Patents by Inventor Wenling Wang

Wenling Wang 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: 20130256293
    Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a heat treatment system, a heat treatment method, and a program are provided. The heat treatment system includes a heating unit configured to heat an inside of a processing chamber receiving a plurality of objects to be processed, a heat treatment condition storing unit configured to store a heat treatment condition, a power change model storing unit configured to store a model showing a relationship between a temperature change inside the processing chamber and a power change of the heating unit, a changed temperature receiving unit configured to receive information on a change of the temperature inside the processing chamber, a power calculation unit configured to calculate power of the heating unit required at a changed temperature, and a determining unit configured to determine whether the power of the heating unit calculated by the power calculation unit is saturated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yuichi TAKENAGA, Wenling WANG
  • Publication number: 20130065189
    Abstract: A thermal treatment apparatus includes a processing container, a substrate holding unit for holding a plurality of substrates at predetermined intervals in a direction inside the processing container, a heating unit for heating the processing container, a supply unit for supplying gas, a plurality of supply ports provided respectively at different locations in the direction, and a cooling unit for cooling the processing container by supplying the gas into the processing container by the supply unit via each of the supply ports, wherein the supply unit is provided in such a way that the supply unit independently controls flow rates of the gases supplied via each of the supply ports.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Koji Yoshii, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Wenling Wang, Takanori Saito
  • Publication number: 20130037534
    Abstract: Provided is a method of controlling temperatures of objects to be heated in a heating unit by adjusting a heating rate of each of a plurality of heating elements, based on temperature detection values detected at a plurality of temperature detection elements, wherein the plurality of temperature detection elements are positioned at different positions and the plurality of heating elements are positioned at different positions. The method includes estimating a temperature of each of the plurality of temperature detection elements by using a first estimation algorithm when one of the plurality of temperature detection elements is broken, based on the temperature detection values of the temperature detection elements excluding the broken temperature detection element, and controlling the temperatures of the objects to be heated based on the estimated temperatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Koji YOSHII, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Wenling Wang, Takanori Saito
  • Patent number: 8354135
    Abstract: There are provided a thermal processing apparatus, a method for regulating a temperature of a thermal processing apparatus, and a program, by which a temperature can be easily regulated. A control part 50 of a thermal processing apparatus 1 controls the apparatus so as to deposit SiO2 films on semiconductor wafers W, and judges whether the SiO2 films satisfy an in-plane uniformity. When the in-plane uniformity is not judged to be satisfied, the control part 50 calculates a temperature of a preheating part 23 by which temperature the in-plane uniformity can be satisfied. The control part 50 controls the apparatus so as to deposit SiO2 films on semiconductor wafers W under process conditions in which the temperature of the preheating part 23 has been varied into the calculated temperature, and the temperature of the preheating parts 23 is regulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yuichi Takenaga, Wenling Wang, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Masahiko Kaminishi
  • Publication number: 20120258415
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus including: a processing container for processing wafers held in a boat; heaters for heating the processing container; and a control section for controlling the heaters. Heater temperature sensors are provided between the heaters and the processing container, in-container temperature sensors are provided in the processing container, and movable temperature sensors are provided in the boat. The temperature sensors are connected to a temperature estimation section. The temperature estimation section selects two of the three types of temperature sensors, e.g. the movable temperature sensors and the in-container temperature sensors, and determines the temperature of a wafer according to the following formula: T=T1×(1??)+T2×?, ?>1, where T1 and T2 represent detection temperatures of the selected temperature sensors, and ? represents a mixing ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Koji YOSHII, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Wenling Wang, Takanori Saito
  • Publication number: 20120251966
    Abstract: There is provided a heat treatment control system and method which can accurately estimate the temperatures of wafers upon loading of the wafers, enabling quick heat treatment of the wafers. The heat treatment control system includes: a processing container for processing wafers held in a boat; a lid for hermetically closing the processing container; heaters for heating the processing container; and a controller for controlling the heaters. A profile temperature sensor holding tool is installed on the lid. To the sensor holding tool are mounted profile temperature sensors which are connected to a temperature estimation section. The temperature estimation section estimates the temperature of a wafer by applying a first-order lag filter to a detection signal from a profile temperature sensor. The controller controls the heaters based on the temperatures of wafers thus determined by the temperature estimation section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Koji YOSHII, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Wenling Wang, Takanori Saito
  • Publication number: 20120223066
    Abstract: A control unit can select a large-number control zone model in which the number of control zones, which are independently controlled, is large, and a small-number control zone model in which the number of control zones, which are independently controlled, is small. When a temperature is increased or decreased, the control unit can select the small-number control zone model so as to control, based on signals from temperature sensors of the respective control zones C1 . . . C5 whose number is small, heaters located on the respective control zones C1 . . . C5. When a temperature is stabilized, the control unit can select the large-number control zone model so as to control, based on signals from the temperature sensors of the respective control zones C1 . . . C10 whose number is large, the heaters located on the respective control zones C1 . . . C10.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Koji YOSHII, Tatsuya YAMAGUCHI, Wenling WANG, Takanori SAITO
  • Publication number: 20120064472
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus and control method enabling the apparatus to settle down an internal temperature of a treating vessel to a target temperature accurately and quickly. The heat treatment apparatus includes a furnace body with a heater on an inner circumferential surface thereof, the treating vessel disposed inside the furnace body, a cooling medium supply blower and cooling medium release blower each connected to the furnace body, and a temperature sensor provided inside the treating vessel. A signal from the temperature sensor is sent to a heater output computing unit and blower output computing unit included in a controller. The heater output computing unit determines a heater output level based on a heater output numerical model and the signal from the temperature sensor. The blower output computing unit determines a blower output level based on a blower output numerical model and the signal from the temperature sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Koji YOSHII, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Wenling Wang, Takanori Saito
  • Publication number: 20120064469
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus and control method enabling the apparatus to settle down the internal temperature of a treating vessel to a target temperature accurately and quickly. The apparatus includes a furnace body with a heater on an inner circumferential surface thereof, a treating vessel disposed inside the furnace body, a cooling medium supply blower and cooling medium release blower connected to the furnace body, and a temperature sensor provided inside the treating vessel. A signal from the temperature sensor is sent to a heater output computing unit of a controller. The computing unit determines a heater output level to be obtained during temperature regulation with the heater only, the heater output level being based on a preset temperature that has been determined by a temperature determining unit and temperature detected by the temperature sensor. A blower output computing unit activates blower output based on the heater output level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Publication date: March 15, 2012
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Koji YOSHII, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Wenling Wang, Takanori Saito
  • Patent number: 8080767
    Abstract: A thermal processing apparatus comprising a processing vessel containing, in addition to a plurality of objects subject to heat treatment, an acoustic wave device for temperature measurement. A holding unit holds the plurality of objects to be processed and an object for temperature measurement utilizing an acoustic wave device. A heating unit heats the objects to be processed and the object for temperature measurement. A first conductive member functions as an antenna for transmitting an electromagnetic wave toward the acoustic wave device in the processing vessel; a second conductive member functions as a receiver antenna for receiving an electromagnetic wave dependent on a temperature of the acoustic wave device which is emitted from the acoustic wave device. A temperature analysis part obtains a temperature of the object based on the electromagnetic wave received by the receiver antenna, and a temperature control part controls the heating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kenichi Yamaga, Wenling Wang
  • Patent number: 8055372
    Abstract: The present invention provides a processing system, a processing method and a program, which can readily control a gas flow rate. A vertical-type heating apparatus 1 includes a plurality of gas supply pipes 16 to 20 each adapted for supplying a processing gas into a reaction vessel 2 configured to contain therein semiconductor wafers W. For the gas supply pipes 16 to 20, flow rate control units 21 to 25 are provided, respectively, for controlling each flow rate. In a control unit 50, processing conditions including the flow rate of the processing gas and a film thickness-flow rate-relationship model indicative of a relationship between the flow rate of the processing gas and a film thickness, are stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yuki Kataoka, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Wenling Wang, Yuichi Takenaga
  • Patent number: 7953512
    Abstract: The present invention provides a substrate processing system, a control method for a substrate processing apparatus, and a program for the system and/or method, each of which is intended to achieve effective control for a film-forming amount on processed substrates. The substrate processing system includes a substrate processing unit adapted for forming a film on each of the plurality of substrates; a pattern obtaining unit adapted for obtaining information about an arrangement pattern concerning arrangement of unprocessed substrates and processed substrates among the plurality of substrates; and a memory unit adapted for storing therein an arrangement/film-forming-amount model indicative of influence exerted on the film-forming amount on the substrates by the arrangement of the unprocessed substrates and processed substrates among the plurality of substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limitetd
    Inventors: Yuichi Takenaga, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Wenling Wang, Toshihiko Takahashi, Masato Yonezawa
  • Patent number: 7896649
    Abstract: The present invention provides a heating system, a heating method and a program, which can readily control processing temperature. A temperature calculating computer 4 of the heating system includes a device DB 42. The device DB 42 stores therein a temperature correcting table indicative of a relationship between an accumulated film thickness of extraneous matter attached to the interior of each heating apparatus and a temperature correcting amount, with respect to each heating apparatus, for each temperature (processing temperature) in the heating apparatus. Thus, the temperature correcting amount can be specified based on the temperature correcting table, the processing temperature and the accumulated film thickness, so that an optimized value can be calculated from the specified temperature correcting amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Noriaki Koyama, Wenling Wang
  • Publication number: 20110035165
    Abstract: A information processing apparatus 100 for processing an acquired value, which is a value acquired in regard to a state during a treatment, performed by a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 200 for performing a treatment on a treatment target containing a semiconductor according to a set value, which is a value for setting a condition of a treatment, includes: a set value receiving portion 101 for receiving the set value; a state value receiving portion 102 for receiving the acquired value; a correction amount calculating portion 103 for calculating a correction amount of the acquired value, using a correction function indicating a relationship between the set value and the acquired value; a correcting portion 104 for correcting the acquired value received by the state value receiving portion 102, using the correction amount calculated by the correction amount calculating portion 103; and an output portion 105 for outputting a result of correction performed by the correcting portion 104.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Noriaki KOYAMA, Minoru Obata, Wenling Wang
  • Patent number: 7869888
    Abstract: A information processing apparatus 100 for processing an acquired value, which is a value acquired in regard to a state during a treatment, performed by a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 200 for performing a treatment on a treatment target containing a semiconductor according to a set value, which is a value for setting a condition of a treatment, includes: a set value receiving portion 101 for receiving the set value; a state value receiving portion 102 for receiving the acquired value; a correction amount calculating portion 103 for calculating a correction amount of the acquired value, using a correction function indicating a relationship between the set value and the acquired value; a correcting portion 104 for correcting the acquired value received by the state value receiving portion 102, using the correction amount calculated by the correction amount calculating portion 103; and an output portion 105 for outputting a result of correction performed by the correcting portion 104.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Noriaki Koyama, Minoru Obata, Wenling Wang
  • Patent number: 7860585
    Abstract: A heat processing apparatus includes a reaction vessel, a heating unit in the reaction vessel to heat the processing region, a temperature detector that detects temperature in the processing region, and a control part to control the heating unit by PID control. The control part has a rule table, and a performance unit that obtains temperature profiles and calculates differences between actually measured temperatures and target values. It refers to the rule table change the PID constants. The control part also updates relationships between PID constants and predicted temperature change amounts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Goro Takahashi, Hisashi Inoue, Shoichi Kanda, Wenling Wang
  • Publication number: 20090311807
    Abstract: The present invention is a thermal processing apparatus comprising: a processing vessel capable of being evacuated, the processing vessel also being capable of accommodating, in addition to a plurality of objects, an object for temperature measurement equipped with an elastic wave device; a holding unit configured to be loaded into and unloaded from the processing vessel, while the holding unit holding the plurality of objects to be processed and the object for temperature measurement; a gas introduction unit configured to introduce a gas into the processing vessel; a heating unit configured to heat the plurality of objects to be processed and the object for temperature measurement that are accommodated in the processing vessel; a first conductive member configured to function as a transmitter antenna connected to a transmitter through a radiofrequency line, for transmitting an electric wave for measurement toward the elastic wave device accommodated in the processing vessel; a second conductive member config
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2009
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kenichi Yamaga, Wenling Wang
  • Patent number: 7625604
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a thermal processing method includes a first thermal processing step that carries out thermal processing steps using a plurality of first substrates, wherein thin films are formed on surfaces of the plurality of first substrates by means of less consumption of the process gas than on surfaces of production substrates. Then, a second thermal processing step carries out thermal processing steps by using a plurality of second substrates, wherein thin films are formed on surfaces of the plurality of second substrates by means of more consumption of the process gas than on the surfaces of the plurality of first substrates, and wherein heating units are respectively adjusted to respective temperature set values set during the previous step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Keisuke Suzuki, Wenling Wang, Tsukasa Yonekawa, Toshiyuki Ikeuchi, Toru Sato
  • Publication number: 20090232967
    Abstract: There are provided a thermal processing apparatus, a method for regulating a temperature of a thermal processing apparatus, and a program, by which a temperature can be easily regulated. A control part 50 of a thermal processing apparatus 1 controls the apparatus so as to deposit SiO2 films on semiconductor wafers W, and judges whether the SiO2 films satisfy an in-plane uniformity. When the in-plane uniformity is not judged to be satisfied, the control part 50 calculates a temperature of a preheating part 23 by which temperature the in-plane uniformity can be satisfied. The control part 50 controls the apparatus so as to deposit SiO2 films on semiconductor wafers W under process conditions in which the temperature of the preheating part 23 has been varied into the calculated temperature, and the temperature of the preheating parts 23 is regulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yuichi TAKENAGA, Wenling Wang, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Masahiko Kaminishi
  • Publication number: 20090117259
    Abstract: The present invention provides a processing system, a processing method and a program, which can readily control a gas flow rate. A vertical-type heating apparatus 1 includes a plurality of gas supply pipes 16 to 20 each adapted for supplying a processing gas into a reaction vessel 2 configured to contain therein semiconductor wafers W. For the gas supply pipes 16 to 20, flow rate control units 21 to 25 are provided, respectively, for controlling each flow rate. In a control unit 50, processing conditions including the flow rate of the processing gas and a film thickness-flow rate-relationship model indicative of a relationship between the flow rate of the processing gas and a film thickness, are stored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventors: Yuki Kataoka, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Wenling Wang, Yuichi Takenga