Patents by Inventor Yoji Sakata

Yoji Sakata 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: 20240355644
    Abstract: A substrate processing system provided with a plurality of apparatuses to perform a patterning on a plurality of the substrates, wherein a transfer container accommodating the plurality of substrates is transferred to the plurality of apparatuses in a sequential manner. The substrate processing system includes: a first apparatus of the plurality of apparatuses, which is configured to form a metal-containing resist film on each substrate; a second apparatus of the plurality of apparatuses, which is configured to perform a development on the metal-containing resist film after exposure; and an atmosphere regulator having an accommodation space where the substrates, on each of which the metal-containing resist film before being subjected to the development is formed, are accommodated and configured to regulate an atmosphere of the accommodation space so as to regulate a degree of progress of a reaction of the metal-containing resist film on each substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2024
    Publication date: October 24, 2024
    Inventors: Shinsuke TAKAKI, Hiroki TADATOMO, Yoji SAKATA, Tomoya ONITSUKA, Naoki SHIBATA
  • Publication number: 20240310740
    Abstract: A substrate transfer method of transferring a substrate on which a metal-containing resist film is formed from a first placement part to a second placement part, includes transferring, depending on an abnormality in a transfer path, the substrate to a standby chamber in which a second atmosphere different from a first atmosphere of the first placement part is formed, without transferring the substrate to the second placement part, and putting the substrate on standby in the second atmosphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2024
    Publication date: September 19, 2024
    Inventors: Kenichirou MATSUYAMA, Hiroki TADATOMO, Yoji SAKATA, Shinsuke TAKAKI
  • Publication number: 20240248417
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a first transfer path that is a transfer path for a substrate after MOR film formation and before exposure, and a second transfer path that is a transfer path for the substrate after exposure; and one or a plurality of nitrogen atmosphere placement stages provided on at least one of the first transfer path and the second transfer path and configured to place the substrate in an environment with a nitrogen concentration of an atmosphere set higher than that of air.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2024
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Inventors: Yoji SAKATA, Shingo KATSUKI, Ryohei FUJISE, Kenichirou MATSUYAMA, Shinsuke TAKAKI, Hiroyuki IWAKI, Hiroki TADATOMO, Tomoya ONITSUKA
  • Publication number: 20240231232
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a first unit block including a first substrate transfer region, a first and a second processing modules provided to face a first and a second sides of the first substrate transfer region in a left-right direction, and a first and a second transfer mechanisms provided at the first and the second sides and configured to deliver a substrate to the first and the second processing modules; a second unit block, stacked on the first unit block, including a second substrate transfer region and a third transfer mechanism; a substrate carry-in/out block provided at a first side of a stack of the unit blocks and configured to deliver the substrate to the first and the third transfer mechanisms; a relay block provided at a second side of the stack and configured to deliver the substrate to the second and the third transfer mechanisms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2024
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Yoji Sakata, Masashi Tsuchiyama, Tsuyoshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11971661
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a first unit block including a first substrate transfer region, a first and a second processing modules provided to face a first and a second sides of the first substrate transfer region in a left-right direction, and a first and a second transfer mechanisms provided at the first and the second sides and configured to deliver a substrate to the first and the second processing modules; a second unit block, stacked on the first unit block, including a second substrate transfer region and a third transfer mechanism; a substrate carry-in/out block provided at a first side of a stack of the unit blocks and configured to deliver the substrate to the first and the third transfer mechanisms; a relay block provided at a second side of the stack and configured to deliver the substrate to the second and the third transfer mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yoji Sakata, Masashi Tsuchiyama, Tsuyoshi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20210278768
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a first unit block including a first substrate transfer region, a first and a second processing modules provided to face a first and a second sides of the first substrate transfer region in a left-right direction, and a first and a second transfer mechanisms provided at the first and the second sides and configured to deliver a substrate to the first and the second processing modules; a second unit block, stacked on the first unit block, including a second substrate transfer region and a third transfer mechanism; a substrate carry-in/out block provided at a first side of a stack of the unit blocks and configured to deliver the substrate to the first and the third transfer mechanisms; a relay block provided at a second side of the stack and configured to deliver the substrate to the second and the third transfer mechanisms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: Yoji Sakata, Masashi Tsuchiyama, Tsuyoshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9984905
    Abstract: An interface station of a coating and developing treatment system has: a cleaning unit cleaning at least a rear surface of a wafer before the wafer is transferred into an exposure apparatus; an inspection unit inspecting the rear surface of the cleaned wafer whether the wafer is exposable, before it is transferred into the exposure apparatus; wafer transfer mechanisms including arms transferring the wafer between the units and a wafer transfer control part controlling operations of the wafer transfer mechanisms. When it is determined that a state of the wafer becomes an exposable state by re-cleaning in the cleaning unit as a result of the inspection, the wafer transfer control part controls the wafer transfer mechanisms to transfer the wafer again to the cleaning unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masahiro Nakaharada, Yoji Sakata, Akira Miyata, Shinichi Hayashi, Suguru Enokida, Tsunenaga Nakashima
  • Patent number: 9984904
    Abstract: An interface station of a coating and developing treatment system has: a cleaning unit cleaning at least a rear surface of a wafer before the wafer is transferred into an exposure apparatus; an inspection unit inspecting the rear surface of the cleaned wafer whether the wafer is exposable, before it is transferred into the exposure apparatus; wafer transfer mechanisms including arms transferring the wafer between the units and a wafer transfer control part controlling operations of the wafer transfer mechanisms. When it is determined that a state of the wafer becomes an exposable state by re-cleaning in the cleaning unit as a result of the inspection, the wafer transfer control part controls the wafer transfer mechanisms to transfer the wafer again to the cleaning unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masahiro Nakaharada, Yoji Sakata, Akira Miyata, Shinichi Hayashi, Suguru Enokida, Tsunenaga Nakashima
  • Publication number: 20160372346
    Abstract: An interface station of a coating and developing treatment system has: a cleaning unit cleaning at least a rear surface of a wafer before the wafer is transferred into an exposure apparatus; an inspection unit inspecting the rear surface of the cleaned wafer whether the wafer is exposable, before it is transferred into the exposure apparatus; wafer transfer mechanisms including arms transferring the wafer between the units and a wafer transfer control part controlling operations of the wafer transfer mechanisms. When it is determined that a state of the wafer becomes an exposable state by re-cleaning in the cleaning unit as a result of the inspection, the wafer transfer control part controls the wafer transfer mechanisms to transfer the wafer again to the cleaning unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Masahiro NAKAHARADA, Yoji SAKATA, Akira MIYATA, Shinichi HAYASHI, Suguru ENOKIDA, Tsunenaga NAKASHIMA
  • Publication number: 20160372345
    Abstract: An interface station of a coating and developing treatment system has: a cleaning unit cleaning at least a rear surface of a wafer before the wafer is transferred into an exposure apparatus; an inspection unit inspecting the rear surface of the cleaned wafer whether the wafer is exposable, before it is transferred into the exposure apparatus; wafer transfer mechanisms including arms transferring the wafer between the units and a wafer transfer control part controlling operations of the wafer transfer mechanisms. When it is determined that a state of the wafer becomes an exposable state by re-cleaning in the cleaning unit as a result of the inspection, the wafer transfer control part controls the wafer transfer mechanisms to transfer the wafer again to the cleaning unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Masahiro NAKAHARADA, Yoji SAKATA, Akira MIYATA, Shinichi HAYASHI, Suguru ENOKIDA, Tsunenaga NAKASHIMA
  • Patent number: 9460942
    Abstract: An interface station of a coating and developing treatment system has: a cleaning unit cleaning at least a rear surface of a wafer before the wafer is transferred into an exposure apparatus; an inspection unit inspecting the rear surface of the cleaned wafer whether the wafer is exposable, before it is transferred into the exposure apparatus; wafer transfer mechanisms including arms transferring the wafer between the units and a wafer transfer control part controlling operations of the wafer transfer mechanisms. When it is determined that a state of the wafer becomes an exposable state by re-cleaning in the cleaning unit as a result of the inspection, the wafer transfer control part controls the wafer transfer mechanisms to transfer the wafer again to the cleaning unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masahiro Nakaharada, Yoji Sakata, Akira Miyata, Shinichi Hayashi, Suguru Enokida, Tsunenaga Nakashima
  • Patent number: 9287145
    Abstract: In a coating and developing treatment system including a treatment station and an interface station, the interface station has: a cleaning unit cleaning a rear surface of a wafer before the wafer is transferred into an exposure apparatus; an inspection unit inspecting whether the cleaned wafer is in an exposable state; and a wafer transfer mechanism including an arm transferring the wafer between the cleaning unit and the inspection unit. Each of the cleaning unit and the inspection unit is provided at multiple tiers in an up and down direction on the front side in the interface station, and the wafer transfer mechanism is provided in a region adjacent to the cleaning units and the inspection units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Masahiro Nakaharada, Yoji Sakata, Akira Miyata, Shinichi Hayashi, Suguru Enokida, Tsunenaga Nakashima