Patents by Inventor Toru Endo

Toru Endo 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: 20240116087
    Abstract: The substrate processing apparatus includes: a nozzle having a spout and adapted to spout SPM from the spout toward a substrate; a mixing portion communicating with the spout; a sulfuric acid-containing liquid supply device which recovers liquid supplied to and expelled from the substrate held by a substrate holding unit, prepares a sulfuric acid-containing liquid from the recovered liquid, and supplies the prepared sulfuric acid-containing liquid to the mixing portion; and a control device. The control device performs: a sulfuric acid-containing liquid preparing step of recovering SPM supplied to and expelled from the substrate and preparing the sulfuric acid-containing liquid; and an SPM spouting step of supplying the prepared sulfuric acid-containing liquid and hydrogen peroxide water to the mixing portion, mixing the sulfuric acid-containing liquid and hydrogen peroxide water together in the mixing portion to prepare SPM, and spouting the prepared SPM from the spout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Kenji KAWAGUCHI, Toru ENDO, Kota TANIKAWA
  • Publication number: 20240109041
    Abstract: The invention provides a semipermeable composite membrane that reduces an environmental load, and a method of producing the semipermeable composite membrane. A semipermeable composite membrane 100 includes, on a porous support 102, a semipermeable membrane 104 containing a crosslinked polyamide 120 and a cellulose nanofiber 110. A method of producing the semipermeable composite membrane includes obtaining a mixed solution containing the cellulose nanofiber 110, water, and an amine component, and obtaining the semipermeable composite membrane 100 by making the mixed solution be in contact with the porous support 102, thereafter, causing a cross-linking reaction of the amine component in the mixed solution, with the amine component adhering to the porous support 102.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Applicants: SHINSHU UNIVERSITY, LIXIL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Morinobu ENDO, Toru Noguchi, Hiroyuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 11930711
    Abstract: A vibration structure that includes a piezoelectric film constructed to deform in a plane direction as a voltage is applied thereto, a frame-shaped member, a vibration portion surrounded by the frame-shaped member in a plan view of the vibration structure, a support portion connecting the vibration portion and the frame-shaped member, and supporting the vibration portion within the frame-shaped member such that the vibration portion vibrates in the plane direction when the piezoelectric film is deformed in the plane direction, a first connection member that connects the piezoelectric film to the vibration portion, and a second connection member that connects the piezoelectric film to the frame-shaped member. Of the connection members, the first connection member is disposed between the center of gravity of the vibration portion and the second connection member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junichi Hashimoto, Jun Endo, Toru Tominaga, Shozo Otera
  • Publication number: 20240042479
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a rotational holding member that rotates a substrate around a predetermined rotational axis while holding the substrate, a liquid supply member that supplies a liquid to the substrate held by the rotational holding member, and a resin-made tubular guard that surrounds the substrate held by the rotational holding member. The tubular guard has an inner peripheral surface and an uneven portion disposed at the inner peripheral surface. The uneven portion has a plurality of recessed portions and a plurality of protruding portions placed between the recessed portions adjacent to each other. The recessed portion has a width smaller than a diameter of a liquid droplet scattering from the substrate held by the rotational holding member and a depth in which the liquid droplet does not come into contact with a bottom portion of the recessed portion in a state in which the liquid droplet is in contact with the protruding portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Takahiro YAMAGUCHI, Jun SAWASHIMA, Toru ENDO, Rikuta AOKI
  • Patent number: 11883858
    Abstract: The substrate processing apparatus includes: a nozzle having a spout and adapted to spout SPM from the spout toward a substrate; a mixing portion communicating with the spout; a sulfuric acid-containing liquid supply device which recovers liquid supplied to and expelled from the substrate held by a substrate holding unit, prepares a sulfuric acid-containing liquid from the recovered liquid, and supplies the prepared sulfuric acid-containing liquid to the mixing portion; and a control device. The control device performs: a sulfuric acid-containing liquid preparing step of recovering SPM supplied to and expelled from the substrate and preparing the sulfuric acid-containing liquid; and an SPM spouting step of supplying the prepared sulfuric acid-containing liquid and hydrogen peroxide water to the mixing portion, mixing the sulfuric acid-containing liquid and hydrogen peroxide water together in the mixing portion to prepare SPM, and spouting the prepared SPM from the spout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Inventors: Kenji Kawaguchi, Toru Endo, Kota Tanikawa
  • Patent number: 11881419
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a substrate holding step of holding a substrate in a horizontal attitude, a chemical liquid supply step of supplying a chemical liquid to a main surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate around a vertical rotational axis that passes through a central portion of the substrate, a processing-height maintaining step of maintaining a cylindrical first guard that captures a chemical liquid expelled from the substrate at a processing height position in parallel with the chemical liquid supply step, and a cleaning-height maintaining step of maintaining the first guard at a cleaning height position set below the processing height position in parallel with the chemical liquid supply step after the processing-height maintaining step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Inventors: Toru Endo, Masayuki Hayashi, Nobuyuki Shibayama
  • Publication number: 20240001411
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a substrate holding step of holding a substrate at a holding position surrounded by a cylindrical guard, a processing liquid supplying step of supplying a processed surface of the substrate with a processing liquid with which the processed surface of the substrate is processed while rotating the substrate held at the holding position about a rotation axis passing through a central portion of the substrate, an image acquiring step of acquiring an image of the processed surface of the substrate and an image of an inner wall surface of the guard while supplying the processing liquid to the processed surface of the substrate, and a detecting step of monitoring luminance values of the images obtained in the image acquiring step, and detecting a processing end time point at which processing of the processed surface of the substrate with the processing liquid is ended.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Toru ENDO, Hideji NAOHARA, Yuji OKITA, Katsuei HIGASHI, Takahiro YAMAGUCHI, Ryuta TSUKAHARA, Akira ISHIMARU
  • Patent number: 11819872
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a rotational holding member that rotates a substrate around a predetermined rotational axis while holding the substrate, a liquid supply member that supplies a liquid to the substrate held by the rotational holding member, and a resin-made tubular guard that surrounds the substrate held by the rotational holding member. The tubular guard has an inner peripheral surface and an uneven portion disposed at the inner peripheral surface. The uneven portion has a plurality of recessed portions and a plurality of protruding portions placed between the recessed portions adjacent to each other. The recessed portion has a width smaller than a diameter of a liquid droplet scattering from the substrate held by the rotational holding member and a depth in which the liquid droplet does not come into contact with a bottom portion of the recessed portion in a state in which the liquid droplet is in contact with the protruding portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Inventors: Takahiro Yamaguchi, Jun Sawashima, Toru Endo, Rikuta Aoki
  • Publication number: 20230307258
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a first tank, a path including a first path, a first heater, a hydrogen peroxide supply path, and a controller. The first path allows sulfuric acid to be supplied therethrough from the first tank to a nozzle. The first heater heats a heating region of the first path. The controller controls ejecting sulfuric acid heated by the first heater and a hydrogen peroxide solution from the nozzle onto a substrate, the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen peroxide solution on the substrate having been mixed, and then ejecting sulfuric acid having a temperature lower than a temperature of the sulfuric acid heated by the first heater and the hydrogen peroxide solution from the nozzle onto the substrate, the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen peroxide solution on the substrate having been mixed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Katsuei HIGASHI, Toru ENDO, Yusuke TAKEMATSU, Keisuke TAKAGI, Naohiko YOSHIHARA
  • Publication number: 20230256477
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a chemical liquid nozzle 31 that includes a chemical liquid discharge port 95 discharging a chemical liquid in a chemical liquid discharge direction D1, inclined with respect to an upper surface of a substrate W, toward a target position P1 within the upper surface of the substrate W, a spray shield 101 that includes a shield surface 104 directly opposing the upper surface of the substrate W and with which the shield surface 104 overlaps with the target position P1 in plan view and, when the chemical liquid nozzle 31 and the shield surface 104 are viewed from below, all portions of the chemical liquid discharge port 95 are disposed at an outer side of an outer edge of the shield surface 104 or on the outer edge of the shield surface 104, and a nozzle moving unit 38 that moves the chemical liquid nozzle 31 together with the spray shield 101.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Toru ENDO, Yuta YAMANOUCHI, Yuta SEGAWA, Rikuta AOKI, Tsung Ju LIN, Jun SAWASHIMA
  • Publication number: 20220258198
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a rotational holding member that rotates a substrate around a predetermined rotational axis while holding the substrate, a liquid supply member that supplies a liquid to the substrate held by the rotational holding member, and a resin-made tubular guard that surrounds the substrate held by the rotational holding member. The tubular guard has an inner peripheral surface and an uneven portion disposed at the inner peripheral surface. The uneven portion has a plurality of recessed portions and a plurality of protruding portions placed between the recessed portions adjacent to each other. The recessed portion has a width smaller than a diameter of a liquid droplet scattering from the substrate held by the rotational holding member and a depth in which the liquid droplet does not come into contact with a bottom portion of the recessed portion in a state in which the liquid droplet is in contact with the protruding portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Inventors: Takahiro YAMAGUCHI, Jun SAWASHIMA, Toru ENDO, Rikuta AOKI
  • Publication number: 20220219209
    Abstract: The substrate processing apparatus includes: a nozzle having a spout and adapted to spout SPM from the spout toward a substrate; a mixing portion communicating with the spout; a sulfuric acid-containing liquid supply device which recovers liquid supplied to and expelled from the substrate held by a substrate holding unit, prepares a sulfuric acid-containing liquid from the recovered liquid, and supplies the prepared sulfuric acid-containing liquid to the mixing portion; and a control device. The control device performs: a sulfuric acid-containing liquid preparing step of recovering SPM supplied to and expelled from the substrate and preparing the sulfuric acid-containing liquid; and an SPM spouting step of supplying the prepared sulfuric acid-containing liquid and hydrogen peroxide water to the mixing portion, mixing the sulfuric acid-containing liquid and hydrogen peroxide water together in the mixing portion to prepare SPM, and spouting the prepared SPM from the spout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Kenji KAWAGUCHI, Toru Endo, Kota Tanikawa
  • Patent number: 11318504
    Abstract: The substrate processing apparatus includes: a nozzle having a spout and adapted to spout SPM from the spout toward a substrate; a mixing portion communicating with the spout; a sulfuric acid-containing liquid supply device which recovers liquid supplied to and expelled from the substrate held by a substrate holding unit, prepares a sulfuric acid-containing liquid from the recovered liquid, and supplies the prepared sulfuric acid-containing liquid to the mixing portion; and a control device. The control device performs: a sulfuric acid-containing liquid preparing step of recovering SPM supplied to and expelled from the substrate and preparing the sulfuric acid-containing liquid; and an SPM spouting step of supplying the prepared sulfuric acid-containing liquid and hydrogen peroxide water to the mixing portion, mixing the sulfuric acid-containing liquid and hydrogen peroxide water together in the mixing portion to prepare SPM, and spouting the prepared SPM from the spout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Inventors: Kenji Kawaguchi, Toru Endo, Kota Tanikawa
  • Publication number: 20210252560
    Abstract: The substrate processing apparatus includes: a nozzle having a spout and adapted to spout SPM from the spout toward a substrate; a mixing portion communicating with the spout; a sulfuric acid-containing liquid supply device which recovers liquid supplied to and expelled from the substrate held by a substrate holding unit, prepares a sulfuric acid-containing liquid from the recovered liquid, and supplies the prepared sulfuric acid-containing liquid to the mixing portion; and a control device. The control device performs: a sulfuric acid-containing liquid preparing step of recovering SPM supplied to and expelled from the substrate and preparing the sulfuric acid-containing liquid; and an SPM spouting step of supplying the prepared sulfuric acid-containing liquid and hydrogen peroxide water to the mixing portion, mixing the sulfuric acid-containing liquid and hydrogen peroxide water together in the mixing portion to prepare SPM, and spouting the prepared SPM from the spout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Kenji KAWAGUCHI, Toru ENDO, Kota TANIKAWA
  • Patent number: 11052432
    Abstract: A first SPM, prepared by mixing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water at a first mixing ratio, is supplied to a substrate. A second SPM, prepared by mixing the sulfuric acid and the hydrogen peroxide water at a second mixing ratio greater than the first mixing ratio, is supplied to the substrate after the supply of the first SPM is stopped. The first SPM expelled from the substrate flows into a drain piping. The second SPM expelled from the substrate flows into a recovery piping. SPM is prepared by mixing the hydrogen peroxide water with sulfuric acid contained in the second SPM guided by the recovery piping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Inventors: Masayuki Hayashi, Nobuyuki Shibayama, Toru Endo
  • Patent number: 11018034
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a substrate holding step of holding a substrate by a substrate holding unit, a chemical liquid supplying step of supplying a chemical liquid to a main surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate around a rotational axis passing through a central portion of the substrate, a foreign matter detecting step of detecting foreign matter, contained in the chemical liquid expelled from the substrate, in parallel with the chemical liquid supplying step, and a flow destination switching step of switching, based on the detection of the foreign matter by the foreign matter detecting step, a flow destination of the chemical liquid expelled from the substrate from a drain piping to a recovery piping during the chemical liquid supplying step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Inventors: Toru Endo, Masayuki Hayashi, Nobuyuki Shibayama
  • Publication number: 20210151332
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a substrate holding step of holding a substrate in a horizontal attitude, a chemical liquid supply step of supplying a chemical liquid to a main surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate around a vertical rotational axis that passes through a central portion of the substrate, a processing-height maintaining step of maintaining a cylindrical first guard that captures a chemical liquid expelled from the substrate at a processing height position in parallel with the chemical liquid supply step, and a cleaning-height maintaining step of maintaining the first guard at a cleaning height position set below the processing height position in parallel with the chemical liquid supply step after the processing-height maintaining step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: Toru ENDO, Masayuki HAYASHI, Nobuyuki SHIBAYAMA
  • Patent number: 11011398
    Abstract: In equipment that supplies a processing liquid on a top surface of a substrate while holding the substrate horizontally in a chamber a generation status of fumes is determined. Specifically, an image of a predetermined imaging area in the chamber is captured. Then, the generation status of fumes in the chamber is determined based on luminance values of the captured image acquired by the capturing of an image. Accordingly, it is possible to quantitatively determine whether a generation status of fumes in a chamber is normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Endo, Masayuki Hayashi, Nobuyuki Shibayama, Hideji Naohara, Hiroaki Kakuma, Yuji Okita, Tatsuya Masui
  • Patent number: 10978317
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes a substrate holding step of holding a substrate in a horizontal attitude, a chemical liquid supply step of supplying a chemical liquid to a main surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate around a vertical rotational axis that passes through a central portion of the substrate, a processing-height maintaining step of maintaining a cylindrical first guard that captures a chemical liquid expelled from the substrate at a processing height position in parallel with the chemical liquid supply step, and a cleaning-height maintaining step of maintaining the first guard at a cleaning height position set below the processing height position in parallel with the chemical liquid supply step after the processing-height maintaining step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Inventors: Toru Endo, Masayuki Hayashi, Nobuyuki Shibayama
  • Patent number: D879683
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: 3DDESIGN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Toru Endo