Patents Issued in March 20, 2018
  • Patent number: 9921457
    Abstract: A lighting device capable of changing the light irradiation range includes a light emitting portion, and an optical member disposed in front of the light emitting portion. The optical member has a plurality of shapes such that two types of cylindrical concave surface having axial directions substantially perpendicular to each other are crossed each other. The plurality of shapes are formed in a central region of an entry surface through which light from the light emitting portion enters or a central region of an exit surface through which the light entering through the entry surface exits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshinobu Okano
  • Patent number: 9921458
    Abstract: There is provided a camera module including: a housing unit; a lens unit which is movable relative to the housing unit in an optical axis direction and directions perpendicular with respect to an optical axis; and an actuator unit moving the lens unit, wherein corners of the housing unit are provided with flat surfaces which are inclined with respect to an optical axis of the lens unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Soo Cheol Lim, Chul Jin Kim, Oh Byoung Kwon, Sung Ryung Park, Jae Hyuk Lee
  • Patent number: 9921459
    Abstract: A payload stabilizer and methods for stabilizing a payload suitable for use with video camera payloads. The stabilizer has a feedback system providing supplemental torques to the payload through a gimbal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventors: Steven D. Wagner, Garrett W. Brown, Jerry Holway
  • Patent number: 9921460
    Abstract: A storage case includes a storage space accommodating a projector, a cover body configured to open or close an upper opening of the storage space, an elevating mechanism provided in the storage space and configured to move the projector up and down, and an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a projection direction of the projector moved up by the elevating mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Takanobu Tanaka, Kunihiko Abe, Yoshishige Tanaka, Seigoh Nishiyama, Yuichi Takamiya
  • Patent number: 9921461
    Abstract: In an aspect, a device-and-clip system is provided for an electronic device. The system includes an external device that cooperates with at least one electronic device feature on the rear face to perform a selected function. The system includes a clip including a first clip arm having an arm marker thereon and which is engageable with the front face of the electronic device and a second clip arm that is engageable with the rear face of the electronic device. The system further includes an application that is executable to instruct the electronic device to display a screen marker on the display screen in a selected position and in a selected orientation such that positioning and orienting of the first clip arm on the display screen of the smart phone with the arm marker aligned with the position and orientation of the screen marker positions the external device in alignment with the at least one electronic device feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SPIN MASTER LTD.
    Inventors: Natalie Rebot, Hamid R. Hashemi, Herman Chan
  • Patent number: 9921462
    Abstract: A light source optical system includes a micro lens array, a condenser lens unit, and a dichroic surface. In a direction orthogonal to an optical axis in a cross section parallel to a normal of the dichroic surface and the optical axis of the condenser lens unit, a width of the dichroic surface is narrower than a width of the condenser lens unit. A light source optical system satisfies a predetermined conditional expression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takehito Kawasumi
  • Patent number: 9921463
    Abstract: A video projecting structure includes a substrate having a visible light transmittance greater than or equal to 5% and less than or equal to 90%, a front haze greater than or equal to 4 and less than or equal to 40, and a rear haze greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 60. In a case where light is incident on a surface of the substrate at an angle of 45°, an intensity of a backward scattering light is lower than an intensity of a frontward scattering light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yukihiro Tao, Kenta Sekikawa, Hitoshi Tsujimura, Kenichi Ebata, Yuriko Kaida
  • Patent number: 9921464
    Abstract: Provided is a gimbal for 360-degree video and picture shooting including: a camera mounting unit having a body and a cavity formed in a center of the body, with a plurality of cameras being mounted on an outer peripheral surface of the body to take a 360-degree image or picture; a multi-axis driving unit provided in the cavity of the camera mounting unit and fixed to one side of the camera mounting unit to calibrate shaking of the camera mounting unit; and a support unit to which the other side of the multi-axis driving unit is fixed. Since the multi-axis driving unit is not exposed to the outside when the gimbal takes the 360-degree image and picture, it is possible to minimize the restriction of the area to be filmed when taking the surrounding image and picture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventor: Seung Kwon Choi
  • Patent number: 9921465
    Abstract: A reflective mask reducing reflection of out-of-band light. The reflective mask includes a light shielding frame formed in a mask region corresponding to a boundary region of a chip on a semiconductor substrate multiply exposed. The substrate of the light shielding frame includes a layer having a different refractive index or includes pores to change the path of incident out-of-band light to thereby suppress the out-of-band light from being reflected off the conductive film. The substrate also includes a layer having a different refractive index relative to out-of-band light reflected off the conductive layer. With the reflective mask of this configuration, influence on the wiring pattern dimension can be reduced and productivity of the semiconductors can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: TOPPAN PRINTING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinpei Kondo, Norihito Fukugami
  • Patent number: 9921466
    Abstract: Obtaining optimal focus for exposing a photoresist in an EUV lithography with an EUV mask containing a pattern with an assist feature is disclosed. The EUV mask contains a repeating pattern, wherein the repeating pattern has two different pitches, i.e. a first pitch and a second pitch, and contains an assist feature between main features. Because the two different pitches have different focus offsets, the difference between linewidths of said gratings provides a calibration curve which is a measure of focus. The method for monitoring focus is performing a EUV exposure using a focus position with a pre-determined focus position as calibrated using the linewidth difference between the two gratings. The EUV mask for monitoring focus of present invention is applicable to both test and product masks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy Allan Brunner, Martin Burkhardt
  • Patent number: 9921467
    Abstract: A mask blank and a mask are provided. The mask blank includes a substrate, and an etching stop layer embedded in the substrate. The mask includes the mask blank with the embedded etching stop layer, and a plurality of recesses formed in the mask blank. The recess exposes the embedded etching stop layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Chih-Chiang Tu, Chun-Lang Chen
  • Patent number: 9921468
    Abstract: An X-Y table with a position-measuring device includes a table which is disposed on a support and is movable on the support so that altogether the table is positionable in a plane parallel to an underlying stationary base. Two groups of scanning heads are disposed on the support. For position measurement in two directions, a respective one of the scanning heads directs light through a respective transmissive scale attached along an edge of the table such that a respective reflective scale, which is stationary relative to a processing tool disposed above the table, reflects the light through the respective transmissive scale back to the respective scanning head. In a central position of the table, the two groups are in positional correspondence with the transmissive scales, and, in either of two edge positions of the table, only one of the two groups is in positional correspondence with the transmissive scales.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Joerg Drescher, Markus Meissner, Ralph Joerger, Bernhard Musch, Thomas Kaelberer
  • Patent number: 9921469
    Abstract: The present invention provides an imprint method comprising a deformation step of deforming a pattern surface of a mold so that the mold is gradually brought into contact with the imprint material outward from a central portion of the pattern surface, an obtaining step of obtaining a shift amount indicating how much a mark on the mold shifts in a direction parallel to a substrate surface due to deformation of the pattern surface, a detection step of detecting the mark on the mold and a mark on the substrate while the pattern surface is deformed, and obtaining relative positions of the mold and the substrate from a detection result, and an alignment step of aligning the mold and the substrate using the shift amount and the relative positions while the pattern surface is deformed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Sato
  • Patent number: 9921470
    Abstract: The present invention provides an imprint apparatus which transfers a pattern onto a substrate by using a mold including a first surface with a pattern region where an unevenness pattern is formed, and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the mold including a first pattern group formed between the second surface and a surface of a convex portion in the unevenness pattern, or on the second surface, the apparatus comprising a second pattern group, a detection unit configured to detect a mark group formed by light having passed through the first pattern group and the second pattern group, and a calculation unit configured to calculate a position deviation between the first pattern group and the second pattern group from the mark group detected by the detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Shiode
  • Patent number: 9921471
    Abstract: A method of forming a photonic device structure comprises forming a photoresist over a photonic material over a substrate. The photoresist is exposed to radiation through a gray-tone mask to form at least one photoexposed region and at least one non-photoexposed region of the photoresist. The at least one photoexposed region of the photoresist or the at least one non-photoexposed region of the photoresist is removed to form photoresist features. The photoresist features and unprotected portions of the photonic material are removed to form photonic features. Other methods of forming a photonic device structure, and a method of forming an electronic device are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Roy E. Meade, Gurtej S. Sandhu
  • Patent number: 9921472
    Abstract: A photosensitive composition and a quantum dot-polymer composite pattern formed from the photosensitive composition are disclosed, and the photosensitive composition includes: a plurality of quantum dots; a color filter material including an absorption dye, an absorption pigment, or a combination thereof; a polymer binder; a photopolymerizable monomer having a carbon-carbon double bond; a photoinitiator; and a solvent, wherein in a normalized photoluminescence spectrum of the quantum dot and a normalized ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrum of the color filter material, a photoluminescence peak wavelength (PL peak wavelength) of the quantum dot and a wavelength of maximum absorbance of the color filter material do not overlap with each other, and the color filter material is included in an amount of less than or equal to 1 part by weight per 10 parts by weight of the plurality of quantum dots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD., SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyeyeon Yang, Tae Hyung Kim, Shang Hyeun Park, Shin Ae Jun, Yong Seok Han, Eun Joo Jang, Deukseok Chung
  • Patent number: 9921473
    Abstract: The invention relates to a photopolymer formulation comprising specific aromatic glycol ethers as writing monomers, matrix polymers and a photoinitiator. The invention further provides an unexposed holographic medium obtainable using an inventive photopolymer formulation, and an exposed holographic medium obtainable by exposing a hologram into an inventive unexposed holographic medium. The invention likewise provides a visual display comprising an inventive exposed holographic medium, for the use of an inventive exposed holographic medium for production of chip cards, identification documents, 3D images, product protection labels, labels, banknotes or holographic optical elements, and specific aromatic glycol ethers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Covestro Deutschland AG
    Inventors: Thomas Fäcke, Friedrich-Karl Bruder, Thomas Rölle, Marc-Stephan Weiser, Dennis Hönel, Horst Berneth, Günther Walze, Rainer Hagen
  • Patent number: 9921474
    Abstract: A pattern-forming method includes forming a prepattern that is insoluble or hardly soluble in an organic solvent. A resin layer is provided on at least a lateral face of the prepattern. The prepattern and the resin layer are heated such that an adjacent portion of the resin layer to the prepattern is made insoluble or hardly soluble in the organic solvent, without being accompanied by an increase of a molecular weight of the prepattern and the resin layer. A portion of the resin layer other than the adjacent portion of the resin layer is removed. The resin layer is formed from a first composition including a first polymer and an organic solvent. Solubility of the first polymer in the organic solvent does not substantially change due to an action of an acid. A weight average molecular weight of the first polymer is 15,000-150,000.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: JSR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kanako Fukami
  • Patent number: 9921475
    Abstract: A photoacid-generating compound has the structure where R1, R2, R3, R4, Q, and X are defined herein. The photoacid-generating compound can be used as a component of a photoresist composition, or as a monomer incorporated into a polymer useful in a photoresist composition. The photoacid-generating compound provides a desired balance of solubility and line width roughness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: ROHM AND HAAS ELECTRONIC MATERIALS LLC
    Inventors: Emad Aqad, William Williams, III, Cong Liu
  • Patent number: 9921476
    Abstract: This invention relates to a positive-type photosensitive resin composition which includes an alkali soluble polyimide resin, a diazide-based photosensitive compound and a sensitivity enhancer, and in which the use of a polyimide resin wherein the degree of imidization of imidized polyimide resin is 50˜75% exhibits a light transmittance of 95% or more in the visible light wavelength range (400˜650 nm) as well as high developability in a patterning process, and to an insulating film and an OLED formed using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Se Hyung Park, Byoung Kee Kim
  • Patent number: 9921477
    Abstract: Compounds of the Formula (I), (II) and (III) wherein Aris is for example phenylene, biphenylene or naphthylene, all of which are unsubstituted or substituted by C1-C4-alkyl, C2-C4-alkenyl, CN, OR11, SR11, CH2OR11, COOR12, CONR12R13 or halogen; R1, R2, R7 and R8 independently of one another other are hydrogen or C1-C6-alkyl; R3 and R5 together and R4 and R6 together form a C2-C6-alkylene bridge which is unsubstituted or substituted by one or more C1-C4-alkyl; R11 is hydrogen or C1-C6-alkyl; R12 and R13 independently of one another for example are hydrogen, phenyl, C1-C18-alkyl, C1-C18-alkyl which is interrupted by one or more O; n is 1-10; X is O, S or NR10; A and A1 are suitable linking groups; are suitable as photolatent bases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: BASE SE
    Inventors: Kurt Dietliker, Katharina Misteli, Katia Studer, Tunja Jung, Lothar Alexander Engelbrecht
  • Patent number: 9921478
    Abstract: Compositions and methods herein include negative tone developer compatible photoresist compositions and methods of using such compositions. This includes a positive tone photoresist that can be developed using negative tone developers in that unexposed portions of the positive tone photoresist are dissolvable by one or more negative tone developer solvents. One embodiment includes a negative tone developer compatible photoresist with little or no etch resistance. Non-resistive photoresist materials as described herein can include one or more radiation-sensitive attributes (for example, the photoresist can be patterned, de-protected, solubility shifted, interact with photo chemistries, and respond to exposure doses), except that these materials have effectively no etch resistance. Such compositions can be effectively free from components, functional groups, or additives that provide or increase etch resistivity to a wet or dry etch process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventor: Anton J. deVilliers
  • Patent number: 9921479
    Abstract: A pattern is formed by coating a resist composition comprising (A) a PPD inhibitor, (B) a polymer adapted to change its solubility in an organic solvent under the action of acid, (C) a photoacid generator, and (D) an organic solvent onto a substrate, baking, exposing the resist film, PEB, and developing in an organic solvent developer. The resist composition ensures to form a pattern in a consistent manner while inhibiting any CD shrinkage and pattern profile change due to a delay from PEB to development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Yamada, Satoshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9921480
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for lithography patterning in accordance with some embodiments. The method includes forming a photoresist layer over a substrate; performing an exposing process to the photoresist layer; and developing the photoresist layer, thereby forming a patterned photoresist layer. The photoresist layer includes a polymer backbone, an acid labile group (ALG) bonded to the polymer backbone, a first sensitizer that is bonded to the polymer backbone, a second sensitizer that is not bonded to the polymer backbone, and a photo-acid generator (PAG).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD
    Inventors: Wei-Han Lai, Ching-Yu Chang, Chien-Wei Wang
  • Patent number: 9921481
    Abstract: The present invention provides a composition enabling to form a fine negative photoresist pattern free from troubles such as surface roughness, bridge defects or unresolved defects, and the invention also provides a pattern formation method employing that composition. The composition is used for miniaturizing a resist pattern by applying to a negative resist pattern from a chemically amplified resist composition and fattening the resist pattern. This composition comprises a polymer comprising a repeating unit having an amino group or a polymer mixture, and a solvent, and further comprises a specific amount of an acid or indicates a specific pH value. The polymer mixture comprises polymers whose HSP distance, determined from Hansen solubility parameter, is 3 or more. In the pattern formation method, the composition is cast on a negative photoresist pattern beforehand obtained by development with an organic solvent developer and is then heated to form a fine pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: AZ Electronic Materials (Luxembourg) S.à r.l.
    Inventors: Kazuma Yamamoto, Yoshihiro Miyamoto, Takashi Sekito, Tatsuro Nagahara
  • Patent number: 9921482
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an exposure device which forms an image of a pattern on a mask onto a substrate with microlens arrays to expose the substrate, and reduces a size of an lighting unit which emits an exposure light. Microlens arrays include plural microlenses which are arranged two-dimensionally and arranged in a direction intersecting a movement direction. Lighting unit includes an LD array bar in which plural laser diodes are arranged, and lighting optical system which transforms plural emitted lights emitted from the plural laser diodes into an exposure flux having a slit form. The slit form spreads across plural pieces of the microlenses, and which, with respect to the movement direction, is limited in an area not reaching a microlens arranged in an adjacent row in the movement direction, and illuminates plural microlenses arranged in a row with an exposure light by the exposure light flux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: V TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koichi Kajimaya, Michinobu Mizumura, Makoto Hatanaka
  • Patent number: 9921483
    Abstract: A mirror (1) for EUV lithography includes a substrate (2) and a reflective coating (3, 4). The reflective coating has a first group (3) of layers (3a, 3b) and a second group (4) of layers (4a, 4b), wherein the first group and second group of layers (3a, 3b; 4a, 4b) reflect radiation having a used wavelength between 5 nm and 30 nm. The first group of layers is arranged between the substrate and the second group of layers, and a decoupling coating (6) is arranged between the first group and second group of layers, said decoupling coating optically decoupling the second group of layers from the first group of layers by preventing the radiation having the used wavelength from reaching the first group of layers. The reflective coating preferably has a correction layer (5) having a layer thickness variation for correcting the surface form of the mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Dier, Tobias Hackl, Franz-Josef Stickel, Ulrich Loering, Tilmann Assmus, Juergen Mueller, Vladimir Kamenov, Siegfried Rennon
  • Patent number: 9921484
    Abstract: An illumination optical unit for EUV projection lithography guides illumination light toward an object field. A field facet mirror of the illumination optical unit has a multiplicity of individual mirrors which are switchable between at least two tilting positions. A pupil facet mirror of the illumination optical unit has a plurality of stationary pupil facets and is disposed downstream of the field facet mirror in the beam path of the illumination light. The pupil facets serve for the at least sectionally superimposing imaging of a group of the individual mirrors of the field facet mirror into the object field via a group-mirror illumination channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Endres
  • Patent number: 9921485
    Abstract: A model-based tuning method for tuning a first lithography system utilizing a reference lithography system, each of which has tunable parameters for controlling imaging performance. The method includes the steps of defining a test pattern and an imaging model; imaging the test pattern utilizing the reference lithography system and measuring the imaging results; imaging the test pattern utilizing the first lithography system and measuring the imaging results; calibrating the imaging model utilizing the imaging results corresponding to the reference lithography system, where the calibrated imaging model has a first set of parameter values; tuning the calibrated imaging model utilizing the imaging results corresponding to the first lithography system, where the tuned calibrated model has a second set of parameter values; and adjusting the parameters of the first lithography system based on a difference between the first set of parameter values and the second set of parameter values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Jun Ye, Yu Cao
  • Patent number: 9921486
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for multiscale patterning of a sample. The method includes: placing the sample in an apparatus having both thermo-optical lithography capability and thermal scanning probe lithography capability; and patterning two patterns onto the sample, respectively by: thermo-optical lithography, wherein light is emitted from a light source onto the sample to heat the latter and thereby write a first pattern that is the largest of the two patterns; and thermal scanning probe lithography, wherein the sample and a heated probe tip are brought in contact for writing a second pattern that has substantially smaller critical dimensions than the first pattern. There is also provided an apparatus for multiscale patterning of a sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SWISSLITHO AG
    Inventors: Urs T Duerig, Stefan Fringes, Felix Holzner, Armin W Knoll
  • Patent number: 9921487
    Abstract: Example embodiments of inventive concepts provide a method for inspecting and/or observing photoresist patterns. The inspecting and/or observing methods may include forming at least an anti-reflective layer on a substrate, forming a fluorescent photoresist pattern on the anti-reflective layer, the fluorescent photoresist pattern having fluorescence, and observing and/or inspecting a shape of the fluorescent photoresist pattern using a fluorescence microscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyung Jae Park, Wooseok Shim
  • Patent number: 9921488
    Abstract: A maskless exposure device includes a stage on which a substrate is disposed, an optical head, and an optical source part. The optical head irradiates light to the substrate. The light source part provides the optical head with a light. The optical head irradiates the light, according to an average-focus distance, to the substrate. The average-focus distance is determined by averaging best-focus distances for a plurality of regions of the substrate, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun-Ho Sim, Jung-In Park, Ki-Beom Lee, Hi-Kuk Lee, Hyun-Seok Kim, Kab-Jong Seo, Sang-Hyun Yun, Sang-Hyun Lee, Jung-Chul Heo, Jong-Joo Kim, Chang-Hoon Kim
  • Patent number: 9921489
    Abstract: An inspection apparatus (300) includes a focus monitoring arrangement (500, 500?). Focusing radiation (505) comprises radiation having a first wavelength and radiation having a second wavelength. Reference radiation and focusing radiation at each wavelength are provided with at least one relative frequency shift so that the interfering radiation detected in the detection system includes a time-varying component having a characteristic frequency. A focus detection system (520) comprises one or more lock-in detectors (520b, 520c, 900). Operating the lock-in detectors with reference to both the first and second characteristic frequencies allows the arrangement to select which of the first and second focusing radiation is used to determine whether the optical system is in focus. Good quality signals can be obtained from targets of different structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: ASML Netherlands B.V.
    Inventors: Amandev Singh, Henricus Petrus Maria Pellemans
  • Patent number: 9921490
    Abstract: A substrate holding device is equipped with a substrate holder that adsorbs and holds a substrate, and a plurality of vertical movement pin units that each have, at one end, an adsorption section to adsorb a rear surface of the substrate, and are movable relative to the substrate holder in a state of adsorbing the rear surface of the substrate with the adsorption section. The plurality of vertical movement pin units each have at least part including the adsorption section that is displaced in at least one direction, by an action of a force received from the adsorbed substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuichi Shibazaki
  • Patent number: 9921492
    Abstract: A fixture for a photosensitive seal machine is deposited on a transfer paper on the photosensitive seal machine to locate at least one stamp, and the fixture has a frame. The frame has a top surface, a bottom surface, multiple locating recesses and multiple retaining faces. The bottom surface is opposite to the top surface. The locating recesses are formed through the top surface of the frame. The retaining faces are formed in the frame and respectively surround the locating recesses of the frame. Each stamp is located well by the fixture to increase the exposure effect of the stamps and raise the yield rate of the stamps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SUN SAME ENTERPRISES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Wen-Jer Shih
  • Patent number: 9921493
    Abstract: A photolithography system includes a photo-mask storage, at least one photolithography machine and an overhead crane for transporting at least one photo-mask at least between the photo-mask storage and the photolithography machine. The overhead crane includes at least one main rail, a mask girder, a mask hoist and a mask holding device. The mask girder is coupled with the main rail and movable at least between a first position above the photo-mask storage and a second position above the photolithography machine. The mask hoist is movably coupled with the mask girder. The mask holding device is coupled with the mask hoist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chi-Feng Tung, Hsiang-Yin Shen, Mao-Lin Kao, Chih-Cheng Hsiao
  • Patent number: 9921494
    Abstract: A lithographic apparatus comprises a system. The system comprises a first part, a second part and an energy absorbing element. The second part is configured to move relatively to the first part. The system has a gap located between the first part and the second part during an operation mode of the system. The energy absorbing element is for absorbing energy between the first part and the second part when the first part and the second part crash onto each other in a failure mode of the system. The energy absorbing element is outside the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Theodorus Petrus Maria Cadee, Sander Christiaan Broers, Sven Antoin Johan Hol, Yang-Shan Huang, Antonius Franciscus Johannes De Groot, Bastiaan Lambertus Wilhelmus Marinus Van De Ven
  • Patent number: 9921495
    Abstract: A stage assembly for positioning a device includes: (i) a stage that retains the device; (ii) a base; (iii) a mover assembly that moves the stage along a first axis, along a second axis, and along a third axis relative to the base; (iv) a magnetic sensor system that monitors the movement of the stage along the first, second and third axes, the magnetic sensor system generating a magnetic sensor signal; (v) a second sensor system that monitors the movement of the stage along the first, second and third axes, the second sensor system generating a second sensor signal; and (vi) a control system that controls the mover assembly using at least one of the magnetic sensor signal and the second sensor signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Pai-Hsueh Yang, Michael Binnard, J. Kyle Wells, Chetan Mahadeswaraswamy, Tsutomu Ogiwara
  • Patent number: 9921496
    Abstract: In a substrate stage, when a Y coarse movement stage moves in the Y-axis direction, an X coarse movement stage, a weight cancellation device, and an X guide move integrally in the Y-axis direction with the Y coarse movement stage, and when the X coarse movement stage moves in the X-axis direction on the Y coarse movement stage, the weight cancellation device move on the X guide in the X-axis direction integrally with the X coarse movement stage. Because the X guide is provided extending in the X-axis direction while covering the movement range of the weight cancellation device in the X-axis direction, the weight cancellation device is constantly supported by the X guide, regardless of its position. Accordingly, a substrate can be guided along the XY plane with good accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuo Aoki
  • Patent number: 9921497
    Abstract: A substrate handling system includes: a thermal shield for thermally insulating a space through which a substrate passes, from a thermal load originating outside the space, the thermal shield including: a first wall and a second wall with a gap therebetween, the first wall positioned between the space and the second wall; an inlet opening configured to allow a flow of gas from a gas source to enter the gap from outside the space; and an outlet opening configured to allow the flow of gas to exit the gap to outside of the space, wherein the system is configured to direct the flow of gas to enter the gap through the inlet opening, to flow through the gap and out of the gap to outside the space through the outlet opening thereby to reduce thermal fluctuations in the space due to the thermal load originating outside the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Gerardus Arnoldus Hendricus Franciscus Janssen, Martijn Van Baren
  • Patent number: 9921498
    Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a support, an undercoat layer formed on the support, and a photosensitive layer formed on the undercoat layer, in which the undercoat layer contains a polymer of a composition containing a compound represented by the formula (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kunihiko Sekido, Masashi Nishi, Michiyo Sekiya, Kei Tagami
  • Patent number: 9921499
    Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a substrate and a photosensitive layer containing a phthalocyanine pigment. The crystalline particles of the phthalocyanine pigment have a crystallite correlation length r and a particle size R of 400 nm or less, and a parameter k defined by r/R is in the range of 0.17 to 0.42.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kaname Watariguchi, Shoma Hinata, Kazuko Sakuma, Tsutomu Nishida, Jumpei Kuno, Hirofumi Kumoi, Masato Tanaka, Masataka Kawahara, Yuto Ito, Isao Kawata
  • Patent number: 9921500
    Abstract: A method of forming an overcoat layer. The method comprises providing a substrate having an imaging structure formed thereon, the imaging structure comprising (i) a charge transport layer and a charge generating layer, or (ii) an imaging layer comprising both charge generating material and charge transport material. An overcoat composition is deposited on the imaging structure, the overcoat composition comprising a charge transport molecule, a fluorinated building block, a leveling agent, a liquid carrier and optionally a first catalyst. The fluorinated building block is a fluorinated alkyl monomer substituted at the ? and ? positions with a hydroxyl, carboxyl, carbonyl or aldehyde functional group or the anhydrides of any of those functional groups. The overcoat composition is cured to form an overcoat layer that is a fluorinated structured organic film, the curing comprising treating an outer surface of the overcoat composition with at least one cross-linking process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: XEROX CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gregory McGuire, Adrien P. Cote, Richard A. Klenkler, Yvan Gagnon
  • Patent number: 9921501
    Abstract: A toner having a toner particle which contains a binder resin, a fatty acid metal salt, and a resin having an ionic functional group, in which the fatty acid metal salt is a fatty acid metal salt of a polyvalent metal with valency of 2 or higher and a fatty acid with carbon atom number of at least 8 and not more than 28, and the acid dissociation constant pKa of the resin having an ionic functional group is at least 6.0 and not more than 9.0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Shinsuke Mochizuki, Kenichi Nakayama, Masashi Kawamura, Tsuneyoshi Tominaga, Kunihiko Nakamura, Tsutomu Shimano, Takayuki Toyoda, Shiro Kuroki
  • Patent number: 9921502
    Abstract: A thermosetting powder coating material includes a powder particle containing a thermosetting resin and a thermosetting agent and has a volume particle size distribution index GSDv of less than 1.20 and an average circularity of not less than 0.96.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Mikami, Satoshi Yoshida, Akihiko Noda
  • Patent number: 9921503
    Abstract: A toner including: a pigment; polyester resin A that is insoluble in tetrahydrofuran (THF); and polyester resin B that is soluble in THF, wherein the toner satisfies requirements (1) to (3) below: (1) the polyester resin A includes one or more aliphatic diols including from 3 through 10 carbon atoms, as a component constituting the polyester resin A; (2) the polyester resin B includes at least an alkylene glycol in an amount of 40 mol % or more, as a component constituting the polyester resin B; and (3) a glass transition temperature (Tg1st) of the toner at first heating in differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of the toner is from 20° C. through 50° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Yamada, Tsuyoshi Sugimoto, Susumu Chiba, Shinsuke Nagai, Kohsuke Nagata, Shinya Nakayama, Yuka Mizoguchi, Suzuka Amemori
  • Patent number: 9921504
    Abstract: A toner according to an embodiment includes a colorant, a binder resin, and an ester wax. The colorant, the binder resin and the ester wax form a toner particle. The ester wax contains two or more ester compounds represented by the general formula R1COOR2, where R1 and R2 each independently is an alkyl group. The total number of carbon atoms of R1 and R2 is in a range from 31 to 53. The two or more ester compounds have different number of carbon atoms from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tsutomu Katsumata
  • Patent number: 9921505
    Abstract: The toner binder of the present invention contains a crystalline resin (A) and a resin (B) that is a polyester resin or its modified resin, the polyester resin being obtained by reaction of an alcohol component (X) and a carboxylic acid component (Y) as raw materials, wherein a temperature (Tp) of the top of an endothermic peak derived from the crystalline resin (A) as measured by a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) is in the range of 40° C. to 100° C., and endothermic peak areas S1 and S2 during heating satisfy the following equation. (S2/S1)×100?35??(1) S1 is an area of the endothermic peak derived from the crystalline resin (A) in the first heating process, and S2 is an area of the endothermic peak derived from the crystalline resin (A) in the second heating process, when the toner binder is heated, cooled, and heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SANYO CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Utsui, Tomohisa Kato, Eiji Iwawaki, Hiroshi Odajima, Mana Sanpei, Yuko Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 9921506
    Abstract: Provided is a method of forming an electrophotographic image using a plurality of color toners, the method containing: a charging step; an exposing step; a developing step; and a transferring step, wherein the plurality of color toners each respectively contain toner particles including a binder resin, a coloring agent, a releasing agent, and a crystalline resin; the binder resin contains an amorphous vinyl polymer formed with a vinyl monomer; the toner particles contain the amorphous vinyl polymer in the range of 10 to 90 mass %; and a maximum value of an acid value difference of the color toners is in the range of 1 to 10 mg KOH/g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Shiro Hirano, Naoya Tonegawa, Masaharu Matsubara, Kouji Sekiguchi, Atsushi Iioka
  • Patent number: 9921507
    Abstract: An electrostatic-image developing toner includes toner particles each including a polyester resin and a styrene (meth)acrylic resin. In a micro-compression test where a load of 0.2 mN is applied to the toner particles at a loading rate of 0.098 mN/sec, the median of a distribution of the ratios (%) of deformations of the toner particles to the diameters of the toner particles is 8.0 or more and 18.0 or less, and a variation in the distribution of the ratios of deformations of the toner particles to the diameters of the toner particles is 0.02 or more and 0.40 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Murakami