Patents by Inventor Hiroshi Nakatsuji

Hiroshi Nakatsuji 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: 11837640
    Abstract: A transistor includes a semiconductor substrate including a first active region, a second active region, and a semiconductor channel, a gate stack structure that overlies the semiconductor channel, a proximal dielectric material layer overlying the semiconductor substrate, laterally surrounding the gate stack structure, a distal dielectric material layer overlying the proximal dielectric material layer, and a first contact via structure contacting the first active region having a greater lateral extent at a level of the proximal dielectric material layer than at a level of the distal dielectric material layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Togo, Hiroshi Nakatsuji
  • Patent number: 11837601
    Abstract: A field effect transistor includes a gate dielectric and a gate electrode overlying an active region and contacting a sidewall of a trench isolation structure. The transistor may be a fringeless transistor in which the gate electrode does not overlie a portion of the trench isolation region. A planar dielectric spacer plate and a conductive gate cap structure may overlie the gate electrode. The conductive gate cap structure may have a z-shaped vertical cross-sectional profile to contact the gate electrode and to provide a segment overlying the planar dielectric spacer plate. Alternatively or additionally, a conductive gate connection structure may be provided to provide electrical connection between two electrodes of adjacent field effect transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Jun Akaiwa, Dai Iwata, Hiroshi Nakatsuji, Eiichi Fujikura, Hiroyuki Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11626496
    Abstract: A field effect transistor includes a source region and a drain region formed within and/or above openings in a dielectric capping mask layer overlying a semiconductor substrate and a gate electrode. A source-side silicide portion and a drain-side silicide portion are self-aligned to the source region and to the drain region, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Jun Akaiwa, Hiroshi Nakatsuji, Masashi Ishida
  • Patent number: 11575015
    Abstract: A field effect transistor includes a source region and a drain region formed within and/or above openings in a dielectric capping mask layer overlying a semiconductor substrate and a gate electrode. A source-side silicide portion and a drain-side silicide portion are self-aligned to the source region and to the drain region, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro Togo, Jun Akaiwa, Hiroshi Nakatsuji, Masashi Ishida
  • Publication number: 20220416037
    Abstract: A transistor includes a semiconductor substrate including a first active region, a second active region, and a semiconductor channel, a gate stack structure that overlies the semiconductor channel, a proximal dielectric material layer overlying the semiconductor substrate, laterally surrounding the gate stack structure, a distal dielectric material layer overlying the proximal dielectric material layer, and a first contact via structure contacting the first active region having a greater lateral extent at a level of the proximal dielectric material layer than at a level of the distal dielectric material layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro TOGO, Hiroshi NAKATSUJI
  • Publication number: 20220399448
    Abstract: A field effect transistor includes a source region and a drain region formed within and/or above openings in a dielectric capping mask layer overlying a semiconductor substrate and a gate electrode. A source-side silicide portion and a drain-side silicide portion are self-aligned to the source region and to the drain region, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: Mitsuhiro TOGO, Jun AKAIWA, Hiroshi NAKATSUJI, Masashi ISHIDA
  • Publication number: 20220399447
    Abstract: A field effect transistor includes a source region and a drain region formed within and/or above openings in a dielectric capping mask layer overlying a semiconductor substrate and a gate electrode. A source-side silicide portion and a drain-side silicide portion are self-aligned to the source region and to the drain region, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Inventors: Jun AKAIWA, Hiroshi NAKATSUJI, Masashi ISHIDA
  • Publication number: 20220359690
    Abstract: A field effect transistor includes a gate dielectric and a gate electrode overlying an active region and contacting a sidewall of a trench isolation structure. The transistor may be a fringeless transistor in which the gate electrode does not overlie a portion of the trench isolation region. A planar dielectric spacer plate and a conductive gate cap structure may overlie the gate electrode. The conductive gate cap structure may have a z-shaped vertical cross-sectional profile to contact the gate electrode and to provide a segment overlying the planar dielectric spacer plate. Alternatively or additionally, a conductive gate connection structure may be provided to provide electrical connection between two electrodes of adjacent field effect transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Dai IWATA, Hiroshi NAKATSUJI, Hiroyuki OGAWA, Eiichi FUJIKURA
  • Publication number: 20220359501
    Abstract: A field effect transistor includes a gate dielectric and a gate electrode overlying an active region and contacting a sidewall of a trench isolation structure. The transistor may be a fringeless transistor in which the gate electrode does not overlie a portion of the trench isolation region. A planar dielectric spacer plate and a conductive gate cap structure may overlie the gate electrode. The conductive gate cap structure may have a z-shaped vertical cross-sectional profile to contact the gate electrode and to provide a segment overlying the planar dielectric spacer plate. Alternatively or additionally, a conductive gate connection structure may be provided to provide electrical connection between two electrodes of adjacent field effect transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Jun Akaiwa, Dai Iwata, Hiroshi Nakatsuji, Eiichi Fujikura, Hiroyuki Ogawa
  • Patent number: 11088152
    Abstract: Field effect transistors for an SRAM cell can be formed employing n-doped gate electrode portions for p-type pull-up transistors. The SRAM cell includes a first series connection of a first p-type pull-up transistor and a first n-type pull-down transistor located between a power supply source and electrical ground, and a second series connection of a second p-type pull-up transistor and a second n-type pull-down transistor located between the power supply source and the electrical ground. Each gate electrode of the SRAM cell can include a respective n-doped gate electrode portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakatsuji, Yasuyuki Aoki, Shigeki Shimomura, Akira Inoue, Kazutaka Yoshizawa, Hiroyuki Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20200295012
    Abstract: Field effect transistors for an SRAM cell can be formed employing n-doped gate electrode portions for p-type pull-up transistors. The SRAM cell includes a first series connection of a first p-type pull-up transistor and a first n-type pull-down transistor located between a power supply source and electrical ground, and a second series connection of a second p-type pull-up transistor and a second n-type pull-down transistor located between the power supply source and the electrical ground. Each gate electrode of the SRAM cell can include a respective n-doped gate electrode portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Hiroshi NAKATSUJI, Yasuyuki AOKI, Shigeki SHIMOMURA, Akira INOUE, Kazutaka YOSHIZAWA, Hiroyuki OGAWA
  • Patent number: 10770459
    Abstract: A silicon oxide liner, a silicon nitride liner, and a planarization silicon oxide layer may be sequentially formed over p-type and n-type field effect transistors. A patterned dielectric material layer covers an entirety of the n-type field effect transistor and does not cover at least a fraction of each area of p-doped active regions. An anisotropic etch process is performed to form p-type active region via cavities extending to a respective top surface of the p-doped active regions and n-type active region via cavities having a respective bottom surface at, or within, one of the silicon nitride liner and the silicon oxide liner. Boron-doped epitaxial pillar structures may be formed on top surfaces of the p-type active regions employing a selective epitaxy process. The n-type active region via cavities are extended to top surfaces of the n-doped active regions. Contact via structures are formed in the via cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Dai Iwata, Yasushi Ishii, Hiroshi Nakatsuji, Kiyokazu Shishido, Hiroyuki Ogawa
  • Patent number: 10714486
    Abstract: Field effect transistors for an SRAM cell can be formed employing n-doped gate electrode portions for p-type pull-up transistors. The SRAM cell includes a first series connection of a first p-type pull-up transistor and a first n-type pull-down transistor located between a power supply source and electrical ground, and a second series connection of a second p-type pull-up transistor and a second n-type pull-down transistor located between the power supply source and the electrical ground. Each gate electrode of the SRAM cell can include a respective n-doped gate electrode portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakatsuji, Yasuyuki Aoki, Shigeki Shimomura, Akira Inoue, Kazutaka Yoshizawa, Hiroyuki Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20200091157
    Abstract: Field effect transistors for an SRAM cell can be formed employing n-doped gate electrode portions for p-type pull-up transistors. The SRAM cell includes a first series connection of a first p-type pull-up transistor and a first n-type pull-down transistor located between a power supply source and electrical ground, and a second series connection of a second p-type pull-up transistor and a second n-type pull-down transistor located between the power supply source and the electrical ground. Each gate electrode of the SRAM cell can include a respective n-doped gate electrode portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: Hiroshi NAKATSUJI, Yasuyuki AOKI, Shigeki SHIMOMURA, Akira INOUE, Kazutaka YOSHIZAWA, Hiroyuki OGAWA
  • Publication number: 20190296012
    Abstract: A silicon oxide liner, a silicon nitride liner, and a planarization silicon oxide layer may be sequentially formed over p-type and n-type field effect transistors. A patterned dielectric material layer covers an entirety of the n-type field effect transistor and does not cover at least a fraction of each area of p-doped active regions. An anisotropic etch process is performed to form p-type active region via cavities extending to a respective top surface of the p-doped active regions and n-type active region via cavities having a respective bottom surface at, or within, one of the silicon nitride liner and the silicon oxide liner. Boron-doped epitaxial pillar structures may be formed on top surfaces of the p-type active regions employing a selective epitaxy process. The n-type active region via cavities are extended to top surfaces of the n-doped active regions. Contact via structures are formed in the via cavities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Inventors: Dai Iwata, Yasushi Ishii, Hiroshi Nakatsuji, Kiyokazu Shishido, Hiroyuki Ogawa
  • Patent number: 10355017
    Abstract: A CMOS device includes a p-type field effect transistor containing p-doped active regions, an n-type field effect transistor containing n-doped active regions, a silicon oxide layer overlying the n-type field effect transistor and not overlying the p-type field effect transistor, boron-doped epitaxial pillar structures contacting a top surface of, and epitaxially aligned to, a respective one of the p-doped active regions, first active region contact via structures contacting a top surface of a respective one of the boron-doped epitaxial pillar structures, and second active region contact via structures contacting a top surface of a respective one of the n-doped active regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakatsuji, Kiyokazu Shishido, Hiroyuki Ogawa
  • Patent number: 10290645
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor device, a hydrogen diffusion barrier layer, a lower metal line structure located below the hydrogen diffusion barrier layer, an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers, memory stack structures vertically extending through the alternating stack in a memory array region, a through-stack contact via structure extending through the alternating stack and through the hydrogen diffusion barrier layer in the memory array region and contacting the lower metal line structure, and a through-stack insulating spacer laterally surrounding the through-stack contact via structure and extending through the alternating stack but not extending through the hydrogen diffusion barrier layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nakatsuji, Kazutaka Yoshizawa, Hiroyuki Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20190006381
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor device, a hydrogen diffusion barrier layer, a lower metal line structure located below the hydrogen diffusion barrier layer, an alternating stack of insulating layers and electrically conductive layers, memory stack structures vertically extending through the alternating stack in a memory array region, a through-stack contact via structure extending through the alternating stack and through the hydrogen diffusion barrier layer in the memory array region and contacting the lower metal line structure, and a through-stack insulating spacer laterally surrounding the through-stack contact via structure and extending through the alternating stack but not extending through the hydrogen diffusion barrier layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Inventors: Hiroshi NAKATSUJI, Kazutaka YOSHIZAWA, Hiroyuki OGAWA
  • Publication number: 20190006523
    Abstract: A semiconductor device (1001) includes a first thin film transistor (201) including a first semiconductor layer (3A), a gate insulating layer (5), a first gate electrode (7A) provided on the gate insulating layer (5), and first source and drain electrodes (8A), (9A), the first semiconductor layer (3A) including a first channel region (30A) and a first high-density impurity region (33sA), (33dA) containing an impurity of a first conductivity type. The first channel region (30A) includes a first channel portion (31A) and a second channel portion (32A) located between the first channel portion and the first high-density impurity region. The first channel portion (31A) contains an impurity of a second conductivity type that is different from the first conductivity type at a density higher than that in the second channel portion (32A) and the impurity of the first conductivity type at a density substantially equal to that in the second channel portion (32A).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Publication date: January 3, 2019
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: HIROSHI NAKATSUJI
  • Patent number: 8999823
    Abstract: A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a thin-film transistor and a thin-film diode. The respective semiconductor layers and of the thin-film transistor and the thin-film diode are crystalline semiconductor layers that have been formed by crystallizing the same crystalline semiconductor film. Ridges have been formed on the surface of the semiconductor layer of the thin-film diode. And the semiconductor layer of the thin-film diode has a greater surface roughness than the semiconductor layer of the thin-film transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoki Makita, Hiroshi Nakatsuji