Patents by Inventor Takamichi Kikuchi

Takamichi Kikuchi 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: 20170338120
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for removing, from a target substrate having an insulating film with a predetermined pattern formed thereon, a silicon-containing oxide film formed in a silicon portion at a bottom of the pattern. The method includes: forming a carbon-based protective film on the entire surface of the insulating film including the pattern by ALD using a carbon source gas; selectively removing the carbon-based protective film on an upper surface of the insulating film and on the bottom of the pattern by an anisotropic plasma processing; removing the silicon-containing oxide film formed on the bottom of the pattern by etching; and removing a remaining portion of the carbon-based protective film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Takashi Kobayashi, Seishi Murakami, Takashi Sakuma, Masahiko Tomita, Takamichi Kikuchi, Akitaka Shimizu, Takayuki Kamaishi, Einosuke Tsuda
  • Publication number: 20170204505
    Abstract: There is provided a method of performing a surface treatment with respect to a metal mounting table for mounting a substrate to be plasma-processed, the mounting table functioning as a lower electrode configured to generate a plasma by a high frequency power applied between an upper electrode and the lower electrode. The method includes: performing a first surface treatment by spraying a non-sublimation blast material as a non-sublimation material onto a mounting surface of the metal mounting table on which the substrate is mounted, followed by a second surface treatment by spraying a sublimation blast material as a sublimation material onto the mounting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Inventors: Shinya OKABE, Hideaki YAMASAKI, Junya OKA, Yuuji KOBAYASHI, Takamichi KIKUCHI
  • Patent number: 9659756
    Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus includes an electrostatic chuck and an etching gas supply unit for supplying an etching gas to a processing space between a first and a second electrode to perform a dry etching process on the target object. The apparatus further includes a cleaning gas supply unit for supplying a cleaning gas to a processing space; a first high frequency power supply unit for supplying a first high frequency power to the first electrode; and a controller for controlling the first high frequency power supply unit such that a first period during which the first high frequency power has a first amplitude that generates the plasma and a second period during which the first high frequency power has a second amplitude that generates substantially no plasma are alternately repeated at a specific cycle when the plasma cleaning is performed in the processing chamber without the target object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Takamichi Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20140020709
    Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus includes an electrostatic chuck and an etching gas supply unit for supplying an etching gas to a processing space between a first and a second electrode to perform a dry etching process on the target object. The apparatus further includes a cleaning gas supply unit for supplying a cleaning gas to a processing space; a first high frequency power supply unit for supplying a first high frequency power to the first electrode; and a controller for controlling the first high frequency power supply unit such that a first period during which the first high frequency power has a first amplitude that generates the plasma and a second period during which the first high frequency power has a second amplitude that generates substantially no plasma are alternately repeated at a specific cycle when the plasma cleaning is performed in the processing chamber without the target object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Takamichi KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20120132367
    Abstract: There is provided a processing apparatus including a processing gas discharge unit provided within a processing chamber so as to face a mounting table and configured to discharge a processing gas into the processing chamber; a first space corresponding to a central portion of a processing target object; a second space corresponding to an edge portion of the processing target object; at least one third space formed between the first space and the second space; and a processing gas distribution unit including processing gas distribution pipes and valves. The spaces are provided within the processing gas discharge unit and partitioned by partition walls. At the spaces, there are formed discharge holes for discharging the processing gas. The processing gas distribution pipes communicate with the spaces, and the valves are opened or closed to allow adjacent processing gas distribution pipes to communicate with each other or be isolated from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuyuki Tezuka, Kenichi Kato, Atsushi Sawachi, Takamichi Kikuchi, Takanori Mimura
  • Publication number: 20110033636
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus that enables an oxide layer and an organic layer to be removed efficiently. A substrate formed at its surface with an organic layer covered with the oxide layer is housed in a chemical reaction processing apparatus of the substrate processing apparatus, in which the oxide layer is subjected to chemical reaction with gas molecules, and thus a product is produced on the substrate surface. The substrate is heated in a chamber of a heat treatment apparatus of the substrate processing apparatus, whereby the product is vaporized and the organic layer is exposed. Microwaves are then introduced into the chamber into which oxygen gas is supplied, whereby there are produced oxygen radicals that decompose and remove the organic layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Eiichi Nishimura, Takamichi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 7736942
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus is provided to enable to efficiently remove an oxide layer and an organic material layer. A third process unit (36) of a substrate processing apparatus (10) includes a box-shaped process vessel (chamber) (50), a nitrogen gas supply system (190) and an ozone gas supply system (191). The ozone gas supply system (191) includes an ozone gas supply unit (195) and an ozone gas supply pipe (196) connected to the ozone gas supply unit (195). The ozone gas supply pipe (196) has an ozone gas supply hole (197) having an opening arranged opposite to a wafer (W). The ozone gas supply unit (195) supplies an ozone (O3) gas into the chamber (50) through the ozone gas supply hole (197) via the ozone gas supply pipe (196).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Eiichi Nishimura, Takamichi Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20100140221
    Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus includes an electrostatic chuck and an etching gas supply unit for supplying an etching gas to a processing space between a first and a second electrode to perform a dry etching process on the target object. The apparatus further includes a cleaning gas supply unit for supplying a cleaning gas to a processing space; a first high frequency power supply unit for supplying a first high frequency power to the first electrode; and a controller for controlling the first high frequency power supply unit such that a first period during which the first high frequency power has a first amplitude that generates the plasma and a second period during which the first high frequency power has a second amplitude that generates substantially no plasma are alternately repeated at a specific cycle when the plasma cleaning is performed in the processing chamber without the target object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Publication date: June 10, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Takamichi KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20080305632
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus is provided to enable to efficiently remove an oxide layer and an organic material layer. A third process unit (36) of a substrate processing apparatus (10) includes a box-shaped process vessel (chamber) (50), a nitrogen gas supply system (190) and an ozone gas supply system (191). The ozone gas supply system (191) includes an ozone gas supply unit (195) and an ozone gas supply pipe (196) connected to the ozone gas supply unit (195). The ozone gas supply pipe (196) has an ozone gas supply hole (197) having an opening arranged opposite to a wafer (W). The ozone gas supply unit (195) supplies an ozone (O3) gas into the chamber (50) through the ozone gas supply hole (197) via the ozone gas supply pipe (196).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Applicant: TOYOTA ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Eiichi NISHIMURA, Takamichi Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20080216957
    Abstract: A cleaning method for a plasma processing apparatus includes introducing a cleaning gas containing Cl2 and N2 into the processing chamber by the gas supply mechanism; and removing aluminum-based deposits adhered to the inside of the processing chamber by generating a plasma of the cleaning gas by the plasma generating mechanism. The plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber for accommodating and processing a target substrate therein; a gas supply mechanism for supplying a gas into the processing chamber; a gas exhaust mechanism for evacuating the processing chamber; and a plasma generating mechanism for generating a plasma of the gas supplied in to the processing chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kosuke Ogasawara, Takamichi Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20070184657
    Abstract: An etching method includes the step of forming recesses by performing a plasma etching on a target layer of a target object in a processing chamber of a plasma processing apparatus. The plasma etching is performed by using a mask, which is formed on the target layer and is provided with opening patterns including a dense patterned region and a sparse patterned region, such that portions of the target layer exposed through the opening pattern are etched by a plasma to form the recesses; and the plasma is exited by introducing a processing gas. A ratio of a flow rate of HBr to a flow rate of Cl2 (HBr/Cl2) is greater than or equal to about 1.2 and a ratio of a flow rate of the fluorine-containing gas to the flow rate of HBr (fluorine-containing gas/HBr) is greater than or equal to about 1.0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Etsuo IIJIMA, Takamichi KIKUCHI
  • Publication number: 20070175393
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus that enables an oxide layer and an organic layer to be removed efficiently. A substrate formed at its surface with an organic layer covered with the oxide layer is housed in a chemical reaction processing apparatus of the substrate processing apparatus, in which the oxide layer is subjected to chemical reaction with gas molecules, and thus a product is produced on the substrate surface. The substrate is heated in a chamber of a heat treatment apparatus of the substrate processing apparatus, whereby the product is vaporized and the organic layer is exposed. Microwaves are then introduced into the chamber into which oxygen gas is supplied, whereby there are produced oxygen radicals that decompose and remove the organic layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Eiichi NISHIMURA, Takamichi Kikuchi