Patents by Inventor Kunihiko Asada

Kunihiko Asada 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: 11947170
    Abstract: A connector system includes: a first ferrule configured to hold end parts of multi-core fibers; a second ferrule configured to hold end parts of single-core fibers; and an optical connection member. The optical connection member is arranged between the first and the second ferrule, and includes an optical system configured to optically connect respective cores included in the multi-core fibers and the single-core fibers. A guide pin is formed on one of the first and the second ferrule, and a guide hole is formed in another of the first and the second ferrule. A through hole is formed in the optical connection member, and the first ferrule, the optical connection member, and the second ferrule can be aligned by fitting the guide pin in the guide hole through the through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Fujikura Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Asada, Kansei Shindo, Kunihiko Fujiwara
  • Publication number: 20240025106
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of executing a molding process of molding a composition on a substrate using a member, the method comprising: obtaining, by irradiating the substrate with light, an index indicating an intensity of reflected light from the substrate; determining, based on the index obtained in the obtaining, whether a predetermined preprocess necessary for executing the molding process has been executed on the substrate; and executing the molding process on the substrate in a case of determining that the preprocess has been executed on the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2023
    Publication date: January 25, 2024
    Inventor: KUNIHIKO ASADA
  • Patent number: 11833736
    Abstract: A method of controlling an imprint process to form a pattern by using a mold on a substrate is provided. The method includes inspecting to determine whether to continue or stop a series of imprint processes during the series of imprint processes of a lot, wherein the inspecting includes capturing an image of the pattern formed on a shot region by the imprint process, obtaining, by comparing a position of a peripheral portion of the pattern in the image and a design value of the position of the peripheral portion, an extrusion amount of an imprint material from the shot region due to the imprint process, and determining, based on a change in the extrusion amount over a plurality of imprint processes, a next process to transition from a current process upon stopping the series of imprint processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Koura, Kunihiko Asada
  • Patent number: 11714351
    Abstract: Imprint apparatus brings pattern region of mold into contact with imprint material on shot region of substrate, aligns the shot region and the pattern region with each other, and cures the imprint material. The apparatus includes light irradiator which irradiates the imprint material with light. In state that the imprint material on the shot region and the pattern region are in contact and the pattern region is flat, the light irradiator performs preliminary exposure of irradiating the imprint material with the light to increase viscosity of the imprint material. In the preliminary exposure, the light irradiator irradiates the imprint material with the light under illuminance distribution determined such that illuminance in contact beginning region where the imprint material and the pattern region begin to contact is lower than illuminance in certain region different from the contact beginning region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kunihiko Asada
  • Patent number: 11188058
    Abstract: An adjusting method for adjusting an imprint apparatus includes a preparation step of preparing a sample for evaluating a state in which a contact region of a test mold is in contact with an imprint material supplied on a substrate; an evaluation step of evaluating the sample; and an adjustment step of adjusting the imprint apparatus based on a result of evaluation obtained in the evaluation step. The contact region includes a flat region which does not include a pattern, the evaluation in the evaluation step includes a first evaluation, which is an evaluation of a state of the imprint material in the flat region, and the imprint apparatus is adjusted based on a result of the first evaluation in the adjustment step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiko Asada, Shingo Ishida, Kenta Sasa
  • Publication number: 20210232044
    Abstract: A display control method includes determining whether control information for controlling an arrangement of an imprint material with respect to a shot region of a substrate conforms to a rule, and displaying, on a display, the determination result together with shot region information indicating the shot region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventor: Kunihiko Asada
  • Publication number: 20200282630
    Abstract: A method of controlling an imprint process to form a pattern by using a mold on a substrate is provided. The method includes inspecting to determine whether to continue or stop a series of imprint processes during the series of imprint processes of a lot, wherein the inspecting includes capturing an image of the pattern formed on a shot region by the imprint process, obtaining, by comparing a position of a peripheral portion of the pattern in the image and a design value of the position of the peripheral portion, an extrusion amount of an imprint material from the shot region due to the imprint process, and determining, based on a change in the extrusion amount over a plurality of imprint processes, a next process to transition from a current process upon stopping the series of imprint processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Koura, Kunihiko Asada
  • Publication number: 20200201171
    Abstract: Imprint apparatus brings pattern region of mold into contact with imprint material on shot region of substrate, aligns the shot region and the pattern region with each other, and cures the imprint material. The apparatus includes light irradiator which irradiates the imprint material with light. In state that the imprint material on the shot region and the pattern region are in contact and the pattern region is flat, the light irradiator performs preliminary exposure of irradiating the imprint material with the light to increase viscosity of the imprint material. In the preliminary exposure, the light irradiator irradiates the imprint material with the light under illuminance distribution determined such that illuminance in contact beginning region where the imprint material and the pattern region begin to contact is lower than illuminance in certain region different from the contact beginning region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventor: Kunihiko Asada
  • Patent number: 10571801
    Abstract: Provided is a coating apparatus that includes: a discharge unit that discharges a liquid on an object; a measurement unit that is able to be disposed at a position facing a discharge surface of the discharge unit and measures a height position of the discharge surface using the facing position as a reference position; and a controller that calculates a thickness of an attached substance containing a material of the liquid attached to the discharge surface based on the height position measured by the measurement unit and determines implementation of a maintenance treatment based on the calculated thickness of the attached substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiko Asada, Tomohiro Harayama
  • Patent number: 10331029
    Abstract: The present invention provides an imprint apparatus including a chamber configured to define a first space including a processing unit which includes a discharge unit configured to discharge an imprint material onto a substrate and is configured to perform an imprint process of forming a pattern of the imprint material on the substrate by using a mold, and an enclosure configured to define a second space including a tank configured to store the imprint material supplied to the discharge unit, wherein the tank has a first opening open to the second space, and the enclosure has a supply port configured to supply, to the second space via the first opening, a gas cleaner than a gas supplied to the first space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiko Asada, Tsuyoshi Arai
  • Publication number: 20170185074
    Abstract: An adjusting method for adjusting an imprint apparatus includes a preparation step of preparing a sample for evaluating a state in which a contact region of a test mold is in contact with an imprint material supplied on a substrate; an evaluation step of evaluating the sample; and an adjustment step of adjusting the imprint apparatus based on a result of evaluation obtained in the evaluation step. The contact region includes a flat region which does not include a pattern, the evaluation in the evaluation step includes a first evaluation, which is an evaluation of a state of the imprint material in the flat region, and the imprint apparatus is adjusted based on a result of the first evaluation in the adjustment step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Kunihiko Asada, Shingo Ishida, Kenta Sasa
  • Publication number: 20170068160
    Abstract: The present invention provides an imprint apparatus including a chamber configured to define a first space including a processing unit which includes a discharge unit configured to discharge an imprint material onto a substrate and is configured to perform an imprint process of forming a pattern of the imprint material on the substrate by using a mold, and an enclosure configured to define a second space including a tank configured to store the imprint material supplied to the discharge unit, wherein the tank has a first opening open to the second space, and the enclosure has a supply port configured to supply, to the second space via the first opening, a gas cleaner than a gas supplied to the first space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Kunihiko Asada, Tsuyoshi Arai
  • Publication number: 20160161868
    Abstract: Provided is a coating apparatus that includes: a discharge unit that discharges a liquid on an object; a measurement unit that is able to be disposed at a position facing a discharge surface of the discharge unit and measures a height position of the discharge surface using the facing position as a reference position; and a controller that calculates a thickness of an attached substance containing a material of the liquid attached to the discharge surface based on the height position measured by the measurement unit and determines implementation of a maintenance treatment based on the calculated thickness of the attached substance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Kunihiko Asada, Tomohiro Harayama