Patents by Inventor Ken Minoda

Ken Minoda 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: 8842294
    Abstract: A position detection apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating a first diffraction grating having periods in each of a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction, and a second diffraction grating having a period different from the period in the second direction of the first diffraction grating in the second direction, at an oblique incidence, and a detection optical system for detecting diffracted light from the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating, wherein a relative position of the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating is detected based on the detected diffracted light, and wherein the illumination optical system includes a plurality of light intensity distributions in the first direction except for on an optical axis of the detection optical system, in a pupil plane thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Minoda, Yoshihiro Shiode, Kazuhiko Mishima, Hironori Maeda
  • Publication number: 20140153003
    Abstract: An measuring apparatus includes: a storage unit configured to store a relationship, regarding an irradiation condition predetermined based on a correlation between a characteristic of each of beams of reflected light obtained from a plurality of patterns different from one another in a thickness of a residual layer in a recessed portion and the thickness of the residual layer of each of the plurality of patterns, between the characteristic of the reflected light from each pattern and the thickness of the residual layer of the pattern; and a processing unit configured to, based on a characteristic of reflected light from a pattern formed on a substrate irradiated with light under the irradiation condition and the relationship stored in the storage unit, obtain a thickness of a residual layer in a recessed portion of the pattern formed on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Inventors: Takahiro Miyakawa, Kazuhiro Sato, Ken Minoda, Hideki Ina
  • Patent number: 8672661
    Abstract: An imprint apparatus that includes a holding unit, and performs an imprint process, including molding of an imprint material on a substrate held by the holding unit using a mold, curing of the molded imprint material, and releasing of the cured imprint material from the mold, to form a pattern on the substrate. The apparatus includes a first cure device configured to perform a first cure process for the imprint material molded by the mold prior to the releasing; and a second cure device configured to perform a second cure process for the imprint material on the substrate conveyed out from the holding unit after the releasing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Minoda
  • Publication number: 20120328725
    Abstract: A position detection apparatus includes an illumination optical system for illuminating a first diffraction grating having periods in each of a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction, and a second diffraction grating having a period different from the period in the second direction of the first diffraction grating in the second direction, at an oblique incidence, and a detection optical system for detecting diffracted light from the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating, wherein a relative position of the first diffraction grating and the second diffraction grating is detected based on the detected diffracted light, and wherein the illumination optical system includes a plurality of light intensity distributions in the first direction except for on an optical axis of the detection optical system, in a pupil plane thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ken Minoda, Yoshihiro Shiode, Kazuhiko Mishima, Hironori Maeda
  • Publication number: 20120292801
    Abstract: An imprint apparatus, which is configured to transfer a pattern to an imprint material supplied on a substrate by using a mold having the pattern formed thereon, includes a light-receiving element, a detection system configured to illuminate a mark formed on the substrate and a mark formed on the mold, and guide light reflected from the mark formed on the substrate and the mark formed on the mold to the light-receiving element, and a relay optical system. The relay optical system is configured to form images of the light reflected from the mark formed on the substrate and the mark formed on the mold between the relay optical system and the detection system. The detection system is configured to guide the light image-formed by the relay optical system to the light-receiving element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hironori Maeda, Seiya Miura, Kazuhiko Mishima, Ken Minoda
  • Patent number: 8305560
    Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus includes an aperture stop that includes a light attenuation part that is located between a light shielding part and an opening part, and has a transmittance larger than that of the light shielding part and smaller than that of the opening part. A width of the light attenuation part is set within a range from a wavefront splitting period of the wavefront splitting device or a value of Z×tan(arcsin(?))/2 to a length that is five times as long as the wavefront splitting period of the wavefront splitting device, where ? is a numerical aperture on an exit side of the wavefront splitting device, and Z is a distance between the focal plane of the wavefront splitting device on the exit side and the aperture stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Minoda
  • Publication number: 20120200006
    Abstract: An imprint apparatus that includes a holding unit, and performs an imprint process, including molding of an imprint material on a substrate held by the holding unit using a mold, curing of the molded imprint material, and releasing of the cured imprint material from the mold, to form a pattern on the substrate. The apparatus includes a first cure device configured to perform a first cure process for the imprint material molded by the mold prior to the releasing; and a second cure device configured to perform a second cure process for the imprint material on the substrate conveyed out from the holding unit after the releasing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ken MINODA
  • Publication number: 20100208223
    Abstract: The present invention provides an illumination optical system which illuminates an illumination target surface with a light beam from a light source, the system including a plurality of adjustment units each having one of a reflectance distribution and a transmittance distribution to adjust an incident angle distribution of the light beam which impinges on the illumination target surface, the plurality of adjustment units including an adjustment unit which adjusts differences between light amounts, in a first direction, of incident angle distributions of light beams at a plurality of points on the illumination target surface, and light amounts, in a second direction, thereof, and an adjustment unit which adjusts at least one of light amount differences, in the first direction, of the incident angle distributions of the light beams at the plurality of points on the illumination target surface, and light amount differences, in the second direction, thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ken Minoda
  • Publication number: 20090311636
    Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus includes an aperture stop that includes a light attenuation part that is located between a light shielding part and an opening part, and has a transmittance larger than that of the light shielding part and smaller than that of the opening part. A width of the light attenuation part is set within a range from a wavefront splitting period of the wavefront splitting device or a value of Z×tan(arcsin(?))/2 to a length that is five times as long as the wavefront splitting period of the wavefront splitting device, where a is a numerical aperture on an exit side of the wavefront splitting device, and Z is a distance between the focal plane of the wavefront splitting device on the exit side and the aperture stop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2009
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ken Minoda
  • Patent number: 7629563
    Abstract: A method is provided for adjusting a first light intensity distribution formed on a pupil plane of an illumination apparatus. The method includes measuring a first light intensity distribution; obtaining a first light intensity radial distribution and a second light intensity radial distribution; obtaining a first cumulative light quantity distribution in a radial direction and a second cumulative light quantity distribution in the radial direction; obtaining a difference at each of at least three points between the first cumulative light quantity distribution in the radial direction and the second cumulative light quantity distribution in the radial direction; and adjusting the first light intensity distribution based on the difference between the first cumulative light quantity distribution in the radial direction and the second cumulative light quantity distribution in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Minoda
  • Publication number: 20080173789
    Abstract: A method is provided for adjusting a first light intensity distribution formed on a pupil plane of an illumination apparatus. The method includes measuring a first light intensity distribution; obtaining a first light intensity radial distribution and a second light intensity radial distribution; obtaining a first cumulative light quantity distribution in a radial direction and a second cumulative light quantity distribution in the radial direction; obtaining a difference at each of at least three points between the first cumulative light quantity distribution in the radial direction and the second cumulative light quantity distribution in the radial direction; and adjusting the first light intensity distribution based on the difference between the first cumulative light quantity distribution in the radial direction and the second cumulative light quantity distribution in the radial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ken Minoda