Patents by Inventor Kazuhiko Mishima

Kazuhiko Mishima 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: 20230185208
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus that measures position information of a measurement target is provided. The apparatus includes a scope configured to generate an image by capturing an image of the measurement target, and a processor configured to obtain position information of the measurement target based on the image. The processor is configured to generate a plurality of image components using a statistical technique from a plurality of images generated by the scope, output the plurality of generated image components, perform processing based on the plurality of image components, and determine the position information based on a result of the processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2022
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: SATORU JIMBO, KAZUHIKO MISHIMA
  • Publication number: 20220130028
    Abstract: The present invention provides a processing apparatus comprising: a generator configured to generate, based on image data of a measurement target, position information of the measurement target in a first direction; and a determinator configured to determine, based on a feature quantity of the image data related to a second direction different from the first direction, confidence of the position information of the measurement target generated by the generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Satoru Jimbo, Yoshio Suzaki, Kazuhiko Mishima, Noburu Takakura
  • Patent number: 9718234
    Abstract: An imprint lithography apparatus uses a mold having a pattern formed thereon and transfers the pattern to an imprint material fed to a substrate. The apparatus includes a light-receiving element; a detection system that irradiates a mark formed on the substrate and a mark formed on the mold with light which is reflected therefrom, and guides the light reflected from the mark formed on the substrate and from the mark formed on the mold to the light-receiving element; a relay optical system that causes the light reflected to focus between the mold and the detection system; an illumination system that emits illumination light for curing the imprint material; an optical element having a surface that transmits one of the illumination light and the light from the detection system and reflects the other; and a plate-shaped optical member that corrects aberration of the relay optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hironori Maeda, Seiya Miura, Kazuhiko Mishima, Ken Minoda
  • Patent number: 9645514
    Abstract: An imprint apparatus, which is configured to transfer a pattern to an imprint material supplied on a substrate by using a mold having the pattern formed thereon, includes a light-receiving element, a detection system configured to illuminate a mark formed on the substrate and a mark formed on the mold, and guide light reflected from the mark formed on the substrate and the mark formed on the mold to the light-receiving element, and a relay optical system. The relay optical system is configured to form images of the light reflected from the mark formed on the substrate and the mark formed on the mold between the relay optical system and the detection system. The detection system is configured to guide the light image-formed by the relay optical system to the light-receiving element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironori Maeda, Seiya Miura, Kazuhiko Mishima, Ken Minoda
  • Patent number: 9606456
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lithography apparatus which forms a pattern on a substrate, the apparatus comprising a stage holding the substrate and being movable; a measurement unit configured to irradiate a side surface of the stage with light and measure a position of the stage, a generation unit configured to generate a flow of gas in a space where the stage moves, a detection unit configured to detect respective positions of sample shot regions formed on the substrate, and a control unit configured to determine an order of detecting the sample shot regions by the detection unit such that detection by the detection unit is performed sequentially from a sample shot region closer to the measurement unit with respect to sample shot regions located on a downstream side of the flow of the gas from a center of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Ogura, Kazuhiko Mishima, Kazushi Mizumoto
  • Patent number: 9594315
    Abstract: The present invention provides a detection apparatus for detecting a position of a detection target, including an illumination optical system configured to perform dark-field illumination on a reference mark, and a detection optical system including a sensor configured to detect light from the reference mark and an optical system configured to guide the light from the reference mark to the sensor, and configured to detect a position of the reference mark in a first direction, wherein the reference mark includes one mark element in the first direction, and a width of the mark element in the first direction is set such that two edges of the mark element in the first direction are detected as one peak when the sensor detects the light from the reference mark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takafumi Miyaharu, Kazuhiko Mishima
  • Patent number: 9595447
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a detection apparatus configured to detect a moire pattern generated by grid patterns having grid pitches different from each other including: an image-pickup unit configured to pick up an image of the moire pattern; an imaging optical system configured to cause the image-pickup unit to image the moire pattern; and a processing unit configured to process an image-pickup result of the moire pattern imaged by the image-pickup unit, wherein a mark including a plurality of patterns having a width not larger than the resolving power of the imaging optical system arranged in a measuring direction and changed in duty ratio between the widths and intervals of the plurality of patterns is imaged by the image-pickup unit, and the processing unit evaluates the detection apparatus by processing the image-pickup result of the mark picked up by the image-pickup unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inada, Kazuhiko Mishima, Takafumi Miyaharu
  • Patent number: 9400434
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus includes a controller configured to control scanning of an original holding unit and a substrate holding unit to expose a first pattern forming area onto a plurality of second pattern forming areas formed in advance on the substrate. The first pattern forming area is superimposed on the plurality of second pattern forming areas. An original may include the first pattern forming area in plural. The controller is configured to change the operation of the original holding unit or the substrate holding unit among the plurality of second pattern forming areas based on a state of the second pattern forming areas or a state of the first pattern forming areas while the first pattern forming areas are scanning-exposed onto the plurality of second pattern forming areas in a single scanning between the original holding unit and the substrate holding unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tsutomu Takenaka, Kazuhiko Mishima
  • Patent number: 9283720
    Abstract: A position detection apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating a first diffraction grating having periods in each of a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction, and a second diffraction grating having a period different from the period in the second direction of the first diffraction grating in the second direction, at an oblique incidence, and a detection optical system for detecting diffracted light from the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating, wherein a relative position of the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating is detected based on the detected diffracted light, and wherein the illumination optical system includes a plurality of light intensity distributions in the first direction except for on an optical axis of the detection optical system, in a pupil plane thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Minoda, Yoshihiro Shiode, Kazuhiko Mishima, Hironori Maeda
  • Patent number: 9261802
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lithography apparatus for transferring a pattern formed on an original to each of a plurality of shot regions on a substrate, comprising a detection unit configured to detect a mark provided in the shot region and a mark provided on the original, and a control unit configured to control alignment between a target shot region and the pattern of the original such that the mark in the target region detected by the detection unit and the mark on the original are shifted by a positional shift amount which is generated between each mark in the shot region and each mark on the original when an overlay error between the shot region and the pattern of the original falls within an allowable range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Mishima, Shinichiro Koga
  • Publication number: 20160033884
    Abstract: An imprint apparatus, which is configured to transfer a pattern to an imprint material supplied on a substrate by using a mold having the pattern formed thereon, includes a light-receiving element, a detection system configured to illuminate a mark formed on the substrate and a mark formed on the mold, and guide light reflected from the mark formed on the substrate and the mark formed on the mold to the light-receiving element, and a relay optical system. The relay optical system is configured to form images of the light reflected from the mark formed on the substrate and the mark formed on the mold between the relay optical system and the detection system. The detection system is configured to guide the light image-formed by the relay optical system to the light-receiving element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: Hironori Maeda, Seiya Miura, Kazuhiko Mishima, Ken Minoda
  • Publication number: 20150338751
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lithography apparatus which forms a pattern on a substrate, the apparatus comprising a stage holding the substrate and being movable; a measurement unit configured to irradiate a side surface of the stage with light and measure a position of the stage, a generation unit configured to generate a flow of gas in a space where the stage moves, a detection unit configured to detect respective positions of sample shot regions formed on the substrate, and a control unit configured to determine an order of detecting the sample shot regions by the detection unit such that detection by the detection unit is performed sequentially from a sample shot region closer to the measurement unit with respect to sample shot regions located on a downstream side of the flow of the gas from a center of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Masahiro Ogura, Kazuhiko Mishima, Kazushi Mizumoto
  • Patent number: 9188855
    Abstract: An imprint apparatus, which is configured to transfer a pattern to an imprint material supplied on a substrate by using a mold having the pattern formed thereon, includes a light-receiving element, a detection system configured to illuminate a mark formed on the substrate and a mark formed on the mold, and guide light reflected from the mark formed on the substrate and the mark formed on the mold to the light-receiving element, and a relay optical system. The relay optical system is configured to form images of the light reflected from the mark formed on the substrate and the mark formed on the mold between the relay optical system and the detection system. The detection system is configured to guide the light image-formed by the relay optical system to the light-receiving element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironori Maeda, Seiya Miura, Kazuhiko Mishima, Ken Minoda
  • Publication number: 20150235880
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a detection apparatus configured to detect a moire pattern generated by grid patterns having grid pitches different from each other including: an image-pickup unit configured to pick up an image of the moire pattern; an imaging optical system configured to cause the image-pickup unit to image the moire pattern; and a processing unit configured to process an image-pickup result of the moire pattern imaged by the image-pickup unit, wherein a mark including a plurality of patterns having a width not larger than the resolving power of the imaging optical system arranged in a measuring direction and changed in duty ratio between the widths and intervals of the plurality of patterns is imaged by the image-pickup unit, and the processing unit evaluates the detection apparatus by processing the image-pickup result of the mark picked up by the image-pickup unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroshi Inada, Kazuhiko Mishima, Takafumi Miyaharu
  • Publication number: 20150092169
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus comprises a controller configured to control scanning of an original holding unit and a substrate holding unit so as to expose a first pattern forming area onto a second pattern forming area exposed in advance on the substrate via a second projection optical system having a second projection magnification differing from a first projection magnification with the first pattern forming area superimposed on the second pattern forming areas. In particular, the controller changes the operation of the original holding unit or the substrate holding unit among the plurality of second pattern forming areas based on the state of the second pattern forming areas or the state of the patterns formed on the original while the first pattern forming areas are scanning-exposed onto the plurality of second pattern forming areas in a single scanning between the original holding unit and the substrate holding unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Tsutomu Takenaka, Kazuhiko Mishima
  • Publication number: 20150062553
    Abstract: The present invention provides a detection apparatus for detecting a position of a detection target, including an illumination optical system configured to perform dark-field illumination on a reference mark, and a detection optical system including a sensor configured to detect light from the reference mark and an optical system configured to guide the light from the reference mark to the sensor, and configured to detect a position of the reference mark in a first direction, wherein the reference mark includes one mark element in the first direction, and a width of the mark element in the first direction is set such that two edges of the mark element in the first direction are detected as one peak when the sensor detects the light from the reference mark.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Takafumi MIYAHARU, Kazuhiko MISHIMA
  • Publication number: 20150049317
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lithography apparatus for transferring a pattern formed on an original to each of a plurality of shot regions on a substrate, comprising a detection unit configured to detect a mark provided in the shot region and a mark provided on the original, and a control unit configured to control alignment between a target shot region and the pattern of the original such that the mark in the target region detected by the detection unit and the mark on the original are shifted by a positional shift amount which is generated between each mark in the shot region and each mark on the original when an overlay error between the shot region and the pattern of the original falls within an allowable range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Mishima, Shinichiro Koga
  • Patent number: 8922786
    Abstract: A detector includes an illumination optical system that illuminates a first diffraction grating having a period in each of a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction, and a second diffraction grating having a period in the second direction different from the period of the first diffraction grating in the second direction. A detection optical system detects diffracted light diffracted by the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating. The detection optical system includes a photoelectric conversion element and a guide portion arranged on a pupil plane of the detection optical system. The guide portion guides, to the photoelectric conversion element, the light diffracted by the first diffracting grating and the second diffraction grating. The diffracted light diffracted by the second diffraction grating enters a position different from the guide portion on the pupil plane of the detection optical system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiki Iwai, Kazuhiko Mishima, Hironori Maeda, Ken Minoda
  • Publication number: 20140346694
    Abstract: A position detection apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating a first diffraction grating having periods in each of a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction, and a second diffraction grating having a period different from the period in the second direction of the first diffraction grating in the second direction, at an oblique incidence, and a detection optical system for detecting diffracted light from the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating, wherein a relative position of the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating is detected based on the detected diffracted light, and wherein the illumination optical system includes a plurality of light intensity distributions in the first direction except for on an optical axis of the detection optical system, in a pupil plane thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Ken Minoda, Yoshihiro Shiode, Kazuhiko Mishima, Hironori Maeda
  • Patent number: 8842294
    Abstract: A position detection apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating a first diffraction grating having periods in each of a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction, and a second diffraction grating having a period different from the period in the second direction of the first diffraction grating in the second direction, at an oblique incidence, and a detection optical system for detecting diffracted light from the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating, wherein a relative position of the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating is detected based on the detected diffracted light, and wherein the illumination optical system includes a plurality of light intensity distributions in the first direction except for on an optical axis of the detection optical system, in a pupil plane thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Minoda, Yoshihiro Shiode, Kazuhiko Mishima, Hironori Maeda