Patents Examined by Regan J Rundio
  • Patent number: 9614028
    Abstract: The present application provides (in addition to more broadly applicable inventions) improvements which are particularly applicable to two-sided power semiconductor devices which use bipolar conduction. In this class of devices, the inventor has realized that two or three of the four (or more) semiconductor doping components which form the carrier-emission structures and control structures in the active device (array) portion of a two-sided power device can also be used, with surprising advantages, to form field-limiting rings around the active arrays on both surfaces. Most preferably, in some but not necessarily all embodiments, a shallow implant of one conductivity type is used to counterdope the surface of a well having the other conductivity type. This shallow implant, singly or in combination with another shallow implant of the same conductivity type, works to shield the well from the effects of excess charge at or above the surface of the semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Ideal Power, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard A. Blanchard
  • Patent number: 9607838
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a fin structure and an isolation layer formed on the substrate and adjacent to the fin structure. The semiconductor device includes a gate structure formed on at least a portion of the fin structure and the isolation layer. The semiconductor device includes an epitaxial layer including a strained material that provides stress to a channel region of the fin structure. The epitaxial layer has a first region and a second region, in which the first region has a first doping concentration of a first doping agent and the second region has a second doping concentration of a second doping agent. The first doping concentration is greater than the second doping concentration. The epitaxial layer is doped by ion implantation using phosphorous dimer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu-Chang Lin, Chun-Feng Nieh, Huicheng Chang, Hou-Yu Chen, Yong-Yan Lu
  • Patent number: 9608016
    Abstract: A method according to embodiments of the invention includes providing a wafer comprising a semiconductor structure grown on a growth substrate. The semiconductor structure includes a light emitting layer disposed between an n-type region and a p-type region. The wafer includes trenches defining individual semiconductor devices. The trenches extend through an entire thickness of the semiconductor structure to reveal the growth substrate. The method further includes forming a thick conductive layer on the semiconductor structure. The thick conductive layer is configured to support the semiconductor structure when the growth substrate is removed. The method further includes removing the growth substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Jipu Lei, Alexander H. Nickel, Stefano Schiaffino, Grigoriy Basin
  • Patent number: 9590009
    Abstract: A semiconductor light emitting element includes a base body, a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer, a first light emitting layer, a first conductive layer, a third semiconductor layer, a fourth semiconductor layer, a second light emitting layer, a second conductive layer, a first member, and a second member. The first member includes a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion is positioned between the base body and the first conductive layer and electrically connected to the first conductive layer, the second end portion not overlapping the second conductive layer. The second member includes a third end portion and a fourth end portion. The third end portion is positioned between the base body and the second conductive layer and electrically connected to the second conductive layer. The fourth end portion is electrically connected to the second end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Jumpei Tajima, Hiroshi Ono, Toshihide Ito, Kenjiro Uesugi, Shinya Nunoue
  • Patent number: 9589940
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes a substrate, a first light emitting element, a second light emitting element, a first conductive pattern, and a second conductive pattern. The first conductive pattern is provided on the substrate and includes a first element mounting portion and a first wire connecting portion. The second conductive pattern is provided on the substrate to form a first wiring gap between the first conductive pattern and the second conductive pattern. A first recess is provided between the first element mounting portion and the first wire connecting portion and is in communication with the first wiring gap. At least a part of an outer shape of the first element mounting portion is defined by the first wiring gap and the first recess on a third side of the first element mounting portion adjacent to the second conductive pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yohei Minoda
  • Patent number: 9589848
    Abstract: Silicon and silicon germanium fins are formed on a semiconductor wafer or other substrate in a manner that facilitates production of closely spaced nFET and pFET devices. A patterned mandrel layer is employed for forming one or more recesses in the wafer prior to the epitaxial growth of a silicon germanium layer that fills the recess. Spacers are formed on the side walls of the patterned mandrel layer followed by removal of the mandrel layer. The exposed areas of the wafer and silicon germanium layer between the spacers are etched to form fins usable for nFET devices from the wafer and fins usable for pFET devices from the silicon germanium layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Ali Khakifirooz, Alexander Reznicek, Ghavam G. Shahidi
  • Patent number: 9583352
    Abstract: A method of operating a wafer processing system includes etching a batch of wafers. The method also includes transferring at least a portion of the batch of wafers to a first front opening universal pod (FOUP). The method further includes purging an interior of the first FOUP with an inert gas. The method additionally includes transporting the first FOUP from a first loading port to a second loading port. The method also includes monitoring an elapsed time from the purging. The method further includes performing a second purging of the interior of the first FOUP if the elapsed time exceeds a threshold time. The method additionally includes cleaning the batch of wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Wen-Chang Tsai, Shao-Yen Ku, Hsieh-Ching Wei, Yuan Chih Chiang, Jui-Chuan Chang, Yung-Li Tsai
  • Patent number: 9576798
    Abstract: Methods of fabricating a semiconductor structure include providing a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate including a base substrate, a strained stressor layer above the base substrate, a surface semiconductor layer, and a dielectric layer between the stressor layer and the surface semiconductor layer. Ions are implanted into or through a first region of the stressor layer, and additional semiconductor material is formed on the surface semiconductor layer above the first region of the stressor layer. The strain state in the first region of the surface semiconductor layer above the first region of the stressor layer is altered, and a trench structure is formed at least partially into the base substrate. The strain state is altered in a second region of the surface semiconductor layer above the second region of the stressor layer. Semiconductor structures are fabricated using such methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: SOITEC
    Inventors: Bich-Yen Nguyen, Walter Schwarzenbach, Christophe Maleville
  • Patent number: 9559108
    Abstract: A method for processing a carrier accordance with various embodiments may include: forming a structure over the carrier, the structure including at least two adjacent structure elements arranged at a first distance between the same; depositing a spacer layer over the structure, wherein the spacer layer may be deposited having a thickness greater than half of the first distance, wherein the spacer layer may include electrically conductive spacer material; removing a portion of the spacer layer, wherein spacer material of the spacer layer may remain in a region between the at least two adjacent structure elements; and electrically contacting the remaining spacer material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES DRESDEN GMBH
    Inventors: Robert Strenz, Mayk Roehrich, Wolfram Langheinrich, John Power, Danny Shum, Martin Stiftinger
  • Patent number: 9559165
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a method for forming the same are provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate and a first gate structure and a second gate structure formed over the substrate. The semiconductor structure further includes first recesses formed in the substrate adjacent to the first gate structure and first strained source and drain structures formed in the first recesses. The semiconductor structure further includes second recesses formed in the substrate adjacent to the second gate structure and second strained source and drain structures formed in the second recesses. In addition, each of the first recesses has a shape of a trapezoid, and each of the second recesses has a shape of an inverted trapezoid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tung-Wen Cheng, Chang-Yin Chen, Che-Cheng Chang, Mu-Tsang Lin
  • Patent number: 9559183
    Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device having improved characteristics. The semiconductor device has a substrate and thereon a buffer layer, a channel layer, a barrier layer, a trench penetrating therethrough and reaching the inside of the channel layer, a gate electrode placed in the trench via a gate insulating film, and drain and source electrodes on the barrier layer on both sides of the gate electrode. The gate insulating film has a first portion made of a first insulating film and extending from the end portion of the trench to the side of the drain electrode and a second portion made of first and second insulating films and placed on the side of the drain electrode relative to the first portion. The on resistance can be reduced by decreasing the thickness of the first portion at the end portion of the trench on the side of the drain electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Inoue, Tatsuo Nakayama, Yasuhiro Okamoto, Hiroshi Kawaguchi, Toshiyuki Takewaki, Nobuhiro Nagura, Takayuki Nagai, Yoshinao Miura, Hironobu Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 9543486
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a light emitting diode package which includes a plurality of electrodes, an LED die, a reflecting cup, a reflecting layer, and a phosphor layer. The LED die are electrically connected with the electrodes. The reflecting cup is formed on the electrodes and surrounds the LED die. The reflecting cup includes an inner surface. The reflecting layer is formed between the inner surface and LED die, and the reflecting layer has a higher pyrogenation temperature than the reflecting cup. The phosphor layer covers the LED die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: ADVANCED OPTOELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Hou-Te Lin, Pin-Chuan Chen, Lung-Hsin Chen, Wen-Liang Tseng
  • Patent number: 9530926
    Abstract: A method for forming photovoltaic cells comprises providing a first roll of a photovoltaic material and a second roll of an expanded metallic mesh. The photovoltaic material comprises a photoactive material adjacent to a flexible substrate, and the expanded metallic mesh comprises a plurality of openings. Next, an electrically insulating material is provided adjacent to an edge portion of the photovoltaic material. The photovoltaic material from the first roll can then be brought in proximity to the expanded mesh from the second roll to form a nascent photovoltaic cell. The electrically insulating material can be disposed between the expanded metallic mesh and the photovoltaic material. Next, the nascent photovoltaic cell is cut into individual sections to form a plurality of photovoltaic cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Nuvosun, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce D. Hachtmann, Christine Tsai, Thomas M. Valeri, Herb Delarosa
  • Patent number: 9525073
    Abstract: A semiconductor device which occupies a small area is provided. A semiconductor device includes a resistor. The resistor includes a transistor. The increase rate of a drain current of the transistor with a 0.1 V change in drain voltage is preferably higher than or equal to 1% when the drain voltage is higher than a difference between a gate voltage and a threshold voltage of the transistor. The semiconductor device has a function of generating a voltage based on the resistance of the resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Atsumi, Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, Yutaka Shionoiri, Yuto Yakubo, Shuhei Nagatsuka, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 9514991
    Abstract: A FinFET device and a method for fabricating a FinFET device are disclosed. An exemplary method of fabricating a FINFET device includes providing a substrate including a fin structure including a plurality of fins and shallow trench isolation (STI) features between each fin of the fin structure. A first gate structure is formed over the fin structure. First gate spacers are formed on sidewalls of the first gate structure. The first gate spacers are removed while leaving portions of the first gate spacers within corners where the fin structure and the first gate structure meet. Second gate spacers are formed on sidewalls of the first gate structure. A dielectric layer is formed over the fin structure, the first gate structure, and the second gate spacers. The first gate structure and the portions of the first gate spacers are removed, thereby exposing sidewalls of the second gate spacers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chih-Wei Kuo, Yuan-Shun Chao, Hou-Yu Chen, Shyh-Horng Yang
  • Patent number: 9515145
    Abstract: A semiconductor device capable of reducing ON-resistance changes with temperature, including a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a drift layer of the first conductivity type formed on the semiconductor substrate, a first well region of a second conductivity type formed in the front surface of the drift layer, a second well region of the second conductivity type formed in the front surface of the drift layer, and a gate structure that is formed on the front surface of the drift layer and forms a channel in the first well region and a channel in the second well region. A channel resistance of the channel formed in the first well region has a temperature characteristic that the channel resistance decreases with increasing temperature and a channel resistance of the channel formed in the second well region has a temperature characteristic that the channel resistance increases with increasing temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Furuhashi, Hiroaki Okabe, Tomokatsu Watanabe, Masayuki Imaizumi
  • Patent number: 9515201
    Abstract: Provided is a solar cell module comprising a crystalline silicon wafer, at least one amorphous silicon layer provided on at least one of a top and bottom of the crystalline silicon wafer, a transparent conductive film provided on a surface of the at least one amorphous silicon layer, electrodes provided on a surface of the transparent conductive film and a division unit to divide the transparent conductive film into a current-carrying region and a non-current-carrying region, wherein the current-carrying region is electrically connected to the electrodes and the non-current-carrying region is electrically disconnected from the electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: TES Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hong-Jae Lee
  • Patent number: 9496361
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a semiconductor structure includes the following steps. Gate trenches are formed in a first dielectric layer on a semiconductor substrate. A sidewall spacer layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate and on at least two sides of each gate trench. A plurality of first metal gates is formed on the semiconductor substrate. Each of the first metal gates includes an upper part and a lower part connected to the upper part, the lower part is formed in one of the gate trenches, and the upper part covers at least a part of the sidewall spacer layer in a vertical direction. The upper part and the lower part of the first metal gate are formed by an identical process together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Yu-Cheng Tung, En-Chiuan Liou
  • Patent number: 9496229
    Abstract: The invention provides transient devices, including active and passive devices that physically, chemically and/or electrically transform upon application of at least one internal and/or external stimulus. Incorporation of degradable device components, degradable substrates and/or degradable encapsulating materials each having a programmable, controllable and/or selectable degradation rate provides a means of transforming the device. In some embodiments, for example, transient devices of the invention combine degradable high performance single crystalline inorganic materials with selectively removable substrates and/or encapsulants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: John A. Rogers, Seung-Kyun Kang, SukWon Hwang, Jianjun Cheng, Yanfeng Zhang, Hanze Ying
  • Patent number: 9490297
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to SHE-MRAM memory cells. A memory cell array comprises one or more memory cells, wherein each of the one or more memory cells comprises a gate electrode, an insulating layer, a spin orbit material electrode, a MTJ, and a top electrode parallel to the gate electrode. The gate electrode and the top electrode are perpendicular to the spin orbit material electrode. By applying a voltage to the gate electrode, passing a current along the spin orbit material electrode, and utilizing Rashba and/or spin hall effects, writability of select memory cells is enhanced, allowing for individual memory cells to be written upon without disturbing neighboring memory cells. Additionally, Rashba and/or spin hall effects in neighboring memory cells may be suppressed to ensure only the selected memory cell is written.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: HGST NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Patrick M. Braganca, Andrei Gustavo Fidelis Garcia