Substrate Is Single Crystal Insulator (e.g., Sapphire Or Spinel) Patents (Class 257/352)
  • Publication number: 20120205744
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide SOI body-contacted transistors that can be used for high frequency analog and digital circuits. In accordance with certain embodiments of the invention, the SOI transistor gate can have an “I” shape, similar to the shape of the gate of a floating body SOI transistor. However, a body region is provided that extends perpendicular to the width direction of the gate and is contacted at an end of the extended body region. To form such a body contact structure, a source/drain implant block mask and silicide block mask are used during the formation of the source/drain regions. The source/drain implant block mask and silicide block mask can be formed on the same region, but the silicide block mask can allow for the body contact portion at the end of the extended body region to be silicided during the siliciding of the source/drain regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Inventors: Kenneth K. O, Chieh-Lin Wu
  • Patent number: 8241997
    Abstract: There is provided a method of removing trap levels and defects, which are caused by stress, from a single crystal silicon thin film formed by an SOI technique. First, a single crystal silicon film is formed by using a typical bonding SOI technique such as Smart-Cut or ELTRAN. Next, the single crystal silicon thin film is patterned to form an island-like silicon layer, and then, a thermal oxidation treatment is carried out in an oxidizing atmosphere containing a halogen element, so that an island-like silicon layer in which the trap levels and the defects are removed is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8227866
    Abstract: A semiconductor substrate having an SOI layer is provided. Between an SOI layer and a glass substrate, a bonding layer is provided which is formed of one layer or a plurality of layers of phosphosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, and/or borophosphosilicate glass, using organosilane as one material by a thermal CVD method at a temperature of 500° C. to 800° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tetsuya Kakehata
  • Patent number: 8217488
    Abstract: A method for enhancing light extraction efficiency of GaN light emitting diodes is disclosed. By cutting off a portion from each end of bottom of a sapphire substrate or forming depressions on the bottom of the substrate and forming a reflector, light beams emitted to side walls of the substrate can be guided to the light emitting diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Walsin Lihwa Corporation
    Inventors: Shiue-Lung Chen, Jeng-Guo Feng, Jang-Ho Chen, Ching-Hwa Chang Jean
  • Patent number: 8217498
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for producing a gallium nitride semiconductor on insulator structure include: bonding a single crystal silicon layer to a transparent substrate; and growing a single crystal gallium nitride layer on the single crystal silicon layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Rajaram Bhat, Kishor Purushottam Gadkaree, Jerome Napierala, Linda Ruth Pinckney, Chung-En Zah
  • Publication number: 20120132994
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to semiconductor devices and, more particularly, to a structure for high-voltage (HV) semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) devices and methods for their formation. In one embodiment, the invention provides a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) device comprising: a substrate; an insulator layer atop the substrate; a polysilicon layer atop the insulator layer; a device layer atop the polysilicon layer, the device layer comprising: a P-well; an N-well; and an undoped silicon region between the P-well and the N-well; and a trench isolation adjacent one of the P-well and the N-well and extending through the device layer and the polysilicon layer to the insulator layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: William F. Clark, JR., Yun Shi
  • Patent number: 8138010
    Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device includes forming a first photoresist layer over an underlying layer, patterning the first photoresist layer into a first photoresist pattern, wherein the first photoresist pattern comprises a plurality of spaced apart first photoresist features located over the underlying layer, and etching the underlying layer using the first photoresist pattern as a mask to form a plurality of first spaced apart features. The method further includes removing the first photoresist pattern, forming a second photoresist layer over the plurality of first spaced apart features, and patterning the second photoresist layer into a second photoresist pattern, wherein the second photoresist pattern comprises a plurality of second photoresist features covering edge portions of the plurality of first spaced apart features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: SanDisk 3D LLC
    Inventors: Roy E. Scheuerlein, Steven Radigan
  • Patent number: 8134207
    Abstract: In a high breakdown voltage semiconductor element among elements integrated together on an SOI substrate in which its rated voltage is shared between an embedded oxide layer and a drain region formed by an element active layer, both high integration and high breakdown voltage are realized while also securing suitability for practical implementation and practical use. The high breakdown voltage is realized without hampering size reduction of the element by forming an electrically floating layer of a conductivity type opposite to that of the drain region at the surface of the drain region. Further, the thickness of the embedded oxide layer is reduced to a level suitable for the practical implementation and practical use by setting the thickness of the element active layer of the SOI substrate at 30 ?m or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Atsuo Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8106449
    Abstract: To achieve a stable reading operation in a memory cell having a gain-cell structure, a write transistor is configured, which has a source and a drain that are formed on the insulating layer, a channel formed on the insulating layer and between the source and the drain and made of a semiconductor, and a gate formed on an upper portion of the insulating layer and between the source and the drain and electrically insulated from the channel by a gate insulating film and controlling the potential of the channel. The channel electrically connects the source and the drain on the side surfaces of the source and the drain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Sano, Tomoyuki Ishii, Norifumi Kameshiro, Toshiyuki Mine
  • Patent number: 8053840
    Abstract: The invention relates to thin film transistors comprising novel dielectric layers and novel electrodes comprising metal compositions that can be provided by a dry thermal transfer process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Richard Kevin Bailey, Graciela Beatriz Blanchet, John W. Catron, Jr., Reid John Chesterfield, Marc B. Goldfinger, Gary Delmar Jaycox, Lynda Kaye Johnson, Irina Malajovich, Hong Meng, Jeffrey Scott Meth, Kenneth George Sharp, Rinaldo Soria Schiffino, Feng Gao, Gerald Donald Andrews
  • Publication number: 20110227637
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are disclosed for use in improving the gate oxide reliability of semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) metal-oxide-silicon field effect transistor (MOSFET) devices using accumulated charge control (ACC) techniques. The method and apparatus are adapted to remove, reduce, or otherwise control accumulated charge in SOI MOSFETs, thereby yielding improvements in FET performance characteristics. In one embodiment, a circuit comprises a MOSFET, operating in an accumulated charge regime, and means for controlling the accumulated charge, operatively coupled to the SOI MOSFET. A first determination is made of the effects of an uncontrolled accumulated charge on time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) of the gate oxide of the SOI MOSFET. A second determination is made of the effects of a controlled accumulated charge on TDDB of the gate oxide of the SOI MOSFET.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventors: Michael A. Stuber, Christopher N. Brindle, Dylan J. Kelly, Clint L. Kemerling, George P. Imthurn, Mark L. Burgener, Alexander Dribinsky, Tae Youn Kim
  • Patent number: 8013327
    Abstract: A thin-film transistor includes an insulating substrate, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, disposed over the top of the insulating substrate, a semiconductor layer electrically continuous with the source electrode, and the drain electrode, respectively, a gate dielectric film formed over the top of at least the semiconductor layer; and a gate electrode disposed over the top of the gate dielectric film so as to overlap the semiconductor layer. Further, a first bank insulator is formed so as to overlie the source electrode, a second bank insulator is formed so as to overlie the drain electrode, and the semiconductor layer, the gate dielectric film, and the gate electrode are embedded in a region between the first bank insulator, and the second bank insulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kawasaki, Masaaki Fujimori, Takeo Shiba, Shuji Imazeki, Tadashi Arai
  • Patent number: 7989324
    Abstract: The present invention provides an SOS wafer comprising a non-transparent polysilicon layer provided on a back surface of a sapphire substrate, a silicon nitride layer which protects the polysilicon layer, and a stress relaxing film which cancels stress produced in the silicon nitride layer, wherein the silicon nitride layer and the stress relaxing film are provided on the back surface side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Oki Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kimiaki Shimokawa
  • Publication number: 20110180811
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a wireless chip which can increase a mechanical strength, and a wireless chip with a high durability. A wireless chip includes a transistor including a field-effect transistor, an antenna including a dielectric layer sandwiched between conductive layers, and a conductive layer connecting the chip and the antenna. Further, a wireless chip includes a transistor including a field-effect transistor, an antenna including a dielectric layer sandwiched between conductive layers, a sensor device, a conductive layer connecting the chip and the antenna, and a conductive layer connecting the chip and the sensor device. Moreover, a wireless chip includes a transistor including a field-effect transistor, an antenna including a dielectric layer sandwiched between conductive layers, a battery, a conductive layer connecting the chip and the antenna, and a conductive layer connecting the chip and the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yukie SUZUKI, Yasuyuki ARAI, Shunpei YAMAZAKI
  • Publication number: 20110169550
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for use in improving the linearity characteristics of MOSFET devices using an accumulated charge sink (ACS) are disclosed. The method and apparatus are adapted to remove, reduce, or otherwise control accumulated charge in SOI MOSFETs, thereby yielding improvements in FET performance characteristics. In one exemplary embodiment, a circuit having at least one SOI MOSFET is configured to operate in an accumulated charge regime. An accumulated charge sink, operatively coupled to the body of the SOI MOSFET, eliminates, removes or otherwise controls accumulated charge when the FET is operated in the accumulated charge regime, thereby reducing the nonlinearity of the parasitic off-state source-to-drain capacitance of the SOI MOSFET. In RF switch circuits implemented with the improved SOI MOSFET devices, harmonic and intermodulation distortion is reduced by removing or otherwise controlling the accumulated charge when the SOI MOSFET operates in an accumulated charge regime.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Inventors: Christopher N. Brindle, Michael A. Stuber, Dylan J. Kelly, Clint L. Kemerling, George P. Imthurn, Robert B. Welstand, Mark L. Burgener
  • Patent number: 7960736
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor-on-insulator structure including a semiconductor component comprised of substantially single-crystal semiconductor material layer and a single-crystal semiconductor material with an enhanced oxygen content layer; an oxide glass material layer; and a glass-ceramic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Kishor P. Gadkaree, Linda R. Pinckney
  • Patent number: 7943933
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a TFT substrate which exhibits good characteristic properties despite the omission of the barrier metal layer to be normally interposed between the source-drain electrodes and the semiconductor layer in the TFT. The TFT substrate permits sure and direct connection with the semiconductor layer of the TFT. The thin film transistor substrate has a substrate, a semiconductor layer and source-drain electrodes. The source-drain electrodes are composed of oxygen-containing layers and thin films of pure copper or a copper alloy. The oxygen-containing layer contains oxygen such that part or all of oxygen combines with silicon in the semiconductor layer. And, the thin films of pure copper or a copper alloy connect with the semiconductor layer of the thin film transistor through the oxygen-containing layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Kobe Steel, Ltd.
    Inventors: Aya Hino, Hiroshi Gotou
  • Patent number: 7935958
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device which has a storage element having a simple structure in which an organic compound layer is sandwiched between a pair of conductive layers and a manufacturing method of such a semiconductor device. With this characteristic, a semiconductor device having a storage circuit which is nonvolatile, additionally recordable, and easily manufactured and a manufacturing method of such a semiconductor device are provided. A semiconductor device according to the present invention has a plurality of field-effect transistors provided over an insulating layer and a plurality of storage elements provided over the plurality of field-effect transistors. Each of the plurality of field-effect transistors uses a single-crystal semiconductor layer as a channel portion and each of the plurality of storage elements is an element in which a first conductive layer, an organic compound layer, and a second conductive layer are stacked in order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroko Abe, Yuji Iwaki, Mikio Yukawa, Shunpei Yamazaki, Yasuyuki Arai, Yasuko Watanabe, Yoshitaka Moriya
  • Patent number: 7919815
    Abstract: Wafer suitable for semiconductor deposition application can be fabricated to have low bow, warp, total thickness variation, taper, and total indicated reading properties. The wafers can be fabricated by cutting a boule to produce rough-cut wafers, lapping the rough-cut wafers, etching the lapped wafers to remove a defect, deformation zone and relieve residual stress, and chemically mechanically polishing the etched wafers to desired finish properties. Etching can be performed by immersion in a heated etching solution comprising sulfuric acid or a mixture of sulfuric and phosphoric acids. A low pH slurry utilized in chemical mechanical polishing of the spinel wafer can comprise ?-Al2O3 and an organic phosphate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Saint-Gobain Ceramics & Plastics, Inc.
    Inventors: Brahmanandam Tanikella, Elizabeth Thomas, Frank L. Csillag, Palaniappan Chinnakaruppan, Jadwiga Jaroniec, Eric Virey, Robert A. Rizzuto
  • Patent number: 7906409
    Abstract: A device manufacturing method includes a buffer layer forming step of forming a buffer layer on an underlying substrate, a mask pattern forming step of forming, on the buffer layer, a mask pattern which partially covers the buffer layer, a growth step of growing a group III nitride crystal from regions exposed by the mask pattern on the surface of the buffer layer, thereby forming a structure in which a plurality of crystal members are arranged with gaps therebetween so as to partially cover the buffer layer and the mask pattern, a channel forming step of forming a channel, to supply a second etchant for the buffer layer to the buffer layer, by selectively etching the mask pattern using a first etchant for the mask pattern, and a separation step of separating the plurality of crystal members from the underlying substrate and separating the plurality of crystal members from each other by supplying the second etchant to the buffer layer through the gaps and the channel and selectively etching the buffer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takafumi Yao, Meoung-Whan Cho
  • Patent number: 7880231
    Abstract: A method and the resultant memory is described for forming an array of floating body memory cells and logic transistors on an SOI substrate. The floating bodies for the cells are formed over the buried oxide, the transistors in the logic section are formed in the bulk silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Peter L. D. Chang
  • Patent number: 7880303
    Abstract: An integrated circuit structure includes a semiconductor substrate; a metallization layer over the semiconductor substrate; a first dielectric layer between the semiconductor substrate and the metallization layer; a second dielectric layer between the semiconductor substrate and the metallization layer, wherein the second dielectric layer is over the first dielectric layer; and a contact plug with an upper portion substantially in the second dielectric layer and a lower portion substantially in the first dielectric layer. The contact plug is electrically connected to a metal line in the metallization layer. The contact plug is discontinuous at an interface between the upper portion and the lower portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chen-Hua Yu, Chen-Nan Yeh, Chih-Hsiang Yao, Wen-Kai Wan, Jye-Yen Cheng
  • Patent number: 7863713
    Abstract: For equalizing the rising and falling operating speeds in a CMOS circuit, it is necessary to make the areas of a p-type MOS transistor and an n-type MOS transistor different from each other due to a difference in carrier mobility therebetween. This area unbalance prevents an improvement in integration degree of semiconductor devices. The NMOS transistor and the PMOS transistor each have a three-dimensional structure with a channel region on both the (100) plane and the (110) plane so that the areas of the channel regions and gate insulating films of both transistors are equal to each other. Accordingly, it is possible to make the areas of the gate insulating films and so on equal to each other and also to make the gate capacitances equal to each other. Further, the integration degree on a substrate can be improved twice as much as that in the conventional technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignees: Tohoku University, Foundation for Advancement of International Science
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Akinobu Teramoto, Kazufumi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20100270618
    Abstract: The present invention provides a production method of a semiconductor device, capable of improving surface flatness of a semiconductor chip formed on a semiconductor substrate and thereby suppressing a variation in electrical characteristics of the semiconductor chip transferred onto a substrate with an insulating surface, and further capable of improving production yield.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Inventors: Michiko Takei, Yutaka Takafuji, Yasumori Fukushima, Kazuhide Tomiyasu, Steven Roy Droes
  • Patent number: 7816736
    Abstract: There is provided a method of removing trap levels and defects, which are caused by stress, from a single crystal silicon thin film formed by an SOI technique. First, a single crystal silicon film is formed by using a typical bonding SOI technique such as Smart-Cut or ELTRAN. Next, the single crystal silicon thin film is patterned to form an island-like silicon layer, and then, a thermal oxidation treatment is carried out in an oxidizing atmosphere containing a halogen element, so that an island-like silicon layer in which the trap levels and the defects are removed is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 7800202
    Abstract: In order to obtain substantially the same operating speed of a p-type MOS transistor and an n-type MOS transistor forming a CMOS circuit, the n-type MOS transistor has a three-dimensional structure having a channel region on both the (100) plane and the (110) plane and the p-type MOS transistor has a planar structure having a channel region only on the (110) plane. Further, both the transistors are substantially equal to each other in the areas of the channel regions and gate insulating films. Accordingly, it is possible to make the areas of the gate insulating films and so on equal to each other and also to make the gate capacitances equal to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignees: Tohoku University, Foundation for Advancement of International Science
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ohmi, Akinobu Teramoto
  • Patent number: 7799599
    Abstract: Semiconductor-on-diamond devices and methods for making such devices are provided. In one aspect, for example, a method for making a semiconductor-on-diamond substrate is provided, including depositing a conformal amorphous diamond layer on a single crystal Si base layer, thereby forming in situ a single crystal SiC layer therebetween, removing the amorphous diamond layer to expose the SiC layer, and epitaxially depositing a single crystal diamond layer on the SiC layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Inventor: Chien-Min Sung
  • Patent number: 7745880
    Abstract: A semiconductor device has a transparent dielectric substrate such as a sapphire substrate. To enable fabrication equipment to detect the presence of the substrate optically, the back surface of the substrate is coated with a triple-layer light-reflecting film, preferably a film in which a silicon oxide or silicon nitride layer is sandwiched between polycrystalline silicon layers. This structure provides high reflectance with a combined film thickness of less than half a micrometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Oki Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Nakamura, Satoshi Machida, Sachiko Yabe, Takashi Taguchi
  • Patent number: 7732867
    Abstract: Hydrogen ions are implanted to a surface (main surface) of the single crystal Si substrate 10 to form the hydrogen ion implanted layer (ion-implanted damage layer) 11. As a result of the hydrogen ion implantation, the hydrogen ion implanted boundary 12 is formed. The single crystal Si substrate 10 is bonded to the quartz substrate 20 having a carbon concentration of 100 ppm or higher, and an external shock is applied near the ion-implanted damage layer 11 to delaminate the Si crystal film along the hydrogen ion implanted boundary 12 of the single crystal Si substrate 10 out of the bonded substrate. Then, the surface of the resultant silicon thin film 13 is polished to remove a damaged portion, so that an SOQ substrate can be fabricated. There can be provided an SOQ substrate highly adaptable to a semiconductor device manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shoji Akiyama, Yoshihiro Kubota, Atsuo Ito, Koichi Tanaka, Makoto Kawai, Yuuji Tobisaka
  • Patent number: 7714387
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with a TFT includes a substrate, an island-shaped semiconductor film serving as an active layer of the TFT on or over the substrate, a pair of source/drain regions formed in the semiconductor film, and a channel region formed between the pair of source/drain regions in the semiconductor film. The pair of source/drain regions is thinner than the remainder of the semiconductor film other than the source/drain regions. The thickness difference between the pair of source/drain regions and the remainder of the semiconductor film is in a range from 10 angstrom (?) to 100 angstrom. The total process steps are reduced and the operation characteristic and reliability of the device are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunihiro Shiota, Hiroshi Okumura
  • Patent number: 7691688
    Abstract: Methods of forming a strained Si-containing hybrid substrate are provided as well as the strained Si-containing hybrid substrate formed by the methods. In the methods of the present invention, a strained Si layer is formed overlying a regrown semiconductor material, a second semiconducting layer, or both. In accordance with the present invention, the strained Si layer has the same crystallographic orientation as either the regrown semiconductor layer or the second semiconducting layer. The methods provide a hybrid substrate in which at least one of the device layers includes strained Si.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin K. Chan, Meikei Ieong, Alexander Reznicek, Devendra K. Sadana, Leathen Shi, Min Yang
  • Patent number: 7663189
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is created in a doped silicon layer at most one-tenth of a micrometer thick formed on and having an interface with a sapphire substrate. An oppositely doped source region is formed in the silicon layer. A gate electrode is formed above part of the silicon layer. A diffusion layer doped with the same type of impurity as the source region but at a lower concentration is formed in the silicon layer, extending into a first area beneath the gate electrode, functioning as a drain region or as a lightly-doped extension of a more heavily doped drain region. The depth of this diffusion layer is less than the thickness of the silicon layer. This comparatively shallow diffusion depth reduces current leakage by inhibiting the formation of a back channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Oki Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Koichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 7638805
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with high reliability is provided using an SOI substrate. When the SOI substrate is fabricated by using a technique typified by SIMOX, ELTRAN, or Smart-Cut, a single crystal semiconductor substrate having a main surface (crystal face) of a {110} plane is used. In such an SOI substrate, adhesion between a buried insulating layer as an under layer and a single crystal silicon layer is high, and it becomes possible to realize a semiconductor device with high reliability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Hisashi Ohtani
  • Patent number: 7633131
    Abstract: A semiconductor sensor device is formed using MEMS technology by placing a thin layer of single-crystal silicon, which includes semiconductor devices, over a cavity, which has been formed in a semiconductor material. The thin layer of single-crystal silicon can be formed by forming the semiconductor devices in the top surface of a single-crystal silicon wafer, thinning the silicon wafer to a desired thickness, and then dicing the thinned wafer to form silicon layers of a desired size. The MEMS device can be used to implement a pressure sensor, microphone, temperature sensor, and a joystick.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Gobi R. Padmanabhan, Visvamohan Yegnashankaran
  • Patent number: 7622772
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes an insulative substrate containing an aluminum-based glass and a layer containing a semiconductive material over the substrate. The insulative substrate can include aluminum oxycarbide. The insulative substrate can exhibit a CTE sufficiently close to a CTE of the semiconductive material layer such that a strain of less than 1% would exist between a 1000 Angstroms thickness of the semiconductive material layer and the insulative substrate. The semiconductive material layer can include monocrystalline silicon. The electronic apparatus can be a silicon-on-insulator integrated circuit. An electronic apparatus fabrication method includes forming an insulative substrate containing an aluminum-based glass and forming a layer containing a semiconductive material over the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Leonard Forbes
  • Patent number: 7619282
    Abstract: There is disclosed a hybrid circuit in which a circuit formed of TFTs in integrated with an RF filter. The TFTs are fabricated on a quartz substrate. A ceramic filter forming the RF filter is fabricated on another substrate. Terminals extend through the quartz substrate. The TFTs are connected with the ceramic filter via the terminals. Thus, an RF module is constructed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Satoshi Teramoto
  • Patent number: 7608892
    Abstract: To reduce the adverse affect that characteristics of end portions of a channel forming region of a semiconductor film have on characteristics of a transistor. A gate electrode is formed over a channel forming region of a semiconductor film over a substrate, with a gate insulating film interposed therebetween. The semiconductor film is disposed in a region inside end portions of the gate insulating film. A side surface of the channel forming region is not in contact with at least the gate insulating film, so there is a space enclosed by the substrate, the side surface of the channel forming region, and the gate insulating film. Further, the side surface of the channel forming region is not necessarily in contact with the gate electrode. There may be a space enclosed by the substrate, the side surface of the channel forming region, the gate insulating film, and the gate electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masayuki Sakakura
  • Patent number: 7608893
    Abstract: A method of forming an electronic device includes, forming a first channel coupled to a first current electrode and a second current electrode and forming a second channel coupled to the first current electrode and the second current electrode. The method also includes the second channel being substantially parallel to the first channel within a first plane, wherein the first plane is parallel to a major surface of a substrate over which the first channel lies. A gate electrode is formed surrounding the first channel and the second channel in a second plane, wherein the second plane is perpendicular to the major surface of the substrate. The resulting semiconductor device has a plurality of locations with a plurality of channels at each location. At small dimensions the channels form quantum wires connecting the source and drain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Marius Orlowski
  • Patent number: 7598520
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an oxide semiconductor thin film layer of zinc oxide. The (002) lattice planes of at least a part of the oxide semiconductor thin film layer have a preferred orientation along a direction perpendicular to a substrate of the semiconductor device and a lattice spacing d002 of at least 2.619 ?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignees: Kochi Industrial Promotion Center, Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Hirao, Takahiro Hiramatsu, Mamoru Furuta, Hiroshi Furuta, Tokiyoshi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 7592671
    Abstract: A cost efficient and manufacturable method of fabricating strained semiconductor-on-insulator (SSOI) substrates is provided that avoids wafer bonding. The method includes growing various epitaxial semiconductor layers on a substrate, wherein at least one of the semiconductor layers is a doped and relaxed semiconductor layer underneath a strained semiconductor layer; converting the doped and relaxed semiconductor layer into a porous semiconductor via an electrolytic anodization process, and oxidizing to convert the porous semiconductor layer into a buried oxide layer. The method provides a SSOI substrate that includes a relaxed semiconductor layer on a substrate; a high-quality buried oxide layer on the relaxed semiconductor layer; and a strained semiconductor layer on the high-quality buried oxide layer. In accordance with the present invention, the relaxed semiconductor layer and the strained semiconductor layer have identical crystallographic orientations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas N. Adam, Stephen W. Bedell, Joel P. de Souza, Keith E. Fogel, Alexander Reznicek, Devendra K. Sadana, Ghavam Shahidi
  • Publication number: 20090218590
    Abstract: A method of making a thin gallium-nitride (GaN)-based semiconductor structure is provided. According to one embodiment of the invention, the method includes the steps of providing a substrate; sequentially forming one or more semiconductor layers on the substrate; etching a pattern in the one or more semiconductor layers; depositing a dielectrics layer; forming a photoresist on a portion of the dielectrics layer, wherein the portion of the dielectrics layer is deposited on the one or more semiconductor layers; depositing a primer; removing the photoresist layer, wherein the primer on the photoresist is also removed; depositing a superhard material, wherein the superhard material forms in the pattern; and removing the substrate. Accordingly, the superhard material may be selectively deposited in only areas where the superhard material is desired. Vertical GaN-based light emitting devices may then be formed by cutting the semiconductor structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Applicant: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Yong Cai, HungShen Chu, Shengmei Zheng, Ka Wah Chan
  • Patent number: 7576394
    Abstract: A thin film transistor includes a substrate, and a pair of source/drain electrodes (i.e., a source electrode and a drain electrode) formed on the substrate and defining a gap therebetween. A pair of low resistance conductive thin films are provided such that each coats at least a part of one of the source/drain electrodes. The low resistance conductive thin films define a gap therebetween. An oxide semiconductor thin film layer is continuously formed on upper surfaces of the pair of low resistance conductive thin films and extends along the gap defined between the low resistance conductive thin films so as to function as a channel. Side surfaces of the oxide semiconductor thin film layer and corresponding side surfaces of the low resistance conductive thin films coincide with each other in a channel width direction of the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignees: Kochi Industrial Promotion Center, Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mamoru Furuta, Takashi Hirao, Hiroshi Furuta, Tokiyoshi Matsuda, Takahiro Hiramatsu, Hiromitsu Ishii, Hitoshi Hokari, Motohiko Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7573063
    Abstract: A thin film transistor having an improved gate dielectric layer is disclosed. The gate dielectric layer comprises a poly(4-vinylphenol-co-acrylonitrile) based polymer. The resulting gate dielectric layer has a high dielectric constant and can be crosslinked. Higher gate dielectric layer thicknesses can be used to prevent current leakage while still having a large capacitance for low operating voltages. Methods for producing such gate dielectric layers and/or thin film transistors comprising the same are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Ping Liu, Yiliang Wu, Yuning Li, Beng S. Ong
  • Patent number: 7564100
    Abstract: The present invention provides an SOS wafer comprising a non-transparent polysilicon layer provided on a back surface of a sapphire substrate, a silicon nitride layer which protects the polysilicon layer, and a stress relaxing film which cancels stress produced in the silicon nitride layer, wherein the silicon nitride layer and the stress relaxing film are provided on the back surface side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Oki Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kimiaki Shimokawa
  • Patent number: 7544981
    Abstract: There is provided an active matrix type semiconductor display device which realizes low power consumption and high reliability. In the active matrix type semiconductor display device of the present invention, a counter electrode is divided into two, different potentials are applied to the two counter electrodes, respectively and inversion driving is carried out each other. Since a potential of an image signal can be made low by doing so, it is possible to lower a voltage necessary for operation of a driver circuit. As a result, it is possible to realize improvement of reliability of an element such as a TFT and reduction of consumed electric power. Moreover, since it is possible to lower a voltage of a timing pulse supplied by the driver circuit, a booster circuit can be omitted, and reduction of an area of the driver circuit can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Tanaka, Shou Nagao
  • Patent number: 7544552
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a junction semiconductor device, having a step for forming a first high-resistance layer, a step for forming a channel-doped layer, a step for forming a second high-resistance layer, a step for forming a low-resistance layer of a first conductive type that acts as a source region, a step for performing partial etching to a midway depth of the second high-resistance layer and the low-resistance layer, a step for forming a gate region below the portion etched in the etching step, and a step for forming a protective film on the surface of the region between the gate region and the source region. A gate region is formed using relatively low energy ion implantation in the surface that has been etched in advance to a height that is between the lower surface of the source area and the upper surface of the channel-doped layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Shindengen Electric Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ken-ichi Nonaka, Hideki Hashimoto, Seiichi Yokoyama, Kensuke Iwanaga, Yoshimitsu Saito, Hiroaki Iwakuro, Masaaki Shimizu, Yusuke Fukuda, Koichi Nishikawa, Yusuke Maeyama
  • Patent number: 7528447
    Abstract: A non-volatile semiconductor memory including a plurality of memory cell transistors, each of the plurality of memory cell transistors includes: a source region having a first conductivity type and in contact with a buried insulating layer on a supporting substrate; a drain region having the first conductivity type and in contact with the buried insulating layer; and a channel region having the first conductivity type and provided between the source region and the drain region so as to contact the buried insulating layer, wherein a thickness of the channel region is more than one nm and not more than a value obtained by adding seven nm to a half value of a gate length of the memory cell transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Enda, Hiroyoshi Tanimoto, Naoki Kusunoki, Nobutoshi Aoki, Fumitaka Arai, Riichiro Shirota
  • Patent number: 7528448
    Abstract: The invention relates to thin film transistors comprising novel dielectric layers and novel electrodes comprising metal compositions that can be provided by a dry thermal transfer process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Richard Kevin Bailey, Graciela Beatriz Blanchet, John W. Catron, Jr., Reid John Chesterfield, Howard David Glicksman, Marc B. Goldfinger, Gary Delmar Jaycox, Lynda Kaye Johnson, Roupen Leon Keusseyan, Irina Malajovich, Hong Meng, Jeffrey Scott Meth, Geoffrey Nunes, Gerard O'Neil, Kenneth George Sharp, Feng Gao
  • Patent number: 7525157
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: an insulating layer selectively formed on the semiconductor base material; a first semiconductor layer made of single-crystal and formed on the semiconductor base material that is exposed below the insulating layer, the first semiconductor layer having an opening that exposes the semiconductor base material; an opening plane exposing a side face of the first semiconductor layer and provided below the support film, the second semiconductor layer and the first semiconductor layer by using the mask pattern as a mask; a portion defining a hollow part between the second semiconductor layer and the semiconductor base material; a first insulating film formed in the hollow part; and a second insulating film formed above the semiconductor base material on which the first insulating film is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsushi Kato
  • Patent number: 7524710
    Abstract: A silicon-on-insulator metal oxide semiconductor device comprising ultrathin silicon-on-sapphire substrate; at least one P-channel MOS transistor formed in the ultrathin silicon layer; and N-type impurity implanted within the ultrathin silicon layer and the sapphire substrate such that peak N-type impurity concentration in the sapphire layer is greater than peak impurity concentration in the ultrathin silicon layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony M. Miscione, George Imthurn, Eugene F. Lyons, Michael A. Stuber