Patents by Inventor Kouichi Kurosawa

Kouichi Kurosawa 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: 11443914
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to use brightness images acquired under different energy conditions to estimate the size of a defect in the depth direction in a simple manner. A charged-particle beam device according to the present invention determines the brightness ratio for each irradiation position on a brightness image while changing parameters varying the signal amount, estimates the position of the defect in the depth direction on the basis of the parameters at which the brightness ratio is at a minimum, and estimates the size of the defect in the depth direction on the basis of the magnitude of the brightness ratio (see FIG. 5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Yokosuka, Hajime Kawano, Kouichi Kurosawa, Hideyuki Kazumi
  • Publication number: 20210366685
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to use brightness images acquired under different energy conditions to estimate the size of a defect in the depth direction in a simple manner. A charged-particle beam device according to the present invention determines the brightness ratio for each irradiation position on a brightness image while changing parameters varying the signal amount, estimates the position of the defect in the depth direction on the basis of the parameters at which the brightness ratio is at a minimum, and estimates the size of the defect in the depth direction on the basis of the magnitude of the brightness ratio (see FIG. 5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Toshiyuki YOKOSUKA, Hajime KAWANO, Kouichi KUROSAWA, Hideyuki KAZUMI
  • Patent number: 11133147
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a charged particle ray device which is capable of simply estimating the cross-sectional shape of a pattern. The charged particle ray device according to the present invention acquires a detection signal for each different discrimination condition of an energy discriminator, and estimates the cross-sectional shape of a sample by comparing the detection signal for each discrimination condition with a reference pattern (see FIG. 5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Yokosuka, Hajime Kawano, Kouichi Kurosawa, Hideyuki Kazumi, Chahn Lee
  • Patent number: 11101100
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a charged particle ray device which is capable of simply estimating the cross-sectional shape of a pattern. The charged particle ray device according to the present invention acquires a detection signal for each different discrimination condition of an energy discriminator, and estimates the cross-sectional shape of a sample by comparing the detection signal for each discrimination condition with a reference pattern (see FIG. 5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Yokosuka, Hajime Kawano, Kouichi Kurosawa, Hideyuki Kazumi, Chahn Lee
  • Patent number: 10964508
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a charged-particle beam device capable of stable performance of processes such as a measurement or test, independent of fluctuations in sample electric electric potential or the like. To this end, this charged-particle beam device comprises an energy filter for filtering the energy of charged particles released from the sample and a deflector for deflecting the charged particles released from the sample toward the energy filter. A control device generates a first image on the basis of the output of a detector, adjusts the voltage applied to the energy filter so that the first image reaches a prescribed state, and calculates deflection conditions for the deflector on the basis of the post-adjustment voltage applied to the energy filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventors: Yuzuru Mizuhara, Kouichi Kurosawa
  • Publication number: 20200294756
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a charged particle ray device which is capable of simply estimating the cross-sectional shape of a pattern. The charged particle ray device according to the present invention acquires a detection signal for each different discrimination condition of an energy discriminator, and estimates the cross-sectional shape of a sample by comparing the detection signal for each discrimination condition with a reference pattern (see FIG. 5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Toshiyuki YOKOSUKA, Hajime KAWANO, Kouichi KUROSAWA, Hideyuki KAZUMI, Chahn LEE
  • Publication number: 20200258713
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a charged-particle beam device capable of stable performance of processes such as a measurement or test, independent of fluctuations in sample electric electric potential or the like. To this end, this charged-particle beam device comprises an energy filter for filtering the energy of charged particles released from the sample and a deflector for deflecting the charged particles released from the sample toward the energy filter. A control device generates a first image on the basis of the output of a detector, adjusts the voltage applied to the energy filter so that the first image reaches a prescribed state, and calculates deflection conditions for the deflector on the basis of the post-adjustment voltage applied to the energy filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Yuzuru MIZUHARA, Kouichi KUROSAWA
  • Patent number: 10541103
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to reduce the amount of charged particles that are lost by colliding with the interior of a column of a charged particle beam device, and detect charged particles with high efficiency. To achieve this purpose, proposed is a charged particle beam device provided with: an objective lens that focuses a charged particle beam; a detector that is disposed between the objective lens and a charged particle source; a deflector that deflects charged particles emitted from a sample such that the charged particles separate from the axis of the charged particle beam; and a plurality of electrodes that are disposed between the deflector and the objective lens and that form a plurality of electrostatic lenses for focusing the charged particles emitted from the sample on a deflection point of the deflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Yuzuru Mizuhara, Toshiyuki Yokosuka, Hideyuki Kazumi, Kouichi Kurosawa, Kenichi Myochin
  • Publication number: 20170345613
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to reduce the amount of charged particles that are lost by colliding with the interior of a column of a charged particle beam device, and detect charged particles with high efficiency. To achieve this purpose, proposed is a charged particle beam device provided with: an objective lens that focuses a charged particle beam; a detector that is disposed between the objective lens and a charged particle source; a deflector that deflects charged particles emitted from a sample such that the charged particles separate from the axis of the charged particle beam; and a plurality of electrodes that are disposed between the deflector and the objective lens and that form a plurality of electrostatic lenses for focusing the charged particles emitted from the sample on a deflection point of the deflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Yuzuru MIZUHARA, Toshiyuki YOKOSUKA, Hideyuki KAZUMI, Kouichi KUROSAWA, Kenichi MYOCHIN
  • Patent number: 9753017
    Abstract: A single-element ultrasonic sensor includes a single transducer element and transmits an ultrasonic wave on the basis of a pulse wave. An ultrasonic array sensor includes a plurality of transducer elements and receives an ultrasonic reflected wave. A pulsar supplies the pulse wave to the single element ultrasonic sensor. A receiver receives electric signals from the transducer elements included in the ultrasonic array sensor. An amplification and conversion unit amplifies the electric signals received from the transducer elements included in the ultrasonic array sensor, converts the electric signals into digital signals, and arranges the digital signals in a serial order so as to generate a serial digital signal. An image generator generates an image on the basis of the serial digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoyuki Kono, Kouichi Kurosawa, So Kitazawa, Yuji Matsui
  • Publication number: 20140355378
    Abstract: A single-element ultrasonic sensor includes a single transducer element and transmits an ultrasonic wave on the basis of a pulse wave. An ultrasonic array sensor includes a plurality of transducer elements and receives an ultrasonic reflected wave. A pulsar supplies the pulse wave to the single element ultrasonic sensor. A receiver receives electric signals from the transducer elements included in the ultrasonic array sensor. An amplification and conversion unit amplifies the electric signals received from the transducer elements included in the ultrasonic array sensor, converts the electric signals into digital signals, and arranges the digital signals in a serial order so as to generate a serial digital signal. An image generator generates an image on the basis of the serial digital signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoyuki KONO, Kouichi KUROSAWA, So KITAZAWA, Yuji MATSUI
  • Patent number: 8776565
    Abstract: An evaluation method of residual stress in water jet peening includes a step of creating an analytical model including meshes according to a water jet peening (WJP) object, the shape of a nozzle, and an injection distance, a step of inputting WJP execution conditions, a step of calculating the internal pressure pBi of a cavitation bubble and a bubble number density ngi through jet flow analysis for a jet flow jetting from the nozzle, a step of calculating cavitation energy according to the internal pressure pBi of a cavitation bubble and a bubble number density ngi (S4), a step of calculating the burst energy of cavitation bubbles from the cavitation energy C, and a step of calculating the compressive residual stress of the WJP object from the collapse pressure of cavitation bubbles. Accordingly, the residual stress of the WJP object can be evaluated precisely in a shorter time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisamitu Hatou, Noboru Saitou, Kouichi Kurosawa, Fujio Yoshikubo, Yuji Matsui, Masashi Fukaya
  • Patent number: 8387427
    Abstract: A high-pressure water jet is injected from a nozzle scanned and a shock wave generated due to the collapse of bubbles included in the water jet is impacted on a WJP execution object. Tensile residual stress close to the surface of the WJP execution object is improved to compressive residual stress. The shock wave is detected by a pressure sensor and a shock wave generation frequency is obtained. Whether the obtained shock wave generation frequency is larger than a set value or not is decided. When the shock wave generation frequency is larger than the set value, a high-pressure pump is stopped and the injection of the water jet from the nozzle is stopped. When the shock wave generation frequency is equal to or smaller than the set value, the operation condition of the high-pressure pump is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Matsui, Masahiro Tooma, Atsushi Baba, Kouichi Kurosawa, Fujio Yoshikubo
  • Patent number: 8040146
    Abstract: There are provided an inspection apparatus and method that can locally perform sample temperature regulation, so that the sample drift can be suppressed. There are included a sample stage 109 that holds a semiconductor sample 118, multiple probes 106 used to measure electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device on the semiconductor sample 118, a power source that applies voltage and/or current to the probe 106, a detector that measures electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device on the sample with which the probe is brought into contact, and an electromagnetic wave irradiating mechanism that irradiates electromagnetic wave on a measurement section of the semiconductor sample 118.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Sunaoshi, Kouichi Kurosawa, Takeshi Sato, Masaaki Komori
  • Publication number: 20110232348
    Abstract: An evaluation method of residual stress in water jet peening includes a step of creating an analytical model including meshes according to a water jet peening (WJP) object, the shape of a nozzle, and an injection distance, a step of inputting WJP execution conditions, a step of calculating the internal pressure pBi of a cavitation bubble and a bubble number density ngi through jet flow analysis for a jet flow jetting from the nozzle, a step of calculating cavitation energy according to the internal pressure pBi of a cavitation bubble and a bubble number density ngi (S4), a step of calculating the burst energy of cavitation bubbles from the cavitation energy C, and a step of calculating the compressive residual stress of the WJP object from the collapse pressure of cavitation bubbles. Accordingly, the residual stress of the WJP object can be evaluated precisely in a shorter time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventors: Hisamitu HATOU, Noboru Saitou, Kouichi Kurosawa, Fujio Yoshikubo, Yuji Matsui, Masashi Fukaya
  • Publication number: 20110005288
    Abstract: A high-pressure water jet is injected from a nozzle scanned and a shock wave generated due to the collapse of bubbles included in the water jet is impacted on a WJP execution object. Tensile residual stress close to the surface of the WJP execution object is improved to compressive residual stress. The shock wave is detected by a pressure sensor and a shock wave generation frequency is obtained. Whether the obtained shock wave generation frequency is larger than a set value or not is decided. When the shock wave generation frequency is larger than the set value, a high-pressure pump is stopped and the injection of the water jet from the nozzle is stopped. When the shock wave generation frequency is equal to or smaller than the set value, the operation condition of the high-pressure pump is changed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji MATSUI, Masahiro Tooma, Atsushi Baba, Kouichi Kurosawa, Fujio Yoshikubo
  • Publication number: 20100123474
    Abstract: There are provided an inspection apparatus and method that can locally perform sample temperature regulation, so that the sample drift can be suppressed. There are included a sample stage 109 that holds a semiconductor sample 118, multiple probes 106 used to measure electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device on the semiconductor sample 118, a power source that applies voltage and/or current to the probe 106, a detector that measures electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device on the sample with which the probe is brought into contact, and an electromagnetic wave irradiating mechanism that irradiates electromagnetic wave on a measurement section of the semiconductor sample 118.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Sunaoshi, Kouichi Kurosawa, Takeshi Sato, Masaaki Komori
  • Patent number: 7663390
    Abstract: There are provided an inspection apparatus and method that can locally perform sample temperature regulation, so that the sample drift can be suppressed. There are included a sample stage 109 that holds a semiconductor sample 118, multiple probes 106 used to measure electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device on the semiconductor sample 118, a power source that applies voltage and/or current to the probe 106, a detector that measures electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device on the sample with which the probe is brought into contact, and an electromagnetic wave irradiating mechanism that irradiates electromagnetic wave on a measurement section of the semiconductor sample 118.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Sunaoshi, Kouichi Kurosawa, Takeshi Sato, Masaaki Komori
  • Publication number: 20090009203
    Abstract: There are provided an inspection apparatus and method that can locally perform sample temperature regulation, so that the sample drift can be suppressed. There are included a sample stage 109 that holds a semiconductor sample 118, multiple probes 106 used to measure electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device on the semiconductor sample 118, a power source that applies voltage and/or current to the probe 106, a detector that measures electrical characteristics of the semiconductor device on the sample with which the probe is brought into contact, and an electromagnetic wave irradiating mechanism that irradiates electromagnetic wave on a measurement section of the semiconductor sample 118.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2008
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Inventors: Takeshi SUNAOSHI, Kouichi KUROSAWA, Takeshi SATO, Masaaki KOMORI
  • Patent number: 7081625
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to transmit the position information of a defect that has been specified by means of a circuit pattern inspection apparatus quickly and precisely so that the position information is efficiently used in another apparatus. Marking is carried out on the peripheral area of the defect by use of a charged particle beam irradiation mechanism of the inspection apparatus. The marking realizes sharing of the defect position information with another apparatus. The marking technique includes deposition of a deposit and charging up by means of irradiation of a charged particle beam. The marking in the inspection apparatus allows the defect position information to be transmitted to another apparatus more correctly and easily, and as a result, analysis accuracy is improved and analysis time is shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2006
    Assignees: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Hitachi Science Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanari Furiki, Kouichi Kurosawa, Takehiko Konno, Ryuichi Funatsu