Patents Examined by Brett Feeney
  • Patent number: 9040353
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting device comprises a sealing step of sealing a semiconductor chip fixed on a lead frame with a sealing member, a removal step of removing the sealing member until a surface of the semiconductor chip becomes exposed, an irregularity formation step of forming fine irregularities on a bond surface formed in the removal step, and a bonding step of bonding a wavelength conversion member to the bond surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayoshi Yajima, Hiroshi Ito
  • Patent number: 9040406
    Abstract: A semiconductor chip includes a substrate having a frontside and a backside coupled to a ground. The chip includes a circuit in the substrate at the frontside. A through silicon via (TSV) having a front-end, a back-end, and a lateral surface is included. The back-end and lateral surface of the TSV are in the substrate, and the front-end of the TSV is substantially parallel to the frontside of the substrate. The chip also includes an antifuse material deposited between the back-end and lateral surface of the TSV and the substrate. The antifuse material insulates the TSV from the substrate. The chip includes a ground layer insulated from the substrate and coupled with the TSV and the circuit. The ground layer conducts a program voltage to the TSV to cause a portion of the antifuse material to migrate away from the TSV, thereby connecting the circuit to the ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Karl R. Erickson, Phil C. Paone, David P. Paulsen, John E. Sheets, II, Gregory J. Uhlmann, Kelly L. Williams
  • Patent number: 9035391
    Abstract: A fin field effect transistor including a plurality of fin structures on a substrate, and a shared gate structure on a channel portion of the plurality of fin structures. The fin field effect transistor further includes an epitaxial semiconductor material having a first portion between adjacent fin structures in the plurality of fin structures and a second portion present on outermost sidewalls of end fin structures of the plurality of fin structures. The epitaxial semiconductor material provides a source region and at drain region to each fin structure of the plurality of fin structures. A nitride containing spacer is present on the outermost sidewalls of the second portion of the epitaxial semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander Reznicek, Thomas N. Adam, Kangguo Cheng, Paul C. Jamison, Ali Khakifirooz
  • Patent number: 9034705
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device is disclosed. At least one gate structure is provided on a substrate, wherein the gate structure includes a first spacer formed on a sidewall of a gate. A first disposable spacer material layer is deposited on the substrate covering the gate structure. The first disposable spacer material layer is etched to form a first disposable spacer on the first spacer. A second disposable spacer material layer is deposited on the substrate covering the gate structure. The second disposable spacer material layer is etched to form a second disposable spacer on the first disposable spacer. A portion of the substrate is removed, by using the first and second disposable spacers as a mask, so as to form two recesses in the substrate beside the gate structure. A stress-inducing layer is formed in the recesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Tsai-Yu Wen, Tsuo-Wen Lu, Yu-Ren Wang, Chin-Cheng Chien, Tien-Wei Yu, Hsin-Kuo Hsu, Yu-Shu Lin, Szu-Hao Lai, Ming-Hua Chang
  • Patent number: 9035389
    Abstract: A device includes a first and a second MOS device cascaded with the first MOS device to form a first finger. A drain of the first MOS device and a source of the second MOS device are joined to form a first common source/drain region. The device further includes a third and a fourth MOS device cascaded with the third MOS device to form a second finger. A drain of the third MOS device and a source of the fourth MOS device are joined to form a second common source/drain region. The first and the second common source/drain regions are electrically disconnected from each other. Sources of the first and the third MOS devices are interconnected. Drains of the second and the fourth MOS devices are interconnected. Gates of the first and the third MOS devices are interconnected. Gates of the second and the fourth MOS devices are interconnected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chin-Hua Wen, Wen-Shen Chou
  • Patent number: 9034706
    Abstract: A method includes etching a semiconductor substrate to form a recess in the semiconductor substrate, and reacting a surface layer of the semiconductor substrate to generate a reacted layer. The surface layer of the semiconductor substrate is in the recess. The reacted layer is then removed. An epitaxy is performed to grow a semiconductor material in the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Eric Chih-Fang Liu, Tzu-Wei Kao, Ryan Chia-Jen Chen, Chao-Cheng Chen
  • Patent number: 9029265
    Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor structure. A dielectric layer including adjacent first and second dielectric regions is formed on a substrate. The dielectric layer includes a curable material. The first dielectric region is cured. A portion of the second dielectric region is etched to form an opening and leave a remaining portion of the second dielectric region. After the etching step, the remaining portion of the second dielectric region is cured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Sun-Hoi Goh, Seng-Wah Liau, Zhen-Zhen Wang
  • Patent number: 9029227
    Abstract: A p-channel flash memory is formed with a charge storage stack embedded in a hetero-junction layer in which a raised source/drain is formed. Embodiments include forming a dummy gate stack on a substrate, forming a layer on the substrate by selective epitaxial growth, on each side of the dummy gate stack, forming spacers on the layer, forming raised source/drains, removing the dummy gate stack, forming a cavity between the spacers, and forming a memory gate stack in the cavity. Different embodiments include forming the layer of a narrow bandgap material, a narrow bandgap layer under the spacers and a wide bandgap layer adjacent thereto, or a wide bandgap layer under the spacers, a narrow bandgap layer adjacent thereto, and a wide bandgap layer on the narrow bandgap layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Eng Huat Toh, Elgin Quek, Ying Keung Leung, Sanford Chu
  • Patent number: 9029899
    Abstract: Disclosed are a light emitting device and a light emitting device package. The light emitting device includes a light emitting structure including a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer on the first conductive semiconductor layer, and a second conductive semiconductor layer on the active layer, a first electrode on the first conductive semiconductor layer, a transparent electrode on the second conductive semiconductor layer, and a second electrode on the transparent electrode. The first electrode includes a first electrode pad on a first region of the first conductive semiconductor layer exposed from the second conductive semiconductor layer and the active layer and a first electrode finger part extending from the first electrode pad toward a second region, in which the first conductive semiconductor layer is exposed. A gap between the transparent electrode and the first electrode finger part is gradually narrowed from the first region toward the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: LG Innotek Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung Kyoon Kim, Sung Ho Choo, Hyun Seoung Ju, Jae Won Seo
  • Patent number: 9023695
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of semiconductor device fabrication including forming a mandrel on a semiconductor substrate is provided. The method continues to include oxidizing a region the mandrel to form an oxidized region, wherein the oxidized region abuts a sidewall of the mandrel. The mandrel is then removed from the semiconductor substrate. After removing the mandrel, the oxidized region is used to pattern an underlying layer formed on the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei-Chao Chiu, Nian-Fuh Cheng, Chen-Yu Chen, Ming-Feng Shieh, Chih-Ming Lai, Wen-Chun Huang, Ru-Gun Lin
  • Patent number: 9023690
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to leadframe area array packaging technology for fabricating an area array of I/O contacts. A manufactured package includes a polymer material substrate, an interconnect layer positioned on top of the polymer material substrate, a die coupled to the interconnect layer via wire bonds or conductive pillars, and a molding compound encapsulating the die, the interconnect layer and the wire bonds or conductive pillars. The polymer material is typically formed on a carrier before assembly and is not removed to act as the substrate of the manufactured package. The polymer material substrate has a plurality of through holes that exposes the interconnect layer at predetermined locations and enables solder ball mounting or solder printing directly to the interconnect layer. In some embodiments, the semiconductor package includes a relief channel in the polymer material substrate to improve the reliability performance of the manufactured package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: United Test and Assembly Center
    Inventors: Antonio Bambalan Dimaano, Jr., Nathapong Suthiwongsunthorn, Yong Bo Yang
  • Patent number: 9018035
    Abstract: A pressed-contact type semiconductor device includes a power semiconductor element, on an upper surface of which at least a first electrode is formed and on a lower surface of which at least a second electrode is formed, lead frames which face the first electrode and the second electrode of the power semiconductor element respectively, and a clip which applies a pressure to the lead frames while the power semiconductor element is sandwiched by the lead frames, wherein a metallic porous plating part is formed on a surface which faces the first electrode or the second electrode, the surface being a surface of at least one of the lead frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihito Tsukahara, Toshiyuki Kojima, Takayuki Hirose, Keiko Ikuta, Kohichi Tanda
  • Patent number: 9012298
    Abstract: A method for reducing the leakage current in DRAM Metal-Insulator-Metal capacitors includes forming a flash layer between the dielectric layer and the first electrode layer. A method for reducing the leakage current in DRAM Metal-Insulator-Metal capacitors includes forming a capping layer between the dielectric layer and the second electrode layer. The flash layer and the capping layer can be formed using an atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. The precursor materials used for forming the flash layer and the capping layer are selected such they include at least one metal-oxygen bond. Additionally, the precursor materials are selected to also include “bulky” ligands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignees: Intermolecular, Inc., Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventors: Sandra G. Malhotra, Hiroyuki Ode, Xiangxin Rui
  • Patent number: 9012264
    Abstract: An integrated circuit package is provided with a thin-film battery electrically connected to and encapsulated with an integrated circuit die. The battery can be fabricated on a dedicated substrate, on the die pad, or on the integrated circuit die itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Hundt, Haibin Du, Krishnan Kelappan, Frank Sigmund
  • Patent number: 9012309
    Abstract: Collections of laterally crystallized semiconductor islands for use in thin film transistors and systems and methods for making same are described. A display device includes a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs) on a substrate, such that the TFTs are spaced apart from each other and each include a channel region that has a crystalline microstructure and a direction along which a channel current flows. The channel region of each of the TFTs contains a crystallographic grain that spans the length of that channel region along its channel direction. Each crystallographic grain in the channel region of each of the TFTs is physically disconnected from and crystallographically uncorrelated with each crystallographic grain in the channel region of each adjacent TFT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
    Inventors: James S. Im, Ui-Jin Chung
  • Patent number: 9012336
    Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for processing a substrate. The substrate having a feature with a layer thereon is exposed to an inductively coupled plasma which forms a substantially conformal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Heng Pan, Matthew Scott Rogers, Johanes F. Swenberg, Christopher S. Olsen, Wei Liu, David Chu, Malcom J. Bevan
  • Patent number: 9006057
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises: forming a gate stack on a substrate; etching the substrate on both sides of the gate stack to form C-shaped source/drain grooves; and wet-etching the C-shaped source/drain grooves to form ?-shaped source/drain grooves. With this method, it is possible to effectively increase stress applied to a channel region, to accurately control a depth of the source/drain grooves, and to reduce roughness of side walls and bottom portions of the grooves and thus reduce defects by etching the C-shaped source/drain grooves and then further wet-etching them to form the ?-shaped source/drain grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Changliang Qin, Peizhen Hong, Huaxiang Yin
  • Patent number: 9006074
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes isolation capacitors which include a silicon dioxide dielectric layer and a polymer dielectric layer over the layer of silicon dioxide. The silicon dioxide dielectric layer and the polymer dielectric layer extend across the integrated circuit. Top plates of the isolation capacitors have bond pads for wire bonds or bump bonds. Bottom plates of the isolation capacitors are connected to components of the integrated circuit. Other bond pads are connected to components in the integrated circuit through vias through the silicon dioxide dielectric layer and the polymer dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas Dyer Bonifield, Byron Williams, Shrinivasan Jaganathan
  • Patent number: 9000447
    Abstract: A first layer has n type conductivity. A second layer is epitaxially formed on the first layer and having p type conductivity. A third layer is on the second layer and having n type conductivity. ND is defined to represent a concentration of a donor type impurity. NA is defined to represent a concentration of an acceptor type impurity. D1 is defined to represent a location in the first layer away from an interface between the first layer and the second layer in a depth direction. D1 in which 1?ND/NA?50 is satisfied is within 1 ?m therefrom. A gate trench is provided to extend through the third layer and the second layer to reach the first layer. A gate insulating film covers a side wall of the gate trench. A gate electrode is embedded in the gate trench with the gate insulating film interposed therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keiji Wada, Takeyoshi Masuda, Toru Hiyoshi
  • Patent number: 8993363
    Abstract: In one aspect, optoelectronic devices are described herein. In some embodiments, an optoelectronic device comprises a fiber core, a radiation transmissive first electrode surrounding the fiber core, at least one photosensitive inorganic layer surrounding the first electrode and electrically connected to the first electrode, and a second electrode surrounding the inorganic layer and electrically connected to the inorganic layer. In some embodiments, the device comprises a photovoltaic cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Wake Forest University
    Inventor: David L Carroll