Patents Examined by Sun M King
  • Patent number: 10141218
    Abstract: A bonded device structure including a first substrate having a first set of metallic bonding pads, preferably connected to a device or circuit, and having a first non-metallic region adjacent to the metallic bonding pads on the first substrate, a second substrate having a second set of metallic bonding pads aligned with the first set of metallic bonding pads, preferably connected to a device or circuit, and having a second non-metallic region adjacent to the metallic bonding pads on the second substrate, and a contact-bonded interface between the first and second set of metallic bonding pads formed by contact bonding of the first non-metallic region to the second non-metallic region. At least one of the first and second substrates may be elastically deformed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: INVENSAS BONDING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Qin-Yi Tong, Paul M. Enquist, Anthony Scot Rose
  • Patent number: 10096654
    Abstract: An alternating material stack of insulator lines and first electrically conductive material layers is formed over a substrate, and is patterned to provide alternating stacks of insulating layers and first electrically conductive lines. A metal can be selectively deposited on the physically exposed sidewalls of the first electrically conductive material layers to form metal lines, while not growing from the surfaces of the insulator lines. The metal lines are oxidized to form metal oxide lines that are self-aligned to the sidewalls of the first electrically conductive lines. Vertically extending second electrically conductive lines can be formed as a two-dimensional array of generally pillar-shaped structures between the alternating stacks of the insulator lines and the first electrically conductive lines. Each portion of the metal oxide lines at junctions of first and second electrically conductive lines constitute a resistive memory element for a resistive random access memory (ReRAM) device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Shin Kikuchi, Kazushi Komeda, Takuya Futase, Teruyuki Mine, Seje Takaki, Eiji Hayashi, Toshihide Tobitsuka
  • Patent number: 10096710
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device comprises providing a substrate with a shallow trench isolation (STI) within the substrate and a gate stack. A cavity is formed between the gate stack and the STI. The cavity comprises one sidewall formed by the STI, one sidewall formed by the substrate, and a bottom surface formed by the substrate. A film is grown in the cavity and thereafter an opening formed by removing a first portion of the strained film until exposing the bottom surface of the substrate while a second portion of the strained film adjoins the STI sidewall. Another epitaxial layer is then grown in the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheng-Hsien Wu, Chih-Hsin Ko, Clement Hsingjen Wann
  • Patent number: 10079291
    Abstract: A fin-type field effect transistor including a substrate, insulators, a gate stack, a seal spacer, a first offset spacer, and a second offset spacer is described. The substrate has fins thereon. The insulators are located over the substrate and between the fins. The gate stack is located over the fins and over the insulators. The seal spacer is located over the sidewall of the gate stack. The first offset spacer is located over the seal spacer. The second offset spacer is located over the first offset spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun Hsiung Tsai, Kei-Wei Chen
  • Patent number: 10056475
    Abstract: A first source electrode is formed in contact with a semiconductor layer; a first drain electrode is formed in contact with the semiconductor layer; a second source electrode which extends beyond an end portion of the first source electrode to be in contact with the semiconductor layer is formed; a second drain electrode which extends beyond an end portion of the first drain electrode to be in contact with the semiconductor layer is formed; a first sidewall is formed in contact with a side surface of the second source electrode and the semiconductor layer; a second sidewall is formed in contact with a side surface of the second drain electrode and the semiconductor layer; and a gate electrode is formed to overlap the first sidewall, the second sidewall, and the semiconductor layer with a gate insulating layer provided therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Daisuke Matsubayashi
  • Patent number: 10056518
    Abstract: An active photonic device having a Darlington configuration is disclosed. The active photonic device includes a substrate with a collector layer over the substrate. The collector layer includes an inner collector region and an outer collector region that substantially surrounds the inner collector region. A base layer resides over the collector layer. The base layer includes an inner base region and an outer base region that substantially surrounds and is spaced apart from the inner base region. An emitter layer resides over the base layer. The emitter layer includes an inner emitter region that is ring-shaped and resides over and extends substantially around an outer periphery of the inner base region. The emitter layer further includes an outer emitter region that is ring-shaped and resides over and extends substantially around the outer base region. A connector structure electrically couples the inner emitter region with the outer base region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Wesley Kobayashi, Ricke Waylan Clark
  • Patent number: 10050134
    Abstract: A method for fabricating an anode-shorted field stop insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) comprises selectively forming first and second semiconductor implant regions of opposite conductivity types. A field stop layer of a second conductivity type can be grown onto or implanted into the substrate. An epitaxial layer can be grown on the substrate or on the field stop layer. One or more insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) component cells are formed within the epitaxial layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: ALPHA AND OMEGA SEMICONDUCTOR INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Anup Bhalla, Madhur Bobde, Yongping Ding, Xiaotian Zhang, Yueh-Se Ho
  • Patent number: 10002931
    Abstract: A silicon carbide semiconductor device capable of effectively increasing a threshold voltage and a method for manufacturing the silicon carbide semiconductor device. The silicon carbide semiconductor device includes a gate insulating film formed on part of surfaces of the well regions and the source region; and a gate electrode formed on a surface of the gate insulating film so as to be opposite to an end portion of the source region and the well regions. Furthermore, the gate insulating film has, in an interface region between the well regions and the gate insulating film, defects that each form a first trap having an energy level deeper than a conduction band end of silicon carbide and that include a bond between silicon and hydrogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masayuki Furuhashi, Naruhisa Miura
  • Patent number: 9997700
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an RRAM cell includes providing a metal-insulator-metal stack and exposing a subsection of a MIM stack to particle bombardment and/or radiation. Exposing a subsection of the MIM stack to particle bombardment and/or radiation forms localized defects in the functional layer of the MIM stack, thereby reducing the required forming voltage of the RRAM cell and further providing precise control over the location of a conductive filament created in the MIM stack during forming of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Carnegie Mellon University
    Inventors: Mohamed Abdeltawab Abdelmoula, Marek Skowronski, Abhishek A. Sharma, James A. Bain
  • Patent number: 9991427
    Abstract: Solid state light emitting devices include a solid state light emitting die and a photonic crystal phosphor light conversion structure. The photonic crystal phosphor light conversion structure may include a solid phosphor layer that includes dielectric nanostructures therein and may be on a light emitting surface of the solid state light emitting die. The photonic crystal phosphor light conversion structure may be attached to the light emitting surface of the solid state light emitting die via an adhesive layer. The photonic crystal phosphor light conversion structure may also be directly on a light emitting surface of the solid state light emitting die. Related methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Antony P. van de Ven, Gerald H. Negley
  • Patent number: 9954101
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided that includes a first of a source region and a drain region comprised of a first semiconductor material, wherein an etch stop layer of a second semiconductor material present within the first of the source region and the drain region. A channel semiconductor material is present atop the first of the source region and the drain region. A second of the source and the drain region is present atop the channel semiconductor material. The semiconductor device may be a vertically orientated fin field effect transistor or a vertically orientated tunnel field effect transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Huiming Bu, Liying Jiang, Siyuranga O. Koswatta, Junli Wang
  • Patent number: 9946135
    Abstract: A thin film optical switch includes a layer of photosensitive material that extends laterally with first and second electrodes are spaced apart laterally from one another along the layer of photo sensitive material. The first and second electrodes contact the photo sensitive material at first and second junctions, respectively. At least one field plate is electrically insulated from the photo sensitive material and extends laterally along the layer of photo sensitive material over the first or the second junction. The field plate is electrically connected to the first electrode or the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: JengPing Lu, David K. Biegelsen
  • Patent number: 9941220
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a scribe line, a bonding pad structure and an extension pad structure. The scribe line is disposed on a substrate, and the bonding pad structure and the extension pad structure are both disposed in a dielectric layer on the substrate. The bonding pad structure includes first vias disposed on first metal layers in the dielectric layer. The extension pad structure includes second metal layers and a number of the second metal layer is less than that of the first metal layers. Also, the bonding pad structure has a first region and a second region, and second vias is disposed on the second metal layers in the first region and no vias is disposed on the second metal layers in the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Yung-Tai Hsu, Tien-Shang Kuo, Yen-Chuan Chen, Chih-Hao Cheng
  • Patent number: 9905509
    Abstract: A semiconductor interconnect structure is formed as a via with an inverted-T shape to increase the reliability of the interface between the interconnect structure and an underlying electrically conductive, e.g., copper (Cu), layer of material. The inverted-T shape effectively increases a bottom critical dimension of the via, thereby reducing and/or eliminating via degradation of the interconnect structure caused by voids in the electrically conductive layer introduced during high-temperature or stress-migration baking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yen-Lu Chen, Shih-Ping Hong, Ta Hung Yang
  • Patent number: 9899391
    Abstract: A high-k dielectric metal trench capacitor and improved isolation and methods of manufacturing the same is provided. The method includes forming at least one deep trench in a substrate, and filling the deep trench with sacrificial fill material and a poly material. The method further includes continuing with CMOS processes, comprising forming at least one transistor and back end of line (BEOL) layer. The method further includes removing the sacrificial fill material from the deep trenches to expose sidewalls, and forming a capacitor plate on the exposed sidewalls of the deep trench. The method further includes lining the capacitor plate with a high-k dielectric material and filling remaining portions of the deep trench with a metal material, over the high-k dielectric material. The method further includes providing a passivation layer on the deep trench filled with the metal material and the high-k dielectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Roger A. Booth, Jr., Kangguo Cheng, Joseph Ervin, Chengwen Pei, Ravi M. Todi, Geng Wang
  • Patent number: 9893200
    Abstract: It is an object to provide an oxide semiconductor which is suitable for use in a semiconductor device. Alternatively, it is another object to provide a semiconductor device using the oxide semiconductor. Provided is a semiconductor device including an In—Ga—Zn—O based oxide semiconductor layer in a channel formation region of a transistor. In the semiconductor device, the In—Ga—Zn—O based oxide semiconductor layer has a structure in which crystal grains represented by InGaO3(ZnO)m (m=1) are included in an amorphous structure represented by InGaO3(ZnO)m (m>0).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Akimoto, Junichiro Sakata, Takuya Hirohashi, Masahiro Takahashi, Hideyuki Kishida, Akiharu Miyanaga
  • Patent number: 9887338
    Abstract: An electronic assembly includes a Light Emitting Diode (LED) and a substrate. The LED has a solderable surface other than the contacts. The substrate has an opening. The solderable surface is mounted substantially over the opening. When the opening is filled with solder, the solderable surface is metallically bonded with the solder in the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: INTELLECTUAL DISCOVERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kee Yean Ng, Siang Ling Oon, Chin Nyap Tan
  • Patent number: 9847327
    Abstract: A switched-capacitor DC-to-DC converter includes a first P-channel MOS transistor, a first N-channel MOS transistor, a second P-channel MOS transistor, and a second N-channel MOS transistor which are connected in series. Drain terminals of the first P-channel MOS transistor and the first N-channel MOS transistor are connected to each other through a first node, and drain terminals of the second P-channel MOS transistor and the second N-channel MOS transistor are connected to each other through a second node. A capacitor is coupled between the first and second nodes. The capacitor includes a first capacitor and a second capacitor which are coupled in parallel between the first and second nodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Jae Ho Hwang
  • Patent number: 9806070
    Abstract: A layout of a semiconductor device includes active area regions, gate electrodes crossing the plurality of active area regions, spacers along sides of the corresponding plurality of gate electrodes, a first contact patterning region, a second contact patterning region, and a contact area. The first contact patterning region overlaps at least one active area region among the plurality of active area regions, at least one gate electrode among the plurality of gate electrodes, and at least one spacer among the plurality of spacers, the at least one spacer corresponding to the at least one gate electrode. The second contact patterning region overlaps a portion of the first contact patterning region. The contact area overlaps the at least one active area region. A boundary of the contact area is defined by boundaries of the first contact patterning region, the second contact patterning region and the at least one spacer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Jhon Jhy Liaw
  • Patent number: 9793367
    Abstract: An ohmic contact to a semiconductor layer including a heterostructure barrier layer and a metal layer adjacent to the heterostructure barrier layer is provided. The heterostructure barrier layer can form a two dimensional free carrier gas for the contact at a heterointerface of the heterostructure barrier layer and the semiconductor layer. The metal layer is configured to form a contact with the two dimensional free carrier gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Sensor Electronic Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Remigijus Gaska, Michael Shur