Patents by Inventor Masami Seki

Masami Seki 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: 6918413
    Abstract: A warp backed weave denim with excellent stretchability. A warp backed weave denim having a stretchable structure of twill weave or satin weave, comprising warps doubled to be exposed on front and back surfaces of a weft yarn, and the weft yearn is made of polyurethane fiber filament core spun yarn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Nisshinbo Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Shu Ono, Toshinari Nagura, Masami Seki
  • Publication number: 20030066571
    Abstract: A wrap backed weave denim with excellent stretchability. A wrap backed weave denim having a stretchable structure of twill weave or satin weave, comprising warps doubled to be exposed on front and back surfaces of a weft yarn, and the weft yarn is made of polyurethane fiber filament CSY.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Applicant: NISSHINBO INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Shu Ono, Toshinari Nagura, Masami Seki
  • Patent number: 6204912
    Abstract: An exposure method, exposure apparatus and mask are suitable for manufacturing an active matrix liquid crystal display including, for example, a gate electrode layer and a source/drain electrode layer. A stitching portion between unit patterns in a second layer is offset from the stitching portion in a first layer by a predetermined distance. The stitching portions of the second layer are always positioned over unit patterns of the first layer. Accordingly, the contrast gap that occurs at the stitching portion as a boundary is defined only by an error in the exposure position of the second layer. The contrast gap is not affected by an error in the exposure position of the first layer, unlike the conventional method. Because the contrast gap caused by the error in the exposure position of the first layer is eliminated, the total contrast gap that occurs at the stitching portion as a boundary is significantly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Tsuchiya, Kei Nara, Nobutaka Fujimori, Manabu Toguchi, Masami Seki
  • Patent number: 5959784
    Abstract: The invention pertains to optical projection-exposure apparatus for photolithography that can focus a pattern defined by a mask onto a non-flat substrate. In one embodiment, piezoelectric elements are used as an actuator for adjusting the optical path length between the mask and the substrate. A first reflector reflects a light flux transmitted by the mask. A telecentric optical system then forms an image of the mask in a focal plane. A second reflector reflects the light flux from the telecentric perpendicularly onto the substrate. The actuator moves the first or second reflectors, changing the optical path length of the light flux. A focus sensor detects the height of the sensitized surface of the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the sensitized surface of the substrate and thereby provides a focus signal to the actuator. The actuator then moves the focal plane to the sensitized surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Masami Seki, Hiroshi Chiba
  • Patent number: 5640227
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus and an exposure method which minimize defocusing of the transferred pattern even with a large-sized mask. When the exposure apparatus is used which transfers the pattern formed on a first substrate through a substantially real-size projection optical system onto a second substrate, the positions of the mask and the substrate are detected, and based on the information on the positions the distance between the mask and the substrate is controlled to be substantially constant. According to the present invention, defocusing of the transferred pattern may be substantially avoided by detecting positions of the mask and the plate by making use of, e.g., an obliquely incident light focus detection optical system, and controlling the distance therebetween to be held constant or at a predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 17, 1997
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Kinya Kato, Kazuaki Saiki, Masami Seki, Masaki Kato
  • Patent number: 5625436
    Abstract: In a scanning type exposure apparatus for exposing an entire surface of a pattern region on a mask to a substrate by scanning the mask and the substrate with respect to a projection optical system in a predetermined direction with a speed ratio in accordance with a magnification of the projection optical system, there are provided a plurality of illumination optical systems for illuminating respective areas of the pattern region on the mask with respective light fluxes from respective light source; a plurality of projection optical systems arranged so as to correspond to the respective illumination optical systems, the projection optical systems projecting respective images of the areas illuminated by the respective illumination optical systems onto respective projection areas on the substrate; a memory device for obtaining and storing a change of shape of the substrate; a magnification changing device for changing a magnification of at least one of the projection optical systems in accordance with the change
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Masamitsu Yanagihara, Susumu Mori, Tsuyoshi Naraki, Masami Seki, Seiji Miyazaki, Tsuyoshi Narabe, Hiroshi Chiba
  • Patent number: 5614988
    Abstract: A projection exposure apparatus and method having a projection optical system with a plurality of projection optical units and being excellent in matching between images formed through the respective projection optical units. First and second substrates are moved relatively to a projection optical system to project a pattern formed on the first substrate through the projection optical system onto the second substrate to effect exposure thereon. The projection optical system is provided with a plurality of projection optical units each forming a real-size erect image of the pattern formed on the first substrate on the second substrate. Each of the projection optical units has a plurality of reflective surfaces and is telecentric at least on an image side. The projection exposure apparatus also has a correcting mechanism disposed to correct an error of orientation between a plurality of images formed on the second substrate by the plurality of projection optical units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Kinya Kato, Masami Seki
  • Patent number: 5602620
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to scanning exposure apparatus and exposure method to achieve simultaneous projection of images of plural regions on a mask onto a photosensitive substrate with correcting an orthogonality error of a pattern on the mask or photosensitive substrate. If the pattern on the mask or photosensitive substrate has an orthogonality error causing a deviation of a certain angle in a first direction perpendicular to a scanning direction as it goes in the scanning direction, the mask and the photosensitive substrate are rotated relative to each other in the plane thereof to align one coordinate axis in a coordinate system of each pattern with the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 11, 1997
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Miyazaki, Kei Nara, Masami Seki, Masamitsu Yanagihara
  • Patent number: RE37361
    Abstract: In a scanning type exposure apparatus for exposing an entire surface of a pattern region on a mask to a substrate by scanning the mask and the substrate with respect to a projection optical system in a predetermined direction with a speed ratio in accordance with a magnification of the projection optical system, there are provided a plurality of illumination optical systems for illuminating respective areas of the pattern region on the mask with respective light fluxes from respective light source; a plurality of projection optical systems arranged so as to correspond to the respective illumination optical systems, the projection optical systems projecting respective images of the areas illuminated by the respective illumination optical systems onto respective projection areas on the substrate; a memory device for obtaining and storing a change of shape of the substrate; a magnification changing device for changing a magnification of at least one of the projection optical systems in accordance with the change
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2001
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Masamitsu Yanagihara, Susumu Mori, Tsuyoshi Naraki, Masami Seki, Seiji Miyazaki, Tsuyohsi Narabe, Hiroshi Chiba
  • Patent number: RE37762
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to scanning exposure apparatus and exposure method to achieve simultaneous projection of images of plural regions on a mask onto a photosensitive substrate with correcting an orthogonality error of a pattern on the mask or photosensitive substrate. If the pattern on the mask or photosensitive substrate has an orthogonality error causing a deviation of a certain angle in a first direction perpendicular to a scanning direction as it goes in the scanning direction, the mask and the photosensitive substrate are rotated relative to each other in the plane thereof to align one coordinate axis in a coordinate system of each pattern with the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Miyazaki, Kei Nara, Masami Seki, Masamitsu Yanagihara, Tomohide Hamada