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: 8207514
    Abstract: A charged particle beam drawing apparatus forms a map having meshes, forms representative figures, area of each representative figure in each mesh being equal to gross area of figures in each mesh, and calculates a proximity effect correction dose of the charged particle beam in each mesh on the basis of area of each representative figure in each mesh. If it is necessary to change the proximity effect correction dose of the charged particle beam for drawing at least one pattern corresponding to at least one figure, the charged particle beam drawing apparatus changes area of the at least one figure before the representative figures are formed by a representative figure forming portion, and changes the proximity effect correction dose of the charged particle beam for drawing the at least one pattern corresponding to the at least one figure, calculated by a proximity effect correction dose calculating portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro Hara, Shuichi Tamamushi, Takashi Kamikubo, Hitoshi Higurashi, Shinji Sakamoto, Yusuke Sakai, Yoshihiro Okamoto, Akihito Anpo
  • Patent number: 8188449
    Abstract: A charged particle beam drawing apparatus for drawing patterns corresponding to figures in a drawing data, has a portion for dividing a drawing area on the workpiece into block frames, a portion for combining at least a first block frame and a second block frame into a virtual block frame, and a portion for transferring a data of the virtual block frame from an input data dividing module to a common memory of a first converter and a second converter. The first converter converts a data of a first figure included in the first block frame into a first drawing apparatus internal format data. The second converter converts a data of a second figure included in the second block frame into a second drawing apparatus internal format data. The first figure and the second figure are included in a cell extending over the first block frame and the second block frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Hayato Shibata, Hitoshi Higurashi, Akihito Anpo, Jun Yashima, Shigehiro Hara, Susumu Oogi
  • Patent number: 7949966
    Abstract: A charged particle beam writing apparatus includes an input unit configured to input writing data for writing a plurality of cell patterns including at least one cell pattern in which an identifier is added to each of data defining the at least one cell pattern extending over at least two small regions in a plurality of small regions obtained by virtually dividing a writing region, an extraction unit configured to extract the at least one cell pattern to which the identifier is added from the plurality of cell patterns, an output unit configured to output an error result when only one cell pattern is extracted, and a writing unit configured to write the plurality of cell patterns by irradiating a target workpiece with a charged particle beam, based on the writing data for which the error result is not output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Akihito Anpo, Jun Kasahara, Hitoshi Higurashi, Shigehiro Hara
  • Publication number: 20110068281
    Abstract: A charged particle beam drawing apparatus forms a map having meshes, forms representative figures, area of each representative figure in each mesh being equal to gross area of figures in each mesh, and calculates a proximity effect correction dose of the charged particle beam in each mesh on the basis of area of each representative figure in each mesh. If it is necessary to change the proximity effect correction dose of the charged particle beam for drawing at least one pattern corresponding to at least one figure, the charged particle beam drawing apparatus changes area of the at least one figure before the representative figures are formed by a representative figure forming portion, and changes the proximity effect correction dose of the charged particle beam for drawing the at least one pattern corresponding to the at least one figure, calculated by a proximity effect correction dose calculating portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shigehiro HARA, Shuichi Tamamushi, Takashi Kamikubo, Hitoshi Higurashi, Shinji Sakamoto, Yusuke Sakai, Yoshihiro Okamoto, Akihito Anpo
  • Publication number: 20110012031
    Abstract: A charged particle beam drawing apparatus for drawing patterns corresponding to figures in a drawing data, has a portion for dividing a drawing area on the workpiece into block frames, a portion for combining at least a first block frame and a second block frame into a virtual block frame, and a portion for transferring a data of the virtual block frame from an input data dividing module to a common memory of a first converter and a second converter. The first converter converts a data of a first figure included in the first block frame into a first drawing apparatus internal format data. The second converter converts a data of a second figure included in the second block frame into a second drawing apparatus internal format data. The first figure and the second figure are included in a cell extending over the first block frame and the second block frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Hayato Shibata, Hitoshi Higurashi, Akihito Anpo, Jun Yashima, Shigehiro Hara, Susumu Oogi
  • Patent number: 7786453
    Abstract: A charged-particle beam writing apparatus includes first and second storage devices, a transfer processor for sequentially sending to the first storage several design data files per pattern layout-defined region, a first data processor which sequentially reads design data files from the first storage and converts each data file's design data into draw data for storage in the second storage while being pipelined with the transfer processing, second to n-th data processors which sequentially read data files from the second storage and apply mutually different ones of second to n-th data processings to each draw data in a way that the first to n-th data processings are pipelined and store the processed draw data in the second storage, and a pattern-writing unit for writing a pattern on a workpiece by using a beam that is controlled based on each n-th data processing-completed data being stored in the second storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shinji Sakamoto, Shigehiro Hara, Hitoshi Higurashi
  • Patent number: 7698682
    Abstract: A generation apparatus of writing error verification data for a pattern writing apparatus includes a data extraction part configured to extract, from layout data including a figure pattern to be written, part of the layout data required for an operation of a function having a writing error occurred after starting writing by the pattern writing apparatus which performs writing on a target workpiece based on the layout data, and a verification data generation part configured to perform a merge process based on extracted part of the layout data, and to generate writing error verification data, for which the merge process has been performed, for verifying the writing error of the pattern writing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Akihito Anpo, Jun Kasahara, Hitoshi Higurashi, Shigehiro Hara
  • Patent number: 7592611
    Abstract: A creation method of charged particle beam writing data for writing a pattern using a charged particle beam based on design data of circuits includes creating, based on the design data, a location data file including location data, as part of the writing data, the location data being defined for locating one of a plurality of pattern data composed of one or more elementary patterns in each block area of a plurality of block areas, the plurality of block areas being made by virtually dividing a writing area, creating, based on the design data, a pattern data file including pattern data composed of one or more elementary patterns, as part of the writing data, and creating, based on the design data, a link file including link data for linking each of the location data and each of the pattern data, as part of the writing data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Kasahara, Shigehiro Hara, Hitoshi Higurashi, Akihito Anpo
  • Publication number: 20090216450
    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: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shinji Sakamoto, Shigehiro Hara, Hitoshi Higurashi
  • Patent number: 7504645
    Abstract: A method of forming pattern writing data to write a predetermined pattern from layout data of a circuit by using a charged particle beam while deflecting the charged particle beam, includes inputting the layout data including a pattern ranging over a plurality of deflection regions, generating a partial pattern which can be deflected in a self region in the ranging pattern for each of the plurality of deflection regions on the basis of the input layout data, and converting layout data including a partial pattern for each of the deflection regions into charged particle beam pattern writing data to output the charged particle beam pattern writing data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Akihito Anpo, Hitoshi Higurashi, Shigehiro Hara
  • Publication number: 20080221816
    Abstract: A charged particle beam writing apparatus includes an input unit configured to input writing data for writing a plurality of cell patterns including at least one cell pattern in which an identifier is added to each of data defining the at least one cell pattern extending over at least two small regions in a plurality of small regions obtained by virtually dividing a writing region, an extraction unit configured to extract the at least one cell pattern to which the identifier is added from the plurality of cell patterns, an output unit configured to output an error result when only one cell pattern is extracted, and a writing unit configured to write the plurality of cell patterns by irradiating a target workpiece with a charged particle beam, based on the writing data for which the error result is not output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Akihito Anpo, Jun Kasahara, Hitoshi Higurashi, Shigehiro Hara
  • Publication number: 20080172438
    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: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2008
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun KASAHARA, Shigehiro HARA, Shinji SAKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20080046787
    Abstract: A generation apparatus of writing error verification data for a pattern writing apparatus includes a data extraction part configured to extract, from layout data including a figure pattern to be written, part of the layout data required for an operation of a function having a writing error occurred after starting writing by the pattern writing apparatus which performs writing on a target workpiece based on the layout data, and a verification data generation part configured to perform a merge process based on extracted part of the layout data, and to generate writing error verification data, for which the merge process has been performed, for verifying the writing error of the pattern writing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Akihito ANPO, Jun Kasahara, Hitoshi Higurashi, Shigehiro Hara
  • Publication number: 20080023655
    Abstract: A charged-particle beam writing apparatus includes first and second storage devices, a transfer processor for sequentially sending to the first storage several design data files per pattern layout-defined region, a first data processor which sequentially reads design data files from the first storage and converts each data file's design data into draw data for storage in the second storage while being pipelined with the transfer processing, second to n-th data processors which sequentially read data files from the second storage and apply mutually different ones of second to n-th data processings to each draw data in a way that the first to n-th data processings are pipelined and store the processed draw data in the second storage, and a pattern-writing unit for writing a pattern on a workpiece by using a beam that is controlled based on each n-th data processing-completed data being stored in the second storage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2007
    Publication date: January 31, 2008
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shinji SAKAMOTO, Shigehiro HARA, Hitoshi HIGURASHI
  • Publication number: 20070226675
    Abstract: A method of forming pattern writing data to write a predetermined pattern from layout data of a circuit by using a charged particle beam while deflecting the charged particle beam, includes inputting the layout data including a pattern ranging over a plurality of deflection regions, generating a partial pattern which can be deflected in a self region in the ranging pattern for each of the plurality of deflection regions on the basis of the input layout data, and converting layout data including a partial pattern for each of the deflection regions into charged particle beam pattern writing data to output the charged particle beam pattern writing data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Akihito ANPO, Hitoshi Higurashi, Shigehiro Hara
  • Publication number: 20070053242
    Abstract: A creation method of charged particle beam writing data for writing a pattern using a charged particle beam based on design data of circuits includes creating, based on the design data, a location data file including location data, as part of the writing data, the location data being defined for locating one of a plurality of pattern data composed of one or more elementary patterns in each block area of a plurality of block areas, the plurality of block areas being made by virtually dividing a writing area, creating, based on the design data, a pattern data file including pattern data composed of one or more elementary patterns, as part of the writing data, and creating, based on the design data, a link file including link data for linking each of the location data and each of the pattern data, as part of the writing data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2006
    Publication date: March 8, 2007
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Kasahara, Shigehiro Hara, Hitoshi Higurashi, Akihito Anpo
  • Patent number: 6806941
    Abstract: A method of forming a pattern for a semiconductor device comprises the steps of forming a photosensitive film on a substrate and radiating the photosensitive film on the substrate with a beam of a predetermined shape consisting of one of a charged particle beam and an electromagnetic beam, thereby forming an exposed region of a desired shape, the latter step including the step of exposing each of unit regions by a single shot of the beam of the predetermined shape for a predetermined period of time, repeating the exposure a plurality of times, and butt-joining the exposed unit regions to thereby form the exposed region of the desired shape, wherein, in the step of forming the exposed region of the desired shape, butting portions of the unit regions are situated in a first area of a layer to be formed other than a second area in the layer in which predetermined characteristics of a function of the semiconductor device are determined by a pattern width of the exposed region in association with another pattern f
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Soichi Inoue, Iwao Higashikawa, Yoji Ogawa, Shigehiro Hara, Kazuko Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6566662
    Abstract: A charged beam exposure system has a movable stage for supporting a specimen; a charged beam generator; a main deflector for deflecting the charged beam; a stage moving unit for moving the movable stage in a scanning direction; a pattern writing time calculation unit, and writing speed calculation unit and controller for performing pattern writing using the writing speed. For multi pass writing, a plurality of stripes cover one frame. The writing speed is obtained, for blocks which are partitioned into a fixed or arbitrary number of segments taking a pattern density within a frame (stripe) field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Eiji Murakami, Shigehiro Hara, Hitoshi Higurashi
  • Publication number: 20020045132
    Abstract: A method of forming a pattern for a semiconductor device comprises the steps of forming a photosensitive film on a substrate and radiating the photosensitive film on the substrate with a beam of a predetermined shape consisting of one of a charged particle beam and an electromagnetic beam, thereby forming an exposed region of a desired shape, the latter step including the step of exposing each of unit regions by a single shot of the beam of the predetermined shape for a predetermined period of time, repeating the exposure a plurality of times, and butt-joining the exposed unit regions to thereby form the exposed region of the desired shape, wherein, in the step of forming the exposed region of the desired shape, butting portions of the unit regions are situated in a first area of a layer to be formed other than a second area in the layer in which predetermined characteristics of a function of the semiconductor device are determined by a pattern width of the exposed region in association with another pattern f
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2001
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Inventors: Soichi Inoue, Iwao Higashikawa, Yoji Ogawa, Shigehiro Hara, Kazuko Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6335145
    Abstract: A method of forming a pattern for a semiconductor device comprises the steps of forming a photosensitive film on a substrate and radiating the photosensitive film on the substrate with a beam of a predetermined shape consisting of one of a charged particle beam and an electromagnetic beam, thereby forming an exposed region of a desired shape, the latter step including the step of exposing each of unit regions by a single shot of the beam of the predetermined shape for a predetermined period of time, repeating the exposure a plurality of times, and butt-joining the exposed unit regions to thereby form the exposed region of the desired shape, wherein, in the step of forming the exposed region of the desired shape, butting portions of the unit regions are situated in a first area of a layer to be formed other than a second area in the layer in which predetermined characteristics of a function of the semiconductor device are determined by a pattern width of the exposed region in association with another pattern f
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Soichi Inoue, Iwao Higashikawa, Yoji Ogawa, Shigehiro Hara, Kazuko Yamamoto