With Means To Facilitate Light Erasure Patents (Class 257/323)
  • Patent number: 10886225
    Abstract: Back-end-of-the line (BEOL) interconnect structures are provided in which an alternative metal such as, for example, a noble metal, is present in a combined via/line opening that is formed in an interconnect dielectric material layer. A surface diffusion dominated reflow anneal is used to reduce the thickness of a noble metal layer outside the combined via/line opening thus reducing or eliminating the burden of polishing the noble metal layer. In some embodiments and after performing the anneal, a lesser noble metal layer can be formed atop the noble metal layer prior to polishing. The use of the lesser noble metal layer may further reduce the burden of polishing the noble metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chih-Chao Yang, Theo Standaert
  • Patent number: 10482976
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device includes: a plurality of word lines that are stacked; a pillar structure that penetrates through the word lines in a vertical direction; and a voltage supplier suitable for supplying a plurality of biases that are required according to an operation mode, to the word lines and the pillar structure. The pillar structure includes: a vertical channel region disposed in a core; and a laser diode structure disposed between the word lines and the vertical channel region to surround a periphery of the vertical channel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Jin Yong Oh
  • Patent number: 10079204
    Abstract: A light-erasable embedded memory device and a method for manufacturing the same are provided in the present invention. The light-erasable embedded memory device includes a substrate with a memory region and a core circuit region, a floating gate on the memory region of the substrate, at least two light-absorbing films above the floating gate, wherein each light-absorbing film is provided with at least one dummy via hole overlapping the floating gate, and a dielectric layer on each light-absorbing film and filling up the dummy via holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Hao Su, Chow Yee Lim, Chao Jiang, Hong Liao
  • Patent number: 10038000
    Abstract: A memory cell includes a selector, a fuse connected to the selector in series, a contact etch stop layer formed on the selector and the fuse, a bit line connected to the fuse, and a word line connected to the selector. The contact etch stop layer includes a high-k dielectric for improving the ability of capturing the electrons, thus the retention time of the memory cell is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Cheng-Yi Wu, Jian-Shin Tsai, Kuo-Hsien Cheng, Min-Hui Lin, Wei-Li Chen, Chao-Ching Chang, Chung-Yu Hsieh, Chin-Szu Lee
  • Patent number: 9853035
    Abstract: A method and layout for forming word line decoder devices and other devices having word line decoder cells provides for forming metal interconnect layers using non-DPL photolithography operations and provides for stitching distally disposed transistors using a lower or intermediate metal layer or a subjacent conductive material. The transistors may be disposed in or adjacent longitudinally arranged word line decoder or other cells and the conductive coupling using the metal or conductive material lowers gate resistance between transistors and avoids RC signal delays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsien-Yu Pan, Jung-Hsuan Chen, Shao-Yu Chou, Yen-Huei Chen, Hung-Jen Liao
  • Patent number: 9728260
    Abstract: A light-erasable embedded memory device and a method for manufacturing the same are provided in the present invention. The light-erasable embedded memory device includes a substrate with a memory region and a core circuit region, a floating gate on the memory region of the substrate, at least one light-absorbing film above the floating gate, wherein at least one light-absorbing film is provided with dummy via holes overlapping the floating gate, and a dielectric layer on the light-absorbing film and filling up the dummy via holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Hao Su, Chow Yee Lim, Chao Jiang, Hong Liao
  • Patent number: 9076896
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a nonpolar gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer is provided. The method is a method of fabricating a nonpolar gallium nitride layer using metal organic chemical vapor deposition, and includes disposing a gallium nitride substrate with an m-plane growth surface within a chamber, raising a substrate temperature to a GaN growth temperature by heating the substrate, and growing a gallium nitride layer on the gallium nitride substrate by supplying a Ga source gas, an N source gas, and an ambient gas into the chamber at the growth temperature. The supplied ambient gas contains N2 and does not contain H2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Seoul Viosys Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung Kyu Choi, Chae Hon Kim, Jung Whan Jung
  • Patent number: 8946799
    Abstract: Device structures, fabrication methods, operating methods, and design structures for a silicon controlled rectifier. The method includes applying a mechanical stress to a region of a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) at a level sufficient to modulate a trigger current of the SCR. The device and design structures include a SCR with an anode, a cathode, a first region, and a second region of opposite conductivity type to the first region. The first and second regions of the SCR are disposed in a current-carrying path between the anode and cathode of the SCR. A layer is positioned on a top surface of a semiconductor substrate relative to the first region and configured to cause a mechanical stress in the first region of the SCR at a level sufficient to modulate a trigger current of the SCR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Renata Camillo-Castillo, Erik M. Dahlstrom, Robert J. Gauthier, Jr., Ephrem G. Gebreselasie, Richard A. Phelps, Yun Shi, Andreas D. Stricker
  • Patent number: 8716780
    Abstract: A memory device includes a planar substrate, a plurality of horizontal conductive planes above the planar substrate, and a plurality of horizontal insulating layers interleaved with the plurality of horizontal conductive planes. An array of vertical conductive columns, perpendicular to the pluralities of conductive planes and insulating layers, passes through apertures in the pluralities of conductive planes and insulating layers. The memory device includes a plurality of programmable memory elements, each of which couples one of the horizontal conductive planes to a respective vertical conductive column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Mark D. Kellam, Gary B. Bronner
  • Patent number: 8659069
    Abstract: A method of forming a gate structure includes forming a tunnel insulation layer pattern on a substrate, forming a floating gate on the tunnel insulation layer pattern, forming a dielectric layer pattern on the floating gate, the dielectric layer pattern including a first oxide layer pattern, a nitride layer pattern on the first oxide layer pattern, and a second oxide layer pattern on the nitride layer pattern, the second oxide layer pattern being formed by performing an anisotropic plasma oxidation process on the nitride layer, such that a first portion of the second oxide layer pattern on a top surface of the floating gate has a larger thickness than a second portion of the second oxide layer pattern on a sidewall of the floating gate, and forming a control gate on the second oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jung-Hwan Kim, Sung-Ho Heo, Jae-Ho Choi, Hun-Hyeong Lim, Ki-Hyun Hwang, Woo-Sung Lee
  • Patent number: 8644759
    Abstract: Offset voltages developed on floating nodes on inputs to high-performance amplifiers that are DC isolated from the data signals input to amplifiers are cancelled by connecting a highly resistive element between the input node and a predetermined potential, particularly useful in proximity communication systems in which two chips are connected through capacitive or inductive coupling circuits formed jointly in the two chips. The resistive element may be an off MOS transistor connected between the node and a desired bias voltage or a MOS transistor with its gate and drain connected to the potential. Multiple bias voltages may be distributed to all receivers and locally selected by a multiplexer for application to one or two input nodes of the receiver. The receiver output can also serve as a predetermined potential when the resistive element has a long time constant compared to the data rate or the resistive element is non-linear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Justin M. Schauer, Robert David Hopkins, Robert J. Drost
  • Patent number: 8497546
    Abstract: Image sensor arrays may include bulk-charge-modulated-device (BCMD) sensor pixels. The BCMD sensor pixels may be used in back-side-illuminated (BSI) image sensors. A BCMD sensor pixel need not include a dedicated addressing transistor. The BCMD sensor pixel may include a gated drain reset (GDR) structure that is used to perform reset operations. The GDR structure may be shared among multiple pixels, which provides increased charge storage capacity for high resolution image sensors. A negative back body bias may be applied to the BCMD pixel array, allowing the depletion region under each BCMD pixel to extend all the way to the back silicon surface. Extending the depletion region by negatively biasing the back silicon surface may serve to minimize pixel crosstalk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation
    Inventor: Jaroslav Hynecek
  • Patent number: 8232591
    Abstract: An illuminating efficiency-increasable and light-erasable memory including a substrate, a memory device, many dielectric layers, and many cap layers is provided. The substrate includes a memory region. The memory device includes a select gate and a floating gate, and the select gate and the floating gate are disposed adjacently on the substrate in the memory region. The dielectric layers are disposed on the substrate and cover the memory device. The dielectric layers have an opening located above the floating gate. Each of the cap layers is disposed on each of the dielectric layers, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Hung-Lin Shih, Wen-Ching Tsai, Yu-Hua Huang
  • Patent number: 8115249
    Abstract: In a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, a tunnel insulating layer, a charge storage layer and a charge block layer are formed on a silicon substrate in this order, and a plurality of control gate electrodes are provided above the charge block layer. Moreover, a cap layer made of silicon nitride is formed between the charge block layer and each of the control gate electrode, the cap layer being divided for each gate control electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Isao Kamioka, Yoshio Ozawa, Katsuyuki Sekine
  • Patent number: 7977226
    Abstract: A flash memory device and a method for fabricating the same are disclosed. The flash memory device includes an ONO layer on a substrate, polysilicon gates on the ONO layer, a gate oxide layer on the substrate, the ONO layer and the polysilicon gates, and a low temperature oxide layer and polysilicon sidewall spacers on outer side surfaces of the polysilicon gates, except in a region between nearest adjacent polysilicon gates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Dongbu HiTek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ki Jun Yun
  • Patent number: 7910949
    Abstract: A power semiconductor device includes a conductive board and a switching element mounted on the conductive board and electrically connected thereto. The power semiconductor device also includes an integrated circuit mounted on the conductive board at a distance from the switching element and electrically connected thereto. The switching element turns ON/OFF a connection between first and second main electrodes in response to a control signal inputted to a control electrode. The integrated circuit includes a control circuit which controls ON/OFF the switching element and a back side voltage detection element which detects a voltage of the back side of the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yukio Yasuda, Atsunobu Kawamoto, Shinsuke Goudo
  • Patent number: 7838406
    Abstract: The present invention is a semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate having a trench, a first insulating film provided on side surfaces of the trench, a second insulating film of a material different from the first insulating film provided to be embedded in the trench, a word line provided extending to intersect with the trench above the semiconductor substrate, a gate insulating film of a material different from the first insulating film separated in an extending direction of the word line by the trench and provided under a central area in a width direction of the word line, and a charge storage layer separated in the extending direction of the word line by the trench and provided under both ends in the width direction of the word line to enclose the gate insulating film, and a method for manufacturing the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Takayuki Maruyama, Fumihiko Inoue
  • Patent number: 7820491
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate that in turn has a top semiconductor layer portion and a major supporting portion under the top semiconductor layer portion. An interconnect layer is over the semiconductor layer. A memory array is in a portion of the top semiconductor layer portion and a portion of the interconnect layer. The memory is erased by removing at least a portion of the major supporting portion and, after the step of removing, applying light to the memory array from a side opposite the interconnect layer. The result is that the memory array receives light from the backside and is erased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Rajesh A. Rao, Leo Mathew, Ramachandran Muralidhar, Bruce E. White
  • Patent number: 7791129
    Abstract: There is provided a trap memory device suppresses electric charges from flowing from the outside into a charge accumulation region and accumulated electric charges from diffusing to the outside or flowing out due to a defect. A gate conductor 6 is formed through a laminate insulating film including a first gate insulating film 3, a charge accumulation layer 4 and a second gate insulating film 5 on a silicon substrate 1. The laminate insulating film (3 to 5) projects outside the gate conductor 6 and extends to under the outer end of a side wall 8. The charge accumulation layer 4 includes a high trap surface-density region 4a immediately under the gate conductor and a low trap surface-density region 4b outside the gate conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Masayuki Terai
  • Patent number: 7763931
    Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory including a semiconductor substrate having an upper surface; a plurality of memory cell transistors formed in the semiconductor substrate, each memory cell transistor including a gate electrode having a gate insulating layer on the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, a floating gate electrode layer on the gate insulating layer, an inter-gate insulating layer on the floating gate electrode layer, and a control gate electrode layer on the inter-gate insulating layer; a first oxide-based insulating film formed above the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate between the gate electrodes, and including an upper surface as high or higher than that of the floating gate electrode layer but lower than that of the control gate electrode layer; a nitride-based insulating film containing boron formed on the first oxide-based insulating film and the control gate layer; and a second oxide-based insulating film formed on the nitride-based insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tomoharu Hashiguchi, Hajime Nagano
  • Patent number: 7745870
    Abstract: A floating gate memory cell has a floating gate in which there are two floating gate layers. The top layer is etched to provide a contour in the top layer while leaving the lower layer unchanged. The control gate follows the contour of the floating gate to increase capacitance therebetween. The two layers of the floating gate can be polysilicon separated by a very thin etch stop layer. This etch stop layer is thick enough to provide an etch stop during a polysilicon etch but preferably thin enough to be electrically transparent. Electrons are able to easily move between the two layers. Thus the etch of the top layer does not extend into the lower layer but the first and second layer have the electrical effect for the purposes of a floating gate of being a continuous conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Gowrishankar L. Chindalore, Craig T. Swift
  • Patent number: 7671402
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a substrate; a photoelectric transducer that is provided within the substrate and generates light-generated charge in accordance with incident light; a floating diffusion that retains the light-generated charge generated from the photoelectric transducer; a transfer and retention unit that is provided between the photoelectric transducer and the floating diffusion for a purpose of controlling a transfer of the light-generated charge and has a charge-retaining region that can retain the light-generated charge generated from the photoelectric transducer; a reset unit that initializes a potential of the floating diffusion; an amplifying transistor that generates an output based on a potential of the floating diffusion; a selection transistor that selectively outputs an output of the amplifying transistor; and an excessive charge-discharging unit that discharges excessive electric charge generated from the photoelectric transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazunobu Kuwazawa
  • Patent number: 7586145
    Abstract: An EEPROM flash memory device having a floating gate electrode enabling a reduced erase voltage and method for forming the same, the floating gate electrode including an outer edge portion including multiple charge transfer pointed tips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd
    Inventors: Yuan-Hung Liu, Shih-Chi Fu, Chi-Hsin Lo, Chia-Shiung Tsai
  • Patent number: 7544992
    Abstract: An illuminating efficiency-increasable and light-erasable embedded memory structure including a substrate, a memory device, many dielectric layers, many cap layers and at least three metal layers is described. The substrate includes a memory region and a core circuit region. The memory device includes a select gate and a floating gate, and the select gate and the floating gate are disposed adjacently on the substrate in the memory region. The dielectric layers are disposed on the substrate and cover the memory device. The dielectric layers have a first opening located above the floating gate. Each of the cap layers is disposed on each of the dielectric layers, respectively. The metal layers are disposed in the dielectric layers in the core circuit region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Hung-Lin Shih, Wen-Ching Tsai, Yu-Hua Huang
  • Patent number: 7538383
    Abstract: According to one exemplary embodiment, a two-bit memory cell includes a gate stack situated over a substrate, where the gate stack includes a charge-trapping layer. The charge-trapping layer includes first and second conductive segments and a nitride segment, where the nitride segment is situated between the first and second conductive segments. The nitride segment electrically insulates the first conductive segment from the second conductive segment. The first and second conductive segments provide respective first and second data bit storage locations in the two-bit memory cell. The gate stack can further include a lower oxide segment situated between the substrate and the charge-trapping layer. The gate stack can further include an upper oxide segment situated over the charge-trapping layer. The gate stack can be situated between a first dielectric segment and a second dielectric segment, where the first and second dielectric segments are situated over respective first and second bitlines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Meng Ding, Simon S. Chan
  • Patent number: 7449742
    Abstract: The present memory device includes first and second electrodes, a passive layer between the first and second electrodes; and an active layer between the first and second electrodes, the active layer being of dendrimeric material which provides passages through the active layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Igor Sokolik, Juri Krieger, Xiaobo Shi, Richard Kingsborough, William Leonard
  • Publication number: 20080164512
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate that in turn has a top semiconductor layer portion and a major supporting portion under the top semiconductor layer portion. An interconnect layer is over the semiconductor layer. A memory array is in a portion of the top semiconductor layer portion and a portion of the interconnect layer. The memory is erased by removing at least a portion of the major supporting portion and, after the step of removing, applying light to the memory array from a side opposite the interconnect layer. The result is that the memory array receives light from the backside and is erased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2007
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Inventors: Rajesh A. Rao, Leo Mathew, Ramachandran Muralidhar, Bruce E. White
  • Patent number: 7394127
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory device includes a pair of source/drain regions disposed in a semiconductor substrate, having a channel region between them. A charge storage oxide layer is disposed on the channel region and overlaps part of each of the pair of source/drain regions. A gate electrode is disposed on the charge storage oxide layer. At least one halo implantation region is formed in the semiconductor substrate adjacent to one of the pair of source/drain regions, and overlapping the charge storage oxide layer. A program operation is performed by trapping electrons in the charge storage oxide layer located near the source/drain region where the halo ion implantation region is formed, and an erase operation is performed by injecting holes into the charge storage oxide layer located near the source/drain region where the halo ion implantation region is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ki-Chul Kim, Geum-Jong Bae, Byoung-jin Lee, Sang-Su Kim
  • Patent number: 7391078
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory is provided. A substrate having a plurality of trenches and a plurality of select gates is provided. The trenches are arranged in parallel and extend in a first direction. Each of the select gates is disposed on the substrate between two adjacent trenches respectively. A plurality of select gate dielectric layers are disposed between the select gates and the substrate. A plurality of composite layers are disposed over the surface of the trenches and each composite layer has a charge trapping layer. A plurality of word lines are arranged in parallel in a second direction, wherein each of the word lines fills the trenches between adjacent select gates and is disposed over the composite layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Powerchip Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Wei-Zhe Wong, Ching-Sung Yang
  • Patent number: 7382015
    Abstract: A non-volatile semiconductor memory device, which is intended to prevent data destruction by movements of electric charges between floating gates and thereby improve the reliability, includes element isolation/insulation films buried into a silicon substrate to isolate stripe-shaped element-forming regions. Formed on the substrate are a floating gate via a first gate insulating film and further a control gate via a second gate insulating film. Source and drain diffusion layers are formed in self-alignment with control gates. The second gate insulating film on the floating gate is divided and separated together with the floating gate by slits above the element isolation/insulation films into discrete portions of individual memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tadashi Iguchi, Yoshiaki Himeno, Hiroaki Tsunoda
  • Patent number: 7352028
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes: a substrate; a photoelectric transducer that is provided within the substrate and generates light-generated charge in accordance with incident light; a floating diffusion that retains the light-generated charge generated from the photoelectric transducer; a transfer and retention unit that is provided between the photoelectric transducer and the floating diffusion for a purpose of controlling a transfer of the light-generated charge and has a charge-retaining region that can retain the light-generated charge generated from the photoelectric transducer; a reset unit that initializes a potential of the floating diffusion; an amplifying transistor that generates an output based on a potential of the floating diffusion; a selection transistor that selectively outputs an output of the amplifying transistor; and an excessive charge-discharging unit that discharges excessive electric charge generated from the photoelectric transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazunobu Kuwazawa
  • Patent number: 7253468
    Abstract: Flash memory and methods of fabricating the same are disclosed. An illustrated example flash memory includes a first source formed within a semiconductor substrate; an epitaxial layer formed on an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate; an opening formed within the epitaxial layer to expose the first source; a floating gate device formed inside the opening; and a select gate device formed on the epitaxial layer at a distance from the floating gate device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Dongbu Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin Hyo Jung
  • Patent number: 7208794
    Abstract: Semiconductor memory having memory cells, each including first and second conductively-doped contact regions and a channel region arranged between the latter, formed in a web-like rib made of semiconductor material and arranged one behind the other in this sequence in the longitudinal direction of the rib. The rib has an essentially rectangular shape with an upper side of the rib and rib side faces lying opposite. A memory layer is configured for programming the memory cell, arranged on the upper side of the rib spaced apart by a first insulator layer, and projects in the normal direction of the one rib side face over one of the rib side faces so that the one rib side face and the upper side of the rib form an edge for injecting charge carriers from the channel region into the memory layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Franz Hofmann, Erhard Landgraf, Richard Johannes Luyken, Wolfgang Roesner, Michael Specht
  • Patent number: 7202524
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device is provided which includes a floating gate having a lower portion formed in a trench defined in a surface of a substrate and an upper portion protruding above the surface of the substrate from the lower portion. A gate insulating layer is formed along an inner wall of the trench and interposed between the trench and the lower portion of the floating gate. A source region is formed in the substrate adjacent a first sidewall of the trench. A control gate having a first portion is formed over the surface of the substrate adjacent a second sidewall of the trench, and a second portion is formed over the upper portion of the floating gate and extending from the first portion. The first sidewall of the trench is opposite the second sidewall of the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ki-chul Kim, Young-cheon Jeong, Hyok-ki Kwon
  • Patent number: 7187043
    Abstract: A memory function body has a medium interposed between a first conductor (e.g., a conductive substrate) and a second conductor (e.g., an electrode) and consisting of a first material (e.g., silicon oxide or silicon nitride). The medium contains particles. Each particle is covered with a second material (e.g., silver oxide) and formed of a third material (e.g., silver). The second material functions as a barrier against passage of electric charges, and the third material has a function of retaining electric charges. The third material is introduced into the medium by, for example, a negative ion implantation method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Nobutoshi Arai, Hiroshi Iwata, Seizo Kakimoto
  • Patent number: 7183662
    Abstract: A memory device, such as a DRAM, SRAM or non-volatile memory device, includes a substrate, a gate electrode disposed on the substrate, and source and drain regions in the substrate adjacent respective first and second sidewalls of the gate electrode. First and second sidewall spacers are disposed on respective ones of the first and second sidewalls of the gate electrode. The first and second sidewall spacers have different dielectric constants. The first and second sidewall spacers may be substantially symmetrical and/or have substantially the same thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gyu-chul Kim, Sung-bong Kim
  • Patent number: 7157742
    Abstract: An integrally packaged optronic integrated circuit device (310) including an integrated circuit die (322) containing at least one of a radiation emitter and radiation receiver and having top and bottom surfaces formed of electrically insulative and mechanically protective material, at least one of the surfaces (317) being transparent to radiation, and electrically insulative edge surfaces (314) having pads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2007
    Assignee: Tessera Technologies Hungary Kft.
    Inventor: Avner Badehi
  • Patent number: 7148529
    Abstract: A semiconductor package includes (a) an interposer, (b) a wiring layer containing conductors formed adjacent to each other at intervals that cause no short circuit among the conductors, the wiring layer covering a given area of the interposer, to block light from passing through the given area, (c) a light blocking layer covering a no-wiring area of the interposer not covered by the wiring layer, to block light from passing through the no-wiring area, (d) a semiconductor chip electrically connected to the wiring layer, and (e) a resin mold sealing the wiring layer, the light blocking layer, and the semiconductor chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Mitsuru Oida, Masatoshi Fukuda, Yasuhiro Koshio, Hiroshi Funakura
  • Patent number: 7122857
    Abstract: A method is provided for forming a highly dense stacked gate flash memory cell with a structure having multi floating gates that can assume 4 states and, therefore, store 2 bits at the same time. This is accomplished by providing a semiconductor substrate having gate oxide formed thereon, and shallow trench isolation and a p-well formed therein. A layer of nitride is next formed over the substrate and an opening formed therein. Polysilicon floating gate spacers are formed in the opening. A dielectric layer is then formed over the floating gates followed by the forming of a control gate. The adjacent nitride layer is then removed leaving a multi-level structure comprising a control gate therebetween multi floating gates with the intervening dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chrong Jung Lin, Shui-Hung Chen, Hsin-Ming Chen
  • Patent number: 7119393
    Abstract: A floating-gate transistor for an integrated circuit is formed on a p-type substrate. An n-type region is disposed over the p-type substrate. A p-type region is disposed over the n-type region. Spaced apart n-type source and drain regions are disposed in the p-type region forming a channel therein. A floating gate is disposed above and insulated from the channel. A control gate is disposed above and insulated from the floating gate. An isolation trench disposed in the p-type region and surrounding the source and drain regions, the isolation trench extending down into the n-type region. The substrate, the n-type region and the p-type region each biased such that the p-type region is fully depleted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Actel Corporation
    Inventor: John McCollum
  • Patent number: 7115939
    Abstract: Vertical body transistors with adjacent horizontal gate layers are used to form a memory array in a high density flash electrically erasable and programmable read only memory (EEPROM) or a logic array in a high density field programmable logic array (FPLA). The transistor is a field-effect transistor (FET) having an electrically isolated (floating) gate that controls electrical conduction between source regions and drain regions. If a particular floating gate is charged with stored electrons, then the transistor will not turn on and will provide an indication of the stored data at this location in the memory array within the EEPROM or will act as the absence of a transistor at this location in the logic array within the FPLA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Micron Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard Forbes
  • Patent number: 7078749
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a memory structure comprises a substrate having a channel region situated between a source region and a drain region. The memory structure further comprises a gate layer formed over the channel region of the substrate, and a tunable interlayer dielectric formed over the gate layer and the substrate. The tunable interlayer dielectric has a transparent state and an opaque state, and comprises a matrix and electrically or magnetically tunable material situated within the matrix. During the transparent state, UV rays can pass through the tunable interlayer dielectric to the gate layer, e.g., to perform a UV erase operation. During the opaque state, UV rays are prevented from passing through the tunable interlayer dielectric to the gate layer, thereby protecting the gate layer against unwanted charge storage and extrinsic damage that may occur during various processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Jean Yee-Mei Yang, Yider Wu
  • Patent number: 7018898
    Abstract: The invention relates to a nonvolatile two-transistor semiconductor memory cell and an associated fabrication method, source and drain regions (2) for a selection transistor (AT) and a memory transistor (ST) being formed in a substrate (1). The memory transistor (ST) has a first insulation layer (3), a charge storage layer (4), a second insulation layer (5) and a memory transistor control layer (6), while the selection transistor (AT) has a first insulation layer (3?) and a selection transistor control layer (4*). By using different materials for the charge storage layer (4) and the selection transistor control layer (4*), it is possible to significantly improve the charge retention properties of the memory cell by adapting the substrate doping with electrical properties remaining the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Franz Schuler, Georg Tempel
  • Patent number: 6946702
    Abstract: The present invention provides a resistance random access memory structure, including a plurality of word lines in a substrate, a plurality of reset lines coupled to the word lines, a dielectric layer on the substrate, a plurality of memory units in the dielectric layer. Each of the memory units includes a bottom electrode, a top electrode and a resistive thin film between the top electrode and the bottom electrode. The top electrodes of the memory units in a same column e coupled to one of the reset lines and a plurality of the bit lines on the memory units. The bottom electrodes of the memory units in a same row are coupled to one of the bit lines. Because the present invention provides reset lines for Type 1R1D RRAM, it can overcome the non-erasable of the conventional Type 1R1D RRAM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corp.
    Inventor: Wen-Yueh Jang
  • Patent number: 6870216
    Abstract: A stacked gate vertical flash memory and a fabrication method thereof. The stacked gate vertical flash memory comprises a semiconductor substrate with a trench, a source conducting layer formed on the bottom of the trench, an insulating layer formed on the source conducting layer, a gate dielectric layer formed on a sidewall of the trench, a conducting spacer covering the gate dielectric layer as a floating gate, an inter-gate dielectric layer covering the conducting spacer, and a control gate conducting layer filled in the trench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Nanya Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Ching-Nan Hsiao, Ying-Cheng Chuang, Chi-Hui Lin
  • Patent number: 6815762
    Abstract: In a process for manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a MISFET, in order that a shallow junction between the source/drain of the MISFET and a semiconductor substrate may be realized by reducing the number of heat treatment steps, all conductive films to be deposited on the semiconductor substrate are deposited at a temperature of 500° C. or lower at a step after the MISFET has been formed. Moreover, all insulating films to be deposited over the semiconductor substrate are deposited at a temperature of 500° C. or lower at a step after the MISFET has been formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Yoshida, Takahiro Kumauchi, Yoshitaka Tadaki, Kazuhiko Kajigaya, Hideo Aoki, Isamu Asano
  • Patent number: 6803319
    Abstract: A process for optically reducing charge build-up in an integrated circuit includes exposing the integrated circuit or portions thereof to a broadband radiation source. The process effectively reduces charge buildup that occurs in the manufacture of integrated circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Axcelis Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan C. Janos, Anthony Sinnot, Ivan Berry, Kevin Stewart, Robert Douglas Mohondro
  • Patent number: 6762068
    Abstract: A CMOS-compatible FET has a reduced electron affinity polycrystalline or microcrystalline SiC gate that is electrically isolated (floating) or interconnected. The SiC material composition is selected to establish the barrier energy between the SiC gate and a gate insulator. In a memory application, such as a flash EEPROM, the SiC composition is selected to establish a lower barrier energy to reduce write and erase voltages and times or accommodate the particular data charge retention time needed for the particular application. In a light detector or imaging application, the SiC composition is selected to provide sensitivity to the desired wavelength of light. Unlike conventional photodetectors, light is absorbed in the floating gate, thereby ejecting previously stored electrons therefrom. Also unlike conventional photodetectors, the light detector according to the present invention is actually more sensitive to lower energy photons as the semiconductor bandgap is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Leonard Forbes, Kie Y. Ahn
  • Patent number: 6713812
    Abstract: A memory device (70) that uses a non-volatile storage element (38), such as nitride, has reduced read disturb, which is the problem of tending to increase the threshold voltage of a memory device (70) during a read. To reduce this effect, the memory device (70) uses a counterdoped channel (86) to lower the natural threshold voltage of the device (70). This counterdoping can even be of sufficient dosage to reverse the conductivity type of the channel (86) and causing a negative natural threshold voltage. This allows for a lower gate voltage during read to reduce the adverse effect of performing a read. An anti-punch through (ATP) region (74) below the channel (86) allows for the lightly doped or reversed conductivity type channel (86) to avoid short channel leakage. A halo implant (46) on the drain side (54, 53) assists in hot carrier injection (HCI) so that the HCI is effective even though the channel (86) is lightly doped or of reversed conductivity type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2004
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander B. Hoefler, Gowrishankar L. Chindalore, Paul A. Ingersoll, Craig T. Swift
  • Patent number: 6635943
    Abstract: A method and system for insulating a lower layer of a semiconductor device from an upper layer of the semiconductor device is disclosed. The method and system include providing an interlayer dielectric on the lower layer. The interlayer dielectric is capable of gap filling while using only species of relatively low mobility. The method and system also include planarizing a surface of the interlayer dielectric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Angela T. Hui, Tuan Duc Pham, Richard J. Huang, Mark T. Ramsbey, Lu You