Patents by Inventor Akihiro Sonoda

Akihiro Sonoda 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: 8500950
    Abstract: A method includes forming a resist film on an etching target layer disposed on a test substrate, and performing sequential light exposure with a predetermined test pattern on the resist film sequentially at a plurality of areas, while respectively using different combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value, along with subsequent development, thereby forming resist patterns at the plurality of areas; then etching the etching target layer, removing the resist patterns, and measuring shapes of etched patterns at the plurality of areas by means of a scatterometory technique; and determining a management span of combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value admissible to obtain an etched pattern with a predetermined shape, with reference to the light exposure amounts and focus values used in the sequential light exposure, the line widths of the resist patterns, and the line widths of the etched patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kazuo Sawai, Akihiro Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20110220287
    Abstract: A method includes forming a resist film on an etching target layer disposed on a test substrate, and performing sequential light exposure with a predetermined test pattern on the resist film sequentially at a plurality of areas, while respectively using different combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value, along with subsequent development, thereby forming resist patterns at the plurality of areas; then etching the etching target layer, removing the resist patterns, and measuring shapes of etched patterns at the plurality of areas by means of a scatterometory technique; and determining a management span of combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value admissible to obtain an etched pattern with a predetermined shape, with reference to the light exposure amounts and focus values used in the sequential light exposure, the line widths of the resist patterns, and the line widths of the etched patterns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuo SAWAI, Akihiro Sonoda
  • Patent number: 7960078
    Abstract: A method includes forming a resist film on an etching target layer disposed on a test substrate, and performing sequential light exposure with a predetermined test pattern on the resist film sequentially at a plurality of areas, while respectively using different combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value, along with subsequent development, thereby forming resist patterns at the plurality of areas; then etching the etching target layer, removing the resist patterns, and measuring shapes of etched patterns at the plurality of areas by means of a scatterometory technique; and determining a management span of combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value admissible to obtain an etched pattern with a predetermined shape, with reference to the light exposure amounts and focus values used in the sequential light exposure, the line widths of the resist patterns, and the line widths of the etched patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kazuo Sawai, Akihiro Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20070298335
    Abstract: A method includes forming a resist film on an etching target layer disposed on a test substrate, and performing sequential light exposure with a predetermined test pattern on the resist film sequentially at a plurality of areas, while respectively using different combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value, along with subsequent development, thereby forming resist patterns at the plurality of areas; then etching the etching target layer, removing the resist patterns, and measuring shapes of etched patterns at the plurality of areas by means of a scatterometory technique; and determining a management span of combinations of a light exposure amount and a focus value admissible to obtain an etched pattern with a predetermined shape, with reference to the light exposure amounts and focus values used in the sequential light exposure, the line widths of the resist patterns, and the line widths of the etched patterns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2005
    Publication date: December 27, 2007
    Applicant: TOKYO ELECTON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kazuo Sawai, Akihiro Sonoda
  • Patent number: 6909587
    Abstract: An ion generator generates ions above a semiconductor wafer and the ions are directed towards a surface of a semiconductor wafer. The ions combine with static charges on the semiconductor wafer to thereby discharge the surface of the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihiro Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20020137364
    Abstract: An ion generator generates ions above a semiconductor wafer and the ions are directed towards a surface of a semiconductor wafer. The ions combine with static charges on the semiconductor wafer to thereby discharge the surface of the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2002
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Inventor: Akihiro Sonoda
  • Patent number: 6440614
    Abstract: In order to provide a mask and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device that achieve consistency in the resist pattern dimensions, a main pattern 110 provided for the purpose of semiconductor element production and an additional pattern 120 provided for the purpose of exposure quantity adjustment are drawn at a reticle 100. At the reticle 100, the additional pattern 120 achieves a regularity almost identical to that of the main pattern 110. At the same time, the additional pattern 120 has a specific shift relative to the main pattern 110. By achieving an optimal degree of shift between the additional pattern and main pattern at the reticle 100, consistency in the resist pattern dimensions can be achieved without adversely affecting the process of element pattern formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co, Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihiro Sonoda
  • Patent number: 6432727
    Abstract: An ion generator generates ions above a semiconductor wafer and the ions are directed towards a surface of a semiconductor wafer. The ions combine with static charges on the semiconductor wafer to thereby discharge the surface of the semiconductor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihiro Sonoda
  • Publication number: 20020090557
    Abstract: In order to provide a mask and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device that achieve consistency in the resist pattern dimensions, a main pattern 110 provided for the purpose of semiconductor element production and an additional pattern 120 provided for the purpose of exposure quantity adjustment are drawn at a reticle 100. At the reticle 100, the additional pattern 120 achieves a regularity almost identical to that of the main pattern 110. At the same time, the additional pattern 120 has a specific shift relative to the main pattern 110. By achieving an optimal degree of shift between the additional pattern and main pattern at the reticle 100, consistency in the resist pattern dimensions can be achieved without adversely affecting the process of element pattern formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 1999
    Publication date: July 11, 2002
    Inventor: AKIHIRO SONODA
  • Patent number: 4738085
    Abstract: A rotary cutter head for use with a rotating filament trimmer in which a reel for winding cords or filaments is held between a housing covering a lower portion thereof and a retainer or hub fixed on the driven rotating shaft of the trimmer unit and is rotatably disposed within the housing. Within the bore of the reel, an axially movable slider is normally biased toward the retainer by the elastic force of a spring so that meshing engagement occurs between a peripheral array of axially projecting tongues formed on one end of the slider and a plurality of radial teeth-like ribs formed on the inner side of the retainer and establishes a driving connection to rotate the reels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 19, 1988
    Assignee: Starting Industry Company Limited
    Inventors: Tadashi Nishio, Mitsuo Osakabe, Keizo Shimizu, Akihiro Sonoda