Patents by Inventor Kenta SAIKI

Kenta SAIKI 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: 11639947
    Abstract: A method of detecting a foreign object on a stage according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes acquiring first position information of a first pattern included in a first image in a reference state of a surface of the stage capable of attracting an object to be inspected; acquiring second position information of a second pattern included in a second image of the surface, the second image being obtained after obtaining the first image; and detecting one or more foreign objects on the surface by comparing the first position information and the second position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Kenta Saiki, Takuya Ishida
  • Publication number: 20210215742
    Abstract: A method of detecting a foreign object on a stage according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes acquiring first position information of a first pattern included in a first image in a reference state of a surface of the stage capable of attracting an object to be inspected; acquiring second position information of a second pattern included in a second image of the surface, the second image being obtained after obtaining the first image; and detecting one or more foreign objects on the surface by comparing the first position information and the second position information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Kenta SAIKI, Takuya ISHIDA
  • Patent number: 10310010
    Abstract: A probe apparatus includes a stage, a first and a second imaging device, a first and a second imaging optical unit, and a projection optical unit. The stage is movable in horizontal and vertical directions. The first imaging device picks up an image of a probe needle which is made to contact with an electrode of a device formed on a surface of the substrate. The first and second imaging optical units include optical systems for performing an image pickup by using the first and second imaging devices, respectively. The second imaging device picks up an image of the electrode held on the stage. The projection optical unit includes an optical system that projects an optical target mark, used in a position alignment of the first and the second imaging device, onto each of image forming units of the first and second imaging devices at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignees: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED, SEIWA OPTICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Muneaki Tamura, Shinji Akaike, Kenta Saiki, Kazuhiko Koshimizu, Isao Okazaki, Mitsuya Kawatsuki, Kiyoshi Tsuda
  • Patent number: 10074192
    Abstract: A method of controlling a substrate inspection apparatus, which includes a stage configured to mount a substrate thereon and move in first and second moving directions and a camera configured to photograph the stage. The method includes: calculating in each quadrant divided by X and Y axis defining a coordinate system of an image photographed by the camera, a deviation of the X axis in a rotational direction with respect to the first moving direction or a deviation of the Y axis in the rotational direction with respect to the second moving direction; correcting a position of a photographed target in the coordinate system of the image photographed by the camera based on the calculated deviation in the rotational direction; and performing an alignment of the stage based on the corrected position of the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kenta Saiki, Shinji Akaike
  • Patent number: 10006941
    Abstract: A contact position of a probe needle with respect to electrode pads 71 to 75 of a semiconductor device is inspected in advance when performing an inspection by a prober on the semiconductor device formed on a wafer W placed on a stage 11. A reticle 31 on which shapes 61 to 65 indicating positions of the probe needles are formed is placed instead of the probe needles at a position where the probe needles are arranged. The semiconductor device formed on the wafer W is imaged by the imaging unit 33 through the reticle 31. A positional relationship between the shapes formed on the reticle 31 and the electrode pads 71 to 75 is analyzed from the image. When necessary, a position of the stage 11 is adjusted such that centers of the shapes 61 to 65 and centers of the electrode pad 71 to 75 are coincident.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kenta Saiki, Toshihiko Tanaka, Muneaki Tamura, Kazuhiko Koshimizu, Shinji Akaike
  • Publication number: 20170219625
    Abstract: A contact position of a probe needle with respect to electrode pads 71 to 75 of a semiconductor device is inspected in advance when performing an inspection by a prober on the semiconductor device formed on a wafer W placed on a stage 11. A reticle 31 on which shapes 61 to 65 indicating positions of the probe needles are formed is placed instead of the probe needles at a position where the probe needles are arranged. The semiconductor device formed on the wafer W is imaged by the imaging unit 33 through the reticle 31. A positional relationship between the shapes formed on the reticle 31 and the electrode pads 71 to 75 is analyzed from the image. When necessary, a position of the stage 11 is adjusted such that centers of the shapes 61 to 65 and centers of the electrode pad 71 to 75 are coincident.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Kenta Saiki, Toshihiko Tanaka, Muneaki Tamura, Kazuhiko Koshimizu, Shinji Akaike
  • Publication number: 20160161553
    Abstract: A probe apparatus includes a stage, a first and a second imaging device, a first and a second imaging optical unit, and a projection optical unit. The stage is movable in horizontal and vertical directions. The first imaging device picks up an image of a probe needle which is made to contact with an electrode of a device formed on a surface of the substrate. The first and second imaging optical units include optical systems for performing an image pickup by using the first and second imaging devices, respectively. The second imaging device picks up an image of the electrode held on the stage. The projection optical unit includes an optical system that projects an optical target mark, used in a position alignment of the first and the second imaging device, onto each of image forming units of the first and second imaging devices at the same time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Muneaki TAMURA, Shinji AKAIKE, Kenta SAIKI, Kazuhiko KOSHIMIZU, Isao OKAZAKI, Mitsuya KAWATSUKI, Kiyoshi TSUDA
  • Publication number: 20160098837
    Abstract: A method of controlling a substrate inspection apparatus, which includes a stage configured to mount a substrate thereon and move in first and second moving directions and a camera configured to photograph the stage. The method includes: calculating in each quadrant divided by X and Y axis defining a coordinate system of an image photographed by the camera, a deviation of the X axis in a rotational direction with respect to the first moving direction or a deviation of the Y axis in the rotational direction with respect to the second moving direction; correcting a position of a photographed target in the coordinate system of the image photographed by the camera based on the calculated deviation in the rotational direction; and performing an alignment of the stage based on the corrected position of the target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Kenta SAIKI, Shinji AKAIKE