Patents Examined by Jarrett J. Stark
  • Patent number: 11694890
    Abstract: A substrate processing method for forming a nitride film on a substrate, includes: a raw material gas supply step of supplying a raw material gas containing an element to be nitrided; a hydrogen gas supply step of, after the raw material gas supply step, supplying a hydrogen gas activated by plasma; a thermal nitriding step of supplying a first nitriding gas containing nitrogen activated by heat and nitriding the element; and a plasma nitriding step of supplying a second nitriding gas containing nitrogen activated by plasma and nitriding the element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Kiwamu Ito, Keiko Hosoe, Yamato Tonegawa
  • Patent number: 11694997
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to method of forming an integrated circuit, including forming a semiconductor device on a frontside of a semiconductor substrate; depositing a dielectric layer over a backside of the semiconductor substrate; patterning the dielectric layer to form a first opening in the dielectric layer so that the first opening exposes a surface of the backside of the semiconductor substrate; depositing a glue layer having a first thickness over the first opening; filling the first opening with a first material to form a backside contact that is separated from the semiconductor substrate by the glue layer; and depositing more dielectric layers, bonding contacts, and bonding wire layers over the dielectric layer to form a second bonding structure on the backside of the semiconductor substrate, so that the backside contact is coupled to the bonding contacts and the bonding wire layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ping-Tzu Chen, Hsing-Chih Lin, Min-Feng Kao
  • Patent number: 11688757
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device, a manufacturing method, an imaging element, and an electronic device capable of reducing manufacturing steps in a stacked structure obtained by stacking two or more semiconductor substrates. The semiconductor device has a stacked structure obtained by stacking at least a first semiconductor substrate in which a first wiring layer is stacked on a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor substrate in which a second wiring layer is stacked on a second semiconductor layer. Then, a through via which electrically connects the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate to each other and penetrates at least the first semiconductor layer is formed in an embedded oxide film formed when element isolation of a semiconductor element formed in the first semiconductor layer is performed. The present technology is applicable to, for example, a stacked semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Hidenobu Tsugawa
  • Patent number: 11678582
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a dielectric tile array including a plurality of dielectric tiles; and a plurality of electroactive (EA) material blocks configured to expand or contract in response to being actuated by the application of an actuation voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Senad Bulja, Dirk Wiegner, Wolfgang Templ, Rose F Kopf
  • Patent number: 11671067
    Abstract: A method and structure for a transfer process for an acoustic resonator device. In an example, a bulk acoustic wave resonator (BAWR) with an air reflection cavity is formed. A piezoelectric thin film is grown on a crystalline substrate. A first patterned electrode is deposited on the surface of the piezoelectric film. An etched sacrificial layer is deposited over the first electrode and a planarized support layer is deposited over the sacrificial layer, which is then bonded to a substrate wafer. The crystalline substrate is removed and a second patterned electrode is deposited over a second surface of the film. The sacrificial layer is etched to release the air reflection cavity. Also, a cavity can instead be etched into the support layer prior to bonding with the substrate wafer. Alternatively, a reflector structure can be deposited on the first electrode, replacing the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Akoustis, Inc.
    Inventors: Dae Ho Kim, Mary Winters, Ramakrishna Vetury, Jeffrey B. Shealy
  • Patent number: 11665981
    Abstract: A method of producing a quantum circuit includes forming a mask on a substrate to cover a first portion of the substrate, implanting a second portion of the substrate with ions, and removing the mask, thereby providing a nanowire. The method further includes forming a first lead and a second lead, the first lead and the second lead each partially overlapping the nanowire. In operation, a portion of the nanowire between the first and second leads forms a quantum dot, thereby providing a quantum dot Josephson junction. The method further includes forming a third lead and a fourth lead, one of the third and fourth leads partially overlapping the nanowire, wherein the third lead is separated from the fourth lead by a dielectric layer, thereby providing a Dolan bridge Josephson junction. The nanowire is configured to connect the quantum dot Josephson junction and the Dolan bridge Josephson junction in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Steven J. Holmes, Devendra V Sadana, Ning Li, Stephen W. Bedell
  • Patent number: 11664288
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing, in a housing, an insulating substrate having a metal pattern, a semiconductor chip, a sinter material applied on the semiconductor chip, and a terminal, providing multiple granular sealing resins supported by a grid provided in the housing, heating an inside of the housing until a temperature thereof reaches a first temperature higher than a room temperature and thereby discharging a vaporized solvent of the sinter material out of the housing via a gap of the grid and a gap of the sealing resins, and heating the inside of the housing until the temperature thereof reaches a second temperature higher than the first temperature and thereby causing the melted sealing resins to pass the gap of the grid and form a resin layer covering the semiconductor chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta Nakahara, Akitoshi Shirao
  • Patent number: 11641745
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of manufacturing the same are provided. The semiconductor devices may have a non-volatile memory (NVM) transistor including a charge-trapping layer and a blocking dielectric, a field-effect transistor (FET) of a first type including a first gate dielectric having a first thickness, a FET of a second type including a second gate dielectric having a second thickness, and a FET of a third type including a third gate dielectric having a third thickness. In some embodiments, the first, second, and third gate dielectric includes a high dielectric constant (high-K) dielectric layer, and the first thickness is greater than the second thickness, the second thickness is greater than the third thickness. Other embodiments are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: LONGITUDE FLASH MEMORY SOLUTIONS LTD.
    Inventor: Krishnaswamy Ramkumar
  • Patent number: 11637039
    Abstract: There is provided a method of processing a wafer having devices formed in respective areas on a face side thereof that are demarcated by a plurality of crossing projected dicing lines on the face side. The method of processing a wafer includes a wafer unit forming step of forming a wafer unit having a wafer, a tape, and an annular frame, a dividing step of dividing the wafer along the projected dicing lines into a plurality of device chips, a pick-up step of picking up one at a time of the device chips from the wafer unit, and a measuring step of measuring the device chip picked up in the pick-up step. The method also includes a distinguishing step, before the pick-up step, of inspecting properties of the devices to distinguish acceptable devices and defective devices among the devices and storing distinguished results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Mori, Makoto Kobayashi, Kazunari Tamura, Okito Umehara
  • Patent number: 11631776
    Abstract: The present disclosure is a photoelectric conversion element including: a photoelectric conversion layer 5 including a first quantum dot 4a and a second quantum dot 4b, a ratio X of the number of heavy metal atoms to the number of oxygen group atoms is less than 2 on a surface of the nanoparticle of the first quantum dot 4a, the ratio X is greater than or equal to 2 on a surface of the nanoparticle of the second quantum dot 4b, and Equation (1) is satisfied: 0.3<N??(1), where N denotes a ratio of the number of second quantum dots to the number of first quantum dots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Youichi Fukaya, Takayuki Sumida, Akira Shimazu
  • Patent number: 11626331
    Abstract: Provided is a method of evaluating a silicon wafer manufacturing process for mass-producing multiple silicon wafers. Lifetime measurement to silicon wafers mass-produced in the silicon wafer manufacturing process is performed in different locations within a surface of each of the silicon wafers and multiple measurement values are obtained. The representative value is determined for each of the silicon wafers from the multiple measurement values. The determination threshold is obtained for each wafer group including multiple silicon wafers using the representative value for each of the silicon wafers included in the wafer group. Whether the wafer group includes a silicon wafer having a lifetime outlier determined on the basis of the determination threshold among the multiple measurement values obtained for each of the silicon wafers is determined, and whether the manufacturing process may cause a defective product to be produced is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shigeru Daigo, Shuhei Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11615979
    Abstract: A method of processing a workpiece with a disk-shaped blade containing abrasive grains includes the steps of placing an auxiliary plate made of a material having a modulus of elasticity higher than a material of which a front surface side of the workpiece is made, on the front surface side of the workpiece, causing the blade rotated to cut into the front surface side of the workpiece to cut the workpiece as well as the auxiliary plate, and removing the auxiliary plate from the workpiece that has been cut by the blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: DISCO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Steve Latina
  • Patent number: 11616010
    Abstract: A transistor module assembly includes a longitudinally extending load bus bar, a longitudinally extending feed bus bar parallel to the load bus bar, and at least one transistor package operatively connected to the load and feed bus bars. The transistor package includes a drain surface and a source lead. The drain surface is operatively connected to the feed bus bar for receiving current therefrom. The source lead is operatively connected to the load bus bar for dissipating current from the transistor package to the load bus bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: John A. Dickey, David M. Kucharski
  • Patent number: 11608229
    Abstract: A storage system includes shelves each with a nozzle to supply clean gas into containers, flow amount controllers to control a supply amount of clean gas to a nozzle, a transport apparatus to transfer the containers to and from the shelves, and a controller to control the transport apparatus and the flow amount controllers. The controller makes an assignment of at least one shelf in preparation to store an incoming container and before the occurrence of the incoming container, and controls a flow amount controlling device to supply clean gas to the nozzle in the at least one shelf, based upon the assignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: MURATA MACHINERY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tatsuo Tsubaki, Takashi Yamaji
  • Patent number: 11605772
    Abstract: Devices and methods that can facilitate vertical dispersive readout of qubits of a lattice surface code architecture are provided. According to an embodiment, a device can comprise a first substrate that can have a first side and a second side that can be opposite the first side. The first substrate can comprise a read pad that can be located on the first side and a readout resonator that can be located on the second side. The device can further comprise a second substrate that can be connected to the first substrate. The second substrate can comprise a qubit. In some embodiments, the device can further comprise a recess that can be located on the first side of the first substrate. The recess can comprise the read pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Salvatore Bernardo Olivadese, Patryk Gumann, Jay M. Gambetta
  • Patent number: 11605775
    Abstract: In a piezoelectric device, electrode layers are spaced apart from each other in the direction of the normal thereto. A first piezoelectric layer is interposed between two electrode layers of electrode layers in the direction of the normal. A second piezoelectric layer is provided on an opposite side of the first piezoelectric layer from a base portion. The second piezoelectric layer is interposed between two electrode layers of the electrode layers in the direction of the normal. The half-width of a rocking curve measured by X-ray diffraction for a lattice plane of the first piezoelectric layer substantially parallel to a first main surface is smaller than a half-width for the second piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric constant of a material defining the first piezoelectric layer is smaller than the piezoelectric constant of a material defining the second piezoelectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yutaka Kishimoto, Shinsuke Ikeuchi, Masayuki Suzuki, Fumiya Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 11605701
    Abstract: A multi-voltage domain device includes a semiconductor layer including a first voltage domain, a second voltage domain, and an isolation region that electrically isolates the first voltage domain and the second voltage domain in a lateral direction. The isolation region includes at least one deep trench isolation barrier. A layer stack is arranged on the semiconductor layer and includes a stack insulator layer, a first coil arranged in the stack insulator layer, and a second coil arranged in the stack insulator layer and laterally separated from the first coil in the lateral direction. The first and second coils are magnetically coupled to each other in the lateral direction. The first coil includes terminals arranged vertically over the first region and are electrically coupled to the first voltage domain, and the second coil includes terminals arranged vertically over the second region and are electrically coupled to the second voltage domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Massimo Grasso
  • Patent number: 11594672
    Abstract: Examples include a device including a nanovoided polymer element having a first surface and a second surface, a first plurality of electrodes disposed on the first surface, a second plurality of electrodes disposed on the second surface, and a control circuit configured to apply an electrical potential between one or more of the first plurality of electrodes and one or more of the second plurality of electrodes to induce a physical deformation of the nanovoided polymer element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Tanya Malhotra, Kenneth Diest, Andrew John Ouderkirk, Robin Sharma, Barry Silverstein, Christopher Yuan Ting Liao, Erik Shipton, Greg Olegovic Andreev, Katherine Marie Smyth
  • Patent number: 11587802
    Abstract: A method of processing a semiconductor wafer is provided. The method includes installing upper lid. The installation of the upper lid includes placing an inlet manifold on a water box; inserting a jig into a lower gas channel in the water box and inserting into an upper gas channel in the inlet manifold; fastening the water box to the inlet manifold; and removing the jig after the water box engaging with the inlet manifold. The method also includes connecting a shower head on a lower side of the water box; and connecting the upper lid to a housing. The method further includes placing a semiconductor wafer into the housing. In addition, the method includes supplying a process gas over the semiconductor wafer through the upper gas channel, the lower gas channel and the shower head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ming-Che Chen, Wen-Tane Liao, Ming-Hsien Lin, Wei-Chen Liao, Hai-Lin Lee, Chun-Yu Chen
  • Patent number: 11587857
    Abstract: A first semiconductor device includes: a first wiring layer including a first interlayer insulating film, a first electrode pad, and a first dummy electrode, the first electrode pad being embedded in the first interlayer insulating film and having one surface located on same plane as one surface of the first interlayer insulating film, and the first dummy electrode being embedded in the first interlayer insulating film, having one surface located on same plane as the one surface of the first interlayer insulating film, and being disposed around the first electrode pad; and a second wiring layer including a second interlayer insulating film, a second electrode pad, and a second dummy electrode, the second electrode pad being embedded in the second interlayer insulating film, having one surface located on same surface as one surface of the second interlayer insulating film, and being bonded to the first electrode pad, and the second dummy electrode having one surface located on same plane as the surface located
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nobutoshi Fujii, Yoshihisa Kagawa