公开(公告)号：US12261078B2

公开(公告)日：2025-03-25

申请号：US17657962

申请日：2022-04-05

Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited

Inventor： Takuya Umise ,  Masato Shinada ,  Tetsuya Miyashita

IPC: H01L21/68 ,  H01L21/687

Abstract: A processing method for processing a substrate includes: a first arrangement step of mounting, on a stage provided in a processing container to mount the substrate on the stage, a plate-shaped protective member which is prepared in advance at a location in the processing container different from a location on the stage and which is configured to protect an upper surface of the stage; an adjustment step of adjusting a distance between the stage and an annular cover member provided above an edge portion of the stage to a second distance different from a first distance between the stage and the cover member when the substrate is processed; and a pretreatment step of performing a pretreatment in the processing container to change a state in the processing container to a predetermined state, wherein the protective member has a thickness different from a thickness of the substrate.

公开(公告)号：US11476140B2

公开(公告)日：2022-10-18

申请号：US17083726

申请日：2020-10-29

Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED

Inventor： Takuya Umise

IPC: H01L21/67 ,  C23C14/56 ,  H01L21/677 ,  C23C16/458

Abstract: A substrate accommodating unit is disposed adjacent to each of consecutively arranged vacuum transfer units. The substrate accommodating unit includes a hollow housing having, on one sidewall in an arrangement direction of the vacuum transfer units, a loading/unloading port for loading/unloading a substrate into/from the adjacent vacuum transfer unit, a vertically movable partition member disposed in the housing, and a driving mechanism for vertically moving the partition member. When an inner space of the housing is divided horizontally into a first space on a loading/unloading port side and a second space on an opposite side of the loading/unloading port side, the partition member is vertically moved from a state where the first space and the second space communicate with each other to thereby airtightly separate the first space and the second space with the partition member.

公开(公告)号：US11189514B2

公开(公告)日：2021-11-30

申请号：US16934825

申请日：2020-07-21

Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED

Inventor： Takuya Umise

IPC: H01L21/677 ,  H01L21/67

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a transfer chamber row of transfer chambers arranged linearly, a processing chamber row of processing chambers arranged on one side or both sides of the transfer chamber row, a driving mechanism for rotating/extending/contracting a transfer arm of a substrate transfer mechanism in each transfer chamber, and a controller. A center of a substrate supporting region in the processing chamber is positioned closer to the transfer chamber row than a line connecting a rotation axis of the transfer arm and a center of a gate valve. Further, when loading and unloading a substrate between the processing chamber and the adjacent transfer chamber, the controller controls the driving mechanism such that a center of the substrate held by the transfer arm passes along an outer side of a line that connects a rotation axis of the transfer arm and a center of a substrate supporting region.

公开(公告)号：US10381258B2

公开(公告)日：2019-08-13

申请号：US15363141

申请日：2016-11-29

Applicant: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED

Inventor： Takuya Umise ,  Hiroshi Sone ,  Naoyuki Suzuki

IPC: H01L21/687

Abstract: In a processing apparatus according to one embodiment, a stage is installed inside a process chamber. The stage has a plurality of through-holes formed therein, which corresponds to a plurality of lift pins. The plurality of lift pins is supported by a spline shaft through a support body. The spline shaft is supported by a spline bearing such that the spline shaft is vertically moved. The plurality of lift pins is biased upward by a spring member through the spline shaft. The spline shaft, the spline bearing, and the spring member are installed in an outer space separated from a depressurizable inner space of the process chamber.