Patents by Inventor Sukehiro Ito

Sukehiro Ito 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: 8809782
    Abstract: A scanning electron microscope includes a main scanning electron microscope unit having an electron optical column and a sample chamber, a controller over the main scanning electron microscope unit, a single housing that houses both the main scanning electron microscope unit and the controller, and a bottom plate disposed under the single housing, the main scanning electron microscope unit and the controller. A first leg member is attached to a bottom face of the bottom plate on a side of the controller with a first opening hole provided through the bottom plate on a side of the main scanning electron microscope unit, and a damper is fixed to a bottom face of the main scanning electron microscope unit and disposed through the first opening hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohisa Ohtaki, Masahiko Ajima, Sukehiro Ito, Mitsuru Onuma, Akira Omachi
  • Publication number: 20140197725
    Abstract: Increasing the volume or weight of zirconia which is a diffusion and supply source, to extend the life of a field-emission type electron source causes a problem that the diffusion and supply source itself or a tungsten needle is easily subjected to damage. As another problem, although it is considered to form the diffusion and supply source using a thin film to avoid the above-described problem, it is difficult to stably obtain practical life exceeding 8,000 hours. It has been found that practical life exceeding 8,000 hours is stably obtained by providing a field-emission type electron source that has no chips or cracks in a diffusion and supply source and that can extend life with a little bit of an increase in the amount of the diffusion and supply source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Inventors: Souichi Katagiri, Takashi Ohshima, Sukehiro Ito
  • Publication number: 20140192114
    Abstract: A printing apparatus which prints onto a recording medium by causing a print head to move in a main scanning direction includes a flexible cable through which, together with an arc-shaped loop, a signal is transmitted from a control substrate to the print head, a supporting member which is provided at a position which supports a portion of the flexible cable from the print head to the loop, and an insulating film which is provided between the supporting member and the flexible cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Sukehiro Ito, Kiyotaka Ogura, Hideyuki Kataoka
  • Publication number: 20140175278
    Abstract: Provided is a charged particle beam apparatus or charged particle microscope capable of observing an observation target sample in an air atmosphere or a gas environment without making significant changes to the configuration of a conventional high vacuum charged particle microscope. In a charged particle beam apparatus configured such that a thin film (10) is used to separate a vacuum environment and an air atmosphere (or a gas environment), an attachment (121) capable of holding the thin film (10) and whose interior can be maintained at an air atmosphere or a gas environment is inserted into a vacuum chamber (7) of a high vacuum charged particle microscope. The attachment (121) is vacuum-sealed and fixed to a vacuum partition of the vacuum sample chamber. Image quality is further improved by replacing the atmosphere in the attachment with helium or a light-elemental gas that has a lower mass than atmospheric gases such as nitrogen or water vapor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke OMINAMI, Sukehiro ITO, Tomohisa OHTAKI
  • Publication number: 20140151553
    Abstract: A charged particle beam device capable of observing a sample in an air atmosphere or gas atmosphere has a thin film for separating the atmospheric pressure space from the decompressed space. A vacuum evacuation pump evacuates a first housing; and a detector detects a charged particle beam (obtained by irradiation of the sample) in the first housing. A thin film is provided to separate the inside of the first housing and the inside of a second housing at least along part of the interface between the first and second housings. An opening part is formed in the thin film so that its opening area on a charged particle irradiation unit's side is larger than its opening area on the sample side; and the thin film which covers the sample side of the opening part transmits or allows through the primary charged particle beam and the charged particle beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2012
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Ominami, Tomohisa Ohtaki, Sukehiro Ito
  • Patent number: 8710439
    Abstract: Provided is a charged particle beam apparatus or charged particle microscope capable of observing an observation target sample in an air atmosphere or a gas environment without making significant changes to the configuration of a conventional high vacuum charged particle microscope. In a charged particle beam apparatus configured such that a thin film (10) is used to separate a vacuum environment and an air atmosphere (or a gas environment), an attachment (121) capable of holding the thin film (10) and whose interior can be maintained at an air atmosphere or a gas environment is inserted into a vacuum chamber (7) of a high vacuum charged particle microscope. The attachment (121) is vacuum-sealed and fixed to a vacuum partition of the vacuum sample chamber. Image quality is further improved by replacing the atmosphere in the attachment with helium or a light-elemental gas that has a lower mass than atmospheric gases such as nitrogen or water vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Ominami, Sukehiro Ito, Tomohisa Ohtaki
  • Patent number: 8692195
    Abstract: The present invention provides a scanning charged particle beam device including a sample chamber (8) and a detector. The detector has: a function of detecting light at least ranging from the vacuum ultraviolet region to the visible light region, of light (17) having image information which is obtained by a light emission phenomenon of gas scintillation when the sample chamber is controlled to a low vacuum (1 Pa to 3,000 Pa); and a function of detecting ion currents (11, 13) having image information which are obtained by cascade amplification of electrons and gas molecules. Accordingly, it becomes possible to realize a device which can deal with observation of various samples. Further, an optimal configuration of the detection unit is devised, to thereby make it possible to add value to an obtained image and provide users in wide-ranging fields with the observation image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Sukehiro Ito, Junichi Katane
  • Publication number: 20140071193
    Abstract: A printing device or discharge test device comprising a head that includes a nozzle discharging liquid to a medium, a temperature obtaining section that obtains a temperature related to the head, a missing-dot detecting section that detects whether or not the liquid is discharged from the nozzle, and a control section that controls the head and the missing-dot detecting section. When the temperature obtained is within a first temperature range, the head is configured to discharge the liquid to the medium and whether or not the liquid is discharged from the nozzle is detected. No such detection is made at other temperatures. When the temperature obtained is outside the first temperature range and within a second temperature range, the head is configured to discharge the liquid to the medium, and when the temperature obtained is outside the second temperature range, the liquid is not discharged to the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Sukehiro Ito
  • Publication number: 20140021347
    Abstract: Provided is a charged particle beam apparatus or charged particle microscope capable of observing an observation target sample in an air atmosphere or a gas environment without making significant changes to the configuration of a conventional high vacuum charged particle microscope. In a charged particle beam apparatus configured such that a thin film (10) is used to separate a vacuum environment and an air atmosphere (or a gas environment), an attachment (121) capable of holding the thin film (10) and whose interior can be maintained at an air atmosphere or a gas environment is inserted into a vacuum chamber (7) of a high vacuum charged particle microscope. The attachment (121) is vacuum-sealed and fixed to a vacuum partition of the vacuum sample chamber. Image quality is further improved by replacing the atmosphere in the attachment with helium or a light-elemental gas that has a lower mass than atmospheric gases such as nitrogen or water vapor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Inventors: Yusuke Ominami, Sukehiro Ito, Tomohisa Ohtaki
  • Patent number: 8629395
    Abstract: In order to provide a charged particle beam apparatus that can detect charged particle beam signals in discrimination into a plurality of energy bands, and obtain high-resolution images for each of the energy bands using the signals, the charged particle beam apparatus has a charged particle source (12-1); an aperture (16) that limits the diameter of the charged particle beam (4); optics (14, 17, 19) for the charged particle beam; a specimen holder (21); a charged particle detector (40) that detects secondary charged particles and reflected charged particles from a specimen; and signal calculation unit that processes the output signal from the charged particle detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Morishita, Michio Hatano, Takashi Ohshima, Mitsugu Sato, Tetsuya Sawahata, Sukehiro Ito, Yasuko Aoki
  • Patent number: 8608270
    Abstract: A discharge test device including: a head that includes nozzles discharging liquid to a medium, a temperature obtaining section that obtains a temperature related to the head, an identification section that identifies an abnormal nozzle, and a control section that controls the head and the identification section so that: when the temperature obtained is within a first temperature range, the head discharges the liquid to the medium after identification of the abnormal nozzle, when the temperature is outside the first temperature range and within a larger, second temperature range, the head discharges the liquid to the medium without the abnormal nozzle being identified, and when the temperature obtained by the temperature obtaining section is outside the second temperature range, the abnormal nozzle is not identified and the liquid is not discharged to the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Sukehiro Ito
  • Publication number: 20130313430
    Abstract: Provided is a charged particle beam device or charged particle microscope permitting observation of even a large-sized specimen in the air atmosphere or a gaseous atmosphere. A charged particle beam device that adopts a thin film which partitions a vacuum atmosphere and the air atmosphere (or gaseous atmosphere) includes a charged particle optical lens barrel in which a charged particle optical system is stored, a housing in which a route along which a primary charged particle beam emitted from the charged particle optical lens barrel reaches the thin film is sustained in the vacuum atmosphere, and a mechanism that bears the charged particle optical lens barrel and first housing against a device installation surface. As the bearing mechanism, a housing having an opening through which a large-sized specimen is carried in or a mechanism having a shape other than the shape of the housing, such as, a post is adopted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke Ominami, Sukehiro Ito, Masami Katsuyama
  • Publication number: 20130299715
    Abstract: Provided is a charged particle beam device that is capable of suppressing an field-of-view deviation occurring when observing a tilted image or a left-right parallax-angle image acquired by irradiating a tilted beam on a sample while continuously compensating a focus. By means of an aligner for compensating field-of-view (54) installed between an objective lens (7) that focuses a primary charged particle beam on a surface of the sample (10), and a deflector for controlling tilt angle (53) that tilts the primary charged particle beam, the field-of-view deviation occurring during tilting of the primary charged particle beam is suppressed based on an amount of compensation required by a tilt angle of the deflector for controlling tilt angle (53), lens conditions, and a distance between the objective lens (7) and the sample (10) , in conjunction with a focus compensation of the objective lens (7).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichi Tomita, Wataru Kotake, Sukehiro Ito
  • Patent number: 8388089
    Abstract: A discharge test device including: a head that includes a plurality of nozzles discharging liquid to a medium, a temperature obtaining section that obtains a temperature related to the head, a detection electrode that faces the head with a predetermined distance therebetween, an identification section that applies a predetermined voltage to the detection electrode and identifies an abnormal nozzle on the basis of voltage change of the detection electrode generated by liquid discharge from the nozzles, and a control section that controls the head and the identification section so that: when the temperature obtained by the temperature obtaining section is within a first temperature range, the head discharges the liquid to the medium after the identification section identifies the abnormal nozzle, when the temperature obtained by the temperature obtaining section is outside the first temperature range and within a second temperature range that is larger than the first temperature range, the head discharges the l
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Sukehiro Ito
  • Publication number: 20130043388
    Abstract: Disclosed is a charged particle radiation device having a charged particle source which generates a charged particle as a probe, a charged particle optical system, a sample stage, a vacuum discharge system, an aperture which restricts a probe, a conductive film, and a charged particle detector, wherein the conductive film is provided at a position excluding the optical axis of the optical system between the sample stage and the aperture; and the distance between the sensing surface of the surface of the charged particle detector and the sample stage is larger than the distance between the sample stage and the conductive film, so that the surface of the conductive film and the sensing surface of the detector are inclined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2010
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michio Hatano, Tetsuya Sawahata, Yasuko Watanabe, Mitsugu Sato, Sukehiro Ito, Takashi Ohshima, Hiroyuki Honda
  • Publication number: 20120298864
    Abstract: In order to provide a charged particle beam apparatus that can detect charged particle beam signals in discrimination into a plurality of energy bands, and obtain high-resolution images for each of the energy bands using the signals, the charged particle beam apparatus has a charged particle source (12-1); an aperture (16) that limits the diameter of the charged particle beam (4); optics (14, 17, 19) for the charged particle beam; a specimen holder (21); a charged particle detector (40) that detects secondary charged particles and reflected charged particles from a specimen; and signal calculation unit that processes the output signal from the charged particle detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Hideo Morishita, Michio Hatano, Takashi Ohshima, Mitsugu Sato, Tetsuya Sawahata, Sukehiro Ito, Yasuko Aoki
  • Patent number: 8294097
    Abstract: The present invention provides a scanning charged particle beam device including a sample chamber (8) and a detector. The detector has: a function of detecting light at least ranging from the vacuum ultraviolet region to the visible light region, of light (17) having image information which is obtained by a light emission phenomenon of gas scintillation when the sample chamber is controlled to a low vacuum (1 Pa to 3,000 Pa); and a function of detecting ion currents (11, 13) having image information which are obtained by cascade amplification of electrons and gas molecules. Accordingly, it becomes possible to realize a device which can deal with observation of various samples. Further, an optimal configuration of the detection unit is devised, to thereby make it possible to add value to an obtained image and provide users in wide-ranging fields with the observation image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Junichi Katane, Sukehiro Ito
  • Patent number: 8220906
    Abstract: An ink jet recording head 10 is provided which includes: piezoelectric elements 17 as a pressure generation unit that causes pressure change in pressure generation chambers 11 which are communicated with nozzle openings 13 that eject liquid; a driving circuit 60 as a driving unit that generates a driving signal for driving the pressure generation unit; a case head 20 that accommodates therein the driving unit; and a thermal conductor 35 that is in contact with the driving unit and the case head 20, in which the thermal conductor 35 and the case head 20 are fixed to each other via an thermally conductive adhesive layer 72 as a thermally conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Sukehiro Ito
  • Publication number: 20120127299
    Abstract: A scanning electron microscope includes a main scanning electron microscope unit having an electron optical column and a sample chamber, a controller over the main scanning electron microscope unit, a single housing that houses both the main scanning electron microscope unit and the controller, and a bottom plate disposed under the single housing, the main scanning electron microscope unit and the controller. A first leg member is attached to a bottom face of the bottom plate on a side of the controller with a first opening hole provided through the bottom plate on a side of the main scanning electron microscope unit, and a damper is fixed to a bottom face of the main scanning electron microscope unit and disposed through the first opening hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2010
    Publication date: May 24, 2012
    Inventors: Tomohisa Ohtaki, Masahiko Ajima, Sukehiro Ito, Mitsuru Onuma, Akira Omachi
  • Patent number: 8143573
    Abstract: A charged particle beam impinging on a specimen is set to have left and right tilt angles corresponding to a parallactic angle. A control unit is provided which scans the beam over the specimen while giving a left tilt and a right tilt corresponding to the parallactic angle alternately to the beam on each scanning line. In this way, images are acquired. A three-dimensional image in which deterioration of the resolution is suppressed is displayed in real time by combining aberration cancellation means with the control of the beam according to the parallactic angle. The aberration cancellation means uses an optical system having plural stages of lenses to provide overall cancellation of aberrations by making use of the action of a lens to deflect the beam back to the optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Sukehiro Ito, Junichi Katane, Shigeru Kawamata, Shinichi Tomita