Patents by Inventor Kenji Obara

Kenji Obara 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).

  • Publication number: 20090202166
    Abstract: A method which, while displacing the field-of-view, allows the image in a target area to be acquired without degradations such as out-of-focus of the image. Plural pieces of images are acquired before and after a target area while displacing the field-of-view. Next, these images are grouped into groups each of which includes several pieces of images, and integrated images on each group basis are created. Moreover, a relational expression is calculated which holds between image displacement quantity calculated by comparing the integrated images with each other and the number of the photographed pieces of images. Furthermore, image displacement quantities between the acquired plural pieces of images are calculated from this relational expression. Finally, these images are corrected by the amounts of these displacement quantities, then being integrated. This process allows reconfiguration of the image in the target area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2009
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei YAMAGUCHI, Kazuo Aoki, Kenji Obara
  • Publication number: 20090179652
    Abstract: Provided is a power supply circuit that supplies an electronic device with a supply power, including a voltage control section that outputs a control voltage that tracks an input voltage with a prescribed frequency characteristic and applies a voltage corresponding to the control voltage to the electronic device, a voltage adjusting section that detects the voltage applied to the electronic device and adjusts the input voltage based on the detected voltage, a current adjusting section that detects a current applied to the electronic device and adjusts the input voltage when the detected current is outside of a prescribed limit range, and a frequency characteristic adjusting section that increases a speed at which the control voltage tracks the input voltage by adjusting the frequency characteristic of the voltage control section when the applied current is outside of the limit range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: ADVANTEST CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenji OBARA
  • Publication number: 20090180680
    Abstract: A data processing unit acquires a review image including a pattern defect on a substrate, compares the review image with a reference image thereby to extract a defect image, the reference image including no pattern defect, and performs an alignment between the review image and a self-layer design pattern image which is generated from design data belonging to the identical layer in a region corresponding to the review image. The data processing unit, then, based on result of the alignment, generates an another-layer design pattern image which is generated from design data belonging to another layer in the region corresponding to the review image, and, based on a synthesized image of the defect image and the another-layer design pattern image, determines the relative position relationship between the pattern defect and a pattern belonging to another layer, and judges the criticality based on the relative position relationship.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2009
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Inventors: Norio Satou, Susumu Koyama, Masashi Sakamoto, Kenji Obara
  • Publication number: 20090127897
    Abstract: The present invention can include a frame member which attaches the monitor panel at a back side of a vehicle seat, a skin member covering the vehicle seat, a pad member having a seat outer shape, the frame member is harder than the pad member, and the frame member is arranged at a back side of the vehicle seat in place of the pad member and covered by the skin member and the monitor panel is attached to the frame member through the skin member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toyotaka WATANABE, Takayuki NIWA, Nobuhiko KAZUI, Masahiro IWAMOTO, Satoshi SUGIYAMA, Kenji OBARA, Naoki MITSUOKA, Hideyuki YAMANAKA, Yuji NISHIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20090121152
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a suitable method of observing a wafer edge by using an electron microscope. The electron microscope includes a column which can take an image in being tilted, and thus allows a wafer edge to be observed from an oblique direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji OBARA, Takehiro HIRAI
  • Patent number: 7526143
    Abstract: A method which, while displacing the field-of-view, allows the image in a target area to be acquired without degradations such as out-of-focus of the image. Plural pieces of images are acquired before and after a target area while displacing the field-of-view. Next, these images are grouped into groups each of which includes several pieces of images, and integrated images on each group basis are created. Moreover, a relational expression is calculated which holds between image displacement quantity calculated by comparing the integrated images with each other and the number of the photographed pieces of images. Furthermore, image displacement quantities between the acquired plural pieces of images are calculated from this relational expression. Finally, these images are corrected by the amounts of these displacement quantities, then being integrated. This process allows reconfiguration of the image in the target area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kohei Yamaguchi, Kazuo Aoki, Kenji Obara
  • Publication number: 20090084953
    Abstract: It is intended to reduce the auto focusing time and to increase the stability in a case that a defect on a specimen that has been detected by an inspection apparatus is observed by using a scanning electron microscope. One or more regions to be used for auto focusing are set in an imaging region or its neighborhood on the basis of semiconductor design information. A target focusing position in the imaging region is determined by performing auto focusing using the thus-set regions. The determined target focusing position is used for low-magnification imaging and high-magnification imaging. An auto focusing mode that is suitable for each imaging region is selected on the basis of the semiconductor design information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Inventors: Minoru Harada, Ryo Nakagaki, Kenji Obara
  • Publication number: 20090045335
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a suitable method of observing a wafer edge by using an electron microscope. The electron microscope includes a column which can take an image in being tilted, and thus allows a wafer edge to be observed from an oblique direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Publication date: February 19, 2009
    Inventors: Kenji Obara, Takehiro Hirai
  • Patent number: 7485858
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a suitable method of observing a wafer edge by using an electron microscope. The electron microscope includes a column which can take an image in being tilted, and thus allows a wafer edge to be observed from an oblique direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Obara, Takehiro Hirai
  • Publication number: 20090030867
    Abstract: A recipe setting method and reviewing apparatus which permit even a novice to analyze the contents of existing recipe settings without trial-and-error attempts in the reviewing apparatus for reviewing a sample and to create a new recipe in a short time based on the results of the analysis. By a reviewing apparatus having a function of reviewing a sample under registered review conditions, based on a recipe in which the review conditions are registered. The reviewing apparatus is configured to display a list of the contents of the settings of plural set items regarding plural recipes and to create a new recipe based on the results of analysis of commonality by using the contents of settings having high degrees of commonality as initial settings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventors: Takehiro HIRAI, Kenji Obara, Masashi Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20080270044
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a defect review apparatus capable of suppressing a reduction in throughput with a minimized deviation-amount measurement, and capable of optimizing an FOV of a monitoring image. To this end, the review apparatus for reviewing a specimen by moving the specimen to pre-calculated coordinate includes: a function to measure a deviation amount between the pre-calculated coordinates and coordinates of an actual position of the specimen; a function to optimize a coordinate correcting expression to minimize the measured deviation amount; and a function to determine that the deviation amounts have converged. When the deviation amounts have converged, the measurement for the coordinate-correcting-expression optimization is terminated. Thereby, the reduction in throughput is suppressed to the minimum level, and furthermore a FOV necessary for the specimen to be within the field of view is set according to a convergence value of the calculated deviation amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Hirai, Kenji Obara, Kohei Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20080187212
    Abstract: According to the present invention, techniques including a method and apparatus for classifying and displaying images are provided. In an embodiment of the present invention a defect image classification method using inspected objects is provided. The method includes defect images obtained from at least one inspected object. Next a set of defect images is classified into a specified category, which has a feature. The defect images are arranged for display according to the feature and then displayed. The arranging of the defect images may also be based on an evaluation value for each defect image. Another embodiment provides a defect image classification method using inspected objects. Defect images are obtained from at least one inspected object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Publication date: August 7, 2008
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji OBARA, Yuji TAKAGI, Ryo NAKAGAKI, Yasuhiro OZAWA, Toshiei KUROSAKI, Seiji ISOGAI
  • Publication number: 20080128617
    Abstract: A technique executes autofocus adjustment stably even when a plurality of patterns or foreign matter capable of being imaged only by a specific detector are included independently. Such an image as a concavo-convex image having a weak contrast can be picked up. The technique can automatically focus such an image even when it is difficult to find a focus position in the image. A scanning electron microscope includes a plurality of detectors for detecting secondary signals from a specimen when irradiated with an electron beam, and a calculation unit for combining the signals obtained from the detectors. At least two of the detectors are provided to be symmetric with respect to the electron beam. The focus of the electron beam is adjusted based on the signals of the detectors or on a signal corresponding to a combination of the signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2007
    Publication date: June 5, 2008
    Inventors: Kohei Yamaguchi, Kenji Obara
  • Patent number: 7361896
    Abstract: In a scanning electron microscope, scanning region is set to be narrow, upon which focused electron beam is scanned, so that the focused electron beam can be irradiated at the almost same position by plural numbers of times, irrespective of movement of the stage or of moving of the stage during braking thereof, and upon that region to be scanned is irradiated the focused electron beam, by plural numbers of times, while changing the focal position, thereby forming an image thereof. From the image formed is calculated out a section, from which a focus-in position can be calculated out, and then the focus-in position is calculated out from that calculated section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Honda, Munenori Fukunishi, Kenji Obara
  • Patent number: 7356177
    Abstract: According to the present invention, techniques including a method and apparatus for classifying and displaying images are provided. In an embodiment of the present invention a defect image classification method using inspected objects is provided. The method includes defect images obtained from at least one inspected object. Next a set of defect images is classified into a specified category, which has a feature. The defect images are arranged for display according to the feature and then displayed. The arranging of the defect images may also be based on an evaluation value for each defect image. Another embodiment provides a defect image classification method using inspected objects. Defect images are obtained from at least one inspected object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Obara, Yuji Takagi, Ryo Nakagaki, Yasuhiko Ozawa, Toshiei Kurosaki, Seiji Isogai
  • Publication number: 20080004742
    Abstract: The invention proposes a system that interrupts a processing associated with an ADC having low priority when an ADC processing cannot catch up with ADR by an ADC alone that is not under execution but uses an ADC for an ADR having high priority. To preferentially execute ADR/ADC having high priority, the invention employs an algorithm for serially selecting ADR/ADC in the order of higher processing capacity (in the order of greater numerical values in the expression by a DPH unit) from among ADR/ADCs that have the lowest priority, no matter whether the ADR/DC is now under execution or not.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiro Hirai, Kazuo Aoki, Kenji Obara
  • Publication number: 20070274609
    Abstract: An object of this invention is to realize, in a semiconductor defect review apparatus, a function of easily searching for an image similar to a reference image at high speed. To this end, an embodiment of this invention has a function of saving, as text information, pieces of information accompanying an image such as acquisition date and time, an acquisition condition, the result of analyzing a piece of information other than the image, and a user's comment, in association with the image. The embodiment is configured to narrow down similar image candidates by a keyword search using the pieces of accompanying information, calculate similarity of each image to a search reference image on the basis of the features of the image, and output search results in descending order of similarity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Hirai, Kazuo Aoki, Kenji Obara
  • Publication number: 20070170358
    Abstract: There is provided an electron microscope which can clearly detect a microscopic unevenness in a sample. According to a scanning electron microscope, when luminance signals from one pair of backscattered electron detectors are given by L and R, and when a luminance signal from a scattered electron detector is given by S, an adjustment value Lc of L and an adjustment value Rc of R are calculated by using primary homogeneous expressions of L, R, and S.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Inventors: Kohei Yamaguchi, Kenji Obara
  • Publication number: 20060282190
    Abstract: The invention proposes a system that interrupts a processing associated with an ADC having low priority when an ADC processing cannot catch up with ADR by an ADC alone that is not under execution but uses an ADC for an ADR having high priority. To preferentially execute ADR/ADC having high priority, the invention employs an algorithm for serially selecting ADR/ADC in the order of higher processing capacity (in the order of greater numerical values in the expression by a DPH unit) from among ADR/ADCs that have the lowest priority, no matter whether the ADR/DC is now under execution or not.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Publication date: December 14, 2006
    Inventors: Takehiro Hirai, Kazuo Aoki, Kenji Obara
  • Publication number: 20060274933
    Abstract: According to the present invention, techniques including a method and apparatus for classifying and displaying images are provided. In an embodiment of the present invention a defect image classification method using inspected objects is provided. The method includes defect images obtained from at least one inspected object. Next a set of defect images is classified into a specified category, which has a feature. The defect images are arranged for display according to the feature and then displayed. The arranging of the defect images may also be based on an evaluation value for each defect image. Another embodiment provides a defect image classification method using inspected objects. Defect images are obtained from at least one inspected object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Obara, Yuji Takagi, Ryo Nakagaki, Yasuhiro Ozawa, Toshiei Kurosaki, Seiji Isogai