Patents by Inventor Yasuo Kiyohara
Yasuo Kiyohara 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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Patent number: 11735439Abstract: A processing fluid supplying method includes: supplying a processing fluid of a gaseous state to a circulation line; generating a processing fluid of a liquid state by cooling the processing fluid of the gaseous state in the circulation line; branching the processing fluid of the liquid state from the circulation line to a branch line; and generating a processing fluid of a supercritical state by heating the processing fluid of the liquid state in the circulation line.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2022Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Yasuo Kiyohara, Hiroaki Inadomi, Satoshi Okamura
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Publication number: 20230260807Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing container including an internal space where a supercritical drying process is performed on a substrate having a surface to which a liquid is attached, by using a processing fluid in a supercritical state; a housing including a processing region where the processing container is disposed, and a carry-in/out region where carry-in/out of the substrate is performed; a delivery section that is provided in the carry-in/out region to deliver the substrate to/from a substrate transfer arm entering the carry-in/out region from an outside of the housing; a substrate transfer section that transfers the substrate between the delivery section and the processing container; and a gas supply provided in the carry-in/out region to supply a dry gas to the processing container.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2023Publication date: August 17, 2023Inventor: Yasuo KIYOHARA
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Publication number: 20230028053Abstract: A processing fluid supplying method includes: supplying a processing fluid of a gaseous state to a circulation line; generating a processing fluid of a liquid state by cooling the processing fluid of the gaseous state in the circulation line; branching the processing fluid of the liquid state from the circulation line to a branch line; and generating a processing fluid of a supercritical state by heating the processing fluid of the liquid state in the circulation line.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2022Publication date: January 26, 2023Inventors: Yasuo KIYOHARA, Hiroaki INADOMI, Satoshi OKAMURA
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Patent number: 11482427Abstract: A substrate processing system includes: a substrate processing apparatus configured to process a substrate with a processing fluid; and a processing fluid supply apparatus configured to supply the processing fluid to the substrate processing apparatus. The processing fluid supply apparatus includes: a circulation line, a gas supply line, a cooler, a pump, a branch line, a heating unit, and a pressure regulator.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2019Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Yasuo Kiyohara, Hiroaki Inadomi, Satoshi Okamura
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Patent number: 10796897Abstract: A supercritical fluid producing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a gas supply line, a cooler, a pump, a buffer tank, a heating device, and a supercritical fluid supply line. An inlet port into which a processing fluid from the pump flows is formed at a predetermined position on the buffer tank, and an outlet port through which the processing fluid flows out is formed at a different position from the inlet port. The buffer tank includes a buffer tank body that stores the processing fluid from the pump, and a heater that heats the processing fluid sent into the buffer tank body.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2017Date of Patent: October 6, 2020Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventor: Yasuo Kiyohara
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Publication number: 20200098594Abstract: A substrate processing system includes: a substrate processing apparatus configured to process a substrate with a processing fluid; and a processing fluid supply apparatus configured to supply the processing fluid to the substrate processing apparatus. The processing fluid supply apparatus includes: a circulation line, a gas supply line, a cooler, a pump, a branch line, a heating unit, and a pressure regulator.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2019Publication date: March 26, 2020Inventors: Yasuo Kiyohara, Hiroaki Inadomi, Satoshi Okamura
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Patent number: 10593571Abstract: Provided is a substrate processing apparatus including a liquid processing unit that performs a liquid processing on a substrate; a drying processing unit that performs a drying processing on the substrate in a wet state; a first conveyance unit that conveys the substrate to the liquid processing unit; a second conveyance unit that conveys the substrate in the wet state from the liquid processing unit to the drying processing unit; and a third conveyance unit that conveys the substrate before the liquid processing in the liquid processing unit and to convey the substrate after the drying processing from the drying processing unit. The first and second conveyance units and the drying processing unit are disposed on a side that faces the third conveyance unit, and the liquid processing unit is disposed on a side that faces the first and second conveyance units and is opposite to the third conveyance unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2017Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hiroaki Inadomi, Tooru Nakamura, Kouji Kimoto, Yasuo Kiyohara, Satoshi Okamura, Satoshi Biwa, Nobuya Yamamoto, Katsuhiro Ookawa, Keiichi Yahata, Tetsuro Nakahara
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Patent number: 10067514Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a mixing tank, a first opening/closing valve, a second opening/closing valve, a first flow rate measuring unit, a second flow rate measuring unit, a control unit, and a substrate processing unit. A first liquid and a second liquid are mixed such that the second liquid is mixed in an amount more than that of the first liquid. The first and second opening/closing valves open/close a first flow path and a second flow path, respectively. The first and second flow rate measuring units measure flow rates of the first and second liquids flowing through the first and second flow paths, respectively. The control unit controls opening/closing of the first opening/closing valve and the second opening/closing valve. The substrate processing unit processes a substrate by supplying a mixed liquid of the first and second liquids to the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2014Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Yasuo Kiyohara, Ikuo Sunaka, Koji Tanaka, Takami Satoh, Kazuyoshi Mizumoto, Takashi Uno, Hirotaka Maruyama, Hidetomo Uemukai, Tomiyasu Maezono
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Publication number: 20180158676Abstract: A supercritical fluid producing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a gas supply line, a cooler, a pump, a buffer tank, a heating device, and a supercritical fluid supply line. An inlet port into which a processing fluid from the pump flows is formed at a predetermined position on the buffer tank, and an outlet port through which the processing fluid flows out is formed at a different position from the inlet port. The buffer tank includes a buffer tank body that stores the processing fluid from the pump, and a heater that heats the processing fluid sent into the buffer tank body.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2017Publication date: June 7, 2018Inventor: Yasuo Kiyohara
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Publication number: 20180096863Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate liquid processing method including: a first processing step of discharging a fluid in the processing container until an inside of the processing container reaches a first discharge ultimate pressure at which the processing fluid in the supercritical state is not vaporized, and then supplying the processing fluid into the processing container until the inside of the processing container reaches a first supply ultimate pressure at which vaporization of the processing fluid does not occur; and a second processing step of discharging a fluid in the processing container until the inside of the processing container reaches a second discharge ultimate pressure at which the processing fluid in the supercritical state is not vaporized, and then supplying the processing fluid into the processing container until the inside of the processing container reaches a second supply ultimate pressure at which vaporization of the processing fluid does not occur.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2017Publication date: April 5, 2018Inventors: Gentaro GOSHI, Hiromi KIYOSE, Yasuo KIYOHARA
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Publication number: 20170287742Abstract: Provided is a substrate processing apparatus including a liquid processing unit that performs a liquid processing on a substrate; a drying processing unit that performs a drying processing on the substrate in a wet state; a first conveyance unit that conveys the substrate to the liquid processing unit; a second conveyance unit that conveys the substrate in the wet state from the liquid processing unit to the drying processing unit; and a third conveyance unit that conveys the substrate before the liquid processing in the liquid processing unit and to convey the substrate after the drying processing from the drying processing unit. The first and second conveyance units and the drying processing unit are disposed on a side that faces the third conveyance unit, and the liquid processing unit is disposed on a side that faces the first and second conveyance units and is opposite to the third conveyance unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2017Publication date: October 5, 2017Inventors: Hiroaki Inadomi, Tooru Nakamura, Kouji Kimoto, Yasuo Kiyohara, Satoshi Okamura, Satoshi Biwa, Nobuya Yamamoto, Katsuhiro Ookawa, Keiichi Yahata, Tetsuro Nakahara
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Publication number: 20150146498Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a mixing tank, a first opening/closing valve, a second opening/closing valve, a first flow rate measuring unit, a second flow rate measuring unit, a control unit, and a substrate processing unit. A first liquid and a second liquid are mixed such that the second liquid is mixed in an amount more than that of the first liquid. The first and second opening/closing valves open/close a first flow path and a second flow path, respectively. The first and second flow rate measuring units measure flow rates of the first and second liquids flowing through the first and second flow paths, respectively. The control unit controls opening/closing of the first opening/closing valve and the second opening/closing valve. The substrate processing unit processes a substrate by supplying a mixed liquid of the first and second liquids to the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2014Publication date: May 28, 2015Inventors: Yasuo Kiyohara, Ikuo Sunaka, Koji Tanaka, Takami Satoh, Kazuyoshi Mizumoto, Takashi Uno, Hirotaka Maruyama, Hidetomo Uemukai, Tomiyasu Maezono