Patents by Inventor Yasuhiro Kuga

Yasuhiro Kuga 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: 20240030049
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a heat processing unit configured to perform a heat process on a substrate having a film formed on the substrate; and a control unit configured to control the heat processing unit, wherein the heat processing unit comprises: a heater configured to support and heat the substrate; a chamber configured to cover the substrate supported on the heater; a gas ejector having a head in which ejection holes are formed, and configured to eject a gas from the ejection holes toward a surface of the substrate; an outer peripheral exhauster configured to evacuate a processing space inside the chamber from an outer peripheral region located further outward than a peripheral edge of the substrate supported on the heater; and a central exhauster configured to evacuate the processing space from a central region located further inward than the peripheral edge of the substrate supported on the heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventors: Yukinobu OTSUKA, Shinsuke TAKAKI, Yasuhiro KUGA, Koji USHIMARU, Ryohei FUJISE
  • Patent number: 11798821
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a heat processing unit configured to perform a heat process on a substrate having a film formed on the substrate; and a control unit configured to control the heat processing unit, wherein the heat processing unit comprises: a heater configured to support and heat the substrate; a chamber configured to cover the substrate supported on the heater; a gas ejector having a head in which ejection holes are formed, and configured to eject a gas from the ejection holes toward a surface of the substrate; an outer peripheral exhauster configured to evacuate a processing space inside the chamber from an outer peripheral region located further outward than a peripheral edge of the substrate supported on the heater; and a central exhauster configured to evacuate the processing space from a central region located further inward than the peripheral edge of the substrate supported on the heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yukinobu Otsuka, Shinsuke Takaki, Yasuhiro Kuga, Koji Ushimaru, Ryohei Fujise
  • Publication number: 20230152704
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus includes a heating unit, a bottom wall, a chamber and a guide unit. The heating unit is configured to support and heat a substrate onto which a processing liquid is supplied. The bottom wall surrounds the substrate supported by the heating unit. The chamber includes a top plate covering the heating unit and side walls provided between the bottom wall and the top plate. The chamber is configured to be detachably attached to a base member provided with the heating unit. The guide unit is configured to guide a movement of the chamber from an installation position, where an inner space of the chamber surrounds the substrate on the heating unit, in a predetermined driving direction along an upper surface of the heating unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2022
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kuga, Kazuhiko Ooshima
  • Publication number: 20230152038
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus includes a heating unit, a chamber, an exhaust unit, a partition unit and a switching unit. The heating unit supports and heats a substrate on which a film of a processing liquid is formed. The chamber surrounds the substrate supported by the heating unit. The exhaust unit is configured to discharge a gas from an inner space of the chamber through a discharge opening located near the heating unit. The partition unit is configured to partition the inner space of the chamber into a first space where the substrate on the heating unit is exposed and a second space located above the first space. The switching unit is configured to switch between a first state where the gas is discharged by the exhaust unit through the first space and a second state where the gas is discharged by the exhaust unit through the second space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2022
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kuga, Kazuhiko Ooshima
  • Patent number: 11393702
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus for heating, in a treatment container, a substrate on which a coating film is formed. The heat treatment apparatus includes: a mount provided in the treatment container and which mounts the substrate thereon; a heating part that heats the substrate mounted on the mount; a suction pipe leading to a suction port formed in the mount, penetrating the mount, and extending directly downward; and a collection container provided on a suction path between the suction pipe and a suction mechanism. The collection container is provided directly below the mount in plan view and connected to the suction pipe to collect a sublimate in the treatment container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Shinsuke Takaki, Yasuhiro Kuga, Yukinobu Otsuka, Shinichi Sagara
  • Publication number: 20210118707
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a heat processing unit configured to perform a heat process on a substrate having a film formed on the substrate; and a control unit configured to control the heat processing unit, wherein the heat processing unit comprises: a heater configured to support and heat the substrate; a chamber configured to cover the substrate supported on the heater; a gas ejector having a head in which ejection holes are formed, and configured to eject a gas from the ejection holes toward a surface of the substrate; an outer peripheral exhauster configured to evacuate a processing space inside the chamber from an outer peripheral region located further outward than a peripheral edge of the substrate supported on the heater; and a central exhauster configured to evacuate the processing space from a central region located further inward than the peripheral edge of the substrate supported on the heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Yukinobu OTSUKA, Shinsuke TAKAKI, Yasuhiro KUGA, Koji USHIMARU, Ryohei FUJISE
  • Publication number: 20210005468
    Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus for heating, in a treatment container, a substrate on which a coating film is formed, the heat treatment apparatus includes: a mount provided in the treatment container and configured to mount the substrate thereon; a heating part configured to heat the substrate mounted on the mount; a suction pipe leading to a suction port formed in the mount, penetrating the mount, and extending directly downward; and a collection container provided on a suction path between the suction pipe and a suction mechanism, wherein the collection container is provided directly below the mount in plan view and connected to the suction pipe to collect a sublimate in the treatment container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: Shinsuke TAKAKI, Yasuhiro KUGA, Yukinobu OTSUKA, Shinichi SAGARA
  • Patent number: 8776393
    Abstract: A substrate cooling apparatus is configured to include: a mounting table including a mounting surface for mounting a substrate thereon; a projection provided on the mounting surface for supporting a rear surface of the substrate; a coolant flow path through which a coolant flows, provided in the mounting table for cooling the mounting surface; a plurality of gas discharge ports provided in a circumferential direction at a peripheral edge portion of the mounting surface for discharging a cooling gas for cooling the substrate; a gas suction port provided at a center portion of the mounting surface for sucking the cooling gas; and a groove provided in the mounting surface for diffusing the cooling gas in a circumferential direction of the substrate. The substrate cooling apparatus configured as described above can cool the substrate mounted on the mounting surface with high uniformity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kouichi Mizunaga, Yasuhiro Kuga, Masatoshi Kaneda
  • Publication number: 20140041805
    Abstract: Provided is a substrate processing apparatus in which the concentration of processing gas is matched in a substrate surface at the time of initiating the ejection of the processing gas from a gas supply unit. The gas supply unit is provided with a gas ejecting surface facing the wafer disposed on a disposition unit. The gas supply unit is also provided with gas flow paths, and a flow path length and a flow path diameter of the diverged gas flow paths are set such that periods of time for gas flowing from a gas supply hole to a plurality of gas ejecting holes formed on the gas ejecting surface are matched with each other. Thus, the timings when the processing gas reaches the respective gas ejecting holes immediately after initiating the ejection of the processing gas are matched.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yasuhiro KUGA, Masashi ITONAGA
  • Publication number: 20110085299
    Abstract: A substrate cooling apparatus is configured to include: a mounting table including a mounting surface for mounting a substrate thereon; a projection provided on the mounting surface for supporting a rear surface of the substrate; a coolant flow path through which a coolant flows, provided in the mounting table for cooling the mounting surface; a plurality of gas discharge ports provided in a circumferential direction at a peripheral edge portion of the mounting surface for discharging a cooling gas for cooling the substrate; a gas suction port provided at a center portion of the mounting surface for sucking the cooling gas; and a groove provided in the mounting surface for diffusing the cooling gas in a circumferential direction of the substrate. The substrate cooling apparatus configured as described above can cool the substrate mounted on the mounting surface with high uniformity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kouichi Mizunaga, Yasuhiro Kuga, Masatoshi Kaneda
  • Patent number: 6551448
    Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for operating heat processing to a substrate, and comprises a heating plate to mount and heat the substrate thereon, a supporting member to support a lower surface of a periphery of the heating plate, and a supporter to support the supporting member. The supporting member has a stepped portion to surround an outer peripheral surface of the heating plate. The supporting member is fixed to the supporter by a fixing member penetrating through the stepped portion in a vertical direction. The fixing member is provided between an inner peripheral surface of the stepped portion and the outer peripheral surface of the heating plate. According to the present invention, since the fixing member is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the heating plate and the inner peripheral surface of the stepped portion, the supporting member does not exist between the fixing member and the outer peripheral surface of the heating plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kuga, Mitsuhiro Tanoue, Kouichirou Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20010053507
    Abstract: The present invention is an apparatus for operating heat processing to a substrate, and comprises a heating plate to mount and heat the substrate thereon, a supporting member to support a lower surface of a periphery of the heating plate, and a supporter to support the supporting member. The supporting member has a stepped portion to surround an outer peripheral surface of the heating plate. The supporting member is fixed to the supporter by a fixing member penetrating through the stepped portion in a vertical direction. The fixing member is provided between an inner peripheral surface of the stepped portion and the outer peripheral surface of the heating plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2001
    Publication date: December 20, 2001
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kuga, Mitsuhiro Tanoue, Kouichirou Tanaka