Patents by Inventor Takeshi Yokouchi

Takeshi Yokouchi 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: 9732909
    Abstract: A gas supply system for supplying a gas into a processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed includes: a processing gas supply unit; a processing gas supply line; a first and a second branch line; a branch flow control unit; an additional gas supply unit; an additional gas supply line; and a control unit. The control unit performs, before processing the substrate to be processed, a processing gas supply control and an additional gas supply control by using the processing gas supply unit and the additional gas supply unit, respectively, wherein the additional gas supply control includes a control that supplies the additional gas at an initial flow rate greater than a set flow rate and then at the set flow rate after a lapse of a period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinichiro Hayasaka, Ken Horiuchi, Fumiko Yokouchi, Takeshi Yokouchi
  • Publication number: 20140332100
    Abstract: A gas supply system for supplying a gas into a processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed includes: a processing gas supply unit; a processing gas supply line; a first and a second branch line; a branch flow control unit; an additional gas supply unit; an additional gas supply line; and a control unit. The control unit performs, before processing the substrate to be processed, a processing gas supply control and an additional gas supply control by using the processing gas supply unit and the additional gas supply unit, respectively, wherein the additional gas supply control includes a control that supplies the additional gas at an initial flow rate greater than a set flow rate and then at the set flow rate after a lapse of a period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinichiro HAYASAKA, Ken HORIUCHI, Fumiko YOKOUCHI, Takeshi YOKOUCHI
  • Patent number: 8790529
    Abstract: A gas supply system for supplying a gas into a processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed includes: a processing gas supply unit; a processing gas supply line; a first and a second branch line; a branch flow control unit; an additional gas supply unit; an additional gas supply line; and a control unit. The control unit performs, before processing the substrate to be processed, a processing gas supply control and an additional gas supply control by using the processing gas supply unit and the additional gas supply unit, respectively, wherein the additional gas supply control includes a control that supplies the additional gas at an initial flow rate greater than a set flow rate and then at the set flow rate after a lapse of a period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinichiro Hayasaka, Ken Horiuchi, Fumiko Yagi, Takeshi Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 8475623
    Abstract: A substrate processing method is used for a substrate processing system having a substrate processing device and a substrate transfer device. The substrate processing method includes a substrate transfer step of transferring a substrate and a substrate processing step of performing a predetermined process on the substrate. The substrate transfer step and the substrate processing step include a plurality of operations, and at least two operations among the plurality of the operations are performed simultaneously. Preferably, the substrate processing device includes an accommodating chamber, a mounting table placed in the accommodating chamber to be mounted thereon the substrate, and a heat transfer gas supply line for supplying a heat transfer gas to a space between the substrate mounted on the mounting table and the mounting table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Seiichi Kaise, Noriyuki Iwabuchi, Shigeaki Kato, Hiroshi Nakamura, Takeshi Yokouchi, Mariko Shibata, Akira Obi
  • Publication number: 20120292290
    Abstract: A substrate processing method is used for a substrate processing system having a substrate processing device and a substrate transfer device. The substrate processing method includes a substrate transfer step of transferring a substrate and a substrate processing step of performing a predetermined process on the substrate. The substrate transfer step and the substrate processing step include a plurality of operations, and at least two operations among the plurality of the operations are performed simultaneously. Preferably, the substrate processing device includes an accommodating chamber, a mounting table placed in the accommodating chamber to be mounted thereon the substrate, and a heat transfer gas supply line for supplying a heat transfer gas to a space between the substrate mounted on the mounting table and the mounting table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Seiichi Kaise, Noriyuki Iwabuchi, Shigeaki Kato, Hiroshi Nakamura, Takeshi Yokouchi, Mariko Shibata, Akira Obi
  • Patent number: 8257601
    Abstract: A substrate processing method is used for a substrate processing system having a substrate processing device and a substrate transfer device. The substrate processing method includes a substrate transfer step of transferring a substrate and a substrate processing step of performing a predetermined process on the substrate. The substrate transfer step and the substrate processing step include a plurality of operations, and at least two operations among the plurality of the operations are performed simultaneously. Preferably, the substrate processing device includes an accommodating chamber, a mounting table placed in the accommodating chamber to be mounted thereon the substrate, and a heat transfer gas supply line for supplying a heat transfer gas to a space between the substrate mounted on the mounting table and the mounting table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Seiichi Kaise, Noriyuki Iwabuchi, Shigeaki Kato, Hiroshi Nakamura, Takeshi Yokouchi, Mariko Shibata, Akira Obi
  • Patent number: 8190281
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate processing unit for performing a process on substrates; a recipe protection unit for prohibiting processing conditions for the process from being changed while the process is being performed on a specific number of substrates; a protection cancellation unit for canceling a prohibition of a change in the process to allow the processing conditions to be changed while the process is being performed on the specific number of substrates; and a modifying unit for modifying the processing conditions. Further, a method for examining substrate processing conditions includes a protection cancellation step of canceling a prohibition of a change in the process to allow the processing conditions to be changed while the process is being performed on the specific number of substrates; and a modifying step of modifying the processing conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takeshi Yokouchi, Fumiko Yagi
  • Publication number: 20110224818
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a setting unit for setting substrate processing conditions for a substrate in a substrate processing unit for performing a process on the substrate; a detection unit for detecting an abnormality of the substrate processing unit while the substrate processing unit performs the process on the substrate under the substrate processing conditions; a stopping unit for stopping the process on the substrate of the substrate processing unit if the abnormality is detected; and a modifying unit for modifying the substrate processing conditions for a substrate on which the process is stopped to be performed by the stopping unit. Further, a method for modifying substrate processing conditions includes the steps of setting processing conditions; detecting an abnormality of the substrate processing unit; stopping the process if the abnormality is detected; and modifying the processing conditions for a substrate on which the process is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takeshi YOKOUCHI, Fumiko Yagi
  • Publication number: 20110190924
    Abstract: An EC includes a substrate processing execution unit that executes an etching process on a product substrate, a dummy processing execution unit that executes a dummy process on a dummy substrate and a decision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether the dummy process is to be executed based upon a temperature-related condition. The decision-making unit obtains temperature-related information to be used to regulate the atmosphere inside the individual PM processing containers and makes a decision as to whether the temperature status inside each processing container is regulated based upon the obtained temperature information. If it is decided by the decision-making unit that the temperature status in the processing container has been regulated, the substrate processing execution unit executes the etching process on a product substrate without executing the dummy process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takeshi Yokouchi, Fumiko Yagi
  • Publication number: 20110171830
    Abstract: A substrate processing method is used for a substrate processing system having a substrate processing device and a substrate transfer device. The substrate processing method includes a substrate transfer step of transferring a substrate and a substrate processing step of performing a predetermined process on the substrate. The substrate transfer step and the substrate processing step include a plurality of operations, and at least two operations among the plurality of the operations are performed simultaneously. Preferably, the substrate processing device includes an accommodating chamber, a mounting table placed in the accommodating chamber to be mounted thereon the substrate, and a heat transfer gas supply line for supplying a heat transfer gas to a space between the substrate mounted on the mounting table and the mounting table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: SEIICHI KAISE, NORIYUKI IWABUCHI, SHIGEAKI KATO, HIROSHI NAKAMURA, TAKESHI YOKOUCHI, MARIKO SHIBATA, AKIRA OBI
  • Publication number: 20110120563
    Abstract: A gas supply system for supplying a gas into a processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed includes: a processing gas supply unit; a processing gas supply line; a first and a second branch line; a branch flow control unit; an additional gas supply unit; an additional gas supply line; and a control unit. The control unit performs, before processing the substrate to be processed, a processing gas supply control and an additional gas supply control by using the processing gas supply unit and the additional gas supply unit, respectively, wherein the additional gas supply control includes a control that supplies the additional gas at an initial flow rate greater than a set flow rate and then at the set flow rate after a lapse of a period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinichiro HAYASAKA, Ken Horiuchi, Fumiko Yagi, Takeshi Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 7896967
    Abstract: A gas supply system for supplying a gas into a processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed includes: a processing gas supply unit; a processing gas supply line; a first and a second branch line; a branch flow control unit; an additional gas supply unit; an additional gas supply line; and a control unit. The control unit performs, before processing the substrate to be processed, a processing gas supply control and an additional gas supply control by using the processing gas supply unit and the additional gas supply unit, respectively, wherein the additional gas supply control includes a control that supplies the additional gas at an initial flow rate greater than a set flow rate and then at the set flow rate after a lapse of a period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinichiro Hayasaka, Ken Horiuchi, Fumiko Yagi, Takeshi Yokouchi
  • Patent number: 7553773
    Abstract: First and second pressure sensors 132 and 134 that perform pressure detection over different pressure detection ranges from each other detect the pressure within a process chamber 102 of an etching device 100. A pressure controller 144 selects optimal pressure data in correspondence to the pressure inside the process chamber from the pressure data provided by the first and second pressure sensors 132 and 134. It also analyzes the selected pressure data at a resolution selected in correspondence to the pressure inside the process chamber 102 and thus obtains pressure data achieving a predetermined data density. The pressure controller 134 controls a pressure control valve 130 so as to ensure that the pressure data match preset pressure data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Eiji Hirose, Noriyuki Iwabuchi, Takeshi Yokouchi, Shingo Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7535688
    Abstract: The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus that executes electrical discharge processing before detaching a substrate held onto an electrostatic chuck of a lower electrode constituting a stage and undergoing a specific type of processing from the electrostatic chuck. Before electrically discharging the substrate, a decision is made as to whether or not the specific type of processing on the substrate has ended normally, and electrical discharge conditions are set based upon regular electrical discharge condition information stored at a regular electrical discharge condition information storage means if the substrate processing is judged to have ended normally, whereas electrical discharge conditions are set based upon non-regular electrical discharge condition information stored at a non-regular electrical discharge condition information storage means if the substrate processing is judged not to have ended normally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takeshi Yokouchi, Fumiko Yagi
  • Publication number: 20070227658
    Abstract: An EC 200 includes a substrate processing execution unit 280 that executes an etching process on a product substrate, a dummy processing execution unit 275 that executes a dummy process on a dummy substrate and a decision-making unit 270 that makes a decision as to whether the dummy process is to be executed based upon a temperature-related condition. The decision-making unit 270 obtains temperature-related information to be used to regulate the atmosphere inside the individual PM processing containers and makes a decision as to whether the temperature status inside each processing container is regulated based upon the obtained temperature information. If it is decided by the decision-making unit 270 that the temperature status in the processing container has been regulated, the substrate processing execution unit 280 executes the etching process on a product substrate without executing the dummy process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takeshi Yokouchi, Fumiko Yagi
  • Publication number: 20070212846
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate processing unit for performing a process on substrates; a recipe protection unit for prohibiting processing conditions for the process from being changed while the process is being performed on a specific number of substrates; a protection cancellation unit for canceling a prohibition of a change in the process to allow the processing conditions to be changed while the process is being performed on the specific number of substrates; and a modifying unit for modifying the processing conditions. Further, a method for examining substrate processing conditions includes a protection cancellation step of canceling a prohibition of a change in the process to allow the processing conditions to be changed while the process is being performed on the specific number of substrates; and a modifying step of modifying the processing conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takeshi Yokouchi, Fumiko Yagi
  • Publication number: 20070199655
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a setting unit for setting substrate processing conditions for a substrate in a substrate processing unit for performing a process on the substrate; a detection unit for detecting an abnormality of the substrate processing unit while the substrate processing unit performs the process on the substrate under the substrate processing conditions; a stopping unit for stopping the process on the substrate of the substrate processing unit if the abnormality is detected; and a modifying unit for modifying the substrate processing conditions for a substrate on which the process is stopped to be performed by the stopping unit. Further, a method for modifying substrate processing conditions includes the steps of setting processing conditions; detecting an abnormality of the substrate processing unit; stopping the process if the abnormality is detected; and modifying the processing conditions for a substrate on which the process is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takeshi Yokouchi, Fumiko Yagi
  • Publication number: 20070181255
    Abstract: A gas supply system for supplying a gas into a processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed includes: a processing gas supply unit; a processing gas supply line; a first and a second branch line; a branch flow control unit; an additional gas supply unit; an additional gas supply line; and a control unit. The control unit performs, before processing the substrate to be processed, a processing gas supply control and an additional gas supply control by using the processing gas supply unit and the additional gas supply unit, respectively, wherein the additional gas supply control includes a control that supplies the additional gas at an initial flow rate greater than a set flow rate and then at the set flow rate after a lapse of a period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinichiro HAYASAKA, Ken Horiuchi, Fumiko Yagi, Takeshi Yokouchi
  • Publication number: 20060215338
    Abstract: The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus that executes electrical discharge processing before detaching a substrate held onto an electrostatic chuck of a lower electrode constituting a stage and undergoing a specific type of processing from the electrostatic chuck. Before electrically discharging the substrate, a decision is made as to whether or not the specific type of processing on the substrate has ended normally, and electrical discharge conditions are set based upon regular electrical discharge condition information stored at a regular electrical discharge condition information storage means if the substrate processing is judged to have ended normally, whereas electrical discharge conditions are set based upon non-regular electrical discharge condition information stored at a non-regular electrical discharge condition information storage means if the substrate processing is judged not to have ended normally.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2006
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Applicant: TOKTO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takeshi Yokouchi, Fumiko Yagi
  • Publication number: 20060090703
    Abstract: A substrate processing method is used for a substrate processing system having a substrate processing device and a substrate transfer device. The substrate processing method includes a substrate transfer step of transferring a substrate and a substrate processing step of performing a predetermined process on the substrate. The substrate transfer step and the substrate processing step include a plurality of operations, and at least two operations among the plurality of the operations are performed simultaneously. Preferably, the substrate processing device includes an accommodating chamber, a mounting table placed in the accommodating chamber to be mounted thereon the substrate, and a heat transfer gas supply line for supplying a heat transfer gas to a space between the substrate mounted on the mounting table and the mounting table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2005
    Publication date: May 4, 2006
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Seiichi Kaise, Noriyuki Iwabuchi, Shigeaki Kato, Hiroshi Nakamura, Takeshi Yokouchi, Mariko Shibata, Akira Obi