Patents by Inventor Yoshiaki Tanase
Yoshiaki Tanase 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: 10294559Abstract: A sputter target assembly particularly useful for a large panel plasma sputter reactor having a target assembly sealed both to the main processing chamber and a vacuum pumped chamber housing a moving magnetron. The target assembly to which target tiles are bonded includes an integral plate with parallel cooling holes drilled parallel to the principal faces. The ends of the holes may be sealed and vertically extending slots arranged in two staggered groups on each side and machined down to respective pairs of cooling holes on opposite sides of the backing plate in pairs. Four manifolds tubes are sealed to the four groups of slots and provide counter-flowing coolant paths.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 2012Date of Patent: May 21, 2019Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Yoshiaki Tanase, Makoto Inagawa, Akihiro Hosokawa
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Publication number: 20120175250Abstract: A sputter target assembly particularly useful for a large panel plasma sputter reactor having a target assembly sealed both to the main processing chamber and a vacuum pumped chamber housing a moving magnetron. The target assembly to which target tiles are bonded includes an integral plate with parallel cooling holes drilled parallel to the principal faces. The ends of the holes may be sealed and vertically extending slots arranged in two staggered groups on each side and machined down to respective pairs of cooling holes on opposite sides of the backing plate in pairs. Four manifolds tubes are sealed to the four groups of slots and provide counter-flowing coolant paths.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2012Publication date: July 12, 2012Applicant: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.Inventors: Yoshiaki Tanase, Makoto Inagawa, Akihiro Hosokawa
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Patent number: 8206075Abstract: In certain aspects, a load lock chamber is provided that includes a body having at least one sealing surface wall including a sealing surface. The sealing surface wall has an opening adjacent the sealing surface adapted to input or output a substrate. The body further includes a plurality of side walls. The load lock chamber also includes a top coupled to the body. The top includes one or more openings that divide the top into a first portion and a second portion. The load lock chamber further includes one or more top sealing members adapted to cover each opening of the top. Each top sealing member absorbs a movement of the first portion of the top relative to the second portion of the top. Numerous other aspects are provided.Type: GrantFiled: June 2, 2005Date of Patent: June 26, 2012Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: John M. White, Shinichi Kurita, William N. Sterling, Yoshiaki Tanase
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Patent number: 8182661Abstract: A sputter target assembly particularly useful for a large panel plasma sputter reactor having a target assembly sealed both to the main processing chamber and a vacuum pumped chamber housing a moving magnetron. The target assembly to which target tiles are bonded includes an integral plate with parallel cooling holes drilled parallel to the principal faces. The ends of the holes may be sealed and vertically extending slots arranged in two staggered groups on each side and machined down to respective pairs of cooling holes on opposite sides of the backing plate in pairs. Four manifolds tubes are sealed to the four groups of slots and provide counter-flowing coolant paths.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2005Date of Patent: May 22, 2012Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Yoshiaki Tanase, Makoto Inagawa, Akihiro Hosokawa
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Patent number: 7651315Abstract: A load lock chamber and method for transferring large area substrates is provided. In one embodiment, a load lock chamber suitable for transferring large area substrates includes a plurality of vertically stacked single substrate transfer chambers. The configuration of vertically stacked single substrate transfer chambers contributes to reduced size and greater throughput as compared to conventional state of the art, dual slot dual substrate designs. Moreover, the increased throughput has been realized at reduced pumping and venting rates, which corresponds to reduced probability of substrate contamination due to particulates and condensation.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2007Date of Patent: January 26, 2010Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Shinichi Kurita, Wendell T. Blonigan, Yoshiaki Tanase
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Patent number: 7652223Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method of welding sputtering target tiles to form a large sputtering target. Embodiments of a sputtering target assembly with welded sputtering target tiles are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2005Date of Patent: January 26, 2010Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Yoshiaki Tanase, Akihiro Hosokawa
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Patent number: 7575220Abstract: Embodiments of an apparatus for sealing a substrate transfer passage in a chamber are provided. In one embodiment, an apparatus for sealing a substrate transfer passage in a chamber includes an elongated door member having a convex sealing face and a backside. In another embodiment, a chamber having an apparatus for sealing a substrate transfer passage is provided that includes a chamber body having an interior volume, at least one substrate access defined through the chamber body configured to allow passage of a large area substrate therethrough, and a door member having a convex sealing face moveable between a first position that covers the substrate transfer port and a second position clear of the substrate transfer port. In yet another embodiment, the chamber body may be a load lock chamber.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2004Date of Patent: August 18, 2009Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Yoshiaki Tanase, Billy C. Leung, Gregory S. Lewis, David E. Berkstresser
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Patent number: 7282097Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide a slit valve door seal. In one embodiment, a slit valve door seal includes a ring-shaped base having a center axis and at least one finger extending from the base. The finger is oriented substantially parallel to the center axis, wherein the base and the finger define a single, one-piece seal member. The seal is particularly suitable for using in sealing substrate access passages formed in load lock chambers.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2004Date of Patent: October 16, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Yoshiaki Tanase, William Norman Sterling, Paul Andrew Haworth
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Patent number: 7207766Abstract: A load lock chamber and method for transferring large area substrates is provided. In one embodiment, a load lock chamber suitable for transferring large area substrates includes a plurality of vertically stacked single substrate transfer chambers. The configuration of vertically stacked single substrate transfer chambers contributes to reduced size and greater throughput as compared to conventional state of the art, dual slot dual substrate designs. Moreover, the increased throughput has been realized at reduced pumping and venting rates, which corresponds to reduced probability of substrate contamination due to particulates and condensation.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2004Date of Patent: April 24, 2007Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Shinichi Kurita, Wendell T. Blonigan, Yoshiaki Tanase
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Publication number: 20070023275Abstract: A sputter target assembly particularly useful for a large panel plasma sputter reactor having a target assembly sealed both to the main processing chamber and a vacuum pumped chamber housing a moving magnetron. The target assembly to which target tiles are bonded includes an integral plate with parallel cooling holes drilled parallel to the principal faces. The ends of the holes may be sealed and vertically extending slots arranged in two staggered groups on each side and machined down to respective pairs of cooling holes on opposite sides of the backing plate in pairs. Four manifolds tubes are sealed to the four groups of slots and provide counter-flowing coolant paths.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2005Publication date: February 1, 2007Inventors: Yoshiaki Tanase, Makoto Inagawa, Akihiro Hosokawa
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Publication number: 20060283705Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method of welding sputtering target tiles to form a large sputtering target. Embodiments of a sputtering target assembly with welded sputtering target tiles are also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 7, 2005Publication date: December 21, 2006Inventors: Yoshiaki Tanase, Akihiro Hosokawa
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Publication number: 20050285992Abstract: In certain aspects, a load lock chamber is provided that includes a body having at least one sealing surface wall including a sealing surface. The sealing surface wall has an opening adjacent the sealing surface adapted to input or output a substrate. The body further includes a plurality of side walls. The load lock chamber also includes a top coupled to the body. The top includes one or more openings that divide the top into a first portion and a second portion. The load lock chamber further includes one or more top sealing members adapted to cover each opening of the top. Each top sealing member absorbs a movement of the first portion of the top relative to the second portion of the top. Numerous other aspects are provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2005Publication date: December 29, 2005Inventors: John White, Shinichi Kurita, William Sterling, Yoshiaki Tanase
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Publication number: 20050274459Abstract: Embodiments of the invention generally provide a slit valve door seal. In one embodiment, a slit valve door seal includes a ring-shaped base having a center axis and at least one finger extending from the base. The finger is oriented substantially parallel to the center axis, wherein the base and the finger define a single, one-piece seal member. The seal is particularly suitable for using in sealing substrate access passages formed in load lock chambers.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2004Publication date: December 15, 2005Inventors: Yoshiaki Tanase, William Sterling, Paul Haworth
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Publication number: 20050274923Abstract: Embodiments of an apparatus for sealing a substrate transfer passage in a chamber are provided. In on embodiment, an apparatus for sealing a substrate transfer passage in a chamber includes an elongated door member having a convex sealing face and a backside. In another embodiment, a chamber having an apparatus for sealing a substrate transfer passage is provided that includes a chamber body having an interior volume, at least one substrate access defined through the chamber body configured to allow passage of a large area substrate therethrough, and a door member having a convex sealing face moveable between a first position that covers the substrate transfer port and a second position clear of the substrate transfer port. In yet another embodiment, the chamber body may be a load lock chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2004Publication date: December 15, 2005Inventors: Yoshiaki Tanase, Billy Leung, Gregory Lewis, David Berkstresser
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Publication number: 20050095088Abstract: A load lock chamber and method for transferring large area substrates is provided. In one embodiment, a load lock chamber suitable for transferring large area substrates includes a plurality of vertically stacked single substrate transfer chambers. The configuration of vertically stacked single substrate transfer chambers contributes to reduced size and greater throughput as compared to conventional state of the art, dual slot dual substrate designs. Moreover, the increased throughput has been realized at reduced pumping and venting rates, which corresponds to reduced probability of substrate contamination due to particulates and condensation.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2004Publication date: May 5, 2005Inventors: Shinichi Kurita, Wendell Blonigan, Yoshiaki Tanase
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Patent number: 5685914Abstract: In one aspect, the invention is embodied in a plasma reactor for processing a semiconductor wafer, the reactor having a pedestal focus ring surrounding the periphery of the wafer for reducing the process etch rate near the wafer periphery, and plural openings through the pedestal focus ring which permit passage therethrough of particulate contamination, thereby reducing accumulation of particulate contamination near the wafer periphery. In another aspect, in order to reduce corrosive wear of the chamber walls, a removable gas distribution focus ring shields the side walls of the plasma reactor from reactive gases associated with processing of the semiconductor wafer.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 1994Date of Patent: November 11, 1997Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.Inventors: Graham W. Hills, Yuh-Jia Su, Yoshiaki Tanase, Robert E. Ryan