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).
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Patent number: 6610170Abstract: A method and system of holding a substrate where foreign substances on the back surface can be decreased. The substrate holding system comprises a ring-shaped leakage-proof surface having a smooth surface on the specimen table corresponding to the periphery of the substrate, a plurality of contact holding portions within the periphery of the substrate, and electrostatic attraction means for fixing the substrate by contacting the back surface of the substrate to the ring-shaped leakage-proof surface and the contact holding portions. The substrate contacts to the cooling surface at the ring-shaped leakage-proof surface and the contact holding portion placed on a position inside the ring-shaped leakage-proof surface. The back surface of the substrate and the cooling surface do not contact to each other in the large portion of the remaining area.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2002Date of Patent: August 26, 2003Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Naoyuki Tamura, Kazue Takahashi, Youichi Ito, Yoshifumi Ogawa, Hiroyuki Shichida, Tsunehiko Tsubone
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Patent number: 6588121Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus includes a means for transferring wafer cassettes from a transferring chamber to a lock chamber. The wafer cassettes are mounted within a cassette table and are arranged in a single line. The vacuum processing apparatus further includes lock chambers connected to a plurality of processing chambers with each substrate being carried into and out of the lock chambers.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2001Date of Patent: July 8, 2003Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
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Patent number: 6544379Abstract: A method and system of holding a substrate where foreign substances on the back surface can be decreased. The substrate holding system comprises a ring-shaped leakage-proof surface having a smooth surface on the specimen table corresponding to the periphery of the substrate, a plurality of contact holding portions within the periphery of the substrate, and electrostatic attraction means for fixing the substrate by contacting the back surface of the substrate to the ring-shaped leakage-proof surface and the contact holding portions. The substrate contacts to the cooling surface at the ring-shaped leakage-proof surface and the contact holding portion placed on a position inside the ring-shaped leakage-proof surface. The back surface of the substrate and the cooling surface do not contact to each other in the large portion of the remaining area.Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2001Date of Patent: April 8, 2003Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Naoyuki Tamura, Kazue Takahashi, Youichi Ito, Yoshifumi Ogawa, Hiroyuki Shichida, Tsunehiko Tsubone
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Patent number: 6524428Abstract: A method and system of holding a substrate where foreign substances on the back surface can be decreased. The substrate holding system comprises a ring-shaped leakage-proof surface having a smooth surface on the specimen table corresponding to the periphery of the substrate, a plurality of contact holding portions within the periphery of the substrate, and electrostatic attraction means for fixing the substrate by contacting the back surface of the substrate to the ring-shaped leakage-proof surface and the contact holding portions. The substrate contacts to the cooling surface at the ring-shaped leakage-proof surface and the contact holding portion placed on a position inside the ring-shaped leakage-proof surface. The back surface of the substrate and the cooling surface do not contact to each other in the large portion of the remaining area.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2001Date of Patent: February 25, 2003Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Naoyuki Tamura, Kazue Takahashi, Youichi Ito, Yoshifumi Ogawa, Hiroyuki Shichida, Tsunehiko Tsubone
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Patent number: 6505415Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus which includes a cassette mount table for holding at least one cassette, a conveying structure which includes a robot for conveying a wafer held on the cassette mount table, a vacuum loader which includes an additional robot, an additional conveying structure and a plurality of lock chambers.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2001Date of Patent: January 14, 2003Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
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Patent number: 6499229Abstract: 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 maeans 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: GrantFiled: February 13, 2001Date of Patent: December 31, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
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Patent number: 6499424Abstract: A plasma is generated by feeding an antenna with radio-frequency electric power generated by a radio-frequency power source, and one end of the antenna is grounded to the earth through a capacitor of variable capacitance. A Faraday shield is electrically isolated from the earth, and the capacitance of the variable capacitor is determined to be such a value that the voltage at the two ends of the antenna may be equal in absolute values and inverted to reduce the partial removal of the wall after the plasma ignition. At the time of igniting the plasma, the capacitance of the capacitor is adjusted to a larger or smaller value than that minimizing the damage of the wall.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2001Date of Patent: December 31, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Hideyuki Kazumi, Tsutomu Tetsuka, Ryoji Nishio, Masatsugu Arai, Ken Yoshioka, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Akira Doi, Manabu Edamura, Kenji Maeda, Saburo Kanai
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Patent number: 6490810Abstract: This invention relates to a vacuum processing system for use in a vacuum processing apparatus. The system has a cassette mount unit for holding a cassette of, e.g., wafers; a vacuum loader having a conveyor and at least one vacuum processing chamber; a conveyor structure for conveying a wafer from the cassette; and at least one lock chamber between the conveyor structure and the conveyor of the vacuum holder. The conveyor structure, which is between the cassette mount unit and the lock chamber, includes a track and a robot (having a robot arm) traveling on the track. The robot can transfer a wafer from the cassette mount unit to the lock chamber.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2001Date of Patent: December 10, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
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Patent number: 6487794Abstract: A substrate changing-over mechanism in a vacuum processing apparatus which includes a substrate supporting means arranged within a vacuum tank which has at least two openings at a side wall of the tank, the openings being openable or closable by gate valves, the substrate supporting sections in upper and lower spaces and an ascending or descending driver section for driving the substrate supporting means; thereby allowing the supporting means to be stopped in a vertical direction at a plurality of predetermined positions.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2001Date of Patent: December 3, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
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Patent number: 6487791Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 14, 2001Date of Patent: December 3, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
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Patent number: 6487793Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 23, 2001Date of Patent: December 3, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
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Patent number: 6484414Abstract: A wafer conveyor system for use in a vacuum processing apparatus wherein the conveyor structure is provided with a robot disposed in the conveyor chamber of the vacuum loader. The robot includes an arm which is extendible into the lock chambers which are connected to the conveyor structure.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2001Date of Patent: November 26, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
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Patent number: 6484415Abstract: A wafer conveyor system for used in a vacuum processing apparatus wherein the conveyor structure is provided with a transfer structure and a robot apparatus is arranged on the transfer structure. The robot provides for rotation of the wafer horizontally from a position in a cassette to an opposite postion of the cassette.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2001Date of Patent: November 26, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
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Patent number: 6481370Abstract: A plasma is generated by feeding an antenna with radio-frequency electric power generated by a radio-frequency power source, and one end of the antenna is grounded to the earth through a capacitor of variable capacitance. A Faraday shield is electrically isolated from the earth, and the capacitance of the variable capacitor is determined to be such a value that the voltage at the two ends of the antenna may be equal in absolute values and inverted to reduce the partial removal of the wall after the plasma ignition. At the time of igniting the plasma, the capacitance of the capacitor is adjusted to a larger or smaller value than that minimizing the damage of the wall.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2000Date of Patent: November 19, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Hideyuki Kazumi, Tsutomu Tetsuka, Ryoji Nishio, Masatsugu Arai, Ken Yoshioka, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Akira Doi, Manabu Edamura, Kenji Maeda, Saburo Kanai
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Patent number: 6473989Abstract: A vacuum processing apparatus which includes a cassette mount table for holding at least one cassette, a conveying structure that includes a robot, a cassette table for holding the cassette, an additional conveying structure for transferring a wafer held on the cassette table. Further, the apparatus is provided with a vacuum loader which is connected to the additional conveying device by a lock chamber. a controller system controls the second conveyor structure and manages the replacement of the cassette on the cassette table; and further, instructs the replacement of the cassette.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2001Date of Patent: November 5, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
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Patent number: 6470596Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 24, 2001Date of Patent: October 29, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
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Patent number: 6467186Abstract: A transferring device for a semiconductor wafer which transfers a wafer storing structure to a table and/or other positions within the vicinity of a vacuum processing apparatus and removes wafers from the wafer storing structure. The transfer devices maintain a horizontally transferring state of both the wafer storing structure and of the wafers in the wafer storing structure.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2001Date of Patent: October 22, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
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Patent number: 6467187Abstract: A vacuum processing system, including a vacuum processing chamber for processing wafers, provides a controller for controlling a wafer processing mode and a cleaning mode for the processing chamber. The vacuum processing system further provides for a wafer moving mechanism which is controlled by the controller and allows for the transferring of a dummy wafer into the processing chamber when the cleaning mode is started and then returning the dummy wafer when the cleaning mode is finished.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2001Date of Patent: October 22, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
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Patent number: 6463678Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 14, 2001Date of Patent: October 15, 2002Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou
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Patent number: D473354Type: GrantFiled: January 12, 1999Date of Patent: April 15, 2003Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Shigekazu Kato, Kouji Nishihata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Atsushi Itou