Patents by Inventor Masahiko Akizuki

Masahiko Akizuki 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).

  • Exposure method and device manufacturing method, exposure apparatus, and program
    Patent number: 7817242
    Abstract: Positional information (an estimate value in which a linear component of positional deviation amount is corrected) of each shot on a wafer is calculated by a statistical computation using actual measurement values of positional information of a plurality of sample shots on the wafer (step 488). And, a variation amount of a non-linear component of positional deviation amount is calculated at predetermined intervals with respect to each of a plurality of measurement shots including the sample shots (step 496), and judgment is made about the necessity of update of correction information based on magnitude of the calculated variation amount of a non-linear component of each measurement shot area (step 498). Therefore, comparing with the case when actual values of positional information of all shots on the wafer are obtained at least once in each lot in order to update a correction value, the number of shots subject to positional information measurement and the measurement time can be reduced without fail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Masaharu Kawakubo, Yuho Kanaya, Chiaki Nakagawa, Takahisa Kikuchi, Masahiko Akizuki
  • Exposure method and device manufacturing method, exposure apparatus, and program
    Publication number: 20070109524
    Abstract: Positional information (an estimate value in which a linear component of positional deviation amount is corrected) of each shot on a wafer is calculated by a statistical computation using actual measurement values of positional information of a plurality of sample shots on the wafer (step 488). And, a variation amount of a non-linear component of positional deviation amount is calculated at predetermined intervals with respect to each of a plurality of measurement shots including the sample shots (step 496), and judgment is made about the necessity of update of correction information based on magnitude of the calculated variation amount of a non-linear component of each measurement shot area (step 498). Therefore, comparing with the case when actual values of positional information of all shots on the wafer are obtained at least once in each lot in order to update a correction value, the number of shots subject to positional information measurement and the measurement time can be reduced without fail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2004
    Publication date: May 17, 2007
    Inventors: Masaharu Kawakubo, Yuho Kanaya, Chiaki Nakagawa, Takahisa Kikuchi, Masahiko Akizuki