Patents by Inventor Tohru Sonoda

Tohru Sonoda 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: 8633644
    Abstract: The present invention provides a thin-film formed substrate, an organic electroluminescent display device, a color filter substrate, and a method of producing a thin-film formed substrate. The thin-film formed substrate according to the present invention is a thin-film formed substrate provided with a substrate and a thin film formed on the substrate, the substrate comprising a first bank forming a depression on the substrate, and a second bank formed on the first bank, wherein a partitioned region surrounded by the second bank has a plurality of the depressions arranged therein, and the thin film is arranged in each of the depressions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Emi Yamamoto, Tohru Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20140014985
    Abstract: TFT substrate (10) includes a plurality of pixel regions each including light emitting regions of at least three colors, which light emitting regions include light emitting layers (23R(1), 23G, 23R(2), and 23B), respectively, and two adjacent ones of the light emitting regions are a combination other than a combination of (i) a light emitting region included in a light emitting layer (23G) of a color having a highest current efficiency in a case where the light emitting layers of the light emitting regions of the at least three colors emit light having an identical luminance and (ii) a light emitting region included in a light emitting layer (23B) of a color having a lowest current efficiency in a case where the light emitting layers of the light emitting regions of the at least three colors emit light having an identical luminance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20140014036
    Abstract: A vapor deposition particle emitting device of the present invention includes: a nozzle section (110) having emission holes (111) from which gaseous vapor deposition particles are emitted out; a heating plate unit (100), provided in the nozzle section (110), which is made up of heating plates (101) each having a surface on which a vapor deposition material remains as a result of adherence of vapor deposition particles to the surface; and a heating device (160) for heating the vapor deposition material, which is thus remaining on the surface of each of the heating plates (101), so that a temperature of the vapor deposition material is not less than a temperature at which to become transformed into gaseous form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8628620
    Abstract: A vapor deposition device (50) includes a mask (60) having periodic patterns, and only a region of the mask (60) where a one-period pattern is formed is exposed. A length of the mask base material along a direction perpendicular to a long-side direction of the mask base material is shorter than a length of a film formation substrate (200) along a direction of scanning of the film formation substrate (200). The mask (60) is provided so that the long-side direction of the mask base material is perpendicular to the direction of scanning and that the exposed region is allowed to move in a direction perpendicular to the direction of scanning by rotation of a wind-off roll (91) and a wind-up roll (92).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Kawato, Nobuhiro Hayashi, Tohru Sonoda, Satoshi Inoue
  • Publication number: 20140010957
    Abstract: A vapor deposition particle emitting device (30) includes a hollow rotor (40) provided with a first and a second nozzle sections (50 and 60), a rolling mechanism, and heat exchangers (52 and 62), and when the rolling mechanism causes the rotor (40) to rotate, the heat exchangers (52 and 62) switch between cooling and heating in accordance with placement of the nozzle section so that that one of the nozzle sections which faces outward has a temperature lower than a temperature at which vapor deposition material turns into gas and the other nozzle section has a temperature equal to or higher than the temperature at which the vapor deposition material turns into the gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Inoue, Shinichi Kawato, Tohru Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20140004641
    Abstract: A vapor deposition device (1) performs a vapor deposition treatment to form a luminescent layer (47) having a predetermined pattern on a film formation substrate (40). The vapor deposition device includes: a nozzle (13) having a plurality of injection holes (16) from which vapor deposition particles (17), which constitute the luminescent layer, are injected toward the film formation substrate when the vapor deposition treatment is carried out; and a plurality of control plates (20) provided between the nozzle and the film formation substrate and restricting an incident angle, with respect to the film formation substrate, of the vapor deposition particles injected from the plurality of injection holes. The nozzle includes: a nozzle main body (14b) in a container shape having an opening (14c) on a surface thereof on a film formation substrate side and (ii) a plurality of blocks (15) covering the opening and separated from each other, each of the plurality of blocks having the plurality of injection holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20130340680
    Abstract: The vapor deposition particle injecting device (20) includes a crucible (22), a holder (21) having at least one injection hole (21a), and plate members (23 through 25) provided in the holder (21). The plate members (23 through 25) have respective openings (23a through 25a) corresponding to the injection hole (21a), and the plate members (23 through 25) are arranged away from each other in a direction perpendicular to the opening planes of the openings. The injection hole (21a) and the openings (23a through 25a) overlap each other in the plan view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20130337597
    Abstract: A vapor deposition device includes a vapor deposition source (60) having a plurality of vapor deposition source openings (61) that discharge vapor deposition particles (91), a limiting unit (80) having a plurality of limiting openings (82), and a vapor deposition mask (70) in which a plurality of mask openings (71) are formed only in a plurality of vapor deposition regions (72) where the vapor deposition particles that have passed through a plurality of limiting openings reach. The plurality of vapor deposition regions are arranged along a second direction that is orthogonal to the normal line direction of the substrate (10) and the movement direction of the substrate, with non-vapor deposition regions (73) where the vapor deposition particles do not reach being sandwiched therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Tohru Sonoda, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 8609442
    Abstract: A coating film (90) is formed by causing vapor deposition particles (91) discharged from a vapor deposition source opening (61) of a vapor deposition source (60) to pass through a space between a plurality of control plates (81) of a control plate unit (80) and a mask opening (71) of a vapor deposition mask in this order and adhere to a substrate, while the substrate (10) is moved relative to the vapor deposition mask (70) in a state in which the substrate (10) and the vapor deposition mask (70) are spaced apart at a fixed interval. A difference in the amount of thermal expansion between the vapor deposition source and the control plate unit is detected and corrected. It is thereby possible to form, at a desired position on a large-sized substrate, the coating film in which edge blur and variations in the edge blur are suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Inoue, Shinichi Kawato, Tohru Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20130323881
    Abstract: Vapor deposition particles (91) discharged from at least one vapor deposition source opening (61) pass through a plurality of limiting openings (82) of a limiting unit (80) and a plurality of mask openings (71) of a vapor deposition mask (70), and adhere to a substrate (10) that relatively moves along a second direction (10a) so as to form a coating film. The limiting unit includes a plurality of plate members stacked on one another. Accordingly, it is possible to efficiently form a vapor deposition coating film in which edge blurring is suppressed on a large-sized substrate at a low cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20130323882
    Abstract: A vapor deposition particle injection device (30) includes a vapor deposition particle generating section (41), at least one nozzle stage made of an intermediate nozzle section (51), a vapor deposition particle emitting nozzle section (61), and heat exchangers (43, 63, 53). The vapor deposition particle emitting nozzle section (61) is controlled so as to be at a temperature lower than a temperature at which a vapor deposition material turns into gas. Meanwhile, the intermediate nozzle section (51) is controlled by the heat exchanger (53) so as to be at a temperature between a temperature of the vapor deposition particle generating section (41) and a temperature of the vapor deposition particle emitting nozzle section (61).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Inventors: Satoshi Inoue, Shinichi Kawato, Tohru Sonoda, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20130319331
    Abstract: A vapor deposition particle injection device (501) of the present invention includes: vapor deposition particle generating sections (110) and (120) for generating vapor deposition particles in the form of vapor by heating vapor deposition materials (114) and (124); and a nozzle section (170) which (i) is connected to the vapor deposition particle generating sections (110) and (120) and (ii) has an injection hole (171) from which the vapor deposition particles generated by the vapor deposition particle generating sections (110) and (120) are injected outward. The vapor deposition particle generating section (120) has a smaller capacity for the vapor deposition material than the vapor deposition particle generating section (110).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20130299810
    Abstract: A film formation substrate (200) is a film formation substrate having a plurality of vapor deposition regions (24R and 24G) (i) which are arranged along a predetermined direction and (ii) in which respective vapor-deposited films (23R and 23G) are provided. The vapor-deposited film (24R) has inclined side surfaces 23s which are inclined with respect to a direction normal to the film formation substrate (200). A width, in the predetermined direction, of the vapor-deposited film (23R) is larger than the sum of (i) a width, in the predetermined direction, of the vapor deposition region (24R) and (ii) a width, in the predetermined direction, of a region (29) between the vapor deposition region (24R) and the vapor deposition region (24G).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20130299808
    Abstract: In an organic EL display device (100), an insulating layer (113) includes a first insulating film (113a) and a second insulating film (113b) provided thereabove, a plurality of upper electrodes (115c) are each provided to cover a corresponding one of a plurality of organic EL layers (115b), and a reflection film (114) is provided between the first insulating film (113a) and the second insulating film (113b), corresponding to a region N other than the a light emission region. The reflection film (114) reflects toward a sealing substrate (120) a portion of light generated in each organic EL layer (115b) which is diffused into the region N other than the light emission region so that the portion of the light is transmitted through a separation wall portion (116) and the sealing substrate (120) to be viewed as an image on the sealing substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2012
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroshi Sugimoto, Tohru Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20130302572
    Abstract: A film formation substrate (200) is arranged such that (i) a base end, in a y-axis direction, of a film-thickness-gradually-diminishing part (23sR) of a first film (23R) overlaps a first film formation region (24R), and (ii) a film-thickness-gradually-diminishing part (23sB) of a second film (23B) is disposed on an outside, in the y-axis direction, of a second film formation region (24B) and overlaps the film-thickness-gradually-diminishing part (23sR) of the first film (23R) so as to compensate for a gradually diminished thickness of the film-thickness-gradually-diminishing part (23sR).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20130292501
    Abstract: A layer (71), made from a material that is attracted by a magnet, is formed in at least part of a chamber component (70), which at least part makes in contact with a film forming material. A method for collecting a film forming material includes the steps of: (a) exfoliating an attachment (22) which has attached to a surface of the chamber component (70); and (b) collecting the attachment (22) by separating a fragment of the layer (71), which fragment has been exfoliated in the step (a), while causing the fragment to be attracted by a magnet (202a).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20130291796
    Abstract: A crucible (50) of the present invention includes: an opening (55a) from which vapor deposition particles are injected toward a film formation substrate on which a film is to be formed; a focal point member (54a), provided so as to face the opening (55a), which reflects vapor deposition particles injected from the opening (55a); and a revolution paraboloid (55b) which reflects, toward the film formation substrate, vapor deposition particles which have been reflected by the focal point member (54a).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Satoshi Inoue, Shinichi Kawato, Tohru Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20130292666
    Abstract: Provided is a TFT substrate (10) on which vapor-deposited sections are to be formed by use of a vapor deposition device (50) which includes a vapor deposition source (85) having injection holes (86); and a vapor deposition mask (81) having opening (82) through which vapor deposition particles are deposited to form the vapor-deposited sections. The TFT substrate (10) includes pixels two-dimensionally arranged in a pixel region (AG); and wires (14) electrically connected to the respective pixels. The vapor-deposited sections (Q) are formed with gaps (X) therebetween, and the wires (14) having respective terminals that are disposed in the gaps (X).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20130295716
    Abstract: First and second vapor deposition particles (91a, 91b) discharged from first and second vapor deposition source openings (61a, 61b) pass through first and second limiting openings (82a, 82b) of a limiting plate unit (80), pass through mask opening (71) of a vapor deposition mask (70) and adhere to a substrate (10) so as to form a coating film. If regions on the substrate to which the first vapor deposition particles and the second vapor deposition particles adhere if the vapor deposition mask is assumed not to exist are respectively denoted by a first region (92a) and a second region (92b), the limiting plate unit limits the directionalities of the first vapor deposition particles and the second vapor deposition particles in a first direction (10a) that travel to the substrate such that the second region is contained within the first region. Accordingly, it is possible to form a light emitting layer with a doping method by using vapor deposition by color.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2012
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Kubushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Tohru Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20130295705
    Abstract: A masking film (13) is formed so as to have an opening in a display region (R1) (luminescent region) and a sealing region. Subsequently, luminescent layers (8R, 8G, and 8B) having a stripe pattern are formed. Then, the masking film (13) is peeled off, so that the luminescent layers (8R, 8G, and 8B) patterned with high resolution are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tohru Sonoda, Shinichi Kawato, Satoshi Inoue, Satoshi Hashimoto