Patents by Inventor Satoru Iwama

Satoru Iwama 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: 20140001359
    Abstract: As an aspect for realizing accurate observation, inspection, or measurement of the contact hole with large aspect ratio, a method and a device to scan a second electron beam after scanning a first electron beam to a sample to charge the sample are proposed wherein the beam diameter of the first electron beam is made larger than the beam diameter of the second electron beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto EZUMI, Satoru IWAMA, Junichi KAKUTA, Takahiro SATO, Akira IKEGAMI
  • Patent number: 8481934
    Abstract: As an aspect for realizing accurate observation, inspection, or measurement of the contact hole with large aspect ratio, a method and a device to scan a second electron beam after scanning a first electron beam to a sample to charge the sample are proposed wherein the beam diameter of the first electron beam is made larger than the beam diameter of the second electron beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Ezumi, Satoru Iwama, Junichi Kakuta, Takahiro Sato, Akira Ikegami
  • Publication number: 20110215243
    Abstract: As an aspect for realizing accurate observation, inspection, or measurement of the contact hole with large aspect ratio, a method and a device to scan a second electron beam after scanning a first electron beam to a sample to charge the sample are proposed wherein the beam diameter of the first electron beam is made larger than the beam diameter of the second electron beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Inventors: Makoto EZUMI, Satoru Iwama, Junichi Kakuta, Takahiro Sato, Akira Ikegami
  • Patent number: 7960696
    Abstract: As an aspect for realizing accurate observation, inspection, or measurement of the contact hole with large aspect ratio, a method and a device to scan a second electron beam after scanning a first electron beam to a sample to charge the sample are proposed wherein the beam diameter of the first electron beam is made larger than the beam diameter of the second electron beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto Ezumi, Satoru Iwama, Junichi Kakuta, Takahiro Sato, Akira Ikegami
  • Patent number: 7723681
    Abstract: For the purpose of repeatedly observing the bottom of a contact hole with a high aspect ratio, the potential of an electrostatic charge in each of a pattern to be observed and a vicinity of a range to be observed is stabilized by pre-charging a range on which to irradiate a beam of electrons while changing the range on a step-by-step basis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Yuki Ojima, Satoru Iwama, Akira Ikegami
  • Publication number: 20090084954
    Abstract: As an aspect for realizing accurate observation, inspection, or measurement of the contact hole with large aspect ratio, a method and a device to scan a second electron beam after scanning a first electron beam to a sample to charge the sample are proposed wherein the beam diameter of the first electron beam is made larger than the beam diameter of the second electron beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Inventors: Makoto EZUMI, Satoru Iwama, Junichi Kakuta, Takahiro Sato, Akira Ikegami
  • Publication number: 20080265160
    Abstract: For the purpose of repeatedly observing the bottom of a contact hole with a high aspect ratio, the potential of an electrostatic charge in each of a pattern to be observed and a vicinity of a range to be observed is stabilized by pre-charging a range on which to irradiate a beam of electrons while changing the range on a step-by-step basis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2007
    Publication date: October 30, 2008
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Yuki OJIMA, Satoru Iwama, Akira Ikegami
  • Patent number: 7375329
    Abstract: In a scanning electron microscope, slimming is reduced by reducing a frame count. As the frame count is reduced, the amount of detected secondary electrons decreases, so that a probe current amount is increased to emit an increased amount of detected secondary electrons. A primary electron beam is scanned on a sample, a histogram is created, and the histogram is second-order differentiated to calculate a level of halftone at which a sample image changes in contrast, and to calculate the probe current amount. By adjusting the frame count suitable for the calculated probe current amount, and the contrast suitable for the sample image, the slimming of the sample is limited, and a highly visible sample image is generated for length measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Fujita, Hiroki Kawada, Satoru Iwama
  • Publication number: 20060108527
    Abstract: In a scanning electron microscope, slimming is reduced by reducing a frame count. As the frame count is reduced, the amount of detected secondary electrons decreases, so that a probe current amount is increased to emit an increased amount of detected secondary electrons. A primary electron beam is scanned on a sample, a histogram is created, and the histogram is second-order differentiated to calculate a level of halftone at which a sample image changes in contrast, and to calculate the probe current amount. By adjusting the frame count suitable for the calculated probe current amount, and the contrast suitable for the sample image, the slimming of the sample is limited, and a highly visible sample image is generated for length measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2006
    Publication date: May 25, 2006
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masashi Fujita, Hiroki Kawada, Satoru Iwama
  • Patent number: 6995370
    Abstract: In a scanning electron microscope, slimming is reduced by reducing a frame count. As the frame count is reduced, the amount of detected secondary electrons decreases, so that a probe current amount is increased to emit an increased amount of detected secondary electrons. A primary electron beam is scanned on a sample, a histogram is created, and the histogram is second-order differentiated to calculate a level of halftone at which a sample image changes in contrast, and to calculate the probe current amount. By adjusting the frame count suitable for the calculated probe current amount, and the contrast suitable for the sample image, the slimming of the sample is limited, and a highly visible sample image is generated for length measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Masashi Fujita, Hiroki Kawada, Satoru Iwama
  • Publication number: 20050145791
    Abstract: In a scanning electron microscope, slimming is reduced by reducing a frame count. As the frame count is reduced, the amount of detected secondary electrons decreases, so that a probe current amount is increased to emit an increased amount of detected secondary electrons. A primary electron beam is scanned on a sample, a histogram is created, and the histogram is second-order differentiated to calculate a level of halftone at which a sample image changes in contrast, and to calculate the probe current amount. By adjusting the frame count suitable for the calculated probe current amount, and the contrast suitable for the sample image, the slimming of the sample is limited, and a highly visible sample image is generated for length measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2004
    Publication date: July 7, 2005
    Inventors: Masashi Fujita, Hiroki Kawada, Satoru Iwama