Patents by Inventor Takuaki Sekiguchi

Takuaki Sekiguchi 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: 8254662
    Abstract: A system for monitoring foreign matter includes a manufacturing line having plural process processing apparatuses, a production management system which manages the processing of workpieces in the manufacturing line, plural optical heads which monitor foreign matter in relation to at least one of the workpieces, and which provide an output signal indicative thereof, and at least one image signal processing unit provided in a lesser number than a number of the plural optical heads for processing the output signal therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Nishiyama, Minori Noguchi, Tetsuya Watanabe, Takuaki Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20120002196
    Abstract: A system for monitoring foreign matter includes a manufacturing line having plural process processing apparatuses, a production management system which manages the processing of workpieces in the manufacturing line, plural optical heads which monitor foreign matter in relation to at least one of the workpieces, and which provide an output signal indicative thereof, and at least one image signal processing unit provided in a lesser number than a number of the plural optical heads for processing the output signal therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Nishiyama, Minori Noguchi, Tetsuya Watanabe, Takuaki Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 8045148
    Abstract: A system for monitoring foreign matter includes a manufacturing line having plural process processing apparatuses, a production management system which manages the processing of workpieces in the manufacturing line, plural optical heads which monitor foreign matter in relation to at least one of the workpieces, and which provide an output signal indicative thereof, and at least one image signal processing unit provided in a lesser number than a number of the plural optical heads for processing the output signal therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Nishiyama, Minori Noguchi, Tetsuya Watanabe, Takuaki Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 7953567
    Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus includes: stages each mounting an inspecting object on which a circuit pattern having a group of parallel lines is formed, and each running perpendicular or parallel to the group of lines; an illumination optical system which illuminating a surface of the inspecting object with a slit beam being slit light so that a longitudinal direction of the slit beam is substantially perpendicular to the running directions of the stages, and which has a first inclined angle formed by the direction of the group of lines and a projection line, of an optical axis of the slit beam, to the inspecting object; a spatial filter that shields or transmits reflected and scattered light of the inspecting object according to a difference in distribution of orientation; and a detection optical system that detects the reflected and scattered light transmitted through the spatial filter by image sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Shimura, Minori Noguchi, Masaaki Ito, Kenji Aiko, Shuichi Chikamatsu, Shigeo Otsuki, Shigeru Abe, Masayuki Ochi, Takuaki Sekiguchi, Hiroyuki Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20100106443
    Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus includes: stages each mounting an inspecting object on which a circuit pattern having a group of parallel lines is formed, and each running perpendicular or parallel to the group of lines; an illumination optical system which illuminating a surface of the inspecting object with a slit beam being slit light so that a longitudinal direction of the slit beam is substantially perpendicular to the running directions of the stages, and which has a first inclined angle formed by the direction of the group of lines and a projection line, of an optical axis of the slit beam, to the inspecting object; a spatial filter that shields or transmits reflected and scattered light of the inspecting object according to a difference in distribution of orientation; and a detection optical system that detects the reflected and scattered light transmitted through the spatial filter by image sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Shimura, Minori Noguchi, Masaaki Ito, Kenji Aiko, Shuichi Chikamatsu, Shigeo Otsuki, Shigeru Abe, Masayuki Ochi, Takuaki Sekiguchi, Hiroyuki Yamashita
  • Patent number: 7672799
    Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus includes: stages each mounting an inspecting object on which a circuit pattern having a group of parallel lines is formed, and each running perpendicular or parallel to the group of lines; an illumination optical system which illuminating a surface of the inspecting object with a slit beam being slit light so that a longitudinal direction of the slit beam is substantially perpendicular to the running directions of the stages, and which has a first inclined angle formed by the direction of the group of lines and a projection line, of an optical axis of the slit beam, to the inspecting object; a spatial filter that shields or transmits reflected and scattered light of the inspecting object according to a difference in distribution of orientation; and a detection optical system that detects the reflected and scattered light transmitted through the spatial filter by image sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Shimura, Minori Noguchi, Masaaki Ito, Kenji Aiko, Shuichi Chikamatsu, Shigeo Otsuki, Shigeru Abe, Masayuki Ochi, Takuaki Sekiguchi, Hiroyuki Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20090177413
    Abstract: A system for monitoring foreign matter includes a manufacturing line having plural process processing apparatuses, a production management system which manages the processing of workpieces in the manufacturing line, plural optical heads which monitor foreign matter in relation to at least one of the workpieces, and which provide an output signal indicative thereof, and at least one image signal processing unit provided in a lesser number than a number of the plural optical heads for processing the output signal therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Nishiyama, Minori Noguchi, Tetsuya Watanabe, Takuaki Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 7499157
    Abstract: A system for monitoring foreign matter includes a manufacturing line having plural process processing apparatuses, a production management system which manages the processing of workpieces in the manufacturing line, plural optical heads which monitor foreign matter in relation to at least one of the workpieces, and which provide an output signal indicative thereof, and at least one image signal processing unit provided in a lesser number than a number of the plural optical heads for processing the output signal therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi Electronics Engineering Co, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Nishiyama, Minori Noguchi, Tetsuya Watanabe, Takuaki Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20080059094
    Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus includes: stages each mounting an inspecting object on which a circuit pattern having a group of parallel lines is formed, and each running perpendicular or parallel to the group of lines; an illumination optical system which illuminating a surface of the inspecting object with a slit beam being slit light so that a longitudinal direction of the slit beam is substantially perpendicular to the running directions of the stages, and which has a first inclined angle formed by the direction of the group of lines and a projection line, of an optical axis of the slit beam, to the inspecting object; a spatial filter that shields or transmits reflected and scattered light of the inspecting object according to a difference in distribution of orientation; and a detection optical system that detects the reflected and scattered light transmitted through the spatial filter by image sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Kei SHIMURA, Minori Noguchi, Masaaki Ito, Kenji Aiko, Shuichi Chikamatsu, Shigeo Otsuki, Shigeru Abe, Masayuki Ochi, Takuaki Sekiguchi, Hiroyuki Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20070165212
    Abstract: A system for monitoring foreign matter includes a manufacturing line having plural process processing apparatuses, a production management system which manages the processing of workpieces in the manufacturing line, plural optical heads which monitor foreign matter in relation to at least one of the workpieces, and which provide an output signal indicative thereof, and at least one image signal processing unit provided in a lesser number than a number of the plural optical heads for processing the output signal therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Nishiyama, Minori Noguchi, Tetsuya Watanabe, Takuaki Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 7196785
    Abstract: A foreign matter monitoring system comprises: a production management system which manages the processing of workpieces in a manufacture line; foreign matter monitors mounted as on-machine equipment in plural process processing apparatuses of the manufacture line, said foreign matter monitors each having an optical head containing a detecting optical system for irradiating a workpiece with light and a detecting optical system for receiving reflected and scattered light from the workpiece and converting the received light to a detection image signal and an A/D converter for converting the detection image signal, which is obtained through conversion by the detecting optical system, to a detection digital image signal; and a base system having a control unit for acquiring control information, a buffer memory for storing said detection digital image signal which is acquired from each foreign matter monitor, a database storing inspection recipes each associated with a foreign matter monitor and an image signal pro
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Nishiyama, Minori Noguchi, Tetsuya Watanabe, Takuaki Sekiguchi
  • Publication number: 20040021856
    Abstract: A foreign matter monitoring system comprises: a production management system which manages the processing of workpieces in a manufacture line; foreign matter monitors mounted as on-machine equipment in plural process processing apparatuses of the manufacture line, said foreign matter monitors each having an optical head containing a detecting optical system for irradiating a workpiece with light and a detecting optical system for receiving reflected and scattered light from the workpiece and converting the received light to a detection image signal and an A/D converter for converting the detection image signal, which is obtained through conversion by the detecting optical system, to a detection digital image signal; and a base system having a control unit for acquiring control information, a buffer memory for storing said detection digital image signal which is acquired from each foreign matter monitor, a database storing inspection recipes each associated with a foreign matter monitor and an image signal pro
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2003
    Publication date: February 5, 2004
    Inventors: Hidetoshi Nishiyama, Minori Noguchi, Tetsuya Watanabe, Takuaki Sekiguchi