Patents by Inventor Tetsu Kawasaki

Tetsu Kawasaki 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: 8037890
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning device and a substrate cleaning method reduces liquid drops remaining on a substrate to prevent the irregular heating of the substrate by a heating process due to liquid drops or water marks remaining on the substrate. A cleaning liquid is poured through a cleaning liquid pouring nozzle onto the surface of a substrate such that a region onto which the cleaning liquid is poured moves from a central part toward the circumference of the substrate. A gas is jetted radially outward at a region on the surface of the substrate behind a region onto which the cleaning liquid is poured with respect to the rotating direction of the substrate. The gas forces a liquid film of the cleaning liquid flowing on the surface of the substrate to flow in a circumferential direction and a radially outward direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Taro Yamamoto, Hideharu Kyouda, Tetsu Kawasaki, Satoru Shimura
  • Publication number: 20090220892
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming a resist layer on an underlayer, forming an exposed pattern in the resist layer, wherein the exposed pattern comprises a soluble layer and an insoluble layer, forming a resist pattern by removing the soluble layer from the resist layer in which the exposed pattern is formed, removing an intermediate exposed area from the resist pattern, forming a new soluble layer in a surface of the resist pattern from which the intermediate exposed area is removed by applying a reaction material to the resist pattern from which the intermediate exposed area is removed, wherein the reaction material generates a solubilization material that solubilizes the resist pattern, and removing the new soluble layer from the resist pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Fumiko IWAO, Satoru SHIMURA, Tetsu KAWASAKI
  • Patent number: 7485568
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a connection hole is formed above a substrate by an etching treatment using a first resist film as a mask, and after the first resist film is removed by stripping, the substrate is exposed to a water vapor atmosphere. Thus, an amine component in the film is removed before formation of a second resist film for forming a wiring groove, thereby preventing contamination of the second resist film. The present invention is a method for forming wiring of a semiconductor device using a dual damascene method, in which the resist film for forming the wiring groove can be prevented from being contaminated with the amine component or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Satoru Shimura, Tetsu Kawasaki
  • Publication number: 20080070167
    Abstract: An exposure and developing method includes a step of exposing a resist film having a protective surface on a surface thereof in the state that a liquid layer transparent to light is formed on the resist film, and developing the resist film after the exposure, wherein there is further provided a cleaning step for cleaning the surface of the resist film before the developing step with a cleaning liquid that contains a solvent of the protective film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Publication date: March 20, 2008
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Nobuhiro TAKAHASHI, Satoru SHIMURA, Tetsu KAWASAKI, Hideharu KYOUDA
  • Publication number: 20070184379
    Abstract: A processing method of a substrate includes: a step of forming an Si—C based film and a resist film in turn on an objective film to be etched that has been formed on a substrate; a first etching step of etching the Si—C based film making use of the resist film as a mask; and a second etching step of etching the objective film to be etched making use of the resist film and the Si—C based film as a mask. The processing method further includes a peeling-off step of peeling-off the resist film at a desired timing. The peeling-off step includes a preparing step of preparing an organic solvent as a release agent, and an applying step of applying the organic solvent to the resist film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2005
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shigeo Ashigaki, Yoshihiro Kato, Yoshihiro Hirota, Yusuke Muraki, Tetsu Kawasaki, Satoru Shimura
  • Publication number: 20070044823
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning device and a substrate cleaning method reduces liquid drops remaining on a substrate to prevent the irregular heating of the substrate by a heating process due to liquid drops or water marks remaining on the substrate. A cleaning liquid is poured through a cleaning liquid pouring nozzle onto the surface of a substrate such that a region onto which the cleaning liquid is poured moves from a central part toward the circumference of the substrate. A gas is jetted radially outward at a region on the surface of the substrate behind a region onto which the cleaning liquid is poured with respect to the rotating direction of the substrate. The gas forces a liquid film of the cleaning liquid flowing on the surface of the substrate to flow in a circumferential direction and a radially outward direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2006
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Taro Yamamoto, Hideharu Kyouda, Tetsu Kawasaki, Satoru Shimura
  • Publication number: 20050196953
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a connection hole is formed above a substrate by an etching treatment using a first resist film as a mask, and after the first resist film is removed by stripping, the substrate is exposed to a water vapor atmosphere. Thus, an amine component in the film is removed before formation of a second resist film for forming a wiring groove, thereby preventing contamination of the second resist film. The present invention is a method for forming wiring of a semiconductor device using a dual damascene method, in which the resist film for forming the wiring groove can be prevented from being contaminated with the amine component or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2005
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: Satoru Shimura, Tetsu Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 6660124
    Abstract: A wafer having a polished surface of copper is caused to contact a pad serving as an abrasive member, and the copper is polished while supplying a slurry containing mechanical and chemical polishing particles. Thereafter, when a finishing member of diamond having a large number of fine protrusions is scanned while the finishing member contacts the surface of the pad, a chelating agent, such as oxtail acid, is supplied to the surface of the pad as a dressing solution. Thus, reaction products, which have been produced by the reactions of copper with the slurry and which have adhered to the surface of the pad to be difficult to be dissolved in water, are dissolved, so that the reaction products can be removed in a short time. Thus, the reaction products having adhered to the abrasive member after polishing the wafer can be remove in a short time, so that the time required to carry out the CMP process can be shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsu Kawasaki, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Patent number: 6238511
    Abstract: A method of processing a substrate for removing a coating film from a substrate by dissolving the coating film with a solvent, comprising the steps of (a) supplying a solvent independently to each of peripheral portions of an upper surface side and a lower surface side of the substrate, and (b) supplying the solvent to the peripheral portion of the lower surface side of the substrate in an amount lower than the solvent supplied to the peripheral portion of the lower surface side in the step (a) or lower than that supplied to the peripheral portion of the upper surface side in this step (b), or terminating a supply of the solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tetsuya Sada, Tetsu Kawasaki, Mitsuhiro Sakai, Takeshi Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 6110282
    Abstract: A coating apparatus for coating an LCD substrate with a developing liquid for a photo-resist has a conveyer mechanism for linearly conveying the substrate in a conveying direction. The conveyer mechanism has a plurality of lower conveyer rollers which are driving rollers, and a plurality of upper conveyer rollers which are driven rollers. A main support roller is arranged such that it replaces one of the lower conveyer rollers. A developing liquid supply nozzle is arranged above the main support roller for supplying a developing liquid onto the substrate when the substrate is passing over the main support roller. The supply nozzle has a supply port which is laterally long and narrow, so that the developing liquid is supplied onto the substrate from the supply nozzle as a band. This band extends over the entire width of a target region of the substrate, which is perpendicular to the conveying direction, and is supplied thereto all at once.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kiyohisa Tateyama, Tetsu Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 6010570
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for forming a coating film for semiconductor processing, including a holder for holding a substrate, a coating solution supply device arranged to face one main surface of the substrate held by the holder and provided with a discharge port for supplying a coating solution onto the one main surface of the substrate, the coating solution forming a band-like stream having a width smaller than that of the substrate, a moving device for moving the coating solution supply device in parallel and relative to the substrate held by the holder to form a coating region and a non-coating region on the one main surface of the substrate, and a clearance retaining device for maintaining constant the distance between the discharge port of the coating solution supply device and the one main surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kimio Motoda, Tetsu Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 5906860
    Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for treating a substrate with resist, comprising a spin chuck for horizontally holding a substrate, a first motor for variably rotating the spin chuck, a nozzle for applying resist solution onto the upper surface of the substrate held on the spin chuck, a cup having an upper opening through which the substrate is put in or taken out of the cup and a lower opening through which extends the driving shaft of the spin chuck, the cup positioned to surround the substrate held on the spin chuck to receive liquid centrifugally separated from the substrate which is rotated about its axis, a lid to close the upper opening of the cup to define a space around the substrate, a second motor for variably rotating the cup independently of the spin chuck rotation, a liftable cylinder for relatively moving at least one of the spin chuck and cup, which are positioned apart from each other, toward each other to achieve mutual contact, and an O-ring for hermetically sealing the mutual contact p
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kimio Motoda, Kiyomitsu Yamaguchi, Yoshitaka Matsuda, Tetsu Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 5853812
    Abstract: A method for processing substrates, comprising the steps of (a) disposing a substrate on a supporting table, followed by preparing a nozzle and a contact adjusting member in a waiting position apart from the substrate disposed on the supporting table and further preparing removing means in a position intermediate between the waiting position and an operating position, (b) allowing a solvent to be attached to the contact adjusting member in the waiting position and moving the contact adjusting member relative to the nozzle so as to bring the process solution present in the solution discharge port of the nozzle into contact with the solvent attached to the contact adjusting member and, thus, to adjust the condition of the process solution present in the solution discharge port of the nozzle, (c) moving the nozzle from the waiting position to an operating position through the removing means so as to allow the process solution spurted from the nozzle to be moved into the removing means, and (d) moving the substra
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tetsu Kawasaki, Kimio Motoda