Patents by Inventor Yasuaki Kikuchi

Yasuaki Kikuchi 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: 20230422348
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a processing container in which a plurality of substrates are processed; a plurality of heaters configured to control a temperature of the plurality of substrates accommodated in the processing container for each of a plurality of zones; and a controller configured to control an operation of the plurality of heaters. The controller is configured to control the plurality of heaters to a set temperature set in advance for each of the plurality of zones, thereby performing a processing on the plurality of substrates accommodated in the processing container, determine whether an abnormality determination condition is satisfied, including that an output value of at least one heater of the plurality of heaters is equal to or less than a heater control resolution, and issue a warning for the set temperature for each of the plurality of zones based on a result of the determining.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Yasuaki KIKUCHI, Tatsuya YAMAGUCHI, SungDuk SON, Miki OUCHI, Nobuyuki HIROTA, Shingo HISHIYA
  • Patent number: 11815407
    Abstract: A thermocouple structure according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first element wire, second element wires formed of a material different from the first element wire, an insulating covering member covering at least one of the first element wire and the second element wires, and a protective tube accommodating the first element wire and the second element wire. Each of the second element wires is bonded to a different position on the first element wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, Furüya Metal Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisashi Inoue, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yasuaki Kikuchi, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Koji Yoshii, Kensuke Morita, Jun Itabashi
  • Patent number: 11784070
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus includes: an inner tube having a cylindrical shape and configured to accommodate a substrate; an outer tube configured to cover an outside of the inner tube; a heater provided around the outer tube; a gas supply pipe that extends along a longitudinal direction in the inner tube; an opening formed in a side wall of the inner tube facing the gas supply pipe; a temperature sensor provided at a position shifted by a predetermined angle from the opening in a circumferential direction of the inner tube; and a controller that controls the heater based on a detected value of the temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yasuaki Kikuchi, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Kazuteru Obara, Ryuji Kusajima
  • Patent number: 11674224
    Abstract: A film forming method includes: accommodating a substrate in a processing container of a film forming apparatus; supplying an inert gas to the processing container at a flow rate equal to an average flow rate of a plurality of gases to be supplied into the processing container in a film forming process and maintaining a pressure of the processing container to be substantially same as an average pressure of the processing container in the film forming process; and alternately supplying the plurality of gases into the processing container and forming a film on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yasuaki Kikuchi, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Kazuteru Obara, Ryuji Kusajima
  • Patent number: 11581201
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus includes: a processing container configured to accommodate and process a plurality of substrates in multiple tiers under a reduced-pressure environment; a first heater configured to heat the plurality of substrates accommodated in the processing container; a plurality of gas supply pipes configured to supply a gas to positions having different heights in the processing container; and a second heater provided on a gas supply pipe that supplies a gas to a lowermost position among the plurality of gas supply pipes, and configured to heat the gas in the gas supply pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuteru Obara, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Yasuaki Kikuchi, Ryuji Kusajima, Shinya Nasukawa, Kazuyuki Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11569098
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus includes: a processing container extended in a vertical direction; and a heater provided to surround the processing container. The heater includes: a first insulator of a cylindrical shape that has a ceiling surface and an opening at a lower end; a heat generator provided along a circumferential direction on an inner circumferential side of the first insulating member; and a second insulator arranged along the circumferential direction of the first insulating member at a position adjacent to the heat generating elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Yasuaki Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20230009720
    Abstract: A method of forming a film is performed in a heat treatment apparatus that includes a processing container, a tubular member provided in the processing container, a heater configured to heat an inside of the processing container, and a gas supply. The method includes: providing a substrate in the tubular member; adjusting a temperature inside the tubular member by the heater; and after adjusting the temperature, supplying a gas containing a film-forming gas from the gas supply into the processing container to form a film on the substrate. In the adjusting the temperature, a gas containing a heat transfer gas is supplied from the gas supply into the processing container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2022
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Yasuaki KIKUCHI, Tsubasa YOKOI, Tatsuya YAMAGUCHI, Keisuke SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 11257697
    Abstract: A temperature monitoring apparatus includes: a calculator configured to calculate a temperature monitoring waveform by a first-order lag function based on an elapsed time from a start of a temperature change from a first temperature to a second temperature, and a time constant calculated based on a locus of the temperature change; and a monitor configured to monitor a temperature changing from the first temperature to the second temperature based on the temperature monitoring waveform calculated by the calculator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Yasuaki Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 11114319
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus includes a heating unit provided around a processing container accommodating a substrate; a plurality of blowing units configured to blow a cooling medium into a space between the processing container and the heating unit; and a shutter configured to simultaneously opens/closes at least two of the plurality of blowing units and including a slit formed corresponding to each of the blowing units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Yasuaki Kikuchi, Koji Yoshii, Wataru Nakajima, Norio Baba
  • Publication number: 20210063247
    Abstract: A thermocouple structure according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first element wire, second element wires formed of a material different from the first element wire, an insulating covering member covering at least one of the first element wire and the second element wires, and a protective tube accommodating the first element wire and the second element wire. Each of the second element wires is bonded to a different position on the first element wire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Hisashi INOUE, Masahiro KOBAYASHI, Yasuaki KIKUCHI, Tatsuya YAMAGUCHI, Koji YOSHII, Kensuke MORITA, Jun ITABASHI
  • Publication number: 20200340111
    Abstract: A film forming method includes: accommodating a substrate in a processing container of a film forming apparatus; supplying an inert gas to the processing container at a flow rate equal to an average flow rate of a plurality of gases to be supplied into the processing container in a film forming process and maintaining a pressure of the processing container to be substantially same as an average pressure of the processing container in the film forming process; and alternately supplying the plurality of gases into the processing container and forming a film on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Yasuaki Kikuchi, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Kazuteru Obara, Ryuji Kusajima
  • Publication number: 20200340116
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus includes: an inner tube having a cylindrical shape and configured to accommodate a substrate; an outer tube configured to cover an outside of the inner tube; a heater provided around the outer tube; a gas supply pipe that extends along a longitudinal direction in the inner tube; an opening formed in a side wall of the inner tube facing the gas supply pipe; a temperature sensor provided at a position shifted by a predetermined angle from the opening in a circumferential direction of the inner tube; and a controller that controls the heater based on a detected value of the temperature sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Yasuaki Kikuchi, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Kazuteru Obara, Ryuji Kusajima
  • Publication number: 20200303222
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus includes: a processing container configured to accommodate and process a plurality of substrates in multiple tiers under a reduced-pressure environment; a first heater configured to heat the plurality of substrates accommodated in the processing container; a plurality of gas supply pipes configured to supply a gas to positions having different heights in the processing container; and a second heater provided on a gas supply pipe that supplies a gas to a lowermost position among the plurality of gas supply pipes, and configured to heat the gas in the gas supply pipe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Kazuteru Obara, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Yasuaki Kikuchi, Ryuji Kusajima, Shinya Nasukawa, Kazuyuki Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20200168486
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus includes a heating unit provided around a processing container accommodating a substrate; a plurality of blowing units configured to blow a cooling medium into a space between the processing container and the heating unit; and a shutter configured to simultaneously opens/closes at least two of the plurality of blowing units and including a slit formed corresponding to each of the blowing units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Yasuaki Kikuchi, Koji Yoshii, Wataru Nakajima, Norio Baba
  • Publication number: 20190341281
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus includes: a processing container extended in a vertical direction; and a heater provided to surround the processing container. The heater includes: a first insulator of a cylindrical shape that has a ceiling surface and an opening at a lower end; a heat generator provided along a circumferential direction on an inner circumferential side of the first insulating member; and a second insulator arranged along the circumferential direction of the first insulating member at a position adjacent to the heat generating elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Yasuaki Kikuchi
  • Publication number: 20190341284
    Abstract: A temperature monitoring apparatus includes: a calculator configured to calculate a temperature monitoring waveform by a first-order lag function based on an elapsed time from a start of a temperature change from a first temperature to a second temperature, and a time constant calculated based on a locus of the temperature change; and a monitor configured to monitor a temperature changing from the first temperature to the second temperature based on the temperature monitoring waveform calculated by the calculator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Yasuaki Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 10431479
    Abstract: Disclosed is a heat treatment apparatus including: a processing container configured to accommodate a substrate; a furnace body having a heater configured to heat the substrate accommodated in the processing container and provided around the processing container; a blower configured to supply a coolant to a space between the processing container and the furnace body; and a controller having a continuous operation mode in which the blower is continuously energized and an intermittent operation mode in which energization and de-energization of the blower are repeated, and configured to control driving of the blower based on an instruction voltage. The controller drives the blower in the intermittent operation mode when the instruction voltage is higher than 0 V and lower than a predetermined threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Kazuteru Obara, Yasuaki Kikuchi, Koji Yoshii
  • Patent number: 10300837
    Abstract: A front structure of a vehicle is provided with a vehicle front lamp disposed at each end portion of a vehicle front portion in a vehicle width direction. The vehicle front lamp includes a headlight, a cover member, and a lighting accessory. The cover member is disposed above the headlight. The lighting accessory is disposed above a rear portion of the headlight and below the cover member. The vehicle front lamp is provided with a ventilation path that is formed outward or inward of the headlight in the vehicle width direction below the cover member and that allows traveling wind from a vehicle front side to pass toward a vehicle rear side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norihito Iwao, Yasuaki Kikuchi, Qian Zhao, Yusuke Nakamura, Takahiro Matsui
  • Publication number: 20180197759
    Abstract: Disclosed is a heat treatment apparatus including: a processing container configured to accommodate a substrate; a furnace body having a heater configured to heat the substrate accommodated in the processing container and provided around the processing container; a blower configured to supply a coolant to a space between the processing container and the furnace body; and a controller having a continuous operation mode in which the blower is continuously energized and an intermittent operation mode in which energization and de-energization of the blower are repeated, and configured to control driving of the blower based on an instruction voltage. The controller drives the blower in the intermittent operation mode when the instruction voltage is higher than 0 V and lower than a predetermined threshold voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2018
    Publication date: July 12, 2018
    Inventors: Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Kazuteru Obara, Yasuaki Kikuchi, Koji Yoshii
  • Patent number: D1032440
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Shinohara, Yohei Kusamoto, Yasuaki Kikuchi, Shun Yamashita, Heitetsu Takemoto, Yasuyuki Murata