Patents by Inventor Yusaku Hashimoto

Yusaku Hashimoto 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).

  • Patent number: 11938511
    Abstract: A coating method includes supplying a film forming liquid onto a center of a front surface of a substrate from a nozzle in a state that a distance between the front surface and the nozzle is maintained at a coating distance; rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed in a period during which the film forming liquid is supplied onto the front surface, to allow the film forming liquid to be diffused toward an edge of the substrate from an outer periphery of the nozzle; and rotating the substrate at a second rotation speed after the supplying of the film forming liquid is stopped, to allow the film forming liquid to be further diffused. The coating distance is set to allow the film forming liquid to be kept between the nozzle and the front surface when a discharge of the film forming liquid is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Masatoshi Kawakita, Yusaku Hashimoto, Kosuke Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 11774854
    Abstract: A method of processing a substrate includes: performing a first developing process of moving a nozzle having one end surface and a discharge port opened at the end surface while making the end surface come into contact with a developer on a front surface of a substrate in a state in which the nozzle is disposed so that the end surface faces the front surface and the developer is discharged from the discharge port at a first flow rate while rotating the substrate; and after the first developing process, performing a second developing process of discharging the developer from the discharge port at a second flow rate higher than the first flow rate in a state in which the end surface is in contact with the developer on the front surface at a position facing a center of the front surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yusaku Hashimoto, Kouichirou Tanaka, Masahiro Fukuda, Atsushi Ookouchi
  • Publication number: 20230219116
    Abstract: A coating film forming method includes coating a coating liquid by supplying the same to a front surface of a substrate and rotating the substrate to form a coating film, supplying a high-temperature gas having a temperature higher than the substrate to an exposed region of a rear surface of the substrate, adjusting film thickness distribution of the coating film in a plane of the substrate by rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed, and drying, after the adjusting the film thickness distribution, the coating film by adjusting the film thickness of the coating film in an entire plane of the substrate by rotating the substrate at a second rotation speed different from the first rotation speed. A period in which the drying of the coating film is performed includes a period in which the supplying of the high-temperature gas to the substrate is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Yusaku HASHIMOTO, Kodai YAGI, Yuki MATSUTAKE
  • Publication number: 20230098105
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus 5 includes a holder 52 (52A), a supply 53 and a cover body 6. The holder 52 (52A) is configured to attract and hold a substrate W. The supply 53 is configured to supply a heated plating liquid to the substrate W attracted to and held by the holder 52 (52A). The cover body 6 is configured to cover the substrate W attracted to and held by the holder 52 (52A), and heat the plating liquid on the substrate W by using a heating device 63 provided in a ceiling member 61 thereof facing a top surface of the substrate W. The holder 52 (52A) includes protrusions 130 projecting from a facing surface 110 thereof facing a bottom surface of the substrate W toward the bottom surface of the substrate W, and each protrusion has a protruding height equal to or larger than 1 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Yuichiro Inatomi, Yusaku Hashimoto, Takafumi Niwa
  • Publication number: 20230026275
    Abstract: A method of processing a substrate includes: performing a first developing process of moving a nozzle having one end surface and a discharge port opened at the end surface while making the end surface come into contact with a developer on a front surface of a substrate in a state in which the nozzle is disposed so that the end surface faces the front surface and the developer is discharged from the discharge port at a first flow rate while rotating the substrate; and after the first developing process, performing a second developing process of discharging the developer from the discharge port at a second flow rate higher than the first flow rate in a state in which the end surface is in contact with the developer on the front surface at a position facing a center of the front surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Yusaku HASHIMOTO, Kouichirou TANAKA, Masahiro FUKUDA, Atsushi OOKOUCHI
  • Publication number: 20220371047
    Abstract: A coating method of supplying a treatment solution to a substrate and coating the substrate with the treatment solution by a spin coating method, includes mixing a solvent for the treatment solution lower in surface tension than the treatment solution into the treatment solution concurrently with a start of supply of the treatment solution or later than the start of the supply of the treatment solution, and then supplying the treatment solution to the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Yusaku HASHIMOTO, Masatoshi KAWAKITA, Kosuke YOSHIHARA
  • Patent number: 11480881
    Abstract: A method of processing a substrate includes: performing a first developing process of moving a nozzle having one end surface and a discharge port opened at the end surface while making the end surface come into contact with a developer on a front surface of a substrate in a state in which the nozzle is disposed so that the end surface faces the front surface and the developer is discharged from the discharge port at a first flow rate while rotating the substrate; and after the first developing process, performing a second developing process of discharging the developer from the discharge port at a second flow rate higher than the first flow rate in a state in which the end surface is in contact with the developer on the front surface at a position facing a center of the front surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yusaku Hashimoto, Kouichirou Tanaka, Masahiro Fukuda, Atsushi Ookouchi
  • Publication number: 20220323990
    Abstract: A coating method includes supplying a film forming liquid onto a center of a front surface of a substrate from a nozzle in a state that a distance between the front surface and the nozzle is maintained at a coating distance; rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed in a period during which the film forming liquid is supplied onto the front surface, to allow the film forming liquid to be diffused toward an edge of the substrate from an outer periphery of the nozzle; and rotating the substrate at a second rotation speed after the supplying of the film forming liquid is stopped, to allow the film forming liquid to be further diffused. The coating distance is set to allow the film forming liquid to be kept between the nozzle and the front surface when a discharge of the film forming liquid is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Masatoshi Kawakita, Yusaku Hashimoto, Kosuke Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 11407005
    Abstract: A coating method includes supplying a film forming liquid onto a center of a front surface of a substrate from a nozzle in a state that a distance between the front surface and the nozzle is maintained at a coating distance; rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed in a period during which the film forming liquid is supplied onto the front surface, to allow the film forming liquid to be diffused toward an edge of the substrate from an outer periphery of the nozzle; and rotating the substrate at a second rotation speed after the supplying of the film forming liquid is stopped, to allow the film forming liquid to be further diffused. The coating distance is set to allow the film forming liquid to be kept between the nozzle and the front surface when a discharge of the film forming liquid is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Masatoshi Kawakita, Yusaku Hashimoto, Kosuke Yoshihara
  • Publication number: 20220035248
    Abstract: A method of processing a substrate includes: performing a first developing process of moving a nozzle having one end surface and a discharge port opened at the end surface while making the end surface come into contact with a developer on a front surface of a substrate in a state in which the nozzle is disposed so that the end surface faces the front surface and the developer is discharged from the discharge port at a first flow rate while rotating the substrate; and after the first developing process, performing a second developing process of discharging the developer from the discharge port at a second flow rate higher than the first flow rate in a state in which the end surface is in contact with the developer on the front surface at a position facing a center of the front surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Yusaku HASHIMOTO, Kouichirou TANAKA, Masahiro FUKUDA, Atsushi OOKOUCHI
  • Patent number: 11079679
    Abstract: A method includes forming a liquid puddle of a mixed solution of the diluting liquid and the processing liquid; rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed which allows the mixed solution located at a region facing an inner side than an edge of the liquid contact surface to stay between the liquid contact surface and the surface of the substrate and allows the mixed solution located at a region facing an outer side than the edge of the liquid contact surface to be diffused toward an edge of the substrate; rotating the substrate at a second rotation speed smaller than the first rotation speed after the substrate is rotated at the first rotation speed; and moving the nozzle toward the edge of the substrate while discharging the processing liquid from the discharge hole in a state that the substrate is rotated at the second rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Yusaku Hashimoto, Takeshi Shimoaoki, Masahiro Fukuda, Kouichirou Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20210078035
    Abstract: A coating method, includes: rotating a substrate at a first rotation speed while supplying a film-forming liquid to a center of a front surface of the substrate; stopping the supply of the film-forming liquid before the film-forming liquid supplied to the front surface of the substrate reaches an outer periphery of the substrate; continuing to rotate the substrate at a second rotation speed after the supply of the film-forming liquid is stopped; and supplying a cooling fluid, which is a gas-liquid mixture, to an outer peripheral portion of a rear surface of the substrate during a supply period for the substrate including at least a part of a period from a time when the supply of the film-forming liquid is stopped to a time when the rotation of the substrate at the second rotation speed is completed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Yusaku HASHIMOTO, Masatoshi KAWAKITA, Daiki SHIBATA
  • Publication number: 20200353503
    Abstract: A coating method includes supplying a film forming liquid onto a center of a front surface of a substrate from a nozzle in a state that a distance between the front surface and the nozzle is maintained at a coating distance; rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed in a period during which the film forming liquid is supplied onto the front surface, to allow the film forming liquid to be diffused toward an edge of the substrate from an outer periphery of the nozzle; and rotating the substrate at a second rotation speed after the supplying of the film forming liquid is stopped, to allow the film forming liquid to be further diffused. The coating distance is set to allow the film forming liquid to be kept between the nozzle and the front surface when a discharge of the film forming liquid is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Masatoshi Kawakita, Yusaku Hashimoto, Kosuke Yoshihara
  • Publication number: 20200050111
    Abstract: A method includes forming a liquid puddle of a mixed solution of the diluting liquid and the processing liquid; rotating the substrate at a first rotation speed which allows the mixed solution located at a region facing an inner side than an edge of the liquid contact surface to stay between the liquid contact surface and the surface of the substrate and allows the mixed solution located at a region facing an outer side than the edge of the liquid contact surface to be diffused toward an edge of the substrate; rotating the substrate at a second rotation speed smaller than the first rotation speed after the substrate is rotated at the first rotation speed; and moving the nozzle toward the edge of the substrate while discharging the processing liquid from the discharge hole in a state that the substrate is rotated at the second rotation speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Yusaku Hashimoto, Takeshi Shimoaoki, Masahiro Fukuda, Kouichirou Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10359702
    Abstract: Provided is a development processing apparatus including a rotary holding unit configured to hold and rotate a wafer, a developer supply unit including a nozzle having a liquid contact surface facing a surface of the wafer and an ejection port opening to the liquid contact surface, and a controller. The controller is configured to: while the wafer rotates, execute a control of causing a developer to be ejected from the ejection port and moving the nozzle from an circumference side to a rotation center side of the wafer; after execution of the control, execute a control of moving the nozzle from the rotation center side to the outer circumference side of the wafer; and during execution of the control, execute a control of gradually reducing the rotation speed of the wafer as the center of the liquid contact surface approaches the outer circumference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Takeshi Shimoaoki, Yusaku Hashimoto, Shogo Inaba
  • Publication number: 20190146344
    Abstract: Provided is a development processing apparatus including a rotary holding unit configured to hold and rotate a wafer, a developer supply unit including a nozzle having a liquid contact surface facing a surface of the wafer and an ejection port opening to the liquid contact surface, and a controller. The controller is configured to: while the wafer rotates, execute a control of causing a developer to be ejected from the ejection port and moving the nozzle from an circumference side to a rotation center side of the wafer; after execution of the control, execute a control of moving the nozzle from the rotation center side to the outer circumference side of the wafer; and during execution of the control, execute a control of gradually reducing the rotation speed of the wafer as the center of the liquid contact surface approaches the outer circumference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Takeshi Shimoaoki, Yusaku Hashimoto, Shogo Inaba
  • Patent number: 10203605
    Abstract: A development method includes: a development step of supplying a developing solution to a surface of a substrate for manufacturing a semiconductor device after undergoing formation of a resist film and exposure, to perform development; a first rotation step of, after the development step, increasing revolution speed of the substrate to rotate the substrate in a first rotational direction around a central axis so as to spin off and remove part of the developing solution from the substrate; and a second rotation step of, after the first rotation step, rotating the substrate in a second rotational direction reverse to the first rotational direction so as to spin off and remove the developing solution remaining on the substrate from the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yusaku Hashimoto, Takeshi Shimoaoki, Masahiro Fukuda, Kouichirou Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10185220
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes steps of: supplying a developer onto a substrate surface from a discharge port while the substrate is rotated at a first rotation speed and a liquid contact surface faces the surface, and moving the nozzle while the liquid contact surface contacts with the developer so that a liquid film of the developer is formed on the surface; rotating the substrate at a second rotation speed slower than the first rotation speed, after the liquid film is formed, in a state where supply of the developer is stopped; rotating the substrate at a third rotation speed faster than the first rotation speed, after the substrate is rotated at the second rotation speed; and reducing rotation speed of the substrate to the second rotation speed or less, after the substrate is rotated at the third rotation speed, so that the liquid film is held on the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Yusaku Hashimoto, Takeshi Shimoaoki, Masahiro Fukuda, Kouichirou Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10108111
    Abstract: A developing method includes: horizontally holding a substrate; disposing an opposing surface of a developer nozzle that faces a portion of a surface of the substrate, above one of central and peripheral portions of the surface; discharging a developer to form a liquid collection portion of the developer; spreading the liquid collection portion by moving the developer nozzle toward the other of the central and peripheral portions with the opposing surface brought into contact with the liquid collection portion; lifting the developer nozzle relative to the surface while stopping the discharge of the developer, and pulling up a portion of the liquid collection portion; stopping the lifting, and forming a pillar of the developer having a tapered upper end which is brought into contact with the opposing surface; and applying a shearing force to the pillar to shear the tapered upper end and separating the pillar from the opposing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Takeshi Shimoaoki, Yusaku Hashimoto, Masahiro Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20180284652
    Abstract: A developing method includes: horizontally holding a substrate; disposing an opposing surface of a developer nozzle that faces a portion of a surface of the substrate, above one of central and peripheral portions of the surface; discharging a developer to form a liquid collection portion of the developer; spreading the liquid collection portion by moving the developer nozzle toward the other of the central and peripheral portions with the opposing surface brought into contact with the liquid collection portion; lifting the developer nozzle relative to the surface while stopping the discharge of the developer, and pulling up a portion of the liquid collection portion; stopping the lifting, and forming a pillar of the developer having a tapered upper end which is brought into contact with the opposing surface; and applying a shearing force to the pillar to shear the tapered upper end and separating the pillar from the opposing surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Takeshi SHIMOAOKI, Yusaku HASHIMOTO, Masahiro FUKUDA