Patents by Inventor Tetsuo Fukuoka

Tetsuo Fukuoka 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: 20200185232
    Abstract: A gettering layer forming apparatus configured to form a gettering layer on a substrate includes a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate; a wrapping film configured to be brought into contact with the substrate held by the substrate holder and polish the substrate; a base configured to support the wrapping film, and configured to be moved in a vertical direction and rotated around a vertical axis; and a water supply configured to supply water onto the substrate held by the substrate holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventor: Tetsuo FUKUOKA
  • Patent number: 10459339
    Abstract: This resist pattern forming method comprises: a step for coating a substrate with a chemically amplified resist; a subsequent step for forming a latent image of a pattern by exposing the resist film on the substrate; a subsequent step for irradiating the exposed resist film selectively with infrared light from a first heating source having wavelengths 2.0-6.0 ?m; a subsequent step for heating the substrate by means of a second heating source that is different from the first heating source for the purpose of diffusing an acid that is produced in the resist film by exposure; and a subsequent step for forming a pattern of the resist film by supplying a developer liquid to the substrate. Consequently, roughening of sidewalls of the resist pattern can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fukuoka, Yoshio Kimura, Gousuke Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 10340140
    Abstract: An abnormal processing can be appropriately detected in a processing of supplying a preset gas to a substrate as a processing target. A hydrophobizing unit U5 includes a processing vessel 21 configured to accommodate therein a wafer W as a processing target; an opening/closing unit 60 (first supply unit) configured to supply air (first gas) into the processing vessel 21; a gas supply unit 30 (second supply unit) configured to supply a HMDS gas (second gas), having a relative humidity different from that of the air, into the processing vessel 21; and a controller 100 (control unit). The controller 100 is configured to determine a state of a gas within the processing vessel 21 based on a relative humidity obtained after a supply of the air by the opening/closing unit 60 and a supply of the HMDS gas by the gas supply unit 30 are performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fukuoka, Masashi Itonaga
  • Publication number: 20180182612
    Abstract: An abnormal processing can be appropriately detected in a processing of supplying a preset gas to a substrate as a processing target. A hydrophobizing unit U5 includes a processing vessel 21 configured to accommodate therein a wafer W as a processing target; an opening/closing unit 60 (first supply unit) configured to supply air (first gas) into the processing vessel 21; a gas supply unit 30 (second supply unit) configured to supply a HMDS gas (second gas), having a relative humidity different from that of the air, into the processing vessel 21; and a controller 100 (control unit). The controller 100 is configured to determine a state of a gas within the processing vessel 21 based on a relative humidity obtained after a supply of the air by the opening/closing unit 60 and a supply of the HMDS gas by the gas supply unit 30 are performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fukuoka, Masashi Itonaga
  • Publication number: 20160085154
    Abstract: This resist pattern forming method comprises: a step for coating a substrate with a chemically amplified resist; a subsequent step for forming a latent image of a pattern by exposing the resist film on the substrate; a subsequent step for irradiating the exposed resist film selectively with infrared light from a first heating source having wavelengths 2.0-6.0 ?m; a subsequent step for heating the substrate by means of a second heating source that is different from the first heating source for the purpose of diffusing an acid that is produced in the resist film by exposure; and a subsequent step for forming a pattern of the resist film by supplying a developer liquid to the substrate. Consequently, roughening of sidewalls of the resist pattern can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2014
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Tetsuo FUKUOKA, Yoshio KIMURA, Gousuke SHIRAISHI
  • Patent number: 8933376
    Abstract: A heating device has a heating chamber 3. An initial temperature distribution is created in a surface of a substrate (wafer W) when the substrate is carried into the heating chamber 3 . . . Temperature distribution creating means (heating lamps 2) creates a preheating temperature distribution in the substrate supported on a cooling plate 4 at a waiting position before the substrate is carried into the heating chamber 3 so as to level out the initial temperature distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fukuoka, Takahiro Kitano, Kazuo Terada
  • Patent number: 8430967
    Abstract: The hydrophobicizing apparatus includes a vaporizing surface forming member of which surface is located in a vaporizing room; a vaporizing surface heating unit that heats the vaporizing surface forming member; a liquid chemical supply port that supplies a liquid chemical for a hydrophobicizing process on the surface of the vaporizing surface forming member; a gas inlet port that introduces a carrier gas into the vaporizing room; an outlet port that supplies a hydrophobicizing gas vaporized in the vaporizing room; and a processing chamber that performs the hydrophobicizing process on a substrate accommodated therein by the hydrophobicizing gas supplied through the outlet port. With this configuration, the hydrophobicizing gas of a high concentration can be supplied onto the substrate. Further, since the stored liquid chemical is not in contact with the carrier gas when a process is not being performed, degradation of the liquid chemical is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Satoshi Shimmura, Tetsuo Fukuoka, Takahiro Kitano
  • Patent number: 8326559
    Abstract: A substrate processing system provided with a plurality of modules for substrate processing. The substrate processing system includes an inspection substrate, which is transferred to the plurality of modules for processing therein, provided with a plurality of measuring devices which carry out a plurality of different kinds of measurements and a recorder which records measured data provided by the measuring devices. The substrate processing system includes a controller that executes control operations to subject the inspection substrate to predetermined processes in the plurality of modules. The controller obtains through data communication a plurality of different kinds of measured data recorded by the recorder as the inspection substrate is processed by the predetermined processes by the plurality of modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Tetsuo Fukuoka
  • Patent number: 8304020
    Abstract: There are provided an adhesion promoting process using a comparatively small amount of an adhesion promoting gas for processing a workpiece, an adhesion promoting device for carrying out the adhesion promoting process, a coating and developing system including the adhesion promoting device, and a storage medium storing a program specifying a set of instructions for carrying out the adhesion promoting process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fukuoka, Takahiro Kitano
  • Patent number: 8237092
    Abstract: A substrate heating apparatus includes a top plate arranged above a hot plate so that a vertical space is formed between the hot plate and the top plate. The top plate has an evacuated internal chamber serving as a vacuum insulating layer that suppresses heat transfer from a first surface of the top plate facing the hot plate to a second surface of the top plate opposite to the first surface. When heating the substrate, a gas flow flowing through the space between the hot plate and the top plate is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinichi Hayashi, Tetsuo Fukuoka, Tetsuya Oda, Hiroaki Inadomi
  • Patent number: 8217313
    Abstract: A disclosed heating apparatus includes a heating chamber configured to heat a substrate placed in the heating chamber with a heat plate opposing the substrate; a gas stream forming portion that creates a gas stream along a top surface of the substrate in the heating chamber; and a pair of first plate members respectively located between an inner side wall of the heating chamber and a first substrate edge opposing the inner side wall, and between another inner side wall of the heating chamber and a second substrate edge opposing the other inner side wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fukuoka, Takahiro Kitano, Kazuo Terada
  • Publication number: 20120034369
    Abstract: A vaporizing apparatus includes a heating plate disposed in a container to heat and vaporize a liquid chemical, a gas supply unit configured to supply a carrier gas carrying the chemical vaporized by the heating plate, into the container, a first detecting unit configured to detect the supply of the carrier gas into the container, and a second detecting unit configured to detect the vaporization of the liquid chemical by the heating plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuhiko ITO, Takahiro KITANO, Tetsuo FUKUOKA, Takayuki ISHII
  • Patent number: 8080765
    Abstract: A substrate heating apparatus includes a top plate arranged above a hot plate so that a vertical space is formed between the hot plate and the top plate. The top plate has an evacuated internal chamber serving as a vacuum insulating layer that suppresses heat transfer from a first surface of the top plate facing the hot plate to a second surface of the top plate opposite to the first surface. When heating the substrate, a gas flow flowing through the space between the hot plate and the top plate is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinichi Hayashi, Tetsuo Fukuoka, Tetsuya Oda, Hiroaki Inadomi
  • Patent number: 8025925
    Abstract: A heating apparatus is configured to include a hot plate at which a substrate is placed, a top plate opposed to the substrate, a gas discharging part provided on one end side of the hot plate for discharging gas between the hot plate and the top plate, an exhaust part provided to be opposed to the gas discharging part with the hot plate interposed therebetween, and a heating part independently heating a first region and a second region of the substrate. A heating process is performed with good within-wafer uniformity by forming an unidirectional flow to heat the first region and the second region at different temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fukuoka, Takahiro Kitano, Nobuaki Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 7977609
    Abstract: This invention provides a wafer-type temperature sensor capable of eliminating the need for an A/D converter, adapting itself to automation and improving the heat resistance to measure temperature distribution of the upper surface of a wafer, a temperature measuring device using the sensor, a thermal processor having a temperature measurement function and a temperature measurement method. The wafer-type temperature sensor comprises a wafer and a plurality of temperature sensors arranged in regions which are formed by segmenting the upper surface of the wafer into a plurality of regions. Each of the temperature sensors includes an oscillation circuit for oscillating a frequency signal corresponding to the temperature of its own region within a frequency band that is different for every region in response to input of power supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Sata, Takahiro Kitano, Tetsuo Fukuoka, Toshiyuki Matsumoto, Tomohide Minami
  • Publication number: 20110045166
    Abstract: The hydrophobicizing apparatus includes a vaporizing surface forming member of which surface is located in a vaporizing room; a vaporizing surface heating unit that heats the vaporizing surface forming member; a liquid chemical supply port that supplies a liquid chemical for a hydrophobicizing process on the surface of the vaporizing surface forming member; a gas inlet port that introduces a carrier gas into the vaporizing room; an outlet port that supplies a hydrophobicizing gas vaporized in the vaporizing room; and a processing chamber that performs the hydrophobicizing process on a substrate accommodated therein by the hydrophobicizing gas supplied through the outlet port. With this configuration, the hydrophobicizing gas of a high concentration can be supplied onto the substrate. Further, since the stored liquid chemical is not in contact with the carrier gas when a process is not being performed, degradation of the liquid chemical is suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Satoshi Shimmura, Tetsuo Fukuoka, Takahiro Kitano
  • Patent number: 7871265
    Abstract: In a heat treatment device including a heating chamber having a heating plate heating a semiconductor wafer, a cooling plate cooling the wafer heated by the heating chamber, and a transporting device transporting the wafer into and from the heating chamber, the cooling plate is provided with a coolant passage, a plurality of projections carrying the wafer with a space between the wafer and the surface of the cooling plate, and suction holes neighboring to the respective projections and connected to a suction device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tetsuo Fukuoka, Takahiro Kitano, Kazuo Terada
  • Publication number: 20100326351
    Abstract: A substrate heating apparatus includes a top plate arranged above a hot plate so that a vertical space is formed between the hot plate and the top plate. The top plate has an evacuated internal chamber serving as a vacuum insulating layer that suppresses heat transfer from a first surface of the top plate facing the hot plate to a second surface of the top plate opposite to the first surface. When heating the substrate, a gas flow flowing through the space between the hot plate and the top plate is generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinichi HAYASHI, Tetsuo FUKUOKA, Tetsuya ODA, Hiroaki INADOMI
  • Publication number: 20100330815
    Abstract: A substrate heating apparatus includes a top plate arranged above a hot plate so that a vertical space is formed between the hot plate and the top plate. The top plate has an evacuated internal chamber serving as a vacuum insulating layer that suppresses heat transfer from a first surface of the top plate facing the hot plate to a second surface of the top plate opposite to the first surface. When heating the substrate, a gas flow flowing through the space between the hot plate and the top plate is generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinichi Hayashi, Tetsuo Fukuoka, Tetsuya Oda, Hiroaki Inadomi
  • Patent number: 7812285
    Abstract: A substrate heating apparatus includes a top plate arranged above a hot plate so that a vertical space is formed between the hot plate and the top plate. The top plate has an evacuated internal chamber serving as a vacuum insulating layer that suppresses heat transfer from a first surface of the top plate facing the hot plate to a second surface of the top plate opposite to the first surface. When heating the substrate, a gas flow flowing through the space between the hot plate and the top plate is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinichi Hayashi, Tetsuo Fukuoka, Tetsuya Oda, Hiroaki Inadomi