Patents Examined by Lamont B Koo
  • Patent number: 11670711
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to integrated circuit fabrication, and more particularly to a metal gate electrode. An exemplary structure for a semiconductor device comprises a substrate comprising a major surface; a first gate electrode on the major surface comprising a first layer of multi-layer material; a first dielectric material adjacent to one side of the first gate electrode; and a second dielectric material adjacent to the other 3 sides of the first gate electrode, wherein the first dielectric material and the second dielectric material collectively surround the first gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Jr-Jung Lin, Chih-Han Lin, Jin-Aun Ng, Ming-Ching Chang, Chao-Cheng Chen
  • Patent number: 11668671
    Abstract: A biosensor includes a semiconductor layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a FET device in the semiconductor layer, an isolation layer over the first surface of the semiconductor layer, a dielectric layer over the isolation layer and the first surface of the semiconductor layer, and a pair of first electrodes and a pair of second electrodes over the dielectric layer and separated from each other. The isolation layer has a rectangular opening substantially aligned with the FET device. The rectangular opening has pair of first sides and a pair of second sides. An extending direction of the pair of first sides is perpendicular to an extending direction of the pair of second sides. The pair of first electrodes is disposed over the pair of first sides, and the pair of second electrodes is disposed over the pair of second sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Yi-Hsing Hsiao, Jui-Cheng Huang, Yu-Jie Huang
  • Patent number: 11664437
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate with first and second areas, a first trench in the first area, and first and second PMOS transistors in the first area and the second area, respectively. The first transistor includes a first gate insulating layer, a first TiN layer on and contacting the first gate insulating layer, and a first gate electrode on and contacting the first TiN layer. The second transistor includes a second gate insulating layer, a second TiN layer on and contacting the second gate insulating layer, and a first TiAlC layer on and contacting the second TiN layer. The first gate insulating layer, the first TiN layer, and the first gate electrode are within the first trench. The first gate electrode does not include aluminum. A threshold voltage of the first transistor is smaller than a threshold voltage of the second transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Inventors: Ju Youn Kim, Se Ki Hong
  • Patent number: 11658228
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing semiconductor devices is provided. The method includes: providing a substrate structure comprising a semiconductor substrate and a trench insulator portion in the semiconductor substrate; forming a dummy gate on the semiconductor substrate; performing a first ion implantation into the semiconductor substrate to form a first doped region between the trench insulator portion and the dummy gate; and forming a first connecting member connecting the dummy gate with the first doped region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignees: SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (BEIJING) CORPORATION, SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING INTERNATIONAL (SHANGHAI) CORPORATION
    Inventors: Gang Qian, Yiming Miao, Yanlin Sun, Xubo Chen
  • Patent number: 11646233
    Abstract: The present application provides a method for manufacturing a fin field-effect transistor, comprising steps of: forming a plurality of strip fins and dummy gates on a substrate, wherein side walls are formed on both sides of the dummy gate; forming a source or a drain on the plurality of strip fins; depositing an interlayer dielectric layer, and performing chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) on the interlayer dielectric layer to expose the top surfaces of the dummy gates; forming a single diffusion break in a single diffusion region; and replacing the dummy gates other than the dummy gate in the single diffusion region with metal gates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: SHANGHAI HUALI INTEGRATED CIRCUIT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tiancai Yan, Bingxun Su
  • Patent number: 11631736
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes an isolation structure; first and second source/drain (S/D) features over the isolation structure, defining a first direction from the first S/D feature to the second S/D feature from a top view; one or more channel layers connecting the first and the second S/D features; a gate structure between the first and the second S/D features and engaging each of the one or more channel layers; and a via structure under the first S/D feature and electrically connecting to the first S/D feature. In a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the first direction, the via structure has a profile that widens and then narrows along a bottom-up direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Feng-Ching Chu, Wei-Yang Lee, Chia-Pin Lin
  • Patent number: 11626398
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate, a diode region, and a dummy stripe. The substrate has a first surface. The diode region is in the substrate. The diode region includes a first implant region of a first conductivity type approximate to the first surface, and a second implant region of a second conductivity type approximate to the first surface and surrounded by the first implant region. The dummy stripe is on the first surface and located between the first implant region and the second implant region. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Ta-Wei Lin, Fu-Hsiung Yang, Ching-Hsun Hsu, Yu-Lun Lu, Li-Hsuan Yeh, Tsung-Chieh Tsai, Kong-Beng Thei
  • Patent number: 11616132
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and method of manufacturing are provided. In an embodiment a first nucleation layer is formed within an opening for a gate-last process. The first nucleation layer is treated in order to remove undesired oxygen by exposing the first nucleation layer to a precursor that reacts with the oxygen to form a gas. A second nucleation layer is then formed, and a remainder of the opening is filled with a bulk conductive material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yu-Sheng Wang, Chi-Cheng Hung, Chia-Ching Lee, Ching-Hwanq Su
  • Patent number: 11610885
    Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a fin structure over a substrate. The method also includes forming a gate structure across the fin structure. The method also includes depositing a dopant source layer over the gate structure. The method also includes driving dopants of the dopant source layer into the fin structure. The method also includes removing the dopant source layer. The method also includes annealing the dopants in the fin structure to form a doped region. The method also includes etching the doped region and the fin structure below the doped region to form a recess. The method also includes growing a source/drain feature in the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chia-Cheng Chen, Chia-Ling Chan, Liang-Yin Chen, Huicheng Chang
  • Patent number: 11600528
    Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes forming a stack over a substrate. The stack includes alternating first semiconductor layers and second semiconductor layers. The method also includes forming a polishing stop layer over the stack and a dummy layer over the polishing stop layer, recessing the dummy layer, the polishing stop layer and the stack to form a recess, forming a third semiconductor layer to fill the recess, and planarizing the dummy layer and the third semiconductor layer until the polishing stop layer is exposed. The method also includes patterning the polishing stop layer and the stack into a first fin structure and the third semiconductor layer into a second fin structure, removing the second semiconductor layers of the first fin structure to form nanostructures, and forming a gate stack across the first fin structure and the second fin structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Pei-Ling Kao, You-Ting Lin, Jiun-Ming Kuo
  • Patent number: 11600715
    Abstract: An embodiment is a method including forming a raised portion of a substrate, forming fins on the raised portion of the substrate, forming an isolation region surrounding the fins, a first portion of the isolation region being on a top surface of the raised portion of the substrate between adjacent fins, forming a gate structure over the fins, and forming source/drain regions on opposing sides of the gate structure, wherein forming the source/drain regions includes epitaxially growing a first epitaxial layer on the fin adjacent the gate structure, etching back the first epitaxial layer, epitaxially growing a second epitaxial layer on the etched first epitaxial layer, and etching back the second epitaxial layer, the etched second epitaxial layer having a non-faceted top surface, the etched first epitaxial layer and the etched second epitaxial layer forming source/drain regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY. LTD.
    Inventors: Tzu-Ching Lin, Chien-I Kuo, Wei Te Chiang, Wei Hao Lu, Li-Li Su, Chii-Horng Li
  • Patent number: 11594575
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to spin-orbit torque (“SOT”) magnetoresistive random-access memory (“MRAM”) (“SOT-MRAM”) structures and methods. A new structure of the SOT channel has one or more magnetic insertion layers superposed or stacked with one or more heavy metal layer(s). Through proximity to a magnetic insertion layer, a surface portion of a heavy metal layer is magnetized to include a magnetization. The magnetization within the heavy metal layer enhances spin-dependent scattering, which leads to increased transverse spin imbalance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shy-Jay Lin, Mingyuan Song
  • Patent number: 11594614
    Abstract: Multi-gate devices and methods for fabricating such are disclosed herein. An exemplary method includes forming a gate dielectric layer around first channel layers in a p-type gate region and around second channel layers in an n-type gate region. Sacrificial features are formed between the second channel layers in the n-type gate region. A p-type work function layer is formed over the gate dielectric layer in the p-type gate region and the n-type gate region. After removing the p-type work function layer from the n-type gate region, the sacrificial features are removed from between the second channel layers in the n-type gate region. An n-type work function layer is formed over the gate dielectric layer in the n-type gate region. A metal fill layer is formed over the p-type work function layer in the p-type gate region and the n-type work function layer in the n-type gate region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jia-Ni Yu, Kuo-Cheng Chiang, Lung-Kun Chu, Chung-Wei Hsu, Chih-Hao Wang, Mao-Lin Huang
  • Patent number: 11569364
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a method of forming the same are provided. In an embodiment, a semiconductor structure includes a first plurality of channel members over a backside dielectric layer, a second plurality of channel members over the backside dielectric layer, a silicide feature disposed in the backside dielectric layer, and a source/drain feature disposed over the silicide feature and extending between the first plurality of channel members and the second plurality of channel members. The silicide feature extends through an entire depth of the backside dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chen-Hung Tsai, Chen-Ming Lee, Fu-Kai Yang, Mei-Yun Wang
  • Patent number: 11563013
    Abstract: A memory device includes a substrate, first semiconductor fin, second semiconductor fin, first gate structure, second gate structure, first gate spacer, and a second gate spacer. The first gate structure crosses the first semiconductor fin. The second gate structure crosses the second semiconductor fin, the first gate structure extending continuously from the second gate structure, in which in a top view of the memory device, a width of the first gate structure is greater than a width of the second gate structure. The first gate spacer is on a sidewall of the first gate structure. The second gate spacer extends continuously from the first gate spacer and on a sidewall of the second gate structure, in which in the top view of the memory device, a width of the first gate spacer is less than a width of the second gate spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hsin-Wen Su, Chih-Chuan Yang, Shih-Hao Lin, Yu-Kuan Lin, Lien-Jung Hung, Ping-Wei Wang
  • Patent number: 11563135
    Abstract: Provided are a light-receiving element which has more capability of detecting wavelengths than that of existing silicon light-receiving elements and a unit pixel of an image sensor by using it. The light-receiving element includes: a light-receiving unit which is floated or connected to external voltage and absorbs light; an oxide film which is formed to come in contact with a side of the light-receiving unit; a source and a drain which stand off the light-receiving unit with the oxide film in between and face each other; a channel which is formed between the source and the drain and forms an electric current between the source and the drain; and a wavelength expanding layer which is formed in at least one among the light-receiving unit, the oxide film and the channel and forms a plurality of local energy levels by using strained silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Inventor: Hoon Kim
  • Patent number: 11563102
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a negative capacitance structure, a dielectric layer is formed over a substrate. A first metallic layer is formed over the dielectric layer. After the first metallic layer is formed, an annealing operation is performed, followed by a cooling operation. A second metallic layer is formed. After the cooling operation, the dielectric layer becomes a ferroelectric dielectric layer including an orthorhombic crystal phase. The first metallic film includes a oriented crystalline layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chun-Chieh Lu, Carlos H. Diaz, Chih-Sheng Chang, Cheng-Yi Peng, Ling-Yen Yeh
  • Patent number: 11552181
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a fin-shaped structure on a substrate, forming a gate material layer on the fin-shaped structure, performing an etching process to pattern the gate material layer for forming a gate structure and a silicon residue, performing an ashing process on the silicon residue, and then performing a cleaning process to transform the silicon residue into a polymer stop layer on a top surface and sidewalls of the fin-shaped structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventor: Chun-Hsien Lin
  • Patent number: 11545496
    Abstract: An SRAM (static random access memory) includes a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of PD transistors, each including a first fin structure formed on the semiconductor substrate, a PD gate structure formed across the first fin structure and covering a portion of a top and sidewall surfaces of the first fin structure, and a first source/drain doped layer formed in the first fin structure on both sides of the PD gate structure; a plurality of adjacent transistors, each including a second fin structure formed on the semiconductor substrate and a second source/drain doped layer formed in the second fin structure; an isolation layer, formed on the semiconductor substrate; a fin sidewall film, formed on the isolation layer and covering sidewall surfaces of each PD gate structure; and a first PD dielectric layer, formed on the isolation layer and covering sidewall surfaces of the first source/drain doped layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignees: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation, Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) Corporation
    Inventor: Yong Li
  • Patent number: 11545490
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure includes a first gate-all-around FET over a substrate, and the first gate-all-around FET includes first nanostructures and a first gate stack surrounding the first nanostructures. The semiconductor structure also includes a first FinFET adjacent to the first gate-all-around FET, and the first FinFET includes a first fin structure and a second gate stack over the first fin structure. The semiconductor structure also includes a gate-cut feature interposing the first gate stack of the first gate-all-around FET and the second gate stack of the first FinFET.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jin-Aun Ng, Yu-Chao Lin, Tung-Ying Lee