Patents by Inventor Koichi Sentoku

Koichi Sentoku 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: 10401744
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for calibrating an encoder which includes a scale and a light receiving unit configured to receive light reflected by the scale, and detects a change in relative position between the scale and the light receiving unit, the method comprising a measurement step of measuring a deformation amount of a surface shape of the scale, a specifying step of specifying, based on a measurement result in the measurement step, a range which includes a portion of a surface of the scale, where the deformation amount exceeds a threshold, and within which a detection value of the encoder is corrected, and a determination step of determining a correction value for correcting the detection value of the encoder within the range specified in the specifying step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Sentoku, Yoshinori Ohsaki, Osamu Morimoto, Takahiro Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20180206728
    Abstract: A photoacoustic apparatus is configured to adjust an irradiation range and a quantity of light to be emitted to a subject according to the size of a field of view.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventor: Koichi Sentoku
  • Publication number: 20180146950
    Abstract: An ultrasonic probe including a unit that changes a quantity of light emitted on a subject.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventors: Shinji Ohishi, Koichi Sentoku, Daisuke Iwase, Toshinobu Tokita, Takuro Miyasato, Shigeru Ichihara
  • Patent number: 9257262
    Abstract: A lithography apparatus for performing pattern formation on a substrate includes a stage configured to hold the substrate and be movable, an optical system configured to irradiate the substrate with an energy beam for the pattern formation, and a controller configured to set an arrangement of first and second marks for overlay inspection, which is variable with respect to a first substrate for condition setting, and control the stage and the optical system so that first processing for forming the first mark on the first substrate without the pattern formation and second processing for forming the second mark on the first substrate with the pattern formation are performed based on the set arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Sentoku, Hideki Ina
  • Publication number: 20150331331
    Abstract: Provided is a detection apparatus that detects a mark with a periodic structure and includes an illumination optical system configured to irradiate light on the mark; a light receiving optical system configured to receive a diffracted light from the mark when a relative position between the illumination optical system and the mark is changed in the measurement direction; and a photodetector configured to detect the diffracted light from the light receiving optical system. Here, a numerical aperture of the light receiving optical system in the measurement direction is larger than a numerical aperture of the light receiving optical system in the non-measurement direction in the plane on which the mark is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Koichi Sentoku, Wataru Yamaguchi, Toshihiko Nishida, Hideki Ina
  • Publication number: 20150155137
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for measuring inclination of a beam emitted to a substrate with respect to an optical-axis direction of an optical system for forming the beam. The method includes moving the substrate to a first height and a second height and turning the substrate about a rotational axis in the optical-axis direction. The method further includes acquiring a beam position with respect to the substrate situated at each of the first height and the second height both before and after the turning and determining the inclination of the beam based on the first height, the second height, and the beam positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Publication date: June 4, 2015
    Inventors: Koichi Sentoku, Satoru Oishi, Hideki Ina
  • Publication number: 20150044614
    Abstract: The present invention provides a drawing apparatus which performs drawing on a substrate with a plurality of charged particle beams, the apparatus comprising a blanker array including a plurality of blankers and configured to individually blank the plurality of charged particle beams, a plurality of deflectors configured to individually deflect a plurality of charged particle beam groups constituting the plurality of charged particle beams, and a controller configured to individually control positions of the plurality of charged particle beam groups by the plurality of deflectors, and individually control blanking of the plurality of charged particle beams by the blanker array, based on information of a region on the substrate where a shot region exists.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Koichi SENTOKU, Masato MURAKI
  • Publication number: 20150015861
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for calibrating an encoder which includes a scale and a light receiving unit configured to receive light reflected by the scale, and detects a change in relative position between the scale and the light receiving unit, the method comprising a measurement step of measuring a deformation amount of a surface shape of the scale, a specifying step of specifying, based on a measurement result in the measurement step, a range which includes a portion of a surface of the scale, where the deformation amount exceeds a threshold, and within which a detection value of the encoder is corrected, and a determination step of determining a correction value for correcting the detection value of the encoder within the range specified in the specifying step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Koichi Sentoku, Yoshinori Ohsaki, Osamu Morimoto, Takahiro Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8922774
    Abstract: A method includes a first step of forming a circuit pattern and an alignment mark on a substrate and a second step of measuring a position of the alignment mark and positioning the substrate. The alignment mark includes a first linear pattern arranged on one side of a first straight line, a second linear pattern arranged on the other side of the first straight line, a third linear pattern arranged on one side of a second straight line, and a fourth linear pattern arranged on the other side of the second straight line. The first step includes determining total number of the third and fourth linear patterns to be formed and total number of the first and second linear patterns to be formed based on required precisions in directions along the first and second straight lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Sentoku, Shigeki Ogawa, Hideki Ina
  • Publication number: 20140320836
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an optical system configured to irradiate a surface of a substrate with a beam, a control unit configured to control a position of the irradiation of the beam, and a first measurement unit and a second measurement unit each configured to measure a position of a mark formed on the substrate. The second measurement unit is placed at a position closer to an optical axis of the optical system than the first measurement unit is. Based on a position measurement value measured by the first measurement unit and position measurement values measured at different timings by the second measurement unit, the control unit controls the position of the beam irradiated to the substrate. The position measurement values measured at the different timings are values obtained from the same mark or values obtained from two marks adjacent to a common shot area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Wataru Yamaguchi, Koichi Sentoku, Satoru Oishi, Toshihiko Nishida, Go Tsuchiya, Hideki Ina
  • Publication number: 20140322654
    Abstract: A lithography apparatus for substrate patterning, includes a substrate stage having a reference mark, an optical system irradiating the substrate with the charged particle beam, a first measurement device measuring a position of an alignment mark formed on the substrate, a second measurement device having an optical axis apart from an axis of the optical system by a distance shorter than that of the first measurement device, and measuring a position of the reference mark, a processor obtaining a base line of the first measurement device based on positions of the reference mark respectively measured by the first and second measurement device and a base line of the second measurement device, the position of the reference mark being measured by the second measurement device based on an optical signal obtained via the reference mark with the stage moved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Sentoku, Hideki Ina
  • Publication number: 20140322831
    Abstract: A lithography apparatus for performing pattern formation on a substrate includes a stage configured to hold the substrate and be movable, an optical system configured to irradiate the substrate with an energy beam for the pattern formation, and a controller configured to set an arrangement of first and second marks for overlay inspection, which is variable with respect to a first substrate for condition setting, and control the stage and the optical system so that first processing for forming the first mark on the first substrate without the pattern formation and second processing for forming the second mark on the first substrate with the pattern formation are performed based on the set arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koichi Sentoku, Hideki Ina
  • Patent number: 8845317
    Abstract: An imprint apparatus for performing alignment between a mold and a substrate and imprinting a pattern of the mold to a layer of the substrate. A holder holds the mold. A stage holds the substrate opposite to the mold held by the holder. A microscope, including an image pickup device, detects a first alignment mark formed in the mold, via a first image pickup area of the image pickup device, and detects a second alignment mark formed in the substrate, via a second image pickup area of the image pickup device. The first and second image pickup areas do not overlap with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuhito Suehira, Junichi Seki, Hideki Ina, Koichi Sentoku
  • Patent number: 8618515
    Abstract: A lithography apparatus includes a first measurement device which measures a position of a mark on a substrate with light, a second measurement device which measures a position of a reference mark on a stage with a charged-particle, a detector which detects the position of the stage in a first direction parallel to the axis of a projection system and a second direction perpendicular to this axis, and a controller. The controller determines a charged-particle beam, in which the angle, with respect to the first direction, at which it is incident on the reference mark falls within a tolerance, and obtains a baseline for the first measurement device from the position of the reference mark measured by the second measurement device using the determined charged-particle beam and the position of the reference mark measured by the first measurement device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Sentoku
  • Patent number: 8338805
    Abstract: A reticle manufacturing method of the present invention comprises the steps of holding a reference mask blank by a reference chuck to measure a surface shape of the reference mask blank as a first surface shape, holding the reference mask blank by a reticle chuck of the exposure apparatus to measure a surface shape of the reference mask blank as a second surface shape, holding the electron beam drawing mask blank by the reference chuck to measure a surface shape of the electron beam drawing mask blank as a third surface shape, calculating a difference between the measurement values of the first surface shape and the second surface shape as a first deference value, calculating, as a forth surface shape, a surface shape of the electron beam drawing mask blank held by the reticle chuck on the basis of the first deference value and the measurement value of the third surface shape, and drawing the pattern on the electron beam drawing mask blank on the basis of the forth surface shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Koichi Sentoku
  • Patent number: 8089612
    Abstract: The present invention provides a position detection apparatus including a first obtaining unit configured to obtain imaging characteristics of an imaging optical system for a plurality of light beams, having different wavelength with each other, of the light having the wavelength width, a second obtaining unit configured to obtain optical images of a target object for the plurality of light beams, a restoration unit configured to restore optical images of the target object for the plurality of light beams by correcting, deterioration in the obtained optical images of the target object attributed to the imaging optical system, based on the obtained imaging characteristics of the imaging optical system, and a generation unit configured to generate an optical image of the target object for light including the plurality of light beams by synthesizing the restored optical images of the target object for the plurality of light beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Matsumoto, Koichi Sentoku, Satoru Oishi
  • Publication number: 20110310373
    Abstract: A lithography apparatus includes a first measurement device which measures a position of a mark on a substrate with light, a second measurement device which measures a position of a reference mark on a stage with a charged-particle, a detector which detects the position of the stage in a first direction parallel to the axis of a projection system and a second direction perpendicular to this axis, and a controller. The controller determines a charged-particle beam, in which the angle, with respect to the first direction, at which it is incident on the reference mark falls within a tolerance, and obtains a baseline for the first measurement device from the position of the reference mark measured by the second measurement device using the determined charged-particle beam and the position of the reference mark measured by the first measurement device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koichi SENTOKU
  • Patent number: 7952725
    Abstract: A surface shape measurement apparatus is configured to measure a surface shape of an object to be measured, and includes a beam splitter configured to split white light from a light source into two light beams, a pair of prisms each configured to increase an incident angle of each light beam that has been split by the beam splitter and directed to the object or a reference surface, each prism having an antireflection part that is formed at a period of a wavelength of the white light or smaller and has a moth-eye shape, a superimposition unit configured to superimpose object light from the object with reference light from the reference surface and has passed the second prism, and to generate white interference light, and a Lyot filter configured to discretely separate the white interference light for each of a plurality of wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Koichi Sentoku, Takahiro Matsumoto, Satoru Oishi, Hideki Ina
  • Patent number: 7884935
    Abstract: A pattern transfer apparatus transfers an imprint pattern formed on a mold, provided with an alignment mark, to a resin material on a substrate, provided with an alignment mark. A first image pickup device obtains an image of an object positioned at a first object position. A second image pickup device obtains an image of an object positioned at a second object position. The second object position is more distant from the alignment mark of the mold than the first object position. An optical system forms an image of an object positioned at the first object position and an image of an object positioned at the second object position. Alignment is performed based on first and second information obtained about positions of images of an alignment mark of a reference substrate and an alignment mark of the substrate, to transfer the imprinting pattern to the resin material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobuhito Suehira, Junichi Seki, Hideki Ina, Koichi Sentoku
  • Publication number: 20100209828
    Abstract: A reticle manufacturing method of the present invention comprises the steps of holding a reference mask blank by a reference chuck to measure a surface shape of the reference mask blank as a first surface shape, holding the reference mask blank by a reticle chuck of the exposure apparatus to measure a surface shape of the reference mask blank as a second surface shape, holding the electron beam drawing mask blank by the reference chuck to measure a surface shape of the electron beam drawing mask blank as a third surface shape, calculating a difference between the measurement values of the first surface shape and the second surface shape as a first deference value, calculating, as a forth surface shape, a surface shape of the electron beam drawing mask blank held by the reticle chuck on the basis of the first deference value and the measurement value of the third surface shape, and drawing the pattern on the electron beam drawing mask blank on the basis of the forth surface shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koichi Sentoku