Patents by Inventor Michio Hatano

Michio Hatano 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).

  • Publication number: 20240128049
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an electron microscope capable of obtaining a sufficient energy resolution without forming a long drift space and capable of attaining high energy discrimination detection performance with approximately the same device size as in the related art. The electron microscope according to the invention includes a pulsed electron emission mechanism configured to emit an electron beam in a pulsed manner, and discriminates energy of signal electrons by discriminating the signal electrons, which are emitted from a sample by irradiating the sample with the electron beam, according to a time of flight (see FIG. 2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: Katsura TAKAGUCHI, Takashi OHSHIMA, Hideo MORISHITA, Yoichi OSE, Junichi KATANE, Toshihide AGEMURA, Michio HATANO
  • Publication number: 20240085352
    Abstract: A risk of breakage of a sample holder can be reduced and a biochemical sample or a liquid sample can be observed easily and with a high observation throughput. A sample holder 101 holding a sample includes: a sample chamber including a first insulating thin film 110 and a second insulating thin film 111 that sandwich and hold the sample 200 in a liquid or gel form and face each other, a vacuum partition wall inside which the sample chamber holding the sample is fixed in a state in which the thin film is exposed to a surrounding atmosphere, and whose internal space is kept at a degree of vacuum at least lower than that of the sample room at the time of observation of the sample, a detection electrode 820 disposed to face the second insulating thin film in a state in which the sample chamber is fixed to the vacuum partition wall, and a signal detection unit 50 connected to the detection electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Michio HATANO, Mitsuhiro NAKAMURA, Toshihiko OGURA
  • Publication number: 20240079201
    Abstract: A sample holder reliably holds a liquid or gel sample, and the yield of observation with a charged particle beam device is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Inventors: Michio HATANO, Mitsuhiro NAKAMURA, Toshihiko OGURA
  • Patent number: 11538659
    Abstract: Provided are a charged particle beam device and a detector capable of non-invasively observing a biochemical sample without a staining treatment or an immobilization treatment, with a simple and high observation throughput. An electron optics system, a stage 64, a sample chamber 100 holding a sample and including a first insulating layer 110 that is in contact with the sample, and a conductive layer 120 that is formed on the first insulating layer, signal detection circuits 20 and 50 connected to the conductive layer and detecting a current flowing through the conductive layer, and a main control unit 14 for controlling the electron optics system and the stage, wherein the main control unit 14 irradiates the conductive layer of the sample chamber placed on the stage with an electron beam from the electron optics system and is input with a detection signal from the signal detection circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Nakamura, Michio Hatano
  • Patent number: 11348758
    Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam device capable of estimating a lifetime of a filament of a charged particle beam source with a cheap and simple circuit configuration. The charged particle beam device according to the present invention includes a boosting circuit that boosts a voltage to be supplied to a filament and estimates a remaining duration of the filament using a measured value of a current flowing on a low-voltage side of the boosting circuit (see FIG. 3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventors: Anoru Suga, Shuhei Yabu, Kazuki Ishizawa, Michio Hatano
  • Patent number: 11348757
    Abstract: In order to improve a yield of light generated by a collision between secondary electrons and gas molecules, the invention provides a charged particle beam device including: a charged particle beam source configured to irradiate a sample with a charged particle beam; a sample chamber configured to hold the sample and a gas molecule; a positive electrode configured to form an electric field that accelerates a secondary electron emitted from the sample; a photodetector configured to detect light generated by a collision between the accelerated secondary electron and the gas molecule; and a light condensing unit disposed between the sample and the photodetector, having a light emitting space in which the light is generated, and configured to condense the light generated in the light emitting space on a photodetector side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
    Inventors: Shuhei Yabu, Michio Hatano, Shin Imamura, Masaaki Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20220044906
    Abstract: Provided are a charged particle beam device and a detector capable of non-invasively observing a biochemical sample without a staining treatment or an immobilization treatment, with a simple and high observation throughput. An electron optics system, a stage 64, a sample chamber 100 holding a sample and including a first insulating layer 110 that is in contact with the sample, and a conductive layer 120 that is formed on the first insulating layer, signal detection circuits 20 and 50 connected to the conductive layer and detecting a current flowing through the conductive layer, and a main control unit 14 for controlling the electron optics system and the stage, wherein the main control unit 14 irradiates the conductive layer of the sample chamber placed on the stage with an electron beam from the electron optics system and is input with a detection signal from the signal detection circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Publication date: February 10, 2022
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro NAKAMURA, Michio HATANO
  • Publication number: 20210391143
    Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a charged particle beam device capable of estimating a lifetime of a filament of a charged particle beam source with a cheap and simple circuit configuration. The charged particle beam device according to the present invention includes a boosting circuit that boosts a voltage to be supplied to a filament and estimates a remaining duration of the filament using a measured value of a current flowing on a low-voltage side of the boosting circuit (see FIG. 3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Anoru SUGA, Shuhei YABU, Kazuki ISHIZAWA, Michio HATANO
  • Publication number: 20210272768
    Abstract: In order to improve a yield of light generated by a collision between secondary electrons and gas molecules, the invention provides a charged particle beam device including: a charged particle beam source configured to irradiate a sample with a charged particle beam; a sample chamber configured to hold the sample and a gas molecule; a positive electrode configured to form an electric field that accelerates a secondary electron emitted from the sample; a photodetector configured to detect light generated by a collision between the accelerated secondary electron and the gas molecule; and a light condensing unit disposed between the sample and the photodetector, having a light emitting space in which the light is generated, and configured to condense the light generated in the light emitting space on a photodetector side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Shuhei YABU, Michio HATANO, Shin IMAMURA, Masaaki KOMATSU
  • Patent number: 10755396
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an observation image input section in which a plurality of observation images is input, an emphasis information input section that inputs information to be emphasized, a storage section that defines a plurality of conversion functions that converts the plurality of observation images into a converted image on the basis of a function for conversion and takes, as a parameter, a gradation value of each pixel in the plurality of observation images and a plurality of emphasis functions that takes, as a parameter, a gradation value of each pixel in the conversion functions, an image calculation section that calculates an image in which information to be emphasized is emphasized on the basis of the plurality of input observation images, the input information of the information to be emphasized, the conversion functions, and the emphasis functions, and an emphasized image output section that outputs the emphasized image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Momoyo Enyama, Yasuhiro Shirasaki, Michio Hatano, Makoto Sakakibara
  • Publication number: 20200225175
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-coordinated analyzing device that makes it possible to readily observe the same visual field by using a plurality of different kinds of analyzing device and in which observation results for the same visual field are recorded collectively. An analyzing system according to the present invention includes: a first analyzing unit that obtains first observation data by analyzing a sample and that also obtains position information about the analyzed sample; a position setting unit that performs position alignment of the sample on the basis of the position information obtained by the first analyzing unit; and a second analyzing unit that obtains second observation data by analyzing, by using a method different from the method used by the first analyzing unit, the sample placed at the position aligned by the position setting unit (see FIG. 1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventors: Akiko KAGATSUME, Minseok PARK, Momoyo ENYAMA, Yasuhiro SHIRASAKI, Michio HATANO
  • Patent number: 10438771
    Abstract: Provided is a measurement device including: an irradiation optical system which emits a primary charged quantum beam to a sample for scanning; a detector which detects secondary charged particles generated from the sample; and a signal processing unit which processes an output signal from the secondary charged particle detector which has detected the secondary charged particles, in which the signal processing unit includes a measurement unit which measures widths of a first pattern group calibrated with a well-known first dimension and a second pattern group calibrated with a well-known second dimension, and an operation unit which defines a relationship between the well-known dimensions of the first and second pattern groups and length measurement values of the first and second pattern groups as a function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Michio Hatano, Yoshinori Nakayama, Masaru Matsuzaki, Hiroki Kawada, Yoshinori Momonoi, Zhigang Wang
  • Patent number: 10262830
    Abstract: To provide a scanning electron microscope having an electron spectroscopy system to attain high spatial resolution and a high secondary electron detection rate under the condition that energy of primary electrons is low, the scanning electron microscope includes: an objective lens 105; primary electron acceleration means 104 that accelerates primary electrons 102; primary electron deceleration means 109 that decelerates the primary electrons and irradiates them to a sample 106; a secondary electron deflector 103 that deflects secondary electrons 110 from the sample to the outside of an optical axis of the primary electrons; a spectroscope 111 that disperses secondary electrons; and a controller that controls application voltage to the objective lens, the primary electron acceleration means and the primary electron deceleration means so as to converge the secondary electrons to an entrance of the spectroscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Daisuke Bizen, Hideo Morishita, Michio Hatano, Hiroya Ohta
  • Publication number: 20180232869
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an observation image input section in which a plurality of observation images is input, an emphasis information input section that inputs information to be emphasized, a storage section that defines a plurality of conversion functions that converts the plurality of observation images into a converted image on the basis of a function for conversion and takes, as a parameter, a gradation value of each pixel in the plurality of observation images and a plurality of emphasis functions that takes, as a parameter, a gradation value of each pixel in the conversion functions, an image calculation section that calculates an image in which information to be emphasized is emphasized on the basis of the plurality of input observation images, the input information of the information to be emphasized, the conversion functions, and the emphasis functions, and an emphasized image output section that outputs the emphasized image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2018
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Momoyo ENYAMA, Yasuhiro SHIRASAKI, Michio HATANO, Makoto SAKAKIBARA
  • Publication number: 20170263415
    Abstract: To provide a scanning electron microscope having an electron spectroscopy system to attain high spatial resolution and a high secondary electron detection rate under the condition that energy of primary electrons is low, the scanning electron microscope includes: an objective lens 105; primary electron acceleration means 104 that accelerates primary electrons 102; primary electron deceleration means 109 that decelerates the primary electrons and irradiates them to a sample 106; a secondary electron deflector 103 that deflects secondary electrons 110 from the sample to the outside of an optical axis of the primary electrons; a spectroscope 111 that disperses secondary electrons; and a controller that controls application voltage to the objective lens, the primary electron acceleration means and the primary electron deceleration means so as to converge the secondary electrons to an entrance of the spectroscope.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Daisuke BIZEN, Hideo MORISHITA, Michio HATANO, Hiroya OHTA
  • Publication number: 20170092462
    Abstract: Provided is a measurement device including: an irradiation optical system which emits a primary charged quantum beam to a sample for scanning; a detector which detects secondary charged particles generated from the sample; and a signal processing unit which processes an output signal from the secondary charged particle detector which has detected the secondary charged particles, in which the signal processing unit includes a measurement unit which measures widths of a first pattern group calibrated with a well-known first dimension and a second pattern group calibrated with a well-known second dimension, and an operation unit which defines a relationship between the well-known dimensions of the first and second pattern groups and length measurement values of the first and second pattern groups as a function.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: Michio HATANO, Yoshinori NAKAYAMA, Masaru MATSUZAKI, Hiroki KAWADA, Yoshinori MOMONOI, Zhigang WANG
  • Patent number: 9521372
    Abstract: There is provided a technique to correctly select and measure a pattern to be measured even when contours of the pattern are close to each other in a sample including a plurality of patterns on a substantially same plane. A pattern measuring apparatus that scans a sample with charged particles, forms a detected image by detecting secondary charged particles or backscattered charged particles generated from the sample, and measures a pattern imaged on the detected image includes: an image acquiring section acquiring a plurality of detected images taken at a substantially same location on the sample under different imaging conditions; a contour extracting section extracting a plurality of pattern contours from the plurality of detected images; a contour reconstructing section reconstructing a contour to be measured by combining the plurality of pattern contours; and a contour measuring section making a measurement using the reconstructed contour to be measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinori Momonoi, Koichi Hamada, Yuji Takagi, Michio Hatano, Hideyuki Kazumi
  • Patent number: 9472376
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a scanning electron microscope which forms an electric field to lift up, highly efficiently, electrons discharged from a hole bottom or the like even if a sample surface is an electrically conductive material. To achieve the above object, according to the invention, a scanning electron microscope including a deflector which deflects a scanning position of an electron beam, and a sample stage for loading a sample thereon, is proposed. The scanning electron microscope includes a control device which controls the deflector or the sample stage in such a way that before scanning a beam on a measurement target pattern, a lower layer pattern situated in a lower layer of the measurement target pattern undergoes beam irradiation on another pattern situated in the lower layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Yokosuka, Chahn Lee, Hideyuki Kazumi, Hiroshi Makino, Yuzuru Mizuhara, Miki Isawa, Michio Hatano, Yoshinori Momonoi
  • Patent number: 9245711
    Abstract: In observation of a sample having a structure in its depth direction, a charged particle beam apparatus that can form an SEM image reflecting a sample shape at a desired depth by a single image acquisition while avoiding enlargement of the apparatus is provided. The apparatus has: an irradiation optical system for irradiating and scanning a charged particle beam generated from a charged particle source on the sample; a detection optical system having a detector that detects charged particles generated from the sample by the irradiation of the charged particle beam, and converts them into an electric signal at a predetermined sampling period; and an image processing unit for forming an image based on the electric signal from the detector, in which the image processing unit detects a peak of wave height values for each pixel from the electric signal at each sampling time, and forms the image based on the peak of the detected wave height values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Michio Hatano, Yusuke Abe, Zhigang Wang
  • Patent number: 9208994
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electron beam apparatus comprising a means for visualizing an axial displacement of a retarding electric field, and a means for adjusting axial displacement. The axial displacement visualizing means includes a reflective plate (6), and an optical system (2, 3) for converging a secondary electron beam (9) on the reflective plate (6), and the axial displacement adjusting means includes an incline rotation mechanism (8) for a sample stage (5). With this configuration, in electron beam apparatuses such as SEM and the like, such problems as visual field displacement caused by displacement of the axial symmetry of the electric field between an objective lens (3) and a sample (4) and inability to measure secondary electrons and reflected electrons that provide desired information can be eliminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Ohshima, Michio Hatano, Hideo Morishita