Patents by Inventor Yasuaki Noda
Yasuaki Noda 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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Publication number: 20240022693Abstract: In one embodiment, a substrate imaging apparatus includes: a rotary holding unit that holds and rotates a substrate; a mirror member having a reflecting surface that opposes an end face of the substrate and a peripheral portion of a back surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, the reflecting surface being inclined with respect to a rotation axis of the rotary holding unit; and a camera having an imaging device that receives both first light and second light through a lens, the first light coming from a peripheral portion of a front surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, and the second light being a reflected light of second light which comes from the end face of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit and is reflected by the reflecting surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2023Publication date: January 18, 2024Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Norihisa KOGA, Tadashi NISHIYAMA, Yasuaki NODA
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Publication number: 20230395380Abstract: A processing method in one embodiment includes: a step that takes an image of the end face of a reference substrate, whose warp amount is known, over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the reference substrate; a step that takes an image of the end face of a substrate over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the substrate; a step that calculates warp amount of the substrate based on the obtained shape data; a step that forms a resist film on a surface of the substrate; a step that determines the supply position from which an organic solvent is to be supplied to a peripheral portion of the resist film and dissolves the peripheral portion by the solvent supplied from the supply position to remove the same from the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2023Publication date: December 7, 2023Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Yasuaki NODA, Tadashi NISHIYAMA
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Patent number: 11832026Abstract: In one embodiment, a substrate imaging apparatus includes: a rotary holding unit that holds and rotates a substrate; a mirror member having a reflecting surface that opposes an end face of the substrate and a peripheral portion of a back surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, the reflecting surface being inclined with respect to a rotation axis of the rotary holding unit; and a camera having an imaging device that receives both first light and second light through a lens, the first light coming from a peripheral portion of a front surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, and the second light being a reflected light of second light which comes from the end face of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit and is reflected by the reflecting surface.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2021Date of Patent: November 28, 2023Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Norihisa Koga, Tadashi Nishiyama, Yasuaki Noda
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Patent number: 11791162Abstract: A processing method in one embodiment includes: a step that takes an image of the end face of a reference substrate, whose warp amount is known, over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the reference substrate; a step that takes an image of the end face of a substrate over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the substrate; a step that calculates warp amount of the substrate based on the obtained shape data; a step that forms a resist film on a surface of the substrate; a step that determines the supply position from which an organic solvent is to be supplied to a peripheral portion of the resist film and dissolves the peripheral portion by the solvent supplied from the supply position to remove the same from the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2019Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Yasuaki Noda, Tadashi Nishiyama
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Patent number: 11555691Abstract: A substrate inspection system includes an imaging unit provided in a substrate processing apparatus and configured to acquire image data by imaging a surface of a substrate for color information on which a film is formed; a film thickness measurement unit provided in the substrate processing apparatus and configured to measure a film thickness of a substrate for film thickness measurement on which a film is formed under same conditions as on the substrate for color information; and a model creation unit configured to create a film thickness model corresponding to a correlation between information about color change on the surface of the substrate for color information caused by forming the film, which is acquired based on the image data, and the film thickness of the substrate for film thickness measurement, which is measured by the film thickness measurement unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2020Date of Patent: January 17, 2023Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Hiroshi Nakamura, Toyohisa Tsuruda, Yasuaki Noda
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Publication number: 20220252507Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a holding unit configured to hold a substrate having a film formed on a surface; an imaging unit configured to acquire image data by imaging the surface of the substrate held by the holding unit; a spectroscopic measuring unit configured to acquire spectroscopic data by dispersing light from the surface of the substrate held by the holding unit; and a control unit configured to control the holding unit, the imaging unit, and the spectroscopic measuring unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2020Publication date: August 11, 2022Inventor: Yasuaki NODA
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Patent number: 11378388Abstract: A substrate inspection method includes a first process of taking, while rotating a holding table where a reference substrate is held, an image of an end surface of the reference substrate; a second process of obtaining shape data on the end surface of the reference substrate by processing the image; a third process of taking, while rotating the holding table where a target substrate is held, an image of an end surface of the target substrate; a fourth process of obtaining shape data on the end surface of the target substrate by processing the image; and a fifth process of calculating a warpage amount of the target substrate by obtaining a difference between the shape data obtained in the second process and in the fourth process under a condition that a rotational position of the holding table in the first process coincides with that in the third process.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2019Date of Patent: July 5, 2022Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Kazuya Hisano, Akiko Kiyotomi, Yasuaki Noda, Keisuke Hamamoto, Tadashi Nishiyama
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Publication number: 20210185282Abstract: In one embodiment, a substrate imaging apparatus includes: a rotary holding unit that holds and rotates a substrate; a mirror member having a reflecting surface that opposes an end face of the substrate and a peripheral portion of a back surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, the reflecting surface being inclined with respect to a rotation axis of the rotary holding unit; and a camera having an imaging device that receives both first light and second light through a lens, the first light coming from a peripheral portion of a front surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, and the second light being a reflected light of second light which comes from the end face of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit and is reflected by the reflecting surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2021Publication date: June 17, 2021Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Norihisa KOGA, Tadashi NISHIYAMA, Yasuaki NODA
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Patent number: 10958879Abstract: In one embodiment, a substrate imaging apparatus includes: a rotary holding unit that holds and rotates a substrate; a mirror member having a reflecting surface that opposes an end face of the substrate and a peripheral portion of a back surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, the reflecting surface being inclined with respect to a rotation axis of the rotary holding unit; and a camera having an imaging device that receives both first light and second light through a lens, the first light coming from a peripheral portion of a front surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, and the second light being a reflected light of second light which comes from the end face of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit and is reflected by the reflecting surface.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 2019Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Norihisa Koga, Tadashi Nishiyama, Yasuaki Noda
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Publication number: 20200386538Abstract: A substrate inspection system includes an imaging unit provided in a substrate processing apparatus and configured to acquire image data by imaging a surface of a substrate for color information on which a film is formed; a film thickness measurement unit provided in the substrate processing apparatus and configured to measure a film thickness of a substrate for film thickness measurement on which a film is formed under same conditions as on the substrate for color information; and a model creation unit configured to create a film thickness model corresponding to a correlation between information about color change on the surface of the substrate for color information caused by forming the film, which is acquired based on the image data, and the film thickness of the substrate for film thickness measurement, which is measured by the film thickness measurement unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2020Publication date: December 10, 2020Inventors: Hiroshi Nakamura, Toyohisa Tsuruda, Yasuaki Noda
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Patent number: 10707109Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes carry in/out station, transfer station, processing station, and image capturing unit. The carry in/out station includes first conveyance device that takes out and conveys substrate from cassette. The transfer station is disposed adjacent to the carry in/out station, and includes substrate placement unit on which the substrate conveyed by the first conveyance device is placed. The processing station is disposed adjacent to the transfer station, and includes second conveyance device that takes out and conveys the substrate from the substrate placement unit, and a plurality of processing units that processes the substrate conveyed by the second conveyance device. The image capturing unit is disposed in the transfer station, and captures an image of the peripheral edge portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate and the end surface of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2018Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Satoshi Morita, Ryoji Ikebe, Yasuaki Noda, Norihisa Koga, Keisuke Hamamoto, Masato Hosaka
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Publication number: 20200096321Abstract: A substrate inspection method includes a first process of taking, while rotating a holding table where a reference substrate is held, an image of an end surface of the reference substrate; a second process of obtaining shape data on the end surface of the reference substrate by processing the image; a third process of taking, while rotating the holding table where a target substrate is held, an image of an end surface of the target substrate; a fourth process of obtaining shape data on the end surface of the target substrate by processing the image; and a fifth process of calculating a warpage amount of the target substrate by obtaining a difference between the shape data obtained in the second process and in the fourth process under a condition that a rotational position of the holding table in the first process coincides with that in the third process.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2019Publication date: March 26, 2020Inventors: Kazuya Hisano, Akiko Kiyotomi, Yasuaki Noda, Keisuke Hamamoto, Tadashi Nishiyama
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Publication number: 20200084422Abstract: In one embodiment, a substrate imaging apparatus includes: a rotary holding unit that holds and rotates a substrate; a mirror member having a reflecting surface that opposes an end face of the substrate and a peripheral portion of a back surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, the reflecting surface being inclined with respect to a rotation axis of the rotary holding unit; and a camera having an imaging device that receives both first light and second light through a lens, the first light coming from a peripheral portion of a front surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, and the second light being a reflected light of second light which comes from the end face of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit and is reflected by the reflecting surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 12, 2019Publication date: March 12, 2020Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Norihisa KOGA, Tadashi Nishiyama, Yasuaki Noda
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Patent number: 10523905Abstract: In one embodiment, a substrate imaging apparatus includes: a rotary holding unit that holds and rotates a substrate; a mirror member having a reflecting surface that opposes an end face of the substrate and a peripheral portion of a back surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, the reflecting surface being inclined with respect to a rotation axis of the rotary holding unit; and a camera having an imaging device that receives both first light and second light through a lens, the first light coming from a peripheral portion of a front surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, and the second light being a reflected light of second light which comes from the end face of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit and is reflected by the reflecting surface.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2017Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Norihisa Koga, Tadashi Nishiyama, Yasuaki Noda
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Publication number: 20190287796Abstract: A processing method in one embodiment includes: a step that takes an image of the end face of a reference substrate, whose warp amount is known, over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the reference substrate over the whole periphery of the reference substrate; a step that takes an image of the end face of a substrate over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the substrate over the whole periphery of the substrate; a step that calculates warp amount of the substrate based on the obtained shape data; a step that forms a resist film on a surface of the substrate; a step that determines the supply position from which an organic solvent is to be supplied to a peripheral portion of the resist film and dissolves the peripheral portion by the solvent supplied from the supply position to remove the same from the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 6, 2019Publication date: September 19, 2019Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Yasuaki NODA, Tadashi Nishiyama
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Patent number: 10381221Abstract: A processing method in one embodiment includes: a step that takes an image of the end face of a reference substrate, whose warp amount is known, over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the reference substrate over the whole periphery of the reference substrate; a step that takes an image of the end face of a substrate over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the substrate over the whole periphery of the substrate; a step that calculates warp amount of the substrate based on the obtained shape data; a step that forms a resist film on a surface of the substrate; a step that determines the supply position from which an organic solvent is to be supplied to a peripheral portion of the resist film and dissolves the peripheral portion by the solvent supplied from the supply position to remove the same from the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2017Date of Patent: August 13, 2019Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Yasuaki Noda, Tadashi Nishiyama
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Publication number: 20190096730Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes carry in/out station, transfer station, processing station, and image capturing unit. The carry in/out station includes first conveyance device that takes out and conveys substrate from cassette. The transfer station is disposed adjacent to the carry in/out station, and includes substrate placement unit on which the substrate conveyed by the first conveyance device is placed. The processing station is disposed adjacent to the transfer station, and includes second conveyance device that takes out and conveys the substrate from the substrate placement unit, and a plurality of processing units that processes the substrate conveyed by the second conveyance device. The image capturing unit is disposed in the transfer station, and captures an image of the peripheral edge portion of one of the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate and the end surface of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2018Publication date: March 28, 2019Inventors: Satoshi Morita, Ryoji Ikebe, Yasuaki Noda, Norihisa Koga, Keisuke Hamamoto, Masato Hosaka
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Publication number: 20170243738Abstract: A processing method in one embodiment includes: a step that takes an image of the end face of a reference substrate, whose warp amount is known, over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the reference substrate over the whole periphery of the reference substrate; a step that takes an image of the end face of a substrate over the whole periphery thereof using a camera to obtain shape data of the end face of the substrate over the whole periphery of the substrate; a step that calculates warp amount of the substrate based on the obtained shape data; a step that forms a resist film on a surface of the substrate; a step that determines the supply position from which an organic solvent is to be supplied to a peripheral portion of the resist film and dissolves the peripheral portion by the solvent supplied from the supply position to remove the same from the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2017Publication date: August 24, 2017Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Yasuaki NODA, Tadashi NISHIYAMA
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Publication number: 20170244936Abstract: In one embodiment, a substrate imaging apparatus includes: a rotary holding unit that holds and rotates a substrate; a mirror member having a reflecting surface that opposes an end face of the substrate and a peripheral portion of a back surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, the reflecting surface being inclined with respect to a rotation axis of the rotary holding unit; and a camera having an imaging device that receives both first light and second light through a lens, the first light coming from a peripheral portion of a front surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, and the second light being a reflected light of second light which comes from the end face of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit and is reflected by the reflecting surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2017Publication date: August 24, 2017Applicant: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Norihisa KOGA, Tadashi NISHIYAMA, Yasuaki NODA
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Patent number: 8356951Abstract: A wet-processing apparatus, which spouts a coating liquid onto a surface of a substrate, includes: nozzles provided with passages for the coating liquid; a light source which illuminates an area between a plane containing the tips of the nozzles and the surface of the substrate; a camera for forming an image of the area; a control unit which provides a spout signal requesting spouting the liquid from the nozzle toward the substrate, and an imaging signal requesting the camera to start an imaging operation; and a decision unit which decides whether or not the liquid was spouted from the nozzle and whether or not changes occurred in the condition of the liquid spouted from the nozzle toward the substrate on the basis of an image formed by the camera and expressing the brightness of the liquid spouted toward the substrate and illuminated by light emitted by the light source.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2011Date of Patent: January 22, 2013Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Yasuaki Noda, Akira Fukutomi, Takafumi Hayama