Single Crystal Islands Of Semiconductor Layer Containing Only One Active Device Patents (Class 257/353)
  • 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: 7812373
    Abstract: A circuit array includes a plurality cells, wherein each cell has at least one group of odd fins. The cells may be arranged in a repeating pattern that includes mirror images of the pattern. A plurality of fin forming regions are provided about which the fins are formed for the dual fin and single fin transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Florian Bauer, Klaus von Arnim
  • Patent number: 7795682
    Abstract: The disclosure concerns a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including forming a plurality of fins made of a semiconductor material on an insulating layer; forming a gate insulating film on side surfaces of the plurality of fins; and forming a gate electrode on the gate insulating film in such a manner that a compressive stress is applied to a side surface of a first fin which is used in an NMOSFET among the plurality of fins in a direction perpendicular to the side surface and a tensile stress is applied to a side surface of a second fin which is used in a PMOSFET among the plurality of fins in a direction perpendicular to the side surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Akio Kaneko, Atsushi Yagishita, Satoshi Inaba
  • Patent number: 7795683
    Abstract: A structure of a thin film transistor and a method for making the same are provided. The structure includes a strip-shaped silicon island, a gate, and a first and second ion doping regions. The strip-shaped silicon island is a thin film region with a predetermined long side and short side, and farther has a plurality of lateral grain boundaries substantially parallel to the short side of the silicon island. The gate is located over the silicon island and substantially parallel to the lateral grain boundaries. The first and second ion doping regions, used as source/drain regions of the TFT, are located at two sides along the long side of the island and substantially perpendicular to the gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chi-Lin Chen, Yu-Cheng Chen, Hsing-Hua Wu, Po-Tsun Liu
  • Patent number: 7772648
    Abstract: The present invention includes a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer that enhances certain performance parameters by increasing silicon device layer and insulator layer thicknesses and increasing silicon handle wafer resistivity. By increasing the silicon device layer thickness, effects of the floating body problem may be significantly reduced. By increasing the insulator layer thickness and the silicon handle wafer resistivity, influences from the silicon handle wafer on devices formed using the silicon device layer may be significantly reduced. As a result, standard tools, methods, and processes may be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: RF Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Tony Ivanov, Julio Costa, Michael Carroll, Thomas Gregory McKay, Christian Rye Iversen
  • Patent number: 7759736
    Abstract: A deposition oxide interface with improved oxygen bonding and a method for bonding oxygen in an oxide layer are provided. The method includes depositing an M oxide layer where M is a first element selected from a group including elements chemically defined as a solid and having an oxidation state in a range of +2 to +5, plasma oxidizing the M oxide layer at a temperature of less than 400° C. using a high density plasma source, and in response to plasma oxidizing the M oxide layer, improving M-oxygen bonding in the M oxide layer. The plasma oxidation process diffuses excited oxygen radicals into the oxide layer. The plasma oxidation is performed at specified parameters including temperature, power density, pressure, process gas composition, and process gas flow. In some aspects of the method, M is silicon, and the oxide interface is incorporated into a thin film transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventor: Pooran Chandra Joshi
  • Patent number: 7737506
    Abstract: An objective is to provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a semiconductor device manufactured by using the manufacturing method, in which a laser crystallization method is used that is capable of preventing the formation of grain boundaries in TFT channel formation regions, and is capable of preventing conspicuous drops in TFT mobility, reduction in the ON current, and increases in the OFF current, all due to grain boundaries. Depressions and projections with stripe shape or rectangular shape are formed. Continuous wave laser light is then irradiated to a semiconductor film formed on an insulating film along the depressions and projections with stripe shape of the insulating film, or along a longitudinal axis direction or a transverse axis direction of the rectangular shape. Note that although it is most preferable to use continuous wave laser light at this point, pulse wave laser light may also be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsuo Isobe, Shunpei Yamazaki, Chiho Kokubo, Koichiro Tanaka, Akihisa Shimomura, Tatsuya Arao, Hidekazu Miyairi, Mai Akiba
  • Patent number: 7737489
    Abstract: An electronic device, e.g., a printed transistor device, comprises a substrate, a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer and a semiconductor layer. The substrate has a first platform and a second platform embossing on the surface thereof, and the first and second platforms are separated by a gap whose width is equivalent to the channel length of the transistor. The first and second conductive layers serving as the source and the drain, respectively, of the transistor device are formed on surfaces of the first and second platforms. The semiconductor layer is formed on the surface of the substrate in the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Zing Way Pei, Chao An Chung
  • Patent number: 7732865
    Abstract: The present invention provides an epitaxial imprinting process for fabricating a hybrid substrate that includes a bottom semiconductor layer; a continuous buried insulating layer present atop said bottom semiconductor layer; and a top semiconductor layer present on said continuous buried insulating layer, wherein said top semiconductor layer includes separate planar semiconductor regions that have different crystal orientations, said separate planar semiconductor regions are isolated from each other. The epitaxial printing process of the present invention utilizing epitaxial growth, wafer bonding and a recrystallization anneal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiharu Furukawa, Carl Radens, William R. Tonti, Richard Q. Williams
  • Patent number: 7723791
    Abstract: The present invention provides a strained Si directly on insulator (SSDOI) substrate having multiple crystallographic orientations and a method of forming thereof. Broadly, but in specific terms, the inventive SSDOI substrate includes a substrate; an insulating layer atop the substrate; and a semiconducting layer positioned atop and in direct contact with the insulating layer, the semiconducting layer comprising a first strained Si region and a second strained Si region; wherein the first strained Si region has a crystallographic orientation different from the second strained Si region and the first strained Si region has a crystallographic orientation the same or different from the second strained Si region. The strained level of the first strained Si region is different from that of the second strained Si region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Huilong Zhu, Bruce B. Doris, Huajie Chen, Patricia M. Mooney, Stephen W. Bedell
  • 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: 7714388
    Abstract: This discloser concerns a semiconductor device including an insulation layer; a FIN-type semiconductor layer provided on the insulation layer and including a floating body region in an electrically floating state and including a source region and a drain region at both sides of the floating body region; gate insulation films provided on both side surfaces of the floating body region; gate electrodes provided on both side surfaces of the floating body region via the gate insulation films; and a source electrode and a drain electrode respectively contacting with the upper surface of the source region and the drain region, wherein in the cross section of the FIN-type semiconductor layer in parallel with the surface of the insulation layer, a thickness of the FIN-type semiconductor layer in the floating body region is smaller than a thickness of the FIN-type semiconductor layer in the source and the drain regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hiroomi Nakajima
  • Publication number: 20100109120
    Abstract: A single crystal silicon etching method includes providing a single crystal silicon substrate having at least one trench therein. The single crystal silicon substrate is exposed to an anisotropic etchant that undercuts the single crystal silicon. By controlling the length of the etch, single crystal silicon islands or smooth vertical walls in the single crystal silicon may be created.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Janos Fucsko, David H. Wells, Patrick Flynn, Whonchee Lee
  • Patent number: 7709894
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having a circuit made up by a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) having GOLD (Gate-Drain Overlapped LDD) structure, which an LDD region overlaps which a portion of a gate electrode, wherein the formation of a concentration depth profile peak of hydrogen in a semiconductor film is avoided to thereby improve the electrical characteristics of the TFT. The use of the semiconductor film manufactured in this manner allows manufacturing of a semiconductor device with good electrical characteristics only by hydrogenating treatment even when the activation of impurity elements does not carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Kajiwara, Ritsuko Nagao
  • Patent number: 7696574
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and its method for fabrication include a first surface semiconductor layer of a first crystallographic orientation located upon a dielectric surface of a substrate. Located laterally separated upon the dielectric surface from the first surface semiconductor layer is a stack layer. The stack layer includes a buried semiconductor layer located nearer the dielectric surface and a second surface semiconductor layer of a second crystallographic orientation different from the first crystallographic orientation located over and not contacting the buried semiconductor layer. The semiconductor structure provides a pair of semiconductor surface regions of different crystallographic orientation. A particular embodiment may be fabricated utilizing a sequential laminating, patterning, selective stripping and selective epitaxial deposition method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Huilong Zhu
  • Patent number: 7692246
    Abstract: The present invention provides a FinFET transistor arrangement produced using a method with the steps: providing a substrate (106, 108); forming an active region (1) on the substrate a fin-like channel region (113b?; 113b?). Formation of the fin-like channel region (113b?; 113b?) has the following steps: forming a hard mask (S1-S4) on the active region (1); anisotropic etching of the active region (1) using the hard mask (S1-S4) forming STI trenches (G1-G5) having an STI oxide filling (9); polishing-back of the STI oxide filling (9); etching-back of the polished-back STI oxide filling (9); selective removal of components of the hard mask forming a modified hard mask (S1?-S4?); anisotropic etching of the active region (1) using the modified hard mask (S1?-S4?) forming widened STI trenches (G1?-G5?), the fin-like channel regions (113b?; 113b?) of the active region (1) remaining for each individual FinFET transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Lars Dreeskornfeld, Franz Hofmann, Johannes Richard Luyken, Michael Specht
  • 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: 7687857
    Abstract: Integrated circuits and methods of forming field effect transistors are disclosed. In one aspect, an integrated circuit includes a semiconductor substrate comprising bulk semiconductive material. Electrically insulative material is received within the bulk semiconductive material. Semiconductor material is formed on the insulative material. A field effect transistor is included and comprises a gate, a channel region, and a pair of source/drain regions. In one implementation, one of the source/drain regions is formed in the semiconductor material, and the other of the source/drain regions is formed in the bulk semiconductive material. In one implementation, the electrically insulative material extends from beneath one of the source/drain regions to beneath only a portion of the channel region. Other aspects and implementations, including methodical aspects, are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanh D. Tang, Gordon Haller
  • Patent number: 7666741
    Abstract: A method is presented for fabricating a non-planar field effect device. The method includes the production of a Si based material Fin structure that has a top surface substantially in parallel with a {111} crystallographic plane of the Si Fin structure, and the etching of the Si Fin structure with a solution which contains ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH). In this manner, due to differing etch rates in ammonium hydroxide of various Si based material crystallographic planes, the corners on the Fin structure become clipped, and angles between the horizontal and vertical planes of the Fin structure increase. A FinFET device with clipped, or rounded, corners is then fabricated to completion. In a typical embodiment the FinFET device is selected to be a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yujun Li, Kenneth T. Settlemyer, Jr., Jochen Beintner
  • Patent number: 7667241
    Abstract: An electrostatic discharge protection device for protecting a node includes a transistor, a silicon controlled rectifier, a second contact region laterally displaced from the first contact region, and a collection region adjacent the source region. The transistor includes a semiconductor substrate, a source region, a channel region adjacent the source region, a gate over the channel region, and a drain region laterally displaced from the channel. The silicon controlled rectifier includes the source region, a portion of the substrate, a doped well, and a first contact region in the well, laterally displaced from the drain region. The collection region, the source region and the gate, are metallically connected. The node, the first contact region, and the second contact region, are metallically connected, and the drain region is not metallically connected to the node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Walker, Helmut Puchner
  • Publication number: 20090267196
    Abstract: The present invention relates to high performance three-dimensional (3D) field effect transistors (FETs). Specifically, a 3D semiconductor structure having a bottom surface oriented along one of a first set of equivalent crystal planes and multiple additional surfaces oriented along a second, different set of equivalent crystal planes can be used to form a high performance 3D FET with carrier channels oriented along the second, different set of equivalent crystal planes. More importantly, such a 3D semiconductor structure can be readily formed over the same substrate with an additional 3D semiconductor structure having a bottom surface and multiple additional surfaces all oriented along the first set of equivalent crystal planes. The additional 3D semiconductor structure can be used to form an additional 3D FET, which is complementary to the above-described 3D FET and has carrier channels oriented along the first set of equivalent crystal planes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Thomas W. Dyer, Haining S. Yang
  • Patent number: 7605422
    Abstract: A semiconductor device capable of realizing low-voltage drivability and large storage capacity (miniaturization) by achieving large threshold voltage shifts and long retention time while at the same time suppressing variations in characteristics among memory cells is disclosed. The device includes a semiconductor memory cell having a channel region formed in a semiconductor substrate, a tunnel insulator film on the channel region, a charge storage insulator film on the tunnel insulator film, a control dielectric film on the charge storage film, a control electrode on the control dielectric film, and source/drain regions at opposite ends of the channel region. The memory cell's channel region has a cross-section at right angles to a direction along the channel length, the width W and height H of which are each less than or equal to 10 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Masumi Saitoh, Ken Uchida
  • Patent number: 7598550
    Abstract: There are provided a MOS transistor and a manufacturing method thereof. The MOS transistor includes a substrate on which an insulating layer is formed, a gate embedded in the insulating layer, wherein the top surface of the gate is exposed, a gate oxide layer formed on the insulating layer and the gate, a silicon layer formed on the gate oxide layer, and a source region and a drain region formed in the silicon layer to be in contact with the gate oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Dongbu Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hyung Sun Yun
  • 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
  • Patent number: 7579656
    Abstract: A transistor for a semiconductor device may include a lower semiconductor layer, an active pattern, including a groove region, on the lower semiconductor layer, a gate pattern at least partially overlapping the active pattern including the groove region, and a gate insulating layer interposed between the active pattern and the gate pattern, wherein a bottom surface of the groove region may be lower than a top surface of the active pattern and higher than a lower surface of the active pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tae-Woong Kang, Hae-Wang Lee
  • Patent number: 7576379
    Abstract: A floating body dynamic random access memory (DRAM) structure has a shallow source (first source portion) and a deep source (second source portion), of which the deep source is thicker. A portion of the floating body extends beneath the shallow source to provide extra capacitance. Optionally, the portion of the floating body beneath the shallow source may be more heavily doped than the depletion zone of the body to further enhance the capacitance. Also, by forming a raised portion of the source without raising the drain, the same implantation energy may be used to dope the raised source and the regular drain. The resulting floating body DRAM structure has an enhanced source to floating body capacitance and stores more charges. Operating margins for write and sense operations are increased and the performance and stability of the floating body DRAM are enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Edward J. Nowak
  • 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: 7569886
    Abstract: An object is to provide an element structure of a semiconductor device for increasing an etching margin for various etching steps and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device having the element structure. An island-shaped semiconductor layer is provided over an insulator having openings. The island-shaped semiconductor layer includes embedded semiconductor layers and a thin film semiconductor layer. The embedded semiconductor layers have a larger thickness than that of the thin film semiconductor layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideki Matsukura
  • Patent number: 7566949
    Abstract: The present invention relates to high performance three-dimensional (3D) field effect transistors (FETs). Specifically, a 3D semiconductor structure having a bottom surface oriented along one of a first set of equivalent crystal planes and multiple additional surfaces oriented along a second, different set of equivalent crystal planes can be used to form a high performance 3D FET with carrier channels oriented along the second, different set of equivalent crystal planes. More importantly, such a 3D semiconductor structure can be readily formed over the same substrate with an additional 3D semiconductor structure having a bottom surface and multiple additional surfaces all oriented along the first set of equivalent crystal planes. The additional 3D semiconductor structure can be used to form an additional 3D FET, which is complementary to the above-described 3D FET and has carrier channels oriented along the first set of equivalent crystal planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas W. Dyer, Haining S. Yang
  • Patent number: 7537980
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a stacked semiconductor device, a seed layer including impurity regions may be prepared. A first insulation interlayer pattern having a first opening may be formed on the seed layer. A first SEG process may be carried out to form a first plug partially filling the first opening. A second SEG process may be performed to form a second plug filling the first opening. A third SEG process may be carried out to form a first channel layer on the first insulation interlayer pattern. A second insulation interlayer may be formed on the first channel layer. The second insulation interlayer, the first channel layer and the second plug arranged on the first plug may be removed to expose the first plug. The first plug may be removed to form a serial opening. The serial opening may be filled with a metal wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong-Hoon Son, Yu-Gyun Shin, Jong-Wook Lee
  • Patent number: 7538391
    Abstract: A method of forming a transistor patterns a semiconductor fin on a substrate, such that the fin extends from the substrate. Then, the method forms a gate conductor over a central portion of the fin, leaving end portions of the fin exposed. Next, the end portions of the fin are doped with at least one impurity to leave the central portion of the fin as a semiconductor and form the end portions of the fin as conductors. The end portions of the fin are undercut to disconnect the end portions of the fin from the substrate, such that the fin is connected to the substrate along a central portion and is disconnected from the substrate along the end portions and that the end portions are free to move and the central portion is not free to move. A straining layer is formed on a first side of the fin and the straining layer imparts physical pressure on the fin such that the end portions are permanently moved away from a straight-line orientation with the central portion after the forming of the straining layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Dureseti Chidambarrao, Shreesh Narasimha, Edward J. Nowak, John J. Pekarik, Jeffrey W. Sleight, Richard Q. Williams
  • Patent number: 7534669
    Abstract: Disclosed is a structure and method for producing a fin-type field effect transistor (FinFET) that has a buried oxide layer over a substrate, at least one first fin structure and at least one second fin structure positioned on the buried oxide layer. First spacers are adjacent the first fin structure and second spacers are adjacent the second fin structure. The first spacers cover a larger portion of the first fin structure when compared to the portion of the second fin structure covered by the second spacers. Those fins that have larger spacers will receive a smaller area of semiconductor doping and those fins that have smaller spacers will receive a larger area of semiconductor doping. Therefore, there is a difference in doping between the first fins and the second fins that is caused by the differently sized spacers. The difference in doping between the first fins and the second fins changes an effective width of the second fins when compared to the first fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Brent A. Anderson, Edward J. Nowak, Jed H. Rankin
  • Patent number: 7535061
    Abstract: Fin-Field Effect Transistors (Fin-FETs) are provided. A fin is provided on an integrated circuit substrate. The fin defines a trench on the integrated circuit substrate. A first insulation layer is provided in the trench such that a surface of the first insulation layer is recessed beneath a surface of the fin exposing sidewalls of the fin. A protection layer is provided on the first insulation layer and a second insulation layer is provided on the protection layer in the trench such that protection layer is between the second insulation layer and the sidewalls of the fin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Deok-Hyung Lee, Si-Young Choi, Byeong-Chan Lee, In-Soo Jung, Jin-Hwa Heo
  • Patent number: 7531879
    Abstract: A method for making floating body memory cells from a bulk substrate. A thin silicon germanium and overlying silicon layers are formed on the bulk substrate. Anchors and a bridge are formed to support the silicon layer when the silicon germanium layer is etched so that it can be replaced with an oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Peter L. D. Chang
  • Patent number: 7531839
    Abstract: TFT structures optimal for driving conditions of a pixel portion and driving circuits are obtained using a small number of photo masks. First through third semiconductor films are formed on a first insulating film. First shape first, second, and third electrodes are formed on the first through third semiconductor films. The first shape first, second, third electrodes are used as masks in first doping treatment to form first concentration impurity regions of one conductivity type in the first through third semiconductor films. Second shape first, second, and third electrodes are formed from the first shape first, second, and third electrodes. A second concentration impurity region of the one conductivity type which overlaps the second shape second electrode is formed in the second semiconductor film in second doping treatment. Also formed in the second doping treatment are third concentration impurity regions of the one conductivity type which are placed in the first and second semiconductor films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Hamada, Yasuyuki Arai
  • Patent number: 7531837
    Abstract: A multi-channel thin film transistor structure including a first conducting layer, an insulating layer, a semiconductor layer and a second conducting layer is provided. The first conducting layer formed on a substrate includes a gate electrode. The insulating layer covers the first conducting layer. The semiconductor layer formed on the insulating layer includes a plurality of semiconductor islands located above the gate electrode. The second conducting layer formed on the insulating layer and on the semiconductor layer includes a source electrode and a drain electrode. Each one of the semiconductor islands is coupled electrically with the source electrode at one end and coupled electrically with the drain electrode at the other end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Prime View International Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chuan-Feng Liu
  • Patent number: 7531240
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a large substrate with a locally integrated single crystalline silicon layer is provided. The method includes: forming a buffer layer on a support plate; separately fabricating a single crystalline silicon layer; attaching the single crystalline silicon layer having a predetermined thickness, which is separately fabricated, to a predetermined portion in the support plate; forming a non-single crystalline silicon layer having a predetermined thickness to cover the single crystalline silicon layer and the buffer layer; and processing the non-single crystalline silicon layer to expose a surface of the non-single crystalline silicon layer and to level the surface of the non-single crystalline silicon layer with a surface of the amorphous silicon layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wenxu Xianyu, Takashi Noguchi, Young-soo Park, Hans S. Cho, Huaxiang Yin
  • 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: 7525158
    Abstract: A TFT formed on an insulating substrate source, drain and channel regions, a gate insulating film formed on at least the channel region and a gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film. Between the channel region and the drain region, a region having a higher resistivity is provided in order to reduce an Ioff current. A method for forming this structure comprises the steps of anodizing the gate electrode to form a porous anodic oxide film on the side of the gate electrode; removing a portion of the gate insulating using the porous anodic oxide film as a mask so that the gate insulating film extends beyond the gate electrode but does not completely cover the source and drain regions. Thereafter, an ion doping of one conductivity element is performed. The high resistivity region is defined under the gate insulating film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Konuma, Akira Sugawara, Yukiko Uehara, Hongyong Zhang, Atsunori Suzuki, Hideto Ohnuma, Naoaki Yamaguchi, Hideomi Suzawa, Hideki Uochi, Yasuhiko Takemura
  • Patent number: 7521760
    Abstract: An Integrated Circuit (IC) chip that may be a bulk CMOS IC chip with silicon on insulator (SOI) Field Effect Transistors (FETs) and method of making the chip. The IC chip includes areas with pockets of buried insulator strata and FETs formed on the strata are SOI FETs. The SOI FETs may include Partially Depleted SOI (PD-SOI) FETs and Fully Depleted SOI (FD-SOI) FETs and the chip may include bulk FETs as well. The FETs are formed by contouring the surface of a wafer, conformally implanting oxygen to a uniform depth, and planarizing to remove the Buried OXide (BOX) in bulk FET regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Rajiv V. Joshi, Louis C. Hsu, Oleg Gluschenkov
  • Patent number: 7518181
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device and methods of manufacturing and operating the same may be provided. The semiconductor memory device may include a substrate, at least a pair of fins protruding from the semiconductor substrate and facing each other with a gap between fins of the pair of fins, an insulating layer formed between the pair of the fins, a storage node formed on the pair of fins and/or a surface of a portion of the insulating layer, and/or a gate electrode formed on the storage node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoon-Dong Park, Suk-Pil Kim, Won-Joo Kim
  • Patent number: 7511358
    Abstract: Provided are a nonvolatile memory device having multi bit storage and a method of manufacturing the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byung-yong Choi, Choong-ho Lee, Dong-gun Park
  • Patent number: 7492008
    Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate is described incorporating the steps of heating a substrate, implanting oxygen into a heated substrate, cooling the substrate, implanting into a cooled substrate and annealing. The steps of implanting may be at several energies to provide a plurality of depths and corresponding buried damaged regions. Prior to implanting, the step of cleaning the substrate surface and/or forming a patterned mask thereon may be performed. The invention overcomes the problem of raising the quality of buried oxide and its properties such as surface roughness, uniform thickness and breakdown voltage Vbd.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Richard Fox, Neena Garg, Kenneth John Giewont, Junedong Lee, Siegfried Lutz Maurer, Dan Moy, Maurice Heathcote Norcott, Devendra Kumar Sadana
  • Patent number: 7492009
    Abstract: A semiconductor device capable of making an effective use of a support substrate as interconnect is proposed. The semiconductor device (chip 4) of the present invention has a first Si substrate 1 as a support substrate and a second Si substrate 3 which is layered on a first insulating film layered on one main surface of the first Si substrate 1. A diffusion layer 2 used as a support substrate interconnect is formed at least in a part of the surficial portion of the first Si substrate 1 on the side thereof in contact with the first SiO2 film 9.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Nec Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Syogo Kawahigashi
  • Patent number: 7476937
    Abstract: A crystalline semiconductor film in which the position and size of a crystal grain is controlled is fabricated, and the crystalline semiconductor film is used for a channel formation region of a TFT, so that a high performance TFT is realized. An island-like semiconductor layer is made to have a temperature distribution, and a region where temperature change is gentle is provided to control the nucleus generation speed and nucleus generation density, so that the crystal grain is enlarged. In a region where an island-like semiconductor layer 1003 overlaps with a base film 1002, a thick portion is formed in the base film 1002. The volume of this portion increases and heat capacity becomes large, so that a cycle of temperature change by irradiation of a pulse laser beam to the island-like semiconductor layer becomes gentle (as compared with other thin portion).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ritsuko Kawasaki, Kenji Kasahara, Hisashi Ohtani
  • Patent number: 7436033
    Abstract: A tri-gated molecular field effect transistor includes a gate electrode formed on a substrate and having grooves in a source region, a drain region and a channel region, and at least one molecule inserted between the source and drain electrodes in the channel region. The effects of the gate voltage on electrons passing through the channel can be maximized, and a variation gain of current supplied between the source and drain electrodes relative to the gate voltage can be greatly increased. Thus, a molecular electronic circuit having high functionality and reliability can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Chan Woo Park, Sung Yool Choi, Han Young Yu, Ung Hwan Pi
  • Patent number: 7423322
    Abstract: A bottom gate thin film transistor and method of fabricating the same are disclosed, in which a channel region is crystallized by a super grain silicon (SGS) crystallization method, including: forming a gate electrode and a gate insulating layer on an insulating substrate; forming an amorphous silicon layer on the gate insulating layer followed by forming a capping layer and a metal catalyst layer; performing heat treatment to crystallize the amorphous silicon layer into a polysilicon layer; and forming an etch stopper, source and drain regions and source and drain electrodes. The thin film transistor includes: an insulating substrate; a gate electrode formed on the substrate; a gate insulating layer formed on the gate electrode; a polysilicon layer formed on the gate insulating layer and crystallized by an SGS crystallization method; and source and drain regions and source and drain electrodes formed in a predetermined region of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Wook Seo, Ki-Yong Lee, Tae-Hoon Yang, Byoung-Keon Park
  • Patent number: 7423303
    Abstract: The present invention provides a strained Si directly on insulator (SSDOI) substrate having multiple crystallographic orientations and a method of forming thereof. Broadly, but in specific terms, the inventive SSDOI substrate includes a substrate; an insulating layer atop the substrate; and a semiconducting layer positioned atop and in direct contact with the insulating layer, the semiconducting layer comprising a first strained Si region and a second strained Si region; wherein the first strained Si region has a crystallographic orientation different from the second strained Si region and the first strained Si region has a crystallographic orientation the same or different from the second strained Si region. The strained level of the first strained Si region is different from that of the second strained Si region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Huilong Zhu, Bruce B. Doris, Huajie Chen, Patricia M. Mooney, Stephen W. Bedell
  • Patent number: 7423324
    Abstract: In a double-gate MOS transistor, a substrate, an insulating layer, and a semiconductor layer are formed or laminated in that order, an opening extending to the insulating layer is formed in the semiconductor layer while leaving an island-shaped region, the island-shaped region including a semiconductor crystal layer having a predetermined length and height and a predetermined shape of horizontal section, the semiconductor crystal layer including P-type or N-type source region, channel region, and drain region, in that order, formed therein, a source electrode, gate electrodes, and a drain electrode are provided in contact with side surfaces of the respective regions, and the gate electrodes are provided in contact with the side surfaces of the channel region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Toshihiro Sekigawa, Yongxun Liu, Meishoku Masahara, Hanpei Koike, Eiichi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7417286
    Abstract: Semiconductor integrated circuit devices having single crystalline thin film transistors and methods of fabricating the same are provided. The semiconductor integrated circuit devices include an interlayer insulating layer formed on a semiconductor substrate and a single crystalline semiconductor plug penetrating the interlayer insulating layer. A single crystalline semiconductor body pattern is provided on the interlayer insulating layer. The single crystalline semiconductor body pattern has an elevated region and contacts the single crystalline semiconductor plug. The method of forming the single crystalline semiconductor body pattern having the elevated region includes forming a sacrificial layer pattern covering the single crystalline semiconductor plug on the interlayer insulating layer. A capping layer is formed to cover the sacrificial layer pattern and the interlayer insulating layer, and the capping layer is patterned to form an opening which exposes a portion of the sacrificial layer pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Jin Kim, Soon-Moon Jung, Won-Seok Cho, Jae-Hoon Jang, Jong-Hyuk Kim, Kun-Ho Kwak, Hoon Lim