Patents by Inventor Takumi Tandou
Takumi Tandou 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).
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Patent number: 8955579Abstract: There is provided a means for uniformly controlling the in-plane temperature of a semiconductor wafer at high speed in a high heat input etching process. A refrigerant channel structure in a circular shape is formed in a sample stage. Due to a fact that a heat transfer coefficient of a refrigerant is largely changed from a refrigerant supply port to a refrigerant outlet port, the cross sections of the channel structure is structured so as to be increased from a first channel areas towards a second channel areas in order to make the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant constant in the refrigerant channel structure. Thereby, the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant is prevented from increasing by reducing the flow rate of the refrigerant at a dry degree area where the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant is increased.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2011Date of Patent: February 17, 2015Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Takumi Tandou, Kenetsu Yokogawa, Masaru Izawa
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Publication number: 20150031213Abstract: A plasma processing method is provided for a plasma processing apparatus which includes a plurality of upstream-side expansion valves and a plurality of downstream-side expansion valves connected to respective refrigerant inlets and respective refrigerant outlets to adjust a flow rate or a pressure of a refrigerant flowing into the respective refrigerant inlets and a flow rate or a pressure of a refrigerant flowing out from the respective refrigerant outlets. The method includes adjusting openings of the upstream-side expansion valves and openings of the downstream-side expansion valves so that no change in flow rate of the refrigerant occurs in a plurality of refrigerant channels between the plurality of upstream-side expansion valves and the plurality of downstream-side expansion valves via the plurality of refrigerant channels in a refrigeration cycle allowing the refrigerant to flow therein.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2014Publication date: January 29, 2015Inventors: Go MIYA, Masaru IZAWA, Takumi TANDOU
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Publication number: 20140283534Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a refrigerating cycle including a refrigerant passage, a compressor, and a condenser, all of which are coupled in this order, and through which a refrigerant flows in this order, the refrigerant passage being disposed inside a sample stage and through which the refrigerant flows to serve as an evaporator; first and second expansion valves which are interposed between the condenser and the refrigerant passage and between the refrigerant passage and the compressor respectively in the refrigerating cycle; a vaporizer that is interposed between the second expansion valve and the compressor in the refrigerating cycle and which heats and vaporizes the refrigerant; and a controller which regulates opening and closing of the first and second expansion valves and regulates a refrigerant heat exchange amount of the condenser or vaporizer based on a refrigerant temperature between the condenser and the second expansion valve.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2014Publication date: September 25, 2014Inventors: Takumi Tandou, Go Miya, Masaru Izawa, Hiromichi Kawasaki
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Patent number: 8833089Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus, a check valve is installed close to a refrigerant inlet of a compressor. When performing maintenance of a sample stage, refrigerant collected from a refrigerant flow path is temporarily stored in a flow path section extending from an expansion valve to the check valve, making it possible to perform the maintenance without changing the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerating cycle. With a refrigerant storage tank, a refrigerant supply valve, and a refrigerant discharge valve included in the refrigerating cycle, when maintenance of the compressor, a condenser, or the expansion valve is performed, the refrigerant collected from the refrigerating cycle can be put in use again.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2009Date of Patent: September 16, 2014Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Takumi Tandou, Masaru Izawa
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Patent number: 8747763Abstract: In order to provide a plasma sterilization apparatus with high plasma generation efficiency, the apparatus includes first and second electrodes (3, 2), a first dielectric body layer (1), and an insulating spacer (6). The first dielectric body layer (1) is disposed between the first and second electrodes (3, 2). The insulating spacer (6) is disposed between the first electrode (3) and the first dielectric body layer (1). The insulating spacer (6) has a lower permittivity than a permittivity of the first dielectric body layer (1).Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2012Date of Patent: June 10, 2014Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Takumi Tandou, Nobuyuki Negishi, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Keizo Suzuki
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Publication number: 20140004706Abstract: Provided is a plasma processing apparatus which includes a plurality of upstream-side expansion valves and a plurality of downstream-side expansion valves connected to respective refrigerant inlets and respective refrigerant outlets to adjust a flow rate or a pressure of a refrigerant flowing into the respective refrigerant inlets and a flow rate or a pressure of a refrigerant flowing out from the respective refrigerant outlets. Openings of the upstream-side expansion valves and openings of the downstream-side expansion valves are adjusted so that no change in flow rate of the refrigerant occurs in a plurality of refrigerant channels between the plurality of upstream-side expansion valves and the plurality of downstream-side expansion valves via the plurality of refrigerant channels in a refrigeration cycle allowing the refrigerant to flow therein.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2013Publication date: January 2, 2014Inventors: Go MIYA, Masaru IZAWA, Takumi TANDOU
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Publication number: 20130202479Abstract: An apparatus which determines activeness/inactiveness of bacteria in real time by measuring a specific light emission spectrum upon performing sterilization using plasma to highly efficiently sterilize is provided. As solving means, plasma is irradiated on a processing target from a plasma source connected to an alternate-current power supply and light emission of the processing target caused by the irradiation of plasma is detected by a light emission intensity detector unit. Particularly, by detecting wavelength intensity of hydrogen or hydroxyl group, activeness/inactiveness of bacteria can be determined at an early stage. Thus, an appropriate output of a power supply for sterilization can be controlled.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2010Publication date: August 8, 2013Inventors: Takumi Tandou, Nobuyuki Negishi, Naoshi Itabashi
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Patent number: 8426764Abstract: The present invention provides means for controlling the temperature of a semiconductor wafer rapidly and uniformly in plane during etching processing by a large quantity of input heat by use of a refrigerating system by the heat of evaporation. A ring-shaped refrigerant passage is formed in a sample stand. Since the heat transfer rate and pressure loss of a refrigerant increase from a refrigerant supply port to a refrigerant ejection port as dryness degrees increase, these must be restricted. Therefore, constructionally, a supply refrigerant quantity is controlled to prevent the refrigerant from completely evaporating within the refrigerant passage, and the sectional areas of the refrigerant passage increase successively from a first passage to a third passage.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2008Date of Patent: April 23, 2013Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Takumi Tandou, Kenetsu Yokogawa, Masaru Izawa
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Patent number: 8349127Abstract: A wafer stage includes a first evaporator where a refrigerant circulates. The first evaporator makes up a cooling cycle with a compressor, first condenser, expansion valve, second evaporator, refrigerant thermometer, and refrigerant flowmeter. The first condenser is supplied with a heat exchange medium. The temperature of a coolant supplied to the second evaporator is measured by an inlet refrigerant thermometer and outlet refrigerant thermometer, while the flow rate of the coolant is monitored and adjusted by a flow-rate adjuster. The temperature difference in the coolant between being at the inlet and at the outlet and flow rate can be measured. Upon complete evaporation of the refrigerant in the second evaporator, the dryness of the refrigerant discharged from the wafer stage is calculated from the amount of heat absorbed from (exchanged with) the coolant, the circulation amount of the refrigerant and the refrigerant temperature to control the rotational speed of the compressor.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2010Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Takumi Tandou, Masaru Izawa
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Publication number: 20120325146Abstract: Disclosed is a plasma processing apparatus which performs plasma processing under substantially atmospheric pressure to a non-planar subject to be processed. In the plasma processing apparatus, a pair of conductive wires are disposed at an interval of 1 mm or less on a dielectric board that conforms with the shape of the subject, the conductive wires are covered with a dielectric thin film having a thickness of 1 mm or less by, for instance, thermally spraying a dielectric material over the conductive wires, and plasma is generated along the shape of subject by applying high-frequency power to the pair of conductive wires.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2011Publication date: December 27, 2012Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Kenji Maeda, Takumi Tandou, Shoichi Nakashima, Shigeru Ohno
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Publication number: 20120273132Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber, a wafer table, a refrigerant passage disposed inside the wafer table in which a refrigerant flows, a refrigeration cycle comprising the refrigerant passage in the wafer table as a first evaporator in which the refrigerant is evaporated as a result of a heat-exchange therein, a compressor, a condenser and an expansion valve, a second evaporator, and a controlling unit which adjusts a number of rotations of the compressor based upon a degree of dryness of the refrigerant at a position on the refrigeration cycle after passing through the first evaporation in a range in which dry-out does not occur in the first evaporator, and the dryness of the refrigerant being determined based upon an amount of a heat exchange during the evaporation of the refrigerant in the second evaporator.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2012Publication date: November 1, 2012Inventors: Takumi Tandou, Masaru Izawa
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Publication number: 20120263628Abstract: In order to provide a plasma sterilization apparatus with high plasma generation efficiency, the apparatus includes first and second electrodes (3, 2), a first dielectric body layer (1), and an insulating spacer (6). The first dielectric body layer (1) is disposed between the first and second electrodes (3, 2). The insulating spacer (6) is disposed between the first electrode (3) and the first dielectric body layer (1). The insulating spacer (6) has a lower permittivity than a permittivity of the first dielectric body layer (1).Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2012Publication date: October 18, 2012Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Takumi TANDOU, Nobuyuki Negishi, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Keizo Suzuki
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Publication number: 20120241284Abstract: Sterilization and cleaning of an escalator hand rail are performed. A sterilization and cleaning device including a hand rail; a plasma source for irradiating the hand rails with ions or radicals or UV light; an enclosure for housing the plasma source; a power source for generating plasma; a fan for generating relatively negative pressure in the enclosure; filter units for removing removed bacteria, viruses, and organic matters such as hand marks; and filter plates located backward and forward of a moving direction of the hand rail in the enclosure along the hand rail is provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2012Publication date: September 27, 2012Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroyuki KOBAYASHI, Takumi Tandou, Naoshi Itabashi
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Publication number: 20120186745Abstract: Provided is a plasma processing apparatus in which accuracy or reliability of processing is improved. This plasma processing apparatus includes a sample stage in a processing chamber arranged in a vacuum vessel and in which plasma is generated. The sample stage has a cylindrical shape and operates as an evaporator through which a refrigerant of a refrigerating cycle flows. Further, the apparatus includes refrigerant passages which are concentrically arranged inside of the sample stage, one or more detectors which detect vibrations of the sample stage, and an control unit which controls a temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the sample stage based on detection results of a dryness of the refrigerant flowing through the passages obtained from an output of the detectors.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2011Publication date: July 26, 2012Inventors: Go MIYA, Masaru Izawa, Takumi Tandou
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Publication number: 20120132368Abstract: To improve durability of an electric discharge part of a dielectric barrier discharge system, a plasma treatment apparatus is configured so that a plasma source of a corona discharge system is installed in the vicinity of a plasma source of the dielectric barrier discharge system, a plasma generated by corona discharge is used as an auxiliary plasma, and a discharge sustaining voltage of a main plasma generated by the dielectric barrier discharge is reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2011Publication date: May 31, 2012Inventors: Hiroyuki KOBAYASHI, Takumi TANDOU, Shoichi NAKASHIMA, Naoshi ITABASHI
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Patent number: 8034181Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber encased in a vacuum vessel equipped with an evacuator; a sample stage located in the processing chamber and having an upper surface on which a sample as an object to be processed rests; a gas feeding unit for feeding processing gas into the processing chamber; a plurality of refrigerant ducts which are laid out in the internal of the sample stage and through which liquid refrigerant flows and can be evaporated; a cooling circuit including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and a set of pipelines to connect the compressor, the condenser and the expansion valve in this order; and a selecting unit for selectively feeding the refrigerant through the plural refrigerant ducts in the different steps of the processing. The sample is processed by using plasma while the temperature of the sample stage is being controlled by the cooling circuit.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2007Date of Patent: October 11, 2011Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Takumi Tandou, Ken'etsu Yokogawa, Masaru Izawa
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Publication number: 20110207243Abstract: There is provided a means for uniformly controlling the in-plane temperature of a semiconductor wafer at high speed in a high heat input etching process. A refrigerant channel structure in a circular shape is formed in a sample stage. Due to a fact that a heat transfer coefficient of a refrigerant is largely changed from a refrigerant supply port to a refrigerant outlet port, the cross sections of the channel structure is structured so as to be increased from a first channel areas towards a second channel areas in order to make the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant constant in the refrigerant channel structure. Thereby, the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant is prevented from increasing by reducing the flow rate of the refrigerant at a dry degree area where the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant is increased.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2011Publication date: August 25, 2011Inventors: Takumi TANDOU, Kenetsu Yokogawa, Masaru Izawa
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Publication number: 20110132541Abstract: A wafer stage includes a first evaporator where a refrigerant circulates. The first evaporator makes up a cooling cycle with a compressor, first condenser, expansion valve, second evaporator, refrigerant thermometer, and refrigerant flowmeter. The first condenser is supplied with a heat exchange medium. The temperature of a coolant supplied to the second evaporator is measured by an inlet refrigerant thermometer and outlet refrigerant thermometer, while the flow rate of the coolant is monitored and adjusted by a flow-rate adjuster. The temperature difference in the coolant between being at the inlet and at the outlet and flow rate can be measured. Upon complete evaporation of the refrigerant in the second evaporator, the dryness of the refrigerant discharged from the wafer stage is calculated from the amount of heat absorbed from (exchanged with) the coolant, the circulation amount of the refrigerant and the refrigerant temperature to control the rotational speed of the compressor.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2010Publication date: June 9, 2011Inventors: Takumi TANDOU, Masaru Izawa
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Publication number: 20100326094Abstract: In a plasma processing apparatus, a check valve is installed close to a refrigerant inlet of a compressor. When performing maintenance of a sample stage, refrigerant collected from a refrigerant flow path is temporarily stored in a flow path section extending from an expansion valve to the check valve, making it possible to perform the maintenance without changing the amount of refrigerant in the refrigerating cycle. With a refrigerant storage tank, a refrigerant supply valve, and a refrigerant discharge valve included in the refrigerating cycle, when maintenance of the compressor, a condenser, or the expansion valve is performed, the refrigerant collected from the refrigerating cycle can be put in use again.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2009Publication date: December 30, 2010Inventors: Takumi TANDOU, Masaru Izawa
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Patent number: 7838792Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus is provided which processes a sample held on a sample table arranged in a process chamber in a vacuum container by using a plasma formed in the process chamber. The plasma processing apparatus comprises: paths arranged in the sample table in which a coolant is supplied and vaporized as it flows; a refrigeration cycle having the sample table, a compressor, a condenser and an expansion valve connected in that order and having the coolant circulate therein; coolant passages to cause the coolant that has passed through the expansion valve to branch and then merge with a coolant returning from the paths in the sample table toward the compressor; and a regulator to adjust an amount of coolant passing through the paths in the sample table and circulating in the refrigeration cycle and an amount of coolant branching and flowing through the coolant passages.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2006Date of Patent: November 23, 2010Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Takumi Tandou, Ken'etsu Yokogawa, Seiichiro Kanno, Masaru Izawa