Patents by Inventor Gordon M. Grivna

Gordon M. Grivna 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: 11380788
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a region of semiconductor material having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. Active device structures are adjacent to the first side, the active device structures comprising source regions and gate electrodes. A first gate conductor is at the first side electrically connected to the gate electrodes, a drain region is at the second side, a second gate conductor is at the second side, and through-semiconductor vias extending from the first side towards the side and electrically connecting the first gate electrode to the second gate electrode. A source electrode is at the first side electrically connected to the source regions, and a drain electrode is at the second side electrically connected to the drain region. The through-semiconductor vias are electrically isolated from the source regions and the drain region. The structure provides a gate/drain up with a source-down configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Gordon M. Grivna
  • Patent number: 11367657
    Abstract: A process can be used to allow processing of thin layers of a workpiece including dies. The workpiece can include a base substrate and a plurality of layers overlying the base substrate. The process can include forming a polymer support layer over the plurality of layers; thinning or removing the base substrate within a component region of the workpiece, wherein the component region includes an electronic device; and singulating the workpiece into a plurality of dies after thinning or removing the base substrate. In another aspect, an electronic device can be formed using such process. In an embodiment, the workpiece may have a size corresponding to a semiconductor wafer to allow wafer-level, as opposed to die-level, processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Gordon M. Grivna
  • Patent number: 11355341
    Abstract: A first semiconductor substrate contains a first semiconductor material, such as silicon. A second semiconductor substrate containing a second semiconductor material, such as gallium nitride or aluminum gallium nitride, is formed on the first semiconductor substrate. The first semiconductor substrate and second semiconductor substrate are singulated to provide a semiconductor die including a portion of the second semiconductor material supported by a portion of the first semiconductor material. The semiconductor die is disposed over a die attach area of an interconnect structure. The interconnect structure has a conductive layer and optional active region. An underfill material is deposited between the semiconductor die and die attach area of the interconnect structure. The first semiconductor material is removed from the semiconductor die and the interconnect structure is singulated to separate the semiconductor die. The first semiconductor material can be removed post interconnect structure singulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Gordon M. Grivna, Stephen St. Germain
  • Publication number: 20220093745
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate comprising a first material, a first major surface, and a second major surface opposite to the first major surface, the first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). A filled recessed structure having recesses extends into the substrate and has a pattern in a plan view. The recesses are spaced apart so that part of the substrate is interposed between each of the recesses, and a second material different than the first material is in the recesses. The second material has a second CTE. A structure is proximate to the first major surface over the filled recessed structure and has a third CTE. The third CTE and the second CTE are different than the first CTE. The filled recessed structure reduces stresses between the substrate and structure. In some examples, the structure comprises a MIM capacitor. In other examples, the structure comprises a heterojunction semiconductor material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Gordon M. GRIVNA
  • Patent number: 11257916
    Abstract: Systems and methods of the disclosed embodiments include an electronic device that has a gate electrode for supplying a gate voltage, a source, a drain, and a channel doped to enable a current to flow from the drain to the source when a voltage is applied to the gate electrode. The electronic device may also include a gate insulator between the channel and the gate electrode. The gate insulator may include a first gate insulator section including a first thickness, and a second gate insulator section including a second thickness that is less than the first thickness. The gate insulator sections thereby improve the safe operating area by enabling the current to flow through the second gate insulator section at a lower voltage than the first gate insulator section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Balaji Padmanabhan, Prasad Venkatraman, Zia Hossain, Donald Zaremba, Gordon M. Grivna, Alexander Young
  • Publication number: 20220020848
    Abstract: In a general aspect, a semiconductor device assembly can include a semiconductor substrate that excludes a buried oxide layer. The semiconductor device assembly can also include a first semiconductor device stack disposed on a first portion of the semiconductor substrate, and a second semiconductor device stack disposed on a second portion of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device assembly can further include an isolation trench having a dielectric material disposed therein, the isolation trench being disposed between the first portion of the semiconductor substrate and the second portion of the semiconductor substrate. The isolation trench can electrically isolate the first portion of the semiconductor substrate from the second portion of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Peter MOENS, Gordon M. GRIVNA, Yusheng LIN
  • Publication number: 20210305096
    Abstract: In a general aspect, a fan-out wafer level package (FOWLP) can include a semiconductor die having an active surface, a backside surface, a plurality of side surfaces, each side surface of the plurality of side surfaces extending between the active surface and the backside surface, a plurality of conductive bumps disposed on the active surface, and an insulating layer disposed on a first portion of the active surface between the conductive bumps. The FOWLP can also include a molding compound encapsulating the backside surface, the plurality of side surfaces, and a second portion of the active surface between the conductive bumps and a perimeter edge of the active surface. The FOWLP can also include a signal distribution structure disposed on the conductive bumps, the insulating layer and the molding compound. The signal distribution structure can be configured to provide respective electrical connections to the plurality of conductive bumps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: George CHANG, Yusheng LIN, Gordon M. GRIVNA, Takashi NOMA
  • Publication number: 20210296482
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a region of semiconductor material having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. Active device structures are adjacent to the first side, the active device structures comprising source regions and gate electrodes. A first gate conductor is at the first side electrically connected to the gate electrodes, a drain region is at the second side, a second gate conductor is at the second side, and through-semiconductor vias extending from the first side towards the side and electrically connecting the first gate electrode to the second gate electrode. A source electrode is at the first side electrically connected to the source regions, and a drain electrode is at the second side electrically connected to the drain region. The through-semiconductor vias are electrically isolated from the source regions and the drain region. The structure provides a gate/drain up with a source-down configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2020
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Gordon M. GRIVNA
  • Publication number: 20210296176
    Abstract: A method for singulating a semiconductor wafer includes providing the semiconductor wafer having a plurality of semiconductor devices adjacent to a first surface, the plurality of semiconductor devices separated by spaces corresponding to where singulation lines will be formed. The method includes providing an alignment structure adjacent to the first surface and providing a material on a second surface of the semiconductor wafer, wherein the material is absent on the second surface directly below the alignment structure. The method includes passing an IR signal through the semiconductor wafer from the second surface to the first surface where the material is absent to detect the alignment structure and align a singulation device to the spaces where the singulation lines on will be formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Srinivasa Reddy YEDURU, George CHANG, Gordon M. GRIVNA
  • Patent number: 11088072
    Abstract: A vertical OTP fuse formed in a semiconductor device has a substrate and an insulating layer formed over the substrate with an opening through the insulating layer extending to the substrate. A conductive layer, such as silicide, is formed over a sidewall of the opening. A resistive material, such as polysilicon, is deposited within the opening over the first conductive layer to form a first vertical OTP fuse. A plurality of vertical OTP fuses can be arranged in an array. A PN junction diode or transistor is formed in the substrate aligned with the first vertical OTP fuse. A second conductive layer is formed over the first vertical OTP fuse. The first vertical OTP fuse can be disposed between the second conductive layer and a third conductive layer. A second vertical OTP fuse can be formed over the first vertical OTP fuse for redundancy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Jefferson W. Hall, Gordon M. Grivna
  • Patent number: 11056581
    Abstract: In a general aspect, an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) device can include an active region, an inactive region and a trench extending along a longitudinal axis in the active region. The IGBT device can also include a first mesa defined by a first sidewall of the trench and in parallel with the trench and a second mesa defined by a second sidewall of the trench and in parallel with the trench. The first mesa can include at least one active segment of the IGBT device and the second mesa can include at least one inactive segment of the IGBT device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Mingjiao Liu, Shamsul Arefin Khan, Gordon M. Grivna, Meng-Chia Lee, Ralph N. Wall
  • Patent number: 11043420
    Abstract: In a general aspect, a fan-out wafer level package (FOWLP) can include a semiconductor die having an active surface, a backside surface, a plurality of side surfaces, each side surface of the plurality of side surfaces extending between the active surface and the backside surface, a plurality of conductive bumps disposed on the active surface, and an insulating layer disposed on a first portion of the active surface between the conductive bumps. The FOWLP can also include a molding compound encapsulating the backside surface, the plurality of side surfaces, and a second portion of the active surface between the conductive bumps and a perimeter edge of the active surface. The FOWLP can also include a signal distribution structure disposed on the conductive bumps, the insulating layer and the molding compound. The signal distribution structure can be configured to provide respective electrical connections to the plurality of conductive bumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: George Chang, Yusheng Lin, Gordon M. Grivna, Takashi Noma
  • Publication number: 20210183705
    Abstract: An apparatus for singulating a layer of material on a semiconductor substrate includes a chamber. The chamber is configured for supporting a semiconductor substrate attached to a carrier substrate, the semiconductor substrate can include a plurality of die formed as part of the semiconductor substrate and separated from each other by singulation lines and a layer of material disposed over a major surface of the semiconductor substrate. In some examples, the singulation lines terminate so that the layer of material extends over the singulation lines. The apparatus includes a pressure transfer vessel inside the chamber and a compression structure movably associated with the chamber. The compression structure can be configured so that the pressure transfer vessel is interposed between the semiconductor substrate and the compression structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Gordon M. GRIVNA
  • Publication number: 20210118734
    Abstract: Described implementations include a contaminant-free plasma singulation process, in which residues of materials used during plasma singulation are fully removed from sidewalls of a resulting semiconductor die, without damaging the semiconductor die. From such a contaminant-free plasma singulation process, a semiconductor die may be manufactured. The semiconductor die may include a first plurality of sidewall recesses formed in a sidewall of a substrate of the semiconductor die between a first surface and a second surface of the substrate, each having at most a first depth, as well as a second plurality of sidewall recesses formed in the sidewall of the substrate and disposed between the first plurality of sidewall recesses and the second surface, each having at least a second depth that is greater than the first depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: JeongPyo HONG, Mohd Akbar MD SUM, Gordon M. GRIVNA
  • Publication number: 20210118739
    Abstract: A method for processing electronic die includes providing a substrate having a plurality of electronic die formed as part of the substrate and separated from each other by spaces. The method includes placing the substrate onto a first carrier substrate. The method includes plasma etching the substrate through the spaces to form singulation lines adjacent the plurality of electronic die. The method includes exposing the plurality of electronic die to solvent vapors, such as heated solvent vapors, under reduced pressure to reduce the presence of residual contaminants resulting from the plasma etching step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Gordon M. GRIVNA
  • Patent number: 10950503
    Abstract: A method of singulating a wafer includes providing a wafer having a plurality of die formed as part of the wafer and separated from each other by spaces, wherein the wafer has first and second opposing major surfaces, and wherein a layer of material is formed along the second major surface. The method includes placing the wafer onto a carrier substrate. The method includes singulating the wafer through the spaces to form singulation lines after the placing the wafer on the carrier substrate, wherein singulating comprises stopping in proximity to the layer of material. The method includes applying a pressure to the entire wafer thereby separating the layer of material in the singulation lines, wherein applying the pressure comprises using a fluid. The method provide a way to batch separate layers of material disposed on wafers after singulating the wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Gordon M. Grivna
  • Patent number: 10916474
    Abstract: A method for processing electronic die includes providing a substrate having a plurality of electronic die formed as part of the substrate and separated from each other by spaces. The method includes placing the substrate onto a first carrier substrate. The method includes plasma etching the substrate through the spaces to form singulation lines adjacent the plurality of electronic die. The method includes exposing the plurality of electronic die to solvent vapors, such as heated solvent vapors, under reduced pressure to reduce the presence of residual contaminants resulting from the plasma etching step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Gordon M. Grivna
  • Publication number: 20210035864
    Abstract: A process can be used to allow processing of thin layers of a workpiece including dies. The workpiece can include a base substrate and a plurality of layers overlying the base substrate. The process can include forming a polymer support layer over the plurality of layers; thinning or removing the base substrate within a component region of the workpiece, wherein the component region includes an electronic device; and singulating the workpiece into a plurality of dies after thinning or removing the base substrate. In another aspect, an electronic device can be formed using such process. In an embodiment, the workpiece may have a size corresponding to a semiconductor wafer to allow wafer-level, as opposed to die-level, processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Applicant: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventor: Gordon M. Grivna
  • Publication number: 20200411555
    Abstract: A monolithic semiconductor device has a substrate with a power region and control region. The substrate can be a silicon-on-insulator substrate. An opening is formed in the power region and extends partially through the substrate. A semiconductor material is formed within the opening. A power semiconductor device, such as a vertical power transistor, is formed within the semiconductor material. A control logic circuit is formed in the control region. A first isolation trench is formed in the power region to isolate the power semiconductor device and control logic circuit. A second isolation trench is formed in the control region to isolate a first control logic circuit from a second control logic circuit. An interconnect structure is formed over the power region and control region to provide electrical interconnect between the control logic circuit and power semiconductor device. A termination trench is formed in the power region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2020
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Jefferson W. HALL, Gordon M. GRIVNA
  • Patent number: 10854516
    Abstract: A method for processing a semiconductor substrate includes providing the semiconductor substrate having die formed as part of the semiconductor substrate and separated from each other by singulation lines. The semiconductor substrate has first and second opposing major surfaces and contacts disposed over the first major surface. A layer of material is disposed over the second major surface, and the singulation lines extend inward from the first major surface into the semiconductor substrate without extending through the layer of material so that the layer of material is under the singulation lines. The method includes separating the layer of material proximate to the singulation lines by exposing the layer of material to a reduced temperature below about minus 150 degrees Celsius. In some examples, a cryogenic fluid can be to provide the reduced temperature. The method provides a reliable and efficient way to bulk separate at least the layer of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Gordon M. Grivna, Hou Nion Chan