Patents by Inventor Naruo Watanabe

Naruo Watanabe 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: 11417496
    Abstract: The problem addressed by the present disclosure is to provide a stage device, a charged particle beam device, and a vacuum device, with which it is possible to increase the speed and the acceleration of positioning and to suppress the leakage of a magnetic field. As a means to resolve this problem, a stage device 100 comprises a support stage 10, a floating mechanism 20, and a movement stage 30. The movement stage 30 has a propulsion-applying unit 36, and the support stage 10 has a propulsion-receiving unit 11. The stage device 100 is configured so that when the movement stage 30 moves and the propulsion-applying unit 36 contacts or approaches the propulsion-receiving unit 11, the propulsion-applying unit 36 applies propulsion in the movement direction to the propulsion-receiving unit 11.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Motohiro Takahashi, Takanori Kato, Naruo Watanabe, Hironori Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20220148845
    Abstract: In order to improve the accuracy of stage movement in a charged particle beam apparatus, this stage movement control apparatus is characterized by comprising: a storage device in which overshoot amount data in which the movement distance of a stage and the overshoot amount of the stage are associated is stored; a movement target position setting unit which sets the movement target position of the stage; a stage movement amount calculation unit which calculates a stage movement amount that is an amount by which the stage moves to the movement target position in future; an overshoot estimation unit which, on the basis of the calculated stage movement amount and the overshoot amount data, estimates an overshoot amount corresponding to the stage movement amount; a movement target position correction unit which sets a corrected movement target position obtained by correcting the movement target position closer than the movement target position by the calculated overshoot amount; and a stage movement control unit w
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Hironori OGAWA, Shuichi NAKAGAWA, Masaki MIZUOCHI, Takanori KATO, Naruo WATANABE, Motohiro TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 11049687
    Abstract: A stage includes a sample table on which a sample is placed, a first drive mechanism moving the sample table in a first direction; a position measurement element measuring a position in the first direction that is a driving direction of the sample table. The stage also has a scale element having a scale measurement axis that is parallel to a first measurement axis in the first direction based on the position measurement element and is different from the first measurement axis in height, and measuring the position of the sample table in the first direction. A controller calculates the orientation of the sample table by using a measurement value by the position measurement element and a measurement value by the scale element and correcting the Abbe error of the sample table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Motohiro Takahashi, Masaki Mizuochi, Shuichi Nakagawa, Tomotaka Shibazaki, Naruo Watanabe, Hironori Ogawa, Takanori Kato, Akira Nishioka
  • Publication number: 20210027978
    Abstract: The problem addressed by the present disclosure is to provide a stage device, a charged particle beam device, and a vacuum device, with which it is possible to increase the speed and the acceleration of positioning and to suppress the leakage of a magnetic field. As a means to resolve this problem, a stage device 100 comprises a support stage 10, a floating mechanism 20, and a movement stage 30. The movement stage 30 has a propulsion-applying unit 36, and the support stage 10 has a propulsion-receiving unit 11. The stage device 100 is configured so that when the movement stage 30 moves and the propulsion-applying unit 36 contacts or approaches the propulsion-receiving unit 11, the propulsion-applying unit 36 applies propulsion in the movement direction to the propulsion-receiving unit 11.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Motohiro TAKAHASHI, Takanori KATO, Naruo WATANABE, Hironori OGAWA
  • Patent number: 10879033
    Abstract: Provided is a stage apparatus that reduces thermal deformation and temperature rise in an upper table on which a sample is mounted and a charged particle beam apparatus including the stage apparatus. The stage apparatus includes: an upper stage that moves an upper table on which a sample is mounted in a first direction; a middle stage that moves a middle table on which the upper stage is mounted in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and a lower stage that moves a lower table on which the middle stage is mounted in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction. The upper table and the middle table use a material having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than in a material of the lower table, and the lower table uses a material having higher thermal conductivity than in the material of the upper table and the middle table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Nishioka, Masaki Mizuochi, Shuichi Nakagawa, Tomotaka Shibazaki, Hironori Ogawa, Naruo Watanabe, Motohiro Takahashi, Takanori Kato
  • Patent number: 10804067
    Abstract: Provided is a charged particle beam apparatus including: an XY stage on which a sample is placed; a charged particle beam source which irradiates the sample with a charged particle beam; a detector which detects charged particles emitted from the sample upon the irradiation with the charged particle beam; an image generator which generates an SEM image of the sample based on a detection signal output by the detector; and a controller configured to set control parameters based on a movement starting point and a movement ending point of the XY stage and control a driving unit for moving the XY stage according to the control parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takanori Kato, Motohiro Takahashi, Naruo Watanabe, Akira Nishioka, Masaki Mizuochi, Shuichi Nakagawa, Hironori Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20200176217
    Abstract: A stage includes a sample table on which a sample is placed, a first drive mechanism moving the sample table in a first direction; a position measurement element measuring a position in the first direction that is a driving direction of the sample table. The stage also has a scale element having a scale measurement axis that is parallel to a first measurement axis in the first direction based on the position measurement element and is different from the first measurement axis in height, and measuring the position of the sample table in the first direction. A controller calculates the orientation of the sample table by using a measurement value by the position measurement element and a measurement value by the scale element and correcting the Abbe error of the sample table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Motohiro TAKAHASHI, Masaki MIZUOCHI, Shuichi NAKAGAWA, Tomotaka SHIBAZAKI, Naruo WATANABE, Hironori OGAWA, Takanori KATO, Akira NISHIOKA
  • Patent number: 10658151
    Abstract: To provide a lightweight and highly rigid stage device that can move in X and Y directions and a Z direction, and a charged particle beam device including the stage device. A stage device includes a chuck that is loaded with a sample, an XY stage that moves in X and Y directions, and a Z stage that moves in a Z direction. The Z stage includes: an inclined part that is fixed to the XY stage and includes an inclined surface inclined with respect to an XY plane; a movement part that moves on the inclined surface; and a table that is fixed to the movement part and is provided with the a plane parallel to the XY plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Motohiro Takahashi, Masaki Mizuochi, Shuichi Nakagawa, Tomotaka Shibazaki, Naruo Watanabe, Akira Nishioka, Takanori Kato, Hironori Ogawa
  • Patent number: 10600614
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a stage device capable of improving field-of-view positioning accuracy of a stage having a Z-axis mechanism. The invention is directed to a sample stage device having a first table that moves a sample in a first direction, a second driving mechanism that moves the first table in a second direction different from the first direction, and a part having a function of moving a laser interferometer optical axis that measures the position of the first table, in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Motohiro Takahashi, Masaki Mizuochi, Shuichi Nakagawa, Tomotaka Shibazaki, Hironori Ogawa, Naruo Watanabe, Takanori Kato
  • Publication number: 20190378678
    Abstract: Provided is a stage apparatus that reduces thermal deformation and temperature rise in an upper table on which a sample is mounted and a charged particle beam apparatus including the stage apparatus. The stage apparatus includes: an upper stage that moves an upper table on which a sample is mounted in a first direction; a middle stage that moves a middle table on which the upper stage is mounted in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; and a lower stage that moves a lower table on which the middle stage is mounted in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction. The upper table and the middle table use a material having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than in a material of the lower table, and the lower table uses a material having higher thermal conductivity than in the material of the upper table and the middle table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Akira NISHIOKA, Masaki MIZUOCHI, Shuichi NAKAGAWA, Tomotaka SHIBAZAKI, Hironori OGAWA, Naruo WATANABE, Motohiro TAKAHASHI, Takanori KATO
  • Publication number: 20190259567
    Abstract: To provide a lightweight and highly rigid stage device that can move in X and Y directions and a Z direction, and a charged particle beam device including the stage device. A stage device includes a chuck that is loaded with a sample, an XY stage that moves in X and Y directions, and a Z stage that moves in a Z direction. The Z stage includes: an inclined part that is fixed to the XY stage and includes an inclined surface inclined with respect to an XY plane; a movement part that moves on the inclined surface; and a table that is fixed to the movement part and is provided with the a plane parallel to the XY plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Motohiro TAKAHASHI, Masaki MIZUOCHI, Shuichi NAKAGAWA, Tomotaka SHIBAZAKI, Naruo WATANABE, Akira NISHIOKA, Takanori KATO, Hironori OGAWA
  • Publication number: 20190252151
    Abstract: Provided is a charged particle beam apparatus including: an XY stage on which a sample is placed; a charged particle beam source which irradiates the sample with a charged particle beam; a detector which detects charged particles emitted from the sample upon the irradiation with the charged particle beam; an image generator which generates an SEM image of the sample based on a detection signal output by the detector; and a controller configured to set control parameters based on a movement starting point and a movement ending point of the XY stage and control a driving unit for moving the XY stage according to the control parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Inventors: Takanori KATO, Motohiro TAKAHASHI, Naruo WATANABE, Akira NISHIOKA, Masaki MIZUOCHI, Shuichi NAKAGAWA, Hironori OGAWA
  • Patent number: 10366912
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a stage apparatus that realizes compatibility between long stroke driving and reduction of a burden on a drive mechanism. In order to achieve the above object, there is suggested a stage apparatus including a first table that moves a sample in a first direction, a second table that moves the first table in a second direction different from the first direction, moving mechanisms that move the tables, respectively, a movable body that supports a moving mechanism, and a third moving mechanism that moves the movable body so as to follow the second table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Motohiro Takahashi, Masaki Mizuochi, Shuichi Nakagawa, Naruo Watanabe, Hironori Ogawa, Takanori Kato, Akira Nishioka
  • Publication number: 20190103246
    Abstract: The present invention is to provide a stage device capable of improving field-of-view positioning accuracy of a stage having a Z-axis mechanism. The invention is directed to a sample stage device having a first table (105) that moves a sample in a first direction, a second driving mechanism (601) that moves the first table in a second direction different from the first direction, and a part having a function of moving a laser interferometer optical axis (115) that measures the position of the first table, in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2018
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    Inventors: Motohiro TAKAHASHI, Masaki MIZUOCHI, Shuichi NAKAGAWA, Tomotaka SHIBAZAKI, Hironori OGAWA, Naruo WATANABE, Takanori KATO
  • Publication number: 20180247855
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a stage apparatus that realizes compatibility between long stroke driving and reduction of a burden on a drive mechanism. In order to achieve the above object, there is suggested a stage apparatus including a first table that moves a sample in a first direction, a second table that moves the first table in a second direction different from the first direction, moving mechanisms that move the tables, respectively, a movable body that supports a moving mechanism, and a third moving mechanism that moves the movable body so as to follow the second table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: Motohiro TAKAHASHI, Masaki MIZUOCHI, Shuichi NAKAGAWA, Naruo WATANABE, Hironori OGAWA, Takanori KATO, Akira NISHIOKA
  • Patent number: 9601306
    Abstract: A sample micromotion mechanism adapted to minimize an influence of a disturbance and adjust a sample drift rapidly and with high accuracy, and designed so as to be a compact, easy-to-place sample micromotion mechanism of a side-entry type that suppresses the occurrence of the sample drift and generates/displays high-resolution monitoring images and precisely drawn patterns. A charged particle device employing the sample micromotion mechanism operates followed by deformation which causes a strain. A strain measuring unit measures such strain. The sample micromotion mechanism imparts micromotion so as to reduce the strain in accordance with the measured strain value, thereby reducing deformation of the sample micromotion mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naruo Watanabe, Yoshio Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20150255246
    Abstract: Provided is a sample micromotion mechanism adapted to minimize an influence of a disturbance and adjust a sample drift rapidly and with high accuracy, and designed so as to be a compact, easy-to-place sample micromotion mechanism of a side-entry type that suppresses the occurrence of the sample drift and generates/displays high-resolution monitoring images and precisely drawn patterns. A charged particle device employing the sample micromotion mechanism is also provided. In the charged particle device, the sample micromotion mechanism operates followed by deformation which causes a strain. A strain measuring unit measures such strain. The sample micromotion mechanism imparts micromotion so as to reduce the strain in accordance with the measured strain value, thereby reducing deformation of the sample micromotion mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Inventors: Naruo Watanabe, Yoshio Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7754478
    Abstract: A device for cell culture capable of automatically performing operations for cell culture over several days to several months while minimizing the risk of contamination. A new medicine can be supplied to an incubator means by using a medicine supply means or unnecessary wastewater can be discharged from the incubator means by using a wastewater discharge means without taking out the incubator means disposed in heat insulation box means from a heat insulation box, and the state of the cell culture can be observed with the incubator means formed in the heat insulation box means. Accordingly, the outside air does not enter directly into the incubator means during culturing, and the risk of contamination is completely eliminated. As a result, the culturing operations can be automatically performed over a long period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Kaneka Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu Suzuki, Hiroshi Inomata, Yoshihiro Komori, Hiroshi Tachikui, Naruo Watanabe, Satoshi Ozawa, Yuji Oka, Minoru Ueda, Yasushi Nomura, Masako Nomura, legal representative, Isao Shindo
  • Patent number: 7678576
    Abstract: The invention provides a chemical analysis apparatus which easily agitates and warms up. A chemical analysis apparatus has a motor, a retaining disc which can be rotated by the motor, a plurality of inspection cartridges which are arranged on the retaining disc, a punching machine for punching the inspection cartridges, a warming apparatus and a detection apparatus. The inspection cartridge includes a container formed by a concave portion and a base plate having a flow path. A cover covering the container and the flow path is installed to the base plate. A liquid solution is moved to the container in an outer peripheral side with respect to a rotation axis from the container in an inner peripheral side with respect to the rotation axis via the flow path, by utilizing a centrifugal force generated on the basis of the rotation of the retaining disc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Sasaki, Yoshihiro Nagaoka, Noriyo Nishijima, Naruo Watanabe, Michihiro Saito, Taisaku Seino, Satoshi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7662340
    Abstract: The invention is achieved by feeding a reagent using centrifugal force, without providing a valve for controlling the flow rate of the reagent in the reagent flow path. A chemical analyzer is used which comprises a structure that is supported so as to be rotatable, said structure comprising a capturing section for capturing specific chemical substances from a specimen, specimen containers and reagent containers including washing solution containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Nagaoka, Naruo Watanabe, Teruhisa Akashi, Yuji Miyahara, Kei Takenaka, Tomoki Ohashi