Patents by Inventor Masayoshi Tonouchi

Masayoshi Tonouchi 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: 20140002125
    Abstract: An inspecting device serves to inspect a solar cell. The inspecting device includes an irradiation part for irradiating with pulsed light and a detection part having a detector for detecting an electromagnetic wave pulse radiated from the solar cell depending on the irradiation with the pulsed light. The detector detects an electric field intensity of the electromagnetic wave pulse depending on irradiation with probe light emitted from a light source (a femtosecond laser) of the pulsed light. Moreover, the inspecting device includes a delay part for delaying a timing for detecting the electromagnetic wave pulse in the detector. Furthermore, the inspecting device includes an electromagnetic wave pulse analysis part for detecting a negative peak of the electric field intensity in a temporal waveform of the electromagnetic wave pulse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Inventors: Hidetoshi NAKANISHI, Akira ITO, Masayoshi TONOUCHI, Iwao KAWAYAMA
  • Patent number: 8530868
    Abstract: An electromagnetic radiation generating device is a device that generates electromagnetic wave pulses from a plane surface. The electromagnetic radiation generating device includes an electromagnetic radiation generating element, a light irradiating unit. The electromagnetic radiation generating element includes: a depletion layer forming body formed by stacking a p-type silicon layer and an n-type silicon layer in a planar pattern; a light receiving surface electrode formed on one surface of the depletion layer forming body, the light receiving surface electrode including a plurality of parallel electrode parts that are equally spaced while a forming distance is maintained between the parallel electrode parts, the forming distance corresponding to the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave pulses generated from the depletion layer forming body; and a rear surface electrode formed on the opposite surface of the depletion layer forming body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Nakanishi, Masayoshi Tonouchi
  • Publication number: 20130153793
    Abstract: An electromagnetic radiation generating device is a device that generates electromagnetic wave pulses from a plane surface. The electromagnetic radiation generating device includes an electromagnetic radiation generating element, a light irradiating unit. The electromagnetic radiation generating element includes: a depletion layer forming body formed by stacking a p-type silicon layer and an n-type silicon layer in a planar pattern; a light receiving surface electrode formed on one surface of the depletion layer forming body, the light receiving surface electrode including a plurality of parallel electrode parts that are equally spaced while a forming distance is maintained between the parallel electrode parts, the forming distance corresponding to the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave pulses generated from the depletion layer forming body; and a rear surface electrode formed on the opposite surface of the depletion layer forming body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Inventors: Hidetoshi NAKANISHI, Masayoshi TONOUCHI
  • Publication number: 20130083319
    Abstract: A semiconductor inspection apparatus (100) is an apparatus for inspecting a semiconductor device. The semiconductor inspection apparatus (100) includes a pulsed laser light source (14) for emitting pulsed laser light (2) toward a substrate (1) with a semiconductor device formed thereon, an electromagnetic wave pulse application part (18) for applying a reverses-biasing electromagnetic wave pulse (4) for applying a reverse bias to an application position (10) which receives the pulsed laser light (2), and a detection part (17) for detecting an electromagnetic wave pulse (3) emitted from the application position (10) in response to the application of the pulsed laser light (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2012
    Publication date: April 4, 2013
    Inventors: Hidetoshi NAKANISHI, Masayoshi Tonouchi
  • Publication number: 20130015368
    Abstract: A technology of inspecting a photoexcited carrier generation area of a photo device in a non-contact manner is provided. An inspection apparatus inspects a photovoltaic cell panel in which the photo device is formed. The inspection apparatus includes an irradiation part that irradiates the photovoltaic cell panel with pulsed light from a light receiving surface side and a detecting part (detector) that detects electric field intensity of a terahertz wave pulse, which is generated according to the irradiation of the pulsed light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Inventors: Hidetoshi NAKANISHI, Masayoshi TONOUCHI, Iwao KAWAYAMA
  • Publication number: 20110216312
    Abstract: For a semiconductor device S, an inspection is performed in a zero-bias state by use of electromagnetic waves generated by irradiation of pulsed laser light, and an inspection range is set with reference to layout information of the semiconductor device S to perform two-dimensional scanning by inspection light L1 of the pulsed laser light within the range. Moreover, with the inspection range of the semiconductor device S arranged at a predetermined position with respect to an optical axis of an optical system, and with a solid immersion lens 36 disposed for the semiconductor device S, by a galvanometer scanner 30 being scanning means, the inspection range of the semiconductor device S is two-dimensionally scanned by the inspection light L1 via the solid immersion lens 36, and an electromagnetic wave emitted from the semiconductor device S is detected by a photoconductive element 40.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicants: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K., OSAKA UNIVERSITY, RIKEN
    Inventors: Toru Matsumoto, Yoshimitsu Aoki, Masayoshi Tonouchi, Hironaru Murakami, Sunmi Kim, Masatsugu Yamashita, Chiko Otani
  • Patent number: 7466151
    Abstract: It comprises a voltage-application apparatus 2 for applying a predetermined voltage to a semiconductor device 1, and holding it therein; a laser apparatus 3 for generating a laser beam 4 having a predetermined wavelength; an irradiation apparatus 5 for irradiating the laser beam 4 onto the two-dimensional circuit of the semiconductor device 1, which is held in the applied state, so as to scan it two-dimensionally; an electromagnetic-wave detection/conversion apparatus 6 for detecting an electromagnetic wave, which is radiated from the laser-beam irradiation position, and converting the electromagnetic wave into an electric-field signal, which changes temporally; and phase-judgement means 71, to which the temporally-changing electric-field signal output from the detection/conversion apparatus 6 is input, for judging the phase of the electric-field signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyuki Ohtake, Tomoya Hirosumi, Makoto Yoshida, Masayoshi Tonouchi
  • Patent number: 7173447
    Abstract: An apparatus for diagnosing a fault in a semiconductor device includes an laser applying unit, a detection/conversion unit, and a fault diagnosis unit. The semiconductor device is held at a state where no bias voltage is applied thereto. The laser applying unit then applies a pulse laser beam having a predetermined wavelength to the semiconductor device so as to two-dimensionally scan the semiconductor device with the pulse laser beam. The detection/conversion unit detects an electromagnetic wave generated from a laser applied position in the semiconductor device, and converts the detected electromagnetic wave into a time-varying voltage signal that corresponds to a time-varying amplitude of an electric field of the electromagnetic wave. The fault diagnosis unit derives an electric field distribution in the semiconductor device on the basis of the time-varying voltage signal to perform fault diagnosis on the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignees: Riken, NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Masatsugu Yamashita, Kodo Kawase, Masayoshi Tonouchi, Toshihiro Kiwa, Kiyoshi Nikawa
  • Publication number: 20070018634
    Abstract: It comprises a voltage-application apparatus 2 for applying a predetermined voltage to a semiconductor device 1, and holding it therein; a laser apparatus 3 for generating a laser beam 4 having a predetermined wavelength; an irradiation apparatus 5 for irradiating the laser beam 4 onto the two-dimensional circuit of the semiconductor device 1, which is held in the applied state, so as to scan it two-dimensionally; an electromagnetic-wave detection/conversion apparatus 6 for detecting an electromagnetic wave, which is radiated from the laser-beam irradiation position, and converting the electromagnetic wave into an electric-field signal, which changes temporally; and phase-judgement means 71, to which the temporally-changing electric-field signal output from the detection/conversion apparatus 6 is input, for judging the phase of the electric-field signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2004
    Publication date: January 25, 2007
    Inventors: Hideyuki Ohtake, Tomoya Hirosumi, Makoto Yoshida, Masayoshi Tonouchi
  • Publication number: 20060006886
    Abstract: An apparatus for diagnosing a fault in a semiconductor device includes an laser applying unit, a detection/conversion unit, and a fault diagnosis unit. The semiconductor device is held at a state where no bias voltage is applied thereto. The laser applying unit then applies a pulse laser beam having a predetermined wavelength to the semiconductor device so as to two-dimensionally scan the semiconductor device with the pulse laser beam. The detection/conversion unit detects an electromagnetic wave generated from a laser applied position in the semiconductor device, and converts the detected electromagnetic wave into a time-varying voltage signal that corresponds to a time-varying amplitude of an electric field of the electromagnetic wave. The fault diagnosis unit derives an electric field distribution in the semiconductor device on the basis of the time-varying voltage signal to perform fault diagnosis on the semiconductor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Applicants: RIKEN, NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Masatsugu Yamashita, Kodo Kawase, Masayoshi Tonouchi, Toshihiro Kiwa, Kiyoshi Nikawa
  • Patent number: 6980010
    Abstract: An apparatus that inspects wire breaking of a semiconductor integrated circuit includes a voltage applying device (12), a light pulse source (14), a scanning device (16), an electromagnetic wave detection device (18), and a wire breaking detection device (20). The voltage applying device (12) maintains a semiconductor integrated circuit in a state where a predetermined voltage is being applied thereto. The light pulse source (14) generates an ultrashort light pulse (2). The scanning device (16) two-dimensionally scans and irradiates the two-dimensional circuit of the semiconductor integrated circuit by using the ultrashort light pulse (2). The electromagnetic wave detection device (18) detects an electromagnetic wave (3) radiated from a position irradiated with the ultrashort light pulse on the semiconductor integrated circuit. The wire breaking detection device (20) detects wire breaking of the irradiated position based on presence and absence or intensity of the electromagnetic wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignees: Riken, Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayoshi Tonouchi, Kodo Kawase, Tomoya Hirosumi, Ryoichi Fukusawa
  • Publication number: 20040246011
    Abstract: An apparatus that inspects wire breaking of a semiconductor integrated circuit includes a voltage applying device (12), a light pulse source (14), a scanning device (16), an electromagnetic wave detection device (18), and a wire breaking detection device (20). The voltage applying device (12) maintains a semiconductor integrated circuit in a state where a predetermined voltage is being applied thereto. The light pulse source (14) generates an ultrashort light pulse (2). The scanning device (16) two-dimensionally scans and irradiates the two-dimensional circuit of the semiconductor integrated circuit by using the ultrashort light pulse (2). The electromagnetic wave detection device (18) detects an electromagnetic wave (3) radiated from a position irradiated with the ultrashort light pulse on the semiconductor integrated circuit. The wire breaking detection device (20) detects wire breaking of the irradiated position based on presence and absence or intensity of the electromagnetic wave.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Publication date: December 9, 2004
    Applicants: RIKEN, AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masayoshi Tonouchi, Kodo Kawase, Tomoya Hirosumi, Ryoichi Fukusawa
  • Patent number: 4996191
    Abstract: An etchant containing 1-hydroxy-ethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid is useful in etching Ba--Cu--O and Ca--Cu--O high-temperature superconductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 26, 1991
    Assignee: Lion Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Kobayashi, Masayoshi Tonouchi, Yoshiyuki Sakaguchi