Patents by Inventor Nicolas J. Loubet

Nicolas J. Loubet 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: 11817502
    Abstract: A method of forming stacked fin field effect devices is provided. The method includes forming a layer stack on a substrate, wherein the layer stack includes a first semiconductor layer on a surface of the substrate, a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer, a third semiconductor layer on the second semiconductor layer, a separation layer on the third semiconductor layer, a fourth semiconductor layer on the separation layer, a fifth semiconductor layer on the fourth semiconductor layer, and a sixth semiconductor layer on the fifth semiconductor layer. The method further includes forming a plurality of channels through the layer stack to the surface of the substrate, and removing portions of the second semiconductor layer and fifth semiconductor layer to form lateral grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Huimei Zhou, Su Chen Fan, Shogo Mochizuki, Peng Xu, Nicolas J. Loubet
  • Publication number: 20220130992
    Abstract: A method of forming stacked fin field effect devices is provided. The method includes forming a layer stack on a substrate, wherein the layer stack includes a first semiconductor layer on a surface of the substrate, a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer, a third semiconductor layer on the second semiconductor layer, a separation layer on the third semiconductor layer, a fourth semiconductor layer on the separation layer, a fifth semiconductor layer on the fourth semiconductor layer, and a sixth semiconductor layer on the fifth semiconductor layer. The method further includes forming a plurality of channels through the layer stack to the surface of the substrate, and removing portions of the second semiconductor layer and fifth semiconductor layer to form lateral grooves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Huimei Zhou, Su Chen Fan, Shogo Mochizuki, Peng Xu, Nicolas J. Loubet
  • Patent number: 11222981
    Abstract: A method of forming stacked fin field effect devices is provided. The method includes forming a layer stack on a substrate, wherein the layer stack includes a first semiconductor layer on a surface of the substrate, a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer, a third semiconductor layer on the second semiconductor layer, a separation layer on the third semiconductor layer, a fourth semiconductor layer on the separation layer, a fifth semiconductor layer on the fourth semiconductor layer, and a sixth semiconductor layer on the fifth semiconductor layer. The method further includes forming a plurality of channels through the layer stack to the surface of the substrate, and removing portions of the second semiconductor layer and fifth semiconductor layer to form lateral grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Huimei Zhou, Su Chen Fan, Shogo Mochizuki, Peng Xu, Nicolas J. Loubet
  • Patent number: 11183593
    Abstract: A method of forming stacked fin field effect devices is provided. The method includes forming a layer stack on a substrate, wherein the layer stack includes a first semiconductor layer on a surface of the substrate, a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer, a third semiconductor layer on the second semiconductor layer, a separation layer on the third semiconductor layer, a fourth semiconductor layer on the separation layer, a fifth semiconductor layer on the fourth semiconductor layer, and a sixth semiconductor layer on the fifth semiconductor layer. The method further includes forming a plurality of channels through the layer stack to the surface of the substrate, and removing portions of the second semiconductor layer and fifth semiconductor layer to form lateral grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Huimei Zhou, Su Chen Fan, Shogo Mochizuki, Peng Xu, Nicolas J. Loubet
  • Patent number: 11094823
    Abstract: A method for inducing stress in a device channel includes forming a stress adjustment layer on a substrate, the stress adjustment layer including an as deposited stress due to crystal lattice differences with the substrate. A device channel layer is formed on the stress adjustment layer. Cuts are etched through the device channel layer and the stress adjustment layer to release the stress adjustment layer to induce stress in the device channel layer. Source/drain regions are formed adjacent to the device channel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Nicolas J. Loubet, Xin Miao, Alexander Reznicek
  • Patent number: 11088026
    Abstract: A device having co-integrated wimpy and nominal transistors includes first source/drain regions formed with a semiconductor alloy imparting strain into a first channel region. The device also has wimpy transistors including second source/drain regions formed with the semiconductor alloy that has been decomposed to include a larger amount of an electrically active atomic element than contained in the semiconductor alloy of the first source/drain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: ELPIS TECHNOLOGIES INC.
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Nicolas J. Loubet, Xin Miao, Alexander Reznicek
  • Patent number: 11069744
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method and resulting structures for a steep-switch vertical field effect transistor (SS-VFET). In a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a semiconductor fin is formed vertically extending from a bottom source or drain region of a substrate. A top source or drain region is formed on a surface of the semiconductor fin and a top metallization layer is formed on the top source or drain region. A bi-stable resistive system is formed on the top metallization layer. The bi-stable resistive system includes an insulator-to-metal transition material or a threshold-switching selector. The SS-VFET provides a subthreshold switching slope of less than 60 millivolts per decade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Chanemougame, Julien Frougier, Nicolas J. Loubet, Ruilong Xie
  • Patent number: 10998441
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device that includes forming a strain relaxed buffer (SRB) layer atop a supporting substrate, and epitaxially forming a tensile semiconductor material atop a first portion of the strain relaxed buffer layer (SRB) layer. A second portion of the SRB layer is then removed, and a semiconductor material including a base material of silicon and phosphorus is formed atop a surface of the supporting substrate exposed by removing the second portion of the SRB layer. A compressive semiconductor material is epitaxially forming atop the semiconductor material including the base material of silicon and phosphorus. Compressive FinFET structures can then be formed from the compressive semiconductor material and tensile FinFET structures can then be formed from the tensile semiconductor material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Nicolas J. Loubet, Xin Miao, Alexander Reznicek
  • Publication number: 20210118873
    Abstract: A method of forming stacked vertical field effect devices is provided. The method includes forming a layer stack on a substrate, wherein the layer stack includes a first spacer layer on the substrate, a first protective liner on the first spacer layer, a first gap layer on the first protective liner, a second protective liner on the first gap layer, a second spacer layer on the second protective liner, a sacrificial layer on the second spacer layer, a third spacer layer on the sacrificial layer, a third protective liner on the third spacer layer, a second gap layer on the third protective liner, a fourth protective liner on the second gap layer, and a fourth spacer layer on the fourth protective liner. The method further includes forming channels through the layer stack, a liner layer on the sidewalls of the channels, and a vertical pillar in the channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Huimei Zhou, Su Chen Fan, Shogo Mochizuki, Peng Xu, Nicolas J. Loubet
  • Patent number: 10971490
    Abstract: A method of forming stacked vertical field effect devices is provided. The method includes forming a layer stack on a substrate, wherein the layer stack includes a first spacer layer on the substrate, a first protective liner on the first spacer layer, a first gap layer on the first protective liner, a second protective liner on the first gap layer, a second spacer layer on the second protective liner, a sacrificial layer on the second spacer layer, a third spacer layer on the sacrificial layer, a third protective liner on the third spacer layer, a second gap layer on the third protective liner, a fourth protective liner on the second gap layer, and a fourth spacer layer on the fourth protective liner. The method further includes forming channels through the layer stack, a liner layer on the sidewalls of the channels, and a vertical pillar in the channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Huimei Zhou, Su Chen Fan, Shogo Mochizuki, Peng Xu, Nicolas J. Loubet
  • Patent number: 10930756
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to method of fabricating a semiconductor device. A non-limiting embodiment of the method includes performing fabrication operations to form a nanosheet field effect transistor (FET) device on a substrate, wherein the fabrication operations include forming gate spacers along a gate region of the nanosheet FET device, wherein each of the gate spacers comprises an upper segment and a lower segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zhenxing Bi, Kangguo Cheng, Nicolas J. Loubet, Xin Miao, Wenyu Xu, Chen Zhang
  • Patent number: 10896816
    Abstract: A method for forming a nanosheet semiconductor device includes forming a nanosheet stack comprising channel nanosheets. The method includes depositing silicon on the nanosheet stack, the silicon completely filling a space between adjacent channel nanosheets. The method includes etching the silicon. The method includes exposing the nanosheet stack to a gas phase heat treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zhenxing Bi, Thamarai S. Devarajan, Nicolas J. Loubet, Binglin Miao, Muthumanickam Sankarapandian, Charan V. Surisetty, Chun W. Yeung, Jingyun Zhang
  • Patent number: 10741660
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device that includes providing a first stack of nanosheets having a first thickness and a second stack of nanosheets having a second thickness; and forming a oxide layer on the first and second stack of nanosheets. The oxide layer fills a space between said nanosheets in the first stack, and is conformally present on the nanosheets in the second stack. The method further includes forming a work function metal layer on the first and second stack of nanosheets. In some embodiments, the work function metal layer is present on only exterior surfaces of the first stack to provide a single gate structure and is conformally present about an entirety of the nanosheets in the second stack to provide a multiple gate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nicolas J. Loubet, Siva Kanakasabapathy, Kangguo Cheng, Jingyun Zhang
  • Patent number: 10734504
    Abstract: A method of forming a finFET transistor device includes forming a crystalline, compressive strained silicon germanium (cSiGe) layer over a substrate; masking a first region of the cSiGe layer so as to expose a second region of the cSiGe layer; subjecting the exposed second region of the cSiGe layer to an implant process so as to amorphize a bottom portion thereof and transform the cSiGe layer in the second region to a relaxed SiGe (rSiGe) layer; performing an annealing process so as to recrystallize the rSiGe layer; epitaxially growing a tensile strained silicon layer on the rSiGe layer; and patterning fin structures in the tensile strained silicon layer and in the first region of the cSiGe layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignees: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, STMICROELECTRONICS, INC
    Inventors: Bruce B. Doris, Hong He, Nicolas J. Loubet, Junli Wang
  • Patent number: 10692985
    Abstract: A starting structure for forming a gate-all-around field effect transistor (FET) and a method of fabricating the gate-all-around FET. The method includes forming a stack of silicon nanosheets above a substrate forming an interfacial layer over the nanosheets depositing a high-k dielectric layer conformally on the interfacial layer. The method also includes depositing a layer of silicon nitride (SiN) above the high-k dielectric layer and performing reliability anneal after depositing the layer of SiN to crystalize the high-k dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nicolas J. Loubet, Sanjay C. Mehta, Vijay Narayanan, Muthumanickam Sankarapandian
  • Patent number: 10658493
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a nano sheet field effect transistor (FET) device that includes a gate spacer and an inner spacer. The gate spacer includes an upper segment and a lower segment. The inner spacer has a first selectivity to etch compositions used in predetermined fabrication operations for forming the inner spacer. The lower segment has the first selectivity to etch compositions used in predetermined fabrication operations for forming the inner spacer. The upper segment has a second selectivity to etch compositions used in predetermined fabrication operations for forming the inner spacer. The first etch selectivity is greater than the second etch selectivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zhenxing Bi, Kangguo Cheng, Nicolas J. Loubet, Xin Miao, Wenyu Xu, Chen Zhang
  • Publication number: 20200152764
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to method of fabricating a semiconductor device. A non-limiting embodiment of the method includes performing fabrication operations to form a nanosheet field effect transistor (FET) device on a substrate, wherein the fabrication operations include forming gate spacers along a gate region of the nanosheet FET device, wherein each of the gate spacers comprises an upper segment and a lower segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventors: Zhenxing Bi, Kangguo Cheng, Nicolas J. Loubet, Xin Miao, Wenyu Xu, Chen Zhang
  • Patent number: 10644110
    Abstract: An n-doped field effect transistor (nFET) section of an integrated device logic region is provided. The nFET section includes a semiconductor substrate, a layer at least partially formed of silicon germanium (SiGe) disposed on the semiconductor substrate and fin formations. The fin formations are formed on the layer. Each fin formation includes a first fin portion that is at least partially formed of silicon (Si) and a second fin portion that is at least partially formed of hard mask material. The layer is etched to include free surfaces that facilitate elastic relaxation of SiGe therein and a corresponding application of tension in Si of the first fin portion of each of the fin formations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Stephen W. Bedell, Nicolas J. Loubet, Devendra K. Sadana
  • Publication number: 20200126862
    Abstract: A device having co-integrated wimpy and nominal transistors includes first source/drain regions formed with a semiconductor alloy imparting strain into a first channel region. The device also has wimpy transistors including second source/drain regions formed with the semiconductor alloy that has been decomposed to include a larger amount of an electrically active atomic element than contained in the semiconductor alloy of the first source/drain region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: Kangguo Cheng, Nicolas J. Loubet, Xin Miao, Alexander Reznicek
  • Publication number: 20200091237
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method and resulting structures for a steep-switch vertical field effect transistor (SS-VFET). In a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a semiconductor fin is formed vertically extending from a bottom source or drain region of a substrate. A top source or drain region is formed on a surface of the semiconductor fin and a top metallization layer is formed on the top source or drain region. A bi-stable resistive system is formed on the top metallization layer. The bi-stable resistive system includes an insulator-to-metal transition material or a threshold-switching selector. The SS-VFET provides a subthreshold switching slope of less than 60 millivolts per decade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: Daniel Chanemougame, Julien Frougier, Nicolas J. Loubet, Ruilong Xie