Patents by Inventor Yoshifumi Okada

Yoshifumi Okada 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: 20240100712
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning device includes a chamber, a first processing part and a second processing part. The chamber forms a processing space including a first processing position and a second processing position. The first processing part performs a first process on a substrate disposed at the first processing position in the chamber. The second processing part performs a second process on the substrate disposed at the second processing position in the chamber. A main robot loads and unloads the substrate with respect to the substrate cleaning device by moving a hand holding the substrate. In addition, the main robot receives the substrate disposed at the first processing position by causing the hand to enter the processing space, transporting the substrate to the second processing position, and positioning the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuaki OKITA, Kazuki NAKAMURA, Yoshifumi OKADA
  • Publication number: 20240091816
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus includes an upper holding device holding an outer peripheral end of a substrate, and a lower surface brush contacting a lower surface of the substrate to clean the lower surface. The lower surface brush moves from a state of being separated from the lower surface to contact a first partial region of the lower surface when cleaning of a lower surface central region of the substrate is started. Then, the lower surface brush moves into contact with the lower surface central region on the lower surface. The lower surface brush moves from a state of being in contact with the lower surface to be separated from a second partial region of the lower surface when cleaning of the lower surface central region is completed. At least one of the first partial region and the second partial region does not overlap the lower surface central region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuki Nakamura, Yoshifumi Okada, Nobuaki Okita
  • Publication number: 20240091815
    Abstract: A substrate cleaning apparatus includes an upper holding device holding an outer peripheral end of a substrate, and a lower surface brush contacting a lower surface of the substrate to clean the lower surface. The lower surface brush moves between a contact position where the lower surface brush contacts the lower surface of the substrate held by the upper holding device and a separation position where the lower surface brush is separated from the substrate held by the upper holding device by a certain distance. At the separation position, the lower surface brush rotates at a first rotation speed. At the contact position, the lower surface brush rotates at a second rotation speed higher than the first rotation speed at a time point when the lower surface brush contacts the lower surface and a time point when the lower surface brush is separated from the lower surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuki NAKAMURA, Yoshifumi OKADA, Nobuaki OKITA
  • Publication number: 20230017418
    Abstract: An upper holding device holds a substrate in a horizontal attitude without rotating the substrate. A lower holding device rotates a substrate while holding the substrate by suction. A substrate held by the upper holding device is cleaned with use of a cleaning liquid, and a substrate held by the lower holding device is cleaned with use of a cleaning liquid. Gas in a processing space is exhausted by exhaust equipment of a factory through an exhaust system. When a substrate is held by the upper holding device, gas in the processing space is not exhausted or gas in the processing space is exhausted at a first flow rate. Gas in the processing space is exhausted at a second or third flow rate that is higher than the first flow rate when the substrate is held by the lower holding device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Nobuaki OKITA, Junichi ISHII, Kazuki NAKAMURA, Takashi SHINOHARA, Yoshifumi OKADA, Tomoyuki SHINOHARA, Takuma TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20230010624
    Abstract: A substrate alignment device includes first and second support members that are arranged to be opposite to each other and be spaced apart from each other in a plan view, and respectively support an outer peripheral end of a substrate from a position below the substrate. Further, the substrate alignment device includes a first pressing member that is arranged to be opposite to the first support member in a plan view, and moves the substrate by pressing one portion of the outer peripheral end of the substrate in a first direction directed from the second support member toward the first support member with the substrate supported by the first and second support members. The first support member includes a movement limiter that limits movement of the substrate in the first direction past a predetermined prescribed position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2022
    Publication date: January 12, 2023
    Inventors: Nobuaki OKITA, Tomoyuki SHINOHARA, Junichi ISHII, Kazuki NAKAMURA, Takashi SHINOHARA, Takuma TAKAHASHI, Yoshifumi OKADA, Hiroshi KATO
  • Publication number: 20230001456
    Abstract: A cleaner comes into contact with a lower-surface center region of a substrate held by a first holder, so that the lower-surface center region is cleaned. The cleaner comes into contact with a lower-surface outer region of the substrate rotated by a second holder, so that the lower-surface outer region of the substrate is cleaned. During cleaning of the lower-surface center region, the second holder is rotated about a vertical axis while not holding the substrate. Alternatively, during cleaning of the lower-surface center region, the gas injector arranged between the cleaner and the second holder injects gas toward the substrate from a first height spaced apart from the substrate by a predetermined distance. Further, during drying of the lower-surface center region, the gas injector injects gas toward the substrate from a second height closer to the substrate than the first height.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Tomoyuki SHINOHARA, Junichi ISHII, Kazuki NAKAMURA, Yoshifumi OKADA, Takuma TAKAHASHI, Takashi SHINOHARA, Nobuaki OKITA
  • Publication number: 20220410219
    Abstract: A lower-surface center region of a substrate held by a first holder is cleaned by a cleaner. A lower-surface outer region of the substrate rotated by a second holder is cleaned by the cleaner. A mobile base provided with the second holder and the cleaner is moved in a horizontal plane such that a reference position of the first holder coincides with a center axis of the second holder in a plan view when the substrate is received and transferred between the first holder and the second holder, and is moved in the horizontal plane such that the cleaner overlaps with the lower-surface center region of the substrate held by the first holder and a center axis of the cleaner coincides with a first portion different from a center of the substrate in the plan view when the lower-surface center region is cleaned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Tomoyuki SHINOHARA, Kazuki NAKAMURA, Yoshifumi OKADA, Takuma TAKAHASHI, Takashi SHINOHARA, Nobuaki OKITA, Junichi ISHII
  • Publication number: 20220395867
    Abstract: A first cleaner cleans an upper surface of a substrate by scanning above the substrate to pass through a first point in an outer edge of the substrate in a plan view. A second cleaner cleans an outer peripheral end of the substrate by coming into contact with a second point in the outer edge of the substrate in a plan view. A virtual first straight line passing through the first point and the second point and a virtual second straight line passing through a center of the substrate and is parallel to the first straight line are defined. A third cleaner is arranged below the substrate and opposite to the first cleaner and the second cleaner with the second straight line located between the third cleaner, and the first cleaner and the second cleaner, and cleans a lower surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2022
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: Tomoyuki SHINOHARA, Yoshifumi OKADA, Nobuaki OKITA, Takashi SHINOHARA, Junichi ISHII, Kazuki NAKAMURA, Takuma TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20220093420
    Abstract: A first substrate holder holds an outer peripheral end of a substrate. A second substrate holder holds a lower-surface center region of the substrate by suction at a position farther downward than the first substrate holder. The second substrate holder and the lower-surface brush are provided on a mobile base that is movable in a horizontal direction. The mobile base is moved between a position at which the lower-surface brush is opposite to a lower-surface outer region of the substrate and a position at which the lower-surface brush is opposite to the lower-surface center region of the substrate. The lower-surface center region of the substrate held by the first substrate holder is cleaned. At this time, a height position of the substrate is higher than an upper end portion of a processing cup. The lower-surface outer region of the substrate held by the second substrate holder is cleaned. At this time, a height position of the substrate is lower than the upper end portion of the processing cup.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: Tomoyuki SHINOHARA, Yoshifumi OKADA, Nobuaki OKITA, Hiroshi KATO, Takashi SHINOHARA
  • Publication number: 20220088793
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate processor and a substrate transporter. The substrate processor includes an upper holding device and a lower holding device configured to be capable of holding a substrate. In the substrate processor, the lower holding device is provided below the upper holding device. Therefore, a height position at which a substrate can be held by the upper holding device is different from a height position at which the substrate can be held by the lower holding device. The substrate transporter has first and second hands that hold a substrate. The second hand is located farther downwardly than the first hand. A substrate is received from or transferred to the upper holding device by the first hand. A substrate is received from or transferred to the lower holding device by the second hand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: Tomoyuki SHINOHARA, Yoshifumi OKADA, Nobuaki OKITA
  • Patent number: 10186418
    Abstract: For execution of substrate processing using multiple processing units available in parallel, two or more processing units to be used in parallel are selected from the multiple processing units such that an conveying-out standby time does not exceed a given permissible time. The conveying-out standby time is a time when a substrate after subjected to substrate processing by the processing unit is placed in standby until the substrate is transported from the processing unit by a transporting part. A schedule is made that includes processing by the transporting part of transporting a substrate toward the two or more processing units, substrate processing by the two or more processing units, and processing by the transporting part of transporting a substrate from the two or more processing units. The processing unit and the transporting part are controlled to execute substrate processing on multiple substrates in order according to the schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Okada
  • Patent number: 9349625
    Abstract: Provided is a substrate conveyance method where a segment which can simultaneously hold M pieces of substrates defined by an integer M of 2 or more is provided, and a substrate conveyance part can simultaneously convey N pieces of substrates defined by an integer N of 2 or more which is not a divisor of the integer M from the segment or toward the segment. The substrate conveyance part performs a substrate conveyance cycle repeatedly where when N pieces of variables ik defined by integers k of 1 to N are arbitrary integers of 0 or more and not more than (M/N) and satisfy a relationship of M=N×i1+ . . . +1×iN, a conveyance step where a substrate conveyance step of simultaneously conveying (N?k?1) pieces of substrates from the segment or toward the segment by the substrate conveyance part is performed ik times is performed with respect to the conveyance step where the number of times of the substrate conveyance steps is defined by each variable which is a natural number out of N pieces of variables ik.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Okada
  • Publication number: 20150243536
    Abstract: For execution of substrate processing using multiple processing units available in parallel, two or more processing units to be used in parallel are selected from the multiple processing units such that an conveying-out standby time does not exceed a given permissible time. The conveying-out standby time is a time when a substrate after subjected to substrate processing by the processing unit is placed in standby until the substrate is transported from the processing unit by a transporting part. A schedule is made that includes processing by the transporting part of transporting a substrate toward the two or more processing units, substrate processing by the two or more processing units, and processing by the transporting part of transporting a substrate from the two or more processing units. The processing unit and the transporting part are controlled to execute substrate processing on multiple substrates in order according to the schedule.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventor: Yoshifumi OKADA
  • Publication number: 20150139760
    Abstract: Provided is a substrate conveyance method where a segment which can simultaneously hold M pieces of substrates defined by an integer M of 2 or more is provided, and a substrate conveyance part can simultaneously convey N pieces of substrates defined by an integer N of 2 or more which is not a divisor of the integer M from the segment or toward the segment. The substrate conveyance part performs a substrate conveyance cycle repeatedly where when N pieces of variables ik defined by integers k of 1 to N are arbitrary integers of 0 or more and not more than (M/N) and satisfy a relationship of M=N×i1+ . . . +1×iN, a conveyance step where a substrate conveyance step of simultaneously conveying (N?k?1) pieces of substrates from the segment or toward the segment by the substrate conveyance part is performed ik times is performed with respect to the conveyance step where the number of times of the substrate conveyance steps is defined by each variable which is a natural number out of N pieces of variables ik.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventor: Yoshifumi OKADA
  • Patent number: 4343083
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing printed circuit sheets which is capable of efficiently manufacturing printed circuit sheets from a base sheet composed of a base material in a sheet form having applied at least on one surface an electrically conductive foil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1979
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1982
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuyoshi Takemura, Masatoshi Kondo, Fumio Hasuike, Yoshifumi Okada
  • Patent number: 4316320
    Abstract: This is directed to an electronic circuit apparatus using a flexible printed wiring board having a conductive leaf formed on the surfaces of a flexible base material such as phenol resin or the like, wherein a circuit conductive leaf is formed on at least the single face of a flexible base material and a peripheral edge leaf is formed on the periphery of the flexible base material. An electronic parts is mounted and connected to the circuit conductive leaf. Since the flexible base material is extremely thin and flexible, the electronic circuit apparatus can be constructed smaller and thinner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1979
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1982
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Nogawa, Katsuyoshi Takemura, Yoshifumi Okada