Field Effect Device Patents (Class 257/24)
  • Patent number: 8361858
    Abstract: The growth rate in a selective epitaxial growth process for depositing a threshold adjusting semiconductor alloy, such as a silicon/germanium alloy, may be enhanced by performing a plasma-assisted etch process prior to performing the selective epitaxial growth process. For example, a mask layer may be patterned on the basis of the plasma-assisted etch process, thereby simultaneously providing superior device topography during the subsequent growth process. Hence, the threshold adjusting material may be deposited with enhanced thickness uniformity, thereby reducing overall threshold variability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephan Kronholz, Andreas Naumann, Gunda Beernink
  • Patent number: 8357927
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises: growing a carbon nano tube on a semiconductor substrate; forming an insulating film in the inside and the outside of the carbon nano tube; and forming a graphene on the surface of the insulating film, thereby securing a channel region corresponding to a region extended by the carbon nano tube to prevent a short channel effect. As a result, channel resistance is reduced to facilitate the manufacturing of the device that can be operated at a high speed. The carbon nano tube is applied to a semiconductor device of less than 30 nm so that a micro-sized semiconductor device can be manufactured regardless of limitation of exposure light sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Chi Hwan Jang
  • Publication number: 20130015428
    Abstract: Transistor devices having vertically stacked carbon nanotube channels and techniques for the fabrication thereof are provided. In one aspect, a transistor device is provided. The transistor device includes a substrate; a bottom gate embedded in the substrate with a top surface of the bottom gate being substantially coplanar with a surface of the substrate; a stack of device layers on the substrate over the bottom gate, wherein each of the device layers in the stack includes a first dielectric, a carbon nanotube channel on the first dielectric, a second dielectric on the carbon nanotube channel and a top gate on the second dielectric; and source and drain contacts that interconnect the carbon nanotube channels in parallel. A method of fabricating a transistor device is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: January 17, 2013
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Zhihong Chen, Aaron Daniel Franklin, Shu-Jen Han
  • Publication number: 20130001515
    Abstract: Graphene layers can be formed on a dielectric substrate using a process that includes forming a copper thin film on a dielectric substrate; diffusing carbon atoms through the copper thin film; and forming a graphene layer at an interface between the copper thin film and the dielectric substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventors: Lain-Jong Li, Ching-Yuan Su, Ang-Yu Lu, Chih-Yu Wu, Keng-Ku Liu
  • Patent number: 8344357
    Abstract: A 3-terminal electronic device includes: a control electrode; a first electrode and a second electrode; and an active layer that is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode and is provided to be opposed to the control electrode via an insulating layer. The active layer includes a collection of nanosheets. When it is assumed that the nanosheets have an average size LS and the first electrode and the second electrode have an interval D therebetween, LS/D?10 is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 8344359
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure having a transistor and a thermo electronic structure. The transistor has a control electrode for controlling a flow of carriers through a semiconductor layer between a pair of electrodes. The thermo electronic structure has a first portion disposed on at least one of the pair of electrodes and a second portion disposed over a region of the semiconductor layer proximate the control electrode between the control electrode and said at least one of the pair of electrode. The thermo electronic structure extends from the first portion to the second portion for removing heat generated heat from said region in the semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: John P. Bettencourt, Nicholas J. Kolias
  • Patent number: 8343815
    Abstract: A tunnel field effect transistor (TFET) includes a source region, the source region comprising a first portion of a nanowire; a channel region, the channel region comprising a second portion of the nanowire; a drain region, the drain region comprising a portion of a silicon pad, the silicon pad being located adjacent to the channel region; and a gate configured such that the gate surrounds the channel region and at least a portion of the source region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sarunya Bangsaruntip, Isaac Lauer, Amlan Majumdar, Jeffrey Sleight
  • Patent number: 8344424
    Abstract: Enhancement mode III-nitride devices are described. The 2DEG is depleted in the gate region so that the device is unable to conduct current when no bias is applied at the gate. Both gallium face and nitride face devices formed as enhancement mode devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Transphorm Inc.
    Inventors: Chang Soo Suh, Umesh Mishra
  • Patent number: 8344358
    Abstract: A graphene-based field effect transistor includes source and drain electrodes that are self-aligned to a gate electrode. A stack of a seed layer and a dielectric metal oxide layer is deposited over a patterned graphene layer. A conductive material stack of a first metal portion and a second metal portion is formed above the dielectric metal oxide layer. The first metal portion is laterally etched employing the second metal portion, and exposed portions of the dielectric metal oxide layer are removed to form a gate structure in which the second metal portion overhangs the first metal portion. The seed layer is removed and the overhang is employed to shadow proximal regions around the gate structure during a directional deposition process to form source and drain electrodes that are self-aligned and minimally laterally spaced from edges of the gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Phaedon Avouris, Damon B. Farmer, Yu-Ming Lin, Yu Zhu
  • Publication number: 20120326125
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a nanowire, a first structure, and a second structure. The nanowire is suspended between the first structure and the second structure, where the first structure and the second structure overly the substrate, where the nanowire includes a layer on a surface of the nanowire, where the layer includes at least one of silicide and carbide, where the layer has a substantially uniform shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dechao Guo, Zhengwen Li, Kejia Wang, Zhen Zhang, Yu Zhu
  • Patent number: 8338825
    Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate-mediated assembly for graphene structures. According to an embodiment, long-range ordered, multilayer BN(111) films can be formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD) onto a substrate. The subject BN(111) films can then be used to order carbon atoms into a graphene sheet during a carbon deposition process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: University of North Texas
    Inventor: Jeffry A. Kelber
  • Patent number: 8330143
    Abstract: A nanowire wrap-gate transistor is realized in a semiconductor material with a band gap narrower than Si. The strain relaxation in the nanowires allows the transistor to be placed on a large variety of substrates and heterostructures to be incorporated in the device. Various types of heterostructures should be introduced in the transistor to reduce the output conductance via reduced impact ionization rate, increase the current on/off ratio, reduction of the sub-threshold slope, reduction of transistor contact resistance and improved thermal stability. The parasitic capacitances should be minimized by the use of semi-insulating substrates and the use of cross-bar geometry between the source and drain access regions. The transistor may find applications in digital high frequency and low power circuits as well as in analogue high frequency circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: QuNano AB
    Inventors: Lars-Erik Wernersson, Tomas Bryllert, Erik Lind, Lars Samuelson
  • Patent number: 8331135
    Abstract: A chain of field coupled nanomagnets includes at least one elements having substantially different anisotropy energy from that of the other nanomagnets. A signal can propagate from a first input nanomagnet having a relatively high anisotropy energy through the chain to an output nanomagnet. The output nanomagnet may have a relatively lower anisotropy energy than the other nanomagnets. Signal flow direction thus can be controlled. The higher anisotropy energy nanomagnet may be attained by use of a ferromagnet material having a higher anisotropy constant and/or configured with a larger volume than the other elements. The lower anisotropy energy magnet may be attained by use of a ferromagnet material having a lower anisotropy constant and/or configured with a smaller volume than the other elements. Logic signal flow control can also be attained making use of three dimensional geometries of nanomagnets with two different orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Globalfoundries Inc.
    Inventors: An Chen, Zoran Krivokapic
  • Publication number: 20120298958
    Abstract: Quantum-well-based semiconductor devices and methods of forming quantum-well-based semiconductor devices are described. A method includes providing a hetero-structure disposed above a substrate and including a quantum-well channel region. The method also includes forming a source and drain material region above the quantum-well channel region. The method also includes forming a trench in the source and drain material region to provide a source region separated from a drain region. The method also includes forming a gate dielectric layer in the trench, between the source and drain regions; and forming a gate electrode in the trench, above the gate dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Inventors: Gilbert Dewey, Marko Radosavljevic, Ravi Pillarisetty, Robert S. Chau, Matthew V. Metz
  • Patent number: 8319259
    Abstract: A semiconductor power switch and method is disclosed. In one Embodiment, the semiconductor power switch has a source contact, a drain contact, a semiconductor structure which is provided between the source contact and the drain contact, and a gate which can be used to control a current flow through the semiconductor structure between the source contact and the drain contact. The semiconductor structure has a plurality of nanowires which are connected in parallel and are arranged in such a manner that each nanowire forms an electrical connection between the source contact and the drain contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Franz Kreupl, Robert Seidel
  • Patent number: 8319205
    Abstract: Field programmable device (FPD) chips with large logic capacity and field programmability that are in-circuit programmable are described. FPDs use small versatile nonvolatile nanotube switches that enable efficient architectures for dense low power and high performance chip implementations and are compatible with low cost CMOS technologies and simple to integrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Nantero Inc.
    Inventors: Claude L. Bertin, Thomas Rueckes, H. M. Manning
  • Patent number: 8309438
    Abstract: A method and semiconductor device for synthesizing graphene using ion implantation of carbon. Carbon is implanted in a metal using ion implantation. After the carbon is distributed in the metal, the metal is annealed and cooled in order to precipitate the carbon from the metal to form a layer of graphene on the surface of the metal. The metal/graphene surface is then transferred to a dielectric layer in such a manner that the graphene layer is placed on top of the dielectric layer. The metal layer is then removed. Alternatively, recessed regions are patterned and etched in a dielectric layer located on a substrate. Metal is later formed in these recessed regions. Carbon is then implanted into the metal using ion implantation. The metal may then be annealed and cooled in order to precipitate the carbon from the metal to form a layer of graphene on the metal's surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignees: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Texas Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Luigi Colombo, Robert M. Wallace, Rodney S. Ruoff
  • Patent number: 8309950
    Abstract: First semiconductor layers are in source/drain regions on the semiconductor substrate. A second semiconductor layer comprises first portions on the first semiconductor layers and a second portion on a channel region between the source/drain regions. Third semiconductor layers are on the first portions of the second semiconductor layer. A gate electrode is around the second portion of the second semiconductor layer via an insulating film. Contact plugs are in the first semiconductor layers, the first portions of the second semiconductor layers and the third semiconductor layers in the source/drain regions. A diameter of the contact plug in the second semiconductor layer is smaller than a diameter of the contact plug in the first and third semiconductor layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masayoshi Iwayama, Takeshi Kajiyama, Yoshiaki Asao
  • Publication number: 20120280211
    Abstract: Techniques for embedding silicon germanium (e-SiGe) source and drain stressors in nanoscale channel-based field effect transistors (FETs) are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating a FET includes the following steps. A doped substrate having a dielectric thereon is provided. At least one silicon (Si) nanowire is placed on the dielectric. One or more portions of the nanowire are masked off leaving other portions of the nanowire exposed. Epitaxial germanium (Ge) is grown on the exposed portions of the nanowire. The epitaxial Ge is interdiffused with Si in the nanowire to form SiGe regions embedded in the nanowire that introduce compressive strain in the nanowire. The doped substrate serves as a gate of the FET, the masked off portions of the nanowire serve as channels of the FET and the embedded SiGe regions serve as source and drain regions of the FET.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Guy Cohen, Conal E. Murray, Michael J. Rooks
  • Publication number: 20120280210
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the fabrication of microelectronic devices having at least one negative differential resistance device formed therein. In at least one embodiment, the negative differential resistance devices may be formed utilizing quantum wells. Embodiments of negative differential resistance devices of present description may achieve high peak drive current to enable high performance and a high peak-to-valley current ratio to enable low power dissipation and noise margins, which allows for their use in logic and/or memory integrated circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventor: Ravi Pillarisetty
  • Publication number: 20120273760
    Abstract: A bipolar transistor includes a substrate of semiconductor material, a high-mobility layer in the substrate, and a donor layer adjacent to the high-mobility layer. An emitter terminal forms an emitter contact on the donor layer, and a collector terminal forms a collector contact on the donor layer. A base terminal is electrically conductively connected with the high-mobility layer. The transistor can be produced in a HEMT technology or BiFET technology in GaAs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: EPCOS AG
    Inventors: Lcon C.M. van den Oever, Ray J.E. Hueting
  • Publication number: 20120273761
    Abstract: A nanowire tunnel field effect transistor (FET) device includes a channel region including a silicon portion having a first distal end and a second distal end, the silicon portion is surrounded by a gate structure disposed circumferentially around the silicon portion, a drain region including an doped silicon portion extending from the first distal end, a portion of the doped silicon portion arranged in the channel region, a cavity defined by the second distal end of the silicon portion and an inner diameter of the gate structure, and a source region including a doped epi-silicon portion epitaxially extending from the second distal end of the silicon portion in the cavity, a first pad region, and a portion of a silicon substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sarunya Bangsaruntip, Isaac Lauer, Amlan Majumdar, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Patent number: 8298856
    Abstract: A reverse p-n junction solar cell device and methods for forming the reverse p-n junction solar cell device are described. A variety of n-p junction and reverse p-n junction solar cell devices and related methods of manufacturing are provided. N-intrinsic-p junction and reverse p-intrinsic-n junction solar cell devices are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Uriel Solar, Inc.
    Inventor: James David Garnett
  • Patent number: 8299454
    Abstract: A method of forming a microelectronic device includes forming a groove structure having opposing sidewalls and a surface therebetween on a substrate to define a nano line arrangement region. The nano line arrangement region has a predetermined width and a predetermined length greater than the width. At least one nano line is formed in the nano line arrangement region extending substantially along the length thereof and coupled to the surface of the groove structure to define a nano line structure. Related devices are also discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: ZongLiang Huo, Subramanya Mayya, Xiaofeng Wang, In-Seok Yeo
  • Patent number: 8294137
    Abstract: A field-effect transistor is provided and includes source, gate and drain regions, where the gate region controls charge carrier location in the transport channel, the transport channel includes a asymmetric coupled quantum well layer, the asymmetric quantum well layer includes at least two quantum wells separated by a barrier layer having a greater energy gap than the wells, the transport channel is connected to the source region at one end, and the drain regions at the other, the drain regions include at least two contacts electrically isolated from each other, the contacts are connected to at least one quantum well. The drain may include two regions that are configured to form the asymmetric coupled well transport channel. In an embodiment, two sources and two drains are also envisioned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Inventors: Faquir Chand Jain, Evan Heller
  • Patent number: 8288236
    Abstract: A field effect transistor (FET) includes a drain formed of a first material, a source formed of the first material, a channel formed by a nanostructure coupling the source to the drain, and a gate formed between the source and the drain and surrounding the nanostructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Michael A. Guillorn, Eric A. Joseph
  • Patent number: 8288759
    Abstract: Transistor devices having vertically stacked carbon nanotube channels and techniques for the fabrication thereof are provided. In one aspect, a transistor device is provided. The transistor device includes a substrate; a bottom gate embedded in the substrate with a top surface of the bottom gate being substantially coplanar with a surface of the substrate; a stack of device layers on the substrate over the bottom gate, wherein each of the device layers in the stack includes a first dielectric, a carbon nanotube channel on the first dielectric, a second dielectric on the carbon nanotube channel and a top gate on the second dielectric; and source and drain contacts that interconnect the carbon nanotube channels in parallel. A method of fabricating a transistor device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Inventors: Zhihong Chen, Aaron Daniel Franklin, Shu-Jen Han
  • Patent number: 8283654
    Abstract: Provided is a nanowire memory including a source and a drain corresponding to the source, and a nano channel formed to connect the source to the drain. Here, the nano channel includes a nanowire electrically connecting the source to the drain according to voltages of the source and drain, and a nanodot formed on the nanowire and having a plurality of potentials capturing charges. Thus, the nanowire memory has a simple structure, thereby simplifying a process. It can generate multi current levels by adjusting several energy states using gates, operate as a volatile or non-volatile memory by adjusting the gates and the energy level, and include another gate configured to adjust the energy level, resulting in formation of a hybrid structure of volatile and non-volatile memories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Han Young Yu, Byung Hoon Kim, Soon Young Oh, Yong Ju Yun, Yark Yeon Kim, Won Gi Hong
  • Patent number: 8269209
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the field of fabricating microelectronic devices. In at least one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to forming an isolated nanowire, wherein isolation structure adjacent the nanowire provides a substantially level surface for the formation of microelectronic structures thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Uday Shah, Benjamin Chu-Kung, Been Y. Jin, Ravi Pillarisetty, Marko Radosavljevic, Willy Rachmady
  • Publication number: 20120223292
    Abstract: Integrated circuit multilayer integration techniques are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating an integrated circuit is provided. The method includes the following steps. A substrate is provided. A plurality of interconnect layers are formed on the substrate arranged in a stack, each interconnect layer comprising one or more metal lines, wherein the metal lines in a given one of the interconnect layers are larger than the metal lines in the interconnect layers, if present, above the given interconnect layer in the stack and wherein the metal lines in the given interconnect layer are smaller than the metal lines in the interconnect layers, if present, below the given interconnect layer in the stack. At least one transistor is formed on a top-most layer of the stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Zihong Liu, Ghavam G. Shahidi
  • Patent number: 8258498
    Abstract: Embodiments described include straining transistor quantum well (QW) channel regions with metal source/drains, and conformal regrowth source/drains to impart a uni-axial strain in a MOS channel region. Removed portions of a channel layer may be filled with a junction material having a lattice spacing different than that of the channel material to causes a uni-axial strain in the channel, in addition to a bi-axial strain caused in the channel layer by a top barrier layer and a bottom buffer layer of the quantum well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Prashant Majhi, Mantu Hudait, Jack T. Kavalieros, Ravi Pillarisetty, Marko Radosavljevic, Gilbert Dewey, Titash Rakshit, Willman Tsai
  • Patent number: 8258543
    Abstract: Quantum-well-based semiconductor devices and methods of forming quantum-well-based semiconductor devices are described. A method includes providing a hetero-structure disposed above a substrate and including a quantum-well channel region. The method also includes forming a source and drain material region above the quantum-well channel region. The method also includes forming a trench in the source and drain material region to provide a source region separated from a drain region. The method also includes forming a gate dielectric layer in the trench, between the source and drain regions; and forming a gate electrode in the trench, above the gate dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Gilbert Dewey, Marko Radosavljevic, Ravi Pillarisetty, Robert S. Chau, Matthew V. Metz
  • Publication number: 20120217479
    Abstract: Nanowire-based field-effect transistors (FETs) and techniques for the fabrication thereof are provided. In one aspect, a FET is provided having a plurality of device layers oriented vertically in a stack, each device layer having a source region, a drain region and a plurality of nanowire channels connecting the source region and the drain region, wherein one or more of the device layers are configured to have a different threshold voltage from one or more other of the device layers; and a gate common to each of the device layers surrounding the nanowire channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: Internatiional Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine Chang, Paul Chang, Michael A. Guillorn, Jeffrey Sleight
  • Publication number: 20120211726
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes an apparatus having a substrate, a buried oxide layer formed on the substrate, a silicon on insulator (SOI) core formed on the buried oxide layer, a compressive strained quantum well (QW) layer wrapped around the SOI core, and a tensile strained silicon layer wrapped around the QW layer. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Inventors: Chi On Chui, Prashant Majhi, Wilman Tsai, Jack T. Kavalieros
  • Patent number: 8247797
    Abstract: A field-effect transistor has at least one electrode disposed independently of source and drain electrodes and in direct contact with the surface of a semiconductor channel to form a schottky barrier, so that it is possible to easily control the schottky barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung Hun Hong, Byeong Ju Kim, Moon Sook Lee
  • Patent number: 8247798
    Abstract: Circuits for processing radio frequency (“RF”) and microwave signals are fabricated using field effect transistors (“FETs”) that have one or more strained channel layers disposed on one or more planarized substrate layers. FETs having such a configuration exhibit improved values for, for example, transconductance and noise figure. RF circuits such as, for example, voltage controlled oscillators (“VCOs”), low noise amplifiers (“LNAs”), and phase locked loops (“PLLs”) built using these FETs also exhibit enhanced performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Glyn Braithwaite, Richard Hammond, Matthew T. Currie
  • Publication number: 20120205627
    Abstract: A semiconductor circuit includes a plurality of semiconductor devices, each including a semiconductor islands having at least one electrical dopant atom and located on an insulator layer. Each semiconductor island is encapsulated by dielectric materials including at least one dielectric material portion. Conductive material portions, at least one of which abut two dielectric material portions that abut two distinct semiconductor islands, are located directly on the at least one dielectric material layer. At least one gate conductor is provided which overlies at least two semiconductor islands. Conduction across a dielectric material portion between a semiconductor island and a conductive material portion is effected by quantum tunneling. The conductive material portions and the at least one gate conductor are employed to form a semiconductor circuit having a low leakage current. A design structure for the semiconductor circuit is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zhong-Xiang He, Qizhi Liu
  • Publication number: 20120205626
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a first dielectric material including at least one first conductive region contained therein. The structure also includes at least one graphene containing semiconductor device located atop the first dielectric material. The at least one graphene containing semiconductor device includes a graphene layer that overlies and is in direct with the first conductive region. The structure further includes a second dielectric material covering the at least one graphene containing semiconductor device and portions of the first dielectric material. The second dielectric material includes at least one second conductive region contained therein, and the at least one second conductive region is in contact with a conductive element of the at least one graphene containing semiconductor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christos D. Dimitrakopoulos, Guy M. Cohen, Stephen M. Gates, Alfred Grill, Timothy J. McArdle, Chun-Yung Sung
  • Patent number: 8242485
    Abstract: Electronic devices having carbon-based materials and techniques for making contact to carbon-based materials in electronic devices are provided. In one aspect, a device is provided having a carbon-based material; and at least one electrical contact to the carbon-based material comprising a metal silicide, germanide or germanosilicide. The carbon-based material can include graphene or carbon nano-tubes. The device can further include a segregation region, having an impurity, separating the carbon-based material from the metal silicide, germanide or germanosilicide, wherein the impurity has a work function that is different from a work function of the metal silicide, germanide or germanosilicide. A method for fabricating the device is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Christian Lavoie, Zhen Zhang
  • Publication number: 20120199814
    Abstract: A p-channel tunneling field effect transistor (TFET) is selected from a group consisting of (i) a multi-layer structure of group IV layers and (u) a multi-layer structure of group III-V layers. The p-channel TFET includes a channel region comprising one of a silicon-germanium alloy with non-zero germanium content and a ternary III-V alloy. An n-channel TFET is selected from a group consisting of (i) a multi-layer structure of group IV layers and (u) a multi-layer structure of group III-V layers. The n-channel TFET includes an n-type region, a p-type region with a p-type delta doping, and a channel region disposed between and spacing apart the n-type region and the p-type region. The p-channel TFET and the n-channel TFET may be electrically connected to define a complementary field-effect transistor element. TFETs may be fabricated from a silicon-germanium TFET layer structure grown by low temperature (500 degrees Centigrade) molecular beam epitaxy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Paul R. Berger
  • Patent number: 8237153
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes an apparatus having a substrate, a buried oxide layer formed on the substrate, a silicon on insulator (SOI) core formed on the buried oxide layer, a compressive strained quantum well (QW) layer wrapped around the SOI core, and a tensile strained silicon layer wrapped around the QW layer. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Chi On Chui, Prashant Majhi, Wilman Tsai, Jack T. Kavalieros
  • Patent number: 8237150
    Abstract: A p-type semiconductor nanowire transistor is formed on the first semiconductor nanowire and an n-type semiconductor nanowire transistor is formed on the second semiconductor nanowire. The first and second semiconductor nanowires have a rectangular cross-sectional area with different width-to-height ratios. The type of semiconductor nanowires for each semiconductor nanowire transistor is selected such that top and bottom surfaces provide a greater on-current per unit width than sidewall surfaces in a semiconductor nanowire having a greater width-to-height ratio, while sidewall surfaces provide a greater on-current per unit width than top and bottom surfaces in the other semiconductor nanowire having a lesser width-to-height ratio. Different types of stress-generating material layers may be formed on the first and second semiconductor nanowire transistors to provide opposite types of stress, which may be employed to enhance the on-current of the first and second semiconductor nanowire transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dureseti Chidambarrao, Xiao H. Liu, Lidija Sekaric
  • Publication number: 20120193609
    Abstract: A quantum well transistor has a germanium quantum well channel region. A silicon-containing etch stop layer provides easy placement of a gate dielectric close to the channel. A group III-V barrier layer adds strain to the channel. Graded silicon germanium layers above and below the channel region improve performance. Multiple gate dielectric materials allow use of a high-k value gate dielectric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Inventors: Ravi Pillarisetty, Been-Yin Jin, Benjamin Chu-Kung, Matthew V. Metz, Jack T. Kavalieros, Marko Radosavljevic, Roza Kotlyar, Willy Rachmady, Niloy Mukherjee, Gilbert Dewey, Robert S. Chau
  • Patent number: 8232165
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes an n-channel field effect transistor (NFET) nanowire, the NFET nanowire comprising a film wrapping around a core of the NFET nanowire, the film wrapping configured to provide tensile stress in the NFET nanowire. A method of making a semiconductor structure includes growing a film wrapping around a core of an n-channel field effect transistor (NFET) nanowire of the semiconductor structure, the film wrapping being configured to provide tensile stress in the NFET nanowire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dureseti Chidambarrao, Lidija Sekaric
  • Publication number: 20120187376
    Abstract: A tunnel field effect transistor is capable of operating at a low subthreshold and is able to be manufactured easily. The tunnel field effect transistor includes a group IV semiconductor substrate having a (111) surface and doped so as to have a first conductivity type, a group III-V compound semiconductor nanowire arranged on the (111) surface and containing a first region connected to the (111) surface and a second region doped so as to have a second conductivity type, a source electrode connected to the group IV semiconductor substrate; a drain electrode connected to the second region, and a gate electrode for applying an electric field to an interface between the (111) surface and the group III-V compound semiconductor nanowire, or an interface between the first region and the second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Tomioka, Takashi Fukui, Tomotaka Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20120187375
    Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes: providing a semiconductor device having a substrate, a nanowire, a first structure and a second structure, where the nanowire is suspended between the first structure and the second structure, where the first structure and the second structure overly the substrate; and performing atomic layer deposition to deposit a film on at least a portion of the semiconductor device, where performing atomic layer deposition to deposit the film includes performing atomic layer deposition to deposit the film on at least a surface of the nanowire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dechao Guo, Zhengwen Li, Kejia Wang, Zhen Zhang, Yu Zhu
  • Publication number: 20120181503
    Abstract: Disclosed are a method of fabricating a silicon quantum dot layer and a device manufactured using the same. A first capping layer is formed on a substrate, and a silicon-containing precursor layer is formed on the first capping layer. A second capping layer is formed on the silicon-containing precursor layer. The first capping layer, the silicon-containing precursor layer, and the second capping layer are irradiated to convert the silicon-containing precursor layer into a stack including a first poly-crystalline silicon layer, a silicon quantum dot layer on the first poly-crystalline silicon layer, and a second poly-crystalline silicon layer on the silicon quantum dot layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2011
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Inventors: Czang-Ho Lee, Joon-Young Seo, Dong-Jin Kim
  • Patent number: 8217383
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for implementing a high hole mobility p-channel Germanium (“Ge”) transistor structure on a Silicon (“Si”) substrate. One exemplary apparatus may include a buffer layer including a GaAs nucleation layer, a first GaAs buffer layer, and a second GaAs buffer layer. The exemplary apparatus may further include a bottom barrier on the second GaAs buffer layer and having a band gap greater than 1.1 eV, a Ge active channel layer on the bottom barrier and having a valence band offset relative to the bottom barrier that is greater than 0.3 eV, and an AlAs top barrier on the Ge active channel layer wherein the AlAs top barrier has a band gap greater than 1.1 eV. Of course, many alternatives, variations and modifications are possible without departing from this embodiment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Mantu K. Hudait, Suman Datta, Jack T. Kavalieros, Peter G. Tolchinsky
  • Patent number: 8216863
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing field-emitter arrays by a molding technique includes uniformly controlling a shape of mold holes to obtain field emitter tips having diameters below 100 nm and blunted side edges. Repeated oxidation and etching of a mold substrate formed of single-crystal semiconductor mold wafers is carried out, wherein the mold holes for individual emitters are fabricated by utilizing the crystal orientation dependence of the etching rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Paul Scherrer Insitut
    Inventors: Eugenie Kirk, Soichiro Tsujino
  • Patent number: 8211741
    Abstract: Gate electrodes are formed on a semiconducting carbon nanotube, followed by deposition and patterning of a hole-inducing material layer and an electron inducing material layer on the carbon nanotube according to the pattern of a one dimensional circuit layout. Electrical isolation may be provided by cutting a portion of the carbon nanotube, forming a reverse biased junction of a hole-induced region and an electron-induced region of the carbon nanotube, or electrically biasing a region through a dielectric layer between two device regions of the carbon nanotube. The carbon nanotubes may be arranged such that hole-inducing material layer and electron-inducing material layer may be assigned to each carbon nanotube to form periodic structures such as a static random access memory (SRAM) array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joerg Appenzeller, AJ Kleinosowski, Edward J. Nowak, Richard Q. Williams