Patents by Inventor Tomofumi Nishikawara

Tomofumi Nishikawara 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: 20240100853
    Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus including a head configured to discharge a liquid, a chamber configured to contain the head, a circulation system configured to circulate a gas inside the chamber, an exhaust system configured to operate to exhaust the gas to an outside of the chamber, a filter provided in the circulation system and configured to remove a removal target contained in the gas, a detection unit configured to indirectly detect the removal target by detecting a detection target that is contained in the gas and different from the removal target, and a controller configured to operate the exhaust system when a concentration of the detection target detected by the detection unit is not lower than a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: SHUGO NAKAYAMA, TOMOFUMI NISHIKAWARA, AKIKO IIMURA, MASAHIRO KURI, TETSUYA YAMAMOTO
  • Patent number: 9823562
    Abstract: The present invention provides an imprint apparatus for forming a pattern in a plurality of shot regions on a substrate, comprising a heating unit configured to deform each of the shot regions by heating the substrate, and a control unit configured to control the heating unit, wherein when performing imprint processing for a target shot region as a shot region to undergo imprint processing based on heating control information used to heat, by the heating unit, a shot region which has undergone imprint processing prior to the target shot region, the control unit controls heating of the substrate by the heating unit so that a shape of the target shot region which has been deformed by heating of the substrate according to the control information becomes close to a target shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomofumi Nishikawara, Kazuki Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 9341468
    Abstract: A measuring apparatus includes a light projecting and receiving device configured to project and receive light, and measures an object based on the projected and received light. The measuring apparatus comprises a chamber configured to enclose a first space for accommodating the object; a partition configured to separate the first space from a second space which accommodates the light projecting and receiving device, and configured to transmit the light; a first regulator configured to regulate temperature of the first space to a first temperature by flowing a gas through the first space; and a second regulator configured to regulate temperature of the second space to a second temperature different from the first temperature by flowing a gas through the second space. The partition includes a plurality of partition walls disposed with a gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomofumi Nishikawara, Takahiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20140353865
    Abstract: The present invention provides an imprint apparatus for forming a pattern in a plurality of shot regions on a substrate, comprising a heating unit configured to deform each of the shot regions by heating the substrate, and a control unit configured to control the heating unit, wherein when performing imprint processing for a target shot region as a shot region to undergo imprint processing based on heating control information used to heat, by the heating unit, a shot region which has undergone imprint processing prior to the target shot region, the control unit controls heating of the substrate by the heating unit so that a shape of the target shot region which has been deformed by heating of the substrate according to the control information becomes close to a target shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomofumi Nishikawara, Kazuki Nakagawa
  • Publication number: 20140211214
    Abstract: A measuring apparatus includes a light projecting and receiving device configured to project and receive light, and measures an object based on the projected and received light. The measuring apparatus comprises a chamber configured to enclose a first space for accommodating the object; a partition configured to separate the first space from a second space which accommodates the light projecting and receiving device, and configured to transmit the light; a first regulator configured to regulate temperature of the first space to a first temperature by flowing a gas through the first space; and a second regulator configured to regulate temperature of the second space to a second temperature different from the first temperature by flowing a gas through the second space. The partition includes a plurality of partition walls disposed with a gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomofumi Nishikawara, Takahiro Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20130033822
    Abstract: An image acquisition apparatus includes an imaging optical system configured to form an image of a subject, an imaging unit including an image sensor configured to capture the image of the subject formed by the imaging optical system, a cooler thermally connected to the image sensor, and a heat-transfer reduction unit with an opaque portion located between the imaging optical system and the imaging unit, wherein the opaque portion includes an aperture through which incident light to the image sensor passes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Publication date: February 7, 2013
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomofumi Nishikawara, Yukio Tokuda, Hisashi Namba
  • Patent number: 7630056
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate via liquid includes a substrate stage configured to hold the substrate and to move. The substrate stage includes a top plate, a substrate holder disposed on the top plate and configured to hold the substrate, and a support-plate holder disposed on the top plate as a separate body from the substrate holder and configured to hold a support plate while surrounding the substrate held by the substrate holder. The substrate holder includes an extension having a surface facing a back surface of the support plate held by the support-plate holder. The support-plate holder is provided with a collecting port therein through which liquid that has entered a gap between the back surface of the support plate and the surface of the extension is collected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomofumi Nishikawara
  • Publication number: 20090237638
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate through liquid includes a stage for holding and moving the substrate. The stage includes a holding section for holding the substrate and a supporting section disposed around the holding section. The supporting section includes a recovery port including a gap between the substrate held by the holding section and the supporting section, the recovery port for recovering the liquid, a space for storing the liquid recovered through the recovery port, a liquid recovery mechanism for draining the liquid that has collected in a lower part of the space, and a sloshing reduction member disposed in the space, the sloshing reduction member for reducing sloshing of the liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomofumi Nishikawara, Keiji Emoto, Tatsuya Hayashi, Keiji Yamashita
  • Publication number: 20090040481
    Abstract: An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate via liquid includes a substrate stage configured to hold the substrate and to move. The substrate stage includes a top plate, a substrate holder disposed on the top plate and configured to hold the substrate, and a support-plate holder disposed on the top plate as a separate body from the substrate holder and configured to hold a support plate while surrounding the substrate held by the substrate holder. The substrate holder includes an extension having a surface facing a back surface of the support plate held by the support-plate holder. The support-plate holder is provided with a collecting port therein through which liquid that has entered a gap between the back surface of the support plate and the surface of the extension is collected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomofumi Nishikawara
  • Patent number: 7394522
    Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate. The exposure apparatus includes a movable substrate stage, a projection optical system configured to project light from an original and including a final optical element, and a nozzle member provided around the final optical element and including an opposing surface opposing the substrate. The substrate is exposed via liquid filled between a final surface of the projection optical system and the substrate, the projection optical system, and the original. The opposing surface includes a supply port, a first recovery port provided farther from an optical axis of the final optical element than the supply port, and a first portion and a second portion provided between the supply port and the first recovery port. The distance between the first portion and the substrate is longer than the distance between the supply port and the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyasu Hasegawa, Tomofumi Nishikawara, Keita Sakai
  • Publication number: 20080002169
    Abstract: At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to an exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate. The exposure apparatus includes a movable substrate stage, a projection optical system configured to project light from an original and including a final optical element, and a nozzle member provided around the final optical element and including an opposing surface opposing the substrate. The substrate is exposed via liquid filled between a final surface of the projection optical system and the substrate, the projection optical system, and the original. The opposing surface includes a supply port, a first recovery port provided farther from an optical axis of the final optical element than the supply port, and a first portion and a second portion provided between the supply port and the first recovery port. The distance between the first portion and the substrate is longer than the distance between the supply port and the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Noriyasu Hasegawa, Tomofumi Nishikawara, Keita Sakai