Patents by Inventor Koichi Tsukihara

Koichi Tsukihara 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: 11112345
    Abstract: Provided is a microparticle measurement device including a light emission unit that emits light to a microparticle to be analyzed and a light detection unit that detects light generated from the microparticle at a predetermined detection position. The microparticle measurement device further includes an analysis unit that is connected to the light detection unit and analyzes a detection value of the light detected by the light detection unit. The light detection unit is movable from the detection position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshitsugu Sakai, Masaaki Abe, Koichi Tsukihara, Shoji Akiyama, Shinichi Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20200319081
    Abstract: The present technology is mainly directed to providing a technology capable of reducing contamination risk. To achieve the object, in the present technology, provided is a microparticle measurement device including at least: a light emission unit that emits light to a microparticle to be analyzed; a light detection unit that detects light generated from the microparticle at a predetermined detection position; and an analysis unit that is connected to the light detection unit and analyzes a detection value of the light detected by the light detection unit, in which the light detection unit is movable from the detection position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Inventors: YOSHITSUGU SAKAI, MASAAKI ABE, KOICHI TSUKIHARA, SHOJI AKIYAMA, SHINICHI HASEGAWA
  • Publication number: 20140370586
    Abstract: A microchip is provided. The microchip includes an incident surface configured to receive light transmitted from a light source, the light being received from an incident direction and a back surface that is opposite the incident surface, the back surface including a portion that is configured to reflect light transmitted from the light source away from the incident direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Seo, Koichi Tsukihara, Yoshiki Okamoto, Shunpei Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8592713
    Abstract: An irradiating apparatus for irradiating an irradiation object with beam light emitted from a semiconductor laser, wherein letting w be a radius of a beam for irradiating the irradiation object, ? be a rate of individual difference in angle of divergence of the semiconductor laser, and ? be beam wavelength of the semiconductor laser, a focal position of an irradiating optical system interposed between the semiconductor laser and the irradiation object is defocused such that a distance z between the focal position and the irradiation object is z = ? · w 2 ? · 1 - ? 2 ( 1 - ? 2 ) 2 + 1 .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Koichi Tsukihara
  • Patent number: 8518756
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Umezu, Koichi Tsukihara, Goh Matsunobu, Yoshio Inagaki, Koichi Tatsuki, Shin Hotta, Katsuya Shirai
  • Patent number: 8451536
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an irradiation apparatus including: laser light source; a polarization splitting section configured to split laser light emitted from the laser light source into first linearly polarized light and second linearly polarized light different in polarization direction; a light beam dividing section configured to divide the first or second linearly polarized light into a plurality of light beams; a quarter-wave plate array composed of a plurality of first quarter-wave plates for converting some of the light beams into right circularly polarized light and a plurality of second quarter-wave plates for converting the other of the light beams into left circularly polarized light, the first quarter-wave plates and the second quarter-wave plates being alternately arranged in a first direction perpendicular to an optical axis; and a projection optical system for condensing the right circularly polarized light and the left circularly polarized light toward a work surface to be irradiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Koichi Tsukihara
  • Publication number: 20120262943
    Abstract: A display unit in which the view angle is limited and the front luminance is improved. The display unit includes a display device, and a light guiding part which is provided to face the display device. The light guiding part, has an incident face facing the display device, an emitting face, a reflective surface on a side thereof, and a cross section expanding from the incident face to the emitting face.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuo Urabe, Yuichi Iwase, Koichi Tsukihara, Yoichi Tomo, Toshihiro Fukuda
  • Publication number: 20120231559
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor thin film includes the steps of: forming an amorphous semiconductor thin film on a substrate; forming a crystalline semiconductor thin film partially in each element region by applying laser light to the amorphous semiconductor thin film to selectively perform a heating process on the amorphous semiconductor thin film, thereby crystallizing the amorphous semiconductor thin film in a region irradiated with the laser light; and inspecting the crystallinity degree of the crystalline semiconductor thin film. The step of inspecting includes the steps of determining a contrast between the luminance of a crystallized region and the luminance of a non-crystallized region by applying light to the crystalline semiconductor thin film and the amorphous semiconductor thin film, and performing screening of the crystalline semiconductor thin film on the basis of the determined contrast.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuhiko UMEZU, Koichi TSUKIHARA, Hirohisa AMAGO, Go MATSUNOBU, Katsuya SHIRAI
  • Publication number: 20120196395
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiko UMEZU, Koichi TSUKIHARA, Goh MATSUNOBU, Yoshio INAGAKI, Koichi TATSUKI, Shin HOTTA, Katsuya SHIRAI
  • Patent number: 8226256
    Abstract: A display unit which the view angle is limited and the front luminance is improved is provided. The display unit includes a display device, and a light guiding part which is provided to face the display device, has an incident face on the side opposing to the display device, an emitting face on the opposite side of the display device, and a reflective face on the side face, and has a cross section expanding from the incident face to the emitting face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tetsuo Urabe, Yuichi Iwase, Koichi Tsukihara, Yoichi Tomo, Toshihiro Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8193008
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor thin film includes the steps of: forming an amorphous semiconductor thin film on a substrate; forming a crystalline semiconductor thin film partially in each element region by applying laser light to the amorphous semiconductor thin film to selectively perform a heating process on the amorphous semiconductor thin film, thereby crystallizing the amorphous semiconductor thin film in a region irradiated with the laser light; and inspecting the crystallinity degree of the crystalline semiconductor thin film. The step of inspecting includes the steps of determining a contrast between the luminance of a crystallized region and the luminance of a non-crystallized region by applying light to the crystalline semiconductor thin film and the amorphous semiconductor thin film, and performing screening of the crystalline semiconductor thin film on the basis of the determined contrast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Umezu, Koichi Tsukihara, Hirohisa Amago, Go Matsunobu, Katsuya Shirai
  • Patent number: 8168518
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Umezu, Koichi Tsukihara, Goh Matsunobu, Yoshio Inagaki, Koichi Tatsuki, Shin Hotta, Katsuya Shirai
  • Publication number: 20120038983
    Abstract: An irradiation optical system including: a first projection optical system for mixing a plurality of luminous fluxes outputted from a laser light source having a plurality of linearly arrayed light emitting points with each other and dividing the mixed luminous fluxes into a plurality of luminous fluxes and then projecting, to a slit member having a plurality of slits parallel to each other, the plural luminous fluxes as a line beam extending across the plural slits; and a second projection optical system for projecting an image of the plural slits of the slit member to an irradiation target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Publication date: February 16, 2012
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koichi Tsukihara
  • Publication number: 20100320401
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an irradiation apparatus including: laser light source; a polarization splitting section configured to split laser light emitted from the laser light source into first linearly polarized light and second linearly polarized light different in polarization direction; a light beam dividing section configured to divide the first or second linearly polarized light into a plurality of light beams; a quarter-wave plate array composed of a plurality of first quarter-wave plates for converting some of the light beams into right circularly polarized light and a plurality of second quarter-wave plates for converting the other of the light beams into left circularly polarized light, the first quarter-wave plates and the second quarter-wave plates being alternately arranged in a first direction perpendicular to an optical axis; and a projection optical system for condensing the right circularly polarized light and the left circularly polarized light toward a work surface to be irradiated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koichi Tsukihara
  • Patent number: 7820531
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Goh Matsunobu, Koichi Tatsuki, Yoshio Inagaki, Nobuhiko Umezu, Koichi Tsukihara
  • Publication number: 20100159619
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Umezu, Koichi Tsukihara, Goh Matsunobu, Yoshio Inagaki, Koichi Tatsuki, Shin Hotta, Katsuya Shirai
  • Publication number: 20090291511
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor thin film includes the steps of: forming an amorphous semiconductor thin film on a substrate; forming a crystalline semiconductor thin film partially in each element region by applying laser light to the amorphous semiconductor thin film to selectively perform a heating process on the amorphous semiconductor thin film, thereby crystallizing the amorphous semiconductor thin film in a region irradiated with the laser light; and inspecting the crystallinity degree of the crystalline semiconductor thin film. The step of inspecting includes the steps of determining a contrast between the luminance of a crystallized region and the luminance of a non-crystallized region by applying light to the crystalline semiconductor thin film and the amorphous semiconductor thin film, and performing screening of the crystalline semiconductor thin film on the basis of the determined contrast.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobuhiko Umezu, Koichi Tsukihara, Hirohisa Amago, Go Matsunobu, Katsuya Shirai
  • Publication number: 20090233456
    Abstract: An irradiation optical system includes: a first projection optical system for mixing a plurality of luminous fluxes outputted from a laser light source having a plurality of linearly arrayed light emitting points with each other and dividing the mixed luminous fluxes into a plurality of luminous fluxes and then projecting, to a slit member having a plurality of slits parallel to each other, the plural luminous fluxes as a line beam extending across the plural slits; and a second projection optical system for projecting an image of the plural slits of the slit member to an irradiation target.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Koichi Tsukihara
  • Publication number: 20090095962
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Applicant: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Goh Matsunobu, Koichi Tatsuki, Yoshio Inagaki, Nobuhiko Umezu, Koichi Tsukihara
  • Publication number: 20080280458
    Abstract: An irradiating apparatus for irradiating an irradiation object with beam light emitted from a semiconductor laser, wherein letting w be a radius of a beam for irradiating the irradiation object, ? be a rate of individual difference in angle of divergence of the semiconductor laser, and ? be beam wavelength of the semiconductor laser, a focal position of an irradiating optical system interposed between the semiconductor laser and the irradiation object is defocused such that a distance z between the focal position and the irradiation object is z = ? · w 2 ? · 1 - ? 2 ( 1 - ? 2 ) 2 + 1 [ Equation ? ? 1 ]
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2008
    Publication date: November 13, 2008
    Applicant: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Koichi Tsukihara