Patents by Inventor Kazushige Umetsu

Kazushige Umetsu 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: 7829446
    Abstract: A method for dividing a wafer into a plurality of chips is provided. The method includes providing recesses in a surface of the wafer at positions along boundaries between regions to become the individual chips, providing fragile portions having a predetermined width inside the wafer at positions along the boundaries by irradiation of the other surface of the wafer with a laser beam whose condensing point is placed inside the wafer, the fragile portions including connected portions at least at one of the surfaces of the wafer, and dividing the wafer at the fragile portions into the individual chips by applying an external force to the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Wataru Takahashi, Yoshinao Miyata, Kazushige Umetsu, Yutaka Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7709159
    Abstract: A mask, which is used to form predetermined patterns on a substrate, includes a pattern forming member that is provided with openings corresponding to the predetermined patterns; and a pattern holding member that overlaps one surface of the pattern forming member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazushige Umetsu, Shinichi Yotsuya
  • Publication number: 20100089883
    Abstract: A workpiece splitting method includes mounting a protection sheet on a first surface of a workpiece to transmit a first laser beam through the sheet and protect the first surface; forming a modified region by multiple photon absorption inside the workpiece by concentrating, inside the workpiece, the first laser beam applied to the workpiece from a first surface side of the workpiece and transmitted through the protection sheet; and removing, from the first surface, a part of the protection sheet positioned on a line of intersection between the first surface and a splitting plane formed on the workpiece when splitting the workpiece at a portion where the modified region is formed, so as to split the workpiece at the modified region-formed portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazushige UMETSU, Yutaka YAMAZAKI
  • Patent number: 7521649
    Abstract: A laser processing apparatus is provided including: a laser generator generating a light beam; a branching means for branching out the light beam to a plurality of beams arranged at equal intervals; a shifting means for shifting the plurality of beams at a pitch equal to a multiple of natural number of the arranged intervals relatively over a target; and a control means for controlling the intensity of the beam synchronously with the shifting pitch of the plurality of beams.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazushige Umetsu, Daisuke Sawaki
  • Patent number: 7518294
    Abstract: By applying a laser beam that is absorbed into a quartz crystal to an upper right end of a crystal chip, the height of the crystal chip is altered step by step to form a first step, a second step, a third step, and a fourth step, respectively. As such, control of the shape of a quartz crystal resonator is easy even if the quartz crystal resonator is miniaturized, the shape and the performance of a processed quartz crystal resonator are satisfactory, quartz crystal resonators of various shapes can be formed, a quartz crystal resonator can be formed at low cost with a small number of man-hours, a load in driving a quartz crystal resonator is small, and versatile equipment and tools can be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazushige Umetsu
  • Patent number: 7468310
    Abstract: A method of machining a substrate etches a substrate according to a predetermined length and depth from an intersection between a first predetermined dividing line and a second predetermined dividing line, which cross each other in a T-shaped line, along the second predetermined dividing line of the predetermined dividing lines being used to cut the substrate, and divides the substrate along the predetermined dividing lines which are not etched by laser machining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corproation
    Inventors: Yutaka Yamazaki, Kazushige Umetsu
  • Patent number: 7440074
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for repairing light point defects in which light points can be converted to black spots through a simple process without affecting surrounding pixels, and the repaired pixels can be maintained without their returning to light points even with the passage of time. The present invention provides a method for repairing light point defect pixels of a liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal panel which comprises a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates, and a pair of alignment films each of which is provided between the substrate and the liquid crystal layer restraining the orientation of the liquid crystals of the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazushige Umetsu
  • Patent number: 7411649
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a crystal device includes applying substantially simultaneously a first light that is absorbed by a crystal plate and excites an energy level of a substance constituting the crystal plate from a ground state to a first excited state, and a second light that excites the energy level of the substance constituting the crystal plate from the first excited state to a second excited state to generate an ablation, thereby forming one or more grooves in a predetermined pattern on the crystal plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazushige Umetsu
  • Patent number: 7406756
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric resonator is provided including: forming a resonator element having a plate-like base and a plurality of arms extending laterally from the base on a substrate made of crystal; emitting laser light for irradiating one surface and the other surface of the arms with laser light and for removing a region irradiated with the laser light, so as to form a groove having a predetermined cross sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the groove; forming a driving electrode on the resonator element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazushige Umetsu, Kazuto Yoshimura, Tsukasa Funasaka, Fumitaka Kitamura
  • Patent number: 7387739
    Abstract: A plurality of penetrating holes are formed in a substrate, each of the penetrating holes connecting a first opening and a second opening larger than the first opening. An etching resistant film is formed on a first surface of the substrate avoiding areas in which the first openings will be formed, part of the second surface in which the penetrating holes are formed being exposed so as to expose areas each of which includes two or more of the second openings. Small holes are formed in the formation regions for each of the penetrating holes. Etching having crystal orientation dependence is performed from both the first and second surfaces of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Yotsuya, Kazushige Umetsu, Daisuke Sawaki
  • Publication number: 20080113459
    Abstract: A method for dividing a wafer into a plurality of chips is provided. The method includes providing recesses in a surface of the wafer at positions along boundaries between regions to become the individual chips, providing fragile portions having a predetermined width inside the wafer at positions along the boundaries by irradiation of the other surface of the wafer with a laser beam whose condensing point is placed inside the wafer, the fragile portions including connected portions at least at one of the surfaces of the wafer, and dividing the wafer at the fragile portions into the individual chips by applying an external force to the wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Wataru TAKAHASHI, Yoshinao MIYATA, Kazushige UMETSU, Yutaka YAMAZAKI
  • Patent number: 7307444
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technique enabling the amount of time required to evaluate the light fastness of a liquid crystal panel to be shortened. A method of testing the light fastness of a liquid crystal panel comprising a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the substrates comprises the steps of: irradiating a test subject area of the liquid crystal panel with a laser beam, with at least one of the wavelength, the irradiation energy, and the irradiation duration of the laser beam set as a variable parameter; irradiating the liquid crystal panel with an observation beam and detecting the condition of the observation beam after passing through the liquid crystal panel; and evaluating the light fastness of the liquid crystal panel on the basis of a difference in the condition of the observation beam corresponding to the setting of the variable parameter of the laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazushige Umetsu, Shuhei Yamada
  • Patent number: 7241967
    Abstract: An apparatus for cutting an electrical wiring line includes a laser generator for generating a laser beam, an optical beam branching element for branching a laser beam generated by the laser generator into a plurality of branch beams, and a condenser element for condensing the branch beams branched by the optical beam branching element (the optical beam branching element can also serve as the condenser element). The condenser element may be a condenser lens which is separate from the optical beam branching element. The power and the focal depth of the branch beam may be adjusted. When the substrate has a transparency to the laser beam, the branch beam is directed to the electrical wiring line formed on the substrate from the opposite side to the surface having the electrical wiring line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kazushige Umetsu, Jun Amako, Kenichi Honda
  • Publication number: 20060166111
    Abstract: A mask, which is used to form predetermined patterns on a substrate, includes a pattern forming member that is provided with openings corresponding to the predetermined patterns; and a pattern holding member that overlaps one surface of the pattern forming member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2006
    Publication date: July 27, 2006
    Inventors: Kazushige Umetsu, Shinichi Yotsuya
  • Patent number: 7070700
    Abstract: A method of laser processing for processing a laminated member where a metal thin film is protruded from an end portion of a silicon substrate at the bottom of the silicon substrate, wherein; a laser beam of which wavelength has the light absorption coefficient of the metal thin film being higher than the light absorption coefficient of the silicon substrate, is irradiated onto an boundary between an end of the silicon substrate and the metal thin film so as to cut the metal thin film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Sawaki, Masato Shimada, Kazushige Umetsu
  • Publication number: 20060134885
    Abstract: A method of machining a substrate etches a substrate according to a predetermined length and depth from an intersection between a first predetermined dividing line and a second predetermined dividing line, which cross each other in a T-shaped line, along the second predetermined dividing line of the predetermined dividing lines being used to cut the substrate, and divides the substrate along the predetermined dividing lines which are not etched by laser machining.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Publication date: June 22, 2006
    Inventors: Yutaka Yamazaki, Kazushige Umetsu
  • Publication number: 20060126868
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a crystal device includes applying substantially simultaneously a first light that is absorbed by a crystal plate and excites an energy level of a substance constituting the crystal plate from a ground state to a first excited state, and a second light that excites the energy level of the substance constituting the crystal plate from the first excited state to a second excited state to generate an ablation, thereby forming one or more grooves in a predetermined pattern on the crystal plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Publication date: June 15, 2006
    Inventor: Kazushige Umetsu
  • Publication number: 20060113284
    Abstract: Provided is a manufacturing method of a substrate capable of forming a pattern having a relatively narrow width and thick film based on a droplet discharging method. The manufacturing method of a substrate of the present invention is a manufacturing method of a substrate having a patterned functional film, including the steps of: forming a groove pattern on the substrate with laser irradiation; disposing a liquid material along the groove pattern; and heating the liquid material so as to form the functional film. Further, the groove pattern and a liquid repellent film may be combined. By using a liquid material, a highly dense and minute functional film (a wiring pattern for example) can be formed on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2005
    Publication date: June 1, 2006
    Inventor: Kazushige Umetsu
  • Publication number: 20060055931
    Abstract: The present invention provides a technique enabling the amount of time required to evaluate the light fastness of a liquid crystal panel to be shortened. A method of testing the light fastness of a liquid crystal panel comprising a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the substrates comprises the steps of: irradiating a test subject area of the liquid crystal panel with a laser beam, with at least one of the wavelength, the irradiation energy, and the irradiation duration of the laser beam set as a variable parameter; irradiating the liquid crystal panel with an observation beam and detecting the condition of the observation beam after passing through the liquid crystal panel; and evaluating the light fastness of the liquid crystal panel on the basis of a difference in the condition of the observation beam corresponding to the setting of the variable parameter of the laser beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Inventors: Kazushige Umetsu, Shuhei Yamada
  • Publication number: 20060050223
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for repairing light point defects in which light points can be converted to black spots through a simple process without affecting surrounding pixels, and the repaired pixels can be maintained without their returning to light points even with the passage of time. The present invention provides a method for repairing light point defect pixels of a liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal panel which comprises a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer interposed between the pair of substrates, and a pair of alignment films each of which is provided between the substrate and the liquid crystal layer restraining the orientation of the liquid crystals of the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Inventor: Kazushige Umetsu