Patents by Inventor Yasuhiro Mitiani

Yasuhiro Mitiani 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: 7046715
    Abstract: Accordingly, a method of suppressing energy spikes is provided comprising projecting a laser beam through a mask having a slit pattern comprising a corner region with edges, and a blocking feature with the corner region to reduce energy spikes projected on a substrate. An alternative method is provided, wherein the corner region is modified such that it is replaced by a more tapered shaped region, preferably a triangle. Also provided, are a variety of mask designs incorporating both corner regions, with and without one or more blocking features, and triangular regions, with or without one or more blocking features. The mask designs provide examples of mask modifications that may be used to reduce energy spikes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Apostolos T. Voutsas, Mark A. Crowder, Yasuhiro Mitiani
  • Patent number: 6903370
    Abstract: A substrate and a method for fabricating variable quality substrate materials are provided. The method comprises: selecting a first mask having a first mask pattern; projecting a laser beam through the first mask to anneal a first area of semiconductor substrate; creating a first condition in the first area of the semiconductor film; selecting a second mask having a second mask pattern; projecting the laser beam through the second mask to anneal a second area of the semiconductor film; and, creating a second condition in the second area of the semiconductor film, different than the first condition. More specifically, when the substrate material is silicon, the first and second conditions concern the creation of crystalline material with a quantitative measure of lattice mismatch between adjacent crystal domains. For example, the lattice mismatch between adjacent crystal domains can be measured as a number of high-angle grain boundaries per area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Apostolos Voutsas, Yasuhiro Mitiani, Mark A. Crowder
  • Publication number: 20040238502
    Abstract: Accordingly, a method of suppressing energy spikes is provided comprising projecting a laser beam through a mask having a slit pattern comprising a corner region with edges, and a blocking feature with the corner region to reduce energy spikes projected on a substrate. An alternative method is provided, wherein the corner region is modified such that it is replaced by a more tapered shaped region, preferably a triangle. Also provided, are a variety of mask designs incorporating both corner regions, with and without one or more blocking features, and triangular regions, with or without one or more blocking features. The mask designs provide examples of mask modifications that may be used to reduce energy spikes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Applicant: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Apostolos T. Voutsas, Mark A. Crowder, Yasuhiro Mitiani
  • Patent number: 6792029
    Abstract: Accordingly, a method of suppressing energy spikes is provided comprising projecting a laser beam through a mask having a slit pattern comprising a corner region with edges, and a blocking feature with the corner region to reduce energy spikes projected on a substrate. An alternative method is provided, wherein the corner region is modified such that it is replaced by a more tapered shaped region, preferably a triangle. Also provided, are a variety of mask designs incorporating both corner regions, with and without one or more blocking features, and triangular regions, with or without one or more blocking features. The mask designs provide examples of mask modifications that may be used to reduce energy spikes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Apostolos T. Voutsas, Mark A. Crowder, Yasuhiro Mitiani
  • Publication number: 20040101998
    Abstract: A substrate and a method for fabricating variable quality substrate materials are provided. The method comprises: selecting a first mask having a first mask pattern; projecting a laser beam through the first mask to anneal a first area of semiconductor substrate; creating a first condition in the first area of the semiconductor film; selecting a second mask having a second mask pattern; projecting the laser beam through the second mask to anneal a second area of the semiconductor film; and, creating a second condition in the second area of the semiconductor film, different than the first condition. More specifically, when the substrate material is silicon, the first and second conditions concern the creation of crystalline material with a quantitative measure of lattice mismatch between adjacent crystal domains. For example, the lattice mismatch between adjacent crystal domains can be measured as a number of high-angle grain boundaries per area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Publication date: May 27, 2004
    Applicant: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Apostolos Voutsas, Yasuhiro Mitiani, Mark A. Crowder
  • Patent number: 6733931
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for laser irradiating a semiconductor substrate using a multi-pattern mask. The method comprises: exposing a semiconductor substrate to laser light projected through a multi-pattern mask; advancing the mask and substrate in a first direction to sequentially expose adjacent areas of the substrate to each of the mask patterns in a first predetermined order; and, advancing the mask and substrate in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to sequentially expose adjacent areas of the substrate to each of the mask patterns in the first order. In one aspect, the method further comprises: forming a multi-pattern mask having a first plurality patterns aligned in the first order with respect to the first direction and a second plurality of patterns, corresponding to the first plurality of patterns, aligned in the first order with respect to the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Apostolos Voutsas, Mark A. Crowder, Yasuhiro Mitiani
  • Patent number: 6660576
    Abstract: A substrate and a method for fabricating variable quality substrate materials are provided. The method comprises: selecting a first mask having a first mask pattern; projecting a laser beam through the first mask to anneal a first area of semiconductor substrate; creating a first condition in the first area of the semiconductor film; selecting a second mask having a second mask pattern; projecting the laser beam through the second mask to anneal a second area of the semiconductor film; and, creating a second condition in the second area of the semiconductor film, different than the first condition. More specifically, when the substrate material is silicon, the first and second conditions concern the creation of crystalline material with a quantitative measure of lattice mismatch between adjacent crystal domains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Apostolos Voutsas, Yasuhiro Mitiani, Mark A. Crowder
  • Publication number: 20030194613
    Abstract: Accordingly, a method of suppressing energy spikes is provided comprising projecting a laser beam through a mask having a slit pattern comprising a corner region with edges, and a blocking feature with the corner region to reduce energy spikes projected on a substrate. An alternative method is provided, wherein the corner region is modified such that it is replaced by a more tapered shaped region, preferably a triangle. Also provided, are a variety of mask designs incorporating both corner regions, with and without one or more blocking features, and triangular regions, with or without one or more blocking features. The mask designs provide examples of mask modifications that may be used to reduce energy spikes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2002
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Inventors: Apostolos T. Voutsas, Mark A. Crowder, Yasuhiro Mitiani
  • Publication number: 20030175599
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for laser irradiating a semiconductor substrate using a multi-pattern mask. The method comprises: exposing a semiconductor substrate to laser light projected through a multi-pattern mask; advancing the mask and substrate in a first direction to sequentially expose adjacent areas of the substrate to each of the mask patterns in a first predetermined order; and, advancing the mask and substrate in a second direction, opposite the first direction, to sequentially expose adjacent areas of the substrate to each of the mask patterns in the first order. In one aspect, the method further comprises: forming a multi-pattern mask having a first plurality patterns aligned in the first order with respect to the first direction and a second plurality of patterns, corresponding to the first plurality of patterns, aligned in the first order with respect to the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventors: Apostolos Voutsas, Mark A. Crowder, Yasuhiro Mitiani
  • Publication number: 20030170963
    Abstract: A substrate and a method for fabricating variable quality substrate materials are provided. The method comprises: selecting a first mask having a first mask pattern; projecting a laser beam through the first mask to anneal a first area of semiconductor substrate; creating a first condition in the first area of the semiconductor film; selecting a second mask having a second mask pattern; projecting the laser beam through the second mask to anneal a second area of the semiconductor film; and, creating a second condition in the second area of the semiconductor film, different than the first condition. More specifically, when the substrate material is silicon, the first and second conditions concern the creation of crystalline material with a quantitative measure of lattice mismatch between adjacent crystal domains. For example, the lattice mismatch between adjacent crystal domains can be measured as a number of high-angle grain boundaries per area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2002
    Publication date: September 11, 2003
    Inventors: Apostolos Voutsas, Yasuhiro Mitiani, Mark A. Crowder