Patents by Inventor Yosuke KAWABUCHI
Yosuke KAWABUCHI 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: 11854815Abstract: A substrate drying apparatus, a substrate drying method and a storage medium are capable of sublimating a sublimable substance filled in recesses of a pattern formed on a substrate while preventing pattern collapse. A first unit includes a solution supplier which supplies a sublimable substance solution containing a sublimable substance and a solvent to a processing surface, and a first liquid remover which forms a solid film of the sublimable substance on the processing surface by removing the solvent and a processing liquid from the processing surface. A second unit includes a second liquid remover which vaporize the solvent and the processing liquid remaining in the solid film by heating the substrate, and maintaining the substrate at a temperature within a first temperature range, and a solid film remover which remove the solid film from the processing surface by heating the substrate at a temperature within a second temperature range.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2019Date of Patent: December 26, 2023Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventor: Yosuke Kawabuchi
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Patent number: 10950465Abstract: Disclosed is a method of cleaning a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate having a surface wet by a liquid is brought into contact with a supercritical fluid so as to perform a drying process of drying the substrate. The method includes a cleaning gas filling process and an exhausting process. The cleaning gas filling process fills a cleaning gas containing isopropyl alcohol in the substrate processing apparatus. The exhausting process exhausts the cleaning gas from an inside of the substrate processing apparatus after the cleaning gas filling process.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2017Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Shotaro Kitayama, Gentaro Goshi, Hiroki Ohno, Keisuke Egashira, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Hiroshi Marumoto, Takuro Masuzumi, Kento Tsukano, Hiromi Kiyose
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Patent number: 10867814Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid processing method of drying a substrate held horizontally after supplying deionized water to the substrate. The liquid processing method includes: supplying the deionized water to a front surface of the substrate; supplying a first solvent to the front surface of the substrate after supplying the deionized water; supplying a water-repellent agent to the front surface of the substrate to impart water-repellency to the front surface of the substrate; supplying a second solvent to the front surface of the substrate to which water-repellency is imparted; and removing the second solvent from the front surface of the substrate. A specific gravity of the first solvent is smaller than a specific gravity of the water-repellent agent, and a specific gravity of the second solvent is larger than the specific gravity of the water-repellent agent.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2017Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Yosuke Kawabuchi, Kouzou Tachibana, Mitsunori Nakamori, Kotaro Ooishi, Keisuke Egashira, Koji Tanaka, Hiroaki Inadomi, Masami Yamashita, Yoshiteru Fukuda, Koji Yamashita, Yu Tsurifune, Takuro Masuzumi
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Publication number: 20200357649Abstract: A substrate drying apparatus, a substrate drying method and a storage medium are capable of sublimating a sublimable substance filled in recesses of a pattern formed on a substrate while preventing pattern collapse. A first unit includes a solution supplier which supplies a sublimable substance solution containing a sublimable substance and a solvent to a processing surface, and a first liquid remover which forms a solid film of the sublimable substance on the processing surface by removing the solvent and a processing liquid from the processing surface. A second unit includes a second liquid remover which vaporize the solvent and the processing liquid remaining in the solid film by heating the substrate, and maintaining the substrate at a temperature within a first temperature range, and a solid film remover which remove the solid film from the processing surface by heating the substrate at a temperature within a second temperature range.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2019Publication date: November 12, 2020Inventor: Yosuke KAWABUCHI
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Patent number: 10727042Abstract: A liquid processing method can remove pure water existing within a pattern of a substrate and replace the pure water with a solvent rapidly. The liquid processing method of supplying the pure water onto the substrate, which is horizontally held and has the pattern formed on a surface thereof, and drying the substrate includes a pure water supplying process of supplying the pure water onto the surface of the substrate; a heated solvent supplying process of supplying, after the pure water supplying process, the solvent in a liquid state, which is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than a boiling point of water, onto the surface of the substrate on which the pure water exists; and a removing process of drying the substrate by removing the solvent form the surface of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2017Date of Patent: July 28, 2020Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Mitsunori Nakamori, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Takuro Masuzumi, Koji Yamashita, Shozou Maeda
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Patent number: 10692739Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment to the present disclosure includes: a main body which has therein a processing space capable of accommodating the substrate; a holding unit which holds the substrate in the main body; a supply unit which is provided at a side of the substrate held by the holding unit and supplies the processing fluid into the processing space; a discharge unit which discharges the processing fluid from an inside of the processing space; and a flow path limiting unit which limits a lower end of a flow path at an upstream side which is formed while the processing fluid flows from the supply unit to the discharge unit. Further, an upper end of the flow path limiting unit is disposed at a position higher than the upper surface of the substrate held by the holding unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 2018Date of Patent: June 23, 2020Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Yosuke Kawabuchi, Gentaro Goshi, Keisuke Egashira, Hiroki Ohno, Hiroshi Marumoto, Takuro Masuzumi, Kento Tsukano, Shotaro Kitayama
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Publication number: 20200126818Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing apparatus which includes a substrate holding part configured to hold a substrate; a drying liquid supply part configured to supply a drying liquid toward a front surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding part; a temperature adjustment part configured to change a temperature of the front surface of the substrate; and a controller configured to control the temperature adjustment part, wherein the controller controls the temperature adjustment part to generate a temperature difference in a liquid film of the drying liquid supplied onto the front surface of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2019Publication date: April 23, 2020Inventors: Yosuke KAWABUCHI, Kyoko IKEDA
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Patent number: 10504718Abstract: During at least part of a time period for a pressure increasing step of increasing a pressure inside a processing container from a pressure lower than a critical pressure of a processing fluid to a pressure higher than the critical pressure, pressure increasing is performed by supplying the processing fluid into the processing container from a fluid supply source while discharging the processing fluid from the processing container at a controlled discharge flow rate. Particles attached to the surfaces of members inside the processing container travel upward by the supply of the processing fluid into the processing container from the fluid supply source. The particles are discharged along with the processing fluid from the processing container.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2017Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Hiroki Ohno, Keisuke Egashira, Gentaro Goshi, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Shotaro Kitayama, Hiroshi Marumoto, Takuro Masuzumi, Kento Tsukano, Hiromi Kiyose
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Patent number: 10395950Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus performs: a pressure raising process of raising a pressure within the processing container to a processing pressure higher than a critical pressure of the processing fluid, after the substrate is accommodated in the processing container; and a circulation process of supplying the processing fluid to the processing container and discharging the processing fluid from the processing container while keeping a pressure at which the processing fluid is maintained in the supercritical state, within the processing container. In the pressure raising process, the supply of the processing fluid from the second fluid supply unit is stopped and the processing fluid is supplied from the first fluid supply unit into the processing container until at least the pressure within the processing container reaches the critical pressure. In the circulation process, the processing fluid is supplied into the processing container from the second fluid supply unit.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2017Date of Patent: August 27, 2019Assignee: Tokyo Electron LimitedInventors: Gentaro Goshi, Keisuke Egashira, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Hiromi Kiyose, Takuro Masuzumi, Hiroki Ohno, Kento Tsukano, Hiroshi Marumoto, Shotaro Kitayama
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Publication number: 20190164785Abstract: There is provided a method of processing a substrate, which includes: forming a liquid film of an organic solvent on a front surface of the substrate; and drying the substrate with the liquid film formed thereon by heating the substrate in a state where a gas density around the substrate is larger than a gas density of air.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 19, 2018Publication date: May 30, 2019Inventor: Yosuke KAWABUCHI
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Patent number: 10192758Abstract: A throughput in processing a substrate can be improved and a running cost thereof can be reduced. A substrate processing apparatus 1 that processes a substrate 3 with a processing liquid and dries the substrate 3 includes a substrate rotating device 22 configured to rotate the substrate 3; a processing liquid discharging unit 13 configured to discharge the processing liquid toward the substrate 3; a substitution liquid discharging unit 14 configured to discharge a substitution liquid, which is substituted with the processing liquid on the substrate 3, toward the substrate 3 while relatively moving with respect to the substrate 3; and an inert gas discharging unit 15 configured to discharge an inert gas toward a peripheral portion of the substrate 3 in an inclined direction from above the substrate 3 while moving in a direction different from a direction in which the substitution liquid discharging unit 14 is moved.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2017Date of Patent: January 29, 2019Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Yosuke Kawabuchi, Hisashi Kawano, Satoru Tanaka, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Kotaro Oishi, Kazuyoshi Shinohara, Yuki Yoshida
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Publication number: 20180254200Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment to the present disclosure includes: a main body which has therein a processing space capable of accommodating the substrate; a holding unit which holds the substrate in the main body; a supply unit which is provided at a side of the substrate held by the holding unit and supplies the processing fluid into the processing space; a discharge unit which discharges the processing fluid from an inside of the processing space; and a flow path limiting unit which limits a lower end of a flow path at an upstream side which is formed while the processing fluid flows from the supply unit to the discharge unit. Further, an upper end of the flow path limiting unit is disposed at a position higher than the upper surface of the substrate held by the holding unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2018Publication date: September 6, 2018Inventors: Yosuke Kawabuchi, Gentaro Goshi, Keisuke Egashira, Hiroki Ohno, Hiroshi Marumoto, Takuro Masuzumi, Kento Tsukano, Shotaro Kitayama
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Publication number: 20180240684Abstract: A gas discharge hole 74 (205) configured to discharge a gas is provided at a position outside an edge of a substrate W held by a substrate holding unit 89 (204) within a processing chamber 81 (201). The gas discharged from the gas discharge hole 74 (205) forms a flow of the gas flowing in a direction along a first surface (front surface) of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit. A gas of a sublimation substance which is sublimated and a foreign substance included in the gas are flown along the flow of the gas to be removed from a vicinity of the substrate. The gas serves as a heat transfer medium for heat transfer from a heating unit 88 (203) to the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2016Publication date: August 23, 2018Inventors: Koji Egashira, Masami Yamashita, Yoshiyuki Honda, Yuki Yoshida, Yosuke Kawabuchi
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Publication number: 20180158699Abstract: Disclosed is a method of cleaning a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate having a surface wet by a liquid is brought into contact with a supercritical fluid so as to perform a drying process of drying the substrate. The method includes a cleaning gas filling process and an exhausting process. The cleaning gas filling process fills a cleaning gas containing isopropyl alcohol in the substrate processing apparatus. The exhausting process exhausts the cleaning gas from an inside of the substrate processing apparatus after the cleaning gas filling process.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 29, 2017Publication date: June 7, 2018Inventors: Shotaro Kitayama, Gentaro Goshi, Hiroki Ohno, Keisuke Egashira, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Hiroshi Marumoto, Takuro Masuzumi, Kento Tsukano, Hiromi Kiyose
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Publication number: 20180138035Abstract: During at least part of a time period for a pressure increasing step of increasing a pressure inside a processing container from a pressure lower than a critical pressure of a processing fluid to a pressure higher than the critical pressure, pressure increasing is performed by supplying the processing fluid into the processing container from a fluid supply source while discharging the processing fluid from the processing container at a controlled discharge flow rate. Particles attached to the surfaces of members inside the processing container travel upward by the supply of the processing fluid into the processing container from the fluid supply source. The particles are discharged along with the processing fluid from the processing container.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2017Publication date: May 17, 2018Inventors: Hiroki Ohno, Keisuke Egashira, Gentaro Goshi, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Shotaro Kitayama, Hiroshi Marumoto, Takuro Masuzumi, Kento Tsukano, Hiromi Kiyose
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Publication number: 20180138058Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes: a processing container; and a supply line which connects the processing container with a fluid source that delivers a supercritical processing fluid. A first opening/closing valve is provided in the supply line. A first throttle is provided on a downstream side of the first opening/closing valve to change the supercritical processing fluid flowing through the supply line to a gaseous state when a pressure within the processing container is equal to or lower than a critical pressure of the processing fluid. A first filter is provided on a downstream side of the first throttle.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2017Publication date: May 17, 2018Inventors: Keisuke Egashira, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Gentaro Goshi, Hiroki Ohno, Hiroshi Marumoto, Takuro Masuzumi, Kento Tsukano, Shotaro Kitayama, Satoshi Okamura
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Publication number: 20180130675Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus performs: a pressure raising process of raising a pressure within the processing container to a processing pressure higher than a critical pressure of the processing fluid, after the substrate is accommodated in the processing container; and a circulation process of supplying the processing fluid to the processing container and discharging the processing fluid from the processing container while keeping a pressure at which the processing fluid is maintained in the supercritical state, within the processing container. In the pressure raising process, the supply of the processing fluid from the second fluid supply unit is stopped and the processing fluid is supplied from the first fluid supply unit into the processing container until at least the pressure within the processing container reaches the critical pressure. In the circulation process, the processing fluid is supplied into the processing container from the second fluid supply unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2017Publication date: May 10, 2018Inventors: Gentaro Goshi, Keisuke Egashira, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Hiromi Kiyose, Takuro Masuzumi, Hiroki Ohno, Kento Tsukano, Hiroshi Marumoto, Shotaro Kitayama
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Publication number: 20180040471Abstract: A liquid processing method can remove pure water existing within a pattern of a substrate and replace the pure water with a solvent rapidly. The liquid processing method of supplying the pure water onto the substrate, which is horizontally held and has the pattern formed on a surface thereof, and drying the substrate includes a pure water supplying process of supplying the pure water onto the surface of the substrate; a heated solvent supplying process of supplying, after the pure water supplying process, the solvent in a liquid state, which is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than a boiling point of water, onto the surface of the substrate on which the pure water exists; and a removing process of drying the substrate by removing the solvent form the surface of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 4, 2017Publication date: February 8, 2018Inventors: Mitsunori Nakamori, Yosuke Kawabuchi, Takuro Masuzumi, Koji Yamashita, Shozou Maeda
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Publication number: 20180012781Abstract: A throughput in processing a substrate can be improved and a running cost thereof can be reduced. A substrate processing apparatus 1 that processes a substrate 3 with a processing liquid and dries the substrate 3 includes a substrate rotating device 22 configured to rotate the substrate 3; a processing liquid discharging unit 13 configured to discharge the processing liquid toward the substrate 3; a substitution liquid discharging unit 14 configured to discharge a substitution liquid, which is substituted with the processing liquid on the substrate 3, toward the substrate 3 while relatively moving with respect to the substrate 3; and an inert gas discharging unit 15 configured to discharge an inert gas toward a peripheral portion of the substrate 3 in an inclined direction from above the substrate 3 while moving in a direction different from a direction in which the substitution liquid discharging unit 14 is moved.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 25, 2017Publication date: January 11, 2018Inventors: Yosuke Kawabuchi, Hisashi Kawano, Satoru Tanaka, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Kotaro Oishi, Kazuyoshi Shinohara, Yuki Yoshida
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Patent number: 9805957Abstract: A throughput in processing a substrate can be improved and a running cost thereof can be reduced. A substrate processing apparatus 1 that processes a substrate 3 with a processing liquid and dries the substrate 3 includes a substrate rotating device 22 configured to rotate the substrate 3; a processing liquid discharging unit 13 configured to discharge the processing liquid toward the substrate 3; a substitution liquid discharging unit 14 configured to discharge a substitution liquid, which is substituted with the processing liquid on the substrate 3, toward the substrate 3 while relatively moving with respect to the substrate 3; and an inert gas discharging unit 15 configured to discharge an inert gas toward a peripheral portion of the substrate 3 in an inclined direction from above the substrate 3 while moving in a direction different from a direction in which the substitution liquid discharging unit 14 is moved.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2014Date of Patent: October 31, 2017Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITEDInventors: Yosuke Kawabuchi, Hisashi Kawano, Satoru Tanaka, Hiroyuki Suzuki, Kotaro Oishi, Kazuyoshi Shinohara, Yuki Yoshida