Patents by Inventor Takashi Suganuma

Takashi Suganuma 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: 12140898
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus to form an image on a recording medium includes a rotating member, a holding member, and an urging member. The rotating member is rotatable about a rotation axis between a first position and a second position and is rotatable from the first position in a direction opposite to the second position. The holding member holds the rotating member rotatably. The urging member urges the rotating member in a returning direction in which the rotating member is returned to the first position when the rotating member rotates from the first position in the direction opposite to the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takashi Suganuma
  • Publication number: 20240019724
    Abstract: An inspection is performed using a captured image obtained by irradiating, with blue light, an optical wavelength conversion sheet that includes a quantum dot layer which contains a quantum dot emitting red light and green light by receiving blue light with blue light from a back surface side and imaging from a front surface side with a camera. A filter which cuts the blue light and transmits the red light and the green light is disposed between the camera and the optical wavelength conversion sheet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2023
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi SUGANUMA, Masakazu TAKEMATSU
  • Publication number: 20230387644
    Abstract: An extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus includes a first light source outputting first excitation light, a laser oscillator including an active medium and performing laser oscillation by irradiating the active medium with the first excitation light to output the laser light, a measurement instrument measuring a pulse energy and a pulse time width of the laser light, a temperature regulator that adjusts a temperature of a cooling medium that cools the first light source, and a processor. The processor controls the temperature regulator to adjust the temperature of the cooling medium so that the pulse energy measured by the measurement instrument falls within a target range of the pulse energy, and adjust a current value of a current supplied to the first light source so that the pulse time width measured by the measurement instrument falls within a target range of the pulse time width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventor: Takashi SUGANUMA
  • Publication number: 20230288862
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus to form an image on a recording medium includes a rotating member, a holding member, and an urging member. The rotating member is rotatable about a rotation axis between a first position and a second position and is rotatable from the first position in a direction opposite to the second position. The holding member holds the rotating member rotatably. The urging member urges the rotating member in a returning direction in which the rotating member is returned to the first position when the rotating member rotates from the first position in the direction opposite to the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2023
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventor: TAKASHI SUGANUMA
  • Patent number: 11500194
    Abstract: A beam delivery system according to an aspect of the present disclosure is used for an extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus and includes a propagation mirror disposed on an optical path between a laser apparatus and a condensation optical system and configured to change the propagation direction of a pulse laser beam, and a curvature mirror disposed on an optical path between the propagation mirror and the condensation optical system and having a concave reflective surface configured to convert the pulse laser beam to be incident on the condensation optical system into a convergent beam. The curvature mirror has a focal length selected so that the beam spread angle of the pulse laser beam from the curvature mirror is constant irrespective of thermal deformation of the propagation mirror or constant with change in a predetermined allowable range irrespective of thermal deformation of the propagation mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Suganuma, Takahiro Tatsumi
  • Publication number: 20210149185
    Abstract: A beam delivery system according to an aspect of the present disclosure is used for an extreme ultraviolet light generation apparatus and includes a propagation mirror disposed on an optical path between a laser apparatus and a condensation optical system and configured to change the propagation direction of a pulse laser beam, and a curvature mirror disposed on an optical path between the propagation mirror and the condensation optical system and having a concave reflective surface configured to convert the pulse laser beam to be incident on the condensation optical system into a convergent beam. The curvature mirror has a focal length selected so that the beam spread angle of the pulse laser beam from the curvature mirror is constant irrespective of thermal deformation of the propagation mirror or constant with change in a predetermined allowable range irrespective of thermal deformation of the propagation mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi SUGANUMA, Takahiro TATSUMI
  • Patent number: 10842008
    Abstract: A laser device includes at least one amplification unit configured to amplify laser light emitted from a laser oscillator, and an amplification control unit configured to control the amplification unit. The amplification unit includes an incident-side optical adjustment unit including a wavefront adjustment unit configured to adjust a wavefront of the laser light and a first direction adjustment unit configured to adjust an optical axis thereof, an amplifier configured to amplify the laser light, an emission-side optical adjustment unit including a second direction adjustment unit configured to adjust an optical axis of the laser light, and a measurement unit configured to measure the laser light and acquire information on at least one of an optical axis, a wavefront and energy of the laser light. The amplification control unit controls the incident-side optical adjustment unit and/or the emission-side optical adjustment unit, based on a measurement result of the measurement unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventor: Takashi Suganuma
  • Patent number: 10461494
    Abstract: A laser apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a master oscillator configured to output laser light, a plurality of amplifiers each configured to include carbon dioxide as a laser medium and amplify the laser light, a first optical path pipe configured to cover a laser optical path between the amplifiers, a gas supply port configured to supply, into the first optical path pipe, gas having lower carbon dioxide concentration than that of the air, a first carbon dioxide densitometer configured to measure carbon dioxide concentration in the first optical path pipe, and an alarm device configured to issue an alarm when the carbon dioxide concentration measured by the first carbon dioxide densitometer exceeds a preset prescribed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Kurosawa, Takashi Suganuma
  • Patent number: 10401615
    Abstract: A beam dump apparatus may include: an attenuator module; a beam dump module; and a control unit. The attenuator module includes: a first beam splitter provided inclined with respect to the optical axis of a laser beam at a first angle; a second beam splitter provided inclined with respect to the optical axis at a second angle; a first beam dumper provided such that the laser beam from the first beam splitter enters thereinto; a second beam dumper provided such that the laser beam from the second beam splitter enters thereinto; and a first stage that causes the beam splitters to advance into and retreat from the optical path. The beam dump module includes: a mirror; a third beam dumper provided such that the laser beam from the mirror enters thereinto; and a second stage that causes the mirror to advance into and retreat from the optical path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Kurosawa, Takashi Suganuma
  • Patent number: 10374381
    Abstract: A beam adjusting apparatus of an extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus may include: a first pair of mirrors constituted by a first concave mirror and a first convex mirror, provided along the optical path of the pulsed laser beam; a second pair of mirrors constituted by a second concave mirror and a second convex mirror, which are arranged in an order reversed from the order of arrangement of the first concave mirror and the first convex mirror, provided along the optical path of the pulsed laser beam downstream from the first pair of mirrors; and a moving apparatus configured to simultaneously increase or simultaneously decrease the distance between the first concave mirror and the first convex mirror and the distance between the second concave mirror and the second convex mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Toru Suzuki, Takashi Suganuma, Akihiro Takayama, Yoshiaki Kurosawa
  • Publication number: 20190157833
    Abstract: A laser device includes at least one amplification unit configured to amplify laser light emitted from a laser oscillator, and an amplification control unit configured to control the amplification unit. The amplification unit includes an incident-side optical adjustment unit including a wavefront adjustment unit configured to adjust a wavefront of the laser light and a first direction adjustment unit configured to adjust an optical axis thereof, an amplifier configured to amplify the laser light, an emission-side optical adjustment unit including a second direction adjustment unit configured to adjust an optical axis of the laser light, and a measurement unit configured to measure the laser light and acquire information on at least one of an optical axis, a wavefront and energy of the laser light. The amplification control unit controls the incident-side optical adjustment unit and/or the emission-side optical adjustment unit, based on a measurement result of the measurement unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventor: Takashi SUGANUMA
  • Patent number: 10194515
    Abstract: A beam delivery system may include: beam adjusters configured to adjust a divergence angle of a pulse laser beam; a beam sampler configured to separate a part of the pulse laser beam outputted from a first beam adjuster provided at the most downstream among the beam adjusters to acquire a sample beam; a beam monitor configured to receive the sample beam and output a monitored diameter; and a beam delivery controller configured to control the beam adjusters based on the monitored diameter. The beam delivery controller may adjust each of beam adjusters other than the first beam adjuster selected one after another from the most upstream so that the monitored diameter at the beam monitor becomes a predetermined value specific to the beam adjuster, and adjust the first beam adjuster so that the pulse laser beam becomes focused at a position downstream of a target position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi Ueno, Takashi Suganuma, Yoshiaki Kurosawa
  • Publication number: 20180351322
    Abstract: A laser apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a master oscillator configured to output laser light, a plurality of amplifiers each configured to include carbon dioxide as a laser medium and amplify the laser light, a first optical path pipe configured to cover a laser optical path between the amplifiers, a gas supply port configured to supply, into the first optical path pipe, gas having lower carbon dioxide concentration than that of the air, a first carbon dioxide densitometer configured to measure carbon dioxide concentration in the first optical path pipe, and an alarm device configured to issue an alarm when the carbon dioxide concentration measured by the first carbon dioxide densitometer exceeds a preset prescribed value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki KUROSAWA, Takashi SUGANUMA
  • Patent number: 9954339
    Abstract: There is provided a laser unit that may include: a master oscillator configured to output a linear-polarized laser light beam; a first polarization device disposed in a light path of the linear-polarized laser light beam and provided with a polarization axis substantially aligned with a polarization direction of the linearly-polarized incident laser light beam; a second polarization device disposed in the light path of the linear-polarized laser light beam and provided with a polarization axis substantially aligned with a direction of the polarization axis of the first polarization device; and a laser amplifier disposed between the first polarization device and the second polarization device in the light path of the linear-polarized laser light beam and including a pair of discharge electrodes disposed to oppose each other, an opposing direction of the pair of discharge electrodes being substantially aligned with the direction of the polarization axis of the first polarization device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi Suganuma, Hakaru Mizoguchi, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Publication number: 20170299857
    Abstract: A beam dump apparatus may include: an attenuator module; a beam dump module; and a control unit. The attenuator module includes: a first beam splitter provided inclined with respect to the optical axis of a laser beam at a first angle; a second beam splitter provided inclined with respect to the optical axis at a second angle; a first beam dumper provided such that the laser beam from the first beam splitter enters thereinto; a second beam dumper provided such that the laser beam from the second beam splitter enters thereinto; and a first stage that causes the beam splitters to advance into and retreat from the optical path. The beam dump module includes: a mirror; a third beam dumper provided such that the laser beam from the mirror enters thereinto; and a second stage that causes the mirror to advance into and retreat from the optical path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki KUROSAWA, Takashi SUGANUMA
  • Publication number: 20170280544
    Abstract: A beam delivery system may include: beam adjusters configured to adjust a divergence angle of a pulse laser beam; a beam sampler configured to separate a part of the pulse laser beam outputted from a first beam adjuster provided at the most downstream among the beam adjusters to acquire a sample beam; a beam monitor configured to receive the sample beam and output a monitored diameter; and a beam delivery controller configured to control the beam adjusters based on the monitored diameter. The beam delivery controller may adjust each of beam adjusters other than the first beam adjuster selected one after another from the most upstream so that the monitored diameter at the beam monitor becomes a predetermined value specific to the beam adjuster, and adjust the first beam adjuster so that the pulse laser beam becomes focused at a position downstream of a target position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Yoshifumi UENO, Takashi SUGANUMA, Yoshiaki KUROSAWA
  • Publication number: 20170250517
    Abstract: A beam adjusting apparatus of an extreme ultraviolet light generating apparatus may include: a first pair of mirrors constituted by a first concave mirror and a first convex mirror, provided along the optical path of the pulsed laser beam; a second pair of mirrors constituted by a second concave mirror and a second convex mirror, which are arranged in an order reversed from the order of arrangement of the first concave mirror and the first convex mirror, provided along the optical path of the pulsed laser beam downstream from the first pair of mirrors; and a moving apparatus configured to simultaneously increase or simultaneously decrease the distance between the first concave mirror and the first convex mirror and the distance between the second concave mirror and the second convex mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Toru SUZUKI, Takashi SUGANUMA, Akihiro TAKAYAMA, Yoshiaki KUROSAWA
  • Patent number: 9685756
    Abstract: There may be provided a laser amplifier including: a chamber containing a laser medium; a first window provided on the chamber, and configured to allow a laser light beam inputted from outside of the chamber to enter the chamber; an excitation unit configured to amplify, by exciting the laser medium, the laser light beam that has entered the chamber; a second window provided on the chamber, and configured to allow the laser light beam that has been amplified by the excitation unit to exit from the chamber to the outside; a mirror provided on a laser light path between the first window and the second window; and a wavelength selection film provided on one or more of the first window, the second window, and the mirror, and configured to suppress propagation of light beams of one or more suppression target wavelengths different from a desired wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: GIGAPHOTON INC.
    Inventors: Takashi Suganuma, Hideo Hoshino
  • Patent number: 9680277
    Abstract: There is provided a slab amplifier including an optical system (48, 51) provided in a chamber (47) to allow a seed beam having entered from a first window into the space between a pair of electrodes (42, 43) to be repeatedly reflected between the space so that the seed beam is amplified to be an amplified beam; a first aperture plate (61) provided between the first window and the electrodes, and having an opening of a dimension equal to or greater than a cross-section of the seed beam and equal to or smaller than a dimension of the first window; and a second aperture plate (62) provided between the second window and the electrodes, and having an opening of a dimension equal to or greater than a cross-section of the amplified beam and equal to or smaller than a dimension of the second window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Krzysztof Nowak, Takashi Suganuma, Takashi Saito, Yasufumi Kawasuji
  • Patent number: 9667019
    Abstract: There may be included: a master oscillator configured to output pulsed laser light; two or more power amplifiers disposed in an optical path of the pulsed laser light to amplify the pulsed laser light; and an optical isolator provided between adjacent two of the power amplifiers in the optical path of the pulsed laser light, and configured to suppress transmission of light traveling from the power amplifiers to a side where the master oscillator is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Masato Moriya, Takashi Suganuma, Osamu Wakabayashi