Patents by Inventor Tadanori Yoshioka
Tadanori Yoshioka 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).
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Patent number: 7722818Abstract: Apparatus and method capable of preparing samples adapted for observations by electron microscopy. Each sample is ion-etched. During this process, the sample stage is tilted reciprocably left and right about a tilting axis. The sample is ion-etched together with a shielding material. The sample may contain a substance that is not easily etched by the ion beam. In the present invention, such unetched portions are not produced in spite of the presence of the substance. The substance can be separated from the sample. The ion beam is directed at the sample with the boundary defined by an end surface of the shielding material. Portions of the sample at a processing position and its vicinities are etched by the beam.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2004Date of Patent: May 25, 2010Assignees: JEOL Ltd., JEOL Engineering Co., Ltd.Inventors: Fuminori Hasegawa, Tadanori Yoshioka
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Patent number: 7531794Abstract: Preparing a thin-film specimen adapted for TEM (transmission electron microscopy) observation. A high-brightness pixel extraction unit extracts high-brightness pixels which form a specimen image taken by an imaging unit. The intensities becoming greater than a given threshold value as the specimen is thinned. A decision unit makes a decision as to whether the high-brightness pixels extracted by the high-brightness pixel extraction unit form a continuous sequence of pixels whose number is in excess of a given number on the specimen image. If the decision is affirmative, the decision unit sends a signal to an ion gun control unit to stop the ion-beam irradiation of the specimen.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2006Date of Patent: May 12, 2009Assignee: Jeol Ltd.Inventors: Tadanori Yoshioka, Kiyoshi Kawatsu, Hirofumi Miyao
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Patent number: 7453073Abstract: Method and equipment permitting one to easily prepare a good thin-film specimen adapted for observation are offered. The equipment has an ion gun tilted left and right repeatedly to etch a specimen material by an electron beam tilted left and right by 1.5° about the z-axis. Then, the ion gun is tilted left and right plural times to ion etch the specimen material. Since a portion of the specimen material is especially heavily etched, a through-hole is formed in the specimen material. A thin film having a thickness of about 100 ? is formed around the through-hole. This thickness is adapted for TEM (transmission electron microscope) observation.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2005Date of Patent: November 18, 2008Assignee: Jeol Ltd.Inventor: Tadanori Yoshioka
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Patent number: 7354500Abstract: A mask for use with a sample preparation apparatus that prepares an ion-milled sample adapted to be observed by an electron microscope is offered. It is possible to prepare the sample having a desired cross section by the use of the mask. The mask, which defines the boundary between irradiated and unirradiated regions on the sample surface, has an edge portion having an increased thickness compared with the other portions. When the edge portion of the mask is etched, the original shape is almost maintained. Thus, the side surface of the mask is kept on the center axis of the ion beam.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2004Date of Patent: April 8, 2008Assignees: Jeol Ltd., Jeol Engineering Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tadanori Yoshioka, Eiichi Watanabe
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Publication number: 20060284105Abstract: An ion source in which some of positive ions produced in the ionization chamber are accelerated toward a cathode and collide against a nonmagnetic member causing sputtering. Since the sputtered particles are not magnetic in nature, the particles uniformly deposit on the anode without being affected by the magnetic field produced in the ionization chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 14, 2006Publication date: December 21, 2006Applicant: JEOL Ltd.Inventors: Takushi Yamashita, Tadanori Yoshioka, Hideo Morota
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Publication number: 20060255295Abstract: Preparing a thin-film specimen adapted for TEM (transmission electron microscopy) observation. A high-brightness pixel extraction unit extracts high-brightness pixels which form a specimen image taken by an imaging unit. The intensities becoming greater than a given threshold value as the specimen is thinned. A decision unit makes a decision as to whether the high-brightness pixels extracted by the high-brightness pixel extraction unit form a continuous sequence of pixels whose number is in excess of a given number on the specimen image. If the decision is affirmative, the decision unit sends a signal to an ion gun control unit to stop the ion-beam irradiation of the specimen.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2006Publication date: November 16, 2006Applicant: JEOL Ltd.Inventors: Tadanori Yoshioka, Kiyoshi Kawatsu, Hirofumi Miyao
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Publication number: 20060113496Abstract: Method and equipment permitting one to easily prepare a good thin-film specimen adapted for observation are offered. The equipment has an ion gun tilted left and right repeatedly to etch a specimen material by an electron beam tilted left and right by 1.5° about the z-axis. Then, the ion gun is tilted left and right plural times to ion etch the specimen material. Since a portion of the specimen material is especially heavily etched, a through-hole is formed in the specimen material. A thin film having a thickness of about 100 ? is formed around the through-hole. This thickness is adapted for TEM (transmission electron microscope) observation.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 27, 2005Publication date: June 1, 2006Applicant: JEOL Ltd.Inventor: Tadanori Yoshioka
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Publication number: 20050118065Abstract: Apparatus and method capable of preparing samples adapted for observations by electron microscopy. Each sample is ion-etched. During this process, the sample stage is tilted reciprocably left and right about a tilting axis. The sample is ion-etched together with a shielding material. The sample may contain a substance that is not easily etched by the ion beam. In the present invention, such unetched portions are not produced in spite of the presence of the substance. The substance can be separated from the sample. The ion beam is directed at the sample with the boundary defined by an end surface of the shielding material. Portions of the sample at a processing position and its vicinities are etched by the beam.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2004Publication date: June 2, 2005Applicants: JEOL Ltd., JEOL Engineering Co., Ltd.Inventors: Fuminori Hasegawa, Tadanori Yoshioka
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Publication number: 20050081997Abstract: A mask for use with a sample preparation apparatus that prepares an ion-milled sample adapted to be observed by an electron microscope is offered. It is possible to prepare the sample having a desired cross section by the use of the mask. The mask, which defines the boundary between irradiated and unirradiated regions on the sample surface, has an edge portion having an increased thickness compared with the other portions. When the edge portion of the mask is etched, the original shape is almost maintained. Thus, the side surface of the mask is kept on the center axis of the ion beam.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2004Publication date: April 21, 2005Applicants: JEOL Ltd., JEOL Engineering Co., Ltd.Inventors: Tadanori Yoshioka, Eiichi Watanabe
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Patent number: 5907157Abstract: A method and apparatus for preparing a specimen adapted for electron microscopy comprises an evacuated specimen-processing chamber. A specimen having a surface to be processed is placed inside the processing chamber A beam-blocking member is placed close to the processed surface so as to block a part of an etching beam A first etching step is performed by directing the beam at the specimen via the blocking member. Then, the specimen and the blocking member are moved relative to each other. Finally, a second etching step is performed by directing the beam at the specimen via the blocking member. As a result, the specimen becomes a thin film and it can be observed with the electron microscope.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 1997Date of Patent: May 25, 1999Assignee: JEOL Ltd.Inventors: Tadanori Yoshioka, Mikio Naruse, Harumi Kihara