The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 17, 2026
Filed:
May. 09, 2024
Hitachi High-tech Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Akira Nishioka, Tokyo, JP;
Shuichi Nakagawa, Tokyo, JP;
Hideki Sato, Tokyo, JP;
Tomotaka Shibazaki, Tokyo, JP;
Masaki Mizuochi, Tokyo, JP;
Takanori Kato, Tokyo, JP;
Hitachi High-Tech Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
[Object] To provide an image capturing apparatus and an image capturing method that can accurately capture an image of a sample irrespective of the presence or absence of thermal expansion by the sample. [Solving Means] An image capturing apparatus includes a table, a chuck having a back surface secured to the table and a front surface for holding a sample under suction, a temperature sensor that obtains a temperature of the chuck, a column that captures an image of the sample mounted on the chuck, a mirror provided on the table, a laser interferometer that emits laser light onto the mirror and measures a distance to the mirror, and a control unit that calculates an amount of position correction for an image capturing location on the basis of the temperature of the chuck. The control unit calculates a temperature of the table on the basis of the temperature of the chuck, calculates an amount of thermal expansion by the table on the basis of the temperature of the table, calculates an amount of thermal expansion by the sample on the basis of the temperature of the chuck, and calculates the amount of position correction for the image capturing location on the basis of the amount of thermal expansion by the table and the amount of thermal expansion by the sample.