Patents by Inventor Tsuneo Torikoshi

Tsuneo Torikoshi 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: 11897078
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus that is capable of referring to a storage in which a machine learning model is stored, the machine learning model being learned using learning data in which a feature amount of a signal regarding a frictional force between a polishing member and a substrate in polishing or a feature amount of a temperature of the polishing member or the substrate in polishing is input, and data regarding a film thickness of the polished substrate or a parameter related to yield of a product included in the polished substrate is output, the device including: a polishing table provided with the polishing member and configured to be rotatable; a polishing head facing the polishing table and configured to be rotatable, wherein the substrate is attachable to a surface facing the polishing table; a control unit configured to perform control to polish the substrate by pressing the substrate against the polishing member while rotating the polishing table and the polishing head having the substrate attached there
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Nakamura, Tsuneo Torikoshi, Yuta Suzuki, Hisanori Matsuo, Takahito Kagoshima
  • Publication number: 20230356350
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a technique of determining a time to replace a polishing pad used in a polishing apparatus for polishing a workpiece, such as wafer, substrate, or panel. A polishing apparatus (1) includes: a polishing table (5) configured to support a polishing pad (2); a polishing head (7) configured to press a workpiece (W) against a polishing surface (2a) of the polishing pad (2); a dresser (40) configured to dress the polishing surface (2a) of the polishing pad (2); a detection sensor (60) configured to detect friction between the dresser (40) and the polishing pad (2), the detection sensor (60) being fixed to the dresser (40); and a wear monitoring device (63) configured to determine a wear index value from a plurality of output values of the detection sensor (60) and generate an alarm signal when the wear index value is smaller than a predetermined lower limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Yuta SUZUKI, Taro TAKAHASHI, Hirofumi OTAKI, Tsuneo TORIKOSHI, Hiroaki NISHIDA
  • Publication number: 20220344164
    Abstract: A device includes: state information acquisition unit that acquires state information including position of substrate in the device and elapsed time in each unit; action selection unit having prediction model that predicts value, in a certain state, to performing action whether to take out new substrate from the cassette and to which processing unit substrate is transferred, the action selection unit selecting one action based on the prediction model taking, as input, the acquired state information; instruction signal transmission unit that transmits instruction signal so as to perform the selected action; operation result acquisition unit that acquires operation result including number of substrates processed and waiting time; and prediction model update unit that calculates reward based on acquired operation result such that reward increases as the number of substrates processed increases and waiting time is short and that updates the prediction model based on the reward.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Akira NAKAMURA, Takamasa NAKAMURA, Tsuneo TORIKOSHI, Hirofumi OTAKI
  • Publication number: 20220234164
    Abstract: It is possible to save labor, energy, and/or cost for a substrate processing apparatus. It is provided with a sensor installed in a substrate processing apparatus and configured to detect a target physical quantity during processing of a target substrate; and a prediction unit configured to output a polishing end point timing, which is timing of ending polishing, by inputting, to a learned machine learning model, time-series data of the physical quantity detected by the sensor or time-series data obtained by differentiating the time-series data of the physical quantity with respect to time, in which the machine learning model is obtained by machine learning using, as a learning data set, past time-series data of the physical quantity or time-series data obtained by differentiating the past time-series data of the physical quantity with respect to time as input and using the past polishing end point timing as output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuneo TORIKOSHI, Masahiro HATAKEYAMA, Ryo NAKAGOMI
  • Publication number: 20220152774
    Abstract: The disclosure improves the uniformity of polishing of a surface to be polished. A substrate processing apparatus includes: a support member having a support surface for supporting a polishing pad that is swung to the outside of a table; an imaging module for imaging a surface to be polished of the substrate supported by the table and the support surface of the support member; a storage part storing a learning model constructed by machine learning; a step estimation module learning the learning model by inputting imaging information obtained by the imaging module to the learning model, and estimating a step between the support surface and the surface to be polished by using the learning model; and an adjustment module for adjusting a height of the support surface while polishing the substrate based on the estimated step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventor: TSUNEO TORIKOSHI
  • Publication number: 20210291312
    Abstract: A polishing apparatus that is capable of referring to a storage in which a machine learning model is stored, the machine learning model being learned using learning data in which a feature amount of a signal regarding a frictional force between a polishing member and a substrate in polishing or a feature amount of a temperature of the polishing member or the substrate in polishing is input, and data regarding a film thickness of the polished substrate or a parameter related to yield of a product included in the polished substrate is output, the device including: a polishing table provided with the polishing member and configured to be rotatable; a polishing head facing the polishing table and configured to be rotatable, wherein the substrate is attachable to a surface facing the polishing table; a control unit configured to perform control to polish the substrate by pressing the substrate against the polishing member while rotating the polishing table and the polishing head having the substrate attached there
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Akira Nakamura, Tsuneo Torikoshi, Yuta Suzuki, Hisanori Matsuo, Takahito Kagoshima
  • Patent number: 10559277
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program of screen control capable of improving the user-friendliness with respect to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is disclosed. The program of screen control causes a computer to perform operation of: judging whether or not a vertical screen resolution of a display screen is larger than a horizontal screen resolution of the display screen; and dividing a display area of the display screen into a main screen display area for displaying a monitoring image with respect to an operational status of a processing unit and a work area for displaying an operation image with respect to an operation of the processing unit when the vertical screen resolution is larger than the horizontal screen resolution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tsuneo Torikoshi, Takamasa Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10478938
    Abstract: A polishing method is used for polishing a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The polishing method includes a polishing process for polishing a surface of the substrate in accordance with a preset polishing recipe, a pad cleaning process for removing foreign matters on the polishing pad by ejecting a cleaning fluid onto the polishing pad, and a substrate transferring process in which the polished substrate is removed from the top ring at a substrate transferring position, a subsequent substrate to be polished is loaded onto the top ring, and then the top ring holding the subsequent substrate to be polished is returned to the polishing table. The pad cleaning process is started after the completion of the polishing recipe is detected, and the pad cleaning process is terminated by detecting a position of the subsequent substrate to be polished which is undergoing the substrate transferring process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneo Torikoshi
  • Publication number: 20190240799
    Abstract: A local polishing system comprises: a particle estimation unit (30) for estimating the film thickness distribution of a wafer; a local polishing region setting unit (11) for setting a local polishing region on the wafer based on the film thickness distribution; a polishing head selection unit (12) for selecting a polishing head based on the size of the local polishing region; a model storage (20) holding a recipe generating model that defines the relation between an input node and an output node, the input node being an attribute of the local polishing region, the output node comprising a recipe for a polishing process; a polishing recipe generator (13) that puts an attribute of the local polishing region set by the local polishing region setting unit (11) into the input node of the recipe generating model and determines a polishing recipe for polishing the local polishing region; and a polishing recipe transmitter (15) for transmitting data of the polishing recipe to a local polishing module (200) that perfo
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Applicant: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi TAKEDA, Tsuneo TORIKOSHI, Kunio OISHI, Katsuhide WATANABE, Hozumi YASUDA, Yu ISHII
  • Publication number: 20190043443
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program of screen control capable of improving the user-friendliness with respect to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is disclosed. The program of screen control causes a computer to perform operation of: judging whether or not a vertical screen resolution of a display screen is larger than a horizontal screen resolution of the display screen; and dividing a display area of the display screen into a main screen display area for displaying a monitoring image with respect to an operational status of a processing unit and a work area for displaying an operation image with respect to an operation of the processing unit when the vertical screen resolution is larger than the horizontal screen resolution.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Tsuneo TORIKOSHI, Takamasa NAKAMURA
  • Patent number: 9847263
    Abstract: A substrate processing method which can increase the yield by reprocessing a substrate whose processing has been interrupted by a processing interruption command during a substrate processing is disclosed. A substrate processing method performs a predetermined processing of a substrate while sequentially transporting the substrate to a plurality of processing sections according to a preset recipe. The substrate processing method includes processing a substrate in one of the processing sections; interrupting the processing of the substrate by a processing interruption command during processing of the substrate; setting the substrate whose processing has been interrupted in a standby state; and customizing the recipe and performing reprocessing of the processing-interrupted substrate according to the customized recipe, or performing reprocessing of the processing-interrupted substrate according to a preset recipe for reprocessing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirofumi Otaki, Tsuneo Torikoshi
  • Publication number: 20170157734
    Abstract: A polishing method is used for polishing a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The polishing method includes a polishing process for polishing a surface of the substrate in accordance with a preset polishing recipe, a pad cleaning process for removing foreign matters on the polishing pad by ejecting a cleaning fluid onto the polishing pad, and a substrate transferring process in which the polished substrate is removed from the top ring at a substrate transferring position, a subsequent substrate to be polished is loaded onto the top ring, and then the top ring holding the subsequent substrate to be polished is returned to the polishing table. The pad cleaning process is started after the completion of the polishing recipe is detected, and the pad cleaning process is terminated by detecting a position of the subsequent substrate to be polished which is undergoing the substrate transferring process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Applicant: Ebara Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneo TORIKOSHI
  • Patent number: 9610673
    Abstract: A polishing method is used for polishing a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The polishing method includes a polishing process for polishing a surface of the substrate in accordance with a preset polishing recipe, a pad cleaning process for removing foreign matters on the polishing pad by ejecting a cleaning fluid onto the polishing pad, and a substrate transferring process in which the polished substrate is removed from the top ring at a substrate transferring position, a subsequent substrate to be polished is loaded onto the top ring, and then the top ring holding the subsequent substrate to be polished is returned to the polishing table. The pad cleaning process is started after the completion of the polishing recipe is detected, and the pad cleaning process is terminated by detecting a position of the subsequent substrate to be polished which is undergoing the substrate transferring process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneo Torikoshi
  • Patent number: 9524913
    Abstract: A polishing method and a polishing apparatus for performing a measurement of a film thickness of a substrate, such as a wafer, if an error has occurred during polishing of the substrate. The polishing method includes polishing a plurality of substrates, measuring a film thickness of at least one substrate, which has been designated in advance, of the plurality of substrates that have been polished, and if a polishing error has occurred during polishing of any one of the plurality of substrates, measuring a film thickness of that substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuneo Torikoshi, Hirofumi Otaki
  • Publication number: 20150279751
    Abstract: A substrate processing method which can increase the yield by reprocessing a substrate whose processing has been interrupted by a processing interruption command during a substrate processing is disclosed. A substrate processing method performs a predetermined processing of a substrate while sequentially transporting the substrate to a plurality of processing sections according to a preset recipe. The substrate processing method includes processing a substrate in one of the processing sections; interrupting the processing of the substrate by a processing interruption command during processing of the substrate; setting the substrate whose processing has been interrupted in a standby state; and customizing the recipe and performing reprocessing of the processing-interrupted substrate according to the customized recipe, or performing reprocessing of the processing-interrupted substrate according to a preset recipe for reprocessing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Inventors: Hirofumi OTAKI, Tsuneo TORIKOSHI
  • Publication number: 20150221562
    Abstract: A polishing method and a polishing apparatus for performing a measurement of a film thickness of a substrate, such as a wafer, if an error has occurred during polishing of the substrate. The polishing method includes polishing a plurality of substrates, measuring a film thickness of at least one substrate, which has been designated in advance, of the plurality of substrates that have been polished, and if a polishing error has occurred during polishing of any one of the plurality of substrates, measuring a film thickness of that substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Tsuneo TORIKOSHI, Hirofumi OTAKI
  • Publication number: 20140213157
    Abstract: A polishing method is used for polishing a surface of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The polishing method includes a polishing process for polishing a surface of the substrate in accordance with a preset polishing recipe, a pad cleaning process for removing foreign matters on the polishing pad by ejecting a cleaning fluid onto the polishing pad, and a substrate transferring process in which the polished substrate is removed from the top ring at a substrate transferring position, a subsequent substrate to be polished is loaded onto the top ring, and then the top ring holding the subsequent substrate to be polished is returned to the polishing table. The pad cleaning process is started after the completion of the polishing recipe is detected, and the pad cleaning process is terminated by detecting a position of the subsequent substrate to be polished which is undergoing the substrate transferring process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventor: Tsuneo Torikoshi
  • Patent number: D852206
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takamasa Nakamura, Tsuneo Torikoshi
  • Patent number: D854564
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takamasa Nakamura, Tsuneo Torikoshi
  • Patent number: D864978
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: EBARA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takamasa Nakamura, Tsuneo Torikoshi