Hirofumi Fukumoto

Title: Hirofumi Fukumoto: Semiconductor Process and Focus Measurement Inventor.

Introduction

Hirofumi Fukumoto is an inventor associated with Toyama, Japan, whose patent work addresses semiconductor manufacturing processes. His listed employers include Panasonic Corporation and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. His portfolio includes 4 patents.

Latest Patents

Fukumoto’s listed recent patents include “Developing Method and Method for Fabricating Semiconductor Device Using the Developing Method.” The invention describes applying developer to a resist film on a substrate, then removing the developer and dissolved resist through controlled substrate rotation. It specifies a lower rotation speed during developer removal than during the subsequent rinsing step, helping manage the development and washing process.

Another listed patent, “Focus Measurement Method and Method of Manufacturing a Semiconductor Device,” uses the relationship between electron-beam exposure and resist-pattern shrinkage to determine focus. By comparing measured shrinkage with previously established focus-dependent data, the method estimates a focus value and can determine focal shift relative to a predetermined best-focus value.

Career Highlights

Fukumoto’s listed work connects him with Panasonic Corporation and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., companies associated with electronics and semiconductor technologies. His patents focus on resist processing and measurement techniques relevant to semiconductor device fabrication.

Collaborations

The supplied information identifies Naohiko Ujimaru and Kenji Noda as Fukumoto’s coworkers. Their names are associated with his professional network, though specific joint patent contributions are not provided.

Conclusion

Hirofumi Fukumoto’s listed inventions address practical challenges in semiconductor manufacturing, particularly resist development and focus measurement.