Patents by Inventor Atsuko Yamaguchi
Atsuko Yamaguchi 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).
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Publication number: 20240145129Abstract: A cable includes a twisted pair electrical wire having a pair of electrical wires twisted together, and a dielectric covering the twisted pair electrical wire. A dielectric loss tangent of the dielectric is greater than 2.5×10?4.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2023Publication date: May 2, 2024Inventors: Jun OTSUKA, Atsuko SHINOMIYA, Yuko YAMAGUCHI, Ryota NAKANO, Syota MACHINAKA
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Patent number: 10724856Abstract: To provide an image analysis apparatus capable of easily extracting an edge of an upper layer pattern formed intersecting with a lower layer pattern so as not to be affected by the lower layer pattern, the image analysis apparatus includes a calculation unit that calculates an analysis range including a region where the lower layer pattern intersects with the upper layer pattern and a region where the lower pattern is not formed, a calculation unit that averages a plurality of signal profiles, a calculation unit that calculates a maximum value and a minimum value of a signal intensity, a calculation unit that calculates a threshold level difference using the maximum value and the minimum value, and a calculation unit that calculates the edge of the upper layer pattern on the signal profile.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2016Date of Patent: July 28, 2020Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATIONInventors: Atsuko Yamaguchi, Kazuhisa Hasumi, Hitoshi Namai
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Patent number: 10672119Abstract: In order to provide an inspection device capable of quantitatively evaluating a pattern related to a state of a manufacturing process or performance of an element, it is assumed that an inspection device includes an image analyzing unit that analyzes a top-down image of a sample in which columnar patterns are formed at a regular interval, in which an image analyzing unit 240 includes a calculation unit 243 that obtains a major axis, a minor axis, an eccentricity, and an angle formed by a major axis direction with an image horizontal axis direction of the approximated ellipse as a first index and a Cr calculation unit 248 that obtains a circumferential length of an outline of a columnar pattern on the sample and a value obtained by dividing a square of the circumferential length by a value obtained by multiplying an area surrounded by the outline and 4? as a second index.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2015Date of Patent: June 2, 2020Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATIONInventors: Atsuko Yamaguchi, Masami Ikota, Kazuhisa Hasumi
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Publication number: 20190204247Abstract: To provide an image analysis apparatus capable of easily extracting an edge of an upper layer pattern formed intersecting with a lower layer pattern so as not to be affected by the lower layer pattern, the image analysis apparatus includes a calculation unit that calculates an analysis range including a region where the lower layer pattern intersects with the upper layer pattern and a region where the lower pattern is not formed, a calculation unit that averages a plurality of signal profiles, a calculation unit that calculates a maximum value and a minimum value of a signal intensity, a calculation unit that calculates a threshold level difference using the maximum value and the minimum value, and a calculation unit that calculates the edge of the upper layer pattern on the signal profile.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 1, 2016Publication date: July 4, 2019Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Atsuko YAMAGUCHI, Kazuhisa HASUMI, Hitoshi NAMAI
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Publication number: 20180308228Abstract: In order to provide an inspection device capable of quantitatively evaluating a pattern related to a state of a manufacturing process or performance of an element, it is assumed that an inspection device includes an image analyzing unit that analyzes a top-down image of a sample in which columnar patterns are formed at a regular interval, in which an image analyzing unit 240 includes a calculation unit 243 that obtains a major axis, a minor axis, an eccentricity, and an angle formed by a major axis direction with an image horizontal axis direction of the approximated ellipse as a first index and a Cr calculation unit 248 that obtains a circumferential length of an outline of a columnar pattern on the sample and a value obtained by dividing a square of the circumferential length by a value obtained by multiplying an area surrounded by the outline and 4? as a second index.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 10, 2015Publication date: October 25, 2018Inventors: Atsuko YAMAGUCHI, Masami IKOTA, Kazuhisa HASUMI
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Patent number: 9824938Abstract: Provided is a charged particle beam device which can specify a position of an initial core with high accuracy even when fine line and space patterns are formed by an SADP in plural times. The charged particle beam device includes a detector (810) which detects secondary charged particles discharged from a sample (807) when a charged particle beam is emitted to the sample having a plurality of patterns of line shape, a display unit (817) which displays image data of a surface of the sample on the basis of a signal of the secondary charged particles, a calculation unit (812) which calculates an LER value with respect to the plurality of the patterns of line shape from the image data, and a determination unit (816) which compares the values to determine a position of the initial core.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2015Date of Patent: November 21, 2017Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Atsuko Yamaguchi, Osamu Inoue, Hiroki Kawada
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Patent number: 9658063Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method and device for quantitatively evaluating the degree and characteristics of wiggling, which is a phenomenon that occurs in electronic device fabrication processes and consists of the deformation in the same shape of the left and right edges of fine line patterns, and takes advantage of the fact that this wiggling is included in measured values for line edge variation but not line width variation by acquiring the differences between these values. Further, the present invention is configured so as to calculate line center positions and use the distribution of the deviation from the average line center position as an indicator. Additionally, the present invention is configured to quantify wiggling characteristics by outputting a coefficient of wiggling correlation between lines or a wiggling component synchronized between lines as an indicator.Type: GrantFiled: May 27, 2014Date of Patent: May 23, 2017Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Atsuko Yamaguchi, Hiroki Kawada
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Publication number: 20170040230Abstract: Provided is a charged particle beam device which can specify a position of an initial core with high accuracy even when fine line and space patterns are formed by an SADP in plural times. The charged particle beam device includes a detector (810) which detects secondary charged particles discharged from a sample (807) when a charged particle beam is emitted to the sample having a plurality of patterns of line shape, a display unit (817) which displays image data of a surface of the sample on the basis of a signal of the secondary charged particles, a calculation unit (812) which calculates an LER value with respect to the plurality of the patterns of line shape from the image data, and a determination unit (816) which compares the values to determine a position of the initial core.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2015Publication date: February 9, 2017Inventors: Atsuko Yamaguchi, Osamu Inoue, Hiroki Kawada
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Patent number: 9421955Abstract: A suspension structure for an irregular ground traveling vehicle includes an upper arm and a lower arm, a drive shaft, a boot, and an outer guard. The upper and lower arms each have one end portion supported on a vehicle body frame. The drive shaft is disposed between the upper arm and the lower arm and transmits a drive force to a wheel. The boot covers an end portion of the drive shaft on a wheel side. The outer guard member covers a front side of the boot. A brake line, which extends from a caliper, is arranged within a width of the wheel and below the upper arm, and the outer guard member extends to an area in the vicinity of the upper arm.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2015Date of Patent: August 23, 2016Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Naoki Kuwabara, Atsuko Yamaguchi, Akio Handa
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Publication number: 20160123726Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method and device for quantitatively evaluating the degree and characteristics of wiggling, which is a phenomenon that occurs in electronic device fabrication processes and consists of the deformation in the same shape of the left and right edges of fine line patterns, and takes advantage of the fact that this wiggling is included in measured values for line edge variation but not line width variation by acquiring the differences between these values. Further, the present invention is configured so as to calculate line center positions and use the distribution of the deviation from the average line center position as an indicator. Additionally, the present invention is configured to quantify wiggling characteristics by outputting a coefficient of wiggling correlation between lines or a wiggling component synchronized between lines as an indicator.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2014Publication date: May 5, 2016Inventors: Atsuko YAMAGUCHI, Hiroki KAWADA
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Patent number: 9183622Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus and a computer program which detects a defect such as a scum at high speed and with high precision. In order to accomplish the above-described object, the present invention proposes an image processing apparatus and a computer program which acquires image data, and detects edge branch points from this image data. Here, at each of the edge branch points, an edge associated therewith branches off in at least three or more directions. According to this configuration, it becomes possible to detect a defect such as a scum without utilizing the reference-pattern image. As a consequence, it becomes possible to detect the scum at high speed and with high precision.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2011Date of Patent: November 10, 2015Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Yasutaka Toyoda, Norio Hasegawa, Ryoichi Matsuoka, Atsuko Yamaguchi
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Patent number: 9123504Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor inspection device and a semiconductor inspection method such that in a specimen image in a single field of view obtained by an electron microscope, it is possible to suppress variations in the edge position measurement error attributable to the materials and structures of the lower layers of measured patterns by a first method, wherein the area in the field of view obtained by electron beam scanning is divided into a plurality of regions on the basis of information regarding the structures and materials of the object to be observed and the electron beam scanning conditions are changed for individual regions (805, 806), a second method, wherein, the image processing conditions are changed for individual regions resulting from division of the obtained images, or a third method, wherein the edge detection conditions are changed for individual regions resulting from the division within the edge inspection regions of the obtained images.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2010Date of Patent: September 1, 2015Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Atsuko Yamaguchi, Yoshinori Momonoi, Junichi Tanaka, Hiroki Kawada
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Publication number: 20150210234Abstract: A suspension structure for an irregular ground traveling vehicle includes an upper arm and a lower arm, a drive shaft, a boot, and an outer guard. The upper and lower arms each have one end portion supported on a vehicle body frame. The drive shaft is disposed between the upper arm and the lower arm and transmits a drive force to a wheel. The boot covers an end portion of the drive shaft on a wheel side. The outer guard member covers a front side of the boot. A brake line, which extends from a caliper, is arranged within a width of the wheel and below the upper arm, and the outer guard member extends to an area in the vicinity of the upper arm.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2015Publication date: July 30, 2015Inventors: Naoki Kuwabara, Atsuko Yamaguchi, Akio Handa
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Patent number: 9000366Abstract: In order that a displacement between patterns of different heights, formed on a sample in a plurality of different pattern-forming steps, can be measured at fixed throughput and with high accuracy, correspondence between parameters of lenses and beam deflector of an electron optical system and an angle of incidence of a beam upon the sample is recorded as data, then a correction value for the amount of displacement or edge positions is calculated, and a true amount of displacement is calculated from the correction value and an image under observation.Type: GrantFiled: April 3, 2013Date of Patent: April 7, 2015Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Atsuko Yamaguchi, Yasunari Sohda, Tatsuya Maeda, Osamu Nasu, Hiroki Kawada
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Publication number: 20130279793Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus and a computer program which detects a defect such as a scum at high speed and with high precision. In order to accomplish the above-described object, the present invention proposes an image processing apparatus and a computer program which acquires image data, and detects edge branch points from this image data. Here, at each of the edge branch points, an edge associated therewith branches off in at least three or more directions. According to this configuration, it becomes possible to detect a defect such as a scum without utilizing the reference-pattern image. As a consequence, it becomes possible to detect the scum at high speed and with high precision.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 26, 2011Publication date: October 24, 2013Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Yasutaka Toyoda, Norio Hasegawa, Ryoichi Matsuoka, Atsuko Yamaguchi
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Publication number: 20130264479Abstract: In order that a displacement between patterns of different heights, formed on a sample in a plurality of different pattern-forming steps, can be measured at fixed throughput and with high accuracy, correspondence between parameters of lenses and beam deflector of an electron optical system and an angle of incidence of a beam upon the sample is recorded as data, then a correction value for the amount of displacement or edge positions is calculated, and a true amount of displacement is calculated from the correction value and an image under observation.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 3, 2013Publication date: October 10, 2013Inventors: Atsuko YAMAGUCHI, Yasunari SOHDA, Tatsuya MAEDA, Osamu NASU, Hiroki KAWADA
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Patent number: 8401273Abstract: A measurement tool apparatus for evaluating degradation of pattern features in a semiconductor device manufacturing process. The measurement tool apparatus detects variations in the patterns from SEM images thereof and extracts pattern edge points along the circumference of each pattern. The measurement tool apparatus compares the pattern edge points to corresponding edge points of an ideal shape so as to determine deviation of the patterns. Metrics are derived from analysis of the deviations. The measurement tool apparatus uses the metrics in calculating an index representative of the geometry of edge spokes of the pattern, an indicator of the orientation of the edge spokes, and/or anticipated effects of the edge spokes on device performance.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2010Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Yoshinori Momonoi, Atsuko Yamaguchi, Taro Osabe
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Patent number: 8369602Abstract: Disclosed herewith is a length measurement system, which obtains a value closer to its true one when figuring out the size and edge roughness of a pattern from a noise-included pattern image. Among plural band-like regions representing a portion around an edge in an image respectively, the system calculates the dependency of the edge point position on the image processing parameter at each of a narrow width band-like portion and a wide width band-like portion to calculate an image processing condition that calculates each measured value closer to its true value or estimates the true value itself.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2008Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Atsuko Yamaguchi, Jiro Yamamoto, Hiroki Kawada
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Patent number: 8300919Abstract: Edge points are extracted by specifying a height (values indicating a distance from a substrate) on a pattern when edges of the pattern are extracted from a CD-SEM image. Further, LER values obtained by the extraction of a Fourier spectrum of the LER are obtained. When the same sample is previously observed with the AFM and the CD-SEM, a size of the LER obtained by specifying a height, an auto-correlation distance of the LER, or an index called the spectrum is obtained from results of the AFM observation. Further, theses indices obtained by specifying image processing conditions for detecting the edge points from the CD-SEM observation result are obtained. Also, it is determined that heights providing values when the values are matched correspond to the image processing conditions and then, the edge points are extracted from the CD-SEM IMAGE instead of the AFM observation by using the image processing conditions.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2009Date of Patent: October 30, 2012Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Atsuko Yamaguchi, Hiroki Kawada
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Publication number: 20120098954Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor inspection device and a semiconductor inspection method such that in a specimen image in a single field of view obtained by an electron microscope, it is possible to suppress variations in the edge position measurement error attributable to the materials and structures of the lower layers of measured patterns by a first method, wherein the area in the field of view obtained by electron beam scanning is divided into a plurality of regions on the basis of information regarding the structures and materials of the object to be observed and the electron beam scanning conditions are changed for individual regions (805, 806), a second method, wherein, the image processing conditions are changed for individual regions resulting from division of the obtained images, or a third method, wherein the edge detection conditions are changed for individual regions resulting from the division within the edge inspection regions of the obtained images.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 23, 2010Publication date: April 26, 2012Inventors: Atsuko Yamaguchi, Yoshinori Momonoi, Junichi Tanaka, Hiroki Kawada