Patents by Inventor Hiroyasu Shichi

Hiroyasu Shichi 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).

  • Publication number: 20120319003
    Abstract: Provided is an ion beam device provided with a gas electric field ionization ion source which can prevent an emitter tip from vibrating in a non-contact manner. The gas electric field ionization ion source is comprised of an emitter tip (21) for generating ions; an emitter base mount (64) for supporting the emitter tip; an ionizing chamber which has an extraction electrode (24) opposed to the emitter tip and which is configured so as to surround the emitter tip (21); and a gas supply tube (25) for supplying gas to the vicinity of the emitter tip. The emitter base mount and a vacuum container magnetically interact with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyasu SHICHI, Shinichi MATSUBARA, Norihide SAHO, Noriaki ARAI, Tohru ISHITANI
  • Publication number: 20120273692
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to realize a method and an apparatus for processing and observing a minute sample which can observe a section of a wafer in horizontal to vertical directions with high resolution, high accuracy and high throughput without splitting any wafer which is a sample. In an apparatus of the invention, there are included a focused ion beam optical system and an electron optical system in one vacuum container, and a minute sample containing a desired area of the sample is separated by forming processing with a charged particle beam, and there are included a manipulator for extracting the separated minute sample, and a manipulator controller for driving the manipulator independently of a wafer sample stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo TOKUDA, Muneyuki FUKUDA, Yasuhiro MITSUI, Hidemi KOIKE, Satoshi TOMIMATSU, Hiroyasu SHICHI, Hideo KASHIMA, Kaoru UMEMURA
  • Patent number: 8263943
    Abstract: Provided is an ion beam device provided with a gas electric field ionization ion source which can prevent an emitter tip from vibrating in a non-contact manner. The gas electric field ionization ion source is comprised of an emitter tip (21) for generating ions; an emitter base mount (64) for supporting the emitter tip; an ionizing chamber which has an extraction electrode (24) opposed to the emitter tip and which is configured so as to surround the emitter tip (21); and a gas supply tube (25) for supplying gas to the vicinity of the emitter tip. The emitter base mount and a vacuum container magnetically interact with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Shichi, Shinichi Matsubara, Norihide Saho, Noriaki Arai, Tohru Ishitani
  • Publication number: 20120217391
    Abstract: The charged particle beam microscope is configured of: a gas field ionization ion source (1); a focusing lens (5) which accelerates and focuses ions that have been discharged from the ion source; a movable first aperture (6) which limits the ion beam that has passed through the focusing lens; a first deflector (35) which scans or aligns the ion beam that has passed through the first aperture; a second deflector (7) which deflects the ion beam that has passed through the first aperture; a second aperture (36) which limits the ion beam that has passed through the first aperture; an objective lens (8) which focuses, on a sample, the ion beam that has passed through the first aperture; and a means for measuring the signal, which is substantially proportional to the current of the ion beam that has passed through the second aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Shichi, Shinichi Matsubara, Noriaki Arai, Tohru Ishitani, Yoichi Ose, Yoshimi Kawanami
  • Patent number: 8222618
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to realize a method and an apparatus for processing and observing a minute sample which can observe a section of a wafer in horizontal to vertical directions with high resolution, high accuracy and high throughput without splitting any wafer which is a sample. In an apparatus of the invention, there are included a focused ion beam optical system and an electron optical system in one vacuum container, and a minute sample containing a desired area of the sample is separated by forming processing with a charged particle beam, and there are included a manipulator for extracting the separated minute sample, and a manipulator controller for driving the manipulator independently of a wafer sample stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Tokuda, Muneyuki Fukuda, Yasuhiro Mitsui, Hidemi Koike, Satoshi Tomimatsu, Hiroyasu Shichi, Hideo Kashima, Kaoru Umemura
  • Publication number: 20120119086
    Abstract: A gas field ion source that can simultaneously increase a conductance during rough vacuuming and reduce an extraction electrode aperture diameter from the viewpoint of the increase of ion current. The gas field ion source has a mechanism to change a conductance in vacuuming a gas molecule ionization chamber. That is, the conductance in vacuuming a gas molecule ionization chamber is changed in accordance with whether or not an ion beam is extracted from the gas molecule ionization chamber. By forming lids as parts of the members constituting the mechanism to change the conductance with a bimetal alloy, the conductance can be changed in accordance with the temperature of the gas molecule ionization chamber, for example the conductance is changed to a relatively small conductance at a relatively low temperature and to a relatively large conductance at a relatively high temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Shichi, Shinichi Matsubara, Takashi Ohshima, Satoshi Tomimatsu, Tomihiro Hashizume, Tohru Ishitani
  • Publication number: 20120097863
    Abstract: Provided are a large-current and highly stable gas field ionization ion source, and a high-resolution ion microscope with a large focal depth. The present invention relates to an ion microscope provided with a gas field ionization ion source, in which disposed are a refrigerator for cooling the gas field ionization ion source independent of the main body of the ion microscope, and a refrigerant circulation circuit cooling mechanism for circulating a refrigerant between the gas field ionization ion source and the refrigerator. Consequently it is possible to reduce the mechanical vibration of the refrigerator, which propagates to the gas field ionization ion source, and to achieve both the improvement of the brightness of the ion source and the improvement of ion beam focusing performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Inventors: Norihide Saho, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Noriaki Arai, Hiroyasu Shichi, Yoichi Ose
  • Patent number: 8115184
    Abstract: A gas field ion source that can simultaneously increase a conductance during rough vacuuming and reduce an extraction electrode aperture diameter from the viewpoint of the increase of ion current. The gas field ion source has a mechanism to change a conductance in vacuuming a gas molecule ionization chamber. That is, the conductance in vacuuming a gas molecule ionization chamber is changed in accordance with whether or not an ion beam is extracted from the gas molecule ionization chamber. By forming lids as parts of the members constituting the mechanism to change the conductance with a bimetal alloy, the conductance can be changed in accordance with the temperature of the gas molecule ionization chamber, for example the conductance is changed to a relatively small conductance at a relatively low temperature and to a relatively large conductance at a relatively high temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Shichi, Shinichi Matsubara, Takashi Ohshima, Satoshi Tomimatsu, Tomihiro Hashizume, Tohru Ishitani
  • Publication number: 20110266465
    Abstract: Provided is an ion beam device provided with a gas electric field ionization ion source which can prevent an emitter tip from vibrating in a non-contact manner. The gas electric field ionization ion source is comprised of an emitter tip (21) for generating ions; an emitter base mount (64) for supporting the emitter tip; an ionizing chamber which has an extraction electrode (24) opposed to the emitter tip and which is configured so as to surround the emitter tip (21); and a gas supply tube (25) for supplying gas to the vicinity of the emitter tip. The emitter base mount and a vacuum container magnetically interact with each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Shichi, Shinichi Matsubara, Norihide Saho, Noriaki Arai, Tohru Ishitani
  • Publication number: 20110204225
    Abstract: An ion beam machining system which performs a predetermined machining of a sample by irradiating the sample with an ion beam includes a beam spot former which forms a beam spot shape of the ion beam to be non-axially symmetric in a perpendicular plane with respect to an irradiation axis of the ion beam, and an axis orientator which orients one axis of the beam spot at the ion beam irradiation position on the sample in a predetermined direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Shichi, Muneyuki Fukuda, Yoshinori Nakayama, Masaki Hasegawa, Satoshi Tomimatsu
  • Patent number: 7989782
    Abstract: A specimen fabricating apparatus comprises: a specimen stage, on which a specimen is placed; a charged particle beam optical system to irradiate a charged particle beam on the specimen; an etchant material supplying source to supply an etchant material, which contains fluorine and carbon in molecules thereof, does not contain oxygen in molecules thereof, and is solid or liquid in a standard state; and a vacuum chamber to house therein the specimen stage. A specimen fabricating method comprises the steps of: processing a hole in the vicinity of a requested region of a specimen by means of irradiation of a charged particle beam; exposing the requested region by means of irradiation of the charged particle beam; supplying an etchant material, which contains fluorine and carbon in molecules thereof, does not contain oxygen in molecules thereof, and is solid or liquid in a standard state, to the requested region as exposed; and irradiating the charged particle beam on the requested region as exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Tomimatsu, Miyuki Takahashi, Hiroyasu Shichi, Muneyuki Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20110174974
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to realize a method and an apparatus for processing and observing a minute sample which can observe a section of a wafer in horizontal to vertical directions with high resolution, high accuracy and high throughput without splitting any wafer which is a sample. In an apparatus of the invention, there are included a focused ion beam optical system and an electron optical system in one vacuum container, and a minute sample containing a desired area of the sample is separated by forming processing with a charged particle beam, and there are included a manipulator for extracting the separated minute sample, and a manipulator controller for driving the manipulator independently of a wafer sample stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2011
    Publication date: July 21, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuo TOKUDA, Muneyuki FUKUDA, Yasuhiro MITSUI, Hidemi KOIKE, Satoshi TOMIMATSU, Hiroyasu SHICHI, Hideo KASHIMA, Kaoru UMEMURA
  • Publication number: 20110147609
    Abstract: An ion beam device according to the present invention includes a gas field ion source (1) including an emitter tip (21) supported by an emitter base mount (64), a ionization chamber (15) including an extraction electrode (24) and being configured to surround the emitter tip (21), and a gas supply tube (25). A center axis line of the extraction electrode (24) overlaps or is parallel to a center axis line (14A) of the ion irradiation light system, and a center axis line (66) passing the emitter tip (21) and the emitter base mount (64) is inclinable with respect to a center axis line of the ionization chamber (15). Accordingly, an ion beam device including a gas field ion source capable of adjusting the direction of the emitter tip is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Shichi, Shinichi Matsubara, Norihide Saho, Masahiro Yamaoka, Noriaki Arai
  • Patent number: 7952083
    Abstract: An ion beam system includes a sample stage which holds a sample, an ion source which generates an ion beam so that the ion beam is extracted from the ion source along an extraction axis, an irradiation optical system having an irradiation axis along which the ion beam is irradiated toward the sample held on the sample stage, and a charged particle beam observation system for observing a surface of the sample which is machined by the irradiated ion beam. The extraction axis along which the ion beam is extracted from the ion source and the irradiation axis along which the sample is irradiated are inclined with respect to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Shichi, Muneyuki Fukuda, Yoshinori Nakayama, Masaki Hasegawa, Satoshi Tomimatsu
  • Publication number: 20110114476
    Abstract: A sample fabricating method of irradiating a sample with a focused ion beam at an incident angle less than 90 degrees with respect to the surface of the sample, eliminating the peripheral area of a micro sample as a target, turning a specimen stage around a line segment perpendicular to the sample surface as a turn axis, irradiating the sample with the focused ion beam while the incident angle on the sample surface is fixed, and separating the micro sample or preparing the micro sample to be separated. A sample fabricating apparatus for forming a sample section in a sample held on a specimen stage by scanning and deflecting an ion beam, wherein an angle between an optical axis of the ion beam and the surface of the specimen stage is fixed and formation of a sample section is controlled by turning the specimen stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2011
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Shichi, Tohru Ishitani, Hidemi Koike, Kaoru Umemura, Eiichi Seya, Mitsuo Tokuda, Satoshi Tomimatsu, Hideo Kashima, Muneyuki Fukuda
  • Patent number: 7897936
    Abstract: A sample fabricating method of irradiating a sample with a focused ion beam at an incident angle less than 90 degrees with respect to the surface of the sample, eliminating the peripheral area of a micro sample as a target, turning a specimen stage around a line segment perpendicular to the sample surface as a turn axis, irradiating the sample with the focused ion beam while the incident angle on the sample surface is fixed, and separating the micro sample or preparing the micro sample to be separated. A sample fabricating apparatus for forming a sample section in a sample held on a specimen stage by scanning and deflecting an ion beam, wherein an angle between an optical axis of the ion beam and the surface of the specimen stage is fixed and formation of a sample section is controlled by turning the specimen stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Shichi, Tohru Ishitani, Hidemi Koike, Kaoru Umemura, Eiichi Seya, Mitsuo Tokuda, Satoshi Tomimatsu, Hideo Kashima, Muneyuki Fukuda
  • Patent number: 7888639
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to realize a method and an apparatus for processing and observing a minute sample which can observe a section of a wafer in horizontal to vertical directions with high resolution, high accuracy and high throughput without splitting any wafer which is a sample. In an apparatus of the invention, there are included a focused ion beam optical system and an electron optical system in one vacuum container, and a minute sample containing a desired area of the sample is separated by forming processing with a charged particle beam, and there are included a manipulator for extracting the separated minute sample, and a manipulator controller for driving the manipulator independently of a wafer sample stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Tokuda, Muneyuki Fukuda, Yasuhiro Mitsui, Hidemi Koike, Satoshi Tomimatsu, Hiroyasu Shichi, Hideo Kashima, Kaoru Umemura
  • Publication number: 20100176297
    Abstract: An ion beam processing apparatus includes an ion beam irradiation optical system that irradiate a rectangular ion beam to a sample held on a first sample stage, an electron beam irradiation optical system that irradiates an electron beam to the sample, and a second sample stage on which a test piece, extracted from the sample by a probe, is mounted. An angle of irradiation of the ion beam can be tilted by rotating the second sample stage about a tilting axis. A controller controls the width of skew of an intensity profile representing an edge of the rectangular ion beam in a direction perpendicular to a first direction in which the tilting axis of the second sample stage is projected on the second sample stage surface so that the width will be smaller than the width of skew of an intensity profile representing another edge of the ion beam in a direction parallel to the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Shichi, Satoshi Tomimatsu, Noriyuki Kaneoka, Kaoru Umemura, Koji Ishiguro
  • Patent number: 7725278
    Abstract: After completion of an arbitrary device process, an apparatus for micro-sample extraction extracts a part of a wafer as a micro-sample of a size equal to or larger than a repetition pattern with a probe and places the extracted micro-sample to a micro-sample storage, and the micro-sample storage is stored into an apparatus for micro-sample storage. The wafer is subjected to a post process and an observation desired position is determined in response to a failure analysis requirement. After that, the micro-sample is unloaded from the micro-sample storage by an apparatus for additional processing of the micro-sample and is placed onto an observation sample holder. By performing an additional process in the observation desired position, a failure analysis sample is prepared, and analysis information obtained by an apparatus for failure analysis is output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Tomimatsu, Hiroyasu Shichi, Muneyuki Fukuda, Kaoru Umemura
  • Patent number: 7709062
    Abstract: A hole in a sample from which a sample piece has been extracted with a focused ion beam is filled at high speed using ion beam gas assisted deposition. A method of filling the hole by using the ion beam includes a step of irradiating the hole formed in a face of the sample with the ion beam to thereby form an ion beam gas-assisted deposition layer in the hole. The ion beam gas-assisted deposition layer is formed in the hole while controlling the area to which the ion beam is irradiated so as to cause the ion beam to fall on a part of a side wall of the hole and to not fall on another part of the side wall in an area scanned with the ion beam. The filled hole may then be covered with a protective film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Shichi, Muneyuki Fukuda, Isamu Sekihara, Satoshi Tomimatsu, Kaoru Umemura