Patents by Inventor Shinjiro Kondo

Shinjiro Kondo 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: 8343693
    Abstract: A focus test reticle for measuring focus information includes an outer pattern. The outer pattern has a line pattern composed of a light shielding film extending in the Y direction, a phase shift portion provided on a side in the +X direction of the line pattern and formed to have a line width narrower than the line pattern, a transmitting portion provided on a side in the ?X direction of the line pattern and formed to have a line width narrower than the line pattern, a transmitting portion provided on a side in the +X direction of the phase shift portion, and a phase shift portion provided on a side in the ?X direction of the transmitting portion. Focus information of a projection optical system is measured at a high measuring reproducibility and a high measuring efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirukawa, Shinjiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 8339614
    Abstract: A method of measuring shot shape includes sequentially exposing a substrate with main scale marks (32) in compliance with a predetermined map, and forming a reference grid including a plurality of the main scale marks (32) arranged in the predetermined map in at least one shot region, exposing a shot for measuring, via a projection optical system, that includes a plurality of auxiliary scale marks (34) arranged in the predetermined map in the shot region, measuring a relative positional relationship between adjacent main scale marks (32), measuring an amount of deviation between the main scale marks (32) and the auxiliary scale marks (34), and correcting the reference grid based on the relative positional relationship, and calculating a shot shape of the shot for measuring based on the corrected reference grid and the amount of deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Shinjiro Kondo
  • Publication number: 20110212389
    Abstract: A focus test reticle for measuring focus information includes an outer pattern. The outer pattern has a line pattern composed of a light shielding film extending in the Y direction, a phase shift portion provided on a side in the +X direction of the line pattern and formed to have a line width narrower than the line pattern, a transmitting portion provided on a side in the ?X direction of the line pattern and formed to have a line width narrower than the line pattern, a transmitting portion provided on a side in the +X direction of the phase shift portion, and a phase shift portion provided on a side in the ?X direction of the transmitting portion. Focus information of a projection optical system is measured at a high measuring reproducibility and a high measuring efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru HIRUKAWA, Shinjiro KONDO
  • Publication number: 20090033948
    Abstract: A method of measuring shot shape includes sequentially exposing a substrate with main scale marks (32) in compliance with a predetermined map, and forming a reference grid including a plurality of the main scale marks (32) arranged in the predetermined map in at least one shot region, exposing a shot for measuring, via a projection optical system, that includes a plurality of auxiliary scale marks (34) arranged in the predetermined map in the shot region, measuring a relative positional relationship between adjacent main scale marks (32), measuring an amount of deviation between the main scale marks (32) and the auxiliary scale marks (34), and correcting the reference grid based on the relative positional relationship, and calculating a shot shape of the shot for measuring based on the corrected reference grid and the amount of deviation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinjiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 7426017
    Abstract: This focus test mask is provided with a test pattern that is projected onto a wafer via a projection optical system. This test pattern includes: a plurality of line patterns that are lined up in a direction of measurement; phase shift sections that are provided in areas adjacent to each of the plurality of line patterns and that are used to shift the phase of light passing through; and reference patterns that are used to obtain an image that forms a reference when the shift in the line pattern image is measured. Spaces between the plurality of line patterns are set at a size that allows each line pattern to be regarded as equivalent to being isolated lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Shinjiro Kondo
  • Publication number: 20060103825
    Abstract: This focus test mask is provided with a test pattern that is projected onto a wafer via a projection optical system. This test pattern includes: a plurality of line patterns that are lined up in a direction of measurement; phase shift sections that are provided in areas adjacent to each of the plurality of line patterns and that are used to shift the phase of light passing through; and reference patterns that are used to obtain an image that forms a reference when the shift in the line pattern image is measured. Spaces between the plurality of line patterns are set at a size that allows each line pattern to be regarded as equivalent to being isolated lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shinjiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 5615006
    Abstract: A method of exposing images of measuring patterns formed on a mask on a photosensitive substrate through a projection optical system, measuring positional deviation quantities of the exposed images of the measuring patterns in a measuring direction and thus measuring imaging characteristics of the projection optical system on the basis of the measured positional deviation quantities. In this method, periodic patterns are used as the measuring patterns, wherein bright and dark portions are arranged at a predetermined pitch in a direction corresponding to the measuring direction. The positional deviation quantity is measured by assuming the image of the periodic pattern as an image of the pattern consisting of the single dark portion on the whole when measuring the positional deviation quantity of the periodic pattern image exposed on the photosensitive substrate in the measuring direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Hirukawa, Shinjiro Kondo, Takeshi Kato, Kyoichi Suwa