Patents Examined by Quang Vu
  • Patent number: 7211868
    Abstract: A protection circuit device using a MOSFET has a plural of conductive paths separated electrically, a MOSFET chip integrating two power MOSFETs in one chip where a gate electrode and a source electrode are fixed on the desired conductive path, conductive material provided on a common drain electrode of the MOSFET, and insulating resin covering said MOSFET and supporting said conductive path in one body. Removing a drawing-around of the common drain electrode and fixing the source electrode directly on the conductive path, low ON-state resistance is realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriaki Sakamoto, Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, Hirokazu Fukuda, Hiroki Etou, Kouji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7065727
    Abstract: A method is described for optimal simultaneous design and floorplanning of integrated circuits. The method is based on formulating the problem as a geometric program, which then can be solved numerically with great efficiency. Prior work discloses the design of many different analog circuit cells such as operational amplifiers, spiral inductors, and LC oscillators which can be cast as geometric programs. The present disclosure adds to this layout floorplanning constraints in posynomial form that can be mixed with design constraints for different analog circuits. This allows the simultaneous design and floorplanning of numerous analog circuits using geometric programming. Thus, the design and floorplanning can be performed optimally in a single step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Barcelona Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Mar Hershenson, Arash Hassibi, Andre Hentz, Stephen Boyd
  • Patent number: 6982229
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) includes a CMOS device formed above a semiconductor substrate having ions therein that are implanted in the semiconductor substrate by an ion recoil procedure. The IC preferably, but not necessarily, incorporates sub-0.1 micron technology in the CMOS device. The implanted ions may preferably be germanium ions. A strained-silicon layer is preferably, but not necessarily, formed above the ion-implanted layer of the semiconductor substrate. The strained-silicon layer may be formed by a silicon epitaxial growth on the ion-implanted layer or by causing the ions to recoil into the semiconductor substrate with such energy that a region of the semiconductor substrate in the vicinity of the surface thereof is left substantially free of the ions, thereby forming a strained-silicon layer in the substantially ion-free region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation
    Inventors: Agajan Suvkhanov, Mohammad R. Mirabedini
  • Patent number: 6933180
    Abstract: A bottom-gate thin-film transistor includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating film, an active layer, and a protective insulating film deposited in that order on a substrate. The protective insulating film has a thickness of 100 nm or less, and the protective insulating film is formed on any one of the active layer, and LDD region, and a source-drain region. A method for making a bottom-gate thin-film transistor, a liquid crystal display device including a TFT substrate using the bottom-gate thin-film transistor and a method for fabricating the same, and an organic EL device including the bottom-gate thin-film transistor and a method for fabricating the same are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2005
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu Tanaka, Masahiro Fujino, Hisao Hayashi
  • Patent number: 6927432
    Abstract: An exemplary system and method for providing a vertically integrated photosensing element suitably adapted for use in CMOS imaging applications is disclosed as comprising inter alia: a processed CMOS layer (420); and a photosensing element (380) fabricated in a vertically integrated optically active layer (320, 350), where the optically active layer (320, 350) is bonded to the CMOS layer (420) and the optically active layer (320, 350) is positioned near a metalization surface (405) of the CMOS layer (420). Disclosed features and specifications may be variously controlled, configured, adapted or otherwise optionally modified to further improve or otherwise optimize photosensing performance or other material characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Paige M. Holm, Jon J. Candelaria
  • Patent number: 6914321
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a semiconductor device having an improved heat dissipation characteristic. A power element is mounted on and jointed and to a metal block through a jointing material. An insulating substrate includes a ceramic substrate and metal layers formed on both surfaces of the ceramic substrate and having thicknesses equal to each other. The metal block and the insulating substrate are provided per insulation unit of the power element. The metal layer of the insulating substrate is joined to a surface of the metal block through a jointing material opposite to a surface thereof for forming the power element. An electrode terminal is attached to a surface of the metal block having a power element joined thereto through ultrasonic junction and the like. Electrode terminals are connected to electrodes of the power element through aluminum wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshiaki Shinohara
  • Patent number: 6909150
    Abstract: An integrated circuit having improved isolation includes a first circuit section formed in a substrate and a second circuit section formed in the substrate, the second circuit section being spaced laterally from the first circuit section. The integrated circuit further includes an isolation buried layer formed under at least a portion of the first circuit section, and a conductive layer formed on a surface of the substrate and electrically coupled to the buried layer and to a voltage reference, the conductive layer reducing an effective lateral resistance of the buried layer, whereby an isolation between the first and second circuit sections is increased. A second isolation buried layer can be formed under at least a portion of the second circuit section as well to provide further isolation between the first and second circuit sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Agere Systems Inc.
    Inventor: Paul C. Davis
  • Patent number: 6900508
    Abstract: A flat filter layer is received between upper and lower mold portions of a mold for packaging an integrated circuit sensor device, held by the mold over and in contact with the integrated circuit's sensing surface, in light compression between the sensing surface and a mold surface. The filter layer includes slots allowing passage of injected encapsulating material to cover the integrated circuit die, with overlap portions embedded in the encapsulating material, while preventing such encapsulating material from flowing onto the sensing surface. The filter layer may be, for example, a liquid and/or light filter, and may include a protective or supportive backing. The filter is thus affixed to the packaged integrated circuit sensor device, while mold residue is reduced and mold life extended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony M. Chiu, Harry Michael Siegel
  • Patent number: 6897567
    Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes the following steps. First, a semiconductor chip is mounted on a lower conductor, with first solder material applied between the chip and the lower conductor. Then, an upper conductor is placed on the chip, with second solder material applied between the chip and the upper conductor. Then, the first and the second solder materials are heated up beyond their respective melting points. Finally, the first and the second solder materials are allowed to cool down, so that the first solder material solidifies earlier than the second solder material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Romh Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshitaka Horie
  • Patent number: 6894370
    Abstract: A lead frame structure includes: at least a die pad for mounting a semiconductor chip thereon; a plurality of suspension members mechanically connected with the die pad; and a plurality of supporting members. Each supporting member has a connection region mechanically connected with each of the plurality of suspension members for mechanically supporting the at least die pad via the plurality of suspension pins. The connection region of the supporting member has a penetrating opening portion which provides a mechanical flexibility to the connection region and which allows the connection region to be deformed toward the suspension member upon application of a tensile stress to the suspension member in a down-set process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Toshinori Kiyohara
  • Patent number: 6882013
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a transistor (10) comprises forming source and drain regions (46) and (47) using a first sidewall (42) and (43) as a mask and forming a deep blanket source and drain regions (54) and (56) using a second sidewall (50) and (51) as a mask, the second sidewall (50) and (51) comprising at least part of the first sidewall (42) and (43).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Mahalingam Nandakumar
  • Patent number: 6867458
    Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device having a source region formed of a semiconductor, a drain region formed of a semiconductor of the same conductive type as that of the source region, a channel region formed of a semiconductor between the source region and the drain region, a gate insulating film provided on the channel region, and a gate electrode provided on the gate insulating film and formed with a P-N junction including a P-type semiconductor region and an N-type semiconductor region. At this time, the P-type semiconductor region and the N-type semiconductor region of the P-N junction of the gate electrode are electrically insulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Takashi Nikami
  • Patent number: 6858913
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fuse structure. The fuse structure comprises a substrate, a plurality of conductive layers, a plurality of dielectric layers and a plurality of conductive plugs. The novel fuse structure includes a plurality of fuse units, and a new layout of the fuse units to increase the pitch between the fuse units, preventing the fuse structure from failing when misalignment of the laser beam and thermal scattering of the laser beam damage the second layer of the fuse structure in the laser blow process, thus increasing reliability and yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Nanya Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Wu-Der Yang
  • Patent number: 6853054
    Abstract: A high frequency semiconductor device including wiring layers which are formed above a semiconductor substrate and in which transmission lines are formed by combining with a ground plate having a potential fixed at the ground potential, at least one crossing portion in which the wiring layers mutually cross, with insulating interlayers provided therebetween, and at least one separation electrode being selectively provided on one of the insulating interlayers, the at least one separation electrode having a potential fixed at the ground potential. Accordingly, in the high frequency semiconductor device, electrical interference between two crossing wiring layer is prevented and transmission loss is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Fujitsu Quantum Devices Limited
    Inventors: Osamu Baba, Yutaka Mimino
  • Patent number: 6849921
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate; a first insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate; a polysilicon resistor film formed on the first insulating film; a second insulating film formed on the resistor film; a high heat conductor film consisting of a highly heat-conducting material formed on the second insulating film; and a pair of terminal wirings formed on the second insulating film and connected to the resistor film, in which a thickness T3 of the second insulating film is thinner than a thickness T2 of the resistor film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventor: Akio Uenishi
  • Patent number: 6841860
    Abstract: Disclosed are a flip-chip bonding structure for improving the vertical alignment of an optical device relative to a PLC and a flip-chip bonding method for achieving this structure. The flip-chip bonding structure includes: a semiconductor substrate; a lower-clad layer formed on the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the lower-clad layer is depressed on a designated area for mounting an optical device; vertical alignment structures formed on a part of the upper surface of the depressed area of the lower-clad layer and determining a vertical alignment position of the optical device on the semiconductor substrate; electrodes formed on another part of the upper surface of the depressed area of the lower-clad layer; a solder bump formed on the upper surfaces of the electrodes; and, an optical device bonded to the substrate by a flip-chip bonding method using the solder bump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2005
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joo-Hoon Lee, Duk-Yong Choi, Dong-Su Kim
  • Patent number: 6838750
    Abstract: An electrical circuit having one or more dielectric layers formed of latex; and one or more layers of electrically conductive material, such as copper, patterned to form multiple electrical interconnects, with each such layer placed on top of one of said dielectric layers. The dielectric and conductive layers can be used to connect multiple chips in a multichip module. The latex layers can be formed to have a top surface that contains peaks and valleys, and the conductive layers can be formed of a first metal that substantially fills such valleys, so as to increase the adherence of the metal to the latex surface. The layers of conductive metal can contain particles of a second metal between said peaks and valleys of the latex layer that were used as a catalytic seed particles to promote the deposition of the metal layer onto the top surface of the latex.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Custom One Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter R. Nuytkens, Ilya E. Popeko, Joseph M. Kulinets
  • Patent number: 6830977
    Abstract: A method of forming an isolation trench in a semiconductor includes forming a first isolation trench portion having a first depth and having a first sidewall intersecting a surface of the semiconductor at a first angle. The method also includes forming a second isolation trench portion within and extending below the first isolation trench portion. The second isolation trench portion has a second depth and includes a second sidewall. The second sidewall intersects the first sidewall at an angle with respect to the surface that is greater than the first angle. A dielectric material fills the first and second isolation trench portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Keiji Jono, Hirokazu Ueda, Hiroyuki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6828188
    Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing process for forming a semiconductor device having a high density region and a low density region of transistor elements, includes forming a gate oxide film and gate electrodes on a semiconductor substrate surface. Then, a first nitride film is uniformly formed on the gate electrodes, and only the low-density region of the semiconductor device is etched. Then, a second nitride film is uniformly formed, and then an interlayer insulating film is formed. The high-density region is self-aligned using the first nitride film as an etch stopper to form contact holes in the interlayer insulating film, and contact electrodes are formed In the contact holes. The assembly is then annealed by a forming gas to recover an interfacial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2004
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Hirota, Natsuki Sato
  • Patent number: 6818955
    Abstract: An electrostatic discharge device may provide better protection of an integrated circuit by more uniform breakdown of a plurality of finger regions. The plurality of finger regions may extend through a first region of a substrate having a first conductivity type and into a second region of the substrate more lightly doped with impurities of the first conductivity type. An electrostatic discharge device may include a collector region having a middle region that may be highly doped with impurities of the first conductivity type. The middle region may be proximate to a layer that is lightly doped with impurities of the first conductivity type and a layer that is doped with impurities of the second conductivity type. The collector region may decrease the breakdown voltage of the electrostatic discharge device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Choy Hing Li, Xin Yi Zhang