Patents by Inventor Jeffrey W. Sleight

Jeffrey W. Sleight 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: 9627508
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a substrate and an intrinsic replacement channel. A tunneling field effect transistor (TFET) fin may be formed by the intrinsic replacement channel, a p-fin and an n-fin formed upon the substrate. The p-fin may serve as the source of the TFET and the n-fin may serve as the drain of the TFET. The replacement channel may be formed in place of a sacrificial channel of a diode fin that includes the p-fin, the n-fin, and the sacrificial channel at the p-fin and n-fin junction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Michael P. Chudzik, Siddarth A. Krishnan, Unoh Kwon, Vijay Narayanan, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Publication number: 20170084745
    Abstract: At least one semiconductor nanowire laterally abutted by a pair of semiconductor pad portions is formed over an insulator layer. Portions of the insulator layer are etched from underneath the at least one semiconductor nanowire such that the at least one semiconductor nanowire is suspended. A temporary fill material is deposited over the at least one semiconductor nanowire, and is planarized to physically expose top surfaces of the pair of semiconductor pad portions. Trenches are formed within the pair of semiconductor pad portions, and are filled with stress-generating materials. The temporary fill material is subsequently removed. The at least one semiconductor nanowire is strained along the lengthwise direction with a tensile strain or a compressive strain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Isaac Lauer, Chung-Hsun Lin, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 9601576
    Abstract: Fin stacks including a silicon germanium alloy portion and a silicon portion are formed on a surface of a substrate. Sacrificial gate structures are then formed straddling each fin stack. Silicon germanium alloy portions that are exposed are oxidized, while silicon germanium alloy portions that are covered by the sacrificial gate structures are not oxidized. A dielectric material having a topmost surface that is coplanar with a topmost surface of each sacrificial gate structure is formed, and thereafter each sacrificial gate structure is removed. Non-oxidized silicon germanium alloy portions are removed suspending silicon portions that were present on each non-oxidized silicon germanium alloy portion. A functional gate structure is then formed around each suspended silicon portion. The oxidized silicon germanium alloy portions remain and provide stress to a channel portion of the suspended silicon portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Isaac Lauer, Chung-Hsun Lin, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Publication number: 20170077036
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method of forming a wiring layer on a wafer is provided which includes: depositing a HSQ layer onto the wafer; cross-linking a first portion(s) of the HSQ layer using e-beam lithography; depositing a hardmask material onto the HSQ layer; patterning the hardmask using optical lithography, wherein the patterned hardmask covers a second portion(s) of the HSQ layer; patterning the HSQ layer using the patterned hardmask in a manner such that i) the first portion(s) of the HSQ layer remain and ii) the second portion(s) of the HSQ layer covered by the patterned hardmask remain, wherein by way of the patterning step trenches are formed in the HSQ layer; and filling the trenches with a conductive material to form the wiring layer on the wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Szu-Lin Cheng, Isaac Lauer, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Publication number: 20170069715
    Abstract: A nanowire device includes a first component formed on a substrate and a second component disposed apart from the first component on the substrate. A nanowire is configured to connect the first component to the second component. An anchor pad is formed along a span of the nanowire and configured to support the nanowire along the span to prevent sagging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Karthik Balakrishnan, Isaac Lauer, Tenko Yamashita, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Publication number: 20170062476
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method of forming a CMOS device includes forming nanowires suspended over a BOX, wherein a first/second one or more of the nanowires are suspended at a first/second suspension height over the BOX, and wherein the first suspension height is greater than the second suspension height; depositing a conformal gate dielectric on the BOX and around the nanowires wherein the conformal gate dielectric deposited on the BOX is i) in a non-contact position with the conformal gate dielectric deposited around the first one or more of the nanowires, and ii) is in direct physical contact with the conformal gate dielectric deposited around the second one or more of the nanowires such that the BOX serves as an oxygen source during growth of a conformal oxide layer at the interface between the conformal gate dielectric and the second one or more of the nanowires.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Michael A. Guillorn, Isaac Lauer, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 9570563
    Abstract: A device that includes: a substrate layer; a first set of source/drain component(s) defining an nFET (n-type field-effect transistor) region; a second set of source/drain component(s) defining a pFET (p-type field-effect transistor) region; a first suspended nanowire, at least partially suspended over the substrate layer in the nFET region and made from III-V material; and a second suspended nanowire, at least partially suspended over the substrate layer in the pFET region and made from Germanium-containing material. In some embodiments, the first suspended nanowire and the second suspended nanowire are fabricated by adding appropriate nanowire layers on top of a Germanium-containing release layer, and then removing the Germanium-containing release layers so that the nanowires are suspended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Guy M. Cohen, Isaac Lauer, Alexander Reznicek, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Publication number: 20170040219
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method of fabricating a bipolar transistor device on a wafer includes the following steps. A dummy gate is formed on the wafer, wherein the dummy gate is present over a portion of the wafer that serves as a base of the bipolar transistor. The wafer is doped to form emitter and collector regions on both sides of the dummy gate. A dielectric filler layer is deposited onto the wafer surrounding the dummy gate. The dummy gate is removed selective to the dielectric filler layer, thereby exposing the base. The base is recessed. The base is re-grown from an epitaxial material selected from the group consisting of: SiGe, Ge, and a III-V material. Contacts are formed to the base. Techniques for co-fabricating a bipolar transistor and CMOS FET devices are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Gen P. Lauer, Isaac Lauer, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 9564502
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method of forming a CMOS device with multiple transistors having different Vt's is provided which includes: forming nanowires and pads on a wafer, wherein the nanowires are suspended at varying heights above an oxide layer of the wafer; and forming gate stacks of the transistors at least partially surrounding portions of each of the nanowires by: i) depositing a conformal gate dielectric around the nanowires and on the wafer beneath the nanowires; ii) depositing a conformal workfunction metal on the conformal gate dielectric around the nanowires and on the wafer beneath the nanowires, wherein an amount of the conformal workfunction metal deposited around the nanowires is varied based on the varying heights at which the nanowires are suspended over the oxide layer; and iii) depositing a conformal poly-silicon layer on the conformal workfunction metal around the nanowires and on the wafer beneath the nanowires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Michael A. Guillorn, Isaac Lauer, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 9564514
    Abstract: An approach to providing a barrier in a vertical field effect transistor with low effective mass channel materials wherein the forming of the barrier includes forming a first source/drain contact on a semiconductor substrate and forming a channel with a first channel layer on the first source/drain contact. The approach further includes forming the barrier on the first channel layer, and a second channel layer on the barrier followed by forming a second source/drain contact on the second channel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Anirban Basu, Amlan Majumdar, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 9558930
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method of forming a wiring layer on a wafer is provided which includes: depositing a HSQ layer onto the wafer; cross-linking a first portion(s) of the HSQ layer using e-beam lithography; depositing a hardmask material onto the HSQ layer; patterning the hardmask using optical lithography, wherein the patterned hardmask covers a second portion(s) of the HSQ layer; patterning the HSQ layer using the patterned hardmask in a manner such that i) the first portion(s) of the HSQ layer remain and ii) the second portion(s) of the HSQ layer covered by the patterned hardmask remain, wherein by way of the patterning step trenches are formed in the HSQ layer; and filling the trenches with a conductive material to form the wiring layer on the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Szu-Lin Cheng, Isaac Lauer, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Publication number: 20170018508
    Abstract: A nanowire device includes a first component formed on a substrate and a second component disposed apart from the first component on the substrate. A nanowire is configured to connect the first component to the second component. An anchor pad is formed along a span of the nanowire and configured to support the nanowire along the span to prevent sagging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Karthik Balakrishnan, Isaac Lauer, Tenko Yamashita, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Publication number: 20170018608
    Abstract: A nanowire device includes a first component formed on a substrate and a second component disposed apart from the first component on the substrate. A nanowire is configured to connect the first component to the second component. An anchor pad is formed along a span of the nanowire and configured to support the nanowire along the span to prevent sagging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Karthik Balakrishnan, Isaac Lauer, Tenko Yamashita, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 9548381
    Abstract: A heterojunction tunnel field effect transistor (TFET) has a channel region that includes a first portion of a nanowire, a source region and a drain region that respectively include a second portion and a third portion of a nanowire, and a gate that surrounds the channel region, where the first portion of the nanowire comprises an intrinsic, epitaxial III-V semiconductor. The TFET can be made by selectively etching the epitaxial underlayer to define a tethered (suspended) nanowire that forms a channel region of the device. Source and drain regions can be formed from regrown p-type and n-type epitaxial layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES INC.
    Inventors: Siddarth A. Krishnan, Unoh Kwon, Vijay Narayanan, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 9543388
    Abstract: A silicon germanium on insulator (SGOI) wafer having nFET and pFET regions is accessed, the SGOI wafer having a silicon germanium (SiGe) layer having a first germanium (Ge) concentration, and a first oxide layer over nFET and pFET and removing the first oxide layer over the pFET. Then, increasing the first Ge concentration in the SiGe layer in the pFET to a second Ge concentration and removing the first oxide layer over the nFET. Then, recessing the SiGe layer of the first Ge concentration in the nFET so that the SiGe layer is in plane with the SiGe layer in the pFET of the second Ge concentration. Then, growing a silicon (Si) layer over the SGOI in the nFET and a SiGe layer of a third concentration in the pFET, where the SiGe layer of a third concentration is in plane with the grown nFET Si layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gen P. Lauer, Isaac Lauer, Alexander Reznicek, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Publication number: 20170005112
    Abstract: A silicon-on-insulator substrate which includes a semiconductor substrate, a buried oxide layer, and a semiconductor layer is provided. A hard mask layer is formed over a first region of the silicon-on-insulator substrate. A first silicon-germanium layer is epitaxially grown on the semiconductor layer within a second region of the silicon-on-insulator substrate. The second region is at least a portion of the semiconductor layer not covered by the hard mask layer. A thermal annealing process is performed, such that germanium atoms from the first silicon-germanium layer are migrated to the portion of the semiconductor layer to form a second silicon-germanium layer. The hard mask layer is removed. A layer of semiconductor material is epitaxially grown on top of the semiconductor layer and the second silicon-germanium layer, where the layer of semiconductor material composed of the same material as semiconductor layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Leland Chang, Isaac Lauer, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Publication number: 20170005190
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer is provided, where the semiconductor wafer includes a semiconductor substrate and a hard mask layer formed on the semiconductor substrate. Fins are formed in the semiconductor substrate and the hard mask layer. A spacer is formed on an exposed sidewall of the hard mask layer and the semiconductor substrate. The exposed portion of the semiconductor substrate is etched. A silicon-germanium layer is epitaxially formed on the exposed portions of the semiconductor substrate. An annealed silicon-germanium region is formed by a thermal annealing process within the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the silicon-germanium layer. The silicon-germanium region and the silicon-germanium layer are removed. The hard mask layer and the spacer are removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Leland Chang, Isaac Lauer, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 9536794
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method of forming a CMOS device includes forming nanowires suspended over a BOX, wherein a first/second one or more of the nanowires are suspended at a first/second suspension height over the BOX, and wherein the first suspension height is greater than the second suspension height; depositing a conformal gate dielectric on the BOX and around the nanowires wherein the conformal gate dielectric deposited on the BOX is i) in a non-contact position with the conformal gate dielectric deposited around the first one or more of the nanowires, and ii) is in direct physical contact with the conformal gate dielectric deposited around the second one or more of the nanowires such that the BOX serves as an oxygen source during growth of a conformal oxide layer at the interface between the conformal gate dielectric and the second one or more of the nanowires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Michael A. Guillorn, Isaac Lauer, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 9536885
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a pFET and an nFET where: (i) the gate and conductor channel of the pFET are electrically insulated from a buried oxide layer; and (ii) the conductor channel of the nFET is in the form of a fin extending upwards from, and in electrical contact with, the buried oxide layer. Also, a method of making the pFET by adding a fin structure extending from the top surface of the buried oxide layer, then condensing germanium locally into the lattice structure of the lower portion of the fin structure, and then etching away the lower portion of the fin structure so that it becomes a carrier channel suspended above, and electrically insulated from the buried oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Leland Chang, Isaac Lauer, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 9530876
    Abstract: At least one semiconductor nanowire laterally abutted by a pair of semiconductor pad portions is formed over an insulator layer. Portions of the insulator layer are etched from underneath the at least one semiconductor nanowire such that the at least one semiconductor nanowire is suspended. A temporary fill material is deposited over the at least one semiconductor nanowire, and is planarized to physically expose top surfaces of the pair of semiconductor pad portions. Trenches are formed within the pair of semiconductor pad portions, and are filled with stress-generating materials. The temporary fill material is subsequently removed. The at least one semiconductor nanowire is strained along the lengthwise direction with a tensile strain or a compressive strain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Isaac Lauer, Chung-Hsun Lin, Jeffrey W. Sleight