Patents by Inventor Tsutomu Hiroki

Tsutomu Hiroki 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: 20230094622
    Abstract: A gate valve provided in a boundary portion between two sections to block communication between the two sections, the gate valve includes a base, a first moving mechanism installed on the base and configured to move a first movement body along a first linear track, a second moving mechanism installed on the first movement body, and configured to operate at a timing different from the first moving mechanism and to move a second movement body along a second linear track orthogonal to the first linear track, and a valve body installed on the second movement body and configured to come into contact with a contact surface so as to perform sealing. One of the first linear track and the second linear track is parallel to a direction orthogonal to the contact surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventor: Tsutomu HIROKI
  • Publication number: 20220341033
    Abstract: The film-forming method of forming a target film on a substrate includes preparing the substrate including a first material layer formed on a surface of a first region, and including a second material layer, which is different from the first material, formed on a surface of a second region; controlling the temperature of the substrate to a first temperature; forming the self-assembled film on a surface of the first material layer at the first temperature by supplying a raw-material gas for a self-assembled film; controlling the temperature of the substrate to a second temperature higher than the first temperature; and further forming a self-assembled film at the second temperature on the first material layer on which the self-assembled film has been formed at the first temperature by supplying the raw-material gas for the self-assembled film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Shinichi IKE, Shuji AZUMO, Yumiko KAWANO, Tsutomu HIROKI
  • Patent number: 11437259
    Abstract: A stage includes a plate and a heat exchanger. The plate has a front surface, on which a substrate is mounted, and a rear surface. The heat exchanger is configured to individually supply a heat exchange medium to a plurality of two-dimensionally distributed and mutually non-inclusive regions of the rear surface of the plate and to recover the heat exchange medium thus supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Tsutomu Hiroki
  • Patent number: 11139185
    Abstract: There is provided a load lock chamber including: a plurality of stages on which a plurality of first substrates that are loaded at once by means of a second transfer mechanism are respectively mounted; a moving mechanism which, in a state in which the plurality of first substrates are respectively mounted on the plurality of stages, moves the plurality of stages to narrow the interval between the plurality of stages; and a rotating mechanism which, when the plurality of first substrates are unloaded one by one by means of a first transfer mechanism, rotates the plurality of stages with the narrowed interval about an axis, and causes the plurality of first substrates successively to become closer to the first transfer mechanism around the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMI TED
    Inventor: Tsutomu Hiroki
  • Patent number: 11004664
    Abstract: A heat transfer medium supply system includes valve units each alternately supplying a first and a second heat transfer medium to a corresponding zone of a stage. The valve unit includes a housing and a shaft. The housing has first and second inlets, and first and second outlets. The first and second inlets are respectively connected to a first and a second medium temperature controller. The first and second outlets are connected to the corresponding zone. The shaft is inserted in the housing and has first and second supply grooves. The first supply groove connects the first inlet to the first outlet when a rotation angle about a central axis of the shaft is within a first angle range, and the second supply groove connects the second inlet to the second outlet when the rotation angle about the central axis of the shaft is within a second angle range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Tsutomu Hiroki
  • Publication number: 20210098269
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a stage on which a substrate to be processed is placed, a liquid supply unit for supplying liquid for controlling a temperature of the substrate to the stage, a flow path formed in the stage and through which the supplied liquid flows, a liquid receiving unit for receiving the liquid discharged from the flow path, a heater for heating the stage to a temperature higher than a usable temperature range of the liquid to remove deposits adhered to the stage, a gas supply unit for supplying a gas to the flow path, and a controller. The controller is configured to switch fluid in the flow path from the liquid supplied from the liquid supply unit to the gas supplied from the gas supply unit, and to control the heater to heat the stage after replacement of the fluid in the flow path with the gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventor: Tsutomu HIROKI
  • Publication number: 20200365431
    Abstract: There is provided a load lock chamber including: a plurality of stages on which a plurality of first substrates that are loaded at once by means of a second transfer mechanism are respectively mounted; a moving mechanism which, in a state in which the plurality of first substrates are respectively mounted on the plurality of stages, moves the plurality of stages to narrow the interval between the plurality of stages; and a rotating mechanism which, when the plurality of first substrates are unloaded one by one by means of a first transfer mechanism, rotates the plurality of stages with the narrowed interval about an axis, and causes the plurality of first substrates successively to become closer to the first transfer mechanism around the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventor: Tsutomu HIROKI
  • Patent number: 10763764
    Abstract: A stage includes a heat exchanger, a plate provided on the heat exchanger and including a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to each other, the plate having a plurality of through-holes extending in a plate thickness direction, and an electrostatic chuck having a top surface on which a substrate is mounted and a bottom surface attached to the first main surface. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of first tubes having a plurality of opening ends facing a plurality of regions on the bottom surface which are exposed to the respective through-holes and a plurality of second tubes communicating with the through-holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Tsutomu Hiroki
  • Patent number: 10658160
    Abstract: A stage includes a plate having a top surface on which a substrate is to be placed and a bottom surface; a plurality of first tubes each extending toward different regions of the bottom surface and providing opening ends facing the bottom surface; a partition wall defining a plurality of spaces surrounding the respective first tubes, the spaces forming a plurality of flow passages through which a heat exchange medium discharged from the first tubes flows; and a plurality of second tubes connected to the partition wall to communicate with the respective flow passages. The stage further includes a plurality of adjusting mechanisms provided in the respective flow passages. Each of the adjusting mechanisms is configured to be deformed depending on the temperature of the heat exchange medium in the corresponding flow passage to adjust the conductance of the flow passage in accordance with the temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Tsutomu Hiroki
  • Publication number: 20190385881
    Abstract: A stage includes a plate and a heat exchanger. The plate has a front surface, on which a substrate is mounted, and a rear surface. The heat exchanger is configured to individually supply a heat exchange medium to a plurality of two-dimensionally distributed and mutually non-inclusive regions of the rear surface of the plate and to recover the heat exchange medium thus supplied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventor: Tsutomu HIROKI
  • Patent number: 10502508
    Abstract: There is provided a system including a temperature-controllable stage, which includes: a disc-shaped plate having a front surface on which a substrate is mounted and a rear surface; a heat exchanger configured to individually supply a heat exchange medium to a plurality of regions two-dimensionally arranged to face the rear surface of the plate and configured to individually recover the heat exchange medium supplied to the regions, the plurality of regions being obtained by dividing a plurality of zones defined to face the rear surface of the plate in the heat exchanger; and a plurality of valve units configured to control, for each of the plurality of zones, the supply or cutoff of the heat exchange medium to the plurality of regions by the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Tsutomu Hiroki
  • Patent number: 10475686
    Abstract: A stage includes a plate and a heat exchanger. The plate has a front surface, on which a substrate is mounted, and a rear surface. The heat exchanger is configured to individually supply a heat exchange medium to a plurality of two-dimensionally distributed and mutually non-inclusive regions of the rear surface of the plate and to recover the heat exchange medium thus supplied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Tsutomu Hiroki
  • Patent number: 10312062
    Abstract: There is provided a temperature control system, including: a stage configured to support a workpiece and provided with a heat exchange medium flow path formed within the stage, the heat exchange medium flow path including a first end and a second end; a first valve; a second valve; a first heat exchange medium supply device including a supply port which supplies a first heat exchange medium adjusted to have a first temperature and a recovery port; a second heat exchange medium supply device including a supply port which supplies a second heat exchange medium adjusted to have a second temperature higher than the first temperature and a recovery port; and a control device configured to control the first and second valves such that the first and second heat exchange mediums are alternately supplied to the first end of the heat exchange medium flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Tsutomu Hiroki
  • Patent number: 9995378
    Abstract: A drive device is provided to include: a case; a first motor and a second motor having an output shaft extending along a first axial line in the case and a second axial line parallel to the first axial line in the case, respectively; a first output shaft including a first shaft body and roller followers, the roller followers being engaged at a predetermined reduction gear ratio with the rib of the first motor; a second output shaft including a second shaft body and roller followers, the roller followers being engaged at a predetermined reduction gear ratio with the rib of the second motor; a first sealing member located between the case and the outer peripheral surface of the first shaft body; and a second sealing member located between an inner peripheral surface of the first shaft body and an outer peripheral surface of the second shaft body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tsutomu Hiroki, Toshinao Kato
  • Publication number: 20180138835
    Abstract: A stage includes a heat exchanger, a plate provided on the heat exchanger and including a first main surface and a second main surface opposite to each other, the plate having a plurality of through-holes extending in a plate thickness direction, and an electrostatic chuck having a top surface on which a substrate is mounted and a bottom surface attached to the first main surface. The heat exchanger includes a plurality of first tubes having a plurality of opening ends facing a plurality of regions on the bottom surface which are exposed to the respective through-holes and a plurality of second tubes communicating with the through-holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2017
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventor: Tsutomu HIROKI
  • Publication number: 20180130645
    Abstract: A heat transfer medium supply system includes valve units each alternately supplying a first and a second heat transfer medium to a corresponding zone of a stage. The valve unit includes a housing and a shaft. The housing has first and second inlets, and first and second outlets. The first and second inlets are respectively connected to a first and a second medium temperature controller. The first and second outlets are connected to the corresponding zone. The shaft is inserted in the housing and has first and second supply grooves. The first supply groove connects the first inlet to the first outlet when a rotation angle about a central axis of the shaft is within a first angle range, and the second supply groove connects the second inlet to the second outlet when the rotation angle about the central axis of the shaft is within a second angle range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventor: Tsutomu HIROKI
  • Patent number: 9947564
    Abstract: Provided is a conveyance system that adjusts the position of a conveyed substrate, prevents damage resulting from the heat of another apparatus in a conveyance base, prevents insufficient electrical power of another apparatus in the conveyance base, and can move the conveyance base smoothly. A substrate processing system is provided with a conveyance chamber and a sliding box moving within the conveyance chamber. A plurality of processing modules are connected, and the sliding box is provided with: a conveyance arm that moves wafers; a servo motor that moves the conveyance arm; and a servo motor driver that controls the electrical power supplied to the servo motor. A servo motor controller that controls the servo motor driver is disposed outside a transfer module, and the servo motor driver and servo motor controller perform optical communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tsutomu Hiroki, Takehiro Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20170316923
    Abstract: A stage includes a plate having a top surface on which a substrate is to be placed and a bottom surface; a plurality of first tubes each extending toward different regions of the bottom surface and providing opening ends facing the bottom surface; a partition wall defining a plurality of spaces surrounding the respective first tubes, the spaces forming a plurality of flow passages through which a heat exchange medium discharged from the first tubes flows; and a plurality of second tubes connected to the partition wall to communicate with the respective flow passages. The stage further includes a plurality of adjusting mechanisms provided in the respective flow passages. Each of the adjusting mechanisms is configured to be deformed depending on the temperature of the heat exchange medium in the corresponding flow passage to adjust the conductance of the flow passage in. accordance with the temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventor: Tsutomu HIROKI
  • Patent number: 9520309
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate includes a transfer device which has a drive motor and transfers a substrate, a peripheral device which has a drive motor and loads and unloads the substrate in substrate-transfer operation of the transfer device, and a control device which conducts drive control on the drive motor of the transfer device and drive control of the drive motor of the peripheral device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Tsutomu Hiroki
  • Publication number: 20160293454
    Abstract: A substrate processing device capable of quickly increasing oxygen concentration in an area outside a substrate transfer part up to the oxygen concentration in the air while maintaining the interior of the substrate transfer part in nitrogen atmosphere is provided. In the substrate processing device, an interior of a loader module is maintained in a nitrogen atmosphere at a pressure slightly higher than the atmospheric pressure outside the substrate processing device. A blower part is disposed along a side surface of an outer upper portion of the loader module to generate an air flow along the side surface of the loader module, so that the nitrogen gas leaking from the loader module is diffused and circulated due to convection and thus, the oxygen concentration in an area outside the loader module is quickly increased up to the oxygen concentration in the air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventor: Tsutomu HIROKI