Patents by Inventor Kumiko Akashika

Kumiko Akashika 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: 7612873
    Abstract: In a stress measuring apparatus, reflected light of light emitted to a substrate through an objective lens is received by a light shielding pattern imaging part, to acquire an image of a light shielding pattern positioned at an aperture stop part of an optical system. A control part obtains gradient vectors of the substrate in a plurality of gradient vector measurement areas and surface form of the substrate on the basis of outputs of the light shielding pattern imaging part, to obtain a stress in a film formed on the substrate. Since light directed through the objective lens becomes approximately parallel rays of light on the substrate, measurement can be performed without focusing on each gradient vector measurement area and the surface form of the substrate can be obtained easily and rapidly. Consequently, it is possible to obtain a stress in the film formed on the substrate easily and rapidly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kumiko Akashika, Masahiro Horie
  • Publication number: 20080111987
    Abstract: In a stress measuring apparatus, reflected light of light emitted to a substrate through an objective lens is received by a light shielding pattern imaging part, to acquire an image of a light shielding pattern positioned at an aperture stop part of an optical system. A control part obtains gradient vectors of the substrate in a plurality of gradient vector measurement areas and surface form of the substrate on the basis of outputs of the light shielding pattern imaging part, to obtain a stress in a film formed on the substrate. Since light directed through the objective lens becomes approximately parallel rays of light on the substrate, measurement can be performed without focusing on each gradient vector measurement area and the surface form of the substrate can be obtained easily and rapidly. Consequently, it is possible to obtain a stress in the film formed on the substrate easily and rapidly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Publication date: May 15, 2008
    Inventors: Kumiko Akashika, Masahiro Horie
  • Patent number: 6937333
    Abstract: A film thickness measurement apparatus (1) comprises an ellipsometer (3) for acquiring a polarization state of a film on a substrate (9) and a light interference unit (4) for acquiring spectral intensity of the film on the substrate (9). In an optical system (45) of the light interference unit (4), a light shielding pattern (453a) is disposed in an aperture stop part (453), and an illumination light from a light source (41) is emitted to the substrate (9) through the optical system (45). A reflected light from the substrate (9) is guided to a light shielding pattern imaging part (43), where an image of the light shielding pattern (453a) is acquired. When the ellipsometer (3) performs a film thickness measurement, a tilt angle of the substrate (9) is obtained on the basis of the image of the light shielding pattern (453a) and a light receiving unit (32) acquires a polarization state of the reflected light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Horie, Hideki Hayashi, Fujikazu Kitamura, Kumiko Akashika
  • Publication number: 20050006560
    Abstract: A film forming apparatus (1) comprises a stage (2) for supporting a substrate (9), a light emitting part (3) for guiding polarized light used for forming an oxide film on the substrate (9) by light energy to a predetermined irradiation region on the substrate (9), a light receiving part (4) for receiving the polarized light reflected on the irradiation region and a calculation part (61) for obtaining a thickness of the film in the irradiation region on the basis of an output from the light receiving part (4). In the film forming apparatus (1), the light emitting part (3) and the light receiving part (4) constitute part of an ellipsometer, and the light emitting part (3) emits a light beam to form a film in the irradiation region on the substrate (9) while the light receiving part (4) acquires the polarization state of the reflected light from the substrate (9) and the calculation part (61) analyzes it to measure the thickness of the film. It is thereby possible to improve the accuracy of film thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2004
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Inventors: Masahiro Horie, Hideki Hayashi, Fujikazu Kitamura, Kumiko Akashika
  • Publication number: 20040075836
    Abstract: A film thickness measurement apparatus (1) comprises an ellipsometer (3) for acquiring a polarization state of a film on a substrate (9) and a light interference unit (4) for acquiring spectral intensity of the film on the substrate (9). In an optical system (45) of the light interference unit (4), a light shielding pattern (453a) is disposed in an aperture stop part (453), and an illumination light from a light source (41) is emitted to the substrate (9) through the optical system (45). A reflected light from the substrate (9) is guided to a light shielding pattern imaging part (43), where an image of the light shielding pattern (453a) is acquired. When the ellipsometer (3) performs a film thickness measurement, a tilt angle of the substrate (9) is obtained on the basis of the image of the light shielding pattern (453a) and a light receiving unit (32) acquires a polarization state of the reflected light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Applicant: DAINIPPON SCREEN MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Horie, Hideki Hayashi, Fujikazu Kitamura, Kumiko Akashika