Patents by Inventor Shigehiro Hara

Shigehiro Hara 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: 10685435
    Abstract: A drawing data generating method according to an embodiment is a method for generating drawing data input to a drawing apparatus that draws a plurality of figure patterns on an object using a charged particle beam. The method includes generating the drawing data in accordance with a data format that not only defines a plurality of pieces of figure information, but also sequentially defines dose information of each figure before or after the plurality of pieces of figure information. The dose information of each of the second and succeeding figures is converted to a representation based on the dose information of any preceding figure, and a data length of the dose information is made variable for each figure. For example, the dose information of each of the second and succeeding figures is converted to a difference representation between a dose of the figure and a dose of the preceding figure, and a data length of the difference representation is changed in accordance with the magnitude of a difference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro Hara, Kenichi Yasui, Noriaki Nakayamada
  • Patent number: 10503860
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is for creating writing data used in a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus. The method includes partitioning a polygonal figure included in design data into a plurality of trapezoids that each include at least one pair of opposite sides parallel along a first direction and that join so as to be continuous in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction while a side parallel to the first direction serves as a common side, and creating the writing data by, when a first trapezoid, a second trapezoid, and a third trapezoid join along the second direction, representing a position of a common vertex shared by the second trapezoid and the third trapezoid using displacements in the first direction and the second direction from a position of a common vertex shared by the first trapezoid and the second trapezoid. In at least one of the plurality of trapezoids, different dose amounts are defined in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro Hara, Kenichi Yasui, Yasuo Kato
  • Patent number: 10445450
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a generating method of drawing data includes generating a pixel map that includes dose amount information on each of pixels obtained by dividing a drawing area on an object into a mesh, extracting, from the pixel map, an island-shaped pixel map which is a group of multiple pixels in which the dose amount information is not zero, determining an order of definition of the dose amount information on the pixels in the island-shaped pixel map, and generating a compressed pixel map including a size of the pixels, information indicating the order of definition, coordinates of a pixel which is first in the order of definition in the island-shaped pixel map, and the dose amount information on the pixels in the island-shaped pixel map, the dose amount information being continuously defined based on the order of definition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro Hara, Kenichi Yasui
  • Patent number: 10199199
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a drawing data creation method includes inputting correction-map-including drawing data having a correction map to a converter, the correction map including dose amount information for each mesh area obtained by dividing a drawing area on a target drawn by a charged particle beam drawing apparatus, the drawing area being divided in a mesh shape, converting dose amount information in a second mesh area adjacent to a first mesh area to a representation based on dose amount information in the first mesh area to compress data of the dose amount information in the second mesh area, and outputting compressed-correction-map-including drawing data having a compressed correction map to a controller, the compressed correction map including dose amount information in which data in each of the plurality of mesh areas has been compressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro Hara, Kenichi Yasui, Yasuo Kato
  • Patent number: 10096452
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a data processing method is for creating write data from design data, and registering the write data into a writing apparatus. The method includes applying, to a plurality of pieces of first frame data into which first chip data of the design data is divided, a plurality of conversion processes to create the write data, and applying a plurality of pre-processes to a plurality of pieces of second frame data into which second chip data of the write data is divided, and registering the second chip data into the writing apparatus. The plurality of conversion processes and the plurality of pre-processes are each performed in a pipeline processing on a per-frame basis. The write data is registered into the writing apparatus on a per-chip basis, on a per-virtual chip basis, or on a per-frame basis. The virtual chip includes a plurality of chips combined together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenichi Yasui, Shigehiro Hara, Shinji Sakamoto
  • Publication number: 20180285505
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is for creating writing data used in a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus. The method includes partitioning a polygonal figure included in design data into a plurality of trapezoids that each include at least one pair of opposite sides parallel along a first direction and that join so as to be continuous in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction while a side parallel to the first direction serves as a common side, and creating the writing data by, when a first trapezoid, a second trapezoid, and a third trapezoid join along the second direction, representing a position of a common vertex shared by the second trapezoid and the third trapezoid using displacements in the first direction and the second direction from a position of a common vertex shared by the first trapezoid and the second trapezoid. In at least one of the plurality of trapezoids, different dose amounts are defined in the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro Hara, Kenichi Yasui, Yasuo Kato
  • Patent number: 9984853
    Abstract: A method for generating writing data to be input to a writing apparatus, which writes a figure pattern on a target object by using a charged particle beam, includes generating the writing data, based on a data format that sequentially defines figure information on a figure pattern, and dose information which is defined before or after the figure information and indicates one of a dose and a dose modulation rate for modulating a dose, for a position of each of corner points of the figure pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro Hara, Kenichi Yasui, Yasuo Kato
  • Publication number: 20180060474
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a generating method of drawing data includes generating a pixel map that includes dose amount information on each of pixels obtained by dividing a drawing area on an object into a mesh, extracting, from the pixel map, an island-shaped pixel map which is a group of multiple pixels in which the dose amount information is not zero, determining an order of definition of the dose amount information on the pixels in the island-shaped pixel map, and generating a compressed pixel map including a size of the pixels, information indicating the order of definition, coordinates of a pixel which is first in the order of definition in the island-shaped pixel map, and the dose amount information on the pixels in the island-shaped pixel map, the dose amount information being continuously defined based on the order of definition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro HARA, Kenichi YASUI
  • Patent number: 9779913
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a charged particle beam drawing apparatus includes a drawing unit that draws a pattern in a drawing area on a substrate and a control processing circuitry that controls the drawing unit via a process including receiving drawing data with a hierarchical correction map input to the control processing circuitry. The drawing data with the hierarchical map includes a plurality of files in which division maps are respectively described in files in units of subframes. Each division map includes dose correction information associated with corresponding one of blocks of the drawing area. The process further includes generating shot data by performing a data conversion process on the drawing data, reading a division map corresponding to a block in the area to be drawn from the hierarchical correction map, calculating a dose, and controlling the drawing unit based on the shot data and the calculated dose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro Hara, Kenichi Yasui, Hiroshi Yamashita, Yasuo Kato, Saori Gomi, Shinji Sakamoto, Takao Tamura, Hideo Tsuchiya, Noriaki Nakayamada, Hironobu Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20170193650
    Abstract: A drawing data generating method according to an embodiment is a method for generating drawing data input to a drawing apparatus that draws a plurality of figure patterns on an object using a charged particle beam. The method includes generating the drawing data in accordance with a data format that not only defines a plurality of pieces of figure information, but also sequentially defines dose information of each figure before or after the plurality of pieces of figure information. The dose information of each of the second and succeeding figures is converted to a representation based on the dose information of any preceding figure, and a data length of the dose information is made variable for each figure. For example, the dose information of each of the second and succeeding figures is converted to a difference representation between a dose of the figure and a dose of the preceding figure, and a data length of the difference representation is changed in accordance with the magnitude of a difference value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro Hara, Kenichi Yasui, Noriaki Nakayamada
  • Publication number: 20170169994
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a data processing method is for creating write data from design data, and registering the write data into a writing apparatus. The method includes applying, to a plurality of pieces of first frame data into which first chip data of the design data is divided, a plurality of conversion processes to create the write data, and applying a plurality of pre-processes to a plurality of pieces of second frame data into which second chip data of the write data is divided, and registering the second chip data into the writing apparatus. The plurality of conversion processes and the plurality of pre-processes are each performed in a pipeline processing on a per-frame basis. The write data is registered into the writing apparatus on a per-chip basis, on a per-virtual chip basis, or on a per-frame basis. The virtual chip includes a plurality of chips combined together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenichi Yasui, Shigehiro Hara, Shinji Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 9558315
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of generating write data generates write data for a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus. The method includes dividing a polygonal figure included in design data into a plurality of figure segments including trapezoids each having a pair of parallel opposite sides extending in a first direction, the trapezoids being connected in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction such that adjacent trapezoids share the side extending in the first direction as a common side, and generates the write data including position information of a common vertex of a first trapezoid and a second trapezoid next to the first trapezoid expressed by a displacement in the first and second directions from a position of a common vertex of the second trapezoid and a third trapezoid next to the second trapezoid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenichi Yasui, Shigehiro Hara
  • Publication number: 20170018404
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a drawing data creation method includes inputting correction-map-including drawing data having a correction map to a converter, the correction map including dose amount information for each mesh area obtained by dividing a drawing area on a target drawn by a charged particle beam drawing apparatus, the drawing area being divided in a mesh shape, converting dose amount information in a second mesh area adjacent to a first mesh area to a representation based on dose amount information in the first mesh area to compress data of the dose amount information in the second mesh area, and outputting compressed-correction-map-including drawing data having a compressed correction map to a controller, the compressed correction map including dose amount information in which data in each of the plurality of mesh areas has been compressed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Applicant: NUFLARE TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Shigehiro HARA, Kenichi YASUI, Yasuo KATO
  • Publication number: 20160284510
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a charged particle beam drawing apparatus includes a drawing unit that draws a pattern in a drawing area on a substrate and a control processing circuitry that controls the drawing unit via a process including receiving drawing data with a hierarchical correction map input to the control processing circuitry, the drawing data with the hierarchical map including a plurality of files in which division maps are respectively described in files in units of subframes, each division map including dose information associated with corresponding one of blocks of the drawing area, and the process further including generating shot data by performing a data conversion process on the drawing data, reading a division map corresponding to a block in the area to be drawn from the hierarchical correction map, calculating a dose, and controlling the drawing unit based on the shot data and the calculated dose.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro HARA, Kenichi Yasui, Hiroshi Yamashita, Yasuo Kato, Saori Gomi, Shinji Sakamoto, Takao Tamura, Hideo Tsuchiya, Noriaki Nakayamada, Hironobu Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20160155609
    Abstract: A method for generating writing data to be input to a writing apparatus, which writes a figure pattern on a target object by using a charged particle beam, includes generating the writing data, based on a data format that sequentially defines figure information on a figure pattern, and dose information which is defined before or after the figure information and indicates one of a dose and a dose modulation rate for modulating a dose, for a position of each of corner points of the figure pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Publication date: June 2, 2016
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro HARA, Kenichi YASUI, Yasuo KATO
  • Publication number: 20160103945
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of generating write data generates write data for a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus. The method includes dividing a polygonal figure included in design data into a plurality of figure segments including trapezoids each having a pair of parallel opposite sides extending in a first direction, the trapezoids being connected in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction such that adjacent trapezoids share the side extending in the first direction as a common side, and generates the write data including position information of a common vertex of a first trapezoid and a second trapezoid next to the first trapezoid expressed by a displacement in the first and second directions from a position of a common vertex of the second trapezoid and a third trapezoid next to the second trapezoid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Publication date: April 14, 2016
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenichi YASUI, Shigehiro HARA
  • Patent number: 9164044
    Abstract: An inspection method of pattern writing data includes creating an area map of a figure pattern written on a target object for each modulation rate for modulating a dose by using modulation rate data to modulate the dose in a case that a plurality of figure patterns is written on the target object by using a charged particle beam, and layout data in which the plurality of figure patterns is defined; converting the layout data into pattern writing data to be input into a lithography apparatus; and inspecting an amount of electric charge for each predetermined region by using the area map when a pattern is written on the target object by using the pattern writing data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro Hara, Yasuo Kato, Akihito Anpo, Noriaki Nakayamada
  • Publication number: 20130264478
    Abstract: An inspection method of pattern writing data includes creating an area map of a figure pattern written on a target object for each modulation rate for modulating a dose by using modulation rate data to modulate the dose in a case that a plurality of figure patterns is written on the target object by using a charged particle beam, and layout data in which the plurality of figure patterns is defined; converting the layout data into pattern writing data to be input into a lithography apparatus; and inspecting an amount of electric charge for each predetermined region by using the area map when a pattern is written on the target object by using the pattern writing data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro HARA, Yasuo Kato, Akihito Anpo, Noriaki Nakayamada
  • Patent number: 8280632
    Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting overlapping figures includes a chip overlap inspection unit configured to input a data file on each chip of a plurality of chips arranged in a writing pattern, and inspect an existence of an overlap between a plurality of chips, based on arrangement data on each region of the plurality of chips, a setting unit configured to set, with respect to the plurality of chips, a plurality of hierarchies and a plurality of cell regions of each of the plurality of hierarchies, an extraction unit configured to extract, with respect to a plurality of chips where the overlap occurs, a cell region where the overlap is located, from a higher hierarchy level to a lower hierarchy level in order, a figure overlap judging unit configured to judge an existence of an overlap between a figure in the cell region extracted and a figure in the other cell region extracted, and an output unit configured to output data on a plurality of figures overlapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shinji Sakamoto, Shigehiro Hara, Hitoshi Higurashi
  • Patent number: 8255441
    Abstract: A figure data verification apparatus includes an operation part configured to input design data and writing data converted from the design data and perform an exclusive OR operation between data of a figure included in the design data and data of a figure included in the writing data, a sorting part configured to sort figures produced as a result of the exclusive OR operation to at least one arbitrary-angle figure having at least one angle not being an integral multiple of 45 degrees and to at least one non-arbitrary-angle figure all angles of which are integral multiples of 45 degrees, a first removal part configured to remove a figure of a size smaller than a first allowable error value from the arbitrary-angle figure, and a second removal part configured to remove a figure of a size smaller than a second allowable error value from the non-arbitrary-angle figure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Kasahara, Shigehiro Hara, Shinji Sakamoto