Patents by Inventor Teruomi Minami

Teruomi Minami 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).

  • Publication number: 20240096654
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes: increasing a temperature of a substrate by heating the substrate; after the increasing the temperature of the substrate, forming a liquid film of a pre-wetting liquid on a first surface of the substrate by supplying the pre-wetting liquid to the first surface of the substrate while heating and rotating the substrate at a first rotational speed; after the forming the liquid film, processing the first surface of the substrate with a chemical liquid by supplying the chemical liquid to the first surface of the substrate while heating and rotating the substrate at a second rotational speed that is lower than the second rotational speed; and after the processing the first surface of the substrate, decreasing the temperature of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventors: Fumihiro KAMIMURA, Masatoshi KASAHARA, Teruomi MINAMI, Ikuo SUNAKA
  • Patent number: 11869777
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes: increasing a temperature of a substrate by heating the substrate; after the increasing the temperature of the substrate, forming a liquid film of a pre-wetting liquid on a first surface of the substrate by supplying the pre-wetting liquid to the first surface of the substrate while heating and rotating the substrate at a first rotational speed; after the forming the liquid film, processing the first surface of the substrate with a chemical liquid by supplying the chemical liquid to the first surface of the substrate while heating and rotating the substrate at a second rotational speed that is lower than the second rotational speed; and after the processing the first surface of the substrate, decreasing the temperature of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Fumihiro Kamimura, Masatoshi Kasahara, Teruomi Minami, Ikuo Sunaka
  • Publication number: 20220230893
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes: supplying a pre-wet liquid to a substrate while rotating the substrate, and forming a liquid film of the pre-wet liquid on a surface of the substrate; supplying a chemical liquid at a first flow rate to the substrate while the substrate is being rotated at a first rotation speed, and processing the substrate with the chemical liquid to form a liquid film of the chemical liquid having a first thickness on the surface of the substrate; and supplying the chemical liquid to the substrate at a second supply flow rate while the substrate is being rotated at a second rotation speed, and performing a second chemical liquid processing on the substrate with the chemical liquid to form a liquid film of the chemical liquid having a second thickness on the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Fumihiro KAMIMURA, Teruomi MINAMI
  • Patent number: 11201050
    Abstract: A substrate processing method capable of suppressing particles from remaining on a surface of a substrate is provided. In the substrate processing method, a liquid film of a protection liquid is formed on the surface of the substrate, and the substrate is dried by using a supercritical fluid so that the protection liquid is removed from the surface of the substrate. After the substrate is dried, the particles remaining on the surface of the substrate is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Itaru Kanno, Hiromi Kiyose, Gentaro Goshi, Naohiko Hamamura, Takuro Masuzumi, Kenji Sekiguchi, Satoru Tanaka, Teruomi Minami
  • Publication number: 20210098271
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes: increasing a temperature of a substrate by heating the substrate; after the increasing the temperature of the substrate, forming a liquid film of a pre-wetting liquid on a first surface of the substrate by supplying the pre-wetting liquid to the first surface of the substrate while heating and rotating the substrate at a first rotational speed; after the forming the liquid film, processing the first surface of the substrate with a chemical liquid by supplying the chemical liquid to the first surface of the substrate while heating and rotating the substrate at a second rotational speed that is lower than the second rotational speed; and after the processing the first surface of the substrate, decreasing the temperature of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Fumihiro KAMIMURA, Masatoshi KASAHARA, Teruomi MINAMI, Ikuo SUNAKA
  • Patent number: 10916440
    Abstract: Techniques are provided to remove the growth of colloidal silica deposits on surfaces of high aspect ratio structures during silicon nitride etch steps. A high selectivity overetch step is used to remove the deposited colloidal silica. The disclosed techniques include the use of phosphoric acid to remove silicon nitride from structures having silicon nitride formed in narrow gap or trench structures having high aspect ratios in which formation of colloidal silica deposits on a surface of the narrow gap or trench through a hydrolysis reaction occurs. A second etch step is used in which the hydrolysis reaction which formed the colloidal silica deposits is reversible, and with the now lower concentration of silica in the nearby phosphoric acid due to the depletion of the silicon nitride, the equilibrium drives the reaction in the reverse direction, dissolving the deposited silica back into solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Derek Bassett, Wallace P. Printz, Antonio L. P. Rotondaro, Teruomi Minami, Takahiro Furukawa
  • Patent number: 10515820
    Abstract: Techniques are provided to remove the growth of colloidal silica deposits on surfaces of high aspect ratio structures during silicon nitride etch steps. A high selectivity overetch step is used to remove the deposited colloidal silica. The disclosed techniques include the use of phosphoric acid to remove silicon nitride from structures having silicon nitride formed in narrow gap or trench structures having high aspect ratios in which formation of colloidal silica deposits on a surface of the narrow gap or trench through a hydrolysis reaction occurs. A second etch step is used in which the hydrolysis reaction which formed the colloidal silica deposits is reversible, and with the now lower concentration of silica in the nearby phosphoric acid due to the depletion of the silicon nitride, the equilibrium drives the reaction in the reverse direction, dissolving the deposited silica back into solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Derek Bassett, Wallace P. Printz, Antonio L. P. Rotondaro, Teruomi Minami, Takahiro Furukawa
  • Publication number: 20190355574
    Abstract: A substrate processing method capable of suppressing particles from remaining on a surface of a substrate is provided. In the substrate processing method, a liquid film of a protection liquid is formed on the surface of the substrate, and the substrate is dried by using a supercritical fluid so that the protection liquid is removed from the surface of the substrate. After the substrate is dried, the particles remaining on the surface of the substrate is removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventors: Itaru Kanno, Hiromi Kiyose, Gentaro Goshi, Naohiko Hamamura, Takuro Masuzumi, Kenji Sekiguchi, Satoru Tanaka, Teruomi Minami
  • Publication number: 20190237339
    Abstract: Techniques are provided to remove the growth of colloidal silica deposits on surfaces of high aspect ratio structures during silicon nitride etch steps. A high selectivity overetch step is used to remove the deposited colloidal silica. The disclosed techniques include the use of phosphoric acid to remove silicon nitride from structures having silicon nitride formed in narrow gap or trench structures having high aspect ratios in which formation of colloidal silica deposits on a surface of the narrow gap or trench through a hydrolysis reaction occurs. A second etch step is used in which the hydrolysis reaction which formed the colloidal silica deposits is reversible, and with the now lower concentration of silica in the nearby phosphoric acid due to the depletion of the silicon nitride, the equilibrium drives the reaction in the reverse direction, dissolving the deposited silica back into solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Derek Bassett, Wallace P. Printz, Antonio L. P. Rotondaro, Teruomi Minami, Takahiro Furukawa
  • Patent number: 10026629
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate liquid processing apparatus. The apparatus includes: a pure water supply unit (a rinse liquid supply unit) configured to supply pure water to a substrate; and a drying liquid supply unit configured to supply a drying liquid having a higher volatility than the pure water to the substrate. The substrate liquid processing apparatus is used to supply the drying liquid having the higher volatility, of which a part contains a silicon-based organic compound, to the substrate, from the drying liquid supply unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Mitsunori Nakamori, Junichi Kitano, Teruomi Minami
  • Publication number: 20170301534
    Abstract: This liquid treatment method for substrates involves performing: a liquid treatment step for liquid-treating a substrate with a treatment liquid; a rinse treatment step for rinsing the liquid-treated substrate with a rinsing liquid; a water-repellency treatment step for subjecting the rinsed substrate to a water-repellency treatment using a water-repellency-imparting solution; next, a substitution treatment step for subjecting the substrate subjected to the water-repellency treatment to a substitution treatment acceleration liquid; a cleaning treatment step for cleaning the substrate subjected to the water-repellency treatment by using a cleaning solution; and thereafter, a drying treatment step for substituting the cleaning solution with a drying solution having a higher volatility than that of the cleaning solution, and removing the drying solution from the substrate. Thus, it is possible to prevent pattern collapse during the drying treatment, and to decrease particles caused by watermarks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Mitsunori Nakamori, Teruomi Minami, Kotaro Ooishi, Jun Nonaka
  • Publication number: 20170287726
    Abstract: Techniques are provided to remove the growth of colloidal silica deposits on surfaces of high aspect ratio structures during silicon nitride etch steps. A high selectivity overetch step is used to remove the deposited colloidal silica. The disclosed techniques include the use of phosphoric acid to remove silicon nitride from structures having silicon nitride formed in narrow gap or trench structures having high aspect ratios in which formation of colloidal silica deposits on a surface of the narrow gap or trench through a hydrolysis reaction occurs. A second etch step is used in which the hydrolysis reaction which formed the colloidal silica deposits is reversible, and with the now lower concentration of silica in the nearby phosphoric acid due to the depletion of the silicon nitride, the equilibrium drives the reaction in the reverse direction, dissolving the deposited silica back into solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Inventors: Derek Bassett, Wallace P. Printz, Antonio L.P. Rotondaro, Teruomi Minami, Takahiro Furukawa
  • Patent number: 9362106
    Abstract: A wafer is held horizontally and rotated by a substrate holding mechanism. An aqueous alkaline solution is supplied to a wafer by a nozzle and caused to flow from a central portion to a peripheral edge portion of the wafer, thereby etching the wafer. An amount of oxygen, which is equal to or more than the amount of oxygen in atmospheric air involved in the aqueous alkaline solution flowing on the wafer, is previously dissolved in the aqueous alkaline solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hayato Iwamoto, Yoshiya Hagimoto, Tomoki Tetsuka, Shinichiro Shimomura, Teruomi Minami, Hiroki Sakurai, Hirotaka Maruyama, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Hiroshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9321085
    Abstract: A chemical liquid process is performed on a substrate. Then, a rinse process that supplies a rinse liquid to the substrate is performed. Thereafter, a drying process that dries the substrate is performed while rotating the substrate. The drying process includes a first drying process that rotates the substrate at a first rotational speed; a second drying process that decreases the rotational speed of the substrate to a second rotational speed lower than the first rotational speed after the first drying process. In the second drying process, the rinse liquid and a drying solution are agitated and substituted while generating braking effect. In a third drying process, the rotational speed of the substrate is increased from the second rotational speed to a third rotational speed after the second drying process. Thereafter, in a fourth drying process, the drying solution on the substrate is scattered away by rotating the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Teruomi Minami, Satoru Tanaka, Tatsuya Nagamatsu, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Tsukasa Hirayama, Katsufumi Matsuki
  • Publication number: 20160111303
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate liquid processing apparatus. The apparatus includes: a pure water supply unit (a rinse liquid supply unit) configured to supply pure water to a substrate; and a drying liquid supply unit configured to supply a drying liquid having a higher volatility than the pure water to the substrate. The substrate liquid processing apparatus is used to supply the drying liquid having the higher volatility, of which a part contains a silicon-based organic compound, to the substrate, from the drying liquid supply unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Mitsunori Nakamori, Junichi Kitano, Teruomi Minami
  • Patent number: 8978671
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising: a processing liquid supply unit; a volatile processing liquid supply unit; a substrate heating unit; and a controller to control the volatile processing liquid supply unit and the substrate heating unit, wherein the controller executes a process of supplying the processing liquid to the substrate, a process of heating the substrate on which a liquid film of the processing liquid is formed, a process of supplying a volatile processing liquid, a process of stopping the supply of the volatile processing liquid, and a process of drying the substrate by removing the volatile processing liquid, and wherein the process of heating the substrate starts before the process of supplying the volatile processing liquid, and the substrate heating unit heats the substrate so that the surface temperature of the substrate is higher than a dew point before the surface of the substrate is exposed from the volatile processing liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Satoru Tanaka, Takehiko Orii, Hirotaka Maruyama, Teruomi Minami, Mitsunori Nakamori
  • Patent number: 8906165
    Abstract: In a substrate processing method according to the present invention, a substrate is first processed using a chemical liquid. Next, the substrate is rinsed by supplying a rinsing liquid thereto while the substrate is being rotated. Thereafter, the substrate is dried while the substrate is being rotated. The drying of the substrate includes reducing a rotating speed of the substrate to a first rotating speed lower than that of the substrate during the rinsing of the substrate, while supplying the rinsing liquid to a central portion of the substrate; moving, from the central portion of the substrate toward a peripheral edge portion thereof, a rinsing liquid supply position to which the rinsing liquid is supplied, after the rotating speed of the substrate has been reduced to the first rotating speed; and supplying a drying liquid to the substrate, after the rinsing liquid supply position has been moved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Teruomi Minami, Naoyuki Okamura, Hirotaka Maruyama, Yosuke Kawabuchi
  • Publication number: 20140080312
    Abstract: A wafer is held horizontally and rotated by a substrate holding mechanism. An aqueous alkaline solution is supplied to a wafer by a nozzle and caused to flow from a central portion to a peripheral edge portion of the wafer, thereby etching the wafer. An amount of oxygen, which is equal to or more than the amount of oxygen in atmospheric air involved in the aqueous alkaline solution flowing on the wafer, is previously dissolved in the aqueous alkaline solution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Inventors: Hayato IWAMOTO, Yoshiya HAGIMOTO, Tomoki TETSUKA, Shinichiro SHIMOMURA, Teruomi MINAMI, Hiroki SAKURAI, Hirotaka MARUYAMA, Yosuke KAWABUCHI, Hiroshi TANAKA
  • Patent number: 8545640
    Abstract: In a substrate processing method according to the present invention, a cleaning liquid nozzle supplies a rinsing liquid to a central portion of a substrate and thereafter moves from a position corresponding to the central portion of the substrate to a position corresponding to a peripheral, edge portion thereof while supplying the rinsing liquid before stopping at the position corresponding to the peripheral edge portion. Next, a drying liquid nozzle moves from the position corresponding to the peripheral edge portion to the position corresponding to the central portion while supplying a drying liquid. Then, the drying liquid nozzle is kept stationary at the position corresponding to the central portion for a predetermined period of time while supplying the drying liquid. Thereafter, a gas nozzle moves from the position corresponding to the central portion to the position corresponding to the peripheral edge portion while supplying an inert gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Teruomi Minami, Naoyuki Okamura, Yosuke Kawabuchi
  • Patent number: 8475668
    Abstract: Provided are a substrate liquid processing apparatus, a substrate liquid processing method, and a computer readable storage medium having a substrate liquid processing program stored therein that can prevent the occurrence of the electrostatic breakdown caused by the discharge of electric charges in a substrate. The substrate liquid processing apparatus processes a circuit-forming surface of the substrate with a chemical liquid. Furthermore, prior to processing the substrate with the chemical liquid, the substrate liquid processing apparatus performs an anti-static process for an surface opposite to the circuit-forming surface of the substrate by an anti-static liquid, thereby emitting the electric charges on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tanaka, Teruomi Minami, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Norihiro Ito, Fumihiro Kamimura, Takashi Yabuta, Kazuki Kosai, Takeshi Uno, Kenji Sekiguchi, Yasushi Fujii