Patents by Inventor Toshihiro Kugimiya

Toshihiro Kugimiya 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: 7459187
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to make it possible to uniformly supply of a gas onto a base material in a way simpler and lower in cost, and thus, to realize a high-quality surface treatment. For that purpose, in surface treatment of a base material (12) by supplying a surface-treating gas on the surface of the base material (12) while conveying it in a particular direction, the peripheral surface of a rotor having a cylindrical peripheral surface (24) is made to face, via a gap (23), the surface of the base material (12) or an opposing member (20) formed at a position separated from the base material and the rotor is rotated around the axis in the direction almost perpendicular to the base material (12)-conveying direction, as the means for supplying the surface-treating gas. By the rotation, the surface-treating gas is dragged in by the peripheral surface of the rotor (24), guided into the gap (23), and then, fed from the gap (23) onto the surface of the base material (12).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2008
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazushi Hayashi, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Takashi Kobori, Junichi Ebisawa, Kazuo Sato, Yukio Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20080223718
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an Al-based alloy sputtering target, comprising Ni in an amount of 0.05 to 10 atomic percent, wherein the Al-based alloy sputtering target satisfies: (1) that a ratio of a P value to a total area of a sputtering surface is 70% or more, wherein the P value indicates a total of area fractions of <001>±15°, <011>±15°, <111>±15° and <311>±15°; (2) that a ratio of the area fraction of <011>±15° to the P value is 30% or more; and (3) that a ratio of the area fraction of <111>±15° to the P value is 10% or less, when crystallographic orientations <001>, <011>, <111> and <311> in a normal line direction to a sputtering surface of the Al-based alloy sputtering target are observed in accordance with the electron backscatter diffraction pattern method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.), KOBELCO RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Katsutoshi TAKAGI, Masaya Ehira, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Yoichiro Yoneda, Hiroshi Gotou
  • Patent number: 7411298
    Abstract: A source/drain electrode is used in a thin-film transistor substrate containing a substrate, a thin-film transistor semiconductor layer, source/drain electrodes, and a transparent picture electrode. The source/drain electrode includes a nitrogen-containing layer and a thin film of pure aluminum or an aluminum alloy. Nitrogen of the nitrogen-containing layer binds to silicon of the thin-film transistor semiconductor layer, and the thin film of pure aluminum or aluminum alloy is connected to the thin-film transistor semiconductor layer through the nitrogen-containing layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kawakami, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Hiroshi Gotoh, Katsufumi Tomihisa, Aya Hino
  • Publication number: 20080121522
    Abstract: The invention relates to an Al—Ni—La system Al-based alloy sputtering target comprising Ni and La, wherein, when a section from (¼)t to (¾)t (t: thickness) in a cross section vertical to a plane of the sputtering target is observed with a scanning electron microscope at a magnification of 2000 times, (1) a total area of an Al—Ni system intermetallic compound having an average particle diameter of 0.3 ?m to 3 ?m with respect to a total area of the entire Al—Ni system intermetallic compound is 70% or more in terms of an area fraction, the Al—Ni system intermetallic compound being mainly composed of Al and Ni; and (2) a total area of an Al—La system intermetallic compound having an average particle diameter of 0.2 ?m to 2 ?m with respect to a total area of the entire Al—La system intermetallic compound is 70% or more in terms of an area fraction, the Al—La system intermetallic compound being mainly composed of Al and La.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (KOBE STEEL, LTD.), KOBELCO RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Masaya EHIRA, Katsutoshi Takagi, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Yoichiro Yoneda, Hiroshi Gotou
  • Patent number: 7365810
    Abstract: A display device and a method for production thereof. The display device comprises a substrate, thin film transistors and a transparent conductive film which are formed on the substrate, and an aluminum alloy film which electrically connects the thin film transistors to the transparent conductive film, such that there exists an oxide film of said aluminum alloy at the interface between said aluminum alloy film and said transparent conductive film, said oxide film having a thickness of 1 to 10 nm and containing oxygen in an amount no more than 44 atom %. The display device has the aluminum alloy film and the transparent conducive film in direct contact with each other, obviating the necessity of barrier metal between them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Gotoh, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Katsufumi Tomihisa, Junichi Nakai
  • Patent number: 7262085
    Abstract: A display device includes an insulating substrate, a thin-film transistor arranged on the insulating substrate, a pixel electrode including a transparent electrode, and an aluminum alloy film as a connection wiring section for electrically connecting between the thin-film transistor and the pixel electrode. The aluminum alloy film is a multilayer aluminum alloy film including an aluminum alloy layer containing no nitrogen, and another aluminum alloy layer being arranged on the first layer and containing nitrogen. The nitrogen-containing layer ensures corrosion resistance against an alkaline solution. The nitrogen-containing aluminum alloy layer has been removed at least in a connection area with the pixel electrode so as to allow the pixel electrode to be directly connected to the first aluminum alloy layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Gotoh, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Katsufumi Tomihisa
  • Publication number: 20070134414
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to make it possible to uniformly supply of a gas onto a base material in a way simpler and lower in cost, and thus, to realize a high-quality surface treatment. For that purpose, in surface treatment of a base material (12) by supplying a surface-treating gas on the surface of the base material (12) while conveying it in a particular direction, the peripheral surface of a rotor having a cylindrical peripheral surface (24) is made to face, via a gap (23), the surface of the base material (12) or an opposing member (20) formed at a position separated from the base material and the rotor is rotated around the axis in the direction almost perpendicular to the base material (12)-conveying direction, as the means for supplying the surface-treating gas. By the rotation, the surface-treating gas is dragged in by the peripheral surface of the rotor (24), guided into the gap (23), and then, fed from the gap (23) onto the surface of the base material (12).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2004
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventors: Kazushi Hayashi, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Takashi Kobori, Junichi Ebisawa, Kazuo Sato, Yukio Yoshikawa
  • Publication number: 20070039666
    Abstract: A copper base for an electronic component includes a silicon oxide thin film containing at least one of a hydrocarbon group and a hydroxy group is used, the silicon oxide thin film being disposed on a surface of the copper base. Furthermore, a silicon-containing reaction gas is decomposed by generating plasma. The resulting decomposition product is brought into contact with the copper base to form a silicon oxide thin film on a surface of the copper base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Publication date: February 22, 2007
    Inventors: Kazushi Hayashi, Toshihiro Kugimiya
  • Publication number: 20070040172
    Abstract: A source/drain electrode is used in a thin-film transistor substrate containing a substrate, a thin-film transistor semiconductor layer, source/drain electrodes, and a transparent picture electrode. The source/drain electrode includes a nitrogen-containing layer and a thin film of pure aluminum or an aluminum alloy. Nitrogen of the nitrogen-containing layer binds to silicon of the thin-film transistor semiconductor layer, and the thin film of pure aluminum or aluminum alloy is connected to the thin-film transistor semiconductor layer through the nitrogen-containing layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Publication date: February 22, 2007
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Kawakami, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Hiroshi Gotoh, Katsufumi Tomihisa, Aya Hino
  • Publication number: 20070040173
    Abstract: In a thin-film transistor substrate including a substrate, a thin-film transistor semiconductor layer, a source/drain electrode, and a transparent pixel electrode, the source/drain electrode includes a thin film of an aluminum alloy containing 0.1 to 6 atomic percent of nickel as an alloy element, and the aluminum alloy thin film is directly connected to the thin-film transistor semiconductor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Publication date: February 22, 2007
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Toshihiro KUGIMIYA, Hiroshi GOTOH
  • Patent number: 7154180
    Abstract: In an electronic device comprising a first electrodes consisting of a metal oxide and a second electrode consisting of an aluminum alloy film directly contacted and electrically connected to the first electrode, the contact interface between the aluminum alloy film and the first electrode is constructed so that at least a part of alloy components constituting the aluminum alloy film exist as a precipitate or concentrated layer. This construction enables direct contact between the aluminum alloy film and the electrode consisting of a metallic oxide and allows elimination of a barrier metal in such an electronic device, and manufacturing technology therefor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Gotoh, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Junichi Nakai, Katsufumi Tomihisa
  • Publication number: 20060275618
    Abstract: A display device in which interconnection—electrode comprising a Cu alloy film having a lower electrical resistivity than Al alloy and a transparent conductive film are directly connected not by way of a refractory metal thin film, wherein the Cu alloy film contains Zn and/or Mg in a total amount from 0.1 to 3.0 at %, or Ni and/or Mn in a total amount from 0.1 to 5 at %, thereby enabling the direct connection at low resistivity between the Cu alloy film and the transparent electrode without using a barrier metal, and giving high display quality in a case of application, for example, to a liquid crystal display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Toshihiro Kugimiya, Katsufumi Tomihisa, Aya Hino, Katsutoshi Takagi
  • Publication number: 20060237849
    Abstract: In an electronic device comprising a first electrodes consisting of a metal oxide and a second electrode consisting of an aluminum alloy film directly contacted and electrically connected to the first electrode, the contact interface between the aluminum alloy film and the first electrode is constructed so that at least a part of alloy components constituting the aluminum alloy film exist as a precipitate or concentrated layer. This construction enables direct contact between the aluminum alloy film and the electrode consisting of a metallic oxide and allows elimination of a barrier metal in such an electronic device, and manufacturing technology therefor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Publication date: October 26, 2006
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho
    Inventors: Hiroshi Gotoh, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Junichi Nakai, Katsufumi Tomihisa
  • Publication number: 20060226005
    Abstract: An Al-based sputtering target mainly containing Al has a total number of concave defects having largest depths of 0.2 ?m or more and equivalent area diameters of 0.2 ?m or more of 45000 or less per square millimeter of unit surface area of a surface of the sputtering target corresponding to a sputtering plane. Another Al-based sputtering target has a total number of concave defects having largest depths of 0.1 ?m or more and equivalent area diameters of 0.5 ?m or more of 15000 or less per square millimeter of unit surface area on the surface. These sputtering targets are reduced in time period and number of sputtering failures (a splash and/or an arc) occurring in their use, particularly at an early stage of their use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Publication date: October 12, 2006
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Katsutoshi Takagi, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Katsufumi Tomihisa
  • Patent number: 7098539
    Abstract: In an electronic device comprising a first electrodes consisting of a metal oxide and a second electrode consisting of an aluminum alloy film directly contacted and electrically connected to the first electrode, the contact interface between the aluminum alloy film and the first electrode is constructed so that at least a part of alloy components constituting the aluminum alloy film exist as a precipitate or concentrated layer. This construction enables direct contact between the aluminum alloy film and the electrode consisting of a metallic oxide and allows elimination of a barrier metal in such an electronic device, and manufacturing technology therefor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Gotoh, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Junichi Nakai, Katsufumi Tomihisa
  • Publication number: 20060181198
    Abstract: A display device in which an Al alloy film and a conductive oxide film are directly connected without interposition of refractory metal and some or all of Al alloy components deposit or are concentrated at the interface of contact between the Al alloy film and the conductive oxide film. The Al alloy film contains 0.1 to 6 at % of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Ag, Zn, Cu and Ge, and further contains 1) 0.1 to 2 at % of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Cr, Mn, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ir, Pt, La, Ce, Pr, Gd, Tb, Sm, Eu, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu and Dy or 2) 0.1 to 1 at % of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, V, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta and W, as the alloy components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2006
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Hiroshi Gotoh, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Katsufumi Tomihisa
  • Publication number: 20060180250
    Abstract: An Al-base alloy sputtering target consisting Ni and one or more rare earth elements, wherein there are 5.0×104/mm2 or more compounds whose aspect ratio is 2.5 or higher and whose equivalent diameter is 0.2 ?m or larger, when a cross sectional surface perpendicular to the plane of the target is observed at a magnification of 2000 or higher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA KOBE SEIKO SHO (kobe Steel, Ltd.), KOBELCO RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
    Inventors: Toshihiro Kugimiya, Katsutoshi Takagi, Hitoshi Matsuzaki, Kotaro Kitashita, Yoichiro Yoneda
  • Publication number: 20060091792
    Abstract: A Cu alloy thin film contains Fe and P with the balance being substantially Cu, in which the contents of Fe and P satisfy all the following conditions (1) to (3), and in which Fe2P is precipitated at grain boundaries of Cu after heat treatment at 200° C. to 500° C. for 1 to 120 minutes: 1.4NFe+8NP<1.3??(1) NFe+48NP>1.0??(2) 12NFe+NP>0.5??(3) wherein NFe represents the content of Fe (atomic percent); and NP represents the content of P (atomic percent).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Publication date: May 4, 2006
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel, Ltd)
    Inventors: Toshihiro Kugimiya, Katsufumi Tomihisa, Katsutoshi Takagi, Junichi Nakai
  • Publication number: 20060007366
    Abstract: A display device and a method for production thereof. The display device comprises a substrate, thin film transistors and a transparent conductive film which are formed on the substrate, and an aluminum alloy film which electrically connects the thin film transistors to the transparent conductive film, such that there exists an oxide film of said aluminum alloy at the interface between said aluminum alloy film and said transparent conductive film, said oxide film having a thickness of 1 to 10 nm and containing oxygen in an amount no more than 44 atom %. The display device has the aluminum alloy film and the transparent conducive film in direct contact with each other, obviating the necessity of barrier metal between them.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2005
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho (Kobe Steel Ltd.)
    Inventors: Hiroshi Gotoh, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Katsufumi Tomihisa, Junichi Nakai
  • Publication number: 20050224795
    Abstract: A display device includes an insulating substrate, a thin-film transistor arranged on the insulating substrate, a pixel electrode including a transparent electrode, and an aluminum alloy film as a connection wiring section for electrically connecting between the thin-film transistor and the pixel electrode. The aluminum alloy film is a multilayer aluminum alloy film including an aluminum alloy layer containing no nitrogen, and another aluminum alloy layer being arranged on the first layer and containing nitrogen. The nitrogen-containing layer ensures corrosion resistance against an alkaline solution. The nitrogen-containing aluminum alloy layer has been removed at least in a connection area with the pixel electrode so as to allow the pixel electrode to be directly connected to the first aluminum alloy layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho(Kobe Steel, Ltd.)
    Inventors: Hiroshi Gotoh, Toshihiro Kugimiya, Katsufumi Tomihisa