Patents Examined by Eric Ashbahian
  • Patent number: 9991225
    Abstract: A high-voltage transistor (HVT) structure adapts a low-voltage transistor (LVT) to high-voltage environments. The HVT structure includes a drain node, a source node, a control gate, and a field electrode. The drain node and the source node define a conductive channel, in which mobilized charges are regulated by the control gate. While being isolated from the control gate, the field electrode is configured to spread the mobilized charges in response to a field voltage. The field electrode is structured and routed to prevent charge sharing with any one of the drain node, source node, or control gate. Advantageously, the isolated field electrode minimizes the capacitance of the control gate as well as the drain and source nodes, such that the HVT can switch with less power loss and a more robust performance in a high-voltage environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Sandeep R. Bahl, Michael D. Seeman
  • Patent number: 9978650
    Abstract: A transistor device includes a substrate having a first region and a second region, a first semiconductor layer of a first semiconductor material having a first portion over the first region and a second portion over the second region, the first portion being separated from the second portion, a second semiconductor layer of a second semiconductor material over the second portion of the first semiconductor layer, a first transistor of a first conductivity type, the first transistor disposed within the first region and having a first set of source/drain regions formed in the first semiconductor layer, and a second transistor of a second conductivity type, the second transistor disposed within the second region and having a second set of source/drain regions formed in the second semiconductor layer. The second conductivity type is different than the second conductivity type, and the second semiconductor material is different from the first semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Hung Cheng, Ching-Wei Tsai, Yeur-Luen Tu, Tung-I Lin, Wei-Li Chen
  • Patent number: 9954052
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided as follows. A substrate includes an NMOS region and a PMOS region. A first trench and a second trench are disposed in the NMOS region. A first buffer layer is disposed in the first trench and the second trench. A stressor is disposed in the first trench and the second trench and disposed on the first buffer layer. A first channel region is disposed between the first trench and the second trench and disposed in the substrate. A first gate electrode is disposed on the first channel area. A third trench is disposed in the PMOS region. A second buffer layer is disposed in the third trench. A second channel area is disposed in the third trench, disposed on the second buffer layer, and has a different semiconductor layer from the substrate. A second gate electrode is disposed on the second channel area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jaehoon Lee
  • Patent number: 9941348
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of forming a capacitor structure and a capacitor structure. A semiconductor-on-insulator substrate is provided comprising a semiconductor layer, a buried insulating material layer and a semiconductor substrate material. A shallow trench isolation structure defining a first active region on the SOI substrate is formed, the first active region having a plurality of trenches formed therein. Within each trench, the semiconductor substrate material is exposed on inner sidewalls and a bottom face. A layer of insulating material covering the exposed semiconductor substrate material is formed, and an electrode material is deposited on the layer of insulating material in the first active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventors: Ran Yan, Ming-Cheng Chang, Ralf Richter
  • Patent number: 9899533
    Abstract: A transistor including an oxide semiconductor and having favorable operation characteristics is provided. Further, by using the transistor, a semiconductor having improved operation characteristics can be provided. In planar view, one of a source electrode and a drain electrode of the transistor is surrounded by a ring-shaped gate electrode. Further, in planar view, one of the source electrode and the drain electrode of the transistor is surrounded by a channel formation region. Accordingly, the source electrode is not electrically connected to the drain electrode through a parasitic channel generated in an end portion of an island-shaped oxide semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Atsuo Isobe, Yuki Hata, Suguru Hondo
  • Patent number: 9857208
    Abstract: A measurement device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first controller configured to output a control signal and a second controller configured to perform a first control and then to perform a second control based on the control signal output from the first controller. The control signal designates both an input signal and a calibration signal to be converted into a digital input signal and a digital calibration signal, respectively. The input signal is input from an outside of the measurement device. The calibration signal is previously prepared. The first control is for selecting the input signal and converting the selected input signal into the digital input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mariko Yao, Masakazu Hori, Kazuhiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9847428
    Abstract: An oxide semiconductor device includes an oxide semiconductor transistor including a first gate electrode, a second gate electrode, a third gate electrode, a first oxide semiconductor channel layer, a second oxide semiconductor channel layer, and two source/drain electrodes. The second gate electrode is disposed above the first gate electrode. The third gate electrode is disposed above the second gate electrode. At least a part of the first oxide semiconductor channel layer is disposed between the first gate electrode and the second gate electrode. At least a part of the second oxide semiconductor channel layer is disposed between the second gate electrode and the third gate electrode. At least a part of each source/drain electrode is disposed between the first oxide semiconductor channel layer and the second oxide semiconductor channel layer. Each source/drain electrode contacts the first oxide semiconductor channel layer and the second oxide semiconductor channel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Zhibiao Zhou, Ding-Lung Chen
  • Patent number: 9786737
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including at least one fin extending upward from a substrate and a gate on the substrate, wherein the gate includes outer sidewalls, wherein the fin extend through a width of the gate. A spacer material can be adjacent to the outer sidewalls of the gate, wherein a top surface of the spacer material is below the top surface of the gate and above the top surface of the fin. The semiconductor device can also include an epitaxial semiconductor layer over the fins on each side of the spacer material. A low-k dielectric material can be deposited above each epitaxial semiconductor layer. The semiconductor device also includes a dielectric top layer forming a top surface of the transistor, wherein the dielectric top layer seals an air gap between the top surface of the fins and the dielectric top layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Darsen D. Lu, Xin Miao, Tenko Yamashita
  • Patent number: 9741718
    Abstract: An integrated circuit containing a first plurality of MOS transistors operating in a low voltage range, and a second plurality of MOS transistors operating in a mid voltage range, may also include a high-voltage MOS transistor which operates in a third voltage range significantly higher than the low and mid voltage ranges, for example 20 to 30 volts. The high-voltage MOS transistor has a closed loop configuration, in which a drain region is surrounded by a gate, which is in turn surrounded by a source region, so that the gate does not overlap field oxide. The integrated circuit may include an n-channel version of the high-voltage MOS transistor and/or a p-channel version of the high-voltage MOS transistor. Implanted regions of the n-channel version and the p-channel version are formed concurrently with implanted regions in the first and second pluralities of MOS transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Binghua Hu, Pinghai Hao, Sameer Pendharkar, Seetharaman Sridhar, Jarvis Jacobs
  • Patent number: 9698237
    Abstract: A lateral bipolar transistor includes trench emitter and trench collector regions to form ultra-narrow emitter regions, thereby improving emitter efficiency. The same trench process is used to form the emitter/collector trenches as well as the trench isolation structures so that no additional processing steps are needed to form the trench emitter and collector. In embodiments of the present invention, the trench emitter and trench collector regions may be formed using ion implantation into trenches formed in a semiconductor layer. In other embodiments, the trench emitter and trench collector regions may be formed by out-diffusion of dopants from heavily doped polysilicon filled trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Incorporated
    Inventors: Shekar Mallikarjunaswamy, Francois Hebert
  • Patent number: 9695036
    Abstract: The present inventions, in one aspect, are directed to micromachined resonator comprising: a first resonant structure extending along a first axis, wherein the first axis is different from a crystal axis of silicon, a second resonant structure extending along a second axis, wherein the second axis is different from the first axis and the crystal axis of silicon and wherein the first resonant structure is coupled to the second resonant structure, and wherein the first and second resonant structures are comprised of silicon (for example, substantially monocrystalline) and include an impurity dopant (for example, phosphorus) having a concentrations which is greater than 1019 cm?3, and preferably between 1019 cm?3 and 1021 cm?3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: SiTime Corporation
    Inventors: Renata Melamud Berger, Ginel C. Hill, Paul M. Hagelin, Charles I. Grosjean, Aaron Partridge, Joseph C. Doll, Markus Lutz
  • Patent number: 9673169
    Abstract: A wafer seal ring may be formed on a wafer having a pattern structure with a pattern density. The wafer seal ring pattern structure may include a plurality of lines having a width and a spacing that may be approximately equal to a width and a spacing of die bond rings on the wafer. The wafer having the wafer seal ring formed thereon may be bonded to a wafer that may not have a wafer seal ring. A pair of wafers may be formed with respective wafer seal rings formed in a corresponding manner. The pair of wafers may be bonded together with the wafer seal rings aligned and bonded together to form a seal ring structure between the bonded wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yi-Chuan Teng, Jung-Huei Peng, Shang-Ying Tsai, Hsin-Ting Huang, Li-Min Hung, Yao-Te Huang, Chin-Yi Cho
  • Patent number: 9666663
    Abstract: First and second cell trench structures extend from a first surface into a semiconductor substrate. The first cell trench structure includes a first buried electrode and a first insulator layer between the first buried electrode and a semiconductor mesa separating the first and second cell trench structures. A capping layer covers the first surface. The capping layer is patterned to form an opening having a minimum width larger than a thickness of the first insulator layer. The opening exposes a first vertical section of the first insulator layer at the first surface. An exposed portion of the first insulator layer is removed to form a recess between the semiconductor mesa and the first buried electrode. A contact structure is in the opening and the recess. The contact structure electrically connects both a buried zone in the semiconductor mesa and the first buried electrode and allows for narrower semiconductor mesa width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Johannes Georg Laven, Maria Cotorogea, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Haybat Itani, Erich Griebl, Andreas Haghofer
  • Patent number: 9666430
    Abstract: A film is formed on a substrate by performing a cycle at least twice, the cycle including a nucleus formation process for forming nuclei on the substrate and a nucleus growth suppression process for suppressing growth of the nuclei. A time required for the nucleus growth suppression process is less than or equal to a time required for the nucleus formation process. Alternatively, the nucleus formation process is further performed after the cycle is repeatedly performed a plurality of times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
    Inventors: Yasunobu Koshi, Keigo Nishida, Kiyohiko Maeda
  • Patent number: 9646824
    Abstract: To form a MOSFET over a silicon carbide substrate, when a heat treatment accompanied by nitration is carried out to reduce the interface state density in the vicinity of the boundary between a gate insulating film and a silicon carbide substrate, CV hysteresis occurs due to the relationship between the capacitance and gate voltage of the MOSFET, thereby reducing the reliability of a semiconductor device. To solve the above problem, a heat treatment accompanied by nitration is carried out on the insulating film formed over the silicon carbide substrate (step S7). Then, the insulating film is heated in an inert gas atmosphere (step S9). Thereafter, a field effect transistor having a gate insulating film which is composed of the insulating film is formed over the silicon carbide substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Hama, Yasuaki Kagotoshi
  • Patent number: 9640841
    Abstract: A semiconductor device capable of reducing an inter-source electrode resistance RSS(on) and reducing a chip size is provided. A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a chip partitioned into three areas including a first area, a second area, and a third area, and a common drain electrode provided on a back surface of the chip, in which the second area is formed between the first and third areas, a first MOSFET is formed in the first area and the third area, and a second MOSFET is formed in the second area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Kazutaka Suzuki, Takahiro Korenari
  • Patent number: 9627564
    Abstract: An optoelectronic device comprising: a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, an active layer between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, wherein the active layer comprises a submicrometer size structure of hexagonal type crystals of an element or alloy of elements selected from the carbon group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignees: Electricite de France, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Houston
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Guillemoles, Par Olsson, Julien Vidal, Alexandre Freundlich
  • Patent number: 9620646
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to an array substrate, a manufacturing method thereof and a display device. The manufacturing method of the array substrate comprises: preparing a base substrate; forming a gate electrode pattern on the base substrate; forming a gate insulating layer pattern on the base substrate with the gate electrode pattern formed thereon; and forming an active layer pattern, a pixel electrode pattern and source and drain patterns above the gate insulating layer pattern through a three-gray-tone mask process in one patterning process, wherein the gate electrode pattern, the active layer pattern, the source pattern and the drain pattern constitute a thin film transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Zhanjie Ma
  • Patent number: 9520424
    Abstract: One or more techniques or systems for forming a black level correction (BLC) structure are provided herein. In some embodiments, the BLC structure comprises a first region, a second region above at least some of the first region, and a third region above at least some of the second region. For example, the first region comprises silicon and the third region comprises a passivation dielectric. In some embodiments, the second region comprises a first sub-region, a second sub-region above the first sub-region, and a third sub-region above the second sub-region. For example, the first sub-region comprises a metal-silicide, the second sub-region comprises a metal, and the third sub-region comprises a metal-oxide. In this manner, a BLC structure is provided, such that a surface of the BLC structure is flush, at least because the third region is flush, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Shiu-Ko JangJian, Chi-Cherng Jeng, Volume Chien
  • Patent number: 9502525
    Abstract: An embodiment of a method of manufacturing a compound semiconductor device includes: forming an initial layer over a substrate; forming a buffer layer over the initial layer; forming an electron transport layer and an electron supply layer over the buffer layer; and forming a gate electrode, a source electrode and a gate electrode over the electron supply layer. The forming an initial layer includes: forming a first compound semiconductor film with a flow rate ratio being a first value, the flow rate ratio being a ratio of a flow rate of a V-group element source gas to a flow rate of a III-group element source gas; and forming a second compound semiconductor film with the flow rate ratio being a second value different from the first value over the first compound semiconductor film. The method further includes forming an Fe-doped region between the buffer layer and the electron transport layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventors: Tetsuro Ishiguro, Atsushi Yamada, Norikazu Nakamura, Kenji Imanishi