Patents by Inventor Yuichiro Inatomi

Yuichiro Inatomi 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: 20160247765
    Abstract: Adhesivity between a catalyst adsorption layer on a substrate and a barrier metal plating layer can be improved. The catalyst adsorption layer 22 containing a catalyst metal is formed on the substrate 2 by supplying a catalyst solution onto the substrate 2, and a bonding metal layer 22A containing a bonding metal different from the catalyst metal is formed on the catalyst adsorption layer 22 by performing a plating process with the catalyst metal as a catalyst. A barrier metal plating layer 23 is formed on the bonding metal layer 22A by performing a plating process with the bonding metal as a catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka, Nobutaka Mizutani, Yusuke Saito, Kazutoshi Iwai, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20160053378
    Abstract: A Plating method includes a first plating process S21 of supplying a first plating liquid to a substrate 2 having a recess 12 and forming a first plating layer 13; and a second plating process of supplying a second plating liquid to the substrate 2 and forming a second plating layer 14 on the first plating layer 13 after the first plating process S21. Here, a concentration of an additive contained in the first plating liquid is different from that in the second plating liquid. The first plating process S21 includes a process of forming the first plating layer of a discontinuous film or a particle shape on the substrate 2 by rotating the substrate 2 at a first speed and a process of rotating the substrate 2 at a second speed and at a third speed repeatedly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20160013101
    Abstract: A pre-treatment method of plating can suppress a catalyst layer from being peeled off from a substrate. The pre-treatment method of forming the catalyst layer on the substrate includes forming the catalyst layer 22 by adsorbing a catalyst 22a on the substrate 2; and forming a catalyst fixing layer 27 on the catalyst layer 22.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20160013102
    Abstract: A catalyst layer can be uniformly formed on an entire surface of a substrate and an entire inner surface of a recess. A catalyst layer forming method of forming the catalyst layer on the substrate includes a first supply processing of forming a substrate surface catalyst layer 22A by supplying a catalyst liquid on the entire surface of the substrate 2; and a second supply processing of forming a recess inner surface catalyst layer 22B by supplying the catalyst liquid to a central portion of the substrate 2 while rotating the substrate 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20150232994
    Abstract: A plating apparatus can perform a plating process on an entire surface of a substrate uniformly. A plating apparatus 20 includes a substrate holding/rotating device 110 configured to hold and rotate a substrate 2; a discharging device 21 configured to discharge a plating liquid toward the substrate 2 held on the substrate holding/rotating device 110; and a controller 160 configured to control the substrate holding/rotating device 110 and the discharging device 21. Further, the discharging device 21 includes a first nozzle 40 having a multiple number of discharge openings 41 arranged in a radial direction of the substrate 2 or having a discharge opening 42 extended in the radial direction of the substrate 2; and a second nozzle 45 having a discharge opening 46 configured to be positioned closer to a central portion of the substrate 2 than the discharge opening of the first nozzle 40.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20150140209
    Abstract: A pre-treatment method for plating can form a plating layer having sufficient adhesivity on an inner surface of a recess and on a surface of a substrate at an outside of the recess even when the recess has a high aspect ratio. The pre-treatment method for plating includes a preparation process of preparing the substrate having the recess; a first coupling layer forming process of forming a first coupling layer 21a at least on the inner surface of the recess of the substrate by using a first coupling agent; and a second coupling layer forming process of forming a second coupling layer 21b at least on the surface of the substrate at the outside of the recess by using a second coupling agent after the first coupling layer forming process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Takashi Tanaka, Yuichiro Inatomi, Kazutoshi Iwai, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Patent number: 9016231
    Abstract: A solvent vapor is made to adhere efficiently to the surface of a resist pattern without using an ultraviolet irradiation process to improve processing accuracy, to reduce processing time and to suppress the diffusion of the solvent outside a substrate processing system. The surface of a resist pattern R formed on a semiconductor wafer W by an exposure process and a developing process is coated with water molecules m. A solvent vapor of a water-soluble solvent, such as NMP, is spouted on the surface of the resist pattern R coated with the water molecules m. A surface layer of the resist pattern R is swollen by the solvent vapor combined with the water molecules m to achieve a smoothing process. The water molecules m and the solvent s remaining on the resist pattern R on the wafer W after the smoothing process are removed by drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Yuichiro Inatomi
  • Publication number: 20150099355
    Abstract: A plating apparatus 20 includes a substrate holding device 110 configured to hold and rotate the substrate 2; a first discharge device 30 configured to discharge a plating liquid toward the substrate 2 held on the substrate holding device 110; and a top plate 21 that is provided above the substrate 2 and has an opening 22. The first discharge device 30 includes a first discharge unit 33 configured to discharge the plating liquid toward the substrate 2, and the first discharge unit 33 is configured to be moved between a discharge position where the plating liquid is discharged and a standby position where the plating liquid is not discharged. Further, the first discharge unit 33 is configured to be overlapped with the opening 22 of the top plate 21 at the discharge position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka, Nobutaka Mizutani, Yusuke Saito, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20150079785
    Abstract: A plating method can improve adhesivity with a substrate. The plating method of performing a plating process on the substrate includes forming a vacuum-deposited layer 2A on the substrate 2 by performing a vacuum deposition process on the substrate 2; forming an adhesion layer 21 and a catalyst adsorption layer 22 on the vacuum-deposited layer 2A of the substrate 2; and forming a plating layer stacked body 23 having a first plating layer 23a and a second plating layer 23b which function as a barrier film on the catalyst adsorption layer 22 of the substrate 2. By forming the vacuum-deposited layer 2A, a surface of the substrate 2 can be smoothened, so that the vacuum-deposited layer 2A serving as an underlying layer can improve the adhesivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: Nobutaka Mizutani, Takashi Tanaka, Yuichiro Inatomi, Yusuke Saito, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20150030774
    Abstract: A plating method can improve adhesivity with an underlying layer. The plating method of performing a plating process on a substrate includes forming a first plating layer 23a serving as a barrier film on a substrate 2; baking the first plating layer 23a; forming a second plating layer 23b serving as a barrier film; and baking the second plating layer 23b. A plating layer stacked body 23 serving as a barrier film is formed of the first plating layer 23a and the second plating layer 23b.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takashi Tanaka, Yuichiro Inatomi, Nobutaka Mizutani, Yusuke Saito, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20140356539
    Abstract: A plating apparatus 20 includes a substrate holding device 110 configured to hold a substrate W; a discharging device 21 configured to discharge a plating liquid 35 toward the substrate W held by the substrate holding device 110; and a plating liquid supplying device 30 connected to the discharging device 21 and configured to supply the plating liquid 35 to the discharging device 21. A gas supplying device 170 is configured to heat a heating gas G having a higher specific heat capacity than air and supply the heated heating gas G toward the substrate W held by the substrate holding device 110. Further, a controller 160 is configured to control at least the discharging device 21, the plating liquid supplying device 30, and the gas supplying device 170.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2012
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Patent number: 8848161
    Abstract: The present invention provides a resist coating and developing apparatus, a resist coating and developing method, a resist-film processing apparatus, and a resist-film processing method, capable of reducing a line width roughness by planarizing a resist pattern. The resist coating and developing apparatus comprises: a resist-film forming part configured to coat a resist onto a substrate to form a resist film thereon; a resist developing part configured to develop the exposed resist film to obtain a patterned resist film; and a solvent-gas supply part configured to expose the resist film, which has been developed and patterned by the resist developing part, to a first solvent of a gaseous atmosphere having a solubility to the resist film. A solvent supply part supplies, to the resist film which has been exposed to the first solvent, a second solvent in a liquid state having a solubility to the resist film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Yuichiro Inatomi
  • Publication number: 20140216506
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate on which a resist pattern is formed; a rinse solution supply unit configured to supply a rinse solution onto the substrate held by the substrate holder; a vapor supply unit configured to supply vapor of a first processing solution, which hydrophobicizes the resist pattern, onto the substrate on which the rinse solution is supplied from the rinse solution supply unit; and a rinse solution removing unit configured to remove the rinse solution from the substrate in an atmosphere including the vapor of the first processing solution supplied from the vapor supply unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Yuichiro Inatomi
  • Patent number: 8728247
    Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing method capable of preventing pattern collapse when a rinse solution is removed from a substrate on which a microscopic resist pattern is formed and also capable of reducing cost for processing the substrate by decreasing an amount of usage of a hydrophobicizing agent. The substrate processing method includes a rinse solution supply process (step S12) for supplying the rinse solution onto the substrate on which the resist pattern is formed; and a rinse solution removing process (steps S14 to S16) for removing the rinse solution from the substrate in an atmosphere including vapor of a first processing solution that hydrophobicizes the resist pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Yuichiro Inatomi
  • Publication number: 20140134345
    Abstract: A plating apparatus of performing a plating process by supplying a plating liquid onto a substrate includes a substrate holding/rotating device configured to hold and rotate the substrate; a discharging device configured to discharge the plating liquid toward the substrate; a plating liquid supplying device configured to supply the plating liquid to the discharging device; and a controller configured to control the discharging device and the plating liquid supplying device. Further, the discharging device includes a first nozzle having a discharge opening, and a second nozzle having a discharge opening configured to be positioned closer to a central portion of the substrate than the discharge opening of the first nozzle. Furthermore, the plating liquid supplying device is configured to set a temperature of the plating liquid supplied to the first nozzle to be higher than a temperature of the plating liquid supplied to the second nozzle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Publication number: 20140120264
    Abstract: A plating apparatus 20 has a substrate holding/rotating device 110 configured to hold and rotate a substrate 2 and a plating liquid supplying device 30 configured to supply a plating liquid 35 onto the substrate 2. The plating liquid supplying device 30 has a supply tank 31 configured to store therein the plating liquid 35 to be supplied onto the substrate 2, a discharge nozzle 32 configured to discharge the plating liquid 35 onto the substrate 2 and a plating liquid supplying line 33 through which the plating liquid 35 within the supply tank 31 is supplied into the discharge nozzle 32. Further, an ammonia gas storage unit 170 is connected to the supply tank 31, and a concentration of an ammonia component within the plating liquid 35 stored in the supply tank 31 can be maintained within a preset target range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Takashi Tanaka, Osamu Kuroda, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Yusuke Saito
  • Patent number: 8691497
    Abstract: A developing treatment method includes: a treatment solution supplying step of supplying a treatment solution made by diluting a hydrophobizing agent hydrophobizing a resist pattern with hydrofluoroether onto a substrate on which a rinse solution has been supplied after development of the resist pattern; a hydrophobic treatment stabilizing step of stabilizing a hydrophobic treatment of the resist pattern with the supply of the treatment solution stopped and rotation of the substrate almost stopped; and a treatment solution removing step of removing the treatment solution from a top of the substrate on which the treatment solution has been supplied. The hydrophobizing agent is trimethylsilyldimethyl-amine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Mitsuaki Iwashita
  • Patent number: 8646403
    Abstract: A treatment apparatus for treating a substrate on a surface of which a treatment film has been formed and subjected to exposure processing and developing treatment. The treatment apparatus includes a nozzle for supplying a solvent gas of the treatment film to the surface of the treatment film on the substrate, and a moving mechanism for moving the nozzle which is supplying the solvent gas, relative to the substrate. The nozzle has an elongated discharge portion at least longer than a diameter of the substrate and partition plates at a front and a rear in the moving direction of the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Yuichiro Inatomi
  • Publication number: 20130312659
    Abstract: A solvent vapor is made to adhere efficiently to the surface of a resist pattern without using an ultraviolet irradiation process to improve processing accuracy, to reduce processing time and to suppress the diffusion of the solvent outside a substrate processing system. The surface of a resist pattern R formed on a semiconductor wafer W by an exposure process and a developing process is coated with water molecules m. A solvent vapor of a water-soluble solvent, such as NMP, is spouted on the surface of the resist pattern R coated with the water molecules m. A surface layer of the resist pattern R is swollen by the solvent vapor combined with the water molecules m to achieve a smoothing process. The water molecules m and the solvent s remaining on the resist pattern R on the wafer W after the smoothing process are removed by drying.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Yuichiro Inatomi
  • Patent number: 8563230
    Abstract: A solvent vapor is made to adhere efficiently to the surface of a resist pattern without using an ultraviolet irradiation process to improve processing accuracy, to reduce processing time and to suppress the diffusion of the solvent outside a substrate processing system. The surface of a resist pattern R formed on a semiconductor wafer W by an exposure process and a developing process is coated with water molecules m. A solvent vapor of a water-soluble solvent, such as NMP, is spouted on the surface of the resist pattern R coated with the water molecules m. A surface layer of the resist pattern R is swollen by the solvent vapor combined with the water molecules m to achieve a smoothing process. The water molecules m and the solvent s remaining on the resist pattern R on the wafer W after the smoothing process are removed by drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Yuichiro Inatomi