Patents by Inventor Koichi Tatsuki
Koichi Tatsuki 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: 8693099Abstract: An antireflection film capable of reliably preventing light (or laser light), which is incident on a glass substrate and which reaches a metal film, from being reflected by the metal film. The antireflection film provided between a metal film having a complex refractive index represented by NM=nM?i·km and a glass substrate having a refractive index NG includes, from the metal film side: (A) a first dielectric layer having a refractive index N1; (B) a second dielectric layer provided on the first dielectric layer and having a refractive index N2; and (C) a third dielectric layer provided on the second dielectric layer and having a refractive index N3, in which N1<nM, N1>NG, N2<NG, and N3>NG hold. Accordingly, light which is incident on the glass substrate and which reaches the metal film is prevented from being reflected by the metal film.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2007Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: Japan Display West Inc.Inventors: Toshitaka Kawashima, Shigeo Kubota, Naoya Eguchi, Koichi Tatsuki, Junichi Ohsako
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Patent number: 8518756Abstract: A method for crystallizing a thin film A gate insulating film formed on a substrate so as to cover a gate electrode. A light absorption layer is formed thereon through a buffer layer. Energy lines Lh are applied to the light absorption layer from a continuous-wave laser such as a semiconductor laser. This anneals only a surface side of the light absorption layer Lh and produces a crystalline silicon film obtained by crystallizing the amorphous silicon film using heat generated by thermal conversion of the energy lines Lh at the light absorption layer and heat of the annealing reaction.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2012Date of Patent: August 27, 2013Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Nobuhiko Umezu, Koichi Tsukihara, Goh Matsunobu, Yoshio Inagaki, Koichi Tatsuki, Shin Hotta, Katsuya Shirai
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Publication number: 20120196395Abstract: A method for crystallizing a thin film A gate insulating film formed on a substrate so as to cover a gate electrode. A light absorption layer is formed thereon through a buffer layer. Energy lines Lh are applied to the light absorption layer from a continuous-wave laser such as a semiconductor laser. This anneals only a surface side of the light absorption layer Lh and produces a crystalline silicon film obtained by crystallizing the amorphous silicon film using heat generated by thermal conversion of the energy lines Lh at the light absorption layer and heat of the annealing reaction.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2012Publication date: August 2, 2012Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Nobuhiko UMEZU, Koichi TSUKIHARA, Goh MATSUNOBU, Yoshio INAGAKI, Koichi TATSUKI, Shin HOTTA, Katsuya SHIRAI
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Patent number: 8168518Abstract: A gate insulating film (13) is formed on a substrate (1) so as to cover a gate electrode (11), and an amorphous silicon film (semiconductor thin film) (15) is further formed. A light absorption layer (19) is formed thereon through a buffer layer (17). Energy lines Lh are applied to the light absorption layer (19) from a continuous-wave laser such as a semiconductor laser. This oxidizes only a surface side of the light absorption layer Lh and produces a beautiful crystalline silicon film (15a) obtained by crystallizing the amorphous silicon film (15) using heat generated by thermal conversion of the energy lines Lh at the light absorption layer (19) and heat of the oxidation reaction. This provides a method for crystallizing a thin film with good controllability at low costs achieved with simpler process.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2008Date of Patent: May 1, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Nobuhiko Umezu, Koichi Tsukihara, Goh Matsunobu, Yoshio Inagaki, Koichi Tatsuki, Shin Hotta, Katsuya Shirai
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Patent number: 7820531Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the steps of: modifying a semiconductor film by applying a laser beam; and forming a semiconductor device on the modified semiconductor film. In the step of modifying the semiconductor film, the laser beam and the substrate are moved relative to each other in a first direction and a second direction which is opposite to the first direction, a change in an optical characteristic between an area irradiated with the laser beam and an area which is not irradiated with the laser beam in the substrate or an optical characteristic of the irradiated area is measured in each of the first and second directions, and irradiation power of the laser beam is modulated so that the difference between a measurement result in the first direction and a measurement result in the second direction lies in a predetermined range.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2008Date of Patent: October 26, 2010Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Goh Matsunobu, Koichi Tatsuki, Yoshio Inagaki, Nobuhiko Umezu, Koichi Tsukihara
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Publication number: 20100159619Abstract: A gate insulating film (13) is formed on a substrate (1) so as to cover a gate electrode (11), and an amorphous silicon film (semiconductor thin film) (15) is further formed. A light absorption layer (19) is formed thereon through a buffer layer (17). Energy lines Lh are applied to the light absorption layer (19) from a continuous-wave laser such as a semiconductor laser. This oxidizes only a surface side of the light absorption layer Lh and produces a beautiful crystalline silicon film (15a) obtained by crystallizing the amorphous silicon film (15) using heat generated by thermal conversion of the energy lines Lh at the light absorption layer (19) and heat of the oxidation reaction. This provides a method for crystallizing a thin film with good controllability at low costs achieved with simpler process.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2008Publication date: June 24, 2010Applicant: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Nobuhiko Umezu, Koichi Tsukihara, Goh Matsunobu, Yoshio Inagaki, Koichi Tatsuki, Shin Hotta, Katsuya Shirai
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Publication number: 20090095962Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the steps of: modifying a semiconductor film by applying a laser beam; and forming a semiconductor device on the modified semiconductor film. In the step of modifying the semiconductor film, the laser beam and the substrate are moved relative to each other in a first direction and a second direction which is opposite to the first direction, a change in an optical characteristic between an area irradiated with the laser beam and an area which is not irradiated with the laser beam in the substrate or an optical characteristic of the irradiated area is measured in each of the first and second directions, and irradiation power of the laser beam is modulated so that the difference between a measurement result in the first direction and a measurement result in the second direction lies in a predetermined range.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2008Publication date: April 16, 2009Applicant: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Goh Matsunobu, Koichi Tatsuki, Yoshio Inagaki, Nobuhiko Umezu, Koichi Tsukihara
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Publication number: 20080024867Abstract: There is provided an antireflection film capable of reliably preventing light (or laser light), which is incident on a glass substrate and which reaches a metal film, from being reflected by the metal film. The antireflection film provided between a metal film having a complex refractive index represented by NM=nM?i·km and a glass substrate having a refractive index NG includes, from the metal film side: (A) a first dielectric layer having a refractive index N1; (B) a second dielectric layer provided on the first dielectric layer and having a refractive index N2; and (C) a third dielectric layer provided on the second dielectric layer and having a refractive index N3, in which N1<nM, N1>NG, N2<NG, and N3>NG hold. Accordingly, light which is incident on the glass substrate and which reaches the metal film is prevented from being reflected by the metal film.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2007Publication date: January 31, 2008Applicant: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Toshitaka Kawashima, Shigeo Kubota, Naoya Eguchi, Koichi Tatsuki, Junichi Ohsako
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Publication number: 20070178674Abstract: A laser annealing device (10) includes a laser oscillator (12), radiating a pulsed laser light beam of a preset period, and an illuminating optical system (15) for illuminating a pulsed laser light beam to an amorphous silicon film (1). The illuminating optical system (15) manages control for moving a laser spot so that a plural number of light pulses will be illuminated on the same location on the amorphous silicon film (1). The laser oscillator (12) radiates a laser light beam of a pulse generation period shorter than the reference period. The reference period is a time interval as from the radiation timing of illumination of a pulsed laser light beam on the surface of the film (1) until the timing of reversion of the substrate temperature raised due to the illumination of the laser light beam to the original substrate temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2007Publication date: August 2, 2007Applicant: SONY CORPORATIONInventors: Yutaka Imai, Nobuhito Umezu, Akihiko Asano, Shin Hotta, Koichi Tatsuki, Atsushi Fukumoto, Shigeo Kubota
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Patent number: 7154673Abstract: A light illuminating apparatus used for a laser annealing apparatus includes a first light splitting unit (16) and a second light splitting unit (20) for splitting a sole laser beam into n laser beams, and a synthesis unit (21) for synthesizing an m'th laser beam, radiated from the first light splitting unit (16), and an m'th laser beam radiated from the second light splitting unit (20), to each other, where m is an integer not less than 1 and not larger than n. The first light splitting unit (16) and the second light splitting unit (20) are formed by the same optical components and are arrayed inverted with respect to each other.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2003Date of Patent: December 26, 2006Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Koichi Tsukihara, Koichi Tatsuki
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Patent number: 7109435Abstract: According to the present invention, a laser annealing apparatus (10) includes a beam splitter (14) composed of first and second beam splitters (21, 22) disposed in parallel to each other to split one laser beam into four laser beams not interfering with each other, and a reflecting mirror (23). Upon the second beam splitter (22), there are incident a transmitted beam from the first beam splitter (21) and a laser beam outgoing from the first beam splitter (21) and then reflected by the reflecting mirror (23). The second beam splitter (22) provides two transmitted beams to outside, and the reflecting mirror (23) reflects the reflected beam from the second beam splitter (22) for traveling to outside. The distance between the two beam splitters (21 and 22), and the distance between the first beam splitter (21) and reflecting mirror (23), is larger than L/(2 cos ?) (where ? is an incident angle and L is a coherence length).Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2002Date of Patent: September 19, 2006Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Koichi Tsukihara, Koichi Tatsuki
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Publication number: 20050270650Abstract: A light illuminating apparatus used for a laser annealing apparatus includes a first light splitting unit (16) and a second light splitting unit (20) for splitting a sole laser beam into n laser beams, and a synthesis unit (21) for synthesizing an m'th laser beam, radiated from the first light splitting unit (16), and an m'th laser beam radiated from the second light splitting unit (20), to each other, where m is an integer not less than 1 and not larger than n. The first light splitting unit (16) and the second light splitting unit (20) are formed by the same optical components and are arrayed inverted with respect to each other.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2003Publication date: December 8, 2005Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Koichi Tsukihara, Koichi Tatsuki
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Publication number: 20050252894Abstract: A laser annealing device (10) includes a laser oscillator (12), radiating a pulsed laser light beam of a preset period, and an illuminating optical system (15) for illuminating a pulsed laser light beam to an amorphous silicon film (1). The illuminating optical system (15) manages control for moving a laser spot so that a plural number of light pulses will be illuminated on the same location on the amorphous silicon film (1). The laser oscillator (12) radiates a laser light beam of a pulse generation period shorter than the reference period. The reference period is a time interval as from the radiation timing of illumination of a pulsed laser light beam on the surface of the film (1) until the timing of reversion of the substrate temperature raised due to the illumination of the laser light beam to the original substrate temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2005Publication date: November 17, 2005Inventors: Yutaka Imai, Nobuhiko Umezu, Akihiko Asano, Shin Hotta, Koichi Tatsuki, Atsushi Fukumoto, Shigeo Kubota
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Patent number: 6933185Abstract: The state of a polysilicon film formed by excimer laser annealing an amorphous silicon film is to be evaluated. When the amorphous silicon film is annealed to form a polysilicon film, linearity or periodicity presents itself in the spatial structure of the film surface of the polysilicon film formed depending on the energy applied to the amorphous silicon during annealing. This linearity or periodicity is processed as an image and represented numerically from the image by exploiting the linearity or periodicity. The state of the polysilicon film is checked based on the numerical results.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2003Date of Patent: August 23, 2005Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Wada, Yoshimi Hirata, Ayumu Taguchi, Koichi Tatsuki, Nobuhiko Umezu, Shigeo Kubota, Tetsuo Abe, Akifumi Ooshima, Tadashi Hattori, Makoto Takatoku, Yukiyasu Sugano
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Publication number: 20040232126Abstract: In a method of fabricating a thin film transistor through conversion of an amorphous silicon film into a polysilicon film to be an active layer of the thin film transistor by a laser annealing treatment, a laser annealing apparatus comprising a plurality of semiconductor laser devices arranged performs the laser annealing treatment by irradiating the surface of the amorphous silicon film with laser light uniformized in the light intensity of the laser light radiated onto the surface of the amorphous silicon film, whereby the crystal grain diameter of the polysilicon film obtained through recrystallization is uniformized, and it is possible to obtain a thin film transistor with transistor characteristics enhanced by using the polysilicon film as the active layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 9, 2004Publication date: November 25, 2004Inventors: Koichi Tatsuki, Koichi Tsukihara, Naoya Eguchi
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Patent number: 6798498Abstract: A polysilicon film evaluation apparatus is provided which enables objective automatic evaluation of the status of a polysilicon film, as formed to a high accuracy in a contact-free fashion.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2002Date of Patent: September 28, 2004Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Precision Technology Inc.Inventors: Hiroyuki Wada, Koichi Tatsuki, Nobuhiko Umezu, Eiji Isomura, Tetsuo Abe, Tadashi Hattori, Akifumi Ooshima, Makoto Uragaki, Yoshiyuki Noguchi, Hiroyuki Tamaki, Masataka Ebe, Tomohiro Ishiguro, Yasuyuki Kato
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Patent number: 6780692Abstract: In a method of fabricating a thin film transistor through conversion of an amorphous silicon film into a polysilicon film to be an active layer of the thin film transistor by a laser annealing treatment, a laser annealing apparatus comprising a plurality of semiconductor laser devices arranged performs the laser annealing treatment by irradiating the surface of the amorphous silicon film with laser light uniformized in the light intensity of the laser light radiated onto the surface of the amorphous silicon film, whereby the crystal grain diameter of the polysilicon film obtained through recrystallization is uniformized, and it is possible to obtain a thin film transistor with transistor characteristics enhanced by using the polysilicon film as the active layer.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2002Date of Patent: August 24, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Koichi Tatsuki, Koichi Tsukihara, Naoya Eguchi
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Publication number: 20040120050Abstract: According to the present invention, a laser annealing apparatus (10) includes a beam splitter (14) composed of first and second beam splitters (21, 22) disposed in parallel to each other to split one laser beam into four laser beams not interfering with each other, and a reflecting mirror (23). Upon the second beam splitter (22), there are incident a transmitted beam from the first beam splitter (21) and a laser beam outgoing from the first beam splitter (21) and then reflected by the reflecting mirror (23). The second beam splitter (22) provides two transmitted beams to outside, and the reflecting mirror (23) reflects the reflected beam from the second beam splitter (22) for traveling to outside. The distance between the two beam splitters (21 and 22), and the distance between the first beam splitter (21) and reflecting mirror (23), is larger than L/(2 cos &thgr;) (where &thgr; is an incident angle and L is a coherence length).Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2004Publication date: June 24, 2004Inventors: Koichi Tsukihara, Koichi Tatsuki
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Publication number: 20040097103Abstract: A laser annealing device (10) includes a laser oscillator (12), radiating a pulsed laser light beam of a preset period, and an illuminating optical system (15) for illuminating a pulsed laser light beam to an amorphous silicon film (1). The illuminating optical system (15) manages control for moving a laser spot so that a plural number of light pulses will be illuminated on the same location on the amorphous silicon film (1). The laser oscillator (12) radiates a laser light beam of a pulse generation period shorter than the reference period. The reference period is a time interval as from the radiation timing of illumination of a pulsed laser light beam on the surface of the film (1) until the timing of reversion of the substrate temperature raised due to the illumination of the laser light beam to the original substrate temperature.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2003Publication date: May 20, 2004Inventors: Yutaka Imai, Nobuhiko Umezu, Akihiko Asano, Shin Hotta, Koichi Tatsuki, Atsushi Fukumoto, Shigeo Kubota
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Patent number: 6673639Abstract: A method of evaluating a state of a polysilicon film objectively, accurately, automatically, and in a non-contact manner is provided. The method includes the steps of picking up a surface of a polysilicon film formed by excimer laser annealing, dividing the picked-up image into meshes each having a specific size, calculating a contrast in each of the meshes, extracting a highest contrast value and a lowest contrast value in the picked-up image, calculating a contrast ratio therebetween, and judging an average grain size of the polysilicon film on the basis of the contrast ratio.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2002Date of Patent: January 6, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Hiroyuki Wada, Nobuhiko Umezu, Koichi Tatsuki