Patents Examined by Junghwa Im
  • Patent number: 7042103
    Abstract: A semiconductor device (121) is provided which comprises a substrate and a die (123) having a first surface which is attached to the substrate by way of a die attach material. At least a portion (127) of the perimeter of the die is resistant to wetting by the die attach material, either through treatment with a dewetting agent or by selective removal of the backside metallization. It is found that this construction allows the surface area of the die to be increased without increasing the incidence of cracking and chipping along the sawn edges of the die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian W. Condie, David J. Dougherty
  • Patent number: 7038291
    Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the semiconductor device, in which electric characteristics of a gate insulating film thereof in the vicinity of an element isolation region are equal to electric characteristics of the gate insulating film at portions other than the vicinity of the element isolation region. A semiconductor device of the present invention includes a semiconductor substrate, shallow trench isolation regions formed in the semiconductor substrate, source and drain regions formed in the semiconductor substrate, the source and drain regions sandwiching a surface of the semiconductor substrate to define a channel, gate insulating films having equal thicknesses in a central portion of the channel and in portions contacting with on the shallow trench isolation regions, and gate electrodes formed on the gate insulating films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akira Goda, Mitsuhiro Noguchi, Hiroaki Hazama
  • Patent number: 7029956
    Abstract: A memory system having a plurality of T-RAM cells arranged in an array is presented where each T-RAM cell has dual vertical devices and is fabricated over a SiC substrate. Each T-RAM cell has a vertical thyristor and a vertical transfer gate. The top surface of each thyristor is coplanar with the top surface of each transfer gate within the T-RAM array to provide a planar cell structure for the T-RAM array. A method is also presented for fabricating the T-RAM array having the vertical thyristors, the vertical transfer gates and the planar cell structure over the SiC substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventors: Louis L. Hsu, Li-Kong Wang
  • Patent number: 7023076
    Abstract: A semiconductor package, containing two or more IC devices. The IC devices are oriented in the same manner and at least two IC devices are separated by a die paddle that is attached to the active face of one of the IC devices, inward of the electrical contact areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: United Test & Assembly Center Limited
    Inventor: Wang Chuen Khiang
  • Patent number: 7023067
    Abstract: A bonding pad for an integrated circuit, where the bonding pad overlies a fragile dielectric layer. A lower metal layer stack overlies the fragile dielectric layer, and a hard dielectric layer overlies the lower metal layer stack. An upper metal layer stack overlies the hard dielectric layer, where the upper metal layer stack forms voids extending into the upper metal layer stack from an exposed upper surface of the upper metal layer stack. The voids define deformable protrusions in the upper surface of the upper metal layer stack, for at least partially absorbing forces applied to the bonding pad during a bonding operation. Electrically conductive vias extend from the lower metal layer stack through the hard dielectric layer to the upper metal layer stack, and electrically connect the lower metal layer stack to the upper metal layer stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventors: Derryl D. J. Allman, Charles E. May
  • Patent number: 7015559
    Abstract: A chip and a chip package can transmit information to each other by using a set of converters capable of communicating with each other through the emission and reception of electromagnetic signals. Both the chip and the chip package have at least one such converter physically disposed on them. Each converter is able to (1) convert received electromagnetic signals into electronic signals, which it then may relay to leads on the device on which it is disposed; and (2) receive electronic signals from leads on the device on which it is disposed and convert them into corresponding electromagnetic signals, which it may transmit to a corresponding converter on the other device. Not having a direct physical connection between the chip and the chip package decreases the inductive and capacitive effects commonly experienced with physical bonds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Tim Murphy, Lee Gotcher
  • Patent number: 7015585
    Abstract: An integrated circuit is packaged using a package substrate that has a bottom side with a regular array of connection points and a top side with the integrated circuit on it. The package substrate also has vias that are present to provide electrical connection between the top and bottom sides. The vias have a via capture pad that is used to directly receive a wire bond. Thus, the wires from the integrated circuit to the top side directly contact the vias at their capture pads. In such a connection there is then no need for a trace from location where the wire is bonded on the top side to the via. This saves cost. Further this makes the package substrate useful for more than one type of integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Susan H. Downey, Sheila F. Chopin, Peter R. Harper, Sohrab Safai, Tu-Anh Tran, Alan H. Woosley
  • Patent number: 7009209
    Abstract: A silicon carbide semi-insulating epitaxy layer is used to create power devices and integrated circuits having significant performance advantages over conventional devices. A silicon carbide semi-insulating layer is formed on a substrate, such as a conducting substrate, and one or more semiconducting devices are formed on the silicon carbide semi-insulating layer. The silicon carbide semi-insulating layer, which includes, for example, 4H or 6H silicon carbide, is formed using a compensating material, the compensating material being selected depending on preferred characteristics for the semi-insulating layer. The compensating material includes, for example, boron, vanadium, chromium, or germanium. Use of a silicon carbide semi-insulating layer provides insulating advantages and improved thermal performance for high power and high frequency semiconductor applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Mississippi State University Research and Technology Corporation (RTC)
    Inventors: Jeffrey B. Casady, Michael Mazzola
  • Patent number: 7002241
    Abstract: Packages of semiconductor devices with non-opaque covers and methods for making the packages. The invention allows an encapsulant to be used with a non-opaque cover. By ensuring the cover is attached to a die in such a way as to expose bonding pads while sealing in the imaging portion of the die, the die can be electrically connected to a substrate and then encapsulated. Since the imaging portion is sealed, the encapsulant cannot get underneath the glass. By ensuring the encapsulant is not filled beyond the glass, encapsulant cannot get over the glass either.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Shahram Mostafazadeh, Joseph O. Smith
  • Patent number: 6998639
    Abstract: A process for fabricating a highly stable and reliable semiconductor, comprising: coating the surface of an amorphous silicon film with a solution containing a catalyst element capable of accelerating the crystallization of the amorphous silicon film, and heat treating the amorphous silicon film thereafter to crystallize the film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisashi Ohtani, Akiharu Miyanaga, Takeshi Fukunaga, Hongyong Zhang
  • Patent number: 6969893
    Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor device of low power consumption and high reliability having DTMOS' and substrate-bias variable transistors, and portable electronic equipment using the semiconductor device. On a semiconductor substrate (11), trilayer well regions (12, 14, 16; 13, 15, 16) are formed, and DTMOS' (29, 30) and substrate-bias variable transistors (27, 28) are provided in the shallow well regions (16, 17). Large-width device isolation regions (181, 182, 183) are provided at boundaries forming PNP, NPN or NPNP structures, where a small-width device isolation region (18) is provided on condition that well regions on both sides are of an identical conductive type. Thus, a plurality of well regions of individual conductive types where substrate-bias variable transistors (27, 28) of individual conductive types are provided can be made electrically independent of one another, allowing the power consumption to be reduced. Besides, the latch-up phenomenon can be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihide Shibata, Hiroshi Iwata, Seizo Kakimoto
  • Patent number: 6940177
    Abstract: A semiconductor package comprising a semiconductor wafer having an active surface comprising at least one integrated circuit, wherein each integrated circuit has a plurality of bond pads; and at least one cured silicone member covering at least a portion of the active surface, wherein at least a portion of each bond pad is not covered by the silicone member, the silicone member has a coefficient of linear thermal expansion of from 60 to 280 ?m/m° C. between ?40 and 150° C. and a modulus of from 1 to 300 MPa at 25° C., and the silicone member is prepared by the method of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Dow Corning Corporation
    Inventors: Stanton James Dent, Lyndon James Larson, Robert Thomas Nelson, Debra Charilla Rash
  • Patent number: 6936898
    Abstract: Diagonal deep well region for routing the body-bias voltage for MOSFETS in surface well regions is provided and described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Transmeta Corporation
    Inventors: Mike Pelham, James B. Burr
  • Patent number: 6933599
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a die (10) overlying and electrically connected to a support structure (11), such as a substrate or a lead frame, via a plurality of interconnects. Aggressor interconnects (32, 38) are noise sources to victim interconnects (29, 59) carrying sensitive signals. An arrangement of shield interconnects (51-58) surround the victim interconnect (29, 59) in a cage-like structure to significantly block noise from the aggressor interconnect. In one form the shield interconnects are ground or power supply and the victim interconnect may be, for example, a clock signal or an RF signal. The number of shield interconnects and the number of protected victim interconnects varies depending upon design requirements. Either wire bonding or other interconnect technology (e.g. bump) is applicable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Bennett A. Joiner, Yaping Zhou, Ben W. Herberg
  • Patent number: 6933588
    Abstract: In a NPN transistor electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection structure, certain parameters, including maximum lattice temperature, are improved by introducing certain process changes to provide for SCR-like characteristics during ESD events. A p+region is formed adjacent the collector to define a SCR-like emitter and with a common contact with the collector of the BJT. The p+ region is spaced from the n-emitter of the transistor by a n-epitaxial region, and the collector is preferably spaced further from the n-emitter than is the case in a regular BJT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Vladislav Vashchenko, Ann Concannon, Peter J. Hopper, Marcel ter Beek
  • Patent number: 6919644
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device involves mounting a semiconductor chip, formed on top with a main electrode and a subelectrode smaller in area than the main electrode, on a die pad of an external lead frame through a first bonding material, mounting an inner lead frame in which plural inner leads for connecting the main electrode and the subelectrode on the chip to corresponding connecting pads of the external lead frame are joined together by a tie bar on the chip and the external lead frame through a second bonding material, heating the first and second bonding materials simultaneously for electrically connecting and fixing the chip to the die pad and the inner leads to the electrodes on the chip and the connecting pads of the external lead frame, and cutting the tie bar to separate the inner lead frame into the plural inner leads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Shotaro Uchida
  • Patent number: 6917077
    Abstract: A semiconductor arrangement including: a substrate having a substrate layer (13) with an upper and lower surface, the substrate layer (13) being of a first conductivity type; a first buried layer (12) in the substrate, extending along said lower surface below a first portion of said upper surface of said substrate layer (13), and a second buried layer (12) in the substrate, extending along said lower surface below a second portion of said upper surface of said substrate layer (13); a first diffusion (26) in said first portion of said substrate layer (13), being of a second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type and having a first distance to said first buried layer (12) for defining a first breakdown voltage between said first diffusion (26) and said first buried layer (12); a second diffusion (45) in said second portion of said substrate layer (13), being of said second conductivity type and having a second distance to said second buried layer (12) for defining a second breakdown volta
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2005
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Petrus Hubertus Cornelis Magnee, Freerk Van Rijs, Hendrik Gezienus Albert Huizing
  • Patent number: 6911721
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a base substrate provided with a base wiring. A first substrate includes a first wiring to be electrically connected to the base wiring and is provided above the base substrate. A first semiconductor element includes a first electrode to be electrically connected to the first wiring and is provided between the base substrate and the first substrate. A second substrate includes a second wiring to be electrically connected to the base wiring and is provided above the first substrate. A second semiconductor element includes a second electrode to be electrically connected to the second wiring and is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate and above the first semiconductor element. The first substrate has a first region where the first semiconductor element is provided below, a second region where a portion of the first wiring that connects to the base wiring is located, and a first bent section between the first region and the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Akiyoshi Aoyagi
  • Patent number: 6900466
    Abstract: A semiconductor component for generating a polychromatic electromagnetic radiation has a semiconductor chip with a first semiconductor layer and a second semiconductor layer, which is provided adjacent to the first semiconductor layer and has an electroluminescent region. The electroluminescent region emits electromagnetic radiation of a first wavelength. The first semiconductor layer includes a material which, when excited with the electromagnetic radiation of the first wavelength, re-emits radiation with a second wavelength which is longer than the first wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Osram GmbH
    Inventors: Detlef Hommel, Helmut Wenisch
  • Patent number: 6885046
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit includes pads, a first power supply I/O cell which is connected to an external pin through a corresponding one of the pads, and a second power supply I/O cell which is not connected to an external pin through a corresponding one of the pads, but receives power supply from the first power supply I/O cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Kenji Suzuki, Toru Osajima