Patents by Inventor Akira SUWA

Akira SUWA 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: 20240058894
    Abstract: A laser processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a placement base on which a processing receiving object is placed, an optical system that guides laser light to the processing receiving object, a gas supply port via which a gas is supplied to a laser light irradiated region of the processing receiving object, a gas recovery port via which the supplied gas is recovered, a mover that moves the irradiated region, and a controller that controls, in accordance with the moving direction of the irradiated region, the direction of the flow of the gas flowing from the gas supply port to the gas recovery port, and the controller changes the direction of the gas flow in response to a change in the moving direction of the irradiated region in such a way that the gas flows in the direction opposite the moving direction of the irradiated region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Akira SUWA, Osamu WAKABAYASHI, Masashi SHIMBORI, Masakazu KOBAYASHI
  • Patent number: 11826852
    Abstract: A laser processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a placement base on which a processing receiving object is placed, an optical system that guides laser light to the processing receiving object, a gas supply port via which a gas is supplied to a laser light irradiated region of the processing receiving object, a gas recovery port via which the supplied gas is recovered, a mover that moves the irradiated region, and a controller that controls, in accordance with the moving direction of the irradiated region, the direction of the flow of the gas flowing from the gas supply port to the gas recovery port, and the controller changes the direction of the gas flow in response to a change in the moving direction of the irradiated region in such a way that the gas flows in the direction opposite the moving direction of the irradiated region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Suwa, Osamu Wakabayashi, Masashi Shimbori, Masakazu Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 11710660
    Abstract: A laser irradiation method of irradiating, with a pulse laser beam, an irradiation object in which an impurity source film is formed on a semiconductor substrate includes: reading fluence per pulse of the pulse laser beam with which a rectangular irradiation region set on the irradiation object is irradiated and the number of irradiation pulses the irradiation region is irradiated, the fluence being equal to or larger than a threshold at or beyond which ablation potentially occurs to the impurity source film when the irradiation object is irradiated with pulses of the pulse laser beam in the irradiation pulse number and smaller than a threshold at or beyond which damage potentially occurs to the surface of the semiconductor substrate; calculating a scanning speed Vdx; and moving the irradiation object at the scanning speed Vdx relative to the irradiation region while irradiating the irradiation region with the pulse laser beam at the repetition frequency f.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignees: Gigaphoton Inc., KYUSHU UNIVERSITY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ikenoue, Osamu Wakabayashi, Hiroaki Oizumi, Akira Suwa
  • Publication number: 20230219171
    Abstract: A glass processing method according to a viewpoint of the present disclosure includes generating a pulse laser beam by using a laser oscillator, and irradiating alkali-free glass to be processed with the pulse laser beam. The wavelength of the pulse laser beam ranges from 248 nm to 266 nm, and the pulse laser beam has an energy ratio greater than or equal to 91% but smaller than or equal to 99% in the region from 5 ns after a pulse rises to 400 ns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Yasufumi KAWASUJI, Akira SUWA, Yasuhiro ADACHI
  • Patent number: 11604416
    Abstract: A laser processing method of performing laser processing on a transparent material that is transparent to ultraviolet light by using a laser processing system includes: performing relative positioning of a transfer position of a transfer image and the transparent material in an optical axis direction of a pulse laser beam so that the transfer position is set at a position inside the transparent material at a predetermined depth ?Zsf from a surface of the transparent material in the optical axis direction; and irradiating the transparent material with the pulse laser beam having a pulse width of 1 ns to 100 ns inclusive and a beam diameter of 10 ?m to 150 ?m inclusive at the transfer position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Koji Kakizaki, Masakazu Kobayashi, Akira Suwa, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20230071592
    Abstract: A laser processing method according to a viewpoint of the present disclosure includes radiating ultraviolet pulse laser light onto a workpiece having a stacked structure in which a conductor layer, an insulating layer, and a sacrificial layer are stacked on each other in the presented order, the pulse laser light radiated from the side facing the sacrificial layer, to change a laser ablation processing mode in the sacrificial layer and form a through hole in the sacrificial layer, radiating the pulse laser light onto the insulating layer through the through hole to form an opening in the insulating layer, and removing the sacrificial layer after the formation of the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Akira SUWA, Kouji KAKIZAKI, Masakazu KOBAYASHI, Junichi FUJIMOTO, Yasufumi KAWASUJI
  • Publication number: 20220050382
    Abstract: A laser processing method of performing laser processing on a transparent material that is transparent to ultraviolet light by using a laser processing system includes: performing relative positioning of a transfer position of a transfer image and the transparent material in an optical axis direction of a pulse laser beam so that the transfer position is set at a position inside the transparent material at a predetermined depth ?Zsf from a surface of the transparent material in the optical axis direction; and irradiating the transparent material with the pulse laser beam having a pulse width of 1 ns to 100 ns inclusive and a beam diameter of 10 ?m to 150 ?m inclusive at the transfer position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Koji KAKIZAKI, Masakazu KOBAYASHI, Akira SUWA, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
  • Patent number: 11194255
    Abstract: A laser processing method of performing laser processing on a transparent material that is transparent to ultraviolet light by using a laser processing system includes: performing relative positioning of a transfer position of a transfer image and the transparent material in an optical axis direction of a pulse laser beam so that the transfer position is set at a position inside the transparent material at a predetermined depth ?Zsf from a surface of the transparent material in the optical axis direction; and irradiating the transparent material with the pulse laser beam having a pulse width of 1 ns to 100 ns inclusive and a beam diameter of 10 ?m to 150 ?m inclusive at the transfer position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Koji Kakizaki, Masakazu Kobayashi, Akira Suwa, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20210046584
    Abstract: A laser processing apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a placement base on which a processing receiving object is placed, an optical system that guides laser light to the processing receiving object, a gas supply port via which a gas is supplied to a laser light irradiated region of the processing receiving object, a gas recovery port via which the supplied gas is recovered, a mover that moves the irradiated region, and a controller that controls, in accordance with the moving direction of the irradiated region, the direction of the flow of the gas flowing from the gas supply port to the gas recovery port, and the controller changes the direction of the gas flow in response to a change in the moving direction of the irradiated region in such a way that the gas flows in the direction opposite the moving direction of the irradiated region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Akira SUWA, Osamu WAKABAYASHI, Masashi SHIMBORI, Masakazu KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20200290156
    Abstract: A laser processing method of performing laser processing on a transparent material that is transparent to ultraviolet light includes: A. a positioning step of performing positioning so that a transfer position of a transfer image is set at a position inside the transparent material at a predetermined depth ?Zsf from a surface of the transparent material in an optical axis direction; B. an irradiation condition acquisition step; C. a determination step of determining whether a maximum fluence of a pulse laser beam at the surface of the transparent material is within a predetermined range based on irradiation conditions; and D. a control step of allowing irradiation with the pulse laser beam when the maximum fluence is determined to be in the predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Akira SUWA, Kouji KAKIZAKI, Masakazu KOBAYASHI, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
  • Patent number: 10762787
    Abstract: Provided is a communication apparatus installed in a vehicle, the communication apparatus including: an acquisition unit configured to acquire, via a network installed in the vehicle, a plurality of types of status information each indicating a status of the vehicle; an information creation unit configured to create, on the basis of each piece of the status information acquired by the acquisition unit, feature information having a data amount smaller than a total of data amounts of the respective pieces of the status information, the feature information including a feature amount of a traveling status of the vehicle; and a transmission unit configured to transmit vehicle information based on the feature information created by the information creation unit, to another communication apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Hayakawa, Akira Suwa, Susumu Takeshima
  • Publication number: 20200266105
    Abstract: A laser irradiation method of irradiating, with a pulse laser beam, an irradiation object in which an impurity source film is formed on a semiconductor substrate includes: reading fluence per pulse of the pulse laser beam with which a rectangular irradiation region set on the irradiation object is irradiated and the number of irradiation pulses the irradiation region is irradiated, the fluence being equal to or larger than a threshold at or beyond which ablation potentially occurs to the impurity source film when the irradiation object is irradiated with pulses of the pulse laser beam in the irradiation pulse number and smaller than a threshold at or beyond which damage potentially occurs to the surface of the semiconductor substrate; calculating a scanning speed Vdx; and moving the irradiation object at the scanning speed Vdx relative to the irradiation region while irradiating the irradiation region with the pulse laser beam at the repetition frequency f.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Applicants: Gigaphoton Inc., KYUSHU UNIVERSITY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi IKENOUE, Osamu WAKABAYASHI, Hiroaki OIZUMI, Akira SUWA
  • Publication number: 20200209760
    Abstract: A laser processing method of performing laser processing on a transparent material that is transparent to ultraviolet light by using a laser processing system includes: performing relative positioning of a transfer position of a transfer image and the transparent material in an optical axis direction of a pulse laser beam so that the transfer position is set at a position inside the transparent material at a predetermined depth ?Zsf from a surface of the transparent material in the optical axis direction; and irradiating the transparent material with the pulse laser beam having a pulse width of 1 ns to 100 ns inclusive and a beam diameter of 10 ?m to 150 ?m inclusive at the transfer position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2020
    Publication date: July 2, 2020
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Koji KAKIZAKI, Masakazu KOBAYASHI, Akira SUWA, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
  • Patent number: 10475650
    Abstract: A laser doping device includes: a solution supply system configured to supply a solution containing dopant to a doping region; a pulse laser system configured to output pulse laser light including a plurality of pulses, the pulse laser light transmitting through the solution; a first control unit configured to control a number of pulses of the pulse laser light for allowing the doping region to be irradiated, and to control a fluence of the pulse laser light in the doping region; and a second control unit configured to control a flow velocity of the solution so as to move bubbles, from the doping region, occurring in the solution every time of irradiation with the pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignees: KYUSHU UNIVERSITY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION, Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Ikenoue, Akira Suwa, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 10446026
    Abstract: An on-vehicle device comprises an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data obtained by photographing a road from a vehicle, an object detection unit that detects an object included in an image of the road, a location detection unit that detects a location of the vehicle, an image data transmission unit that, in the case where the object is detected by the object detection unit, transmits to an external device image data including the object and location information of the vehicle at the time of detecting the object, and an previously-notifying information transmission unit that transmits to another vehicle previously-notifying abnormality information including the location information of the vehicle at the time of detecting the object and previously notifying abnormality on the road.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Hayakawa, Akira Suwa, Susumu Takeshima
  • Publication number: 20190236957
    Abstract: Provided is a communication apparatus installed in a vehicle, the communication apparatus including: an acquisition unit configured to acquire, via a network installed in the vehicle, a plurality of types of status information each indicating a status of the vehicle; an information creation unit configured to create, on the basis of each piece of the status information acquired by the acquisition unit, feature information having a data amount smaller than a total of data amounts of the respective pieces of the status information, the feature information including a feature amount of a traveling status of the vehicle; and a transmission unit configured to transmit vehicle information based on the feature information created by the information creation unit, to another communication apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Jun Hayakawa, Akira Suwa, Susumu Takeshima
  • Publication number: 20190043274
    Abstract: An on-vehicle device comprises an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data obtained by photographing a road from a vehicle, an object detection unit that detects an object included in an image of the road, a location detection unit that detects a location of the vehicle, an image data transmission unit that, in the case where the object is detected by the object detection unit, transmits to an external device image data including the object and location information of the vehicle at the time of detecting the object, and an previously-notifying information transmission unit that transmits to another vehicle previously-notifying abnormality information including the location information of the vehicle at the time of detecting the object and previously notifying abnormality on the road.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2017
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Applicant: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Hayakawa, Akira Suwa, Susumu Takeshima
  • Publication number: 20180342397
    Abstract: A laser doping device includes: a solution supply system configured to supply a solution containing dopant to a doping region; a pulse laser system configured to output pulse laser light including a plurality of pulses, the pulse laser light transmitting through the solution; a first control unit configured to control a number of pulses of the pulse laser light for allowing the doping region to be irradiated, and to control a fluence of the pulse laser light in the doping region; and a second control unit configured to control a flow velocity of the solution so as to move bubbles, from the doping region, occurring in the solution every time of irradiation with the pulse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Publication date: November 29, 2018
    Applicants: KYUSHU UNIVERSITY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION, GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Hiroshi IKENOUE, Akira SUWA, Osamu WAKABAYASHI
  • Patent number: 10103509
    Abstract: The excimer laser device receives data on a target value of pulse energy from an external device and outputs a pulse laser beam. The excimer laser device includes a master oscillator, at least one power amplifier including a chamber provided in an optical path of the pulse laser beam outputted from the master oscillator, a pair of electrodes provided in the chamber, and an electric power source configured to apply voltage to the pair of electrodes, and a controller configured to control the electric power source of one power amplifier of the at least one power amplifier to stop applying the voltage to the pair of electrodes based on the target value of the pulse energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Kouji Kakizaki, Akira Suwa, Osamu Wakabayashi, Hiroshi Umeda
  • Patent number: 10096966
    Abstract: A gas laser device may include: a laser chamber containing laser gas; a first discharge electrode disposed in the laser chamber; a second discharge electrode disposed to face the first discharge electrode in the laser chamber; and a condenser including a polyimide dielectric and configured to supply power to between the first discharge electrode and the second discharge electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Suwa, Kouji Kakizaki, Hiroaki Tsushima, Tomoyuki Ohkubo, Hiroshi Umeda, Hisakazu Katsuumi