Patents by Inventor Yoshimasa Fukushima

Yoshimasa Fukushima 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: 10056226
    Abstract: There is proposed a column supporting structure that includes a viscoelastic sheet, a supporting plate which holds the viscoelastic sheet, and a fixation portion which connects the supporting plate to each lens barrel. The viscoelastic sheet is disposed to extend in a plane perpendicular to one lens barrel or the other lens barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Motohiro Takahashi, Yoshimasa Fukushima, Katsunori Onuki, Tetsuya Niibori
  • Publication number: 20170250054
    Abstract: There is proposed a column supporting structure that includes a viscoelastic sheet, a supporting plate which holds the viscoelastic sheet, and a fixation portion which connects the supporting plate to each lens barrel. The viscoelastic sheet is disposed to extend in a plane perpendicular to one lens barrel or the other lens barrel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: Motohiro TAKAHASHI, Yoshimasa FUKUSHIMA, Katsunori ONUKI, Tetsuya NIIBORI
  • Patent number: 8823309
    Abstract: Disclosed is a smaller and lighter stage device which can be applied to a device such as a length measurement SEM for inspecting and/or evaluating a semiconductor, and in which the effect of a magnetic field on an electron beam can be reduced. Linear motors 110, 111, 112, 113 are disposed on four sides of a base 104 to be distanced from an electron beam projection position (the center of the stage device), respectively. The base 104 has dimensions substantially equivalent to minimum dimensions determined by the size of a top table 101 and a movable stroke. Linear motor stators 110, 112 are configured to have a “C-shaped” structure whose opening faces outside of the stage device, respectively. Further, a movable table is coupled to the top table via linear guides 107, 109 composed of a nonmagnetic material or roller mechanisms composed of a nonmagnetic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hironori Ogawa, Masahiro Koyama, Nobuo Shibata, Masaru Matsushima, Shuichi Nakagawa, Katsunori Onuki, Yoshimasa Fukushima
  • Publication number: 20120145920
    Abstract: Disclosed is a smaller and lighter stage device which can be applied to a device such as a length measurement SEM for inspecting and/or evaluating a semiconductor, and in which the effect of a magnetic field on an electron beam can be reduced. Linear motors 110, 111, 112, 113 are disposed on four sides of a base 104 to be distanced from an electron beam projection position (the center of the stage device), respectively. The base 104 has dimensions substantially equivalent to minimum dimensions determined by the size of a top table 101 and a movable stroke. Linear motor stators 110, 112 are configured to have a “C-shaped” structure whose opening faces outside of the stage device, respectively. Further, a movable table is coupled to the top table via linear guides 107, 109 composed of a nonmagnetic material or roller mechanisms composed of a nonmagnetic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Hironori Ogawa, Masahiro Koyama, Nobuo Shibata, Masaru Matsushima, Shuichi Nakagawa, Katsunori Onuki, Yoshimasa Fukushima
  • Patent number: 7276709
    Abstract: To achieve high-resolution lithography, the temperature of a sample is controlled with heater wires during electron-beam lithography, the adverse effect of a magnetic field induced by the heater current is suppressed. Namely, heater wires are used to control the temperature of a sample so that the temperature will be maintained constant. In order to minimize the adverse effect of a magnetic field during the passage of currents through the heater wires, two heater wires are layered with the arrangement of the upper and lower sides, currents are fed to flow through the heater wires in mutually opposite directions, and the ratio of the current flowing through the upper heater wire to the one flowing through the lower heater wire is slightly changed from zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Fukushima, Hiroshi Tsuji, Sayaka Tanimoto
  • Publication number: 20050230637
    Abstract: To achieve high-resolution lithography, the temperature of a sample is controlled with heater wires during electron-beam lithography, the adverse effect of a magnetic field induced by the heater current is suppressed. Namely, heater wires are used to control the temperature of a sample so that the temperature will be maintained constant. In order to minimize the adverse effect of a magnetic field during the passage of currents through the heater wires, two heater wires are layered with the arrangement of the upper and lower sides, currents are fed to flow through the heater wires in mutually opposite directions, and the ratio of the current flowing through the upper heater wire to the one flowing through the lower heater wire is slightly changed from zero.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Publication date: October 20, 2005
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Fukushima, Hiroshi Tsuji, Sayaka Tanimoto
  • Publication number: 20050002012
    Abstract: Using a conductive material having volume resistance of approximately 1E?3 ?·cm or above for a movable guide 3 axially supported by a static pressure bearing 10 makes it possible to sufficiently reduce deflection of beams caused by eddy current generated due to a leaked magnetic field from an electron lens of an electron beam exposure apparatus or deflection of beams due to the influences from increased charge by secondary electrons.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2004
    Publication date: January 6, 2005
    Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeo Sakino, Yoshimasa Fukushima
  • Publication number: 20040250776
    Abstract: To realize the temperature control of the sample-setting portion and enable to perform exposure or inspection of samples accurately while preventing the generation of dust, deterioration of the degree of vacuum and contamination in a vacuum atmosphere.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: Masaki Mizuochi, Yoshimasa Fukushima, Tadayuki Kubo
  • Patent number: 6794665
    Abstract: An electron beam drawing apparatus has a sample chamber having a bottom plate, a side wall, and a top plate. Pillar members are disposed at four corners of the sample chamber and a frame is fixed to the pillar members. A plurality of supporting apparatuses for positioning a column mounted on the top plate to the frame are arranged around the column, thereby suppressing vibration of the column at the time of movement of a stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Kurihara, Toshihiko Horiuchi, Yoshimasa Fukushima, Masaki Mizuochi
  • Patent number: 6744054
    Abstract: An evacuation use sample chamber is constituted by a top table 21 which is provided with a recessed portion disposed in a sample chamber main body 10 and for mounting a sample 8 and a groove portion surrounding the recessed portion; a stage 20 which holds the top table 21 and is displaceable in front and back, right and left and up and down directions together with the top table 21; a sample chamber cover 11 which covers above the sample chamber main body 10 including the top table 21; and an evacuation use pipe 21C which communicates with the groove portion and evacuates gas between the bottom face of the sample chamber cover 11 and the top face of the top table 21 including the sample 8. Thereby, an evacuation use sample chamber which performs a stable evacuation and keeps around a sample at a predetermined high vacuum and a circuit pattern forming apparatus which permits a highly accurate pattern drawing over the entire region of the sample are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Canon Inc.
    Inventors: Masaki Mizuochi, Yoshimasa Fukushima, Mitsuru Inoue
  • Patent number: 6730916
    Abstract: An electron beam lithography apparatus of the present invention prevents the electron beam trajectory from being affected by a leakage magnetic field from a permanent magnet which is used as a sample stage guide/driving mechanism. In this electron beam lithography apparatus, an air bearing guide is used as a sample stage guide mechanism, and the stage posture is held by attracting the stage floating on a surface plate to the surface plate side by the permanent magnet. To avoid the leakage magnetic field from the permanent magnet from affecting the electron beam irradiation position on the sample, the permanent magnet is magnetically shielded by a shield member. In addition, to reduce variations in magnetic field above the sample, which are generated when the shield member moves in a leakage magnetic field from the electron lens, another shield member is arranged under the electron lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2004
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tsuji, Mitsuru Inoue, Norio Saitou, Yasuhiro Someda, Yoshimasa Fukushima
  • Patent number: 6659441
    Abstract: In a travelling worktable apparatus including a roller guide unit to guide a travelling table. Deformation of a sample table caused in association with precision of the guide unit such as deviation in precision of rail attachment and precision of rollers is prevented while keeping rigidity of the roller guide. This keeps a fixed distance between a bar mirror unit and a sample on the sample table. For this purpose, the Y table (top table) of the prior art is subdivided into a travelling table to hold the roller guide and a sample table to mount a sample thereon. These tables are fixed by a pin which can be more easily deformed than the tables and are linked with each other by an elastic body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Mizuochi, Yoshimasa Fukushima, Masami Katsuyama, Toshinori Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20030197134
    Abstract: An electron beam drawing apparatus has a sample chamber having a bottom plate, a side wall, and a top plate. Pillar members are disposed at four corners of the sample chamber and a frame is fixed to the pillar members. A plurality of supporting apparatuses for positioning a column mounted on the top plate to the frame are arranged around the column, thereby suppressing vibration of the column at the time of movement of a stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2003
    Publication date: October 23, 2003
    Applicant: HITACHI HIGH-TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Kurihara, Toshihiko Horiuchi, Yoshimasa Fukushima, Masaki Mizuochi
  • Publication number: 20030020225
    Abstract: In a travelling worktable apparatus including a roller guide unit to guide a travelling table. Deformation of a sample table caused in association with precision of the guide unit such as deviation in precision of rail attachment and precision of rollers is prevented while keeping rigidity of the roller guide. This keeps a fixed distance between a bar mirror unit and a sample on the sample table. For this purpose, the Y table (top table) of the prior art is subdivided into a travelling table to hold the roller guide and a sample table to mount a sample thereon. These tables are fixed by a pin which can be more easily deformed than the tables and are linked with each other by an elastic body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Publication date: January 30, 2003
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Mizuochi, Yoshimasa Fukushima, Masami Katsuyama, Toshinori Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20020185799
    Abstract: In a travelling worktable apparatus including a roller guide unit to guide a travelling table. Deformation of a sample table caused in association with precision of the guide unit such as deviation in precision of rail attachment and precision of rollers is prevented while keeping rigidity of the roller guide. This keeps a fixed distance between a bar mirror unit and a sample on the sample table. For this purpose, the Y table (top table) of the prior art is subdivided into a travelling table to hold the roller guide and a sample table to mount a sample thereon. These tables are fixed by a pin which can be more easily deformed than the tables and are linked with each other by an elastic body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2002
    Publication date: December 12, 2002
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Mizuochi, Yoshimasa Fukushima, Masami Katsuyama, Toshinori Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 6446950
    Abstract: In a travelling worktable apparatus including a roller guide unit to guide a travelling table. Deformation of a sample table caused in association with precision of the guide unit such as deviation in precision of rail attachment and precision of rollers is prevented while keeping rigidity of the roller guide. This keeps a fixed distance between a bar mirror unit and a sample on the sample table. For this purpose, the Y table (top table) of the prior art is subdivided into a travelling table to hold the roller guide and a sample table to mount a sample thereon. These tables are fixed by a pin which can be more easily deformed than the tables aid are linked with each other by an elastic body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Mizuochi, Yoshimasa Fukushima, Masami Katsuyama, Toshinori Kobayashi
  • Publication number: 20020070345
    Abstract: An evacuation use sample chamber is constituted by a top table 21 which is provided with a recessed portion disposed in a sample chamber main body 10 and for mounting a sample 8 and a groove portion surrounding the recessed portion; a stage 20 which holds the top table 21 and is displaceable in front and back, right and left and up and down directions together with the top table 21; a sample chamber cover 11 which covers above the sample chamber main body 10 including the top table 21; and an evacuation use pipe 21C which communicates with the groove portion and evacuates gas between the bottom face of the sample chamber cover 11 and the top face of the top table 21 including the sample 8. Thereby, an evacuation use sample chamber which performs a stable evacuation and keeps around a sample at a predetermined high vacuum and a circuit pattern forming apparatus which permits a highly accurate pattern drawing over the entire region of the sample are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Mizuochi, Yoshimasa Fukushima, Mitsuru Inoue
  • Publication number: 20010024008
    Abstract: In a travelling worktable apparatus including a roller guide unit to guide a travelling table. Deformation of a sample table caused in association with precision of the guide unit such as deviation in precision of rail attachment and precision of rollers is prevented while keeping rigidity of the roller guide. This keeps a fixed distance between a bar mirror unit and a sample on the sample table. For this purpose, the Y table (top table) of the prior art is subdivided into a travelling table to hold the roller guide and a sample table to mount a sample thereon. These tables are fixed by a pin which can be more easily deformed than the tables and are linked with each other by an elastic body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Publication date: September 27, 2001
    Applicant: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaki Mizuochi, Yoshimasa Fukushima, Masami Katsuyama, Toshinori Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 6281024
    Abstract: A method and system for inspecting and/or analyzing semiconductor devices in which particles in a semiconductor wafer which is processed in a semiconductor device manufacturing line are detected. A particle is selected from among the detected particles and the selected particle is etched to expose a cross section of the selected particle. The selected particle whose cross section is exposed has the element thereof analyzed, and after analyzation, the semiconductor wafer is continued to be processed in the semiconductor device manufacturing line. For etching, pattern data having an edge which intersects the selected particle is created and the semiconductor wafer which is coated with a photosensitive material is exposed by a light pattern according to the pattern data so that an edge intersects the selected particle. Thereafter, the etching is carried out to expose the cross section of the selected particle and analyzation is effected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Yoshitake, Kenji Watanabe, Yoshimasa Fukushima, Minori Noguchi
  • Patent number: 4824309
    Abstract: A vacuum processing unit and apparatus comprises a buffer chamber that can be evacuated, a processing chamber that can be communicated with said buffer chamber a first sample carrier installed in said buffer chamber, a vacuum opening/closing device provided in the buffer chamber to correspond to the first sample carrier, a vacuum prechamber provided for the buffer chamber via the vacuum opening/closing device, a second sample carrier which carries the sample between the vacuum prechamber and the first sample carrier via the vacuum opening/closing device, and a third sample carrier which carries the sample between said first sample carrier and the processing chamber. The vacuum processing units can be connected in groups via vacuum opening/closing devices provided for the buffer chambers in locations corresponding to the end of the first sample carriers therein. The number of connected processing chambers can be freely changed to meet a change in the process or the manufacturing line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1986
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1989
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kakehi, Norio Nakazato, Yoshimasa Fukushima, Fumio Shibata, Tsunehiko Tsubone, Norio Kanai