Patents by Inventor Yutaka Unno

Yutaka Unno 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: 11956863
    Abstract: A multi-zone heater includes an outer circumferential zone heater and first and second elemental wire portions. The outer circumferential zone heater is a coil that is provided in an outer circumferential zone of a ceramic substrate in the same plane as a plane in which a central zone heater is provided and that is routed throughout the outer circumferential zone in a unicursal manner from one end portion to the other end portion in the outer circumferential portion. The first elemental wire portion extends from a first terminal, passes through a central portion, is connected to the one end portion of the outer circumferential zone heater, and has a meandering shape in plan view. The second elemental wire portion extends from a second terminal, passes through the central portion, is connected to the other end portion of the outer circumferential zone heater, and has a meandering shape in plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Unno, Nobuyuki Kondou
  • Publication number: 20230317431
    Abstract: A joined structure includes: a ceramic member having a wafer placement surface; an embedded electrode that is embedded in the ceramic member and has a shape extending along the wafer placement surface; a metallic connection member embedded in a surface of the ceramic member that is opposite to the wafer-placement surface so as to reach the embedded electrode; and a metallic external energizing member joined to a surface of the connection member that is exposed to the outside with a joint layer interposed therebetween. The connection member has an arithmetic mean surface roughness Ra of 6 to 16 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka UNNO, Mikiya TADAKI, Takuya YOKONO
  • Patent number: 11688590
    Abstract: An electrostatic-chuck heater is of a Johnsen-Rahbek type and is used in a process of forming a conductive film on a wafer. The electrostatic-chuck heater includes a disc-shaped ceramic base including an electrostatic electrode and a heating resistor, and a hollow shaft attached to a side of the ceramic base that is opposite a side having a wafer-mounting surface. A through-hole extends in a peripheral wall of the hollow shaft from a lower end through to an area of the wafer-mounting surface that is on an inner side with respect to a circular groove. The through-hole allows gas to be supplied from the lower end of the hollow shaft into a below-wafer space enclosed by the wafer-mounting surface, an outermost projection group, and the wafer mounted on the wafer-mounting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Unno, Reo Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11664203
    Abstract: An electrostatic-chuck heater is a Johnsen-Rahbek electrostatic-chuck heater and is used in a process of forming a conductive film on a wafer. The electrostatic-chuck heater includes a disc-shaped ceramic base including an electrostatic electrode and a heating resistor, and a hollow shaft attached to a side of the ceramic base that is opposite a wafer-mounting surface. A protruding ring is provided on the wafer-mounting surface and having an outside diameter smaller than a diameter of the wafer. A through-hole extends in a peripheral wall of the hollow shaft from a lower end through to an area of the wafer-mounting surface that is on an inner side with respect to the protruding ring. The through-hole allows gas to be supplied from the lower end of the hollow shaft into a below-wafer space enclosed by the wafer-mounting surface, the protruding ring, and the wafer mounted on the wafer-mounting surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Unno, Reo Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11602012
    Abstract: A wafer placement table includes: a ceramic member having a wafer placement surface; a mesh electrode buried in the ceramic member; a conductive connection member in contact with the mesh electrode and exposed to outside from a surface of the ceramic member on the opposite side of the wafer placement surface; and an external current-carrying member joined to a surface of the connection member exposed to outside. The mesh electrode has a mesh opening in a region that faces the connection member, and the mesh opening is filled with a sintered conductor being a sintered body of a mixture containing a conductive powder and a ceramic raw material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Unno, Shuichiro Motoyama
  • Publication number: 20230058637
    Abstract: A wafer support table includes a ceramic base having a wafer placement surface and including an RF electrode and a heater electrode embedded, the RF electrode being closer to the wafer placement surface; a hole extending from a surface of the ceramic base opposite the wafer placement surface toward the RF electrode; and an RF rod through having a top end joined to the RF electrode or joined to a conductive member connected to the RF electrode, wherein the RF rod is a hybrid rod including a first rod member that is made of Ni and constitutes a portion of the RF rod from the top end to a predetermined position and a second rod member that is joined to the first rod member and constitutes a portion of the RF rod from the predetermined position to the base end and is made of a non-magnetic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2022
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Applicant: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka UNNO, Tomohiro HARA
  • Patent number: 11574822
    Abstract: A ceramic heater includes a ceramic substrate including, on an upper surface, a wafer mount surface that receives a wafer, and a heater electrode embedded in an inside of the ceramic substrate. The ceramic substrate includes a core portion and a surface layer portion disposed on a surface of the core portion. The surface layer portion has volume resistivity higher than volume resistivity of the core portion. The core portion has thermal conductivity higher than thermal conductivity of the surface layer portion. The surface layer portion is disposed over an area of at least one of a side surface of the core portion and an upper surface of the core portion, the area being not covered with the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Unno, Shuichiro Motoyama
  • Patent number: 11483901
    Abstract: A ceramic heater includes a ceramic plate having a wafer mounting surface and having a resistive heating element embedded in the plate; and a ceramic tubular shaft having a tubular shape and bonded to a back surface of the plate. The plate has a circular recess with a bottom in the back surface thereof. The tubular shaft has a plate-side flange extending radially outward from an outer peripheral surface of a plate-side end portion. An entire end surface of the plate-side end portion of the tubular shaft is bonded to a bonding region of the back surface of the plate outside the circular recess. The opening diameter d1 of the plate-side end portion of the tubular shaft, the inner diameter d2 of the plate-side flange of the tubular shaft, and the diameter D1 of the circular recess of the plate satisfy d2?d1?D1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yutaka Unno
  • Patent number: 11367631
    Abstract: A ceramic heater includes a ceramic plate having a wafer placement surface on which a wafer is to be placed, and incorporating a resistance heating element therein, and a ceramic tubular shaft having one end joined to a rear surface of the plate. The tubular shaft has a vertical sectional shape including an S-like portion or a curved portion having an inflection point in at least one position, and includes a through-hole penetrating the tubular shaft from the one end to the other end with an axis extending along the vertical sectional shape of the tubular shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yutaka Unno
  • Publication number: 20220174788
    Abstract: A ceramic heater includes a disc-shaped ceramic plate having a wafer placement surface, and a shaft provided on a surface on an opposite side of the wafer placement surface of the ceramic plate. First and second resistance heating elements are embedded inside the ceramic plate. When the ceramic plate is viewed from above, the gap (first gap) between first turn-back sections which face each other in a circumferential direction, and the gap (second gap) between second turn-back sections which face each other in a circumferential direction are arranged so as not to overlap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro HARA, Yutaka UNNO
  • Publication number: 20220112599
    Abstract: A ceramic heater includes a disk-shaped ceramic plate having a wafer placement surface on a front surface thereof, the ceramic plate having a plasma electrode and a heater electrode embedded therein in this order, from closest to the wafer placement surface to farthest, in such a manner that the plasma electrode and the heater electrode are spaced apart from each other; a cylindrical shaft that supports the ceramic plate from a back surface of the ceramic plate; a plasma electrode connecting member arranged in the cylindrical shaft and connected to the plasma electrode; a heater electrode connecting member arranged in the cylindrical shaft and connected to the heater electrode; and a planar shield portion arranged on the back surface of the ceramic plate or embedded in the ceramic plate so as to be closer to the back surface than the heater electrode, the planar shield portion being connected to ground.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro HARA, Yutaka UNNO
  • Patent number: 11223302
    Abstract: An electrostatic chuck has a structure in which an electrostatic electrode is embedded in a disk-like ceramic plate and attracts a wafer that is placed on the ceramic plate and that has a diameter smaller than that of the ceramic plate by Johnsen-Rahbek force. The electrostatic chuck includes an insulating film that has an electric resistance larger than that of the ceramic plate in an annular region of a front surface of the ceramic plate from an outer circumferential edge of the ceramic plate to the inside of an outer circumferential edge of the wafer that is placed on the ceramic plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Reo Watanabe, Nobuyuki Kondou, Yutaka Unno
  • Publication number: 20210007181
    Abstract: A wafer placement table includes: a ceramic member having a wafer placement surface; a mesh electrode buried in the ceramic member; a conductive connection member in contact with the mesh electrode and exposed to outside from a surface of the ceramic member on the opposite side of the wafer placement surface; and an external current-carrying member joined to a surface of the connection member exposed to outside. The mesh electrode has a mesh opening in a region that faces the connection member, and the mesh opening is filled with a sintered conductor being a sintered body of a mixture containing a conductive powder and a ceramic raw material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka UNNO, Shuichiro MOTOYAMA
  • Publication number: 20200396801
    Abstract: A multi-zone heater includes an outer circumferential zone heater and first and second elemental wire portions. The outer circumferential zone heater is a coil that is provided in an outer circumferential zone of a ceramic substrate in the same plane as a plane in which a central zone heater is provided and that is routed throughout the outer circumferential zone in a unicursal manner from one end portion to the other end portion in the outer circumferential portion. The first elemental wire portion extends from a first terminal, passes through a central portion, is connected to the one end portion of the outer circumferential zone heater, and has a meandering shape in plan view. The second elemental wire portion extends from a second terminal, passes through the central portion, is connected to the other end portion of the outer circumferential zone heater, and has a meandering shape in plan view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka UNNO, Nobuyuki KONDOU
  • Patent number: 10861680
    Abstract: A wafer support of the present invention includes shield sheet embedded in the ceramic base between the plasma generation electrode and the heater electrode in a state not contacting both the electrodes; and a shield pipe electrically connected to the shield sheet and laid to extend to outside of the ceramic base from the surface of the ceramic base on the side opposite to the wafer placement surface, wherein the wiring member for the plasma generation electrode is inserted through inside of the shield pipe in a state not contacting the shield pipe, and the wiring member for the heater electrode is disposed outside the shield pipe in a state not contacting the shield pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Daiki Maeda, Yutaka Unno
  • Publication number: 20200312696
    Abstract: An electrostatic-chuck heater is a Johnsen-Rahbek electrostatic-chuck heater and is used in a process of forming a conductive film on a wafer. The electrostatic-chuck heater includes a disc-shaped ceramic base including an electrostatic electrode and a heating resistor, and a hollow shaft attached to a side of the ceramic base that is opposite a wafer-mounting surface. A protruding ring is provided on the wafer-mounting surface and having an outside diameter smaller than a diameter of the wafer. A through-hole extends in a peripheral wall of the hollow shaft from a lower end through to an area of the wafer-mounting surface that is on an inner side with respect to the protruding ring. The through-hole allows gas to be supplied from the lower end of the hollow shaft into a below-wafer space enclosed by the wafer-mounting surface, the protruding ring, and the wafer mounted on the wafer-mounting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka UNNO, Reo WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20200163165
    Abstract: A ceramic heater includes a ceramic plate having a wafer mounting surface and having a resistive heating element embedded in the plate; and a ceramic tubular shaft having a tubular shape and bonded to a back surface of the plate. The plate has a circular recess with a bottom in the back surface thereof. The tubular shaft has a plate-side flange extending radially outward from an outer peripheral surface of a plate-side end portion. An entire end surface of the plate-side end portion of the tubular shaft is bonded to a bonding region of the back surface of the plate outside the circular recess. The opening diameter d1 of the plate-side end portion of the tubular shaft, the inner diameter d2 of the plate-side flange of the tubular shaft, and the diameter D1 of the circular recess of the plate satisfy d2?d1?D1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventor: Yutaka Unno
  • Publication number: 20200126773
    Abstract: An electrostatic-chuck heater is of a Johnsen-Rahbek type and is used in a process of forming a conductive film on a wafer. The electrostatic-chuck heater includes a disc-shaped ceramic base including an electrostatic electrode and a heating resistor, and a hollow shaft attached to a side of the ceramic base that is opposite a side having a wafer-mounting surface. A through-hole extends in a peripheral wall of the hollow shaft from a lower end through to an area of the wafer-mounting surface that is on an inner side with respect to a circular groove. The through-hole allows gas to be supplied from the lower end of the hollow shaft into a below-wafer space enclosed by the wafer-mounting surface, an outermost projection group, and the wafer mounted on the wafer-mounting surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka UNNO, Reo WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20200111697
    Abstract: An electrostatic chuck has a structure in which an electrostatic electrode is embedded in a disk-like ceramic plate and attracts a wafer that is placed on the ceramic plate and that has a diameter smaller than that of the ceramic plate by Johnsen-Rahbek force. The electrostatic chuck includes an insulating film that has an electric resistance larger than that of the ceramic plate in an annular region of a front surface of the ceramic plate from an outer circumferential edge of the ceramic plate to the inside of an outer circumferential edge of the wafer that is placed on the ceramic plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Reo WATANABE, Nobuyuki KONDOU, Yutaka UNNO
  • Publication number: 20200090964
    Abstract: A ceramic heater includes a ceramic substrate including, on an upper surface, a wafer mount surface that receives a wafer, and a heater electrode embedded in an inside of the ceramic substrate. The ceramic substrate includes a core portion and a surface layer portion disposed on a surface of the core portion. The surface layer portion has volume resistivity higher than volume resistivity of the core portion. The core portion has thermal conductivity higher than thermal conductivity of the surface layer portion. The surface layer portion is disposed over an area of at least one of a side surface of the core portion and an upper surface of the core portion, the area being not covered with the wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Applicant: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka UNNO, Shuichiro MOTOYAMA