Patents by Inventor Fumiaki ICHIHASHI

Fumiaki ICHIHASHI 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: 20230207258
    Abstract: An interference scanning transmission electron microscope includes an electron source configured to emit an electron beam, a lens configured to irradiate a sample with a converged electron beam, an electron beam bi-prism configured to divide an electron wave through the sample and to superimpose a first electron wave and a second electron wave divided to form an interference fringe, a camera which is a detector configured to detect the interference fringe, and a computer configured to calculate a phase difference between the first electron wave and the second electron wave based on the interference fringe, wherein the electron beam bi-prism is provided between the sample and the detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki TANIGAKI, Fumiaki ICHIHASHI
  • Patent number: 10386314
    Abstract: Electrons excited by irradiation of a visible light to a sample is at an energy level lower than a vacuum level, thus photoelectrons are not emitted from the sample and energy of excited electrons cannot be measured. The visible light is irradiated to the sample through a mesh electrode. A surface film for reducing the vacuum level is formed on a surface of the sample. With the surface film being formed, photoelectrons are obtained by the visible light, and these photoelectrons are accelerated by the mesh electrode toward a photoelectron spectrometer. Ultraviolet light may be irradiated to the sample and metal having same potential therewith. In this case, the mesh electrode is set at a retracted position to prohibit interaction of the mesh electrode and the ultraviolet light. A difference between the valence band and the Fermi level of the sample can be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION NAGOYA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Toru Ujihara, Fumiaki Ichihashi, Takahiko Kawaguchi, Takahiro Ito, Makoto Kuwahara, Peter Baltzer, Yukio Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20190079033
    Abstract: Electrons excited by irradiation of a visible light to a sample is at an energy level lower than a vacuum level, thus photoelectrons are not emitted from the sample and energy of excited electrons cannot be measured. The visible light is irradiated to the sample through a mesh electrode. A surface film for reducing the vacuum level is formed on a surface of the sample. With the surface film being formed, photoelectrons are obtained by the visible light, and these photoelectrons are accelerated by the mesh electrode toward a photoelectron spectrometer. Ultraviolet light may be irradiated to the sample and metal having same potential therewith. In this case, the mesh electrode is set at a retracted position to prohibit interaction of the mesh electrode and the ultraviolet light. A difference between the valence band and the Fermi level of the sample can be measured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicant: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION NAGOYA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Toru UJIHARA, Fumiaki ICHIHASHI, Takahiko KAWAGUCHI, Takahiro ITO, Makoto KUWAHARA, Peter BALTZER, Yukio TAKEUCHI
  • Patent number: 9671356
    Abstract: A technique of measuring energy of electrons excited by exposing a semiconductor material to solar ray is proposed. A surface layer having a negative electron affinity is formed on the surface of a semiconductor material. The semiconductor material is placed in a vacuum environment and exposed to solar ray. Photoelectrons emitted from the surface layer having the negative electron affinity are guided to an energy analyzer, and the energy of electrons excited by the solar ray is measured. Since the surface layer having the negative electron affinity is used, the photoelectrons are obtained from the electrons excited by the solar ray, and thereby energy measurement becomes possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION NAGOYA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Toru Ujihara, Fumiaki Ichihashi, Daiki Shimura, Makoto Kuwahara, Shunta Harada
  • Publication number: 20160047760
    Abstract: A technique of measuring energy of electrons excited by exposing a semiconductor material to solar ray is proposed. A surface layer having a negative electron affinity is formed on the surface of a semiconductor material. The semiconductor material is placed in a vacuum environment and exposed to solar ray. Photoelectrons emitted from the surface layer having the negative electron affinity are guided to an energy analyzer, and the energy of electrons excited by the solar ray is measured. Since the surface layer having the negative electron affinity is used, the photoelectrons are obtained from the electrons excited by the solar ray, and thereby energy measurement becomes possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2013
    Publication date: February 18, 2016
    Applicant: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION NAGOYA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Toru UJIHARA, Fumiaki ICHIHASHI, Daiki SHIMURA, Makoto KUWAHARA, Shunta HARADA