Patents by Inventor Kenji Aiko
Kenji Aiko 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: 8577119Abstract: A wafer surface observing apparatus for inspecting a peripheral portion of an object has (A) a lens system and a CCD camera for taking images of the peripheral portion of the object, (B) storage for storing image data about the taken images, and (C) display for displaying the image data stored in the storage device. In particular, the present apparatus can have functions of rotating the object placed on a prealignment portion, recording images of one full outer periphery of an end portion of the object by the lens system and CCD camera into the location where the orientation flat portions or notched portions of the object are placed in position, accepting the images into the storage device, and displaying the images on a CRT.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2007Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Hiroshi Higashi, Tetsuya Watanabe, Kenji Aiko
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Publication number: 20130154675Abstract: Non-contact type displacement sensors which measure the height of a substrate surface are installed above the substrate in order to hold the upper surface of the substrate at a desired height or to maintain the flatness of the substrate. A substrate mounting device is such that a plurality of grooves and of barriers are provided on the upper surface of a table and air is supplied between the substrate and the table to enable the pressure of air to displace the substrate. In addition, the substrate mounting device has such a structure as to make it possible to deform the substrate into an arbitrary convex-concave shape or to make the substrate flat by feeding back the output of the displacement sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2011Publication date: June 20, 2013Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Yusuke Miyazaki, Kenji Aiko, Yuichiro Iijima, Yuichiro Kato
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Publication number: 20120313650Abstract: An inspection device for detecting small foreign bodies is provided with a first electrode and a second electrode disposed on either side of the inspection target, a power source connected to the aforementioned first electrode, a conveyance speed control unit for controlling the conveyance speed of the aforementioned inspection target, a current detection unit which, connected to the aforementioned second electrode, detects currents generated by changes in the static capacitance formed between the aforementioned first electrode and the aforementioned second electrode, and a defect detection unit which detects defects on the basis of the aforementioned current. Furthermore, the aforementioned second electrode rotates in the direction opposite of the conveyance direction of the aforementioned inspection target. Furthermore, the aforementioned power source includes a DC or an AC power source.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2010Publication date: December 13, 2012Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Hiroshi Kawaguchi, Minori Noguchi, Kenji Aiko, Masami Makuuchi
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Patent number: 8319960Abstract: A defect inspection system can suppress an effect of light from a sample rough surface or a regular circuit pattern and increasing a gain of light from a defect such as a foreign material to detect the defect on the sample surface with high sensitivity. When a lens with a large NA value is used, the outer diameter of the lens is 10a, and an angle between the sample surface and a traveling direction of the light from a defect is ?1. An oblique detection optics system receives the light from the defect at a reduced elevation angle ?2 with respect to the sample surface to reduce light from the sample rough surface, an oxide film rough bottom surface, and a circuit pattern, and to increase the amount of the light from the defect and detected. The diameter 10a of a lens is smaller than the diameter 10b, resulting in a reduction in the ability to focus the scattered light. When a lens with an outer diameter 10c is used to improve the focus ability, the lens interferes with the sample.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2010Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Kenji Aiko, Shuichi Chikamatsu, Minori Noguchi, Hisafumi Iwata
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Patent number: 8228496Abstract: Provided are a defect inspection apparatus having a large range for receiving light scattering from fine defects while securing a sufficiently large signal strength; and a defect inspection method for the same. The defect inspection apparatus includes: a stage part capable of traveling relative to optical systems with a substrate to be inspected mounted on the stage part; an illumination optical system for illuminating an inspection area on the substrate; a detection optical system for detecting light coming from the inspection area on the substrate; an image sensor for converting, to a signal, an image which is formed on the image sensor by the detection optical system; a signal processor for detecting defects by processing the signal from the image sensor; and a plane reflecting mirror, arranged between the detection optical system and the substrate, for transmitting the light, which comes from the substrate, to the detection optical system.Type: GrantFiled: July 2, 2010Date of Patent: July 24, 2012Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Shuichi Chikamatsu, Minori Noguchi, Masayuki Ochi, Kenji Aiko
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Publication number: 20120144938Abstract: Inspection units have moving parts such as XY-movement stage mechanisms and high-speed rotation mechanisms for inspecting the entire surfaces of substrates, and it is difficult for fan filter units (FFUs) to completely remove all foreign materials. The provided inspection device has: a fan filter unit divided into a plurality of regions; an exhaust unit, divided into a plurality of regions, for getting rid of air from the fan filter unit; and a transfer system disposed between the fan filter unit and the exhaust unit. The chief characteristic of the provided inspection device is that the flow rate in some of the regions of the fan filter unit and the flow rate in some of the regions of the exhaust unit are controlled in accordance with the operations of the transfer system.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 6, 2010Publication date: June 14, 2012Inventors: Katsuyasu Inagaki, Kenji Aiko, Masaru Kamada, Toshiro Kubo, Yusuke Miyazaki
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Patent number: 8134701Abstract: A defect inspecting apparatus of the invention solves a problem that in a defect inspecting apparatus, because of improving detection sensitivity of a microscopic defect by reducing a detection pixel size, a focal depth becomes shallow, a height of imaging is varied due to environmental change and the detection sensitivity of a defect becomes unstable. This apparatus comprises an XY stage, which carries a substrate to be inspected and scans in a predetermined direction, and a mechanism having a system of irradiating a defect on the inspected substrate at a slant and detecting the defect by a detection optical system disposed on the upper side, which corrects a height of imaging in real time for change in temperature and barometric pressure in order to keep the imaging in a best condition.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2010Date of Patent: March 13, 2012Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Shuichi Chikamatsu, Minori Noguchi, Kenji Aiko
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Publication number: 20110141463Abstract: Provided are a defect inspection device and a defect inspecting method, which enlarge the uptake range of a light scattered from a fine defect thereby to heighten signal intensity.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2009Publication date: June 16, 2011Inventors: Shuichi Chikamatsu, Minoru Noguchi, Masayuki Ochi, Kenji Aiko
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Patent number: 7953567Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus includes: stages each mounting an inspecting object on which a circuit pattern having a group of parallel lines is formed, and each running perpendicular or parallel to the group of lines; an illumination optical system which illuminating a surface of the inspecting object with a slit beam being slit light so that a longitudinal direction of the slit beam is substantially perpendicular to the running directions of the stages, and which has a first inclined angle formed by the direction of the group of lines and a projection line, of an optical axis of the slit beam, to the inspecting object; a spatial filter that shields or transmits reflected and scattered light of the inspecting object according to a difference in distribution of orientation; and a detection optical system that detects the reflected and scattered light transmitted through the spatial filter by image sensors.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2010Date of Patent: May 31, 2011Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Kei Shimura, Minori Noguchi, Masaaki Ito, Kenji Aiko, Shuichi Chikamatsu, Shigeo Otsuki, Shigeru Abe, Masayuki Ochi, Takuaki Sekiguchi, Hiroyuki Yamashita
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Patent number: 7847927Abstract: Provided are a defect inspection apparatus having a large range for receiving light scattering from fine defects while securing a sufficiently large signal strength; and a defect inspection method for the same. The defect inspection apparatus includes: a stage part capable of traveling relative to optical systems with a substrate to be inspected mounted on the stage part; an illumination optical system for illuminating an inspection area on the substrate; a detection optical system for detecting light coming from the inspection area on the substrate; an image sensor for converting, to a signal, an image which is formed on the image sensor by the detection optical system; a signal processor for detecting defects by processing the signal from the image sensor; and a plane reflecting mirror, arranged between the detection optical system and the substrate, for transmitting the light, which comes from the substrate, to the detection optical system.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2008Date of Patent: December 7, 2010Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Shuichi Chikamatsu, Minori Noguchi, Masayuki Ochi, Kenji Aiko
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Publication number: 20100271627Abstract: Provided are a defect inspection apparatus having a large range for receiving light scattering from fine defects while securing a sufficiently large signal strength; and a defect inspection method for the same. The defect inspection apparatus includes: a stage part capable of traveling relative to optical systems with a substrate to be inspected mounted on the stage part; an illumination optical system for illuminating an inspection area on the substrate; a detection optical system for detecting light coming from the inspection area on the substrate; an image sensor for converting, to a signal, an image which is formed on the image sensor by the detection optical system; a signal processor for detecting defects by processing the signal from the image sensor; and a plane reflecting mirror, arranged between the detection optical system and the substrate, for transmitting the light, which comes from the substrate, to the detection optical system.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 2, 2010Publication date: October 28, 2010Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Shuichi CHIKAMATSU, Minori Noguchi, Masayuki Ochi, Kenji Aiko
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Publication number: 20100271473Abstract: A defect inspection system can suppress an effect of light from a sample rough surface or a regular circuit pattern and increasing a gain of light from a defect such as a foreign material to detect the defect on the sample surface with high sensitivity. When a lens with a large NA value is used, the outer diameter of the lens is 10a, and an angle between the sample surface and a traveling direction of the light from a defect is ?1. An oblique detection optics system receives the light from the defect at a reduced elevation angle ?2 with respect to the sample surface to reduce light from the sample rough surface, an oxide film rough bottom surface, and a circuit pattern, and to increase the amount of the light from the defect and detected. The diameter 10a of a lens is smaller than the diameter 10b, resulting in a reduction in the ability to focus the scattered light. When a lens with an outer diameter 10c is used to improve the focus ability, the lens interferes with the sample.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2010Publication date: October 28, 2010Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Kenji AIKO, Shuichi Chikamatsu, Minori Noguchi, Hisafumi Iwata
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Publication number: 20100214561Abstract: A defect inspecting apparatus of the invention solves a problem that in a defect inspecting apparatus, because of improving detection sensitivity of a microscopic defect by reducing a detection pixel size, a focal depth becomes shallow, a height of imaging is varied due to environmental change and the detection sensitivity of a defect becomes unstable. This apparatus comprises an XY stage, which carries a substrate to be inspected and scans in a predetermined direction, and a mechanism having a system of irradiating a defect on the inspected substrate at a slant and detecting the defect by a detection optical system disposed on the upper side, which corrects a height of imaging in real time for change in temperature and barometric pressure in order to keep the imaging in a best condition.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2010Publication date: August 26, 2010Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Shuichi CHIKAMATSU, Minori NOGUCHI, Kenji AIKO
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Patent number: 7733475Abstract: A defect inspecting apparatus of the invention solves a problem that in a defect inspecting apparatus, because of improving detection sensitivity of a microscopic defect by reducing a detection pixel size, a focal depth becomes shallow, a height of imaging is varied due to environmental change and the detection sensitivity of a defect becomes unstable. This apparatus comprises an XY stage, which carries a substrate to be inspected and scans in a predetermined direction, and a mechanism having a system of irradiating a defect on the inspected substrate at a slant and detecting the defect by a detection optical system disposed on the upper side, which corrects a height of imaging in real time for change in temperature and barometric pressure in order to keep the imaging in a best condition.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2009Date of Patent: June 8, 2010Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Shuichi Chikamatsu, Minori Noguchi, Kenji Aiko
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Patent number: 7733474Abstract: A defect inspection system can suppress an effect of light from a sample rough surface or a regular circuit pattern and increase a gain of light from a defect such as a foreign material to detect the defect on the sample surface with high sensitivity. When a lens with a large NA value is used, an oblique detection optics system receives the light from the defect at a reduced elevation angle with respect to the sample surface to reduce light from the sample rough surface, an oxide film rough bottom surface, and a circuit pattern, and increases the amount of the light from the defect and detected. The diameter of a lens is smaller than the diameter of a second lens, resulting in a reduction in the ability to focus the scattered light.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2008Date of Patent: June 8, 2010Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Kenji Aiko, Shuichi Chikamatsu, Minori Noguchi, Hisafumi Iwata
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Publication number: 20100106443Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus includes: stages each mounting an inspecting object on which a circuit pattern having a group of parallel lines is formed, and each running perpendicular or parallel to the group of lines; an illumination optical system which illuminating a surface of the inspecting object with a slit beam being slit light so that a longitudinal direction of the slit beam is substantially perpendicular to the running directions of the stages, and which has a first inclined angle formed by the direction of the group of lines and a projection line, of an optical axis of the slit beam, to the inspecting object; a spatial filter that shields or transmits reflected and scattered light of the inspecting object according to a difference in distribution of orientation; and a detection optical system that detects the reflected and scattered light transmitted through the spatial filter by image sensors.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2010Publication date: April 29, 2010Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Kei Shimura, Minori Noguchi, Masaaki Ito, Kenji Aiko, Shuichi Chikamatsu, Shigeo Otsuki, Shigeru Abe, Masayuki Ochi, Takuaki Sekiguchi, Hiroyuki Yamashita
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Patent number: 7672799Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus includes: stages each mounting an inspecting object on which a circuit pattern having a group of parallel lines is formed, and each running perpendicular or parallel to the group of lines; an illumination optical system which illuminating a surface of the inspecting object with a slit beam being slit light so that a longitudinal direction of the slit beam is substantially perpendicular to the running directions of the stages, and which has a first inclined angle formed by the direction of the group of lines and a projection line, of an optical axis of the slit beam, to the inspecting object; a spatial filter that shields or transmits reflected and scattered light of the inspecting object according to a difference in distribution of orientation; and a detection optical system that detects the reflected and scattered light transmitted through the spatial filter by image sensors.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2007Date of Patent: March 2, 2010Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Kei Shimura, Minori Noguchi, Masaaki Ito, Kenji Aiko, Shuichi Chikamatsu, Shigeo Otsuki, Shigeru Abe, Masayuki Ochi, Takuaki Sekiguchi, Hiroyuki Yamashita
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Publication number: 20090207405Abstract: A defect inspecting apparatus of the invention solves a problem that in a defect inspecting apparatus, because of improving detection sensitivity of a microscopic defect by reducing a detection pixel size, a focal depth becomes shallow, a height of imaging is varied due to environmental change and the detection sensitivity of a defect becomes unstable. This apparatus comprises an XY stage, which carries a substrate to be inspected and scans in a predetermined direction, and a mechanism having a system of irradiating a defect on the inspected substrate at a slant and detecting the defect by a detection optical system disposed on the upper side, which corrects a height of imaging in real time for change in temperature and barometric pressure in order to keep the imaging in a best condition.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 22, 2009Publication date: August 20, 2009Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATIONInventors: Shuichi CHIKAMATSU, Minori Noguchi, Kenji Aiko
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Patent number: 7535561Abstract: A defect inspecting apparatus of the invention solves a problem that in a defect inspecting apparatus, because of improving detection sensitivity of a microscopic defect by reducing a detection pixel size, a focal depth becomes shallow, a height of imaging is varied due to environmental change and the detection sensitivity of a defect becomes unstable. This apparatus comprises an XY stage, which carries a substrate to be inspected and scans in a predetermined direction, and a mechanism having a system of irradiating a defect on the inspected substrate at a slant and detecting the defect by a detection optical system disposed on the upper side, which corrects a height of imaging in real time for change in temperature and barometric pressure in order to keep the imaging in a best condition.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2007Date of Patent: May 19, 2009Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies CorporationInventors: Shuichi Chikamatsu, Minori Noguchi, Kenji Aiko
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Publication number: 20080291436Abstract: A defect inspection system can suppress an effect of light from a sample rough surface or a regular circuit pattern and increasing a gain of light from a defect such as a foreign material to detect the defect on the sample surface with high sensitivity. When a lens with a large NA value is used, the outer diameter of the lens is 10a, and an angle between the sample surface and a traveling direction of the light from a defect is ?1. An oblique detection optics system receives the light from the defect at a reduced elevation angle ?2 with respect to the sample surface to reduce light from the sample rough surface, an oxide film rough bottom surface, and a circuit pattern, and to increase the amount of the light from the defect and detected. The diameter 10a of a lens is smaller than the diameter 10b, resulting in a reduction in the ability to focus the scattered light. When a lens with an outer diameter 10c is used to improve the focus ability, the lens interferes with the sample.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2008Publication date: November 27, 2008Inventors: Kenji Aiko, Shuichi Chikamatsu, Minori Noguchi, Hisafumi Iwata