Patents by Inventor Yohei Yamazawa

Yohei Yamazawa 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).

  • Patent number: 9899191
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber including a dielectric window; a coil-shaped RF antenna, provided outside the dielectric window; a substrate supporting unit provided in the processing chamber; a processing gas supply unit; an RF power supply unit for supplying an RF power to the RF antenna to generate a plasma of the processing gas by an inductive coupling in the processing chamber, the RF power having an appropriate frequency for RF discharge of the processing gas; a correction coil, provided at a position outside the processing chamber where the correction coil is to be coupled with the RF antenna by an electromagnetic induction, for controlling a plasma density distribution on the substrate in the processing chamber; a switching device provided in a loop of the correction coil; and a switching control unit for on-off controlling the switching device at a desired duty ratio by pulse width modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yohei Yamazawa, Chishio Koshimizu, Masashi Saito, Kazuki Denpoh, Jun Yamawaku
  • Publication number: 20170338081
    Abstract: A capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus includes: a chamber body configured to provide a chamber; first and second electrodes installed such that an internal space of the chamber is defined between the first and second electrodes; a high frequency power supply; a matcher for impedance matching connected to the high frequency power supply; a transformer including a primary coil coupled to the high frequency power supply via the matcher, first and second secondary coils; and at least one impedance adjusting circuit having a variable impedance, and installed in at least one of a first serial circuit between the first electrode and a ground connected to the other end of the first secondary coil, and a second serial circuit between the second electrode and a ground connected to the other end of the second secondary coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventor: Yohei YAMAZAWA
  • Publication number: 20170330772
    Abstract: A capacitively-coupled plasma processing apparatus includes: at least one chamber body providing chambers separated from each other; upper electrodes respectively installed in upper spaces within the chambers; lower electrodes respectively installed in lower spaces within the chambers; a high frequency power supply; a transformer including a primary coil electrically connected to the high frequency power supply, and secondary coils each of which coils having a first end and a second end; first condensers respectively connected between each of the first ends of the secondary coils and the upper electrodes; and second condensers respectively connected between each of the second ends of the secondary coils and the lower electrodes. The primary coil extends around a central axis. The secondary coils are configured to be coaxially disposed with respect to the primary coil. A self-inductance of each of the secondary coils is smaller than that of the primary coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventor: Yohei YAMAZAWA
  • Publication number: 20170316948
    Abstract: A transformer includes: a rotary shaft configured to rotate about a central axis of the rotary shaft as a rotational axis; a primary-side first coil configured to extend around a first axis perpendicular to the central axis; a secondary-side second coil configured to extend around a second axis and supported by the rotary shaft, the second axis being perpendicular to the rotational axis in an area surrounded by the first coil; and a secondary-side third coil configured to extend around a third axis and supported by the rotary shaft, the third axis being perpendicular to the rotational axis and forming a predetermined angle with the second axis in the area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventor: Yohei YAMAZAWA
  • Patent number: 9627181
    Abstract: There is provided an inductively coupled plasma etching apparatus capable of suppressing a wavelength effect within a RF antenna and performing a plasma process uniformly in both a circumferential and a radial direction. In the plasma etching apparatus, a RF antenna 54 is provided on a dielectric window 52 to generate inductively coupled plasma. The RF antenna 54 includes an inner coil 58, an intermediate coil 60 and an outer coil 62 in the radial direction. The inner coil 58 includes a single inner coil segment 59 or more than one inner coil segments 59 connected in series. The intermediate coil 60 includes two intermediate coil segments 61(1) and 61(2) separated in a circumferential direction and electrically connected with each other in parallel. The outer coil 62 includes three outer coil segments 63(1), 63(2) and 63(3) separated in a circumferential direction and electrically connected with each other in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Yohei Yamazawa
  • Patent number: 9583312
    Abstract: A film formation device to conduct a film formation process for a substrate includes a rotating table, a film formation area configured to include a process gas supply part, a plasma processing part, a lower bias electrode provided at a lower side of a position of a height of the substrate on the rotating table, an upper bias electrode arranged at the same position of the height or an upper side of a position of the height, a high-frequency power source part connected to at least one of the lower bias electrode and the upper bias electrode and configured to form a bias electric potential on the substrate in such a manner that the lower bias electrode and the upper bias electrode are capacitively coupled, and an exhaust mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Jun Yamawaku, Chishio Koshimizu, Yohei Yamazawa, Mitsuhiro Tachibana, Hitoshi Kato, Takeshi Kobayashi, Shigehiro Miura, Takafumi Kimura
  • Publication number: 20170032936
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an upper electrode and a lower electrode for supporting a wafer disposed opposite each other within a process chamber. A first RF power supply configured to apply a first RF power having a relatively higher frequency, and a second RF power supply configured to apply a second RF power having a relatively lower frequency is connected to the lower electrode. A variable DC power supply is connected to the upper electrode. A process gas is supplied into the process chamber to generate plasma of the process gas so as to perform plasma etching.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Publication date: February 2, 2017
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Akira KOSHIISHI, Masaru SUGIMOTO, Kunihiko HINATA, Noriyuki KOBAYASHI, Chishio KOSHIMIZU, Ryuji OHTANI, Kazuo KIBI, Masashi SAITO, Naoki MATSUMOTO, Manabu IWATA, Daisuke YANO, Yohei YAMAZAWA, Hidetoshi HANAOKA, Toshihiro HAYAMI, Hiroki YAMAZAKI, Manabu SATO
  • Publication number: 20160379805
    Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus includes an upper electrode and a lower electrode, between which plasma of a process gas is generated to perform plasma etching on a wafer W. The apparatus further comprises a cooling ring disposed around the wafer, a correction ring disposed around the cooling ring, and a variable DC power supply directly connected to the correction ring, the DC voltage being preset to provide the correction ring with a negative bias, relative to ground potential, for attracting ions in the plasma and to increase temperature of the correction ring to compensate for a decrease in temperature of a space near the edge of the target substrate due to the cooling ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Akira KOSHIISHI, Masaru Sugimoto, Kunihiko Hinata, Noriyuki Kobayashi, Chishio Koshimizu, Ryuji Ohtani, Kazuo Kibi, Masashi Saito, Naoki Matsumoto, Yoshinobu Ohya, Manabu Iwata, Daisuke Yano, Yohei Yamazawa, Hidetoshi Hanaoka, Toshihiro Hayami, Hiroki Yamazaki, Manabu Sato
  • Publication number: 20160358753
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an upper electrode and a lower electrode for supporting a wafer disposed opposite each other within a process chamber. A first RF power supply configured to apply a first RF power having a relatively higher frequency is connected to the upper electrode. A second RF power supply configured to apply a second RF power having a relatively lower frequency is connected to the lower electrode. A variable DC power supply is connected to the upper electrode. A process gas is supplied into the process chamber while any one of application voltage, application current, and application power from the variable DC power supply to the upper electrode is controlled, to generate plasma of the process gas so as to perform plasma etching.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Akira KOSHIISHI, Masaru Sugimoto, Kunihiko Hinata, Noriyuki Kobayashi, Chishio Koshimizu, Ryuji Ohtani, Kazuo Kibi, Masashi Saito, Naoki Matsumoto, Manabu Iwata, Daisuke Yano, Yohei Yamazawa
  • Patent number: 9502215
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus is provided. According to the apparatus, a main antenna connected to a high frequency power source and an auxiliary antenna electrically insulated from main antenna is arranged. Moreover, projection areas when the main antenna and the auxiliary antenna are seen in a plan view are arranged so as not to overlap with each other. More specifically, the auxiliary antenna is arranged on a downstream side in a rotational direction of the turntable relative to the main antenna. Then, a first electromagnetic field is generated in the auxiliary antenna by way of an induction current flowing through the main antenna, and a second induction plasma is generated even in an area under the auxiliary antenna in addition to an area under the main antenna by resonating the auxiliary antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kato, Shigehiro Miura, Chishio Koshimizu, Jun Yamawaku, Yohei Yamazawa
  • Patent number: 9490105
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a first and second electrodes disposed on upper and lower sides and opposite each other within a process container, a first RF power application unit and a DC power supply both connected to the first electrode, and second and third radio frequency power application units both connected to the second electrode. A conductive member is disposed within the process container and grounded to release through plasma a current caused by a DC voltage applied from the DC power supply. The conductive member is supported by a first shield part around the second electrode and laterally protruding therefrom at a position between the mount face of the second electrode and an exhaust plate for the conductive member to be exposed to the plasma. The conductive member is grounded through a conductive internal body of the first shield part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Akira Koshiishi, Masaru Sugimoto, Kunihiko Hinata, Noriyuki Kobayashi, Chishio Koshimizu, Ryuji Ohtani, Kazuo Kibi, Masashi Saito, Naoki Matsumoto, Yoshinobu Ohya, Manabu Iwata, Daisuke Yano, Yohei Yamazawa, Hidetoshi Hanaoka, Toshihiro Hayami, Hiroki Yamazaki, Manabu Sato
  • Publication number: 20160203951
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber including a dielectric window; a coil shaped RF antenna provided outside the dielectric window; a substrate supporting unit, provided in the processing chamber, for mounting thereon a target substrate to be processed; a processing gas supply unit for supplying a desired processing gas to the processing chamber to perform a desired plasma process on the target substrate; and an RF power supply unit for supplying an RF power to the RF antenna to generate a plasma of the processing gas by an inductive coupling in the processing chamber. The apparatus further includes a floating coil electrically floated and arranged at a position outside the processing chamber where the floating coil is to be coupled with the RF antenna by an electromagnetic induction; and a capacitor provided in a loop of the floating coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yohei YAMAZAWA, Chishio KOSHIMIZU, Kazuki DENPOH, Jun YAMAWAKU, Masashi SAITO
  • Publication number: 20160172160
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: an evacuable processing chamber including a dielectric window; a substrate supporting unit, provided in the processing chamber, for mounting thereon a target substrate; a processing gas supply unit for supplying a desired processing gas to the processing chamber to perform a plasma process on the target substrate; a first RF antenna, provided on the dielectric window, for generating a plasma by an inductive coupling in the processing chamber; and a first RF power supply unit for supplying an RF power to the first RF antenna. The first RF antenna includes a primary coil provided on or above the dielectric window and electrically connected to the first RF power supply unit; and a secondary coil provided such that the coils are coupled with each other by an electromagnetic induction therebetween while being arranged closer to a bottom surface of the dielectric window than the primary coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yohei YAMAZAWA, Masashi SAITO, Kazuki DENPOH, Chishio KOSHIMIZU, Jun YAMAWAKU
  • Publication number: 20160155613
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: a processing chamber; a substrate holding unit; a processing gas supply unit; a RF antenna having an inner antenna coil and an outer antenna coil; a high frequency power supply unit; at least one floating coil that is in an electrically floating state and provided outside the processing chamber to be coupled to at least one of the inner antenna coil and the outer antenna coil by an electromagnetic induction; and a capacitor. The inner antenna coil includes a single inner coil segment or more than one inner coil segments connected in series, the outer antenna coil includes a plurality of outer coil segments segmented in a circumferential direction and electrically connected with each other in parallel, and the at least one floating coil is positioned between the inner antenna coil and the outer antenna coil in a radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Inventor: Yohei Yamazawa
  • Patent number: 9351389
    Abstract: There is provided a plasma processing apparatus including a processing chamber having a dielectric window; a substrate holding unit for holding thereon a processing target substrate within the processing chamber; a processing gas supply unit configured to supply a processing gas into the processing chamber in order to perform a plasma process on the substrate; a RF antenna provided outside the dielectric window in order to generate plasma of the processing gas within the processing chamber by inductive coupling; and a high frequency power supply unit configured to supply a high frequency power having a frequency for generating a high frequency electric discharge of the processing gas. Here, the RF antenna includes a plurality of coil segments that are arranged along a loop having a preset shape and a preset size while electrically connected in parallel to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Yohei Yamazawa
  • Publication number: 20160118222
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber, a part of which is formed of a dielectric window; a substrate supporting unit, provided in the processing chamber, for mounting a target substrate; a processing gas supply unit for supplying a processing gas to the processing chamber to perform a plasma process on the target substrate; an RF antenna, provided outside the dielectric window, for generating a plasma from the processing gas by an inductive coupling in the processing chamber; and an RF power supply unit for supplying an RF power to the RF antenna. The RF antenna includes a single-wound or multi-wound coil conductor having a cutout portion in a coil circling direction; and a pair of RF power lines from the RF power supply unit are respectively connected to a pair of coil end portions of the coil conductor that are opposite to each other via the cutout portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Publication date: April 28, 2016
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yohei YAMAZAWA, Kazuki DENPOH, Jun YAMAWAKU
  • Patent number: 9313872
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a processing chamber including a dielectric window; a coil shaped RF antenna provided outside the dielectric window; a substrate supporting unit, provided in the processing chamber, for mounting thereon a target substrate to be processed; a processing gas supply unit for supplying a desired processing gas to the processing chamber to perform a desired plasma process on the target substrate; and an RF power supply unit for supplying an RF power to the RF antenna to generate a plasma of the processing gas by an inductive coupling in the processing chamber. The apparatus further includes a floating coil electrically floated and arranged at a position outside the processing chamber where the floating coil is to be coupled with the RF antenna by an electromagnetic induction; and a capacitor provided in a loop of the floating coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yohei Yamazawa, Chishio Koshimizu, Kazuki Denpoh, Jun Yamawaku, Masashi Saito
  • Patent number: 9293299
    Abstract: In an inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus, it is possible to control a plasma density distribution while suppressing a wavelength effect within a RF antenna. Provided at a ceiling of a chamber 10 or above a dielectric window 52 is a circular ring-shaped RF antenna 54 for generating inductively coupled plasma within the chamber 10. This RF antenna 54 includes two coil segments 84(1) and 84(2) each having a semicircular arc shape. The coil segments 84(1) and 84(2) are electrically connected to each other in parallel with respect to a high frequency power supply unit 62. On the dielectric window 52, a circular ring-shaped floating coil 60 having a variable capacitor 58 coupled to the RF antenna 54 by an electromagnetic induction is provided. The variable capacitor 58 is varied in a certain range by a capacitance varying unit 82 under the control of a main controller 80.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Yohei Yamazawa
  • Patent number: 9275837
    Abstract: A parallel resonance frequency can be adjusted in order to stably and securely block different high frequency noises flowing into a line such as a power feed line or a signal line from electric members including a high frequency electrode within a processing chamber. A filter 102(1) coaxially accommodates a coil 104(1) within a cylindrical outer conductor 110, and a ring member 122 is coaxially installed between the coil 104(1) and the outer conductor 110. The ring-shaped member 122 may be a plate body of a circular ring shape on a plane orthogonal to an axial direction of the outer conductor 110 and made of a conductor such as cupper or aluminum and electrically connected with the outer conductor 110 while electrically insulated from the coil 104(1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yohei Yamazawa, Naoki Matsumoto, Masahide Iwasaki, Naohiko Okunishi
  • Patent number: 9253867
    Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes: an evacuable processing chamber including a dielectric window; a substrate supporting unit, provided in the processing chamber, for mounting thereon a target substrate; a processing gas supply unit for supplying a desired processing gas to the processing chamber to perform a plasma process on the target substrate; a first RF antenna, provided on the dielectric window, for generating a plasma by an inductive coupling in the processing chamber; and a first RF power supply unit for supplying an RF power to the first RF antenna. The first RF antenna includes a primary coil provided on or above the dielectric window and electrically connected to the first RF power supply unit; and a secondary coil provided such that the coils are coupled with each other by an electromagnetic induction therebetween while being arranged closer to a bottom surface of the dielectric window than the primary coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yohei Yamazawa, Masashi Saito, Kazuki Denpoh, Chishio Koshimizu, Jun Yamawaku