Patents by Inventor Takehiro Hirai

Takehiro Hirai 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: 20110285839
    Abstract: An imaging region of a high-magnification reference image capable of being acquired in a low-magnification field without moving a stage from a position at which a defective region has been imaged at a low magnification is searched for and if the search is successful, an image of the imaging region itself is acquired and the high-magnification reference image is acquired. If the search is unsuccessful, the imaging scheme is switched to that in which the high-magnification reference image is acquired from a chip adjacent to the defective region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2009
    Publication date: November 24, 2011
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Go Kotaki, Atsushi Miyamoto, Ryo Nakagaki, Takehiro Hirai
  • Publication number: 20110278679
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a circuit portion including at least one real feature, and a plurality of dummy feature groups each including a plurality of dummy features spaced apart from each other by a first distance. The plurality of dummy feature groups are spaced apart from each other by a second distance larger than the first distance, and the circuit portion and the plurality of dummy feature groups are spaced apart from each other by the second distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2011
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Inventors: Yasuko Tabata, Akio Misaka, Takehiro Hirai, Hideyuki Arai, Yuji Nonami
  • Patent number: 8036845
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of correcting coordinates so as to quickly and properly arrange a sample in a field of view in a review apparatus for moving a sample stage onto the specified coordinates to review the sample. A review apparatus according to the present invention, which is a review apparatus for moving a sample stage onto coordinates previously calculated by a checking apparatus to review the sample, has a function of retaining a plurality of coordinate correction tables to correct a deviation between a coordinate value previously calculated by a checking apparatus and an actual sample position detected by the review apparatus. The review apparatus evaluates correction accuracy of the plurality of coordinate correction tables and applies one of the coordinate correction tables with the maximum evaluation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Hirai, Kazuo Aoki, Kumi Kaneko
  • Patent number: 8013299
    Abstract: A defect review method and a defect review device using an electron microscope, reduce the number of user processes necessary to set automatic focal adjustment of an electron beam to provide easier sample observation. The review method comprises the steps of: performing focal adjustment for a plurality of coordinate positions pre-registered on the coordinate on an object under observation; creating a criterion for focal adjustment based on a focal position at each of the plurality of coordinate positions; setting a focal probe range based on a deviation between the criterion and the focal position; and determining an automatic focal adjustment range for defect detection on the object under observation based on the set focal probe range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Obara, Takehiro Hirai, Kohei Yamaguchi, Naoma Ban
  • Patent number: 7925367
    Abstract: The invention proposes a system that interrupts a processing associated with an ADC having low priority when an ADC processing cannot catch up with ADR by an ADC alone that is not under execution but uses an ADC for an ADR having high priority. To preferentially execute ADR/ADC having high priority, the invention employs an algorithm for serially selecting ADR/ADC in the order of higher processing capacity (in the order of greater numerical values in the expression by a DPH unit) from among ADR/ADCs that have the lowest priority, no matter whether the ADR/DC is now under execution or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Hirai, Kazuo Aoki, Kenji Obara
  • Publication number: 20110062328
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a defect review apparatus capable of suppressing a reduction in throughput with a minimized deviation-amount measurement, and capable of optimizing an FOV of a monitoring image. To this end, the review apparatus for reviewing a specimen by moving the specimen to pre-calculated coordinate includes: a function to measure a deviation amount between the pre-calculated coordinates and coordinates of an actual position of the specimen; a function to optimize a coordinate correcting expression to minimize the measured deviation amount; and a function to determine that the deviation amounts have converged. When the deviation amounts have converged, the measurement for the coordinate-correcting-expression optimization is terminated. Thereby, the reduction in throughput is suppressed to the minimum level, and furthermore a FOV necessary for the specimen to be within the field of view is set according to a convergence value of the calculated deviation amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro HIRAI, Kenji Obara, Kohei Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20110029906
    Abstract: Generated is a template edition screen on which to display components of a report as modules by OSD by use of icons. One of the icons is selected by use of a pointing device including a mouse. By a drag-and-drop operation, the icon is placed at a desired position in an output format setup area formed in the same screen. The icon is set in a desired size by another drag-and-drop operation. Details of a module shown by the icon thus placed can be set up in a detail setup area in the same screen. Information on a format thus set up is retained as a template through a retention function, and accordingly can be used easily by simply calling the information. Moreover, the retained template can be edited as well. This makes it possible not only to create a new template, but also to modify an existing template.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Takehiro HIRAI
  • Patent number: 7873205
    Abstract: A classification model optimum for realization of a defect classification request by a user is not known by the user. Then, the user sets a classification model which is not necessarily suitable and makes classification, resulting in degradation in classification performance. Therefore, the present invention automatically generates plural potential classification models and combines class likelihoods calculated from the plural classification models to classify. To combine, an index about the adequacy of each model, in other words, an index indicating a reliable level of likelihood calculated from the each potential classification model, is also calculated. Considering the calculated result, the class likelihoods calculated from the plural classification models are combined to execute classification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hirohito Okuda, Yuji Takagi, Toshifumi Honda, Atsushi Miyamoto, Takehiro Hirai
  • Patent number: 7869969
    Abstract: A defect review apparatus for reviewing a specimen by moving the specimen to pre-calculated coordinate includes: a function to measure a deviation amount between the pre-calculated coordinates and coordinates of an actual position of the specimen; a function to optimize a coordinate correcting expression to minimize the measured deviation amount; and a function to determine that the deviation amounts have converged. When the deviation amounts have converged, the measurement for the coordinate-correcting-expression optimization is terminated, minimizing a reduction in throughput. field of view (FOV) necessary for the specimen to be within the FOV is set according to a convergence value of the calculated deviation amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Hirai, Kenji Obara, Kohei Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 7855056
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of detecting cancer by use of an oncogene, a method of screening for an active compound useful to treat and/or prevent cancer, and a pharmaceutical composition for treatment and/or prevention of cancer. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of detecting cancer based on the expression of the human oculospanin gene as a marker and a pharmaceutical composition containing an antibody capable of specifically recognizing human oculospanin and having cytotoxic activity against cancer cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Sankyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimihisa Ichikawa, Shu Takahashi, Toshinori Agatsuma, Keisuke Fukuchi, Takehiro Hirai
  • Patent number: 7844874
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes: a plurality of devices under test formed on a substrate; a selection circuit formed on the substrate which selects two of the plurality of devices under test; a magnitude comparison circuit formed on the substrate which measures an electrical characteristic of the two selected devices under test and makes a magnitude comparison between values of the measured electrical characteristic; an address memory circuit formed on the substrate which stores addresses of the two devices under test between which the magnitude comparison has been made; and a control circuit formed on the substrate and connected to the selection circuit, the magnitude comparison circuit, and the address memory circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Moriwaki, Takehiro Hirai
  • Patent number: 7836398
    Abstract: Generated is a template edition screen on which to display components of a report as modules by OSD by use of icons. One of the icons is selected by use of a pointing device including a mouse. By a drag-and-drop operation, the icon is placed at a desired position in an output format setup area formed in the same screen. The icon is set in a desired size by another drag-and-drop operation. Details of a module shown by the icon thus placed can be set up in a detail setup area in the same screen. Information on a format thus set up is retained as a template through a retention function, and accordingly can be used easily by simply calling the information. Moreover, the retained template can be edited as well. This makes it possible not only to create a new template, but also to modify an existing template.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi-High Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Takehiro Hirai
  • Publication number: 20100241386
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of correcting coordinates so as to quickly and properly arrange a sample in a field of view in a review apparatus for moving a sample stage onto the specified coordinates to review the sample. A review apparatus according to the present invention, which is a review apparatus for moving a sample stage onto coordinates previously calculated by a checking apparatus to review the sample, has a function of retaining a plurality of coordinate correction tables to correct a deviation between a coordinate value previously calculated by a checking apparatus and an actual sample position detected by the review apparatus. The review apparatus evaluates correction accuracy of the plurality of coordinate correction tables and applies one of the coordinate correction tables with the maximum evaluation value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro HIRAI, Kazuo Aoki, Kumi Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7752001
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of correcting coordinates so as to quickly and properly arrange a sample in a field of view in a review apparatus for moving a sample stage onto the specified coordinates to review the sample. A review apparatus according to the present invention, which is a review apparatus for moving a sample stage onto coordinates previously calculated by a checking apparatus to review the sample, has a function of retaining a plurality of coordinate correction tables to correct a deviation between a coordinate value previously calculated by a checking apparatus and an actual sample position detected by the review apparatus. The review apparatus evaluates correction accuracy of the plurality of coordinate correction tables and applies one of the coordinate correction tables with the maximum evaluation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Hirai, Kazuo Aoki, Kumi Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7741447
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of detecting cancer by use of an oncogene, a method of screening for an active compound useful to treat and/or prevent cancer, and a pharmaceutical composition for treatment and/or prevention of cancer. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of detecting cancer based on the expression of the human oculospanin gene as a marker and a pharmaceutical composition containing an antibody capable of specifically recognizing human oculospanin and having cytotoxic activity against cancer cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Sankyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kimihasa Ichikawa, Shu Takahashi, Toshinori Agatsuma, Keisuke Fukuchi, Takehiro Hirai
  • Patent number: 7664562
    Abstract: The invention proposes a system that interrupts a processing associated with an ADC having low priority when an ADC processing cannot catch up with ADR by an ADC alone that is not under execution but uses an ADC for an ADR having high priority. To preferentially execute ADR/ADC having high priority, the invention employs an algorithm for serially selecting ADR/ADC in the order of higher processing capacity (in the order of greater numerical values in the expression by a DPH unit) from among ADR/ADCs that have the lowest priority, no matter whether the ADR/DC is now under execution or not.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Hirai, Kazuo Aoki, Kenji Obara
  • Patent number: 7656171
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting defects includes irradiating and scanning an electron beam focused on an area of a sample, detecting charged particles generated from the sample by the irradiating and scanning of the electron beam with a first detector which detects charged particles having relatively low energy to obtain a first image of the area and with a second detector which detects charged particles having relatively high energy to obtain a second image of the area, comparing the first inspection image of the area with a first reference image to generate a first difference image, and comparing obtained second image of the area with a second reference image to generate a second difference image, and detecting an open defect or a short defect from at least one of the generated first difference image and the second difference image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Toshifumi Honda, Takehiro Hirai
  • Publication number: 20100021047
    Abstract: The invention proposes a system that interrupts a processing associated with an ADC having low priority when an ADC processing cannot catch up with ADR by an ADC alone that is not under execution but uses an ADC for an ADR having high priority. To preferentially execute ADR/ADC having high priority, the invention employs an algorithm for serially selecting ADR/ADC in the order of higher processing capacity (in the order of greater numerical values in the expression by a DPH unit) from among ADR/ADCs that have the lowest priority, no matter whether the ADR/DC is now under execution or not.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION.
    Inventors: Takehiro Hirai, Kazuo Aoki, Kenji Obara
  • Publication number: 20090222753
    Abstract: Setting of a parameter of a defect inspection tool is based on trial and error in which effects are confirmed one by one and set, and the setting requires a high technique and is significantly inefficient. The present invention is to provide an inspection method and an inspection tool capable of solving such a problem and of setting the parameter (hereinafter, referred to as an inspection parameter) required for detecting the defect easily.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Inventors: Kohei YAMAGUCHI, Kenji Obara, Takehiro Hirai
  • Patent number: 7584012
    Abstract: An automatic defect review and classification system including at least one automatic defect review apparatus for specifically observing defect portions of a sample and at least one automatic defect classification apparatus for automatically classifying the defects, the system further comprising a device which outputs a status for combination of the automatic review apparatus and the automatic defect classification apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Takehiro Hirai, Kazuo Aoki, Kenji Obara