With Means To Centrifuge Work Patents (Class 118/52)
  • Patent number: 11961757
    Abstract: A substrate holding apparatus is used for a substrate processing apparatus for supplying the processing liquid to a substrate. The substrate holding apparatus includes a holding member, a ring member, and a rotation mechanism. The holding member holds the substrate in a horizontal attitude. The ring member is in a shape of a ring surrounding a peripheral edge of the substrate held by the holding member, and has an upper surface level with or positioned below a front surface of the substrate. The rotation mechanism rotates the holding member and the ring member about a rotation axis at rotation speeds different from each other and/or in rotational directions different from each other, the rotation axis being a vertical axis passing through the substrate held by the holding member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ryo Muramoto
  • Patent number: 11897007
    Abstract: Provided is an apparatus for processing a substrate. The apparatus for processing a substrate includes a base portion configured to provide a rotational force in a circumferential direction; a holding module located on the base portion and configured to hold the substrate; a nozzle module located above the base portion and configured to jet a chemical liquid onto the substrate on the holding module; and a scattering prevention module located on the base portion at a peripheral portion of the holding module and configured to, when the chemical liquid is scattered after being jetted onto the substrate, guide the scattered chemical liquid to be discharged, wherein the scattering prevention module guides the scattered chemical liquid with a variable movement caused by the rotational force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SEMES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yun Hwa Hong
  • Patent number: 11868046
    Abstract: Precursor solutions for radiation patternable coatings are formed with an organic solvent and monoalkyl tin trialkoxides in which the water content of the solvent is adjusted to be within 10 percent of a selected value. Generally, the water content of the solvent is adjusted through water addition, although water removal can also be used. In some embodiments, the adjusted water content of the solvent can be from about 250 ppm by weight to about 10,000 ppm by weight. With the appropriate selection of ligands, the adjusted precursor solutions can be stable for at least about 42 days, and in some cases at least 8 months.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Inpria Corporation
    Inventors: Kai Jiang, Stephen T. Meyers, Lauren B. McQuade, Jeremy T. Anderson, Brian J. Cardineau, Benjamin L Clark, Dominick Smiddy, Margaret Wilson-Moses
  • Patent number: 11823918
    Abstract: A substrate processing method includes supplying a processing liquid to a peripheral edge of a surface of a substrate to form a processing film on the peripheral edge of the surface of the substrate; and bringing a molding solvent supplied to an inner region than a region of the surface of the substrate to which the processing liquid is supplied, into contact with an interface of the processing liquid that faces a central side of the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Akiko Kai
  • Patent number: 11798800
    Abstract: A solvent recycle system minimizes chemical consumption used in various semiconductor processes. The solvent is recycled from a nozzle bath via the addition of buffer tank to connect the bath and circulation pumps. Improvements to the bath design further maintain solvent cleanness by preventing intrusion of particles and overflow conditions in the bath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chun-Wei Liao, Tung-Hung Feng, Hui-Chun Lee, Shih-Che Wang
  • Patent number: 11619604
    Abstract: A bubble detection method includes flowing a fluid through a conduit containing at least one bipolar electrode, applying an electric field across the fluid in the conduit, and detecting a presence of a bubble in the fluid when the bubble flows around or through the bipolar electrode by detecting a current or voltage output from the at least one bipolar electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Yutaka Ishiguro, Shoichi Taniguchi, Tomohiro Nishiwaki, Ruinian Tian
  • Patent number: 11557495
    Abstract: A coating film forming method includes: rotating a substrate at a first rotation speed in a coating cup with an upper surface open, and supplying and diffusing a coating solution for forming a coating film on the substrate; and after the supplying and diffusing the coating solution, drying the substrate by exhausting air through a gap between an annular member arranged above the substrate with centers thereof being located on a same axis and the front surface of the substrate, while rotating the substrate at a second rotation speed lower than the first rotation speed, wherein at the drying the substrate, a flow velocity of the air exhausted through the gap is higher than a flow velocity of air supplied from above the substrate in the coating cup to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Shogo Inaba
  • Patent number: 11506579
    Abstract: An assembly for forming a microchamber for an inverted substrate is disclosed. The assembly can include a body having a chamber formed therein. A dispensing cavity can be provided to supply a reagent to the chamber. A slide support structure can be configured to support the slide such that the tissue sample faces the chamber when the slide is mounted to the slide support structure. The chamber and the slide support structure can be dimensioned such that, when the reagent is supplied to the dispensing cavity, the reagent is drawn to the chamber by way of capillary forces acting on the reagent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: BioGenex Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Krishan L. Kalra
  • Patent number: 11501985
    Abstract: A low surface tension liquid supply unit supplies a low surface tension liquid onto the upper surface of a substrate to form a liquid film of the low surface tension liquid on the substrate. An opening is formed in a central region of the liquid film of an organic solvent. The liquid film is removed from the upper surface of the substrate by expanding the opening. While a low surface tension liquid is supplied from the low surface tension liquid supply unit, to the liquid film, toward a liquid landing point set outside the opening, the liquid landing point is moved so as to follow the expansion of the opening. While an facing surface of a drying head faces a dry region set inside the opening to form a low-humidity space between the facing surface and the dry region, with the low-humidity space having a humidity lower than that outside the space, the dry region and the facing surface are moved so as to follow the expansion of the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Inventor: Koji Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 11482428
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes: a substrate holder; a processing liquid supply nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate held by the substrate holder; a liquid receiving cup that receives the processing liquid supplied to the substrate; a processing chamber that accommodates the liquid receiving cup and has an opening at an upper side; a shield that shields a region outside the liquid receiving cup in the opening of the processing chamber; a driver that moves the liquid receiving cup between a first processing position separated from the shield and a second processing position above the shield; and a processing liquid guide that causes a processing liquid dropped onto the shield to fall downward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Mouri, Kento Kurusu
  • Patent number: 11465168
    Abstract: A liquid processing device includes: a nozzle configured to discharge, onto a substrate, a processing liquid supplied from a processing liquid source, the processing liquid being configured to process the substrate; a main flow path which connects the processing liquid source and the nozzle; a filter provided in the main flow path; a branch path branched from the main flow path; a pump provided at an end of the branch path; and a controller configured to output a control signal to perform a first process of sucking the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid source by the pump to flow the processing liquid into the branch path and then a second process of discharging the processing liquid of a smaller amount than a capacity of the branch path from the pump to the branch path to discharge the processing liquid from the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ide, Hideo Shite, Kousuke Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 11373883
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate processing unit, a partition wall, a first gas supply, and a second gas supply. The substrate processing unit performs a liquid processing on a substrate. The partition wall separates a first space defined from a carry-in/out port through which the substrate is loaded to the substrate processing unit, and a second space other than the first space. The first gas supply is connected to the partition wall, and supplies an atmosphere adjusting gas to the first space. The second gas supply is connected to a place different from the first gas supply in the partition wall, and supplies an atmosphere adjusting gas to the first space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Shota Umezaki, Yoshinori Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11361960
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber providing a space in which a substrate is processed, a first substrate support within the chamber and configured to support the substrate when the substrate is loaded into chamber, a second substrate support within the chamber and configured to support the substrate in a height greater than the height in which the first substrate supports the substrate, a first supply port through which a supercritical fluid is supplied to a first space under the substrate of a chamber space, a second supply port through which the supercritical fluid is supplied to a second space above the substrate of the chamber space, and an exhaust port through which the supercritical fluid is exhausted from the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignees: SEMES CO., LTD., SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Won-Ho Jang, Jeong-Yong Bae, Woo-Young Kim, Hyun-Jung Lee, Se-Jin Park, Yong-Sun Ko, Dong-Gyun Han, Woo-Gwan Shim, Boong Kim
  • Patent number: 11361962
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate processing method. The substrate processing method, which performs a liquid processing process by injecting a processing liquid on a substrate on a spin chuck disposed inside a plurality of recovery cups that are disposed in multiple layers, includes: in a transitional period of time in which height change of any one of the recovery cups occurs, adjusting rotational speed of the spin chuck, which is configured to support the substrate, in conjunction with the height change of the recovery cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: SEMES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seung Hoon Oh, Jin Tack Yu, Bu Young Jung, Byung Sun Bang, Young Jin Kim, Young Jun Choi, Jong Hyeon Woo
  • Patent number: 11342182
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, the substrate treatment device includes a dilutor configured to dilute a first liquid containing a metal ion and exhibiting acidity. The device further includes a pH changer configured to change a pH of the first liquid before or after being diluted by the dilutor. The device further includes a substrate conditioner configured to treat the substrate using the first liquid, which is diluted by the dilutor and with the pH changed by the pH changer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: KIOXIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhito Yoshimizu, Fuyuma Ito, Hakuba Kitagawa, Yohei Yamamoto, Hisashi Okuchi, Yuji Yamada
  • Patent number: 11199785
    Abstract: An apparatus includes: a treatment block including treatment modules; and a relay block coupling the treatment block and an exposure apparatus in a width direction, and including a transfer-in/out mechanism for the exposure apparatus. In the treatment block being multilayered in an up-down direction, a transfer mechanism is provided in a transfer region extending in the width direction. In a layer, in the treatment block, at a position accessible from the transfer-in/out mechanism, a deliverer on which the substrate is mounted when the substrate is delivered between the blocks is provided at an end on the relay block side. Pre-exposure storages storing the substrate before the exposure are provided along the width direction in two regions between which the transfer region is interposed in a depth direction. A non-treatment unit is provided at a portion where the pre-exposure storages are not provided in the two regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Masashi Tsuchiyama, Hiroki Sato, Ippei Hamada
  • Patent number: 11168410
    Abstract: A susceptor for a CVD-reactor includes insertion openings arranged in a bearing surface of the susceptor. An insertion section of a positioning element is inserted into one of the insertion openings. The insertion section forms positioning flanks with a section projecting from the insertion opening for fixing the position of a substrate. The insertion openings each have side walls and a base. The insertion section comprises bearing areas adjacent to the side walls of the insertion openings and a lower side of the positioning element facing the base of the insertion opening. The base of the insertion opening is separated from the lower side of the positioning element by a first distance. An edge protruding section of the positioning element is separated from a section of the bearing surface of the susceptor by a second distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: AIXTRON SE
    Inventors: Daniel Claessens, Adam Boyd, James O'Dowd, Olivier Feron
  • Patent number: 11158523
    Abstract: A processing liquid containing a sublimable material is supplied to a front surface of a substrate to which a liquid adheres to form a liquid film. The liquid film is solidified into a solidified body. Nitrogen gas is supplied to the solidified body formed on the front surface of the substrate so that the flow rate thereof per unit area is constant over the entire surface of the substrate. The solidified body is sublimated uniformly over the entire surface of the substrate, and a gas-solid interface of the solidified body moves in a direction perpendicular to the front surface of the substrate. This precludes protrusions of a pattern from being pulled by the movement of the gas-solid interface of the solidified body, whereby the front surface of the substrate is dried well while the collapse of the pattern formed on the front surface of the substrate is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yosuke Hanawa, Yuta Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11031235
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a driving magnet that is disposed correspondingly to a movable pin and that has a predetermined polar direction with respect to a radial direction of a rotary table, a pressing magnet that has a magnetic pole that gives an attractive magnetic force or a repulsive magnetic force between the driving magnet and the pressing magnet and that presses a support portion against a peripheral edge of a substrate by urging the support portion toward a contact position by means of the attractive magnetic force or the repulsive magnetic force, and a pressing-force changing unit that changes a magnitude of a pressing force against the peripheral edge of the substrate pressed by the support portion while keeping the magnitude higher than zero in response to rotation of the rotary table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Inventors: Hiromichi Kaba, Akihiko Taki, Tomomi Iwata, Toru Edo, Kunio Yamada
  • Patent number: 11024518
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a stationary cup body 51 provided to surround a substrate holding unit 31 and configured to receive a processing liquid or mist of the processing liquid discharged onto a substrate, the stationary cup body not being moved relatively with respect to a processing vessel; a mist guard 80; and a guard elevating mechanism 84 configured to elevate the mist guard. Here, the mist guard is provided at an outside of the stationary cup body to surround the stationary cup body and configured to block a liquid scattered outwards beyond a space above the stationary cup body. Further, the mist guard includes a cylindrical portion 81 of a cylindrical shape and a protruding portion 82 protruded from an upper portion of the cylindrical portion toward an inside of the cylindrical portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Norihiro Ito, Jiro Higashijima, Nobuhiro Ogata, Takahisa Otsuka, Yuichi Douki, Yusuke Hashimoto, Kazuhiro Aiura, Daisuke Goto
  • Patent number: 11014103
    Abstract: Present disclosure provides a substrate processing apparatus, including a rotatable pedestal configured to hold a substrate, a driving mechanism connected to the rotatable pedestal, a liquid pouring nozzle over the pedestal, a temperature sensor configured to probe a temperature of the substrate processing apparatus, and a controller communicating with the temperature sensor and the driving mechanism. Present disclosure also provides a method for processing a substrate, including providing a substrate on a pedestal of a processing chamber, probing a temperature of the processing chamber, calculating a temperature difference between the temperature of the processing chamber and a predetermined temperature, and determining a rotational speed difference with respect to a predetermined rotational speed of the pedestal according to the temperature difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Yung-Yao Lee, Wei-Hsiang Tseng
  • Patent number: 10964558
    Abstract: A low surface tension liquid supply unit supplies a low surface tension liquid onto the upper surface of a substrate to form a liquid film of the low surface tension liquid on the substrate. An opening is formed in a central region of the liquid film of an organic solvent. The liquid film is removed from the upper surface of the substrate by expanding the opening. While a low surface tension liquid is supplied from the low surface tension liquid supply unit, to the liquid film, toward a liquid landing point set outside the opening, the liquid landing point is moved so as to follow the expansion of the opening. While an facing surface of a drying head faces a dry region set inside the opening to form a low-humidity space between the facing surface and the dry region, with the low-humidity space having a humidity lower than that outside the space, the dry region and the facing surface are moved so as to follow the expansion of the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Inventor: Koji Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 10867818
    Abstract: Provided is a wafer level dispenser, and more particularly, a wafer level dispenser having a function of applying a viscous liquid to a semiconductor chip formed on a wafer by approaching the semiconductor chip on the wafer at various angles. According to the wafer level dispenser, a viscous liquid may be dispensed to a wafer or a semiconductor chip mounted on the wafer by adjusting an angle of a pump as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: PROTEC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seung Min Hong, Hee Joong Cho
  • Patent number: 10777404
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a driving magnet that is disposed correspondingly to a movable pin and that has a predetermined polar direction with respect to a radial direction of a rotary table, a pressing magnet that has a magnetic pole that gives an attractive magnetic force or a repulsive magnetic force between the driving magnet and the pressing magnet and that presses a support portion against a peripheral edge of a substrate by urging the support portion toward a contact position by means of the attractive magnetic force or the repulsive magnetic force, and a pressing-force changing unit that changes a magnitude of a pressing force against the peripheral edge of the substrate pressed by the support portion while keeping the magnitude higher than zero in response to rotation of the rotary table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromichi Kaba, Akihiko Taki, Tomomi Iwata, Toru Edo, Kunio Yamada
  • Patent number: 10699919
    Abstract: A coating processing apparatus includes: a substrate holding part for horizontally holding a substrate and configured to rotate around a vertical axis; a coating liquid supply part for supplying a coating liquid onto the substrate; a cup body surrounding the substrate; an annular exhaust path formed along a circumferential direction of the cup body between an inner peripheral surface of the cup body and an inner member installed inside the cup body; a coating liquid collecting member installed to cover the exhaust path and having an opening, and configured to collect the coating liquid scattering from the substrate; at least one solvent storage portion formed in the coating liquid collecting member and configured to store a first solvent for dissolving the coating liquid collected in the coating liquid collecting member; and a solvent supply part for supplying the first solvent to the at least one solvent storage portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventor: Ryoichi Uemura
  • Patent number: 10679844
    Abstract: A spin coating device includes a base plate, a spin chuck on which a substrate material is placed, and an actuator mechanism to engage the base plate with the spin chuck such that the base plate synchronously spins along with the spin chuck. The substrate material includes a top surface coated with a film-forming substance and a bottom surface. The cleaning mechanism is below the base plate and out of optimal exposure to the bottom surface and edges of the substrate material in a state of base plate engagement. In response to disengagement of a lid configured to synchronously co-rotate with the base plate, the actuator mechanism is further configured to disengage the base plate from the spin chuck and to enable the optimal exposure of the cleaning mechanism to the bottom surface and the edges of the substrate material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: C&D SEMICONDUCTOR SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Thanh Truong, Tri Dang, Tu Tran, Hieu Charlie Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10619894
    Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises: a first solidifier and a second solidifier. The first solidifier solidifies a liquid to be solidified adhering to a front surface of a substrate by supplying a liquid refrigerant to a back surface of the substrate at a first position. The second solidifier solidifies the liquid to be solidified by at least one of a first cooling mechanism and a second cooling mechanism. The first cooling mechanism cools the liquid to be solidified by supplying a gas refrigerant toward the substrate at a second position more distant from a center of rotation of the substrate in a radial direction than the first position. The second cooling mechanism cools the liquid to be solidified by bringing a processing surface into contact with the liquid to be solidified at the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kitagawa, Dai Ueda, Katsuhiko Miya
  • Patent number: 10569297
    Abstract: A substrate is rotated with a holding rotator to form a coating liquid film on the substrate, and at least a part of an excess of the coating liquid is pushed out toward a periphery edge of the substrate by a centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the substrate to build up the excess of the coating liquid along the periphery edge of the substrate. Moreover, gas is blown to the periphery edge of the substrate through a gas nozzle to exhaust the excess of the coating liquid building up at the periphery edge. Blowing the gas toward the periphery edge of the substrate through the gas nozzle makes the coating liquid unbalanced that builds up without being exhausted outside the substrate due to its surface tension. Accordingly, the rotation achieves the coating liquid film having a uniform thickness while the coating liquid film is formed to be thick.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Harumoto, Yuji Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10553422
    Abstract: A substrate treatment apparatus includes a substrate retainer that horizontally retains the substrate. A blocking portion has a lower surface facing an upper surface of said substrate and a tapered surface extending diagonally upward from an inner periphery of the lower surface toward a center of the lower surface. A rotary portion rotates the substrate and the blocking portion about a vertical rotary axis. A first supply unit supplies treatment liquid and a second supply unit supplies rinse liquid toward a tapered surface from the center of the rotated blocking portion through said opening of said blocking portion. The first supply unit supplies the treatment liquid during a first period and the second supply unit supplies the rinse liquid during a second overlapping period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriyuki Kikumoto, Shuichi Yasuda, Kazuhiro Fujita, Michinori Iwao
  • Patent number: 10513458
    Abstract: An aspect of the present invention is directed to a method for producing a glass sheet with a coating, produced by applying a functional liquid for providing a function to the glass sheet, to at least one face of the glass sheet, including a first step of supplying the functional liquid to an ejection portion having a nozzle that ejects the functional liquid toward the glass sheet, and a second step of applying the functional liquid to the glass sheet while moving the glass sheet relative to the ejection portion in a fixed state such that the functional liquid ejected from the nozzle is applied to a predetermined region on the at least one face of the glass sheet, wherein a tube member that transports the functional liquid is connected to the ejection portion, and, in the first step, the functional liquid is supplied by the tube member to the ejection portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: NIPPON SHEET GLASS COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: Toyoyuki Teranishi, Shuhei Murata, Takeshi Fujiwara, Hiroyuki Okinaka
  • Patent number: 10508860
    Abstract: A vacuum drying system includes: a support platform, which is used to support the substrate, wherein the support platform comprises a plurality of sub-platforms which are arranged along a predetermined direction and there are gaps between the adjacent sub-platforms; a mechanical arm which comprises a plurality of strip structures at positions corresponding to the gaps, and is used to place the substrate onto the support platform or move the substrate out of the support platform. Comparing to the prior art wherein the substrate is supported by a plurality of needle-shaped supports in the vacuum drying process, in the technical solution of the present disclosure, the contact area between the support platform and the substrate is much larger, which can reduce the local pressure on the substrate, thereby avoiding the display brightness mura of the substrate caused by the supporting operation in the vacuum drying process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignees: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., HEFEI BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yusheng An, Qingyong Meng
  • Patent number: 10497601
    Abstract: A device and corresponding method for coating of an inner circular surface of a coating surface of a carrier wafer with a coating material. The device includes an application means for applying a coating material intended for coating of the inner circular surface to the inner circular surface, a rotating means for accommodating and rotating the carrier wafer around an axis of rotation and for distribution of the coating material on the coating surface, and a second application means for applying a coating inhibitor to an outer circular ring surface which surrounds the inner circular surface, said coating inhibitor at least inhibits the coating of the outer circular ring surface during the distribution of the coating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: EV Group E. Thallner GmbH
    Inventor: Jürgen Burggraf
  • Patent number: 10392688
    Abstract: A film forming apparatus includes: a chamber main body defining a chamber; a slit plate partitioning the chamber into a first space and a second space below the first space, the slit plate having a slit penetrating therethrough; a holder holding a target in the first space; a stage for supporting a substrate, the stage being movable in a moving direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the slit in a moving area including an area directly below the slit; and a mechanism for moving the stage along the moving direction. In order to suppress scattering of particles from the target to another area other than the moving area in the second space through the slit, the stage has one or more protruding portions which provide upwardly and/or downwardly bent portions in a path around the stage between the slit and the another area in the second space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Junichi Takei, Naoyuki Suzuki, Tetsuya Miyashita
  • Patent number: 10350624
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, provided is a coating apparatus. The coating apparatus includes a first discharger, a second discharger, and a third discharger. The first discharger discharges a first liquid on a top surface of a substrate. In addition, the second discharger discharges a second liquid of which surface tension is higher than surface tension of the first liquid on the top surface of the substrate. In addition, the third discharger is disposed in a side outer than the first discharger in the substrate and discharges a gas on the top surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Takeishi
  • Patent number: 10325787
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus (1) includes: a support (4) configured to support a substrate (W) in a plane; a rotation mechanism (5) configured to rotate the support (4) about an axis that crosses a surface of the substrate (W) supported by the support (4) as a rotation axis; a plurality of nozzles (6a, 6b, 6c), which are aligned from the center toward the periphery of the substrate (W) supported by the support (4), configured to eject a treatment liquid to the surface of the substrate (W) on the support (4) being rotated by the rotation mechanism (5), and a controller (9) configured to control the nozzles to eject the treatment liquid at different ejection timings according to the thickness of a film of the treatment liquid formed on the surface of the substrate (W) on the support (4) being rotated by the rotation mechanism (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: SHIBAURA MECHATRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Konosuke Hayashi, Takashi Ootagaki, Yuji Nagashima, Akinori Iso
  • Patent number: 10297473
    Abstract: A liquid processing apparatus performs a liquid processing on a rotating substrate by supplying a processing liquid. Surrounding members surround a region including an upper space of a cup body surrounding the rotating substrate and provided with an opening above the substrate. An air flow forming portion forms a descending air flow from an upper side of the cup body. A bottom surface portion blocks between the cup body and the surrounding member along a circumferential direction. An exhaust port is provided above the bottom surface portion and outside the cup body to exhaust an atmosphere in a region surrounded by the surrounding members and the bottom surface portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Terufumi Wakiyama, Norihiro Ito, Jiro Higashijima
  • Patent number: 10269615
    Abstract: A device for processing wafer-shaped articles comprises a closed process chamber. The closed process chamber comprises a housing providing a gas-tight enclosure, a rotary chuck located within the closed process chamber and adapted to hold a wafer shaped article thereon, and an interior cover disposed within said closed process chamber. The interior cover is movable between a first position in which the rotary chuck communicates with an outer wall of the closed process chamber, and a second position in which the interior cover seals against an inner surface of the closed process chamber adjacent the rotary chuck to define a gas-tight inner process chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: LAM RESEARCH AG
    Inventors: Ulrich Tschinderle, Andreas Gleissner, Thomas Wirnsberger, Rainer Obweger
  • Patent number: 10224225
    Abstract: An apparatus and an associated method. The apparatus includes a chuck, an array of three or more ultrasonic sensors, a ceramic ring surrounding the chuck, and a controller connected to the ultrasonic sensors. The chuck is configured to removeably hold a substrate for processing. Each ultrasonic sensor may send a respective ultrasonic sound wave to a respective preselected peripheral region of the substrate and receive a respective return ultrasonic sound wave from the preselected peripheral region. The controller may compare a measured position of the substrate on the chuck to a specified placement of the substrate on the chuck based on a measured elapsed time between sending the ultrasonic sound wave and receiving the return ultrasonic sound wave for each ultrasonic sensor. The method compares a measured position of the substrate on the chuck to a specified position on the chuck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shawn A. Adderly, Samantha D. DiStefano, Jeffrey P. Gambino, Max G. Levy, Max L. Lifson, Matthew D. Moon, Timothy D. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 10192771
    Abstract: A substrate holding/rotating device includes an urging unit, urging support portions of movable pins to either an open position or a hold position, first and second driving magnets, mounted in correspondence to respective movable pins of respective first and second movable pin groups and having mutually opposite magnetic pole directions, a first moving magnet, for urging the support portions of the first movable pin group to the other of either the open position or the hold position, and a second moving magnet, for urging the support portions of the second movable pin group to the other of either the open position or the hold position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromichi Kaba, Akihiko Taki
  • Patent number: 10160012
    Abstract: A cup intermediate portion and a cup lower portion surround a substrate. The cup intermediate portion is arranged above an upper surface of the cup lower portion. A sidewall surrounds the cup intermediate portion and the cup lower portion. A spacing between the upper surface of the cup lower portion and a lower surface of the cup intermediate portion gradually decreases outward from an outer peripheral portion of the substrate while a clearance is formed between the lower surface of the cup intermediate portion and the upper surface of the cup lower portion in respective outer peripheral portions of the cup intermediate portion and the cup lower portion. An inner peripheral surface of the sidewall is spaced apart from the clearance outside the clearance and surrounds the clearance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: SCREEN Semiconductor Solutions Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Sugiyama, Hiroshi Yoshii, Kazuo Morioka
  • Patent number: 10137482
    Abstract: A stripping device and a display substrate production line are provided. The stripping device comprises a stripping chamber. A stripping liquid with a set temperature is provided within the stripping chamber; the stripping device further comprising a liquid jet component, the liquid jet component includes a liquid supplying pipeline and a liquid jet head, the liquid supplying pipeline is configured to supply a cleaning liquid to the liquid jet head, the liquid jet head is configured to output the cleaning liquid, the liquid supplying pipeline is arranged in the stripping chamber, and the stripping liquid enables the cleaning liquid in the liquid supplying pipeline to reach the set temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignees: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., Hefei BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fan Zhang, Wei Hu, Xianhao Chen, Jianzhao Liu, Jianwei Wang, Zuhong Liu, Daeoh Oh
  • Patent number: 10134611
    Abstract: A collector assembly for use with a spin chuck includes a base component, a top component and a first intermediate component configured to be fitted between the base component and the top component. The base, top and first intermediate components are configured so as to be interconnectable to form a process enclosure and so as to be separable from one another. The base component and the intermediate component each comprise collector wall segments such that when the base, top and first intermediate components are interfitted, the wall segments together define an outer side wall of the collector assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: LAM RESEARCH AG
    Inventors: Reinhold Schwarzenbacher, Ulrich Tschinderle
  • Patent number: 10048587
    Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing a liquid onto a substrate may comprise a reservoir for storing the liquid to be dispensed; a filter comprising an inlet and an outlet, the filter inlet in fluidic communication with the reservoir via a first valve; a dosing pump comprising an inlet, a first outlet, and a second outlet, the dosing pump inlet in fluidic communication with the reservoir and the dosing pump second outlet in fluidic communication with the filter inlet via a second valve, the dosing pump configured to dose an amount of the liquid and pump the liquid; and a dispense nozzle in fluidic communication with the dosing pump first outlet, the dispense nozzle configured to dispense the liquid onto the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael Andrew Carcasi, Wallace Paul Printz, Joshua Steven Hooge
  • Patent number: 10010766
    Abstract: In a method and related system of the invention, each golf ball component is progressed while being coated, without contacting another surface until after curing, and without the margin for error created in prior systems/methods using physical or air stream up-take supports. In one embodiment, a method of the invention comprises the steps of: progressing a golf ball component within an enclosed chamber for a controlled duration of time; at least partially covering the golf ball component with a coating material while the ball is progressed within the enclosed chamber; and at least partially curing the coating material on golf ball component in the chamber. The golf ball component may be in a state of free fall while progressed within the enclosed chamber, and in some embodiments, also during the step of curing the coating material on the golf ball component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Michael R. Madson
  • Patent number: 9997385
    Abstract: An apparatus and an associated method. The apparatus includes a chuck in a process chamber, an array of three or more ultrasonic sensors in the process chamber, a ceramic ring surrounding the chuck, and a controller connected to the ultrasonic sensors. The chuck is configured to removeably hold a substrate for processing. Each ultrasonic sensor may send a respective ultrasonic sound wave to a respective preselected peripheral region of the substrate and receive a respective return ultrasonic sound wave from the preselected peripheral region. The controller may compare a measured position of the substrate on the chuck to a specified placement of the substrate on the chuck based on a measured elapsed time between sending the ultrasonic sound wave and receiving the return ultrasonic sound wave for each ultrasonic sensor. The method compares a measured position of the substrate on the chuck to a specified position on the chuck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shawn A. Adderly, Samantha D. DiStefano, Jeffrey P. Gambino, Max G. Levy, Max L. Lifson, Matthew D. Moon, Timothy D. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 9989484
    Abstract: An X-ray fluorescence analyzing system includes: a cassette (3) in which a substrate (1) is housed; a vapor phase decomposing device (20) for dissolving and then drying a measurement object (2) on a sample substrate surface (11a) to be held thereon; at least one measurement substrate (12); a sample recovering device (30) for dripping and drying a recovery liquid (4), which has recovered the measurement object (2) from the sample substrate (11), onto a predetermined dripping position on a measurement substrate surface (12a) to hold the recovery liquid (4) thereon; an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (40); a conveying device (50) for conveying the substrate (1); and a control device (60) for controlling the devices (20, 30, 40, 50). The recovery liquids (4) of the measurement objects (2) from a plurality of the sample substrates (11) are dripped and dried on the single measurement substrate surface (12a) to be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Rigaku Corporation
    Inventors: Motoyuki Yamagami, Hiroyuki Kawakami
  • Patent number: 9984903
    Abstract: A treatment cup cleaning method is provided, which includes: a rotating step of rotating a substrate rotating unit with a substrate being held by the substrate rotating unit; a cleaning liquid supplying step of supplying a cleaning liquid to an upper surface and a lower surface of the substrate and causing the cleaning liquid to scatter from a peripheral edge of the substrate to be applied to an inner wall of a treatment cup in the rotating step, whereby the cleaning liquid is supplied to the inner wall of the treatment cup; and a scattering direction changing step of changing a cleaning liquid scattering direction in which the cleaning liquid scatters from the peripheral edge of the substrate in the rotating step and the cleaning liquid supplying step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ayumi Higuchi, Asuka Wakita
  • Patent number: 9962721
    Abstract: A device for coating of a surface of a substrate with a coating material which has at least one coating component and at least one solvent, with the following features: a chamber which can be pressurized, a holding apparatus for holding the substrate on a holding surface and a spray nozzle for coating of the substrate, characterized in that the device has cooling means for cooling of at least the surface of the substrate which is held on the holding surface of the holding apparatus. Furthermore the invention relates to a corresponding method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: EV GROUP E. THALLNER GMBH
    Inventor: Christoph Mayr
  • Patent number: 9966255
    Abstract: Methods of densifying films, cross-linking films, and controlling the stress of films are provided herein. Methods include forming a removable film on a substrate comprising a material to be densified, and annealing the substrate to transfer stress from the removable film to the material and thereby densify the material. Some methods involve depositing a tensile capping layer on the material to be densified on a substrate and annealing the substrate at a temperature greater than about 450° C. Some methods include clamping the substrate including the material to be densified to a shaped pedestal using an electrostatic chuck to apply compressive stress to the material to be densified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Bart J. van Schravendijk, Wei Tang
  • Patent number: 9962744
    Abstract: A substrate treatment apparatus includes a turntable, a rotative drive unit, a holding pin provided on the turntable, a protection disk for covering a lower surface of a substrate, and a magnetic levitation mechanism that levitates the protection disk from the turntable. The protection disk is vertically movable relative to the turntable between a lower position and an adjacent position above the lower position and close to a lower surface of the substrate. The magnetic levitation mechanism includes a protection disk permanent magnet and an annual guard permanent magnet held by a splash guard. When a guard drive mechanism moves up the splash guard, the protection disk is levitated from the turntable and held at the adjacent position by a magnetic repulsive force generated between the permanent magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kato