Patents Examined by Aaron Dehne
  • Patent number: 9318438
    Abstract: A method for selectively removing material from a substrate without damage to copper filling a via and extending at least partially through the substrate. The method comprises oxidizing a semiconductor structure comprising a substrate and at least one copper feature and removing a portion of the substrate using an etchant comprising SF6 without forming copper sulfide on the at least one copper feature. Additional methods are also disclosed, as well as semiconductor structures produced from such methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark A. Bossler, Jaspreet S. Gandhi, Christopher J. Gambee, Randall S. Parker
  • Patent number: 9306106
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a device with integrated photovoltaic cells includes supporting a semiconductor substrate on a first handle substrate and doping the semiconductor substrate to form doped alternating regions with opposite conductivity. A doped layer is formed over a first side the semiconductor substrate. A conductive material is patterned over the doped layer to form conductive islands such that the conductive islands are aligned with the alternating regions to define a plurality of photovoltaic cells connected in series on a monolithic structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stephen W. Bedell, Bahman Hekmatshoartabari, Devendra K. Sadana, Ghavam G. Shahidi, Davood Shahrjerdi
  • Patent number: 9293345
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices and sidewall image transfer methods with a spin on hardmask. Methods for forming fins include forming a trench through a stack of layers that includes a top and bottom insulator layer, and a layer to be patterned on a substrate; isotropically etching the top and bottom insulator layers; forming a hardmask material in the trench to the level of the bottom insulator layer; isotropically etching the top insulator layer; and etching the bottom insulator layer and the layer to be patterned down to the substrate to form fins from the layer to be patterned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Hong He, Chiahsun Tseng, Chun-Chen Yeh, Yunpeng Yin
  • Patent number: 9287321
    Abstract: According to a first embodiment of the present invention, a magnetic tunnel junction device comprises: a free layer having a magnetization in a variable direction; a pinned layer having a magnetization in a pinned direction; and a tunnel insulation film formed between the free layer and the pinned layer, wherein the pinned layer includes a ferromagnetic film and an amorphous metal film. In addition, a magnetic device according to a second embodiment of the present invention comprises: an amorphous or nanocrystal material layer; and a perpendicular magnetic anisotropic material layer formed on the amorphous or nanocrystal material layer. The amorphous or nanocrystal material layer is a predefined amorphous material or nanocrystal material layer serving as a lower layer, and the perpendicular magnetic anisotropic material layer is formed on the amorphous or nanocrystal material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kungwon Rhie, Jinki Hong, Ku-youl Jung, Jonghyun Kim, Dongsuk Kim
  • Patent number: 9287269
    Abstract: One-transistor volatile memory devices and manufacturing methods thereof are provided. The device includes a substrate having top and bottom surfaces and an isolation well disposed below the top substrate surface. An area of the substrate between the isolation buffer layer and the top substrate surface serves as a body region of a transistor. The isolation well isolates the body region from the substrate. The device includes a band engineered (BE) floating body disposed over the isolation well and within the body region. The device also includes a transistor disposed over the substrate. The transistor includes a gate disposed on the top substrate surface, and first and second diffusion regions disposed in the body region adjacent to first and second sides of the gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Eng Huat Toh, Danny Pak-Chum Shum, Shyue Seng Tan
  • Patent number: 9275909
    Abstract: Semiconductor structures may include a stack of alternating dielectric materials and control gates, charge storage structures laterally adjacent to the control gates, a charge block material between each of the charge storage structures and the laterally adjacent control gates, and a pillar extending through the stack of alternating oxide materials and control gates. Each of the dielectric materials in the stack has at least two portions of different densities and/or different rates of removal. Also disclosed are methods of fabricating such semiconductor structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Srikant Jayanti, Fatma Arzum Simsek-Ege, Pavan Kumar Reddy Aella
  • Patent number: 9276058
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a plurality of lower electrodes on a substrate, with each of the lower electrodes extending in a height direction from the substrate and including sidewalls, the lower electrodes being spaced apart from each other in a first direction and in a second direction, a plurality of first supporting layer patterns contacting the sidewalls of the lower electrodes, the first supporting layer patterns extending in the first direction between ones of the lower electrodes adjacent in the second direction, a plurality of second supporting layer patterns contacting the sidewalls of the lower electrodes, the second supporting layer pattern extending in the second direction between ones of the lower electrodes adjacent in the first direction, the plurality of second supporting layer patterns being spaced apart from the plurality of first supporting layer patterns in the height direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung-Ho Lee, Jin Choi, Yong-Ho Yoo, Jong-Hyuk Kang, Hyun-Joo Cha, Hee-Dong Park, Tae-Jung Park
  • Patent number: 9269630
    Abstract: Directed self-assembly (DSA) material, or di-block co-polymer, to pattern features that ultimately define a channel region a gate electrode of a vertical nanowire transistor, potentially based on one lithographic operation. In embodiments, DSA material is confined within a guide opening patterned using convention lithography. In embodiments, channel regions and gate electrode materials are aligned to edges of segregated regions within the DSA material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Paul A. Nyhus, Swaminathan Sivakumar
  • Patent number: 9240418
    Abstract: Methods and structures for reducing resistance in wordlines of an integrated circuit memory device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes forming multiple columns of polycrystalline silicon for respective number of wordlines, forming core transistor junctions and periphery transistor junctions associated with the wordlines, performing a salicidation process for the periphery transistor junction and performing a salicidation process for the columns of polycrystalline silicon to from the wordlines with low resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Shenqing Fang, Jihwan Choi, Connie Wang, Eunha Kim
  • Patent number: 9224740
    Abstract: A method of deep trench isolation which includes: forming a semiconductor on insulator (SOI) substrate comprising a bulk semiconductor substrate, a buried insulator layer and a semiconductor layer on the buried insulator layer (SOI layer), one portion of the SOI substrate having a dynamic random access memory buried in the bulk semiconductor substrate (eDRAM) and a deep trench fin contacting the eDRAM and a second portion of the SOI substrate having an SOI fin in contact with the buried insulator layer; conformally depositing sequential layers of oxide, high-k dielectric material and sacrificial oxide on the deep trench fin and the SOI fin; stripping the sacrificial oxide over the SOI fin to expose the high-k dielectric material over the SOI fin; stripping the exposed high-k dielectric material over the SOI fin to expose the oxide layer over the SOI fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Sean M. Polvino, Shahab Siddiqui
  • Patent number: 9196672
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices are described that include a capacitor integrated therein. In an implementation, the semiconductor devices include a substrate including a dopant material of a first conductivity type. A plurality of trenches are formed within the substrate. The semiconductor devices also include a diffusion region having dopant material of a second conductivity type formed proximate to the trenches. A capacitor is formed within the trenches and at least partially over the substrate. The capacitor includes at least a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric material formed between the first and second electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Khanh Tran, Joseph P. Ellul, Anuranjan Srivastava, Kiyoko Ikeuchi, Scott W. Barry
  • Patent number: 9184121
    Abstract: A power supply system (200) has a QFN leadframe with leads and a pad (201, switch node terminal); a pad surface having a portion recessed with a depth (270) and an outline suitable for attaching a semiconductor chip. A first FET chip (220) is vertically stacked to the opposite pad surface. A clip (240) is vertically stacked on the first FET chip and tied to a lead (202, grounded output terminal). A second FET chip (210) has its source terminal attached to the recessed portion and its drain (210a, input terminal) and gate (210b) terminals co-planar with the un-recessed portion. A driver-and-controller chip (230) is attached to the clip. Packaging compound (290) encapsulates the parts but leaves a pad surface and the drain and gate terminals of the second FET chip un-encapsulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Osvaldo Jorge Lopez, Johathan A. Noquil
  • Patent number: 9184282
    Abstract: Embodiments for the present disclosure include a semiconductor device, an ultra-high voltage (UHV) laterally-diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor (LDMOS) transistor, and methods of forming the same. An embodiment includes a first well region of a first conductivity type in a top surface of a substrate, and a second well region of a second conductivity type in the top surface of the substrate. The second well region laterally separated from the first well region by a portion of the substrate. The embodiment further includes a third region of the second conductivity type in the first well region, and a first field oxide region in the first well region, a second field oxide region in the second well region, the second field oxide region having a second bottom surface, and the first field oxide region having a first bottom surface lower than the second bottom surface and on and directly contacting the third region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tzu-Ming Huang, Chia-Chia Kan, Shen-Ping Wang, Lieh-Chuan Chen, Po-Tao Chu
  • Patent number: 9184165
    Abstract: One-transistor (1T) volatile memory devices and manufacturing methods thereof are provided. The device includes a substrate having top and bottom surfaces and an isolation buffer layer disposed below the top substrate surface. The isolation buffer layer is an amorphized portion of the substrate. An area of the substrate between the isolation buffer layer and the top substrate surface serves as a body region of a transistor. The device also includes a transistor disposed over the substrate. The transistor includes a gate disposed on the top substrate surface, and first and second diffusion regions disposed in the body region adjacent to first and second sides of the gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Eng Huat Toh, Danny Pak-Chum Shum, Shyue Seng Tan
  • Patent number: 9181081
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an electrical component comprises a substrate, a functional element formed on the substrate, a first layer which includes through holes, and forms a cavity that stores the functional element on the substrate, and a second layer which is formed on the first layer, and closes the through holes. The first layer includes a first film, a second film on the first film, and a third film on the second film. A Young's modulus of the second film is higher than a Young's modulus of the first film and the third film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Kei Obara, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Yoshiaki Shimooka
  • Patent number: 9177910
    Abstract: An embodiment of an interconnect structure for an integrated circuit may include a first conductor coupled to circuitry, a second conductor, a dielectric between the first and second conductors, and a conductive underpass under and coupled to the first and second conductors and passing under the dielectric or a conductive overpass over and coupled to the first and second conductors and passing over the dielectric. The second conductor would be floating but for its coupling to the conductive underpass or the conductive overpass. In other embodiments, another dielectric might be included that would electrically isolate the second conductor but for its coupling to the conductive underpass or the conductive overpass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Tyler G. Hansen, Ming-Chuan Yang, Vishal Sipani
  • Patent number: 9147583
    Abstract: Additive processes are employed for electrically insulating selected surface regions on a stack of die; and methods for electrically interconnecting die in a stack of die, include additive processes for electrically insulating selected surface regions of the die. Regions that are not insulated according to the invention are available for electrical connection using electrically conductive material applied in flowable form to make electrically conductive traces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Invensas Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey S. Leal
  • Patent number: 9139420
    Abstract: A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device may include a MEMS structure above a first substrate. The MEMS structure comprising a central static element, a movable element, and an outer static element. A portion of bonding material between the central static element and the first substrate. A second substrate above the MEMS structure, with a portion of a dielectric layer between the central static element and the second substrate. A supporting post comprises the portion of bonding material, the central static element, and the portion of dielectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang-Chia Chang, Chen-Chih Fan, Bruce C. S. Chou
  • Patent number: 9136373
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method for the same are provided. The semiconductor substrate includes a gate structure, a first doped contact region, a second doped contact region and a well doped region. The gate structure is on the semiconductor substrate, and has a first gate sidewall and a second gate sidewall opposite to the first gate sidewall. The first doped contact region has a first type conductivity and is formed in the semiconductor substrate on the first gate sidewall of the gate structure. The second doped contact region has the first type conductivity and is formed in the semiconductor substrate on the second gate sidewall of the gate structure. The well doped region has the first type conductivity and is under the first doped contact region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Wing-Chor Chan
  • Patent number: 9123696
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device including semiconductor modules, it is possible to average the temperatures of the semiconductor modules. At least two semiconductor modules, wherein a plurality of semiconductor circuits, on which are mounted one or more semiconductor chips having a gate terminal and gate resistors connected to the gate terminals, are disposed in parallel, are disposed above a cooling body so that an array direction of the semiconductor circuits is a direction intersecting a refrigerant flow. At least one temperature detecting resistor is disposed in each semiconductor module, a gate signal is supplied to a gate signal input terminal of one semiconductor module of the at least two semiconductor modules via the temperature detecting resistor of the other semiconductor module, and a gate signal is supplied to a gate signal input terminal of the other semiconductor module via the temperature detecting resistor of the one semiconductor module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yujin Okamoto