Patents by Inventor Chih-Chiang Chang

Chih-Chiang Chang has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11082035
    Abstract: A digitally controlled delay line (DCDL) includes an input terminal, an output terminal, and a plurality of stages configured to propagate a signal along a first signal path from the input terminal to a selectable return stage of the plurality of stages, and along a second signal path from the return stage of the plurality of stages to the output terminal. Each stage of the plurality of stages includes first and second inverters configured to selectively propagate the signal along the first signal path, third and fourth inverters configured to selectively propagate the signal along the second signal path, and a fifth inverter configured to selectively propagate the signal from the first signal path to the second signal path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chung-Peng Hsieh, Chih-Chiang Chang, Yung-Chow Peng
  • Publication number: 20210224459
    Abstract: An electronic design flow generates an electronic architectural design layout for analog circuitry from a schematic diagram. The electronic design flow assigns analog circuits of the schematic diagram to various categories of analog circuits. The electronic design flow places various analog standard cells corresponding to these categories of analog circuits into analog placement sites assigned to the analog circuits. These analog standard cells have a uniform cell height which allows these analog standard cells to be readily connected or merged to digital standard cells which decreases the area of the electronic architectural design layout. This uniformity in height between these analog standard cells additionally provides a more reliable yield when compared to non-uniform analog standard cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chung-Ting LU, Chih-Chiang CHANG, Chung-Peng HSIEH, Chung-Chieh YANG, Yung-Chow PENG, Yung-Shun CHEN, Tai-Yi CHEN, Nai Chen CHENG
  • Patent number: 11035886
    Abstract: A device is disclosed that includes a control circuit and a scope circuit. The control circuit is configured to delay a voltage signal to generate a first control signal. The scope circuit is configured to be operated in one of a first mode and a second mode according to the first control signal. In the first mode, the scope circuit is configured to generate a first current signal indicating amplitudes of the voltage signal, and in the second mode, the scope circuit is configured to stop generating the first current signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chung-Peng Hsieh, Chih-Chiang Chang, Chung-Chieh Yang
  • Patent number: 11015790
    Abstract: A slim linear LED lighting device is provided, including: a printed circuit board on which a connecting circuit is provided, at least one power input component, and a plurality of LED Bars. The LED Bar is formed by a plurality of the same kind of LED chips, and has a slim strip-shaped condensing lens structure integrally formed in the LED Bar packaging process by molding process to control the beam angle of the LED Bar and therefore the light distribution of the slim linear LED lighting device. The LED Bar's condensing lens has a small cross-sectional dimension; therefore the effective utilization factor of the light is improved as the slim linear LED lighting device is applied to a linear automotive lamp designed with a thin light blade structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: EXCELLENCE OPTOELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Yen-Cheng Chen, Sheng-Hua Yang, Hsuan-Jung Tsai, Cheng-Tai Jao, Chih-Chiang Chang
  • Patent number: 10964599
    Abstract: Methods produce integrated circuit structures that include (among other components) fins extending from a first layer, source/drain structures on the fins, source/drain contacts on the source/drain structures, an insulator on the source/drain contacts defining trenches between the source/drain contacts, gate conductors in a lower portion of the trenches adjacent the fins, a first liner material lining a middle portion and an upper portion of the trenches, a fill material in the middle portion of the trenches, and a second material in the upper portion of the trenches. The first liner material is on the gate conductors in the trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES U.S. Inc.
    Inventors: Asli Sirman, Jiehui Shu, Chih-Chiang Chang, Huy Cao, Haigou Huang, Jinping Liu
  • Publication number: 20210082831
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an integrated circuit having a conductive interconnect disposed on a dielectric over a substrate. A first liner is arranged along an upper surface of the conductive interconnect. A barrier layer is arranged along a lower surface of the conductive interconnect and contacts an upper surface of the dielectric. The barrier layer and the first liner surround the conductive interconnect. A second liner is located over the first liner and has a lower surface contacting the upper surface of the dielectric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Su-Jen Sung, Chih-Chiang Chang, Chia-Ho Chen
  • Patent number: 10930549
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to a cap structure and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a gate structure composed of conductive gate material; sidewall spacers on the gate structure, extending above the conductive gate material; and a capping material on the conductive gate material and extending over the sidewall spacers on the gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES U.S. INC.
    Inventors: Jinsheng Gao, Daniel Jaeger, Chih-Chiang Chang, Michael Aquilino, Patrick Carpenter, Junsic Hong, Mitchell Rutkowski, Haigou Huang, Huy Cao
  • Patent number: 10878160
    Abstract: An electronic design flow generates an electronic architectural design layout for analog circuitry from a schematic diagram. The electronic design flow assigns analog circuits of the schematic diagram to various categories of analog circuits. The electronic design flow places various analog standard cells corresponding to these categories of analog circuits into analog placement sites assigned to the analog circuits. These analog standard cells have a uniform cell height which allows these analog standard cells to be readily connected or merged to digital standard cells which decreases the area of the electronic architectural design layout. This uniformity in height between these analog standard cells additionally provides a more reliable yield when compared to non-uniform analog standard cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chung-Ting Lu, Chih-Chiang Chang, Chung-Peng Hsieh, Chung-Chieh Yang, Yung-Chow Peng, Yung-Shun Chen, Tai-Yi Chen, Nai Chen Cheng
  • Patent number: 10877505
    Abstract: A bandgap reference circuit includes a current generating circuit, a switch circuit and a control circuit. The current generating circuit is triggered by a trigger signal, generated when the bandgap reference circuit starts up, to mirror a base current to generate a first current and a second current. The current generating circuit is arranged to output the first current when triggered by the triggered signal. The switch circuit is controlled by a switch control signal to be selectively coupled between the current generating circuit and a terminal coupled to a regulator. The switch circuit is arranged to, when coupled between the current generating circuit and the terminal, allow the current generating circuit to output the second current to the terminal and accordingly provide a bandgap voltage. When the first current reduces to a predetermined level, the control circuit activates generation of the switch control signal to control the switch circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Nai Chen Cheng, Chung-Chieh Yang, Chih-Chiang Chang, Yung-Chow Peng
  • Patent number: 10867920
    Abstract: The present disclosure, in some embodiments, relates to a method of forming an integrated circuit device. The method may be performed by forming a conductive line over a substrate and in contact with a liner. A dielectric barrier layer is formed on the conductive line. The dielectric barrier layer includes an interfacial layer contacting the conductive line, a middle layer contacting the interfacial layer, and an upper layer contacting the middle layer. The interfacial layer and the liner collectively completely surround the conductive line. An inter-level dielectric layer is formed along sidewalls of the upper layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Su-Jen Sung, Chih-Chiang Chang, Chia-Ho Chen
  • Publication number: 20200386390
    Abstract: A slim linear LED lighting device is provided, including: a printed circuit board on which a connecting circuit is provided, at least one power input component, and a plurality of LED Bars. The LED Bar is formed by a plurality of the same kind of LED chips, and has a slim strip-shaped condensing lens structure integrally formed in the LED Bar packaging process by molding process to control the beam angle of the LED Bar and therefore the light distribution of the slim linear LED lighting device. The LED Bar's condensing lens has a small cross-sectional dimension; therefore the effective utilization factor of the light is improved as the slim linear LED lighting device is applied to a linear automotive lamp designed with a thin light blade structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: YEN-CHENG CHEN, SHENG-HUA YANG, HSUAN-JUNG TSAI, CHENG-TAI JAO, CHIH-CHIANG CHANG
  • Patent number: 10837993
    Abstract: A circuit for measuring a bandwidth of an amplifier includes first and second capacitors, first through third switches, and a pulse generator. First terminals of the capacitors are coupled to an amplifier input, and a second terminal of the second capacitor is coupled to an amplifier output. The first switch has a control terminal and terminals coupled to a first input node and a second terminal of the first capacitor. The second switch has a control terminal and terminals coupled to the amplifier input and output. The third switch has a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first capacitor. The pulse generator has a first output coupled to the control terminal of the third switch, and is configured to vary a pulse width of a pulse signal supplied from the first output to the control terminal of the third switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yung-Chow Peng, Chih-Chiang Chang, Wen-Shen Chou, Brady Yang
  • Publication number: 20200257326
    Abstract: A bandgap reference circuit includes a current generating circuit, a switch circuit and a control circuit. The current generating circuit is triggered by a trigger signal, generated when the bandgap reference circuit starts up, to mirror a base current to generate a first current and a second current. The current generating circuit is arranged to output the first current when triggered by the triggered signal. The switch circuit is controlled by a switch control signal to be selectively coupled between the current generating circuit and a terminal coupled to a regulator. The switch circuit is arranged to, when coupled between the current generating circuit and the terminal, allow the current generating circuit to output the second current to the terminal and accordingly provide a bandgap voltage. When the first current reduces to a predetermined level, the control circuit activates generation of the switch control signal to control the switch circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: NAI CHEN CHENG, CHUNG-CHIEH YANG, CHIH-CHIANG CHANG, YUNG-CHOW PENG
  • Patent number: 10727131
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method to form silicon germanium (SiGe) source/drain regions with the incorporation of a lateral etch in the epitaxial source/drain growth process. For example, the method can include forming a plurality of fins on a substrate, where each of the plurality of fins has a first width. The SiGe source/drain regions can be formed on the plurality of fins, where each SiGe source/drain region has a second width in a common direction with the first width and a height. The method can also include selectively etching—e.g., via a lateral etch—the SiGe source/drain regions to decrease the second width of the SiGe source/drain regions. By decreasing the width of the SiGe source/drain regions, electrical shorts between neighboring fins can be prevented or minimized. Further, the method can include growing an epitaxial capping layer over the Si/Ge source/drain regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kun-Mu Li, Chih-Chiang Chang, Wen-Chu Hsiao, Che-Yu Lin, Wei-Siang Yang
  • Patent number: 10714376
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods for forming fill materials in trenches having different widths and related structures. A method may include: forming a first fill material in a first and second trench where the second trench has a greater width than the first trench; removing a portion of the first fill material from each trench and forming a second fill material over the first fill material; removing a portion of the first and second fill material within the second trench; and forming a third fill material in the second trench. The structure may include a first fill material in trenches having different widths wherein the upper surfaces of the first fill material in each trench are substantially co-planar. The structure may also include a second fill material on the first fill material in each trench, the second fill material having a substantially equal thickness in each trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Chih-Chiang Chang, Haifeng Sheng, Jiehui Shu, Haigou Huang, Pei Liu, Jinping Liu, Haiting Wang, Daniel J. Jaeger
  • Patent number: 10649482
    Abstract: A bandgap reference circuit includes a current generating circuit, a switch circuit and a control circuit. The current generating circuit is triggered by a trigger signal generated when the bandgap reference circuit starts up. The current generating circuit is arranged to generate a reference current according to the trigger signal. The switch circuit is controlled by a switch control signal to be selectively coupled between the current generating circuit and a regulator. The switch circuit is arranged to, when coupled between the current generating circuit and the regulator according to the switch control signal, provide a bandgap voltage to the regulator according to the reference current. The control circuit is coupled to the current generating circuit and the switch circuit, and is arranged to generate the switch control signal according to the trigger signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Nai Chen Cheng, Chung-Chieh Yang, Chih-Chiang Chang, Yung-Chow Peng
  • Patent number: 10636890
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to chamfered replacement gate structures and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a recessed gate dielectric material in a trench structure; a plurality of recessed workfunction materials within the trench structure on the recessed gate dielectric material; a plurality of additional workfunction materials within the trench structure and located above the recessed gate dielectric material and the plurality of recessed workfunction materials; a gate metal within the trench structure and over the plurality of additional workfunction materials, the gate metal and the plurality of additional workfunction materials having a planar surface below a top surface of the trench structure; and a capping material over the gate metal and the plurality of additional workfunction materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Haiting Wang, Rongtao Lu, Chih-Chiang Chang, Guowei Xu, Hui Zang, Scott Beasor, Ruilong Xie
  • Publication number: 20200125128
    Abstract: A bandgap reference circuit includes a current generating circuit, a switch circuit and a control circuit. The current generating circuit is triggered by a trigger signal generated when the bandgap reference circuit starts up. The current generating circuit is arranged to generate a reference current according to the trigger signal. The switch circuit is controlled by a switch control signal to be selectively coupled between the current generating circuit and a regulator. The switch circuit is arranged to, when coupled between the current generating circuit and the regulator according to the switch control signal, provide a bandgap voltage to the regulator according to the reference current. The control circuit is coupled to the current generating circuit and the switch circuit, and is arranged to generate the switch control signal according to the trigger signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: NAI CHEN CHENG, CHUNG-CHIEH YANG, CHIH-CHIANG CHANG, YUNG-CHOW PENG
  • Publication number: 20200052106
    Abstract: At least one method, apparatus, and system providing semiconductor devices comprising a first gate having a first width and comprising a first work function metal (WFM); a first liner disposed over the first WFM; a first gate metal having a first height; and a first pinch-off spacer over the first WFM, the first liner, and the first gate metal to above the first height; and a second gate having a second width greater than the first width, and comprising a second WFM; a second liner disposed over the second WFM; a second gate metal having substantially the first height; and a first conformal spacer over the second WFM and the second liner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2018
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Applicant: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Laertis Economikos, Hui Zang, Ruilong Xie, Neal Makela, Pei Liu, Jiehui Shu, Chih-chiang Chang
  • Publication number: 20200013672
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to semiconductor structures and, more particularly, to a cap structure and methods of manufacture. The structure includes: a gate structure composed of conductive gate material; sidewall spacers on the gate structure, extending above the conductive gate material; and a capping material on the conductive gate material and extending over the sidewall spacers on the gate structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Inventors: Jinsheng GAO, Daniel JAEGER, Chih-Chiang CHANG, Michael AQUILINO, Patrick CARPENTER, Junsic HONG, Mitchell RUTKOWSKI, Haigou HUANG, Huy CAO