Patents by Inventor Tatsuya KUNO
Tatsuya KUNO 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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Publication number: 20230154781Abstract: A wafer placement table includes an alumina base that has a wafer placement surface on its upper surface, and incorporates an electrode; a brittle cooling base bonded to a lower surface of the alumina base; and a ductile connection member stored in a storage hole, opened in a lower surface of the cooling base, in a state of restricted axial rotation and in a state of engaging with an engagement section of the storage hole, the ductile connection member having a male thread section or a female thread section.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2022Publication date: May 18, 2023Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Tatsuya KUNO, Seiya INOUE
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Publication number: 20230144107Abstract: A wafer placement table includes a ceramic base having a wafer placement surface on its top surface where a wafer is able to be placed and incorporating an electrode, a cooling base having a refrigerant flow channel, and a bonding layer that bonds the ceramic base with the cooling base, wherein in an area that overlaps the wafer placement surface in plan view of the refrigerant flow channel, a distance from a ceiling surface of the refrigerant flow channel to the wafer placement surface at a most downstream part of the refrigerant flow channel is shorter than the distance at a most upstream part of the refrigerant flow channel.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2022Publication date: May 11, 2023Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Seiya INOUE, Tatsuya KUNO, Ikuhisa MORIOKA
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Publication number: 20230146815Abstract: A wafer placement table includes a ceramic base having a wafer placement surface on its top surface where a wafer is able to be placed and incorporating an electrode; a cooling base having a refrigerant flow channel; and a bonding layer that bonds the ceramic base with the cooling base, wherein in an area that overlaps the wafer placement surface in plan view of the refrigerant flow channel, a cross-sectional area of the refrigerant flow channel at a most downstream part of the refrigerant flow channel is less than the cross-sectional area at a most upstream part of the refrigerant flow channel.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2022Publication date: May 11, 2023Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Seiya INOUE, Tatsuya KUNO, Ikuhisa MORIOKA
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Publication number: 20230146001Abstract: A wafer placement table includes a central ceramic base that has an upper surface including a wafer placement surface, an outer circumferential ceramic base that has an upper surface including a focus ring placement surface, and a cooling base that includes a central portion, an outer circumferential portion, and a coupler that couples the central portion and the outer circumferential portion with each other. The cooling base has a central refrigerant flow path that is formed in the central portion and an outer circumferential refrigerant flow path that is formed in the outer circumferential portion. The coupler has an upward groove that open from an upper surface and that have an annular shape, and a downward groove that opens from a lower surface, that have a ceiling surface higher than a bottom surface of the upward groove, and that have an annular shape.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 15, 2022Publication date: May 11, 2023Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Tatsuya KUNO, Seiya INOUE
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Publication number: 20230123870Abstract: A wafer placement table includes a ceramic base including an electrode, a cooling base including a coolant flow path formed therein, a bonding layer bonding the ceramic base and the cooling base, a stepped hole penetrating the bonding layer and the cooling base and including an upper hole portion with a small diameter, a lower hole portion with a large diameter, and a hole stepped portion between the upper hole portion and the lower hole portion, the upper hole portion passing through a region in which the coolant flow path is formed, a stepped insulating pipe inserted through the stepped hole and including an upper pipe portion with a small diameter, a lower pipe portion with a large diameter, and a pipe stepped portion between the upper pipe portion and the lower pipe portion; and a connection terminal bonded to the electrode and inserted through the stepped insulating pipe.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2022Publication date: April 20, 2023Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi TAKEBAYASHI, Tatsuya KUNO, Seiya INOUE
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Publication number: 20230122013Abstract: A wafer placement table includes a ceramic base having a wafer placement surface on its top surface where a wafer is able to be placed and incorporating an electrode, a cooling base bonded to a bottom surface of the ceramic base and having a refrigerant flow channel, a plurality of holes extending through the cooling base in an up and down direction, and a heat exchange promoting portion that is provided in an area around at least one of the plurality of holes and that promotes heat exchange between refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow channel and a wafer placed on the wafer placement surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2022Publication date: April 20, 2023Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Seiya INOUE, Tatsuya KUNO
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Publication number: 20230116574Abstract: A wafer placement table is a wafer placement table that includes a refrigerant flow channel through which refrigerant is flowed and includes a top base including a ceramic base incorporating an electrode and having a wafer placement surface on a top surface of the ceramic base, a bottom base on a top surface of which a flow channel groove defining a side wall and a bottom of the refrigerant flow channel is provided, and a seal member disposed between the top base and the bottom base so as to seal the refrigerant flow channel from an outside.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2022Publication date: April 13, 2023Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Tatsuya KUNO, Seiya INOUE, Hiroshi TAKEBAYASHI, Masaki ISHIKAWA
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Publication number: 20230111137Abstract: A wafer placement table includes a ceramic base having a wafer placement surface on its top surface and incorporating an electrode, a cooling base in which a refrigerant flow channel is formed, and a metal bonding layer that bonds the ceramic base with the cooling base. The cooling base includes a ceiling base made of a metal matrix composite material or a low thermal expansion metal material and defining a ceiling of the refrigerant flow channel, a grooved base of which a main component is made of the same ceramic material as a main component of the ceramic base and on a top surface of which a flow channel groove defining a bottom and a side wall of the refrigerant flow channel is provided, and a metal ceiling bonding layer that bonds a bottom surface of the ceiling base with the top surface of the grooved base.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 17, 2022Publication date: April 13, 2023Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Tatsuya KUNO, Seiya INOUE, Hiroshi TAKEBAYASHI
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Publication number: 20230115033Abstract: A member for semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a ceramic plate that has an upper surface including a wafer placement surface and that contains an electrode; a plug insertion hole that is formed as at least a portion of a through-hole extending through the ceramic plate in an up-down direction, an internal thread portion being on an inner circumferential surface around the plug insertion hole; and an insulating plug that includes an external thread portion screwed on the internal thread portion on an outer circumferential surface and that allows gas to pass therethrough.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2022Publication date: April 13, 2023Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Tatsuya KUNO, Seiya INOUE
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Patent number: 11610798Abstract: An electrostatic chuck assembly includes a ceramic body having a wafer placement surface that is a circular surface, and an F/R placement surface that is formed around the wafer placement surface and is positioned at a lower level than the wafer placement surface, a wafer attraction electrode embedded inside the ceramic body and positioned in a facing relation to the wafer placement surface, an F/R attraction electrode embedded inside the ceramic body and positioned in a facing relation to the F/R placement surface, a concave-convex region formed in the F/R placement surface to hold gas, a focus ring placed on the F/R placement surface, and a pair of elastic annular sealing members arranged between the F/R placement surface and the focus ring on the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side of the F/R placement surface, and surrounding the concave-convex region in a sandwiching relation.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2020Date of Patent: March 21, 2023Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Tatsuya Kuno, Ikuhisa Morioka, Kenichiro Aikawa
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Publication number: 20230057107Abstract: A wafer placement table includes a ceramic base, a cooling base, and a bonding layer. The ceramic base includes an outer peripheral part having an annular focus ring placement surface on an outer peripheral side of a central part having a circular wafer placement surface. The cooling base contains metal. The bonding layer bonds the ceramic base with the cooling base. The outer peripheral part of the ceramic base has a thickness of less than or equal to 1 mm and does not incorporate an electrode.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2022Publication date: February 23, 2023Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi TAKEBAYASHI, Tatsuya KUNO, Seiya INOUE
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Publication number: 20230055928Abstract: A wafer placement table includes a ceramic base, a first cooling base, and a second cooling base. The ceramic base has a wafer placement surface and incorporates a wafer attracting electrode and a heater electrode. The first cooling base is bonded via a metal bonding layer to a surface of the ceramic base on a side opposite to the wafer placement surface and has a first refrigerant flow channel capable of switching between supply and stop of supply of first refrigerant. The second cooling base is attached via a space layer, capable of supplying heat-transfer gas, to a surface of the first cooling base on a side opposite to the metal bonding layer and has a second refrigerant flow channel capable of switching between supply and stop of supply of second refrigerant.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2022Publication date: February 23, 2023Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Hiroshi TAKEBAYASHI, Tatsuya KUNO, Seiya INOUE
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Publication number: 20230019439Abstract: An electrostatic chuck includes: a disk-shaped ceramic plate having a wafer placement surface on a surface thereof; an electrostatic electrode embedded in the ceramic plate; and gas grooves that are divided in a plurality of zones when the ceramic plate is seen from above and each of which is independently provided in the wafer placement surface so as to extend from one to the other of a pair of gas supply/discharge openings for a corresponding one of the zones. A pattern in which a gas is supplied to each of the gas grooves provided for a corresponding one of the zones is selectable between a first pattern in which the gas flows from one to the other of the pair of gas supply/discharge openings and a second pattern in which the gas flows from the other to the one of the pair of gas supply/discharge openings.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2022Publication date: January 19, 2023Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventor: Tatsuya KUNO
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Publication number: 20220399190Abstract: A focus ring placement table includes an annular ceramic heater on which a focus ring is placed, a metal base, an adhesive element bonding the metal base and the ceramic heater, an inner-peripheral-side protective element disposed between the metal base and the ceramic heater and bonded to an inner peripheral portion of the adhesive element, and an outer-peripheral-side protective element disposed between the metal base and the ceramic heater and bonded to an outer peripheral portion of the adhesive element. A coefficient of thermal expansion of the adhesive element is equal to or smaller than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the inner-peripheral-side protective element and is equal to or greater than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the outer-peripheral-side protective element.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2022Publication date: December 15, 2022Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Seiya INOUE, Tatsuya KUNO
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Publication number: 20220400539Abstract: A member for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a disk-shaped or annular ceramic heater, a metal base, an adhesive element bonding the metal base and the ceramic heater, an adhesive protective element disposed between the ceramic heater and the metal base to extend along a periphery of the adhesive element, and an anti-adhesion layer disposed between the adhesive element and the protective element, the anti-adhesion layer preventing adhesion between the adhesive element and the protective element.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2022Publication date: December 15, 2022Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Seiya INOUE, Tatsuya KUNO
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Publication number: 20220399223Abstract: A wafer placement table includes a ceramic substrate that has a wafer placement surface, a first electrode that is embedded in the ceramic substrate, a first power supply terminal that is inserted from a surface of the ceramic substrate opposite the wafer placement surface toward the first electrode, a first joint that joins the first electrode and the first power supply terminal to each other and a second electrode that is disposed between the wafer placement surface and the first electrode in the ceramic substrate. A linear portion that extends in the ceramic substrate from a position on the first electrode opposite the first joint to the wafer placement surface is composed of material of the ceramic substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2022Publication date: December 15, 2022Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Tatsuya KUNO, Takumi WAKISAKA
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Publication number: 20220102186Abstract: A wafer placement table is a ceramic sintered body with a surface provided with multiple projections that support a wafer. Of the surface of the ceramic sintered body, the area provided with no projection is a mirror surface which has a surface roughness Ra of 0.1 ?m or less. The projections are formed of an aerosol deposition film or a thermal spray film made of the same material as for the ceramic sintered body.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2021Publication date: March 31, 2022Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.Inventors: Hiroshi TAKEBAYASHI, Kenichiro AIKAWA, Tatsuya KUNO
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Patent number: 11282734Abstract: An electrostatic chuck includes a first ceramic member disk-shaped and having an annular step surface outside a circular wafer holding surface thereof, the annular step surface being at a lower level than the wafer holding surface, the first ceramic member having a volume resistivity that allows Coulomb force to be exerted; a first electrode embedded in the first ceramic member at a position facing the wafer holding surface; a second electrode disposed on the annular step surface of the first ceramic member, the second electrode being independent of the first electrode; and a second ceramic member having an annular shape and configured to cover the annular step surface having the second electrode thereon, the second ceramic member having a volume resistivity that allows Johnsen-Rahbek force to be exerted, wherein an upper surface of the second ceramic member is a focus ring holding surface on which a focus ring is placed.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2019Date of Patent: March 22, 2022Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.Inventors: Tatsuya Kuno, Ikuhisa Morioka, Takashi Kataigi, Kenichiro Aikawa
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Publication number: 20220053611Abstract: A ceramic heater with a shaft includes: a ceramic plate in which a resistance heating element is embedded; a hollow ceramic shaft having an upper end bonded to a surface on an opposite side of a wafer placement surface of the ceramic plate; and a shaft heater embedded in a side wall near an upper end of the ceramic shaft.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2021Publication date: February 17, 2022Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.Inventors: Kenichiro AIKAWA, Hiroshi TAKEBAYASHI, Tatsuya KUNO
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Publication number: 20220046762Abstract: A ceramic heater with a shaft includes: a ceramic plate in which resistance heating element is embedded; a hollow ceramic shaft bonded to the surface on an opposite side of a wafer placement surface of the ceramic plate; a conductive film provided in an axial direction to extend on the internal circumferential surface of the ceramic shaft; a recessed section provided to reach a terminal of the resistance heating element from the surface on the opposite side of the wafer placement surface of the ceramic plate, the recessed section having a bottom surface to which a lower surface of the terminal is exposed and a lateral surface to which a surface of the conductive film is exposed; and a connection member which is filled in the recessed section, and electrically connects the lower surface of the terminal and the surface of the conductive film.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2021Publication date: February 10, 2022Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.Inventors: Hiroshi TAKEBAYASHI, Kenichiro AIKAWA, Tatsuya KUNO