Patents by Inventor Francois Hebert

Francois Hebert 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: 8492773
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide structures and methods for power devices with integrated clamp structures. The integration of clamp structures can protect the power device, e.g., from electrical overstress (EOS). In one embodiment, active devices can be formed over a substrate, while a clamp structure can be integrated outside the active regions of the power device, for example, under the active regions and/or inside the substrate. Integrating clamp structure outside active regions of power devices can maximize the active area for a given die size and improve robustness of the clamped device since the current will spread in the substrate by this integration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventor: Francois Hebert
  • Patent number: 8476150
    Abstract: A method and structure for a semiconductor device, the device including a handle wafer, a diamond layer formed directly on a front side of the handle wafer, and a thick oxide layer formed directly on a back side of the handle wafer, the oxide of a thickness to counteract tensile stresses of the diamond layer. Nitride layers are formed on the outer surfaces of the diamond layer and thick oxide layer and a polysilicon is formed on outer surfaces of the nitride layers. A device wafer is bonded to the handle wafer to form the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Rick C. Jerome, Francois Hebert, Craig McLachlan, Kevin Hoopingarner
  • Patent number: 8461004
    Abstract: This invention discloses semiconductor device that includes a top region and a bottom region with an intermediate region disposed between said top region and said bottom region with a controllable current path traversing through the intermediate region. The semiconductor device further includes a trench with padded with insulation layer on sidewalls extended from the top region through the intermediate region toward the bottom region wherein the trench includes randomly and substantially uniformly distributed nano-nodules as charge-islands in contact with a drain region below the trench for electrically coupling with the intermediate region for continuously and uniformly distributing a voltage drop through the current path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Incorporated
    Inventors: François Hébert, Tao Feng
  • Patent number: 8455320
    Abstract: This invention discloses an inverted field-effect-transistor (iT-FET) semiconductor device that includes a source disposed on a bottom and a drain disposed on a top of a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor power device further comprises a trench-sidewall gate placed on sidewalls at a lower portion of a vertical trench surrounded by a body region encompassing a source region with a low resistivity body-source structure connected to a bottom source electrode and a drain link region disposed on top of said body regions thus constituting a drift region. The drift region is operated with a floating potential said iT-FET device achieving a self-termination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Incorporated
    Inventor: François Hébert
  • Patent number: 8441109
    Abstract: A vertical semiconductor power device includes a top surface and a bottom surface of a semiconductor substrate constituting a vertical current path for conducting a current there through. The semiconductor power device further includes an over current protection layer composed of a material having a resistance with a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) and the over current protection layer constituting as a part of the vertical current path connected to a source electrode and providing a feedback voltage a gate electrode of the vertical semiconductor power device for limiting a current passing there through for protecting the semiconductor power device at any voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Ltd.
    Inventor: François Hébert
  • Patent number: 8426960
    Abstract: A method for making back-to-front electrical connections in a wafer level chip scale packaging process is disclosed. A wafer containing a plurality of semiconductor chips is mounted on a package substrate. Each semiconductor chip in the plurality includes one or more electrodes on an exposed back side. Scribe lines between two or more adjacent chips on the wafer are removed to form relatively wide gaps. A conductive material is applied to the back side of the semiconductor chips and in the gaps. The conductive material in the gaps between two or more of the chips is then cut through leaving conductive material on the back side and on side walls of the two or more chips. As a result, the conductive material provides an electrical connection from the electrode on the back side of the chip to the front side of the chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Alpha & Omega Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Ming Sun, Tao Feng, François Hébert, Yueh-Se Ho
  • Publication number: 20130075746
    Abstract: A lateral bipolar transistor includes trench emitter and trench collector regions to form ultra-narrow emitter regions, thereby improving emitter efficiency. The same trench process is used to form the emitter/collector trenches as well as the trench isolation structures so that no additional processing steps are needed to form the trench emitter and collector. In embodiments of the present invention, the trench emitter and trench collector regions may be formed using ion implantation into trenches formed in a semiconductor layer. In other embodiments, the trench emitter and trench collector regions may be formed by out-diffusion of dopants from heavily doped polysilicon filled trenches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: ALPHA AND OMEGA SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
    Inventors: Shekar Mallikarjunaswamy, François Hébert
  • Publication number: 20130075741
    Abstract: A lateral bipolar transistor with deep emitter and deep collector regions is formed using multiple epitaxial layers of the same conductivity type. Deep emitter and deep collector regions are formed without the use of trenches. Vertically aligned diffusion regions are formed in each epitaxial layer so that the diffusion regions merged into a contiguous diffusion region after annealing to function as emitter or collector or isolation structures. In another embodiment, a lateral trench PNP bipolar transistor is formed using trench emitter and trench collector regions. In yet another embodiment, a lateral PNP bipolar transistor with a merged LDMOS transistor is formed to achieve high performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: ALPHA AND OMEGA SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
    Inventors: Shekar Mallikarjunaswamy, François Hébert
  • Publication number: 20130043940
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide for a circuit including first die having an active side and a backside, wherein the first die is flip-chip mounted to a carrier. The circuit also includes a second die stacked on the backside of the first die, wherein the second die is stacked on the first die such that a backside of the second die is facing the backside of the first die and an active side of the second die faces away from the first die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: INTERSIL AMERICAS LLC
    Inventors: Francois Hebert, Steven R. Rivet, Michael Althar, Peter Oaklander
  • Patent number: 8372708
    Abstract: This invention discloses a semiconductor power device. The trenched semiconductor power device includes a trenched gate, opened from a top surface of a semiconductor substrate, surrounded by a source region encompassed in a body region near the top surface above a drain region disposed on a bottom surface of a substrate. The semiconductor power device further includes an implanting-ion block disposed above the top surface on a mesa area next to the body region having a thickness substantially larger than 0.3 micron for blocking body implanting ions and source ions from entering into the substrate under the mesa area whereby masks for manufacturing the semiconductor power device can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Inventors: Anup Bhalla, François Hébert, Sung-Shan Tai, Sik K Lui
  • Patent number: 8362555
    Abstract: A voltage converter includes an output circuit having a high side device and a low side device which can be formed on a single die (i.e. a “PowerDie”) and connected to each other through a semiconductor substrate. Both the high side device and the low side device can include lateral diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) transistors. Because both output transistors include the same type of transistors, the two devices can be formed simultaneously, thereby reducing the number of photomasks over other voltage converter designs. The voltage converter can further include a controller circuit on a different die which can be electrically coupled to, and co-packaged with, the PowerDie.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventors: Dev Alok Girdhar, Francois Hebert
  • Patent number: 8357973
    Abstract: This invention discloses bottom-source lateral diffusion MOS (BS-LDMOS) device. The device has a source region disposed laterally opposite a drain region near a top surface of a semiconductor substrate supporting a gate thereon between the source region and a drain region. The BS-LDMOS device further has a combined sinker-channel region disposed at a depth in the semiconductor substrate entirely below a body region disposed adjacent to the source region near the top surface wherein the combined sinker-channel region functioning as a buried source-body contact for electrically connecting the body region and the source region to a bottom of the substrate functioning as a source electrode. A drift region is disposed near the top surface under the gate and at a distance away from the source region and extending to and encompassing the drain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Incorporated
    Inventors: Sik K Lui, François Hébert, Anup Bhalla
  • Patent number: 8354740
    Abstract: A top-side cooled semiconductor package with stacked interconnection plate is disclosed. The semiconductor package includes a circuit substrate with terminal leads, a semiconductor die atop the circuit substrate, a low thermal resistance intimate interconnection plate for bonding and interconnecting a top contact area of the semiconductor die with the circuit substrate, a low thermal resistance stacked interconnection plate atop the intimate interconnection plate for top-side cooling, a molding encapsulant for encapsulating the package except for exposing a top surface of the stacked interconnection plate to maintain effective top-side cooling. The top portion of the stacked interconnection plate can include a peripheral overhang above the intimate interconnection plate. The peripheral overhang allows for a maximized exposed top surface area for heat dissipation independent of otherwise areal constraints applicable to the intimate interconnection plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Alpha & Omega Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Kai Liu, François Hébert, Lei Shi
  • Publication number: 20120313201
    Abstract: Optical sensor devices, and methods of manufacturing the same, are described herein. In an embodiment, a monolithic optical sensor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a trench, with a photodetector region under said trench. An optical filter is formed in the trench and over at least a portion of the photodetector region. One or more metal structures extend above a top surface of said optical filter. The trench, photodetector region and optical filter are formed as part of a front-end-of-line (FEOL) semiconductor fabrication process. The one or more metal structures are formed as part of a back-end-of-line (BEOL) semiconductor fabrication process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: INTERSIL AMERICAS LLC
    Inventors: Francois Hebert, Jonathan Herman, I-Shan Sun
  • Publication number: 20120312962
    Abstract: A system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes one or more first optical sensors and one or more second optical sensors. The first optical sensor(s) each include a photodetector region and a plurality of first slats over the photodetector region. The second optical sensor(s) each include a photodetector region and a plurality of second slats over the photodetector region, wherein the second slats have a different configuration than the first slats. For example, the second slats can be orthogonal relative to the first slats. For another example, the first slats can slant in a first direction, and the second slats can slant in a second direction generally opposite the first direction. Currents produced by the first optical sensor(s) and the second optical sensor(s), which are indicative of light incident on the optical sensors, are useful for distinguishing between movement in at least two different directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: INTERSIL AMERICAS LLC
    Inventor: Francois Hebert
  • Patent number: 8330200
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a P-body layer formed in an N-epitaxial layer; a gate electrode formed in a trench in the P-body and N-epitaxial layer; a top source region formed from the P-body layer next to the gate electrode; a gate insulator disposed along a sidewall of the gate electrode between the gate electrode and the source, between the gate electrode and the P-body and between the gate electrode and the N-epitaxial layer; a cap insulator disposed on top of the gate electrode; and an N+ doped spacer disposed along a sidewall of the source and a sidewall of the gate insulator. The source includes N+ dopants diffused from the spacer. A body contact region containing P-type dopants is formed from the N-epitaxial layer. The contact region touches one or more P-doped regions of the P-body layer and the source. Methods for manufacturing such a device are also disclosed. Embodiments of this invention may also be applied to P-channel devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Alpha and Omega Semiconductor Incorporated
    Inventor: François Hébert
  • Publication number: 20120293474
    Abstract: Systems and methods for facilitating lift-off processes are provided. In one embodiment, a method for pattering a thin film on a substrate comprises: depositing a first sacrificial layer of photoresist material onto a substrate such that one or more regions of the substrate are exposed through the first sacrificial layer; depositing a protective layer over at least part of the first sacrificial layer; partially removing the first sacrificial layer to form at least one gap between the protective layer and the substrate; depositing an optical coating over the protective layer and the one or more regions of the substrate exposed through the first sacrificial layer, wherein the optical coating deposited over the protective layer is separated by the at least one gap from the optical coating deposited over the regions of the substrate exposed through the first sacrificial layer; and removing the first sacrificial layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: INTERSIL AMERICAS INC.
    Inventors: I-Shan Sun, Francois Hebert, Rick Carlton Jerome
  • Publication number: 20120289001
    Abstract: A solder-top enhanced semiconductor device is proposed for packaging. The solder-top device includes a device die with a top metal layer patterned into contact zones and contact enhancement zones. At least one contact zone is electrically connected to at least one contact enhancement zone. Atop each contact enhancement zone is a solder layer for an increased composite thickness thus lowered parasitic impedance. Where the top metal material can not form a uniform good electrical bond with the solder material, the device die further includes an intermediary layer sandwiched between and forming a uniform electrical bond with the top metal layer and the solder layer. A method for making the solder-top device includes lithographically patterning the top metal layer into the contact zones and the contact enhancement zones; then forming a solder layer atop each of the contact enhancement zones using a stencil process for an increased composite thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Inventors: François Hébert, Anup Bhalla, Kai Liu, Ming Sun
  • Publication number: 20120288083
    Abstract: A method for through active-silicon via integration is provided. The method comprises forming an electrical device in a handle wafer. The method also comprises forming an isolation layer over the handle wafer and the electrical device and joining an active layer to the isolation layer. Further, the method comprises forming at least one trench through the active layer and the isolation layer to expose a portion of the handle wafer and depositing an electrically conductive material in the at least one trench, the electrically conductive material providing an electrical connection to the electrical device through the active layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: INTERSIL AMERICAS INC.
    Inventors: I-Shan Sun, Rick Carlton Jerome, Francois Hebert
  • Publication number: 20120286356
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate electrode, a top source region disposed next to the gate electrode, a drain region disposed below the bottom of the gate electrode, a oxide disposed on top of the source region and the gate electrode, and a doped polysilicon spacer disposed along a sidewall of the source region and a sidewall of the oxide. Methods for manufacturing such device are also disclosed. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: Alpha and Omega Semiconductor, LTD.
    Inventors: François Hébert, Anup Bhalla