Patents by Inventor Tomohiro Okumura

Tomohiro Okumura 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: 20120325777
    Abstract: A base material is placed on a base material placement face of a base material placement table. An inductively coupled plasma torch unit is structured with a cylindrical chamber structured with a cylinder made of an insulating material and provided with a rectangular slit-like plasma jet port, and lids closing opposing ends of the cylinder, a gas jet port that supplies gas into the cylindrical chamber, and a solenoid coil that generates a high frequency electromagnetic field in the cylindrical chamber. By a high frequency power supply supplying a high frequency power to the solenoid coil, plasma is generated in the cylindrical chamber, and the plasma is emitted from the plasma jet port to the base material. While relatively shifting the plasma torch unit and the base material placement table, a base material surface can be subjected to heat treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Ichiro Nakayama, Mitsuo Saitoh
  • Patent number: 8324685
    Abstract: A fin-semiconductor region (13) is formed on a substrate (11). A first impurity which produces a donor level or an acceptor level in a semiconductor is introduced in an upper portion and side portions of the fin-semiconductor region (13), and oxygen or nitrogen is further introduced as a second impurity in the upper portion and side portions of the fin-semiconductor region (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Takayuki Kai, Yuichiro Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20120285818
    Abstract: In a plasma doping device according to the invention, a vacuum chamber is evacuated with a turbo-molecular pump as an exhaust device via a exhaust port while a predetermined gas is being introduced from a gas supply device in order to maintain the inside of the vacuum chamber to a predetermined pressure with a pressure regulating valve. A high-frequency power of 13.56 MHz is supplied by a high-frequency power source to a coil provided in the vicinity of a dielectric window opposed to a sample electrode to generate inductive-coupling plasma in the vacuum chamber. A high-frequency power source for supplying a high-frequency power to the sample electrode is provided. Uniformity of processing is enhanced by driving a gate shutter and covering a through gate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro OKUMURA, Yuichiro Sasaki, Katsumi Okashita, Bunji Mizuno, Hiroyuki Ito, Ichiro Nakayama, Cheng-Guo Jin
  • Patent number: 8288259
    Abstract: With the evacuation of an interior of a vacuum chamber halted and with gas supply into the vacuum chamber halted, in a state that a mixed gas of helium gas and diborane gas is sealed in the vacuum chamber, a plasma is generated in a vacuum vessel and simultaneously a high-frequency power is supplied to a sample electrode. By the high-frequency power supplied to the sample electrode, boron is introduced to a proximity to a substrate surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Ichiro Nakayama, Satoshi Maeshima, Bunji Mizuno, Yuichiro Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20120227808
    Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing a silicon powder, which comprises the steps of: powderizing a silicon ingot having a grade of 99.999% or more into a crude silicon powder having a particle diameter of 3 mm or less by means of high-pressure purified-water cutting; and reducing the crude silicon powder into a silicon powder having a particle diameter ranging from 0.01 to 10 [mu]m inclusive by means of at least one method selected from jet milling, wet granulation, ultrasonic wave disruption and shock wave disruption. The process is a technique for producing a silicon powder rapidly from a silicon ingot without reducing purity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ichiro Nakayama, Hitoshi Yamanishi, Yoshihisa Ooido, Nobuyuki Kamikihara, Tomohiro Okumura
  • Patent number: 8264146
    Abstract: A plasma display panel includes a front panel wherein an electrode, a dielectric layer and a protective layer are formed on a substrate of the front panel; and a rear panel wherein an electrode, a dielectric layer and a barrier rib and a phosphor layer are formed on a substrate of the rear panel. The front panel and the rear panel are oppositely disposed to each other. The electrode of the front panel is composed of a transparent electrode and a bus electrode, and the bus electrode comprises a melted-solidified portion obtained by a melting and subsequent solidifying of electrically-conductive particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Michiru Kuromiya, Shuzo Tsuchida, Tomohiro Okumura
  • Patent number: 8257501
    Abstract: In a plasma doping device according to the invention, a vacuum chamber (1) is evacuated with a turbo-molecular pump (3) as an exhaust device via a exhaust port 11 while a predetermined gas is being introduced from a gas supply device (2) in order to maintain the inside of the vacuum chamber (1) to a predetermined pressure with a pressure regulating valve (4). A high-frequency power of 13.56 MHz is supplied by a high-frequency power source (5) to a coil (8) provided in the vicinity of a dielectric window (7) opposed to a sample electrode (6) to generate inductive-coupling plasma in the vacuum chamber (1). A high-frequency power source (10) for supplying a high-frequency power to the sample electrode (6) is provided. Uniformity of processing is enhanced by driving a gate shutter (18) and covering a through gate (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Yuichiro Sasaki, Katsumi Okashita, Bunji Mizuno, Hiroyuki Ito, Ichiro Nakayama, Cheng-Guo Jin
  • Publication number: 20120186519
    Abstract: A plasma doping method and apparatus in which a prescribed gas is introduced into a vacuum container while being exhausted by a turbomolecular pump as an exhaust apparatus. The pressure in the vacuum container is kept at a prescribed value by a pressure regulating valve. High-frequency electric power of 13.56 MHz is supplied to a coil disposed close to a dielectric window which is opposed to a sample electrode, whereby induction-coupled plasma is generated in the vacuum container. Every time a prescribed number of samples have been processed, a dummy sample is subjected to plasma doping and then to heating. The conditions for processing of a sample are controlled so that the measurement value of the surface sheet resistance becomes equal to a prescribed value, whereby the controllability of the impurity concentration can be increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Yuichiro Sasaki, Katsumi Okashita, Hiroyuki Ito, Bunji Mizuno, Cheng-Guo Jin, Ichiro Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20120115317
    Abstract: In a plasma torch unit, a conductor rod having a spiral shape is disposed inside a quartz pipe having a surface coated with boron glass, and a brass block is disposed on the periphery thereof. While a gas is being supplied into a cylindrical chamber, a high-frequency power is supplied to the conductor rod and a plasma is generated in the cylindrical chamber, so that a base material is irradiated with the plasma.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Inventors: Tomohiro OKUMURA, Mitsuo Saitoh, Ichiro Nakayama, Taro Kitaoka
  • Patent number: 8162710
    Abstract: A method for producing a plasma display panel, the method including preparing a front panel and a rear panel, the front panel being a panel wherein a first electrode, a first dielectric layer and a protective layer are formed on a first substrate, and the rear panel being a panel wherein a second electrode, a second dielectric layer, a partition wall and a phosphor layer are formed on a second substrate; and opposing the front and rear panels with each other, and sealing the front and rear panels along their peripheries by a sealing material wherein the protective layer is heated to a temperature ranging from 1600° C. to 3600° C. before the sealing of the front and rear panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro Okumura
  • Patent number: 8160298
    Abstract: A display device includes a display panel and a control unit. The control unit is configured to control a display condition of the display panel by successively switching a plurality of frames, thereby to display a pointer image indicating a pointer and a path image indicating a path of motion of the pointer image. The path image of a first frame, which is any one of the plurality of frames, is provided continuously from a second location where the pointer image of a second frame, which is another one of the multiple frames and immediately before the first frame, is displayed to a first location where the pointer image of the first frame is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Ryoichi Nishikawa, Takaaki Muramatsu, Shinji Suganuma
  • Publication number: 20120058649
    Abstract: In a plasma torch unit, copper rods forming a coil as a whole are disposed inside copper rod inserting holes formed in a quartz block so that the quartz block is cooled by water flowing inside the copper rod inserting holes and cooling water pipes. A plasma ejection port is formed on the lowermost portion of the torch unit. While a gas is being supplied into a space inside an elongated chamber, high-frequency power is supplied to the copper rods to generate plasma in the space inside the elongated chamber so that the plasma is applied to a substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Inventors: Tomohiro OKUMURA, Ichiro NAKAYAMA, Hiroshi KAWAURA, Tetsuya YUKIMOTO
  • Patent number: 8129202
    Abstract: It is intended to provide a plasma doping method and apparatus which are superior in the controllability of the concentration of an impurity that is introduced into a surface layer of a sample. A prescribed gas is introduced into a vacuum container 1 from a gas supply apparatus 2 while being exhausted by a turbomolecular pump 3 as an exhaust apparatus. The pressure in the vacuum container 1 is kept at a prescribed value by a pressure regulating valve 4. High-frequency electric power of 13.56 MHz is supplied from a high-frequency power source 5 to a coil 8 disposed close to a dielectric window 7 which is opposed to a sample electrode 6, whereby induction-coupled plasma is generated in the vacuum container 1. A high-frequency power source 10 for supplying high-frequency electric power to the sample electrode 6 is provided. Every time a prescribed number of samples have been processed, a dummy sample is subjected to plasma doping and then to heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Yuichiro Sasaki, Katsumi Okashita, Hiroyuki Ito, Bunji Mizuno, Cheng-Guo Jin, Ichiro Nakayama
  • Patent number: 8113899
    Abstract: A method for producing a plasma display panel, the method comprising the steps of: (i) preparing a front panel and a rear panel, the front panel being a panel wherein an electrode A, a dielectric layer A and a protective layer are formed on a substrate A, and the rear panel being a panel wherein an electrode B, a dielectric layer B, a partition wall and a phosphor layer are formed on a substrate B; (ii) applying a glass frit material onto a peripheral region of the substrate A or B, and then opposing the front and rear panels with each other such that the glass frit material is interposed therebetween; (iii) supplying a gas into a space formed between the opposed front and rear panels from a direction lateral to the opposed front and rear panels, under such a condition that the front and rear panels are heated; and (iv) melting the glass frit material to cause the front and rear panels to be sealed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Ryuichi Murai, Takahiro Takisawa, Hiroyoshi Sekiguchi, Takayuki Ashida, Yoshihiro Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 8098253
    Abstract: A display unit includes: a display panel for displaying a plurality of information images; a memory for storing a plurality of image data elements corresponding to the information images; an image memory for storing the image data elements transferred from the memory; and a controller for controlling the display panel to display the information images based on the image data elements in the image memory. The controller transfers a part of the image data elements to the image memory on ahead when the display unit starts to operate, and the controller controls the display panel to display a part of information images on ahead based on the part of the image data elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Okumura, Ryouichi Nishikawa
  • Patent number: 8063563
    Abstract: A plasma display panel includes a front panel having a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer of the front panel includes a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer disposed on the first dielectric layer. The gas permeability of the second dielectric layer is in the range of 0% to 1%. The second dielectric layer may be formed by heating the surface of the first dielectric layer to thermally metamorphose or transubstantiate the first dielectric layer to a limited depth from the surface the first dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Michiru Kuromiya, Tomohiro Okumura, Motoi Hatanaka
  • Publication number: 20110279030
    Abstract: A front plate and a back plate are superposed with each other in parallel, and pressed onto each other. Moreover, the back plate and a gas-blowing jig are brought into close contact with each other. The glass pipe in which a glass fiber filter paper is placed is pressed onto the back plate, with a solid-state glass frit ring interposed therebetween. Thus, by using a glass pipe, a nitrogen, Xe, or Ne gas is supplied into the panel, or the inside of the panel is evacuated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Inventors: Takayuki ASHIDA, Tomohiro OKUMURA, Shuzo TSUCHIDA, Mamoru WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20110217830
    Abstract: There are provided a plasma doping method and an apparatus which have excellent reproducibility of the concentration of impurities implanted into the surfaces of samples. In a vacuum container, in a state where gas is ejected toward a substrate placed on a sample electrode through gas ejection holes provided in a counter electrode, gas is exhausted from the vacuum container through a turbo molecular pump as an exhaust device, and the inside of the vacuum container is maintained at a predetermined pressure through a pressure adjustment valve, the distance between the counter electrode and the sample electrode is set to be sufficiently small with respect to the area of the counter electrode to prevent plasma from being diffused outward, and capacitive-coupled plasma is generated between the counter electrode and the sample electrode to perform plasma doping. The gas used herein is a gas with a low concentration which contains impurities such as diborane or phosphine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro OKUMURA, Yuichiro Sasaki, Katsumi Okashita, Hiroyuki Ito, Bunji Mizuno
  • Patent number: 8004171
    Abstract: A plasma display panel including a front panel having a first substrate, a first electrode, a first dielectric layer and a protective layer wherein the first electrode is formed on the first substrate, the first dielectric layer is formed over the first substrate so as to cover the first electrode, and the protective layer is formed on the first dielectric layer, and a rear panel having a second substrate, a second electrode, a second dielectric layer and a phosphor layer wherein the second electrode is formed on the second substrate, the second dielectric layer is formed over the second substrate so as to cover the second electrode, the phosphor layer is formed on the second dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Yamashita, Hironobu Inoue, Motoi Hatanaka, Tomohiro Okumura
  • Publication number: 20110198986
    Abstract: Disclosed is a plasma display panel comprising a front panel wherein an electrode, a dielectric layer and a protective layer are formed on a substrate of the front panel; and a rear panel wherein an electrode, a dielectric layer and a barrier rib and a phosphor layer are formed on a substrate of the rear panel, the front panel and the rear panel being oppositely disposed to each other, wherein the electrode of the front panel is composed of a transparent electrode and a bus electrode; and the bus electrode comprises a melted-solidified portion obtained by a melting and subsequent solidifying of electrically-conductive particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Inventors: Michiru Kuromiya, Shuzo Tsuchida, Tomohiro Okumura