Patents by Inventor Tsunehiko Tsubone

Tsunehiko Tsubone 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: 10964513
    Abstract: Provided is a plasma processing apparatus including a processing chamber which is disposed in a vacuum vessel and able to be decompressed, a sample stage on a top surface of which a wafer to be processed is mounted, an opening which is configured to supply a heat-transfer gas to a gap between the wafer and the top surface of the sample stage, a regulator which regulates a flow rate of the heat-transfer gas, and a controller which regulates an operation of the regulator based on a pressure of the gap detected using an amount of the heat-transfer gas leaking from the regulator to the processing chamber through the gap while the wafer is mounted on the sample stage and an amount of the heat-transfer gas supplied from the opening to the processing chamber while the wafer is not mounted on the sample stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shintarou Nakatani, Tsunehiko Tsubone
  • Publication number: 20200066492
    Abstract: Provided is a plasma processing apparatus including a processing chamber which is disposed in a vacuum vessel and able to be decompressed, a sample stage on a top surface of which a wafer to be processed is mounted, an opening which is configured to supply a heat-transfer gas to a gap between the wafer and the top surface of the sample stage, a regulator which regulates a flow rate of the heat-transfer gas, and a controller which regulates an operation of the regulator based on a pressure of the gap detected using an amount of the heat-transfer gas leaking from the regulator to the processing chamber through the gap while the wafer is mounted on the sample stage and an amount of the heat-transfer gas supplied from the opening to the processing chamber while the wafer is not mounted on the sample stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Shintarou Nakatani, Tsunehiko Tsubone
  • Publication number: 20160217980
    Abstract: Provided is a plasma processing apparatus including a processing chamber which is disposed in a vacuum vessel and able to be decompressed, a sample stage on a top surface of which a wafer to be processed is mounted, an opening which is configured to supply a heat-transfer gas to a gap between the wafer and the top surface of the sample stage, a regulator which regulates a flow rate of the heat-transfer gas, and a controller which regulates an operation of the regulator based on a pressure of the gap detected using an amount of the heat-transfer gas leaking from the regulator to the processing chamber through the gap while the wafer is mounted on the sample stage and an amount of the heat-transfer gas supplied from the opening to the processing chamber while the wafer is not mounted on the sample stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: Shintarou NAKATANI, Tsunehiko TSUBONE
  • Patent number: 8282848
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a film which is made of an insulative material and constructs a surface of a sample stage on which a sample is put; a disk-shaped member whose upper surface is joined with the film in a lower portion of the film and which is made of a heat conductive member; heaters which are arranged in the film and arranged in a center portion and regions of its outer peripheral side of the film; coolant channels which are arranged in the disk-shaped member and in which a coolant for cooling the disk-shaped member flows; a plurality of power sources each of which adjusts an electric power to each of the heaters in the plurality of regions; and a controller which adjusts outputs from the plurality of power sources by using a result obtained by presuming a temperature of the upper surface of the disk-shaped member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Ohmoto, Mamoru Yakushiji, Yutaka Kouzuma, Ken Yoshioka, Tsunehiko Tsubone
  • Patent number: 8092637
    Abstract: A manufacturing method includes steps of: placing a film composed of dielectric, on the top surface of a sample stage, forming a film-like heater on the film made of the dielectric, supplying power to the heater to detect a temperature distribution, adjusting a resistance value of the heater on the basis of a result of detection of a temperature distribution so that the temperature distribution has a predetermined value, and then forming the film composed of the dielectric, on the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Kouzuma, Yutaka Ohmoto, Mamoru Yakushiji, Ken Yoshioka, Tsunehiko Tsubone
  • Patent number: 8093529
    Abstract: A method of stably controlling the temperature of a sample placed on a sample stage to a desired temperature by estimating a sample temperature accurately, the sample stage including a refrigerant flow path to cool the sample stage, a heater to heat the sample stage, and a temperature sensor to measure the temperature of the sample stage. This method comprises the steps of: measuring in advance the variation-with-time of supply electric power to the heater, temperature of the sample, and temperature of the temperature sensor, without plasma processing; approximating the relation among the measured values using a simultaneous linear differential equation; estimating a sample temperature from the variation-with-time of sensor temperature y1, heater electric power u1, and plasma heat input by means of the Luenberger's states observer based on the simultaneous linear differential equation used for the approximation; and performing a feedback control of sample temperature using the estimated sample temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Naoyuki Kofuji, Tsunehiko Tsubone
  • Publication number: 20120000774
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber to be depressurized and exhausted, a sample placement electrode provided in the processing chamber and having a sample placement surface on which a substrate to be processed is placed, an electromagnetic generation device to generate plasma in the processing chamber, a supply system that supplies processing gas to the processing chamber, a vacuum exhaust system that exhausts inside the processing chamber, a heater layer and a base temperature monitor that are disposed on the sample placement electrode, a wafer temperature estimating unit that estimates a wafer temperature from the base temperature monitor and plasma forming power supply, and a controller that regulates the heater corresponding to output from the temperature estimating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Inventors: Ken YOSHIOKA, Yutaka OMOTO, Mamoru YAKUSHIJI, Tsunehiko TSUBONE, Kazunori NAKAMOTO
  • Patent number: 7947189
    Abstract: A vacuum processing method includes mounting a sample to be processed on a sample mounting surface on a sample holder placed in a vacuum container whose inside can be depressurized, feeding a processing gas and electric field to a space above the sample holder inside of the vacuum container to generate plasma, and etching films of a plurality of layers laid over the surface of the sample into a predetermined shape. A heat conducting gas is fed between the sample mounting surface and the backside of the sample, and at the same time, the pressure of the heat conducting gas is changed stepwise in accordance with the progress of the processing of the films of a plurality of layers of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Tooru Aramaki, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Tadamitsu Kanekiyo, Shigeru Shirayone, Hideki Kihara
  • Publication number: 20090321017
    Abstract: There is disclosed a plasma processing apparatus wherein a sample placed on the top surface of the sample table located within the processing chamber contained in a vacuum vessel is processed with plasma formed in the processing chamber, comprising a set of ducts cut within the sample table through which cooling medium flows; a film-shaped heater whose heating elements are concentrically embedded in the dielectric film serving as the top surface of the sample table; plural temperature controllers which set up the temperature of the cooling medium flowing through the ducts at different values, respectively; and a control unit which switches over the circulations through the ducts of the cooling medium supplied from the plural temperature controllers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventors: Tsunehiko Tsubone, Hiroho Kitada, Yosuke Sakai, Ken Yoshioka, Yutaka Omoto, Mamoru Yakushiji, Yutaka Kouzuma
  • Publication number: 20090310645
    Abstract: A method of stably controlling the temperature of a sample placed on a sample stage to a desired temperature by estimating a sample temperature accurately, the sample stage including a refrigerant flow path to cool the sample stage, a heater to heat the sample stage, and a temperature sensor to measure the temperature of the sample stage. This method comprises the steps of: measuring in advance the variation-with-time of supply electric power to the heater, temperature of the sample, and temperature of the temperature sensor, without plasma processing; approximating the relation among the measured values using a simultaneous linear differential equation; estimating a sample temperature from the variation-with-time of sensor temperature y1, heater electric power u1, and plasma heat input by means of the Luenberger's states observer based on the simultaneous linear differential equation used for the approximation; and performing a feedback control of sample temperature using the estimated sample temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2008
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Inventors: Naoyuki Kofuji, Tsunehiko Tsubone
  • Publication number: 20090218316
    Abstract: A manufacturing method includes steps of: placing a film composed of dielectric, on the top surface of a sample stage, forming a film-like heater on the film made of the dielectric, supplying power to the heater to detect a temperature distribution, adjusting a resistance value of the heater on the basis of a result of detection of a temperature distribution so that the temperature distribution has a predetermined value, and then forming the film composed of the dielectric, on the heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Inventors: Yutaka KOUZUMA, Yutaka Ohmoto, Mamoru Yakushiji, Ken Yoshioka, Tsunehiko Tsubone
  • Patent number: 7567422
    Abstract: In the plasma processing apparatus including a processing chamber for plasma-processing a processed substrate, plasma generating unit that generates plasma in the processing chamber, and a wafer stage which is mounted in the processing chamber and has an electrostatic chuck for holding the processed substrate, a current detector that detects a current value of leakage current flowing in a circuit formed of a power supply for electrostatic attraction, an electrostatic chuck, a substrate, plasma, a grounded line, and a controlling unit which sets an attraction condition to the current value and controls the applied voltage so that the leakage current reaches the set current value are included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kitsunai, Seiichiro Kanno, Tsunehiko Tsubone
  • Publication number: 20090178764
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus is provided that includes a heater-built-in electrostatic chuck, prevents a direct-current potential difference from being made in the plane of a wafer during plasma processing, and performs plasma processing while controlling the temperature of the wafer with good responsiveness without damaging a semiconductor device. The heater-built-in electrostatic chuck of the plasma processing apparatus has a structure in which an insulator, two heaters, an insulator, two electrostatic chuck electrodes having approximately identical areas, and a dielectric film are laminated in ascending order on a conductive base material to which a bias voltage is to be applied. The heaters have approximately identical areas, and are disposed below the two electrostatic chuck electrodes, respectively. Power is provided to the heaters via a low-path filter and a coaxial cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventors: Seiichiro Kanno, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Hiroho Kitada
  • Publication number: 20090078563
    Abstract: A plasma processing method includes mounting a workpiece to be processed on an upper surface of a sample table disposed at a lower portion of an interior of a processing chamber disposed within a vacuum vessel and processing the workpiece by use of plasma formed within the processing chamber while applying thereto a first high frequency power for adjustment of a surface potential of the workpiece which is disposed on the sample table. The method further includes starting, prior to application of the first high frequency power, to adjust a temperature of a heat exchange medium flowing in a passage disposed inside of the sample table so as to have a predetermined value based on information of this high frequency power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Inventors: Tooru Aramaki, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Tadamitsu Kanekiyo, Kenetsu Yokogawa
  • Publication number: 20090065145
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber disposed within a vacuum vessel for forming therein a plasma, a sample table disposed beneath the processing chamber for mounting on its upper surface a workpiece to be processed, an electrode disposed within the sample table for allowing application of high frequency power for adjustment of a surface potential of the workpiece, a passage disposed within the sample table for causing a refrigerant to flow therein, and a control device for adjusting a temperature of the refrigerant flowing in the passage. The workpiece is processed using a plasma created within the processing chamber under application of the high frequency power. Before application of the high frequency power, the control device starts to adjust the temperature of the refrigerant based on information of the high frequency power so that it has a predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventors: Tooru Aramaki, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Tadamitsu Kanekiyo, Kenetsu Yokogawa
  • Publication number: 20090000741
    Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus includes a vacuum container which can be depressurized, a sample holder inside of the vacuum container for mounting a sample to be processed, wherein films laid over a surface of the sample are etched with plasma generated in a space above the sample holder. The apparatus further includes a gas supply channel for feeding a heat conducting gas between a sample mounting surface and the backside of the sample, and a pressure control unit for changing stepwise the pressure of the gas supply channel between the sample mounting surface and the backside of the sample in accordance with the progress of the processing of the films of the sample by the etching.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2008
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Inventors: Tooru Aramaki, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Tadamitsu Kanekiyo, Shigeru Shirayone, Hideki Kihara
  • Publication number: 20080280451
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a film which is made of an insulative material and constructs a surface of a sample stage on which a sample is put; a disk-shaped member whose upper surface is joined with the film in a lower portion of the film and which is made of a heat conductive member; heaters which are arranged in the film and arranged in a center portion and regions of its outer peripheral side of the film; coolant channels which are arranged in the disk-shaped member and in which a coolant for cooling the disk-shaped member flows; a plurality of power sources each of which adjusts an electric power to each of the heaters in the plurality of regions; and a controller which adjusts outputs from the plurality of power sources by using a result obtained by presuming a temperature of the upper surface of the disk-shaped member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Inventors: Yutaka Ohmoto, Mamoru Yakushiji, Yutaka Kouzuma, Ken Yoshioka, Tsunehiko Tsubone
  • Publication number: 20080170969
    Abstract: It is possible to provide a plasma etching apparatus that controls the temperature of a sample at a higher speed and with more accuracy to improve the efficiency of processing the sample. A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber to be depressurized and exhausted, a sample placement electrode provided in the processing chamber and having a sample placement surface on which a substrate to be processed is placed, an electromagnetic generation device to generate plasma in the processing chamber, a supply system that supplies processing gas to the processing chamber, a vacuum exhaust system that exhausts inside the processing chamber, a heater layer and a base temperature monitor that are disposed on the sample placement electrode, a wafer temperature estimating unit that estimates a wafer temperature from the base temperature monitor and plasma forming power supply, and a controller that regulates the heater corresponding to output from the temperature estimating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Inventors: Ken Yoshioka, Yutaka Omoto, Mamoru Yakushiji, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Kazunori Nakamoto
  • Publication number: 20080121344
    Abstract: A plasma processing method for processing a sample by reducing a pressure within a processing chamber, including mounting the sample on a sample holder disposed in the processing chamber, and processing using a plasma generated in the processing chamber above the sample holder while supplying a gas for heat transfer to a space between a surface of the sample holder having the sample mounted thereon and a rear surface of the sample. The sample holder has a plurality of substantially ring-shaped depressed portions at the surface where the sample is mounted. A pressure in a space between the depressed portions arranged at a central portion of the sample holder with respect to outer circumferential portion and the sample is set to be lower than a pressure in a space between the depressed portions at the outer circumferential portion and the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Inventors: Tooru Aramaki, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Ryujiro Udo, Motohiko Yoshigai, Takashi Fujii
  • Patent number: 7367135
    Abstract: This invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus having vacuum processing chambers the insides of which must be dry cleaned, and to a method of operating such an apparatus. When the vacuum processing chambers are dry-cleaned, dummy substrates are transferred into the vacuum processing chamber by substrates conveyor means from dummy substrate storage means which is disposed in the air atmosphere together with storage means for storing substrates to be processed, and the inside of the vacuum processing chamber is dry-cleaned by generating a plasma. The dummy substrate is returned to the dummy substrate storage means after dry cleaning is completed. Accordingly, any specific mechanism for only the cleaning purpose is not necessary and the construction of the apparatus can be made simple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou