Patents by Inventor Tomohiko Niizeki
Tomohiko Niizeki 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).
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Publication number: 20240112919Abstract: A method of processing a substrate that includes: flowing dioxygen (O2) and a hydrogen-containing gas into a plasma processing chamber that is configured to hold the substrate, the substrate including an organic layer and a patterned etch mask, the hydrogen-containing gas including dihydrogen (H2), a hydrocarbon, or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2); generating an oxygen-rich plasma while flowing the gases; maintaining a temperature of the substrate in the plasma processing chamber between ?150° C. and ?50° C.; and while maintaining the temperature, exposing the substrate to the oxygen-rich plasma to form a recess in the organic layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2022Publication date: April 4, 2024Inventors: Du Zhang, Maju Tomura, Koki Mukaiyama, Tomohiko Niizeki, Yoshihide Kihara, Mingmei Wang
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Patent number: 11922307Abstract: With respect to an inference method performed by at least one processor, the method includes inputting, by the at least one processor, into a learned model, non-processed object image data of a second object and data related to a second process for the second object, and inferring, by the at least one processor using the learned model, processed object image data of the second object on which the second process has been performed. The learned model has been trained so that an output obtained in response to non-processed object image data of a first object and data related to a first process for the first object being input approaches processed object image data of the first object on which the first process has been performed.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2021Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignees: Preferred Networks, Inc., Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Kosuke Nakago, Daisuke Motoki, Masaki Watanabe, Tomoki Komatsu, Hironori Moki, Masanobu Honda, Takahiko Kato, Tomohiko Niizeki
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Publication number: 20230386800Abstract: A substrate processing method includes: providing a substrate processing apparatus including a chamber, a substrate support that supports a substrate in the chamber, an upper electrode facing a center of the substrate, and a plurality of electromagnets arranged radially around the center of the upper electrode; selecting a polarity modification pattern to be used for the plurality of electromagnets during an etching; and generating plasma from a processing gas supplied into the chamber, and etching the substrate based on the polarity modification pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 23, 2023Publication date: November 30, 2023Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Tomohiko NIIZEKI, Maju TOMURA, Yoshihide KIHARA
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Publication number: 20230245898Abstract: Provided is a plasma processing method performed with a plasma processing apparatus including a chamber. The method includes: (a) providing a substrate in the chamber, the substrate having an organic film and a mask on the organic film, the mask including a silicon-containing film and a carbon-containing film on the silicon-containing film; and (b) forming a plasma from a processing gas in the chamber, the processing gas including an oxygen-containing gas and a gas containing Si or W and a halogen. (b) includes: (b1) forming a protective film on at least the carbon-containing film of the mask; and (b2) etching the organic film through the mask having the protective film formed thereon.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2023Publication date: August 3, 2023Inventors: Tomohiko NIIZEKI, Maju TOMURA, Yoshihide KIHARA
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Publication number: 20230215707Abstract: An etching apparatus includes: a chamber; a substrate support disposed in the chamber; one or more heaters disposed in the substrate support; a gas supply; a plasma generator; a controller configured to perform an etching process comprising a plurality of cycles; and a heater controller. Each cycle includes: controlling the gas supply to supply a precursor into the chamber, thereby forming a precursor layer on a substrate supported by the substrate support, the substrate including a film and a mask; and controlling the gas supply and the plasma generator to supply a process gas into the chamber and generate a plasma from the process gas in the chamber, thereby etching the film through the mask.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2023Publication date: July 6, 2023Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Tomohiko NIIZEKI, Takayuki KATSUNUMA, Yoshihide KIHARA, Maju TOMURA
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Patent number: 11637003Abstract: A method for etching a film includes: supplying a precursor gas to the substrate, thereby forming a precursor layer on a substrate; and etching the film with a chemical species from plasma formed from a processing gas so as to increase a depth of the opening, and form a protective region from the precursor layer with the chemical species or another chemical species from the plasma. A plurality of cycles each including the supplying the precursor gas and the etching the film is executed. A temperature of the substrate during execution of the etching the film included in at least one cycle of the plurality of cycles and a temperature of the substrate during execution of the etching the film included in at least one other cycle of the plurality of cycles are set to be different from each other.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2020Date of Patent: April 25, 2023Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Tomohiko Niizeki, Takayuki Katsunuma, Yoshihide Kihara, Maju Tomura
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Publication number: 20210233778Abstract: An etching method includes forming a film on a surface of a substrate having a region to be etched and a mask. The mask is provided on the region and includes an opening that partially exposes the region. The film is made of the same material as that of the region. The etching method further includes etching the region.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2021Publication date: July 29, 2021Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Maju TOMURA, Tomohiko NIIZEKI, Takayuki KATSUNUMA, Hironari SASAGAWA, Yuta NAKANE, Shinya ISHIKAWA, Kenta ONO, Sho KUMAKURA, Yusuke TAKINO, Masanobu HONDA
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Publication number: 20210209413Abstract: With respect to an inference method performed by at least one processor, the method includes inputting, by the at least one processor, into a learned model, non-processed object image data of a second object and data related to a second process for the second object, and inferring, by the at least one processor using the learned model, processed object image data of the second object on which the second process has been performed. The learned model has been trained so that an output obtained in response to non-processed object image data of a first object and data related to a first process for the first object being input approaches processed object image data of the first object on which the first process has been performed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2021Publication date: July 8, 2021Inventors: Kosuke NAKAGO, Daisuke Motoki, Masaki Watanabe, Tomoki Komatsu, Hironori Moki, Masanobu Honda, Takahiko Kato, Tomohiko Niizeki
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Publication number: 20210202233Abstract: A substrate processing method suppresses a shape abnormality of a pattern formed on a substrate. The substrate processing method executed by a substrate processing apparatus includes step a), step b), and step c). The step a) is a step of providing a substrate including an etching target film and a mask layer formed on the etching target film in which the mask layer has an opening. The step b) is a step of forming a protective film on an upper portion of an opening of the mask. The step c) is a step of etching the mask while suppressing a variation of an opening dimension of the upper portion of the opening by the protective film, and varying a dimension of a lower portion of the opening not covered by the protective film.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2020Publication date: July 1, 2021Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Tomohiko NIIZEKI, Maju TOMURA, Yoshihide KIHARA
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Publication number: 20210151301Abstract: A method for etching a film includes: supplying a precursor gas to the substrate, thereby forming a precursor layer on a substrate; and etching the film with a chemical species from plasma formed from a processing gas so as to increase a depth of the opening, and form a protective region from the precursor layer with the chemical species or another chemical species from the plasma. A plurality of cycles each including the supplying the precursor gas and the etching the film is executed. A temperature of the substrate during execution of the etching the film included in at least one cycle of the plurality of cycles and a temperature of the substrate during execution of the etching the film included in at least one other cycle of the plurality of cycles are set to be different from each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 11, 2020Publication date: May 20, 2021Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Tomohiko NIIZEKI, Takayuki KATSUNUMA, Yoshihide KIHARA, Maju TOMURA
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Publication number: 20200279753Abstract: A substrate processing method includes etching a target film formed on a substrate through an opening of a mask formed on the target film with plasma generated from a mixed gas obtained by adding a gas having a carbonyl bond to a halogen-containing gas. The target film contains silicon and the mask is formed of a transition metal.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2020Publication date: September 3, 2020Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Tomohiko NIIZEKI, Yoshihide KIHARA
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Patent number: 8872291Abstract: A ferromagnetic tunnel junction structure comprising a first ferromagnetic layer, a second ferromagnetic layer, and a tunnel barrier layer that is interposed between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer, wherein the tunnel barrier layer includes a crystalline non-magnetic material having constituent elements that are similar to those of an crystalline oxide that has spinel structure as a stable phase structure; the non-magnetic material has a cubic structure having a symmetry of space group Fm-3m or F-43m in which atomic arrangement in the spinel structure is disordered; and an effective lattice constant of the cubic structure is substantially half of the lattice constant of the oxide of the spinel structure.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2012Date of Patent: October 28, 2014Assignee: National Institute For Materials ScienceInventors: Hiroaki Sukegawa, Seiji Mitani, Tomohiko Niizeki, Tadakatsu Ohkubo, Kouichiro Inomata, Kazuhiro Hono, Masafumi Shirai, Yoshio Miura, Kazutaka Abe, Shingo Muramoto