Patents by Inventor Takamasa Ichino

Takamasa Ichino 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: 20170338086
    Abstract: To control temperature of a sample in plasma processing with high accuracy while securing an electrostatic chucking force without breakdown of an electrostatic chucking film. When radio-frequency power is time modulated, a high-voltage side Vpp detector detects a first voltage value which is a peak-to-peak voltage value of a radio-frequency voltage applied to a sample stage in a first period of the time modulation having a first amplitude. A low-voltage side Vpp detector detects a second voltage value which is a peak-to-peak voltage value of a radio-frequency voltage applied to the sample stage in a second period having a second amplitude smaller than the first amplitude. Then, an ESC power supply control unit controls output voltages from ESC power supplies based on the first voltage value, the second voltage value and a duty ratio of the time modulation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takao Arase, Masahito Mori, Kenetsu Yokogawa, Yuusuke Takegawa, Takamasa Ichino
  • Patent number: 9779919
    Abstract: To control temperature of a sample in plasma processing with high accuracy while securing an electrostatic chucking force without breakdown of an electrostatic chucking film. When radio-frequency power is time modulated, a high-voltage side Vpp detector detects a first voltage value which is a peak-to-peak voltage value of a radio-frequency voltage applied to a sample stage in a first period of the time modulation having a first amplitude. A low-voltage side Vpp detector detects a second voltage value which is a peak-to-peak voltage value of a radio-frequency voltage applied to the sample stage in a second period having a second amplitude smaller than the first amplitude. Then, an ESC power supply control unit controls output voltages from ESC power supplies based on the first voltage value, the second voltage value and a duty ratio of the time modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takao Arase, Masahito Mori, Kenetsu Yokogawa, Yuusuke Takegawa, Takamasa Ichino
  • Patent number: 9566821
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma-generation high-frequency power supply which generates plasma in a processing chamber, a biasing high-frequency power supply which applies high-frequency bias electric power to an electrode on which a sample is placed, a monitor which monitors a peak-to-peak value of the high-frequency bias electric power applied to the electrode, an electrostatic chuck power supply which makes the electrode electrostatically attract the sample, a self-bias voltage calculating unit which calculates self-bias voltage of the sample by monitoring the peak-to-peak value of the high-frequency bias electric power applied to the electrode, and an output voltage control unit which controls output voltage of the electrostatic chuck power supply based on the calculated self-bias voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takamasa Ichino, Ryoji Nishio, Shinji Obama
  • Publication number: 20170025254
    Abstract: A plasma processing device includes: a processing chamber which is disposed in a vacuum vessel and is compressed; a sample stage which is disposed in the processing chamber and on which a wafer of a process target is disposed and held; and a mechanism for forming plasma in the processing chamber on the sample stage, wherein the sample stage includes a block which is made of a dielectric and has a discoid shape, a jacket which is disposed below the block with a gap therebetween, is made of a metal, and has a discoid shape, a recessed portion which is disposed in a center portion of a top surface of the jacket and into which a cylindrical member disposed below a center portion of the block and made of a dielectric is inserted, and a cooling medium flow channel disposed in the jacket and through which a cooling medium circulates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2016
    Publication date: January 26, 2017
    Inventors: Takumi TANDOU, Takamasa ICHINO, Kenetsu YOKOGAWA, Yutaka OHMOTO
  • Publication number: 20160203958
    Abstract: To control temperature of a sample in plasma processing with high accuracy while securing an electrostatic chucking force without breakdown of an electrostatic chucking film. When radio-frequency power is time modulated, a high-voltage side Vpp detector detects a first voltage value which is a peak-to-peak voltage value of a radio-frequency voltage applied to a sample stage in a first period of the time modulation having a first amplitude. A low-voltage side Vpp detector detects a second voltage value which is a peak-to-peak voltage value of a radio-frequency voltage applied to the sample stage in a second period having a second amplitude smaller than the first amplitude. Then, an ESC power supply control unit controls output voltages from ESC power supplies based on the first voltage value, the second voltage value and a duty ratio of the time modulation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takao Arase, Masahito Mori, Kenetsu Yokogawa, Yuusuke Takegawa, Takamasa Ichino
  • Patent number: 8329054
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma-generation high-frequency power supply which generates plasma in a processing chamber, a biasing high-frequency power supply which applies high-frequency bias electric power to an electrode on which a sample is placed, a monitor which monitors a peak-to-peak value of the high-frequency bias electric power applied to the electrode, an electrostatic chuck power supply which makes the electrode electrostatically attract the sample, a self-bias voltage calculating unit which calculates self-bias voltage of the sample by monitoring the peak-to-peak value of the high-frequency bias electric power applied to the electrode, and an output voltage control unit which controls output voltage of the electrostatic chuck power supply based on the calculated self-bias voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takamasa Ichino, Ryoji Nishio, Shinji Obama
  • Patent number: 8186300
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for processing a surface of a to-be-processed substrate includes a processing chamber, a first electrode provided in the processing chamber, a second electrode arranged in opposition to the first electrode, a main power source for supplying the first or second electrode with power for generating a plasma, a biasing power source for supplying the second or first electrode with biasing power, a gas supplying unit for supplying a processing gas into the processing chamber and a control unit for controlling the main power source, the biasing power source and the gas supplying unit. The control unit performs a control such that, during a time of transition from a stationary state of plasma, in which a plasma processing is to be carried out, to a plasma quenching, an output of the main power source is kept not larger than an output of the biasing power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takamasa Ichino, Ryoji Nishio, Tomoyuki Tamura, Shinji Obama
  • Publication number: 20100326957
    Abstract: An electrostatic adsorption layer, an electrode layer, and an insulating layer are provided in a lower portion of a focus ring disposed in an outer periphery of a substrate stage. A high frequency bias is applied to the focus ring by applying a high frequency electric power to the electrode layer. Further, the focus ring is electrostatically chucked to the electrostatic chucking layer and a heat transfer gas is provided between the focus ring and the electrostatic adsorption layer. Thus, the focus ring can be cooled and the temperature of the focus ring is controlled to a predetermined value. With this structure, an etching characteristic at a wafer edge portion can be maintained favorably for a long time. Also, a yield rate at the edge portion can be favorably maintained for a long time, a wet period can be prolonged, and the device operation rate can be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Kenji Maeda, Kenetsu Yokogawa, Tomoyuki Tamura, Kazuyuki Hirozane, Takamasa Ichino
  • Publication number: 20100203736
    Abstract: There is provided a plasma processing method which controls a bias power to be constant without affecting the bias power supplied to a wafer, even if a part of a bias power supplied to a wafer is divided and supplied to a focus ring, and does not change the etching characteristic of the entire substrate to be processed. A high-frequency bias power supplied to a focus ring is changed by controlling the impedance control circuit according to the waste quantity of the focus ring that is wasted by the plasma processing. On the other hand, the high-frequency bias power supplied to the specimen support is controlled to the given high-frequency bias power by controlling the output of the high-frequency bias power supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Inventors: Takamasa ICHINO, Kenji MAEDA, Kenetsu YOKOGAWA
  • Publication number: 20100163187
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a vacuum chamber, a sample table that places the sample in the vacuum chamber, and a gas supply unit faced to the sample table and having a gas supply surface with a diameter larger than that of the sample, wherein gas injection holes each having identical diameter are provided concentrically on the gas supply surface, a hole number density of the gas injection holes present in an outer diameter position of the sample or in an outside of the outer diameter position is made higher than that of the gas injection holes present inside the outer diameter position of the sample, and a diameter of the gas injection holes present in the outer diameter position of the sample or in the outside from the outer diameter position is larger than that of the gas injection holes present inside the diameter of the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Kenetsu Yokogawa, Takamasa Ichino, Kazuyuki Hirozane, Tadamitsu Kanekiyo
  • Publication number: 20100163184
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus for processing a surface of a to-be-processed substrate includes a processing chamber, a first electrode provided in the processing chamber, a second electrode arranged in opposition to the first electrode, a main power source for supplying the first or second electrode with power for generating a plasma, a biasing power source for supplying the second or first electrode with biasing power, a gas supplying unit for supplying a processing gas into the processing chamber and a control unit for controlling the main power source, the biasing power source and the gas supplying unit. The control unit performs a control such that, during a time of transition from a stationary state of plasma, in which a plasma processing is to be carried out, to a plasma quenching, an output of the main power source is kept not larger than an output of the biasing power source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Takamasa ICHINO, Ryoji Nishio, Tomoyuki Tamura, Shinji Obama
  • Publication number: 20090321391
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a plasma-generation high-frequency power supply which generates plasma in a processing chamber, a biasing high-frequency power supply which applies high-frequency bias electric power to an electrode on which a sample is placed, a monitor which monitors a peak-to-peak value of the high-frequency bias electric power applied to the electrode, an electrostatic chuck power supply which makes the electrode electrostatically attract the sample, a self-bias voltage calculating unit which calculates self-bias voltage of the sample by monitoring the peak-to-peak value of the high-frequency bias electric power applied to the electrode, and an output voltage control unit which controls output voltage of the electrostatic chuck power supply based on the calculated self-bias voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventors: Takamasa ICHINO, Ryoji NISHIO, Shinji OBAMA