Patents by Inventor Toshihisa Nozawa

Toshihisa Nozawa 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: 20100279510
    Abstract: An etching method by which a fluorine-added carbon film formed on a substrate is etched by plasma includes a first step of etching the fluorine-added carbon film with plasma of an oxygen-containing processing gas, and a second step of etching the fluorine-added carbon film with plasma of a fluorine-containing processing gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2008
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nozawa, Kotaro Miyatani, Toshiyasu Hori, Shigekazu Hirose
  • Publication number: 20100264115
    Abstract: Provided is a holding stage structure which holds a substrate and disposed in a process chamber that is vacuum-evacuatable and allows a predetermined process to be performed on the substrate therein. The holding stage structure includes: a holding stage body on which the substrate is placed; an elevation pin mechanism lowering the substrate on the holding stage body or raising the substrate from the holding stage body; and a stepped portion formed on the holding stage body so that a peripheral portion of a rear surface of the substrate placed on the holding stage body is exposed to a processing gas supplied into the process chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2008
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kohei Kawamura, Yasuo Kobayashi, Toshihisa Nozawa, Kiyotaka Ishibashi
  • Publication number: 20100252412
    Abstract: In the plasma processing apparatus 1, microwaves supplied from a coaxial waveguide 30 are introduced into a processing container 2 via a wavelength-shortening plate 25, a process gas is plasmatized in the processing container 2, and a substrate W is processed using the plasma. In the plasma processing apparatus 1, a dielectric member 45 is disposed at a connecting area between the coaxial waveguide 30 and the wavelength-shortening plate 25. Inside an outer conductor 32 of the coaxial waveguide 30, the dielectric member 45 is disposed to surround a part of a circumference of an inner conductor 31 of the coaxial waveguide 30, and is disposed at any position around the circumference of the inner conductor 31.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2008
    Publication date: October 7, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Caizhong Tian, Kiyotaka Ishibashi, Toshihisa Nozawa
  • Publication number: 20100216300
    Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing method, the method including: forming a semiconductor element on a semiconductor substrate; and by using microwaves as a plasma source, forming an insulation film on the semiconductor element by performing a CVD process using microwave plasma having an electron temperature of plasma lower than 1.5 eV and an electron density of plasma higher than 1×1011 cm?3 near a surface of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Applicants: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ueda, Toshihisa Nozawa, Takaaki Matsuoka, Akinobu Teramoto, Tadahiro Ohmi
  • Patent number: 7779783
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a chamber, a dielectric top plate member disposed on an upper portion of the chamber and an antenna having a plurality of slots. The antenna is disposed on the top plate member and is in close contact with the top plate member. The top plate member includes a flat plate portion formed to face the substrate and a sidewall portion formed to extend from a peripheral region of the flat plate portion towards the substrate. The sides of the flat plate portion and the sidewall portion facing a plasma generation region have a curved surface extending between the flat plate portion and the sidewall portion and the sidewall portion has a thickness not smaller than ?g/4 but not greater than ?g, ?g being a wavelength of the microwave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Ishibashi, Toshihisa Nozawa
  • Publication number: 20100178775
    Abstract: A shower plate is disposed in a processing chamber in a plasma processing apparatus, and plasma excitation gas is released into the processing chamber so as to generate plasma. A ceramic member having a plurality of gas release holes having a diameter of 20 ?m to 70 ?m, and/or a porous gas-communicating body having pores having a maximum diameter of not more than 75 ?m communicating in the gas-communicating direction are sintered and bonded integrally with the inside of each of a plurality of vertical holes which act as release paths for the plasma excitation gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2007
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicants: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Masahiro Okesaku, Tadahiro Ohmi, Tetsuya Goto, Takaaki Matsuoka, Toshihisa Nozawa, Atsutoshi Inokuchi, Kiyotaka Ishibashi
  • Publication number: 20100175989
    Abstract: A deposition system is provided to avoid cross contamination in each layer formed in a manufacturing process of organic electroluminescent device and the like, and to reduce footprint and to enhance productivity. Provided is a deposition apparatus 13 for forming a film on a substrate G, which includes a first deposition mechanism 35 for forming a first layer in a processing chamber 30, and a second deposition mechanism 36 for forming a second layer in the processing chamber 30. The first deposition mechanism 35 includes: a nozzle 34 disposed at an inside of the processing chamber 30, for supplying vapor of a deposition material to the substrate; a vapor generator 45 disposed at an outside of the processing chamber, for generating the vapor of the deposition material; and a line for transporting the vapor of the deposition material generated from the vapor generator 45 to the nozzle 34.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuki Moyama, Toshihisa Nozawa
  • Patent number: 7754995
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus comprising at least a plasma processing chamber for plasma-processing an object; object-holding means for disposing the object in the plasma processing chamber; and plasma-generating means for generating a plasma in the plasma processing chamber. The inner wall of the plasma processing chamber is at least partially covered with an oxide film based on a pre-treating plasma. A plasma processing apparatus and a plasma processing method effectively prevent the spluttering and the etching of the inner wall of the plasma processing chamber while suppressing contamination to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nozawa, Masaru Sasaki, Masaji Inoue
  • Publication number: 20100132891
    Abstract: A disclosed valve comprises a first valve body including first and second openings that permit gaseous communication between a chamber and an evacuation apparatus; a sealing valve element that moves near/away from the second opening to open/close the second opening; a sealing member provided in the sealing valve element to seal the second opening when the sealing valve element closes the second opening; a valve element retreat area that is provided in an inner wall of the first valve body away from the second opening, and shields the sealing member from an inside of the first valve body when the sealing valve element is moved to the valve element retreat area; and a first pivot shaft that pivots the sealing valve element so that the sealing valve element may be located in one of the second opening and the valve element retreat area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Toshihisa Nozawa
  • Publication number: 20100116789
    Abstract: When plasma processing is finished, a gate valve 13a is closed and cleaning gas is ejected from holes 121a of a shower plate 121, and at the same time, a microwave is generated from a microwave generator 101. Further, at this time, the inside of a process chamber 110 is exhausted through a second exhaust port 106. Since the exhaust is conducted through a second exhaust port 106 positioned lower than a wafer stage 104 in a lowered state when the inside of the process chamber 110 is cleaned, it is possible to more effectively remove gas and reaction products deposited especially in a lower portion of the process chamber 110.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nozawa, Tamaki Yuasa
  • Publication number: 20100055816
    Abstract: A disclosed light-emitting-device manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a light emitting device by forming, on an in-process substrate, an organic layer including an emitting layer includes multiple processing chambers to which the in-process substrate is sequentially transferred to be subjected to multiple substrate processing steps; and multiple substrate transfer chambers, each of which is connected to a different one of the processing chambers. A substrate holding container configured to contain the in-process substrate is sequentially connected to the substrate transfer chambers in order so that the in-process substrate is sequentially transferred to the processing chambers to be subjected to the substrate processing steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nozawa, Yasushi Yagi
  • Publication number: 20100032838
    Abstract: Provided is an amorphous carbon film having a high elastic modulus and a low thermal contraction rate with a suppressed low dielectric constant, a semiconductor device including the amorphous carbon film and a technology for forming the amorphous carbon film. Since the amorphous carbon film is formed by controlling an additive amount of Si (silicon) during film formation, it is possible to form the amorphous carbon film having a high elastic modulus and a low thermal contraction rate with a suppressed dielectric constant as low as 3.3 or less. Accordingly, when the amorphous carbon film is used as a film in the semiconductor device, troubles such as a film peeling can be suppressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Kikuchi, Yasuo Kobayashi, Kohei Kawamura, Toshihisa Nozawa, Hiraku Ishikawa
  • Publication number: 20100032094
    Abstract: A ceiling plate provided at a ceiling portion of a process chamber that may be evacuated to a vacuum is disclosed. The ceiling plate allows microwaves emitted from a slot of a planar antenna member provided along with the ceiling plate to pass through the ceiling plate into the process chamber, and includes plural protrusion portions provided in a radial pattern on a surface of the ceiling plate, the surface facing toward an inside of the process chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Caizhong Tian, Tetsuya Nishizuka, Kiyotaka Ishibashi, Toshihisa Nozawa
  • Publication number: 20100025856
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of (a) forming a plasma of a gas having carbon and fluorine, and forming an internal insulation film provided with a fluorine-doped carbon film formed on a substrate using the plasma; (b) forming a metal film on the internal insulation film; (c) etching the metal film according to a pattern to form a hard mask; (d) forming a concave part in the fluorine-doped carbon film by etching the fluorine-doped carbon film using the hard mask; (e) forming a film formation of a wiring material on the substrate for filling the concave part with the wiring material; (f) removing an excess part of the wiring material and the hard mask on the fluorine-doped carbon film for exposing a surface of the fluorine-doped carbon film; and (g) removing an oxide formed on the surface of the fluorine-doped film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Publication date: February 4, 2010
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kohei Kawamura, Toshihisa Nozawa, Takaaki Matsuoka
  • Publication number: 20090266711
    Abstract: The substrate processing apparatus includes: at least one processing chamber in which a semiconductor wafer is processed; a transfer chamber disposed adjacent to the at least one processing chamber; a vacuum pump for depressurizing an inside of the transfer chamber; a transfer device for carrying the semiconductor wafer between the transfer chamber and the at least one processing chamber; and a foreign substance removing unit for removing foreign substances adhered to the transfer device in the transfer chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kiyotaka ISHIBASHI, Toshihisa NOZAWA
  • Publication number: 20090266487
    Abstract: A microwave introduction device includes a microwave generator for generating a microwave of a predetermined frequency, a mode converter for converting the microwave into a predetermined oscillation mode, a planar antenna member arranged toward a predetermined space, and a coaxial waveguide connecting the mode converter with the planar antenna member to propagate the microwave. A central conductor of the coaxial waveguide is formed in a cylindrical shape, an inner diameter D1 of the central conductor is not smaller than a first predetermined value, and an outer conductor of the central conductor is also formed in a cylindrical shape. A ratio r1/r2 of a radius r1 of an inner diameter of the outer conductor to a radius r2 of an outer diameter of the central conductor is maintained at a second predetermined value and the inner diameter D2 the outer conductor is not greater than a third predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2006
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Caizhong Tian, Tamaki Yuasa, Toshihisa Nozawa
  • Publication number: 20090242130
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a plasma processing apparatus including: a processing chamber whose ceiling portion is opened and the inside thereof can be evacuated to vacuum; a ceiling plate which is made of dielectric material and is airtightly mounted to an opening of the ceiling portion; a planar antenna member which is installed on a top surface of the ceiling plate, for introducing a microwave into the processing chamber; and a coaxial waveguide, which has a central conductor connected to the planar antenna member, for supplying the microwave, wherein a gas passage is formed to pass through the central conductor, the planar antenna member, and the ceiling plate, and an electric field attenuating recess for attenuating an electric field intensity of the center portion of the ceiling plate is installed on a top surface of a center area of the ceiling plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2006
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Caizhong Tian, Tetsuya Nishizuka, Toshihisa Nozawa
  • Publication number: 20090230342
    Abstract: A gate valve of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, which is formed between a processing chamber in which processing is performed and a transfer chamber which carries a substrate on which the processing is performed, includes a gate valve at a side of the processing chamber; a sealing member which is formed in the gate valve at the side of the processing chamber; a gate valve at the side of the transfer chamber; a sealing member which is formed in the gate valve at the side of the transfer chamber; and a thermal insulator which is formed between the gate valve at the side of the processing chamber and the gate valve at the side of the transfer chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shinji KOMOTO, Toshihisa NOZAWA
  • Publication number: 20090208707
    Abstract: Disclosed is a thin film forming method including: a prevention film forming process for forming a charging damage prevention film for preventing a charging damage on a surface of a target object by a sputtering; and a thin film forming process for forming a desired thin film on a surface of the charging damage prevention film, which is formed on the surface of the target object, by a sputtering.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ueda, Toshihisa Nozawa
  • Publication number: 20090206728
    Abstract: A substrate process apparatus that forms a light emitting device configured with an organic layer including a light emitting layer on a substrate to be processed, the organic layer being formed between a first electrode and a second electrode, includes an organic layer forming apparatus wherein the organic layer is formed on the first electrode formed on the substrate to be processed; an electrode forming apparatus wherein the second electrode is formed on the organic layer; and an etching apparatus wherein the organic layer is etched.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicants: TOKYO ELECTION LIMITED, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Toshihisa Nozawa, Kazuki Moyama, Tadahiro Ohmi, Chuichi Kawamura, Kimihiko Yoshino