Patents by Inventor Kimiaki Ando

Kimiaki Ando 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: 8937714
    Abstract: Provided is a method wherein a multi-anode detector is used for the purpose of detecting scattered light from a wafer, data obtained from the detector (multi-anode) for detecting defects is used, the shape of a beam radiated to the wafer, a rotational shift between the radius direction and the beam long side, and the like are calculated, and the optical axis of the irradiation beam is adjusted. Furthermore, the method is provided with a technique which feeds back the correction quantities for rotation and amplitude to inspection signal data, on the basis of the correction data, and corrects inspection data. Since fine correction with the adjustment of an optics system and signal processing is made possible, positional accuracy of defect inspection and accuracy of defect level (defect size) are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kimiaki Ando, Hiroshi Kikuchi, Yuji Inoue
  • Publication number: 20120314211
    Abstract: Provided is a method wherein a multi-anode detector is used for the purpose of detecting scattered light from a wafer, data obtained from the detector (multi-anode) for detecting defects is used, the shape of a beam radiated to the wafer, a rotational shift between the radius direction and the beam long side, and the like are calculated, and the optical axis of the irradiation beam is adjusted. Furthermore, the method is provided with a technique which feeds back the correction quantities for rotation and amplitude to inspection signal data, on the basis of the correction data, and corrects inspection data. Since fine correction with the adjustment of an optics system and signal processing is made possible, positional accuracy of defect inspection and accuracy of defect level (defect size) are improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kimiaki Ando, Hiroshi Kikuchi, Yuji Inoue
  • Patent number: 8008622
    Abstract: High-contrast exposure is performed by use of a small dose of electron beams, a pattern is formed on a wafer with high accuracy, and high-precision inspection is performed. In pattern formation, proximity effect correction processing is performed. Moreover, exposure of electron beams is performed based on a result of filtering using an inverse characteristic of exposure characteristics of the electron beams. Furthermore, in pattern inspection, electron beams are irradiated based on a result of filtering for obtaining a peripheral region of an edge of the pattern formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignees: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Canon Inc.
    Inventors: Ryo Fujita, Haruo Yoda, Kimiaki Ando, Yuji Inoue, Masato Muraki
  • Patent number: 7952074
    Abstract: A circuit pattern inspection method and an apparatus therefore, in which the whole of a portion to be inspected of a sample to be inspected is made to be in a predetermined changed state, the portion to be inspected is irradiated with an image-forming high-density electron beam while scanning the electron beam, secondary charged particles are detected at a portion irradiated with the electron beam after a predetermined period of time from an instance when the electron beam is irradiated, an image is formed on the basis of the thus detected secondary charged particle signal, and the portion to be inspected is inspected by using the thus formed image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shinada, Mari Nozoe, Haruo Yoda, Kimiaki Ando, Katsuhiro Kuroda, Yutaka Kaneko, Maki Tanaka, Shunji Maeda, Hitoshi Kubota, Aritoshi Sugimoto, Katsuya Sugiyama, Atsuko Takafuji, Yusuke Yajima, Hiroshi Tooyama, Tadao Ino, Takashi Hiroi, Kazushi Yoshimura, Yasutsugu Usami
  • Publication number: 20100078555
    Abstract: High-contrast exposure is performed by use of a small dose of electron beams, a pattern is formed on a wafer with high accuracy, and high-precision inspection is performed. In pattern formation, proximity effect correction processing is performed. Moreover, exposure of electron beams is performed based on a result of filtering using an inverse characteristic of exposure characteristics of the electron beams. Furthermore, in pattern inspection, electron beams are irradiated based on a result of filtering for obtaining a peripheral region of an edge of the pattern formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Ryo FUJITA, Haruo Yoda, Kimiaki Ando, Yuji Inoue, Masato Muraki
  • Publication number: 20100078556
    Abstract: High-contrast exposure is performed by use of a small dose of electron beams, a pattern is formed on a wafer with high accuracy, and high-precision inspection is performed. In pattern formation, proximity effect correction processing is performed. Moreover, exposure of electron beams is performed based on a result of filtering using an inverse characteristic of exposure characteristics of the electron beams. Furthermore, in pattern inspection, electron beams are irradiated based on a result of filtering for obtaining a peripheral region of an edge of the pattern formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Ryo Fujita, Haruo Yoda, Kimiaki Ando, Yuji Inoue, Masato Muraki
  • Patent number: 7643462
    Abstract: A receiver allows a user to select received data before de-spreading or symbol data after de-spreading according to various factors when data is simultaneously received via multiple channels and to store the selected data, reduces the capacity of the storage memory, and enhances the degree of freedom of the timing of de-spreading processing. Storing the received data in the storage memory not in the form of symbol data produced after de-spreading but in the form of received data before de-spreading. This reduces the capacity of the storage memory and enhances the degree of the freedom of the timing of the de-spreading process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Kimiaki Ando
  • Patent number: 7635851
    Abstract: High-contrast exposure is performed by use of a small dose of electron beams, a pattern is formed on a wafer with high accuracy, and high-precision inspection is performed. In pattern formation, proximity effect correction processing is performed. Moreover, exposure of electron beams is performed based on a result of filtering using an inverse characteristic of exposure characteristics of the electron beams. Furthermore, in pattern inspection, electron beams are irradiated based on a result of filtering for obtaining a peripheral region of an edge of the pattern formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignees: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Canon Inc.
    Inventors: Ryo Fujita, Haruo Yoda, Kimiaki Ando, Yuji Inoue, Masato Muraki
  • Patent number: 7608844
    Abstract: In the present invention, vector data developing unit, ends separating unit, overlap removing unit and bitmapped data generating unit are sequentially connected in order to make pipeline processing. In addition, data of each raster is orderly arranged as a unit so that each processor can process data of each raster at a time. Each processor can make the pipeline processing to fast generate data. In addition, small-scale circuits can be used to realize the system because each raster can be processed as a unit of processing. Moreover, since data is orderly arranged before being processed, multi-valued bitmapped data can be generated in the order of drawing. Therefore, the drawing operation and data generating operation can be performed in parallel without use of any large-scale storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignees: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Canon Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji Inoue, Haruo Yoda, Kimiaki Ando, Yoshikiyo Yui
  • Publication number: 20080302964
    Abstract: A circuit pattern inspection method and an apparatus therefor, in which the whole of a portion to be inspected of a sample to be inspected is made to be in a predetermined changed state, the portion to be inspected is irradiated with an image-forming high-density electron beam while scanning the electron beam, secondary charged particles are detected at a portion irradiated with the electron beam after a predetermined period of time from an instance when the electron beam is irradiated, an image is formed on the basis of the thus detected secondary charged particle signal, and the portion to be inspected is inspected by using the thus formed image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2008
    Publication date: December 11, 2008
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shinada, Mari Nozoe, Haruo Yoda, Kimiaki Ando, Katsuhiro Kuroda, Yutaka Kaneko, Maki Tanaka, Shunji Maeda, Hitoshi Kubota, Aritoshi Sugimoto, Katsuya Sugiyama, Atsuko Takafuji, Yusuke Yajima, Hiroshi Tooyama, Tadao Ino, Takashi Hiroi, Kazushi Yoshimura, Yasutsugu Usami
  • Patent number: 7417444
    Abstract: A circuit pattern inspection method and an apparatus therefor, in which the whole of a portion to be inspected of a sample to be inspected is made to be in a predetermined charged state, the portion to be inspected is irradiated with an image-forming high-density electron beam while scanning the electron beam, secondary charged particles are detected at a portion irradiated with the electron beam after a predetermined period of time from an instance when the electron beam is irradiated, an image is formed on the basis of the thus detected secondary charged particle signal, and the portion to be inspected is inspected by using the thus formed image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shinada, Mari Nozoe, Haruo Yoda, Kimiaki Ando, Katsuhiro Kuroda, Yutaka Kaneko, Maki Tanaka, Shunji Maeda, Hitoshi Kubota, Aritoshi Sugimoto, Katsuya Sugiyama, Atsuko Takafuji, Yusuke Yajima, Hiroshi Tooyama, Tadao Ino, Takashi Hiroi, Kazushi Yoshimura, Yasutsugu Usami
  • Publication number: 20080095217
    Abstract: A correlation detection apparatus detects a correlation between a reception signal and a spreading code. A logic circuit is operated with a chip clock. The logic circuit generates the spreading code of an offset unit of ½ chip according to a combination value of chips next to each other in a spreading code sequence, the spreading code sequence taking values of “+1” and “?1.” The logic circuit includes a ? value converter that outputs a “0” when chips next to each other are not similar, outputs a “+1” when chips next to each other are of a value “+1”, and outputs a “?1” when chips next to each other are of a value “?1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kimiaki ANDO
  • Patent number: 7313173
    Abstract: One code is generated by combining (including addition) 2 or more codes, correlation detection method which detects the correlation by multiplying such a generated code by the reception data. In communication system based on W-CDMA method, first spreading code (a·Cp) obtained by multiplying primary synchronization code with a predetermined coefficient and second spreading code (a·Cs) obtained by multiplying secondary synchronization code with a predetermined coefficient are added. Then, the third spreading code (a·Cp+a·Cs) obtained from such an addition is multiplied by the reception data, and correlation value is obtained after integrating the multiplication results. Thus, it is determined whether the reception data has been subjected to STTD diversity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kimiaki Ando
  • Publication number: 20070057200
    Abstract: High-contrast exposure is performed by use of a small dose of electron beams, a pattern is formed on a wafer with high accuracy, and high-precision inspection is performed. In pattern formation, proximity effect correction processing is performed. Moreover, exposure of electron beams is performed based on a result of filtering using an inverse characteristic of exposure characteristics of the electron beams. Furthermore, in pattern inspection, electron beams are irradiated based on a result of filtering for obtaining a peripheral region of an edge of the pattern formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2006
    Publication date: March 15, 2007
    Inventors: Ryo Fujita, Haruo Yoda, Kimiaki Ando, Yuji Inoue, Masato Muraki
  • Publication number: 20060120331
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to switch the storage of receive data which have not been diffused reversely or the storage of symbol data subjected to the reverse diffusion depending on various factors when receiving a large number of channels at the same time, thereby reducing storage memories to increase a degree of freedom of a processing timing in the reverse diffusion processing. There are provided a calculation order determining portion (2), selectors (3, 5, 7), a reverse diffusing portion (4) and a storage memory (6). When the receive data of a multichannel are to be received, the inputs of the selectors (3, 5) are switched to a 2 side by the calculation order determining portion (2) to store, in the storage memory (6), the receive data which have not been diffused reversely in place of the symbol data subjected to the reverse diffusion. Consequently, it is possible to reduce the storage memory (6) and to increase the degree of freedom of the processing timing in the reverse diffusion processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2004
    Publication date: June 8, 2006
    Inventor: Kimiaki Ando
  • Patent number: 7026830
    Abstract: To make possible the in-line inspection of a pattern of an insulating material. A patterned wafer 40 formed with a pattern by a resist film is placed on a specimen table 21 of a patterned wafer inspection apparatus 1 in opposed relation to a SEM 3. An electron beam 10 of a large current is emitted from an electron gun 11 and the pattern of the patterned wafer is scanned only once at a high scanning rate. The secondary electrons generated by this scanning from the patterned wafer are detected by a secondary electron detector 16 thereby to acquire an electron beam image. Using this electron beam image, the comparative inspection is conducted on the patterned wafer through an arithmetic operation unit 32 and a defect determining unit 33. Since an electron beam image of high contrast can be obtained by scanning an electron beam only once, a patterned wafer inspection method using a SEM can be implemented in the IC fabrication method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shinada, Mari Nozoe, Haruo Yoda, Kimiaki Ando, Katsuhiro Kuroda, Yutaka Kaneko, Maki Tanaka, Shunji Maeda, Hitoshi Kubota, Aritoshi Sugimoto, Katsuya Sugiyama, Atsuko Takafuji, Yusuke Yajima, Hiroshi Tooyama, Tadao Ino, Takashi Hiroi, Kazushi Yoshimura, Yasutsugu Usami
  • Publication number: 20060043982
    Abstract: A circuit pattern inspection method and an apparatus therefor, in which the whole of a portion to be inspected of a sample to be inspected is made to be in a predetermined charged state, the portion to be inspected is irradiated with an image-forming high-density electron beam while scanning the electron beam, secondary charged particles are detected at a portion irradiated with the electron beam after a predetermined period of time from an instance when the electron beam is irradiated, an image is formed on the basis of the thus detected secondary charged particle signal, and the portion to be inspected is inspected by using the thus formed image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Shinada, Mari Nozoe, Haruo Yoda, Kimiaki Ando, Katsuhiro Kuroda, Yutaka Kaneko, Maki Tanaka, Shunji Maeda, Hitoshi Kubota, Aritoshi Sugimoto, Katsuya Sugiyama, Atsuko Takafuji, Yusuke Yajima, Hiroshi Tooyama, Tadao Ino, Takashi Hiroi, Kazushi Yoshimura, Yasutsugu Usami
  • Publication number: 20060033050
    Abstract: In the case of drawing an oblique figure pattern, when drawing an oblique figure by using a slender rectangular beam, a problem occurs that edge roughness occurs at an oblique-side portion to deteriorate the drawing accuracy. The present invention solves the above problem and provides an electron-beam drawing apparatus and an electron-beam drawing method capable of accurately drawing even an oblique figure. A first rectangular aperture and a second parallelogrammatic aperture are used and a variable parallelogrammatic electron beam formed by two apertures is used to draw a desired pattern on the surface of a sample. Moreover, oblique-side-portion-contour decomposition means is used to draw an oblique-side portion by a variable parallelogram and the inside of an oblique side by a triangle and a quadrangle (rectangle).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2005
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Inventors: Kimiaki Ando, Haruo Yoda, Rikio Tomiyoshi, Masamichi Kawano
  • Publication number: 20050285054
    Abstract: In the present invention, vector data developing unit, ends separating unit, overlap removing unit and bitmapped data generating unit are sequentially connected in order to make pipeline processing. In addition, data of each raster is orderly arranged as a unit so that each processor can process data of each raster at a time. Each processor can make the pipeline processing to fast generate data. In addition, small-scale circuits can be used to realize the system because each raster can be processed as a unit of processing. Moreover, since data is orderly arranged before being processed, multi-valued bitmapped data can be generated in the order of drawing. Therefore, the drawing operation and data generating operation can be performed in parallel without use of any large-scale storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Publication date: December 29, 2005
    Inventors: Yuji Inoue, Haruo Yoda, Kimiaki Ando, Yoshikiyo Yui
  • Patent number: 6977956
    Abstract: The pilot signal reception method of the present invention irregularly receives pilot symbols. That is, the pilot signal reception method performs irregular reception processing such as randomizing reception timings or changing reception timings according to reception situations as appropriate to reduce influences of fading. Randomization of reception timings is implemented by generating random timings using a random timing generation circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimiaki Ando, Hiroki Shinde