Patents by Inventor Hidetoshi Morokuma
Hidetoshi Morokuma 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: 7889909Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a suitable method for identifying depression/protrusion information in a design data; and a program and an apparatus for the same; for example, even in the case that similar portions are arranged, to provide a method for enabling a pattern matching with high precision between the design data and an image obtained by an image formation apparatus or the like; and a program and an apparatus for the same. To attain the above object, a pattern matching method, wherein, using information concerning a depression and/or a protrusion of the pattern on the design data, or a pattern portion and/or a non-pattern portion on the design data, pattern matching is executed between the pattern on the design data and the pattern on said image; and a program for the same are provided.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2007Date of Patent: February 15, 2011Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Shindo, Akiyuki Sugiyama, Takumichi Sutani, Hidetoshi Morokuma, Hitoshi Komuro
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Publication number: 20110032176Abstract: An image forming method and a charged particle beam apparatus suitable for suppressing the inclination of charging when scanning a two-dimensional area with a charged particle beam. A third scanning line located between a first scanning line and a second scanning line is scanned. After the first, second and third scanning lines have been scanned, a plurality of scanning lines are scanned between the first and third scanning lines and between the second and third scanning lines.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 19, 2010Publication date: February 10, 2011Inventors: Atsushi KOBARU, Hidetoshi Morokuma, Hiroki Kawada, Sho Takami, Katsuhiro Sasada, Kouichi Yamamoto, Norio Satou, Kunio Nakanishi
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Patent number: 7816062Abstract: In an exposure process or etching process, an image feature amount useful for estimating a cross-sectional shape of a target evaluation pattern, process conditions for the pattern, or device characteristics of the pattern is calculated from an SEM image. The image feature amount is compared with learning data that correlates data preliminarily stored in a database, which data includes cross-sectional shapes of patterns, process conditions for the patterns, or device characteristics of the patterns, to the image feature amount calculated from the SEM image. Thereby, the cross-sectional shape of the target evaluation pattern, the process conditions of the pattern, or the device characteristics of the pattern are nondestructively calculated.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2006Date of Patent: October 19, 2010Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Wataru Nagatomo, Hidetoshi Morokuma, Atsushi Miyamoto, Hideaki Sasazawa
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Patent number: 7817105Abstract: An image forming method and a charged particle beam apparatus suitable for suppressing the inclination of charging when scanning a two-dimensional area with a charged particle beam. A third scanning line located between a first scanning line and a second scanning line is scanned. After the first, second and third scanning lines have been scanned, a plurality of scanning lines are scanned between the first and third scanning lines and between the second and third scanning lines.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2007Date of Patent: October 19, 2010Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Atsushi Kobaru, Hidetoshi Morokuma, Hiroki Kawada, Sho Takami, Katsuhiro Sasada, Kouichi Yamamoto, Norio Satou, Kunio Nakanishi
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Publication number: 20100202654Abstract: Mutual compatibility is established between the measurement with a high magnification and the measurement in a wide region. A pattern measurement apparatus is proposed which adds identification information to each of fragments that constitute a pattern within an image obtained by the SEM, and which stores the identification information in a predetermined storage format. Here, the identification information is added to each fragment for distinguishing between one fragment and another fragment. According to the above-described configuration, it turns out that the identification information is added to each fragment on the SEM image which has possessed no specific identification information originally. As a result, it becomes possible to implement the SEM-image management based on the identification information.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2010Publication date: August 12, 2010Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Ryoichi MATSUOKA, Akihiro Onizawa, Akiyuki Sugiyama, Hidetoshi Morokuma, Yasutaka Toyoda
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Patent number: 7772554Abstract: To provide a charged particle system capable of facilitating comparison between an actual pattern and an ideal pattern using not only two-dimensional CAD data but also three-dimensional CAD data. According to the present invention, using information about the angle of irradiation of a sample with a charged particle beam, a two-dimensional display of an ideal pattern (design data, such as CAD data, for example) is converted into a three-dimensional display, and the three-dimensional ideal pattern is displayed with an observation image. If the three-dimensional ideal pattern is superimposed on the observation image, comparison thereof can be easily carried out.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2008Date of Patent: August 10, 2010Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Akiyuki Sugiyama, Hidetoshi Morokuma, Yutaka Hojo, Yukio Yoshizawa
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Publication number: 20100181478Abstract: In an apparatus for obtaining an image by irradiating a charged particle beam on a specimen, a condition of the beam conditioned differently from vertical incidence as in the case of the beam being tilted is required to be adjusted. To this end, the apparatus has a controller for automatically controlling a stigmator, an objective lens and a deflector such that astigmatism is corrected, focus is adjusted and view filed shift is corrected. The controller has a selector for inhibiting at least one of the astigmatism correction, focus adjustment and FOV shift correction from being executed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2010Publication date: July 22, 2010Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Hidetoshi Morokuma, Noriaki Arai, Takashi Doi, Fumihiro Sasajima, Yoshihiro Kimura
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Publication number: 20100140472Abstract: An evaluation method and apparatus is provided for evaluating a displacement between patterns of a pattern image by using design data representative of a plurality of patterns superimposed ideally. A first distance is measured for an upper layer pattern between a line segment of the design data and an edge of the charged particle radiation image, a second distance is measured for a lower layer pattern between a line segment of the design data and an edge of the charged particle radiation image; and an superimposition displacement is detected between the upper layer pattern and lower layer pattern in accordance with the first distance and second distance.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 18, 2010Publication date: June 10, 2010Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Takumichi SUTANI, Ryoichi MATSUOKA, Hidetoshi MOROKUMA, Akiyuki SUGIYAMA, Hiroyuki SHINDO
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Patent number: 7732792Abstract: Mutual compatibility is established between the measurement with a high magnification and the measurement in a wide region. A pattern measurement apparatus is proposed which adds identification information to each of fragments that constitute a pattern within an image obtained by the SEM, and which stores the identification information in a predetermined storage format. Here, the identification information is added to each fragment for distinguishing between one fragment and another fragment. According to the above-described configuration, it turns out that the identification information is added to each fragment on the SEM image which has possessed no specific identification information originally. As a result, it becomes possible to implement the SEM-image management based on the identification information.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2008Date of Patent: June 8, 2010Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Ryoichi Matsuoka, Akihiro Onizawa, Akiyuki Sugiyama, Hidetoshi Morokuma, Yasutaka Toyoda
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Publication number: 20100138801Abstract: A system and a method for detecting a defect, capable of extracting a defect occurring depending on finishing accuracy required for circuit operation are provided. The system includes a timing analyzer for extracting a critical path in which a high accuracy is required for a signal transmission operation as compared with other portions based on circuit design data, a critical path extractor for comparing the circuit design data with layout design data on a pattern and for extracting graphical data including the critical path extracted by the timing analyzer, an inspection recipe creator for deciding a portion to be inspected, based on coordinate information on the graphical data including the critical path extracted by the critical path extractor, and an SEM defect review apparatus for acquiring an image of the decided portion to be inspected on a wafer according to an inspection recipe created by the inspection recipe creator.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2010Publication date: June 3, 2010Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corp.Inventors: Ryoichi MATSUOKA, Hidetoshi Morokuma, Takumichi Sutani
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Patent number: 7705300Abstract: In an apparatus for obtaining an image by irradiating a charged particle beam on a specimen, a condition of the beam conditioned differently from vertical incidence as in the case of the beam being tilted is required to be adjusted. To this end, the apparatus has a controller for automatically controlling a stigmator, an objective lens and a deflector such that astigmatism is corrected, focus is adjusted and view filed shift is corrected. The controller has a selector for inhibiting at least one of the astigmatism correction, focus adjustment and FOV shift correction from being executed.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2005Date of Patent: April 27, 2010Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Hidetoshi Morokuma, Noriaki Arai, Takashi Doi, Fumihiro Sasajima, Yoshihiro Kimura
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Patent number: 7685560Abstract: An exposure process monitoring method capable of performing quantitative monitoring of an exposure amount and a focusing position which are major process parameters during exposure using a Levinson phase shift mask in semiconductor lithography processes is disclosed. During exposure using the Levinson phase shift mask, the focus position is influenceable by optical intensity distribution characteristics so that it can vary from its minus (?) to plus (+) directions by in a way depending upon the pitch width and line width of a line-and-space pattern. In such case, there exist a pattern in which the cross-sectional shape of a resist changes from a forward taper to reverse taper and a pattern in which the sectional shape changes from the reverse to forward taper.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2004Date of Patent: March 23, 2010Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Wataru Nagatomo, Chie Shishido, Hidetoshi Morokuma
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Patent number: 7681159Abstract: A system and a method for detecting a defect, capable of extracting a defect occurring depending on finishing accuracy required for circuit operation are provided. The system includes a timing analyzer for extracting a critical path in which a high accuracy is required for a signal transmission operation as compared with other portions based on circuit design data, a critical path extractor for comparing the circuit design data with layout design data on a pattern and for extracting graphical data including the critical path extracted by the timing analyzer, an inspection recipe creator for deciding a portion to be inspected, based on coordinate information on the graphical data including the critical path extracted by the critical path extractor, and an SEM defect review apparatus for acquiring an image of the decided portion to be inspected on a wafer according to an inspection recipe created by the inspection recipe creator.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2007Date of Patent: March 16, 2010Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Ryoichi Matsuoka, Hidetoshi Morokuma, Takumichi Sutani
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Patent number: 7679055Abstract: An evaluation method and apparatus is provided for evaluating a displacement between patterns of a pattern image by using design data representative of a plurality of patterns superimposed ideally. A first distance is measured for an upper layer pattern between a line segment of the design data and an edge of the charged particle radiation image, a second distance is measured for a lower layer pattern between a line segment of the design data and an edge of the charged particle radiation image; and an superimposition displacement is detected between the upper layer pattern and lower layer pattern in accordance with the first distance and second distance.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2007Date of Patent: March 16, 2010Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Takumichi Sutani, Ryoichi Matsuoka, Hidetoshi Morokuma, Akiyuki Sugiyama, Hiroyuki Shindo
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Publication number: 20090218491Abstract: One of principal objects of the present invention is to provide a sample dimension measuring method for detecting the position of an edge of a two-dimensional pattern constantly with the same accuracy irrespective of the direction of the edge and a sample dimension measuring apparatus. According to this invention, to accomplish the above object, it is proposed to correct the change of a signal waveform of secondary electrons which depends on the direction of scanning of an electron beam relative to the direction of a pattern edge of an inspection objective pattern. It is proposed that when changing the scanning direction of the electron beam in compliance with the direction of a pattern to be measured, errors in the scanning direction and the scanning position are corrected. In this configuration, a sufficient accuracy of edge detection can be obtained irrespective of the scanning direction of the electron beam.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 9, 2007Publication date: September 3, 2009Inventors: Hidetoshi Morokuma, Akiyuki Sugiyama, Ryoichi Matsuoka, Takumichi Sutani, Yasutaka Toyoda
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Publication number: 20090200465Abstract: A pattern measuring method and device are provided which set a reference position for a measuring point to be measured by a scanning electron microscope and the like, based on position information of a reference pattern on an image acquired from the scanning electron microscope and based on a positional relation, detected by using design data, between the measuring point and the reference pattern formed at a position isolated from the measuring point.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2009Publication date: August 13, 2009Inventors: Takumichi SUTANI, Ryoichi MATSUOKA, Hidetoshi MOROKUMA, Hitoshi KOMURO, Akiyuki SUGIYAMA
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Patent number: 7559047Abstract: In an imaging recipe creating apparatus that uses a scanning electron microscope to create an imaging recipe for SEM observation of a semiconductor pattern, in order that the imaging recipe for measuring the wiring width and other various dimension values of the pattern from an observation image and thus evaluating the shape of the pattern is automatically generated within a minimum time by the analysis using the CAD image obtained by conversion from CAD data, an CAD image creation unit that creates the CAD image by converting the CAD data into an image format includes an image-quantizing width determining section, a brightness information providing section, and a pattern shape deformation processing section; the imaging recipe being created using the CAD image created by the CAD image creation unit.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2006Date of Patent: July 7, 2009Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Atsushi Miyamoto, Wataru Nagatomo, Ryoichi Matsuoka, Hidetoshi Morokuma, Takumichi Sutani
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Patent number: 7521695Abstract: In order to provide a full-automatic scanning electron microscope which carries out investigation jobs full-automatically from fine adjustment to reviewing, the scanning electron microscope of the present invention has a function of calculating the accuracy of correction after correction of coordinates and displaying it with vectors 39, a function of automatically determining a searching magnification for automatic object detection from the obtained information after correction of coordinates, and a function of calculating the frequency of occurrence of objects or defects and a time required for measurement from the searching magnification and conditions of measurement.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2007Date of Patent: April 21, 2009Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Science Systems, Ltd.Inventors: Yoshinori Nakada, Shunsuke Koshihara, Ryulchirou Tamochi, Yayol Hosoya, Hidetoshi Morokuma
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Patent number: 7518110Abstract: A pattern measuring method and device are provided which set a reference position for a measuring point to be measured by a scanning electron microscope and the like, based on position information of a reference pattern on an image acquired from the scanning electron microscope and based on a positional relation, detected by using design data, between the measuring point and the reference pattern formed at a position isolated from the measuring point.Type: GrantFiled: February 23, 2006Date of Patent: April 14, 2009Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Takumichi Sutani, Ryoichi Matsuoka, Hidetoshi Morokuma, Hitoshi Komuro, Akiyuki Sugiyama
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Publication number: 20090039263Abstract: Mutual compatibility is established between the measurement with a high magnification and the measurement in a wide region. A pattern measurement apparatus is proposed which adds identification information to each of fragments that constitute a pattern within an image obtained by the SEM, and which stores the identification information in a predetermined storage format. Here, the identification information is added to each fragment for distinguishing between one fragment and another fragment. According to the above-described configuration, it turns out that the identification information is added to each fragment on the SEM image which has possessed no specific identification information originally. As a result, it becomes possible to implement the SEM-image management based on the identification information.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2008Publication date: February 12, 2009Inventors: Ryoichi MATSUOKA, Akihiro Onizawa, Akiyuki Sugiyama, Hidetoshi Morokuma, Yasutaka Toyoda