Patents by Inventor Teruaki HOMBO
Teruaki HOMBO 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: 11380559Abstract: An object is to suppress dew condensation in a carrier device. There is provided a carrier device comprising a body; a rotational part provided to be rotatable relative to the body; an arm supported on the rotational part; an end effector provided in a leading end portion of the arm and configured to hold a work; a gas supply unit configured to supply a gas to an arm-side internal space provided in an arm-side base portion of the end effector and/or in the leading end portion of the arm; and an exhaust unit provided in a body-side internal space that communicates with the arm-side internal space and configured to discharge the gas in the arm-side internal space and/or in the body-side internal space.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2020Date of Patent: July 5, 2022Assignees: EBARA CORPORATION, HIRATA CORPORATIONInventors: Yohei Eto, Junji Kunisawa, Teruaki Hombo, Keiji Kanazawa
-
Patent number: 11056359Abstract: A cleaning apparatus includes a plurality of processing units including a cleaning unit which cleans a processing object, a transport chamber provided between the plurality of processing units, a transport robot provided inside the transport chamber so as to be movable vertically, an exhaust port portion which discharges gas compressed, when the transport robot descends, from a lower portion of the transport chamber, and a liquid remaining unit which causes liquid transported to the compressed gas to remain in the lower portion of the transport chamber.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2018Date of Patent: July 6, 2021Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Teruaki Hombo, Junji Kunisawa
-
Publication number: 20200328096Abstract: An object is to suppress dew condensation in a carrier device. There is provided a carrier device comprising a body; a rotational part provided to be rotatable relative to the body; an arm supported on the rotational part; an end effector provided in a leading end portion of the arm and configured to hold a work; a gas supply unit configured to supply a gas to an arm-side internal space provided in an arm-side base portion of the end effector and/or in the leading end portion of the arm; and an exhaust unit provided in a body-side internal space that communicates with the arm-side internal space and configured to discharge the gas in the arm-side internal space and/or in the body-side internal space.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2020Publication date: October 15, 2020Inventors: Yohei ETO, Junji KUNISAWA, Teruaki HOMBO, Keiji KANAZAWA
-
Patent number: 10438818Abstract: The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, such as a wafer, while supplying a cleaning liquid (e.g. pure water and a liquid chemical) to the substrate, and also relates to a pipe cleaning method for the substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a first cleaning lane including first cleaning units (52), (54) each for cleaning a substrate while supplying pure water to the substrate; a second cleaning lane including second cleaning units (60), (62) each for cleaning a substrate while supplying pure water to the substrate; a first pure-water supply pipe (120) for supplying the pure water to the first cleaning lane; and a second pure-water supply pipe (180) for supplying the pure water to the second cleaning lane.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2015Date of Patent: October 8, 2019Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Junji Kunisawa, Toru Maruyama, Masayoshi Imai, Koji Maeda, Mitsuru Miyazaki, Teruaki Hombo, Fujihiko Toyomasu
-
Publication number: 20190157118Abstract: A cleaning apparatus includes a plurality of processing units including a cleaning unit which cleans a processing object, a transport chamber provided between the plurality of processing units, a transport robot provided inside the transport chamber so as to be movable vertically, an exhaust port portion which discharges gas compressed, when the transport robot descends, from a lower portion of the transport chamber, and a liquid remaining unit which causes liquid transported to the compressed gas to remain in the lower portion of the transport chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2018Publication date: May 23, 2019Inventors: Teruaki HOMBO, Junji KUNISAWA
-
Patent number: 10018545Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus 1 includes a cleaning member 2 that abuts on a substrate W to scrub and clean the substrate W, a holding member 6 that holds the cleaning member 2, an air cylinder 8 that generates force to press the cleaning member 2 against the substrate W, a displacement sensor 9 that measures a position of the holding member 6, and a control device 11 that determines the replacement time of the cleaning member 2 based on the position of the holding member 6. The position of the holding member 6 includes a cleaning position and a non-cleaning position. The control device 11 determines the replacement time of the cleaning member 2 from change in the cleaning position while a plurality of substrates W are continuously scrubbed and cleaned.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2015Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Teruaki Hombo, Junji Kunisawa
-
Patent number: 9673067Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus has a substrate rotating device 10, 20 for holding and rotating a substrate W, a cleaning device 41 configured to clean a substrate W which is rotated by the substrate rotating device 10, 20 at predetermined rotating speed, a movement device 42 configured to move the cleaning device 41 between a cleaning position P3 and a separate position P2, and a control unit 64. The control unit 64 controls the movement device 42 so that the cleaning device 41 located at the separate position P2 starts moving toward the cleaning position P3 before a rotating speed of the substrate W held by the substrate rotating device 10, 20 reaches the predetermined rotating speed and the cleaning device 41 reaches the cleaning position P3 after a rotating speed of the substrate W reaches the predetermined rotating speed. Therefore, it is possible to improve the throughput in the substrate cleaning step.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2014Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Toshio Yokoyama, Junji Kunisawa, Mitsuru Miyazaki, Teruaki Hombo, Naoki Toyomura
-
Publication number: 20170117165Abstract: The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, such as a wafer, while supplying a cleaning liquid (e.g. pure water and a liquid chemical) to the substrate, and also relates to a pipe cleaning method for the substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a first cleaning lane including first cleaning units (52), (54) each for cleaning a substrate while supplying pure water to the substrate; a second cleaning lane including second cleaning units (60), (62) each for cleaning a substrate while supplying pure water to the substrate; a first pure-water supply pipe (120) for supplying the pure water to the first cleaning lane; and a second pure-water supply pipe (180) for supplying the pure water to the second cleaning lane.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2015Publication date: April 27, 2017Inventors: Junji KUNISAWA, Toru MARUYAMA, Masayoshi IMAI, Koji MAEDA, Mitsuru MIYAZAKI, Teruaki HOMBO, Fujihiko TOYOMASU
-
Patent number: 9362129Abstract: A polishing apparatus is used for polishing a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to planarize the surface of the substrate. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing table having a polishing surface, and a top ring configured to hold a substrate with an outer circumferential edge of the substrate surrounded by a retainer ring and to press the substrate against the polishing surface. The top ring is movable between a polishing position above the polishing table, a position laterally of the polishing table, and a cleaning position. The polishing apparatus includes a cleaning unit disposed in the cleaning position and configured to eject a cleaning liquid toward the lower surface of the top ring, which is being rotated, thereby cleaning the substrate held by the top ring together with the lower surface of the top ring.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2013Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Mitsuru Miyazaki, Kenichi Kobayashi, Teruaki Hombo, Akira Imamura, Boyu Dong, Hiroyuki Shinozaki
-
Publication number: 20150338328Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus 1 includes a cleaning member 2 that abuts on a substrate W to scrub and clean the substrate W, a holding member 6 that holds the cleaning member 2, an air cylinder 8 that generates force to press the cleaning member 2 against the substrate W, a displacement sensor 9 that measures a position of the holding member 6, and a control device 11 that determines the replacement time of the cleaning member 2 based on the position of the holding member 6. The position of the holding member 6 includes a cleaning position and a non-cleaning position. The control device 11 determines the replacement time of the cleaning member 2 from change in the cleaning position while a plurality of substrates W are continuously scrubbed and cleaned.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 20, 2015Publication date: November 26, 2015Inventors: Teruaki HOMBO, Junji KUNISAWA
-
Publication number: 20150287617Abstract: A substrate is cleaned by performing a scrubbing process on a surface to be cleaned of the rotating substrate with a roll-shaped cleaning member while holding an outer circumferential surface of the roll-shaped cleaning member in contact with the surface to be cleaned of the substrate across a predetermined contact width. During at least a part of the scrubbing process, the roll-shaped cleaning member is placed at an offset cleaning position where the central axis of the roll-shaped cleaning member is spaced from the central axis of the substrate by a distance which is 0.14 to 0.5 times the contact width. The surface to be cleaned of the substrate is scrubbed with more uniform cleaning intensity while taking into account the cleaning intensity at each position (area) along the radial direction of the surface to be cleaned of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2015Publication date: October 8, 2015Inventors: Xinming WANG, Fumitoshi OIKAWA, Haruko ONO, Teruaki HOMBO
-
Patent number: 9089881Abstract: A substrate is cleaned by performing a scrubbing process on a surface to be cleaned of the rotating substrate with a roll-shaped cleaning member while holding an outer circumferential surface of the roll-shaped cleaning member in contact with the surface to be cleaned of the substrate across a predetermined contact width. During at least a part of the scrubbing process, the roll-shaped cleaning member is placed at an offset cleaning position where the central axis of the roll-shaped cleaning member is spaced from the central axis of the substrate by a distance which is 0.14 to 0.5 times the contact width. The surface to be cleaned of the substrate is scrubbed with more uniform cleaning intensity while taking into account the cleaning intensity at each position (area) along the radial direction of the surface to be cleaned of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2011Date of Patent: July 28, 2015Assignee: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Xinming Wang, Fumitoshi Oikawa, Haruko Ono, Teruaki Hombo
-
Publication number: 20140311532Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus has a substrate rotating device 10, 20 for holding and rotating a substrate W, a cleaning device 41 configured to clean a substrate W which is rotated by the substrate rotating device 10, 20 at predetermined rotating speed, a movement device 42 configured to move the cleaning device 41 between a cleaning position P3 and a separate position P2, and a control unit 64. The control unit 64 controls the movement device 42 so that the cleaning device 41 located at the separate position P2 starts moving toward the cleaning position P3 before a rotating speed of the substrate W held by the substrate rotating device 10, 20 reaches the predetermined rotating speed and the cleaning device 41 reaches the cleaning position P3 after a rotating speed of the substrate W reaches the predetermined rotating speed. Therefore, it is possible to improve the throughput in the substrate cleaning step.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2014Publication date: October 23, 2014Applicant: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Toshio YOKOYAMA, Junji KUNISAWA, Mitsuru MIYAZAKI, Teruaki HOMBO, Naoki TOYOMURA
-
Publication number: 20140120725Abstract: A polishing apparatus is used for polishing a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer to planarize the surface of the substrate. The polishing apparatus includes a polishing table having a polishing surface, and a top ring configured to hold a substrate with an outer circumferential edge of the substrate surrounded by a retainer ring and to press the substrate against the polishing surface. The top ring is movable between a polishing position above the polishing table, a position laterally of the polishing table, and a cleaning position. The polishing apparatus includes a cleaning unit disposed in the cleaning position and configured to eject a cleaning liquid toward the lower surface of the top ring, which is being rotated, thereby cleaning the substrate held by the top ring together with the lower surface of the top ring.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2013Publication date: May 1, 2014Applicant: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Mitsuru MIYAZAKI, Kenichi KOBAYASHI, Teruaki HOMBO, Akira IMAMURA, Boyu DONG, Hiroyuki SHINOZAKI
-
Publication number: 20140083468Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus has a cleaning section for cleaning a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer and can be used as a polishing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes a first cleaning chamber which houses at least one first cleaning module and two second cleaning modules arranged in a vertical array, a second cleaning chamber which houses two third cleaning modules arranged in a vertical array, and a first transport robot housed in a first transport chamber disposed between the first cleaning chamber and the second cleaning chamber. The first transport robot is configured to transfer substrates between the first cleaning module, the second cleaning modules, and the third cleaning modules.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2013Publication date: March 27, 2014Applicant: EBARA CORPORATIONInventors: Mitsuru MIYAZAKI, Kenichi KOBAYASHI, Teruaki HOMBO, Akira IMAMURA, Boyu DONG, Hiroyuki SHINOZAKI
-
Publication number: 20110209727Abstract: A substrate is cleaned by performing a scrubbing process on a surface to be cleaned of the rotating substrate with a roll-shaped cleaning member while holding an outer circumferential surface of the roll-shaped cleaning member in contact with the surface to be cleaned of the substrate across a predetermined contact width. During at least a part of the scrubbing process, the roll-shaped cleaning member is placed at an offset cleaning position where the central axis of the roll-shaped cleaning member is spaced from the central axis of the substrate by a distance which is 0.14 to 0.5 times the contact width. The surface to be cleaned of the substrate is scrubbed with more uniform cleaning intensity while taking into account the cleaning intensity at each position (area) along the radial direction of the surface to be cleaned of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2011Publication date: September 1, 2011Inventors: Xinming WANG, Fumitoshi OIKAWA, Haruko ONO, Teruaki HOMBO
-
Patent number: D710062Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2011Date of Patent: July 29, 2014Assignee: Ebara CorporationInventors: Tomoatsu Ishibashi, Fumitoshi Oikawa, Hideaki Tanaka, Teruaki Hombo