Patents by Inventor Noburu Takakura

Noburu Takakura 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: 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
  • Publication number: 20220067958
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus measures position information of a measurement target in a first direction. The apparatus comprises a scope configured to capture an image of the measurement target and generate image data, and a processor configured to obtain, based on the image data, the position information of the measurement target in the first direction. The processor is configured to determines the position information of the measurement target in the first direction based on: provisional position information of the measurement target in the first direction obtained from the image data, and using a correction value which is output from a model by inputting, in the model, a feature quantity, of the image data, related to a second direction different from the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Satoru Jimbo, Noburu Takakura, Shinichiro Koga, Yusuke Miura
  • Patent number: 11061335
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus for acquiring an inspection condition for performing an inspection on a pattern formed by a lithography apparatus that forms a pattern on a substrate with an original includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a second inspection condition to be applied in a case where an inspection is performed on a second pattern by inputting third information indicating a state of the lithography apparatus acquired when the second pattern is formed to a model, wherein the model is acquired by machine learning with learning data including first information indicating a state of the lithography apparatus acquired when a first pattern is formed and second information indicating a first inspection condition applied when an inspection is performed on the first pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichiro Koga, Noburu Takakura, Takahiro Takiguchi
  • Patent number: 10754257
    Abstract: A method includes first step of forming first pattern in each of first region of a substrate by using scanning exposure apparatus, and second step of forming second pattern in each second region of the substrate having undergone the first step. Each second region includes at least two first regions, and in the first step, scanning direction in the scanning exposure apparatus is allocated to each of the at least two first regions. Combination of the scanning directions allocated to the at least two first regions is common to the second regions. The combination is determined such that the scanning directions of at least first regions, of the at least two first regions, which are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the scanning directions are alternately changed one by one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Noburu Takakura
  • Publication number: 20200026202
    Abstract: A method includes first step of forming first pattern in each of first region of a substrate by using scanning exposure apparatus, and second step of forming second pattern in each second region of the substrate having undergone the first step. Each second region includes at least two first regions, and in the first step, scanning direction in the scanning exposure apparatus is allocated to each of the at least two first regions. Combination of the scanning directions allocated to the at least two first regions is common to the second regions. The combination is determined such that the scanning directions of at least first regions, of the at least two first regions, which are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the scanning directions are alternately changed one by one.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventor: Noburu Takakura
  • Publication number: 20200004158
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus for acquiring an inspection condition for performing an inspection on a pattern formed by a lithography apparatus that forms a pattern on a substrate with an original includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a second inspection condition to be applied in a case where an inspection is performed on a second pattern by inputting third information indicating a state of the lithography apparatus acquired when the second pattern is formed to a model, wherein the model is acquired by machine learning with learning data including first information indicating a state of the lithography apparatus acquired when a first pattern is formed and second information indicating a first inspection condition applied when an inspection is performed on the first pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Shinichiro Koga, Noburu Takakura, Takahiro Takiguchi
  • Patent number: 10372033
    Abstract: The present invention provides an imprint apparatus comprising a plurality of processing devices configured to perform imprint processes for a plurality of substrates in parallel, and a controller configured to control the plurality of processing devices, wherein the controller is configured to control the plurality of processing devices so that each of the plurality of processing devices performs imprint processes for a plurality of regions whose positions correspond to each other over the plurality of substrates, and so that the plurality of processing devices respectively perform imprint processes for a plurality of regions whose positions are different from each other and which have shapes corresponding to each other in a single substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kenji Yamamoto, Noburu Takakura
  • Patent number: 10359711
    Abstract: Provided is a lithography apparatus that has a plurality of processing units each of which configured to perform processing of pattern formation for substrates. The lithography apparatus also has a controller configured to manage the plurality of processing units as groups in accordance with characteristics of the pattern formation respectively, allocate the substrates included in one or more lots to one of the groups, and, if an unprocessed substrate allocated to the group still exist upon a standby state of a processing unit included in the group, allocate the unprocessed substrate to the processing unit in the standby state and then cause the processing units to perform parallel processing for the substrates based on the allocation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshihito Tada, Noburu Takakura
  • Patent number: 9880475
    Abstract: Provided is a lithography apparatus that includes a plurality of patterning devices each of which is configured to perform patterning for a substrate supplied from a preprocessing apparatus; and a controller configured to control the plurality of patterning devices such that a plurality of substrates respectively belonging to a plurality of lots is subjected to parallel processings by the plurality of patterning devices based on a plurality of recipe information respectively corresponding to the plurality of lots, and transmit information regarding a schedule of the parallel processings to the preprocessing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichiro Koga, Noburu Takakura, Akihiko Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20160334714
    Abstract: Provided is a lithography apparatus that includes a plurality of patterning devices each of which is configured to perform patterning for a substrate supplied from a preprocessing apparatus; and a controller configured to control the plurality of patterning devices such that a plurality of substrates respectively belonging to a plurality of lots is subjected to parallel processings by the plurality of patterning devices based on a plurality of recipe information respectively corresponding to the plurality of lots, and transmit information regarding a schedule of the parallel processings to the preprocessing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Shinichiro Koga, Noburu Takakura, Akihiko Kawamura
  • Patent number: 9423700
    Abstract: Provided is a lithography apparatus that includes a plurality of patterning devices each of which is configured to perform patterning for a substrate supplied from a preprocessing apparatus; and a controller configured to control the plurality of patterning devices such that a plurality of substrates respectively belonging to a plurality of lots is subjected to parallel processings by the plurality of patterning devices based on a plurality of recipe information respectively corresponding to the plurality of lots, and transmit information regarding a schedule of the parallel processings to the preprocessing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichiro Koga, Noburu Takakura, Akihiko Kawamura
  • Publication number: 20160016353
    Abstract: The present invention provides an imprint apparatus comprising a plurality of processing devices configured to perform imprint processes for a plurality of substrates in parallel, and a controller configured to control the plurality of processing devices, wherein the controller is configured to control the plurality of processing devices so that each of the plurality of processing devices performs imprint processes for a plurality of regions whose positions correspond to each other over the plurality of substrates, and so that the plurality of processing devices respectively perform imprint processes for a plurality of regions whose positions are different from each other and which have shapes corresponding to each other in a single substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Inventors: Kenji Yamamoto, Noburu Takakura
  • Publication number: 20150268560
    Abstract: Provided is a lithography apparatus that has a plurality of processing units each of which configured to perform processing of pattern formation for substrates. The lithography apparatus also has a controller configured to manage the plurality of processing units as groups in accordance with characteristics of the pattern formation respectively, allocate the substrates included in one or more lots to one of the groups, and, if an unprocessed substrate allocated to the group still exist upon a standby state of a processing unit included in the group, allocate the unprocessed substrate to the processing unit in the standby state and then cause the processing units to perform parallel processing for the substrates based on the allocation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Inventors: Yoshihito Tada, Noburu Takakura
  • Publication number: 20150022793
    Abstract: Provided is a lithography apparatus that includes a plurality of patterning devices each of which is configured to perform patterning for a substrate supplied from a preprocessing apparatus; and a controller configured to control the plurality of patterning devices such that a plurality of substrates respectively belonging to a plurality of lots is subjected to parallel processings by the plurality of patterning devices based on a plurality of recipe information respectively corresponding to the plurality of lots, and transmit information regarding a schedule of the parallel processings to the preprocessing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Shinichiro Koga, Noburu Takakura, Akihiko Kawamura
  • Patent number: 8305555
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus sequentially transfers a pattern of an original to a plurality of shot regions on a substrate, wherein each shot region includes a chip region and a scribe line region surrounding the chip region. The apparatus includes a detector configured to detect light beams from a first mark and a second mark arranged in a first scribe line region and a second scribe line region, respectively, adjacent to each other on the substrate driven in a measurement scanning direction by substantially simultaneously observing the first scribe line region and the second scribe line region, and a processor configured to process detection signals output from the detector to determine positions of the first mark and the second mark, wherein the substrate is positioned based on the positions of the first mark and the second mark and is exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinichiro Koga, Noburu Takakura
  • Publication number: 20100259741
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus sequentially transfers a pattern of an original to a plurality of shot regions on a substrate, wherein each shot region includes a chip region and a scribe line region surrounding the chip region. The apparatus comprises a detector configured to detect light beams from a first mark and a second mark arranged in a first scribe line region and a second scribe line region, respectively, adjacent to each other on the substrate driven in a measurement scanning direction by substantially simultaneously observing the first scribe line region and the second scribe line region, and a processor configured to process detection signals output from the detector to determine positions of the first mark and the second mark, wherein the substrate is positioned based on the positions of the first mark and the second mark and is exposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinichiro Koga, Noburu Takakura
  • Patent number: 6333786
    Abstract: An aligning method suitably usable in a semiconductor device manufacturing exposure apparatus of step-and-repeat type, for sequentially positioning regions on a wafer to an exposure position. In one preferred form, the marks provided on selected regions of the wafer are detected to obtain corresponding mark signals and then respective positional data related to the positions or positional errors of the selected regions are measured, on the basis of the mark signals. Then, the reliability of each measured positional data of a corresponding selected region is detected, on the basis of the state of a corresponding mark signal or the state of that measured positional data and by using fuzzy reasoning, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2001
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Uzawa, Akiya Nakai, Masaaki Imaizumi, Hiroshi Tanaka, Noburu Takakura, Yoshio Kaneko
  • Patent number: 6097495
    Abstract: An aligning method suitably usable in a semiconductor device manufacturing exposure apparatus of step-and-repeat type, for sequentially positioning regions on a wafer to an exposure position. In one preferred form, the marks provided on selected regions of the wafer are detected to obtain corresponding mark signals and then respective positional data related to the positions or positional errors of the selected regions are measured, on the basis of the mark signals. Then, the reliability of each measured positional data of a corresponding selected region is detected, on the basis of the state of a corresponding mark signal or the state of that measured positional data and by using fuzzy reasoning, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Uzawa, Akiya Nakai, Masaaki Imaizumi, Hiroshi Tanaka, Noburu Takakura, Yoshio Kaneko
  • Patent number: 5543921
    Abstract: An aligning method suitably usable in a semiconductor device manufacturing exposure apparatus of step-and-repeat type, for sequentially positioning regions on a wafer to an exposure position. In one preferred form, the marks provided on selected regions of the wafer are detected to obtain corresponding mark signals and then respective positional data related to the positions or positional errors of the selected regions are measured, on the basis of the mark signals. Then, the reliability of each measured positional data of a corresponding selected region is detected, on the basis of the state of a corresponding mark signal or the state of that measured positional data and by using fuzzy reasoning, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 6, 1996
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Uzawa, Akiya Nakai, Masaaki Imaizumi, Hiroshi Tanaka, Noburu Takakura, Yoshio Kaneko