Patents by Inventor Takamasa Usui

Takamasa Usui 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: 20080088666
    Abstract: A cap apparatus includes a cap which seals nozzles of a liquid jetting head, an absorber which is accommodated tightly inside the cap, a cap holder which is accommodated tightly inside the cap, and a holder which has a holding body which makes a contact with an upper surface of the absorber, a pin which is protruded downward from the holding main portion, and an engaging portion which is provided on a front end of the pin. Through holes which make the cap, the absorber, and the cap holder communicate, are formed in the cap, the absorber, and the cap holder. Since the through holes function as a passage, it is possible to improve an assembling workability of the cap apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2007
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Inventors: Tatsuya SHINDO, Takamasa USUI
  • Publication number: 20080088021
    Abstract: In one aspect of the present invention, a semiconductor device may include a semiconductor substrate, a silicide layer provided on the semiconductor substrate, a dielectric layer provided on the semiconductor substrate, a contact layer provided on the silicide layer, a metal layer provided in the dielectric layer and electrically connected to the silicide layer via the contact layer, a diffusion barrier layer provided between the dielectric layer and the metal layer, wherein the contact layer includes a first metal element provided in the metal layer, a second metal element provided in the diffusion barrier layer and at least one of a third metal provided in the silicide layer and Si element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Makoto WADA, Takamasa Usui, Kazuya Ohuchi
  • Publication number: 20080057704
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including forming an opening in an interlevel insulating film disposed on a semiconductor substrate, forming an auxiliary film containing a predetermined metal element, to cover an inner surface of the opening, forming a main film to fill the opening after forming the auxiliary film, the main film containing, as a main component, Cu used as a material of an interconnection main layer, and performing a heat treatment before or after forming the main film, thereby diffusing the predetermined metal element of the auxiliary film onto a surface of the interlevel insulating film facing the auxiliary film, so as to form a barrier film on the interlevel insulating film within the opening, the barrier film containing, as a main component, a compound of the predetermined metal element with a component element of the interlevel insulating film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY ACADEMIC RESEARCH CENTER
    Inventors: Junichi Koike, Makoto Wada, Shingo Takahashi, Noriyoshi Shimizu, Hideki Shibata, Satoshi Nishikawa, Takamasa Usui, Hayato Nasu, Masaki Yoshimaru
  • Publication number: 20080054466
    Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device may include providing a first dielectric layer, providing a trench in the first dielectric layer and a wiring layer which has a Cu in the trench, providing a cap layer on a top surface of the wiring layer, the cap layer being conductive and having a Co, and providing a Cu silicide nitride layer on a part of the top surface of the wiring layer, on which the cap layer is not provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hayato NASU, Akihiro Kajita, Yumi Hayashi, Takamasa Usui, Kazumichi Tsumura
  • Publication number: 20080018355
    Abstract: A reliability evaluation test apparatus of this invention includes a wafer storage section which stores a wafer in a state wherein the electrode pads of a number of devices formed on the wafer and the bumps of a contactor are totally in electrical contact with each other. The wafer storage section transmits/receives a test signal to/from a measurement section and has a hermetic and heat insulating structure. The wafer storage section has a pressure mechanism which presses the contactor and a heating mechanism which directly heats the wafer totally in contact with the contactor to a predetermined high temperature. The reliability of an interconnection film and insulating film formed on the semiconductor wafer are evaluated under an accelerated condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventors: Kiyoshi TAKEKOSHI, Hisatomi Hosaka, Junichi Hagihara, Kunihiko Hatsushika, Takamasa Usui, Hisashi Kaneko, Nobuo Hayasaka, Yoshiyuki Ido
  • Publication number: 20080007605
    Abstract: There is provides an inkjet recording apparatus comprising: an inkjet head held in a head holder; and an ink tank mounted on the head holder. The ink tank has an ink chamber, a path for communicating the chamber with atmosphere, and an exit valve to open and close the path. The apparatus further comprises: an ink cartridge arranged below the ink tank for supplying the ink to the ink chamber through a channel; an operating member for opening and closing the exit valve; a ink transfer device; and a controller. The controller performs controls of causing the operating member to open the exit valve such that an atmosphere pressure affects an inside of the ink chamber, and such that the ink both in the chamber and in the channel returns to the ink cartridge through the channel; and causing the device to fill the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Inventors: Hisaki Sakurai, Takamasa Usui
  • Patent number: 7303271
    Abstract: An ink jet printer including a housing; a carriage which is movable in the housing relative thereto; an ink jet recording head which is mounted on the carriage and which has a plurality of ink supply channels; a damping device which is mounted on the carriage and which includes a plurality of damping chambers corresponding to the ink supply channels, respectively; an ink-tank supporting portion which is provided in the housing and which supports a plurality of ink tanks; and a plurality of ink supply tubes each of which supplies an ink from a corresponding one of the ink tanks to a corresponding one of the ink supply channels of the ink jet recording head via a corresponding one of the ink supply tubes and a corresponding one of the damping chambers. The damping device further includes a primary partition wall which separates at least one first damping chamber of the damping chambers, from at least one second damping chamber of the damping chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoichiro Shimizu, Takamasa Usui, Masayuki Takata
  • Patent number: 7304384
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an interlevel insulating film disposed on a semiconductor substrate and having an opening formed therein. An interconnection main layer, which contains Cu as a main component, is embedded in the opening. A barrier film is interposed between the interlevel insulating film and the interconnection main layer within the opening. The barrier film contains, as a main component, a compound of a predetermined metal element with a component element of the interlevel insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Semiconductor Technology Academic Research Center
    Inventors: Junichi Koike, Makoto Wada, Shingo Takahashi, Noriyoshi Shimizu, Hideki Shibata, Satoshi Nishikawa, Takamasa Usui, Hayato Nasu, Masaki Yoshimaru
  • Publication number: 20070262468
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor chip having a first pad, a bonding member having a second pad facing the first pad, and a refractory metal layer which is formed by electroless plating in direct contact with the first pad and the second pad.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2006
    Publication date: November 15, 2007
    Inventors: Hayato Nasu, Takamasa Usui
  • Publication number: 20070187830
    Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus is provided that includes a radiator for efficiently radiating heat generated in a wiring layer used in a surge current path of an electrostatic discharge protection circuit, and also for protecting the wiring layer itself used as the surge current path. The semiconductor apparatus includes an input protection circuit coupled to a wiring provided between an external terminal and an internal circuit, the input protection circuit includes a protection element for protecting the internal circuit from an excessive electrostatic surge input supplied to the external terminal. The semiconductor apparatus further includes a first metal wiring layer coupled to the input protection circuit and included in a current path for the surge electrostatic surge input, and a radiator including a sufficient thermal conductivity material coupled to the first metal wiring layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi Matsunaga, Takamasa Usui
  • Patent number: 7252374
    Abstract: An ink-jet recording apparatus, includes an ink-extracting member which has an ink-extract passage as an inner passage formed therein and which is to be removably connected to an ink cartridge. The ink-extracting member is to be connected to the ink cartridge. The ink cartridge includes an ink-outlet valve member which shuts off a flow of the ink from the ink cartridge, and which establishes a state in which the ink can be extracted from the ink cartridge by the ink-extracting member when the ink-outlet valve member is pressed by the ink-extracting member. The ink-extracting member further includes, at an end portion thereof, an end face which abuts on the ink-outlet valve member, and at least one ink-extract communication opening which is formed at the end portion and which is formed in a peripheral wall of the ink-extracting member, so as to communicate with the ink-extract passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takamasa Usui, Toyonori Sasaki
  • Publication number: 20070176961
    Abstract: An inkjet printer includes a recording head having a nozzle face provided with a nozzle for discharging an ink to form an image on a recording medium, and a detachable cap for capping the nozzle face. The cap of the inkjet printer is provided with an annular rim and an annular groove, which are provided along a periphery of the cap, the groove being opposed to the nozzle face in a state where the cap is abutted against the nozzle face. In the inkjet printer, a during non-image-forming period, the rim of the cap is abutted against the nozzle face, thus capping the nozzle face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Inventor: Takamasa Usui
  • Publication number: 20070170483
    Abstract: A transistor formed on a semiconductor substrate has a gate electrode formed via a gate insulating film and first and second diffusion layers formed in the semiconductor substrate, the first and second diffusion layers being positioned at both sides of the gate electrode. A first electrode is connected to the first diffusion layer of the transistor. A capacitor insulating film formed on the first electrode is formed of a silicon oxide film containing a substrate which is faster than Cu in diffusion velocity and which more readily reacts with oxygen than Cu does. A second electrode formed on the capacitor insulating film is formed of one of a Cu layer and another Cu layer containing the substance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Inventors: Yumi Hayashi, Hayato Nasu, Kazumichi Tsumura, Takamasa Usui, Hiroyoshi Tanimoto
  • Publication number: 20070165062
    Abstract: An inkjet printer has a printing head having a nozzle surface on which a plurality of nozzles are located that spray a plurality of kinds of ink and a cap that covers the nozzle surface of the printing head. This cap includes a ring-shaped seal lip that is constructed so that the tip end thereof comes in contact with the nozzle surface to perform capping and a partitioning lip that partitions the area inside the seal lip into areas for nozzle groups that correspond to the kinds of ink. The tip end of either seal lip or partitioning lip is shaped so that it is compressed more easily than that of the other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Inventors: Takamasa Usui, Katsunori Nishida
  • Patent number: 7242206
    Abstract: A reliability evaluation test apparatus of this invention includes a wafer storage section which stores a wafer in a state wherein the electrode pads of a number of devices formed on the wafer and the bumps of a contactor are totally in electrical contact with each other. The wafer storage section transmits/receives a test signal to/from a measurement section and has a hermetic and heat insulating structure. The wafer storage section has a pressure mechanism which presses the contactor and a heating mechanism which directly heats the wafer totally in contact with the contactor to a predetermined high temperature. The reliability of an interconnection film and insulating film formed on the semiconductor wafer are evaluated under an accelerated condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited, Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Ibiden Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Takekoshi, Hisatomi Hosaka, Junichi Hagihara, Kunihiko Hatsushika, Takamasa Usui, Hisashi Kaneko, Nobuo Hayasaka, Yoshiyuki Ido
  • Publication number: 20070123029
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a multilevel wiring with a small interwiring capacitance is provided by comprising a wiring, a conductive film formed on an upper surface of the wiring to prevent diffusion of a wiring material, and an insulating film which is constituted of low dielectric constant insulating films stacked to form at least two layers, an interface thereof being positioned in a side face of the wiring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Inventors: Kazumichi Tsumura, Takamasa Usui
  • Patent number: 7217979
    Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus is provided that includes a radiator for efficiently radiating heat generated in a wiring layer used in a surge current path of an electrostatic discharge protection circuit, and also for protecting the wiring layer itself used as the surge current path. The semiconductor apparatus includes an input protection circuit coupled to a wiring provided between an external terminal and an internal circuit, the input protection circuit includes a protection element for protecting the internal circuit from an excessive electrostatic surge input supplied to the external terminal. The semiconductor apparatus further includes a first metal wiring layer coupled to the input protection circuit and included in a current path for the surge electrostatic surge input, and a radiator including a sufficient thermal conductivity material coupled to the first metal wiring layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takeshi Matsunaga, Takamasa Usui
  • Patent number: 7205664
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a multilevel wiring with a small interwiring capacitance is provided by comprising a wiring, a conductive film formed on an upper surface of the wiring to prevent diffusion of a wiring material, and an insulating film which is constituted of low dielectric constant insulating films stacked to form at least two layers, an interface thereof being positioned in a side face of the wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazumichi Tsumura, Takamasa Usui
  • Publication number: 20070064080
    Abstract: A storage housing for storing a recording head having inside and outside surfaces and operable to perform a recording operation by an ink which is supplied to the recording head through an ink inlet opening in the inside surface and which is ejected through nozzles opening in the outside surface. The storage housing including: first and second bodies which include first and second sealing portions, respectively, and which are opposed to each other with the inside and outside surfaces of the recording head being interposed between the first and second bodies, such that the ink inlet is sealed by the first sealing portion and such that the nozzles are sealed by the second sealing portion. One of the first and second bodies includes an arm movable to attach and detach the one of the first and second bodies to and from the recording head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2006
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Applicant: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takamasa Usui
  • Publication number: 20070012973
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a capacitor which includes a capacitor insulating film at least including a first insulating film and a ferroelectric film formed in contact with the first insulating film, containing a compound of a preset metal element and a constituent element of the first insulating film as a main component and having a dielectric constant larger than that of the first insulating film, a first capacitor electrode formed of one of Cu and a material containing Cu as a main component, and a second capacitor electrode formed to sandwich the capacitor insulating film in cooperation with the first capacitor electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Inventors: Hayato Nasu, Takamasa Usui, Hideki Shibata