating that is connectable with a first line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Daiki FUJIMURA, Takafumi NIWA, Ayumu KUROSHIMA, Motohiro GOSHIMA
  • Publication number: 20230098105
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus 5 includes a holder 52 (52A), a supply 53 and a cover body 6. The holder 52 (52A) is configured to attract and hold a substrate W. The supply 53 is configured to supply a heated plating liquid to the substrate W attracted to and held by the holder 52 (52A). The cover body 6 is configured to cover the substrate W attracted to and held by the holder 52 (52A), and heat the plating liquid on the substrate W by using a heating device 63 provided in a ceiling member 61 thereof facing a top surface of the substrate W. The holder 52 (52A) includes protrusions 130 projecting from a facing surface 110 thereof facing a bottom surface of the substrate W toward the bottom surface of the substrate W, and each protrusion has a protruding height equal to or larger than 1 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Yusaku Hashimoto, Takafumi Niwa
  • Publication number: 20230085449
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes holding a substrate W by using a holder 52 configured to hold the substrate; supplying a plating liquid L onto a top surface of the held substrate; covering the substrate by using a cover body 6 before or after the supplying of the plating liquid; heating the plating liquid on the substrate by using a heating device 63 provided in the cover body, while keeping the substrate covered with the cover body; and supplying a cooling gas to a bottom surface of the substrate or the holder from below the substrate in the heating of the plating liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2021
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventor: Takafumi Niwa
  • Publication number: 20220290302
    Abstract: A substrate liquid processing method includes preparing a substrate having a surface including a recess on which a seed layer is stacked; supplying an electroless plating liquid onto the surface of the substrate to fill the recess with the electroless plating liquid while forming a liquid film of the electroless plating liquid on the surface; and adjusting a temperature of the liquid film from a first temperature at which a metal is precipitated on the seed layer to a second temperature lower than the first temperature to fill the recess with the metal starting from a bottom portion of the recess such that a void is not formed therein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Iwai, Yuichiro Inatomi, Takafumi Niwa
  • Publication number: 20220251709
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes activating, accumulating, forming a plating film, performing a post-processing and drying. In the activating, a plating liquid L1 is activated by heating and maintaining the plating liquid at a preset temperature. In the accumulating, the activated plating liquid is accumulated on a substrate W. In the forming of the plating film, the plating film is formed on the substrate by electroless plating while heating the substrate on which the plating liquid is accumulated. In the performing of the post-processing, the post-processing is performed on the substrate on which the plating film is formed. In the drying, the substrate after being subjected to the post-processing is dried. Activating the plating liquid for the substrate to be processed next is performed in parallel with the forming of the plating film, the performing of the post-processing, and the drying upon the substrate being processed currently.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventor: Takafumi Niwa
  • Publication number: 20210317581
    Abstract: A substrate liquid processing apparatus includes a substrate holder 52 configured to attract, hold and rotate a substrate W; a heating device configured to heat the substrate holder 52 from an outside thereof; a plating liquid supply 53 configured to supply a plating liquid L1 onto the substrate W being rotated while being held by the substrate holder 52; and a controller 3 configured to control operations of the substrate holder 52, the heating device and the plating liquid supply 53. The controller 3 controls the heating device to heat the substrate holder 52 to equal to or higher than 50° C. before the substrate W is held by the substrate holder 52.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventors: Takafumi Niwa, Yuichiro Inatomi
  • Patent number: 10672606
    Abstract: A method of forming a coating film includes horizontally supporting a substrate, supplying a coating solution to a central portion of the substrate and spreading the coating solution by a centrifugal force by rotating the substrate at a first rotational speed, decreasing a speed of the substrate from the first rotational speed toward a second rotational speed and rotating the substrate at the second rotational speed to make a surface of a liquid film of the coating solution even, supplying a gas to a surface of the substrate when the substrate is rotated at the second rotational speed to reduce fluidity of the coating solution, and drying the surface of the substrate by rotating the substrate at a third rotational speed faster than the second rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kousuke Yoshihara, Takafumi Niwa
  • Patent number: 10642168
    Abstract: An auxiliary exposure apparatus is for performing auxiliary exposure of applying light of a predetermined wavelength from a laser light source to a resist film on a wafer, separately from exposure processing of transferring a pattern of a mask to the resist film applied on the wafer. The auxiliary exposure apparatus includes a first total reflection mirror that reflects the light from the laser light source toward the wafer; and an imaging device including a light receiving part that receives light after reflected by the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hideaki Kashiwagi, Takafumi Niwa, Norihisa Koga
  • Publication number: 20180350594
    Abstract: A method of forming a coating film includes horizontally supporting a substrate, supplying a coating solution to a central portion of the substrate and spreading the coating solution by a centrifugal force by rotating the substrate at a first rotational speed, decreasing a speed of the substrate from the first rotational speed toward a second rotational speed and rotating the substrate at the second rotational speed to make a surface of a liquid film of the coating solution even, supplying a gas to a surface of the substrate when the substrate is rotated at the second rotational speed to reduce fluidity of the coating solution, and drying the surface of the substrate by rotating the substrate at a third rotational speed faster than the second rotational speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Kousuke YOSHIHARA, Takafumi NIWA
  • Patent number: 10068763
    Abstract: A method of forming a coating film includes horizontally supporting a substrate, supplying a coating solution to a central portion of the substrate and spreading the coating solution by a centrifugal force by rotating the substrate at a first rotational speed, decreasing a speed of the substrate from the first rotational speed toward a second rotational speed and rotating the substrate at the second rotational speed to make a surface of a liquid film of the coating solution even, supplying a gas to a surface of the substrate when the substrate is rotated at the second rotational speed to reduce fluidity of the coating solution, and drying the surface of the substrate by rotating the substrate at a third rotational speed faster than the second rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kousuke Yoshihara, Takafumi Niwa
  • Patent number: 9972512
    Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate includes a substrate holding device that rotates a substrate in horizontal position, a nozzle holding device holding processing liquid and gas nozzles, the liquid nozzle discharging processing liquid from a discharge port such that the liquid is discharged obliquely to surface of the substrate, the gas nozzle discharging gas perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate, a moving device that moves the nozzle device with respect to the surface of the substrate, and a control device including circuitry that controls the nozzle, substrate and moving devices such that while the substrate is rotated, the liquid is discharged to peripheral portion toward downstream side in rotation direction and along tangential direction of the substrate and gas is discharged from the gas nozzle toward position adjacent to liquid landing position of the liquid on the surface and is on center side of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Akiko Kai, Takafumi Niwa, Shogo Takahashi, Hiroshi Nishihata, Yuichi Terashita, Teruhiko Kodama
  • Publication number: 20180095370
    Abstract: An auxiliary exposure apparatus is for performing auxiliary exposure of applying light of a predetermined wavelength from a laser light source to a resist film on a wafer, separately from exposure processing of transferring a pattern of a mask to the resist film applied on the wafer, and includes: a first total reflection mirror configured to reflect the light from the laser light source toward the wafer; and an imaging device including a light receiving part configured to receive light after reflected by the wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Publication date: April 5, 2018
    Inventors: Hideaki KASHIWAGI, Takafumi NIWA, Norihisa KOGA
  • Publication number: 20180019112
    Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus for liquid-processing a substrate includes a substrate holding device that rotates a substrate in horizontal position, a nozzle holding device holding processing liquid and gas nozzles, the liquid nozzle discharging processing liquid from a discharge port such that the liquid is discharged obliquely to surface of the substrate, the gas nozzle discharging gas perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate, a moving device that moves the nozzle device with respect to the surface of the substrate, and a control device including circuitry that controls the nozzle, substrate and moving devices such that while the substrate is rotated, the liquid is discharged to peripheral portion toward downstream side in rotation direction and along tangential direction of the substrate and gas is discharged from the gas nozzle toward position adjacent to liquid landing position of the liquid on the surface and is on center side of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Akiko KAI, Takafumi NIWA, Shogo TAKAHASHI, Hiroshi NISHIHATA, Yuichi TERASHITA, Teruhiko KODAMA
  • Patent number: 9786488
    Abstract: A liquid processing method for liquid-processing a substrate includes setting a substrate on a substrate holding device which rotates the substrate such that the substrate is held in horizontal position, supplying processing liquid to center portion of the substrate such that the center portion positioned center side with respect to peripheral portion of the substrate is liquid-processed, positioning a discharge port of a processing liquid nozzle toward downstream side in rotation direction such that the liquid is discharged to the peripheral portion obliquely to surface of the substrate and along tangential direction of the substrate while the substrate is rotated, and discharging gas from a gas nozzle perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate toward position that is adjacent to liquid landing position of the liquid on the surface of the substrate and is on the center side of the substrate, while the liquid is discharged to the peripheral portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Akiko Kai, Takafumi Niwa, Shogo Takahashi, Hiroshi Nishihata, Yuichi Terashita, Teruhiko Kodama
  • Publication number: 20170140929
    Abstract: A method of forming a coating film includes horizontally supporting a substrate, supplying a coating solution to a central portion of the substrate and spreading the coating solution by a centrifugal force by rotating the substrate at a first rotational speed, decreasing a speed of the substrate from the first rotational speed toward a second rotational speed and rotating the substrate at the second rotational speed to make a surface of a liquid film of the coating solution even, supplying a gas to a surface of the substrate when the substrate is rotated at the second rotational speed to reduce fluidity of the coating solution, and drying the surface of the substrate by rotating the substrate at a third rotational speed faster than the second rotational speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Publication date: May 18, 2017
    Inventors: Kousuke YOSHIHARA, Takafumi NIWA
  • Publication number: 20160096203
    Abstract: A liquid processing method for liquid-processing a substrate includes setting a substrate on a substrate holding device which rotates the substrate such that the substrate is held in horizontal position, supplying processing liquid to center portion of the substrate such that the center portion positioned center side with respect to peripheral portion of the substrate is liquid-processed, positioning a discharge port of a processing liquid nozzle toward downstream side in rotation direction such that the liquid is discharged to the peripheral portion obliquely to surface of the substrate and along tangential direction of the substrate while the substrate is rotated, and discharging gas from a gas nozzle perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate toward position that is adjacent to liquid landing position of the liquid on the surface of the substrate and is on the center side of the substrate, while the liquid is discharged to the peripheral portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Akiko Kai, Takafumi Niwa, Shogo Takahashi, Hiroshi Nishihata, Yuichi Terashita, Teruhiko Kodama
  • Patent number: 8367308
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a first process (step S12 to step S16) of forming a first resist pattern by exposing a substrate having thereon a first resist film to lights, developing the exposed substrate and cleaning the developed substrate; and a second process (step S17 to step S20) of forming a second resist pattern by forming a second resist film on the substrate having thereon the first resist pattern, exposing the substrate having thereon the second resist film to lights, and developing the exposed substrate. A first processing condition is determined based on first data showing a relationship between a first processing condition under which a cleaning process is performed on the substrate in the first process (step S16) and a line width of the second resist pattern, and the first process (step S16) is performed on the substrate under the determined first processing condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakamura, Takafumi Niwa, Yuhei Kuwahara, Tadatoshi Tomita