Patents by Inventor Fumihiro Inoue

Fumihiro Inoue 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: 11719661
    Abstract: A sensor includes a substrate, a reference electrode provided above the substrate, a lower electrode provided above the reference electrode via an insulating film, and an upper electrode provided above the lower electrode via a physical quantity detecting film. The upper electrode and the lower electrode form a parallel-plate-type detection capacitor, and the lower electrode and the reference electrode form a parallel-plate-type reference capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI Inc.
    Inventors: Fumihiro Inoue, Taketomo Nakane
  • Publication number: 20230179153
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes an amplifier configured to amplify an analog signal, and an offset adjustment circuit that is provided in a stage prior to the amplifier and that is configured to adjust an offset amount of the analog signal to be amplified by the amplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Takahiko BANDO, Heisuke NAKASHIMA, Shumpei UMEGAI, Fumihiro INOUE
  • Publication number: 20230155601
    Abstract: A signal processing circuit includes a first sampling capacitor and a second sampling capacitor that are connected for an input signal path of an analog signal, and a signal processor configured to perform predetermined processing on the analog signal sampled by the first sampling capacitor and the analog signal sampled by the second sampling capacitor. The sampling of the analog signal transmitted to one capacitor of the first sampling capacitor and the second sampling capacitor, and the predetermined processing performed by the signal processor on the analog signal sampled by another capacitor of the first sampling capacitor and the second sampling capacitor can be performed in parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Takahiko BANDO, Heisuke NAKASHIMA, Fumihiro INOUE
  • Publication number: 20220214295
    Abstract: A switched capacitor circuit includes a first charge-to-voltage converter including a first capacitor to operate in a first period to convert a first charge into a first output voltage. The switched capacitor circuit includes a second charge-to-voltage converter including a second capacitor to operate in a second period to convert a second charge into a second output voltage, the second period being different from the first period. The switched capacitor circuit includes a shield interconnect disposed between the first capacitor and the second capacitor, the shield interconnect having a constant potential.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2022
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Fumihiro INOUE, Shinya OTSUKA, Kosuke YAMAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20220178863
    Abstract: A sensor includes a substrate, a reference electrode provided above the substrate, a lower electrode provided above the reference electrode via an insulating film, and an upper electrode provided above the lower electrode via a physical quantity detecting film. The upper electrode and the lower electrode form a parallel-plate-type detection capacitor, and the lower electrode and the reference electrode form a parallel-plate-type reference capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Fumihiro INOUE, Taketomo NAKANE
  • Patent number: 11313824
    Abstract: The detecting device includes a detecting unit including a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode being used as a first capacitor. The detecting device includes a drive unit configured to apply a first drive signal to the first drive terminal such that the first drive signal is alternately inverted between a first period and a second period. The detecting device includes a converting unit configured to convert a charge charged at the signal terminal into a voltage and includes a difference processing unit configured to obtain a difference between the first output voltage and the second output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI Inc.
    Inventors: Fumihiro Inoue, Shinya Otsuka, Kosuke Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11293888
    Abstract: A sensor includes a substrate, a reference electrode provided above the substrate, a lower electrode provided above the reference electrode via an insulating film, and an upper electrode provided above the lower electrode via a physical quantity detecting film. The upper electrode and the lower electrode form a parallel-plate-type detection capacitor, and the lower electrode and the reference electrode form a parallel-plate-type reference capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI Inc.
    Inventors: Fumihiro Inoue, Taketomo Nakane
  • Publication number: 20200158675
    Abstract: A sensor includes a substrate, a reference electrode provided above the substrate, a lower electrode provided above the reference electrode via an insulating film, and an upper electrode provided above the lower electrode via a physical quantity detecting film. The upper electrode and the lower electrode form a parallel-plate-type detection capacitor, and the lower electrode and the reference electrode form a parallel-plate-type reference capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Fumihiro INOUE, Taketomo NAKANE
  • Publication number: 20200158676
    Abstract: The detecting device includes a detecting unit including a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode being used as a first capacitor. The detecting device includes a drive unit configured to apply a first drive signal to the first drive terminal such that the first drive signal is alternately inverted between a first period and a second period. The detecting device includes a converting unit configured to convert a charge charged at the signal terminal into a voltage and includes a difference processing unit configured to obtain a difference between the first output voltage and the second output voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Fumihiro INOUE, Shinya OTSUKA, Kosuke YAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 10432208
    Abstract: A D/A converter for converting a digital signal with a predetermined number of bits to an analog signal, the D/A converter includes a plurality of component groups that include a plurality of components included in the D/A converter and are connected to an output unit for outputting the analog signal in a predetermined order; and a start position change unit that changes a start position within the plurality of the component groups used for generating a single analog signal by using a predefined shift pattern when generating the single analog signal corresponding to the digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fumihiro Inoue, Akira Mogi
  • Patent number: 10418339
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for bonding semiconductor components. A semiconductor component comprising microbumps on a planar bonding surface is prepared for bonding by applying a photosensitive polymer layer on the bonding surface. The average thickness of the initial polymer layer in between the microbumps is similar to the average height of the microbumps. In a lithography process, the polymer is removed from the upper surface of the microbumps and from areas around the microbumps. The polymer is heated to a temperature at which the polymer flows, resulting in a polymer layer that closely adjoins the microbumps, without exceeding the microbump height. The closely adjoining polymer layer may have a degree of planarity substantially similar to a planarized layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: IMEC VZW
    Inventors: Fabrice Duval, Fumihiro Inoue
  • Patent number: 10355594
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter, which allows a current to pass through an inductor and rectifies the current through the inductor to convert an input direct current voltage supplied from a direct current power unit into a direct current voltage at a different potential and output the direct current voltage, includes a switching control circuit performing peak-current control procedures including turning on the switching element when the converted direct current voltage drops to a predetermined potential and turning off the switching element when the current through the inductor reaches a predetermined value. The converter includes a copied-current generating circuit generating a current proportional to the output current. The switching control circuit turns off the switching element when the circuit detects that the current through the inductor reaches a predetermined value with reference to a combined current of the copied current generated at the copied-current generating circuit and a predetermined reference current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Heisuke Nakashima, Kenji Mitsuhira, Fumihiro Inoue
  • Patent number: 10234679
    Abstract: A capacitive-load driver circuit that is connected to terminals connected to capacitive loads and an output stage of an amplifier for feeding output voltages to the terminals to drive the capacitive loads. The capacitive-load driver circuit temporarily feeds a current during a transition period of the output voltages from one of the terminals transitioning from a high voltage state to a low voltage state to another terminal transitioning from a low voltage state to a high voltage state. The capacitive-load driver circuit includes a current-variation detector circuit and a charge transfer circuit. The current-variation detector circuit detects a variation in a current at the output stage. The charge transfer circuit feeds a predetermined current to one of the terminals to transfer charges from a capacitive load connected to a high voltage terminal to a capacitive load connected to a low voltage terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Fumihiro Inoue
  • Publication number: 20190058482
    Abstract: A D/A converter for converting a digital signal with a predetermined number of bits to an analog signal, the D/A converter includes a plurality of component groups that include a plurality of components included in the D/A converter and are connected to an output unit for outputting the analog signal in a predetermined order; and a start position change unit that changes a start position within the plurality of the component groups used for generating a single analog signal by using a predefined shift pattern when generating the single analog signal corresponding to the digital signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Applicant: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fumihiro INOUE, Akira MOGI
  • Publication number: 20190013734
    Abstract: A DC-DC converter, which allows a current to pass through an inductor and rectifies the current through the inductor to convert an input direct current voltage supplied from a direct current power unit into a direct current voltage at a different potential and output the direct current voltage, includes a switching control circuit performing peak-current control procedures including turning on the switching element when the converted direct current voltage drops to a predetermined potential and turning off the switching element when the current through the inductor reaches a predetermined value. The converter includes a copied-current generating circuit generating a current proportional to the output current. The switching control circuit turns off the switching element when the circuit detects that the current through the inductor reaches a predetermined value with reference to a combined current of the copied current generated at the copied-current generating circuit and a predetermined reference current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Applicant: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Heisuke NAKASHIMA, Kenji MITSUHIRA, Fumihiro INOUE
  • Publication number: 20190006301
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for bonding semiconductor components. A semiconductor component comprising microbumps on a planar bonding surface is prepared for bonding by applying a photosensitive polymer layer on the bonding surface. The average thickness of the initial polymer layer in between the microbumps is similar to the average height of the microbumps. In a lithography process, the polymer is removed from the upper surface of the microbumps and from areas around the microbumps. The polymer is heated to a temperature at which the polymer flows, resulting in a polymer layer that closely adjoins the microbumps, without exceeding the microbump height. The closely adjoining polymer layer may have a degree of planarity substantially similar to a planarized layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicant: IMEC VZW
    Inventors: Fabrice Duval, Fumihiro Inoue
  • Publication number: 20170255007
    Abstract: A capacitive-load driver circuit that is connected to terminals connected to capacitive loads and an output stage of an amplifier for feeding output voltages to the terminals to drive the capacitive loads. The capacitive-load driver circuit temporarily feeds a current during a transition period of the output voltages from one of the terminals transitioning from a high voltage state to a low voltage state to another terminal transitioning from a low voltage state to a high voltage state. The capacitive-load driver circuit includes a current-variation detector circuit and a charge transfer circuit. The current-variation detector circuit detects a variation in a current at the output stage. The charge transfer circuit feeds a predetermined current to one of the terminals to transfer charges from a capacitive load connected to a high voltage terminal to a capacitive load connected to a low voltage terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Publication date: September 7, 2017
    Applicant: MITSUMI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Fumihiro INOUE
  • Patent number: 9565776
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for treating a substrate that supports metal fine particles for forming a plating layer on a circuit pattern or TSVs in various substrates, in which further micronization treatment is enabled compared with the conventional methods, and the formation of a stable plating layer is enabled. The present invention is a method for treating a substrate, the method including bringing a substrate into contact with a colloidal solution containing metal particles in order to support the metal particles that serve as a catalyst for forming a plating layer on the substrate, in which the colloidal solution contains metal particles formed of Pd and having a particle size of 0.6 nm to 4.0 nm and a face-to-face dimension of the (111) plane of 2.254 ? or more. When an organic layer such as SAM is formed on a surface of the substrate before this treatment, the binding force of the Pd particles can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K.
    Inventors: Noriaki Nakamura, Junichi Taniuchi, Hitoshi Kubo, Yuusuke Ohshima, Tomoko Ishikawa, Shoso Shingubara, Fumihiro Inoue
  • Publication number: 20150303103
    Abstract: A catalyst adsorption method can sufficiently adsorb a catalyst to a lower portion of a recess formed in a substrate. A substrate 20 in which a recess 22 is formed is prepared. Then, a catalyst 23 formed of nanoparticles coated with a dispersant is adsorbed to a surface of the substrate 20 by bringing the substrate 20 into contact with a catalyst solution 12 containing the catalyst by a catalyst adsorption device 10. At that time, a high frequency vibration is applied to the catalyst solution 12.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Applicants: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, A SCHOOL CORPORATION KANSAI UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Shoso Shinguhara, Fumihiro Inoue, Hiroshi Miyake, Ryohei Arima, Mitsuaki Iwashita, Takashi Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20150237742
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for treating a substrate that supports metal fine particles for forming a plating layer on a circuit pattern or TSVs in various substrates, in which further micronization treatment is enabled compared with the conventional methods, and the formation of a stable plating layer is enabled. The present invention is a method for treating a substrate, the method including bringing a substrate into contact with a colloidal solution containing metal particles in order to support the metal particles that serve as a catalyst for forming a plating layer on the substrate, in which the colloidal solution contains metal particles formed of Pd and having a particle size of 0.6 nm to 4.0 nm and a face-to-face dimension of the (111) plane of 2.254 ? or more. When an organic layer such as SAM is formed on a surface of the substrate before this treatment, the binding force of the Pd particles can be increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Noriaki Nakamura, Junichi Taniuchi, Hitoshi Kubo, Yuusuke Ohshima, Tomoko Ishikawa, Shoso Shingubara, Fumihiro Inoue