Patents by Inventor Takehiro Shindo

Takehiro Shindo 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: 11961758
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring a substrate to a substrate processing chamber includes: a substrate transfer chamber including a floor surface portion having a traveling surface-side magnet provided therein and a sidewall portion having an opening for transferring the substrate therethrough; a substrate transfer module including a substrate holder and a floating body-side magnet acting a repulsive force with the traveling surface-side magnet, and configured to be movable on a traveling surface formed in a region provided with the traveling surface-side magnet by magnetic floating using the repulsive force; the substrate processing chamber connected to the substrate transfer chamber via a gate valve constituting a non-traveling region in which the substrate transfer module is not movable by the magnetic floating; and a transfer assist mechanism for assisting the transfer of the substrate by the substrate transfer module between the substrate transfer chamber and the substrate processing chamber via the non-trave
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Takehiro Shindo
  • Publication number: 20240120225
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus that transfers a substrate inside a substrate transfer chamber by a substrate transfer module using magnetic levitation. The apparatus includes: a substrate transfer chamber having a floor portion provided with a first magnet and connected, through an opening portion, to a substrate processing chamber in which the substrate is processed; and a substrate transfer module including a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate, and a second magnet configured such that a repulsive force acts between the first magnet and the second magnet. The substrate transfer module is movable inside the substrate transfer chamber by the magnetic levitation based on the repulsive force. The substrate transfer module performs loading/unloading of the substrate by directly entering into the substrate transfer chamber via the opening portion, or delivers the substrate to and from a substrate transfer mechanism fixedly provided inside the substrate transfer chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Takehiro SHINDO, Akinori SHIMAMURA, Hiromitsu SAKAUE, Dongwei LI
  • Publication number: 20240112936
    Abstract: A substrate transfer module includes: a transfer space in which a transport body including a magnet moves in a lateral direction while being levitated from a floor by magnetic force to transfer a substrate; a hole forming member having a through-hole formed in a vertical direction; a partition member that forms the floor by overlapping a hole edge portion of the through-hole in the vertical direction to block the through-hole, and defines the transfer space having an atmosphere that is separated from a non-transfer space including a portion under the floor outside the transfer space; and a plurality of electromagnets provided in the non-transfer space at positions overlapping the through-hole to move the transport body in the lateral direction, wherein each of the electromagnets is individually fed with power from a power feeder provided in the non-transfer space via a power feed line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Mitsuyori SUWA, Takehiro SHINDO, Akio TATEISHI
  • Patent number: 11948822
    Abstract: A substrate transfer device includes: a planar motor provided in a transfer chamber and including an array of coils, a transfer unit configured to move above the planar motor, and a controller configured to control supply of a current to the array of the coils, wherein the transfer unit includes a first base including an array of first magnets and configured to move above the planar motor, a second base including an array of second magnets and configured to move above the planar motor, the second base being arranged coaxially with the first base, and at least one arm configured to be extended or contracted by rotating the second base relative to the first base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Dongwei Li, Takehiro Shindo
  • Patent number: 11850743
    Abstract: There is provided a transport apparatus including: an articulated arm including: a first arm in which a drive motor is installed; a second arm configured to be driven by the first arm; a transmission portion configured to convert a rotation of the drive motor into a rotation of the second arm via a joint; a first detector configured to detect a first sensor value corresponding to a rotation angle of an input shaft of the transmission portion; and a second detector configured to detect a second sensor value corresponding to a rotation angle of the second arm; and a controller configured to control the articulated arm, wherein the controller is further configured to control the second arm to a target rotation angle based on the first sensor value and the second sensor value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takehiro Shindo, Toshiaki Kodama
  • Publication number: 20230343624
    Abstract: A path setting system is used for setting paths of a plurality of transfer bodies in a substrate transfer device, the substrate transfer device including a substrate transfer area and the plurality of transfer bodies, each having a support configured to support a substrate and configured to float and move by a magnetic force from a floor forming the substrate transfer area. The path setting system includes a virtual area setting part configured to set a virtual area corresponding to the substrate transfer area, a path generating part configured to generate, in the virtual area, moving paths of the transfer bodies from a movement start position to a movement end position, and an interference determining part configured to determine interference between the moving paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Inventors: Yoshinori IGUCHI, Takehiro Shindo
  • Patent number: 11776831
    Abstract: A substrate transport system for transporting a substrate in a vacuum atmosphere includes a vacuum chamber, inside of which is configured to be capable of being set to a vacuum atmosphere, a transport arm provided inside the vacuum chamber and configured to hold and transport the substrate, a horizontal movement mechanism configured to move the transport arm in a horizontal direction inside the vacuum chamber, a horizontal duct arm mechanism including therein an accommodation portion having a normal pressure atmosphere, the horizontal duct arm mechanism being configured to be extendable/contractible as the transport arm moves horizontally, a vertical movement mechanism configured to move the transport arm in a vertical direction inside the vacuum chamber, and a vertical duct arm mechanism including therein an accommodation portion having a normal pressure atmosphere, the vertical duct arm mechanism being configured to be extendable/contractible as the transport arm moves vertically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Takehiro Shindo
  • Publication number: 20230282503
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing system comprising: a plurality of modules including a processing chamber in which a substrate is held and processing is performed on the substrate; a transfer chamber to which the plurality of modules are connected; a substrate transfer device provided inside the transfer chamber, for transferring the substrate to the plurality of modules and taking out the substrate from the plurality of modules; and a controller. The substrate transfer device includes a first transfer unit and a second transfer unit, each of which places thereon the substrate and is linearly movable and swivelable independently and freely over a surface of the transfer chamber, and the controller controls the substrate transfer device such that a substrate replacement operation is performed from one module to another module among the plurality of modules by moving the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit concurrently in parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Inventor: Takehiro SHINDO
  • Publication number: 20230170239
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring a substrate to a substrate processing chamber. The apparatus comprises: a substrate transfer chamber having a floor and a side wall; a substrate transfer module comprising a holder and second magnets, and configured to be movable in the substrate transfer chamber by magnetic levitation; and a controller configured to control an operating force for moving the substrate transfer module. The controller comprises: a parameter storage configured to store at least one model parameter; a control schedule creating section configured to acquire identification information and a movement schedule, to obtain the operating force, and to output a control schedule; and a magnetic force adjusting section configured to perform feedforward control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventors: Takehiro SHINDO, Dongwei LI, Lingxin JIANG, Shinya OKANO, Toshiaki KODAMA, Wataru MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20230166924
    Abstract: A substrate transfer device includes a tile-shaped section that includes a coil and a Hall element and that is provided in a transfer chamber, a transfer section that includes a permanent magnet and that is configured to move over the tile-shaped section to transfer a substrate, a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature in the tile-shaped section, and a controller configured to estimate a position of the transfer section based on a temperature of the Hall element and a detection value of the Hall element. The temperature of the Hall element is determined based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Publication date: June 1, 2023
    Inventor: Takehiro SHINDO
  • Publication number: 20230095452
    Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a load-lock module including load-lock module stages, a process module including process module stages, a vacuum transfer module that connects the load-lock module to the process module, a first transfer device that transfers substrates from the load-lock module stages to the process module stages, the first transfer device being provided in the vacuum transfer module, a second transfer device that transfers the substrates to the load-lock module stages, and a processor. The processor is configured to perform teaching a position at which the first transfer device receives the substrates from the load-lock module, teaching a position at which the first transfer device delivers the substrates to the process module, measuring shift amounts between the process module stages and the substrates mounted thereon, and correcting positions at which the second transfer device delivers the substrates to the load-lock module stages based on the measured shift amounts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Tomoyuki OSHIMA, Takehiro SHINDO
  • Publication number: 20220365187
    Abstract: A substrate processing system includes: a substrate processing apparatus including a stage on which a substrate and an annular member are placed; a substrate transport mechanism including a substrate holder; a distance sensor provided in the substrate holder; and a control device, wherein the substrate transport mechanism is configured to place a jig substrate having a reference surface as a reference for a height of the annular member on the stage, wherein the distance sensor is configured to measure a distance from the substrate holder positioned above the stage to the reference surface of the jig substrate and a distance from the substrate holder to the annular member, and wherein the control device is configured to estimate the height of the annular member based on a measurement result of the distance to the reference surface and a measurement result of the distance to the annular member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Toshiaki KODAMA, Shinji WAKABAYASHI, Takehiro SHINDO, Tatsuru OKAMURA
  • Patent number: 11491639
    Abstract: This extendable device includes: a base member; a first ball screw that is provided to the base member and that rotates according to a driving force supplied from a drive source; a first movable member that is coupled to the base member via the first ball screw and that moves relative to the base member as the first ball screw rotates; a second ball screw that is provided to the first movable member and that rotates as the first movable member moves; a third ball screw that is provided to the first movable member; a transmission mechanism that transmits the rotation of the second ball screw to the third ball screw; and a second movable member that is coupled to the first movable member via the third ball screw and that moves relative to the first movable member as the third ball screw rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Takehiro Shindo
  • Publication number: 20220340377
    Abstract: A substrate transfer device that transfers a substrate, includes: a transfer arm including a substrate support and an arm; a cooler configured to distribute and supply a cooling fluid from a fluid supply source to each of cooling target regions of the arm; a measuring part configured to measure a temperature of each of the cooling target regions; and a controller. The controller is configured to: calculate a thermal index for each of the cooling target regions based on the amount of change of the temperature of the cooling target region measured by the measuring part from a reference temperature and a degree of influence of the temperature of the cooling target region affecting a movement accuracy of the substrate support; and determine a distribution ratio of the cooling fluid from the fluid supply source by the cooler based on the thermal index.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Takehiro SHINDO, Wataru MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20220336260
    Abstract: A substrate transfer device is provided with: a movement tile provided in a substrate transfer region and including first magnets for changing a state of a magnetic field and a movement surface; a substrate transfer module including a second magnet that receives a magnetic force and configured to move along the movement surface while being floated from the movement surface by the magnetic force; a transfer controller for controlling the magnetic field formed by the first magnets to move the substrate transfer module along a preset route; a detector for detecting an index value corresponding to a magnitude of a deviation, from the preset route, of an actual movement path of the substrate transfer module moving along the movement surface; and a correction parameter calculation part for calculating a correction parameter for correcting the magnetic force acting on the second magnet based on the index value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventor: Takehiro SHINDO
  • Publication number: 20220319889
    Abstract: An apparatus for transporting a substrate includes a transport chamber including a wall having an opening through which carry-in/out of the substrate to/from the substrate processing chamber is performed and a movement surface having a first magnet, a transport module accommodated in the transport chamber to hold the substrate, including a second magnet to which a magnetic force is applied, and configured to be movable along the movement surface in a floating state from the movement surface, an angle adjusting mechanism provided in the transport chamber to switch an angle of the movement surface between a first angle and a second angle which is closer to a vertical state than the first angle, and a transport passage forming a portion of the transport chamber, and including the movement surface at the second angle to which the movement surface switched to the second angle can be connected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Takehiro SHINDO, Toshiaki KODAMA
  • Publication number: 20220301921
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring a substrate to a substrate processing chamber includes: a substrate transfer chamber including a floor surface portion having a traveling surface-side magnet provided therein and a sidewall portion having an opening for transferring the substrate therethrough; a substrate transfer module including a substrate holder and a floating body-side magnet acting a repulsive force with the traveling surface-side magnet, and configured to be movable on a traveling surface formed in a region provided with the traveling surface-side magnet by magnetic floating using the repulsive force; the substrate processing chamber connected to the substrate transfer chamber via a gate valve constituting a non-traveling region in which the substrate transfer module is not movable by the magnetic floating; and a transfer assist mechanism for assisting the transfer of the substrate by the substrate transfer module between the substrate transfer chamber and the substrate processing chamber via the non-trave
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventor: Takehiro SHINDO
  • Publication number: 20220301911
    Abstract: An opening/closing apparatus for opening/closing an opening which allows a first chamber and a second chamber adjacent to the first chamber to communicate with each other, includes a planar motor including coils arranged in the first chamber, a moving body including a valve body configured to move on the planar motor and close the opening, and a controller configured to control energization of the coils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Dongwei LI, Takehiro SHINDO
  • Publication number: 20220285191
    Abstract: A substrate transfer device includes: a planar motor provided in a transfer chamber and including an array of coils; a transfer unit configured to move above the planar motor; and a controller configured to control supply of a current to the array of the coils, wherein the transfer unit includes: a first base including an array of first magnets and configured to move above the planar motor; a second base including an array of second magnets and configured to move above the planar motor, the second base being arranged coaxially with the first base; and at least one arm configured to be extended/contracted by rotating the second base relative to the first base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Dongwei LI, Takehiro SHINDO
  • Publication number: 20220199456
    Abstract: A method of delivering a substrate includes moving a holder configured to hold the substrate in a substrate transfer device above a region where an elevating member configured to be capable of being raised/lowered is arranged; and delivering the substrate from the holder to the elevating member by simultaneously performing lowering of the holder and raising of the elevating member, or delivering the substrate from the elevating member to the holder by simultaneously performing lowering of the elevating member that supports the substrate and raising of the holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventor: Takehiro SHINDO