IP Library Granted Patent US 12,641,954
Granted Patent B2
US 12,641,954 · App. 18/470,456 · Granted May 26, 2026

Measuring method and measuring device

Inventor: Satoru Tomita (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MAGNOLIA WHITE CORPORATION
H10K59/1201G02B21/26G02B21/361G02B21/365H10K59/121H10K77/10H10K2102/302
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,641,954
App. No.
18/470,456
Granted
May 26, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to one embodiment, a measuring method includes forming a partition including a lower portion arranged on a first surface side of a base and an upper portion protruding from a side surface of the lower portion, acquiring a first image including the partition observed from a second surface side opposed to the first surface of the base by an optical microscope, analyzing the acquired first image, and measuring an amount of protrusion by which an end portion of the upper portion protrudes from the side surface of the lower portion, based on the analysis result.

Claims (69)

1 . A measuring method comprising:

forming a partition including a lower portion arranged on a first surface side of a base and an upper portion protruding from a side surface of the lower portion;

acquiring a first image including the partition observed from a second surface side opposed to the first surface of the base by an optical microscope;

analyzing the acquired first image; and

measuring an amount of protrusion by which an end portion of the upper portion protrudes from the side surface of the lower portion, based on the analysis result.

2 . The measuring method of claim 1 , wherein

the analyzing includes identifying a first pixel corresponding to the side surface of the lower portion, and a second pixel corresponding to the end portion of the upper portion, based on luminance values of a plurality of pixels constituting the first image, and

the measuring includes measuring the amount of protrusion, based on the number of pixels arranged between the identified first and second pixels.

3 . The measuring method of claim 2 , wherein

the measuring includes converting the number of pixels into the amount of protrusion, based on conversion information indicating a length corresponding to one pixel, and

the conversion information is prepared in advance, based on a second image including a sample whose size observed by the optical microscope is already known.

4 . The measuring method of claim 2 , wherein

the measuring includes acquiring the amount of protrusion output from a machine learning model by inputting the number of pixels arranged between the identified first and second pixels to the machine learning model, the machine learning model being generated by learning a data set prepared in advance, and

the data set includes the number of pixels arranged between the first and second pixels identified from a third image including the partition in which the amount of protrusion observed by the optical microscope is known, and the known amount of protrusion.

5 . A measuring method comprising:

forming an insulating layer arranged on a first surface side of a base;

forming a lower electrode arranged on the insulating layer;

forming a rib which covers a part of the lower electrode and which includes an aperture overlapping with the lower electrode;

forming a partition including a lower portion arranged on the rib and an upper portion protruding from a side surface of the lower portion;

acquiring a first image including the partition observed from a second surface side opposed to the first surface of the base by an optical microscope;

analyzing the acquired first image; and

measuring an amount of protrusion at which an end portion of the upper portion protrudes from the side surface of the lower portion, based on the analysis result.

6 . The measuring method of claim 5 , wherein

the lower portion is formed of a first metal material, and

the upper portion is formed of a second metal material different from the first metal material.

7 . The measuring method of claim 6 , wherein

the first metal material includes aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and

the second metal material includes titanium.

8 . The measuring method of claim 6 , wherein

the lower portion includes a barrier layer arranged on the rib, and a metal layer arranged on the barrier layer,

the barrier layer is formed of a third metal material different from the first metal material, and

the metal layer is formed of the first metal material.

9 . The measuring method of claim 8 , wherein

the first metal material includes aluminum or an aluminum alloy,

the second metal material includes titanium, and

the third metal material includes molybdenum.

10 . The measuring method of claim 5 , wherein

the side surface of the lower portion is inclined to a direction perpendicular to the base such that a width of the lower portion becomes smaller toward the upper portion.

11 . The measuring method of claim 5 , wherein

the analyzing includes identifying a first pixel corresponding to an end portion on a side opposite to the side surface of the lower portion, and a second pixel corresponding to the end portion of the upper portion, based on luminance values of a plurality of pixels constituting the first image, and

the measuring includes measuring the amount of protrusion, based on the number of pixels arranged between the identified first and second pixels.

12 . The measuring method of claim 11 , wherein

the measuring includes converting the number of pixels into the amount of protrusion, based on conversion information indicating a length corresponding to one pixel, and

the conversion information is prepared in advance, based on a second image including a sample whose size is already known by the optical microscope.

13 . The measuring method of claim 11 , wherein

the measuring includes acquiring the amount of protrusion output from a machine learning model by inputting the number of pixels arranged between the identified first and second pixels to the machine learning model, the machine learning model being generated by learning a data set prepared in advance, and

the data set includes the number of pixels arranged between the first and second pixels identified from a third image including the partition in which the amount of protrusion observed by the optical microscope is known, and the known amount of protrusion.

14 . The measuring method of claim 5 , further comprising:

forming an organic layer which is in contact with the lower electrode through the aperture after measuring the amount of protrusion; and

forming an upper electrode arranged on the organic layer.

15 . The measuring method of claim 14 , further comprising:

forming a cap layer arranged on the upper electrode; and

forming a sealing layer arranged on the cap layer.

16 . The measuring method of claim 5 , wherein

the insulating layer is formed of an organic material, and

the rib is formed of an inorganic material.

17 . A measuring device comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a first image including a partition observed by an optical microscope from a second surface side opposed to a first surface of a base in which the partition including a lower portion and an upper portion protruding from a side surface of the lower portion is formed on the first surface side;

an analysis unit configured to analyze the acquired first image; and

a measurement unit configured to measure an amount of protrusion by which the end portion of the upper portion protrudes from the side surface of the lower portion, based on the analysis result.

18 . The measuring device of claim 17 , wherein

the analysis unit is configured to identify a first pixel corresponding to the side surface of the lower portion, and a second pixel corresponding to the end portion of the upper portion, based on luminance values of a plurality of pixels constituting the first image, and

the measurement unit is configured to measure the amount of protrusion, based on the number of pixels arranged between the identified first and second pixels.

19 . The measuring device of claim 18 , wherein

the measurement unit is configured to convert the number of pixels into the amount of protrusion, based on conversion information indicating a length corresponding to one pixel, and

the conversion information is prepared in advance, based on a second image including a sample whose size observed by the optical microscope is already known.

20 . The measuring device of claim 18 , wherein

the measurement unit is configured to acquire the amount of protrusion output from a machine learning model by inputting the number of pixels arranged between the identified first and second pixels to the machine learning model, the machine learning model being generated by learning a data set prepared in advance, and

the data set includes the number of pixels arranged between the first and second pixels identified from a third image including the partition in which the amount of protrusion observed by the optical microscope is already known, and the known amount of protrusion.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 27, 2025
From: JAPAN DISPLAY INC.
To: MAGNOLIA WHITE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 071751/0446 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 20, 2023
From: TOMITA, SATORU
To: JAPAN DISPLAY INC.
Reel/Frame 064962/0449 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-148725 · Sep 20, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240099059A1 · Mar 21, 2024
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