Characterized By Formation And Post Treatment Of Conductors, E.g., Patterning (epo) Patents (Class 257/E21.582)
  • Patent number: 8072070
    Abstract: A barrier layer is deposited over a layer of passivation including in an opening to a contact pad created in the layer of passivation. A column of three layers of metal is formed overlying the barrier layer and aligned with the contact pad and having a diameter that is about equal to the surface of the contact pad. The three metal layers of the column comprise, in succession when proceeding from the layer that is in contact with the barrier layer, a layer of pillar metal, a layer of under bump metal and a layer of solder metal. The layer of pillar metal is reduced in diameter, the barrier layer is selectively removed from the surface of the layer of passivation after which reflowing of the solder metal completes the solder bump of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Megica Corporation
    Inventors: Jin-Yuan Lee, Mou-Shiung Lin, Ching-Cheng Huang
  • Publication number: 20110272808
    Abstract: A semiconductor process includes the following steps. Firstly, a conductive substrate is provided. Then, at least one insulating pattern is formed on the conductive substrate. Thereafter at least one metal pattern is formed on the insulating pattern. After that, a passivation layer is formed on the conductive substrate to cover the metal pattern by an electroplating process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Inventor: Wen-Hsiung CHANG
  • Patent number: 8053357
    Abstract: A common problem associated with damascene structures made of copper inlaid in FSG (fluorinated silicate glass) is the formation of defects near the top surface of the structure. The present invention avoids this problem by laying down a layer of USG (undoped silicate glass) over the surface of the FSG layer prior to patterning and etching the latter to form the via hole and (for a dual damascene structure) the trench. After over-filling with copper, the structure is planarized using CMP. The USG layer acts both to prevent any fluorine from the FSG layer from reaching the copper and as an end-point detector during CMP. In this way defects that result from copper-fluorine interaction do not form and precise planarization is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chung-Shi Liu, Shau-Lin Shue
  • Patent number: 8043959
    Abstract: A method of forming a low-k dielectric layer or film includes forming a porous low-k dielectric layer or film over a wafer or substrate. Active bonding is introduced into the porous low-k dielectric layer or film to improve damage resistance and chemical integrity of the layer or film, to retain the low dielectric constant of the layer and film after subsequent processing. Introduction of the active bonding may be accomplished by introducing OH and/or H radicals into pores of the porous low-k dielectric layer or film to generate, in the case of a Si based low-k dielectric layer or film, Si—OH and/or Si—H active bonds. After further processing of the low-k dielectric film, the active bonding is removed from the low-k dielectric layer or film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keng-Chu Iin, Chia Cheng Chou, Ming-Ling Yeh
  • Patent number: 8039379
    Abstract: Functionalized nanoparticles are deposited on metal lines inlaid in dielectric to form a metal cap layer that reduces electromigration in the metal line. The functionalized nanoparticles are deposited onto activated metal surfaces, then sintered and annealed to remove the functional agents leaving behind a continuous capping layer. The resulting cap layer is about 1 to 10 nm thick with 30-100% atomic of the nanoparticle material. Various semiconductor processing tools may be adapted for this deposition process without adding footprint in the semiconductor fabrication plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Glenn Alers, Robert H. Havemann
  • Patent number: 8017956
    Abstract: A wiring electrode is provided on a mount substrate. A light emitting element is provided on the wiring electrode to connect electrically with the wiring electrode and is configured to emit a blue to ultraviolet light. A reflective film is provided above the light emitting element to cover the light emitting element so that a space is interposed between the reflective film and the light emitting element. The reflective film is capable of transmitting the blue to ultraviolet light. A fluorescent material layer is provided above the light emitting element to cover the light emitting element so that the reflective film is located between the fluorescent material layer and the light emitting element. A light from the fluorescent material layer is reflected by the reflective film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hideto Furuyama
  • Patent number: 8013385
    Abstract: A semiconductor device of the present invention has a first contact and a second contact which are located over a device isolation film so as to be opposed with each other, and have a length in the horizontal direction larger than the height; a first electro-conductive pattern located on the first contact and is formed in at least a single interconnect layer; a second electro-conductive pattern located on the second contact so as to be opposed with the first electro-conductive pattern; and an interconnect formed in an upper interconnect layer which is located above the first electro-conductive pattern and the second electro-conductive pattern, so as to be located in a region above the first electro-conductive pattern and the second electro-conductive pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Masayuki Furumiya, Yasutaka Nakashiba
  • Publication number: 20110204518
    Abstract: Miniaturized semiconductor devices are formed with improved liner/barrier layer properties and, hence, improved contact resistance. Embodiments include semiconductor devices comprising contacts and vias with annealed liner/barrier layers having decreased carbon content and increased density. An embodiment includes depositing a metal containing layer, such as at least one member selected from the group consisting of titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta), titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum nitride (TaN), tungsten nitride (WN), cobalt (Co), and ruthenium (Ru) to line an opening formed in a dielectric layer, and annealing the deposited metal containing layer, as in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, to increase its density, decrease defects, and alter its material composition, for example, reduce its carbon content. As a result, a metal, e.g., W or Cu, plug filing the contact/via exhibits a reduced surface roughness and defectivity, and thereby improved contact resistance and reliability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventor: Valli Arunachalam
  • Patent number: 8003527
    Abstract: A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes forming an interlayer dielectric film above a semiconductor substrate; forming a first wiring trench with a first width and a second wiring trench with a second width that is larger than the first width inr the interlayer dielectric film; forming a first seed layer that includes a first additional element in the first wiring trench and the second wiring trench; forming a first copper layer over the first seed layer; removing the first copper layer and the first seed layer in the second wiring trench while leaving the first copper layer and the first seed layer in the first wiring trench; forming a second seed layer in the second wiring trench after removing the first copper layer and the first seed layer in the second wiring trench; and forming a second copper layer over the second seed layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Michie Sunayama, Noriyoshi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7989351
    Abstract: A wiring over a substrate capable of reducing particles between wirings and a method for manufacturing the wiring is disclosed. A wiring over a substrate capable of preventing short-circuiting between wirings due to big difference in projection and depression between wirings and a method for manufacturing the wiring is also disclosed. Further, a wiring over a substrate capable of preventing cracks in the insulating layer due to stress at the edge of a wiring or particles and a method for manufacturing the wiring is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Sasagawa, Satoru Okamoto, Shigeharu Monoe
  • Patent number: 7981792
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate in which an integrated circuit is formed; an interconnect layer which includes a linear section and a land section connected with the linear section; and an underlayer disposed under the interconnect layer, and the land section includes a first section which is in contact with the underlayer, and a second section which is not in contact with the underlayer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yasunori Kurosawa
  • Patent number: 7955872
    Abstract: In the case where a laminated structure formed by laminating tunneling magnetoresistive films are processed by ion milling or the like, scattered substances of a material constituting the tunneling magnetoresistive film are deposited onto side walls of the laminated structure, or contaminate the inside of a device for processing. Accordingly, it has been difficult to manufacture a magnetic memory or a semiconductor device on which the magnetic memory is mounted, with stable characteristics. Side wall spacers are formed on side walls of a conductive layer arranged above a tunneling magnetoresistive film, and scattered substances of a material constituting the tunneling magnetoresistive film during processing are deposited. Thereafter, by removing the side wall spacers, the redepositions of the material are also removed. The side wall spacers used are of one kind or two kinds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventor: Nozomu Matsuzaki
  • Publication number: 20110108990
    Abstract: A method for capping lines includes forming a metal film layer on a copper line by a selective deposition process, the copper line disposed in a dielectric substrate, wherein the depositing also results in the deposition of stray metal material on the surface of the dielectric substrate, and etching with an isotropic etching process to remove a portion of the metal film layer and the stray metal material on the surface of the dielectric substrate, wherein the metal film layer is deposited at an initial thickness sufficient to leave a metal film layer cap remaining on the copper line following the removal of the stray metal material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Griselda Bonilla, Kaushik Chanda, Ronald G. Filippi, Stephan Grunow, David L. Rath, Sujatha Sankaran, Andrew H. Simon, Theodorus E. Standaert, Chih-Chao Yang
  • Patent number: 7927500
    Abstract: The use of an ammonium hydroxide spike to a hot tetra methyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution to form an insitu poly oxide decapping step in a polysilicon (poly) etch process, results in a single step rapid poly etch process having uniform etch initiation and a high etch selectivity, that may be used in manufacturing a variety of electronic devices such as integrated circuits (ICs) and micro electro-mechanical (MEM) devices. The etching solution is formed by adding 35% ammonium hydroxide solution to a hot 12.5% TMAH solution at about 70° C. at a rate of 1% by volume, every hour. Such an etch solution and method provides a simple, inexpensive, single step self initiating poly etch that has etch stop ratios of over 200 to 1 over underlying insulator layers and TiN layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin Shea
  • Patent number: 7927905
    Abstract: A stress-engineered microspring is formed generally in the plane of a substrate. A nanowire (or equivalently, a nanotube) is formed at the tip thereof, also in the plane of the substrate. Once formed, the length of the nanowire may be defined, for example photolithographically. A sacrificial layer underlying the microspring may then be removed, allowing the engineered stresses in the microspring to cause the structure to bend out of plane, elevating the nanowire off the substrate and out of plane. Use of the nanowire as a contact is thereby provided. The nanowire may be clamped at the tip of the microspring for added robustness. The nanowire may be coated during the formation process to provide additional functionality of the final device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated
    Inventors: Eugene Michael Chow, Pengfei Qi
  • Patent number: 7906435
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes at least two adjacent memory cell blocks, each of the memory cell blocks having a plurality of memory cell units, each of memory cell units having a plurality of electrically reprogrammable and erasable memory cells connected in series, a plurality of cell gates for selecting the plurality of memory cells within the two adjacent memory cell blocks, each of the plurality of cell gates being formed with roughly rectangular closed loops or roughly U shaped open loops, each of the loops being connected to a corresponding cell of the memory cells in a corresponding memory cell unit of the plurality of memory cell units within one of the two adjacent memory cell blocks and being connected to a corresponding memory cell of the memory cells in a corresponding memory cell unit of the plurality of memory cell units within the other memory cell block of the two adjacent memory cell blocks and a plurality of pairs of first and second selection gates for selecting the memory cell block, the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Nobuyasu Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 7902656
    Abstract: A hybrid integrated circuit device having high mount reliability comprises a module substrate which is a ceramic wiring substrate, a plurality of electronic component parts laid out on the main surface of the module substrate, a plurality of electrode terminals laid out on the rear surface of the module substrate, and a cap which is fixed to the module substrate to cover the main surface of the module substrate. The electrode terminals include a plurality of electrode terminals which are aligned along the edges of the module substrate and power voltage supply terminals which are located inner than these electrode terminals. The electrode terminals aligned along the substrate edges are coated, at least in their portions close to the substrate edge, with a protection film having a thickness of several tens micrometers or less. Connection reinforcing terminals consist of a plurality of divided terminals which are independent of each other, and are ground terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Shinji Moriyama, Tomio Yamada
  • Patent number: 7897454
    Abstract: The present invention provides a metal-insulator-metal capacitor, which comprises a semiconductor substrate; an interlayer dielectric layer disposed on the semiconductor substrate; and an insulation trench and two metal trenches all running through the interlayer dielectric layer and allowing the semiconductor substrate to be exposed; wherein the metal trenches being located on each side of the insulation trench and sharing a trench wall with the insulation trench respectively, the insulation trench being filled with insulation material as an insulation structure, the metal trenches being filled with metal material as electrodes of the capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation
    Inventors: Yuan Wang, Buxin Zhang
  • Patent number: 7888254
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same of the present invention in which the semiconductor device is provided with a fuse structure or an electrode pad structure, suppress the copper blowing-out from a copper containing metal film. The semiconductor device comprises a silicon substrate, SiO2 film provided on the silicon substrate, copper films embedded in the SiO2 film, TiN films covering an upper face of a boundary region between an upper face of copper films and the copper films, and the SiO2 film, and SiON films covering an upper face of the TiN films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Takewaki, Mari Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7879716
    Abstract: A method and structure for reducing the corrosion of the copper seed layer during the fabrication process of a semiconductor structure. Before the structure (or the wafer containing the structure) exits the vacuum environment of the sputter tool, the structure is warmed up to a temperature above the water condensation temperature of the environment outside the sputter tool. As a result, water vapor would not condense on the structure when the structure exits the sputter tool, and therefore, corrosion of the seed layer by the water vapor is prevented. Alternatively, a protective layer resistant to water vapor can be formed on top of the seed layer before the structure exits the sputter tool environment. In yet another alternative embodiment, the seed layer can comprises a copper alloy (such as with aluminum) which grows a protective layer resistant to water vapor upon exposure to water vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven P. Barkyoumb, Jonathan D. Chapple-Sokol, Edward C. Cooney, III, Keith E. Downes, Thomas L. McDevitt, William J. Murphy
  • Publication number: 20110014784
    Abstract: A semiconductor process is provided. First, a substrate having a dielectric layer formed thereon is provided. Thereafter, an interconnection structure including copper is formed in the dielectric layer. Afterwards, a metal layer is formed on the dielectric layer. The metal layer is then patterned to form a pad. An annealing process is performed, wherein the gas source for the annealing process includes hydrogen in a concentration of 50% to 90%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Fang Chun-Chileh, Chen Po-Jong, Kuo Tsung-Min
  • Patent number: 7867789
    Abstract: Method for recovering treated metal silicide surfaces or layers are provided. In at least one embodiment, a substrate having an at least partially oxidized metal silicide surface disposed thereon is cleaned to remove the oxidized regions to provide an altered metal silicide surface. The altered metal silicide surface is then exposed to one or more silicon-containing compounds at conditions sufficient to recover the metal silicide surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Xinliang Lu, Chien-Teh Kao, Chiukin Steve Lai, Mei Chang
  • Patent number: 7867796
    Abstract: A method for fabricating an LCD includes: providing a substrate with a thin film transistor (ITT) part defined thereon; forming a metallic film for a gate electrode on the substrate; etching the metallic film through a first printing process to form a gate electrode; sequentially forming a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, and a metallic film for source and drain electrodes on the substrate; selectively etching the metallic film for source and drain electrodes, the semiconductor layer and the gate insulating layer through a second printing process to form a gate insulating layer pattern, a preliminary active pattern and a metallic film pattern which are sequentially stacked such that the gate insulating layer pattern is over-etched from the side of the preliminary active pattern; forming an insulating layer on the substrate with the metallic film pattern; etching the insulating layer to expose the metallic film pattern; forming a transparent conductive film on the metallic film pattern and a remai
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung-Hee Nam, Nam-Kook Kim, Soon-Sung Yoo, Youn-Gyoung Chang
  • Publication number: 20100330804
    Abstract: A method of a fabricating a bitline in a semiconductor device, comprising: forming an interlayer insulation layer that defines a bitline contact hole on a semiconductor substrate; forming a contact layer to fill the bitline contact hole; forming a bitline contact by planarizing the contact layer; forming a bitline stack aligned with the bitline contact; forming a high aspect ratio process (HARP) layer that extends along the bitline stack and the interlayer insulation layer while covering a seam exposed in a side portion of the bitline stack by excessive planarization during formation of the bitline contact; and forming an interlayer gap-filling insulation layer on the HARP layer that gap-fills the entire bitline stack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: HYNIX SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
    Inventor: Byung Soo Eun
  • Patent number: 7858516
    Abstract: A method for forming a fine pattern of a semiconductor device which includes sequentially forming a non-etching layer and a sacrificial layer on a semiconductor substrate; and then forming a plurality of photo-resist layer patterns having a plurality of openings exposing the sacrificial layer; and then forming a plurality of first pattern grooves in the sacrificial layer etching the exposed sacrificial layer using the photo-resist patterns as an etching barrier; removing the photo-resist layer; and then forming an oxidation layer having a plurality of second pattern grooves on the sacrificial layer and in the first pattern grooves by performing a thermal oxidation process on the sacrificial layer; and then forming a plurality of first through-holes exposing the non-etching layer by completely removing the sacrificial layer remaining in oxidation layer; and then forming a plurality of patterns in the non-etching layer by etching the exposed portions of the non-etching layer using the oxidation layer as an etch
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Dongbu HiTek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Eun-Soo Jeong
  • Publication number: 20100323519
    Abstract: (a1) A concave portion is formed in an interlayer insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate. (a2) A first film of Mn is formed by CVD, the first film covering the inner surface of the concave portion and the upper surface of the insulating film. (a3) Conductive material essentially consisting of Cu is deposited on the first film to embed the conductive material in the concave portion. (a4) The semiconductor substrate is annealed. During the period until a barrier layer is formed having also a function of improving tight adhesion, it is possible to ensure sufficient tight adhesion of wiring members and prevent peel-off of the wiring members.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
    Inventors: Noriyoshi Shimizu, Nobuyuki Ohtsuka, Hideki Kitada, Yoshiyuki Nakao
  • Publication number: 20100320605
    Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the semiconductor memory device. A contact plug is formed by wet etching. An aspect ratio of SAC is decreased and SAC fail is reduced so that a process margin is secured. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate comprising an active region and a device isolation layer defining the active region, a conductive pattern formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a nitride layer formed on the semiconductor substrate perpendicularly to the conductive pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Chang Youn HWANG
  • Patent number: 7855141
    Abstract: A method of producing a semiconductor device having a plurality of wiring layers forms a first interlayer-insulating film, forms a plurality of grooves for wiring in the first interlayer-insulating film, fills metallic films in the grooves to form wirings, etches the first interlayer-insulating film with the wirings as a mask and removes the interlayer-insulating film between the wirings to provide grooves to be filled, and fills a second interlayer-insulating film made of a material of low dielectric constant in the grooves to be filled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Shimooka, Hideki Shibata, Hideshi Miyajima, Kazuhiro Tomioka
  • Patent number: 7855458
    Abstract: An electronic component includes a substrate, and a capacitor unit on the substrate. The capacitor unit has a laminate structure including a first electrode layer provided on the substrate, a second electrode layer opposed to the first electrode layer, and a dielectric layer disposed between the first and the second electrode layers. The first electrode layer has a multilayer structure including an adhesion metal layer joined to the dielectric layer. The adhesion metal layer is provided with an oxide coating on a side of the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Matsumoto, Yoshihiro Mizuno, Xiaoyu Mi, Hisao Okuda, Satoshi Ueda
  • Publication number: 20100314718
    Abstract: The present invention discloses methods and apparatuses for the separations of IC fabrication and assembling of separated IC components to form complete IC structures. In an embodiment, the present fabrication separation of an IC structure into multiple discrete components can take advantages of dedicated IC fabrication facilities and achieve more cost effective products. In another embodiment, the present chip assembling provides high density interconnect wires between bond pads, enabling cost-effective assembling of small chip components. In an aspect, the present process provides a beveled slope of the components to facilitate interconnection bonding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2009
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: TEREPAC
    Inventor: Jayna Sheats
  • Patent number: 7842605
    Abstract: Material is removed from a substrate surface (e.g., from a bottom portion of a recessed feature on a partially fabricated semiconductor substrate) by subjecting the surface to a plurality of profiling cycles, wherein each profiling cycle includes a net etching operation and a net depositing operation. An etching operation removes a greater amount of material than is being deposited by a depositing operation, thereby resulting in a net material etch-back per profiling cycle. About 2-10 profiling cycles are performed. The profiling cycles are used for removing metal-containing materials, such as diffusion barrier materials, copper line materials, and metal seed materials by PVD deposition and resputter. Profiling with a plurality of cycles removes metal-containing materials without causing microtrenching in an exposed dielectric. Further, overhang is reduced at the openings of the recessed features and sidewall material coverage is improved. Integrated circuit devices having higher reliability are fabricated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Novellus Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Anshu A. Pradhan, Robert Rozbicki
  • Patent number: 7842603
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor memory device includes forming an insulation layer including a contact plug over a substrate structure, forming a metal line structure over the insulation layer, the metal line structure including a patterned diffusion barrier layer and a metal line and contacting the contact plug, and oxidizing a surface of the metal line to form a passivation layer over the metal line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Kyoung-Sik Han, Young-Jun Kim
  • Patent number: 7838408
    Abstract: A process margin of an interconnect is to be expanded, to minimize the impact of vibration generated during a scanning motion of a scanning type exposure equipment. In a semiconductor device, the interconnect handling a greater amount of data (frequently used interconnect) is disposed in a same orientation such that the longitudinal direction of the interconnects is aligned with a scanning direction of a scanning type exposure equipment, in an interconnect layer that includes a narrowest interconnect or a narrowest spacing between the interconnects. Aligning thus the direction of the vibration with the longitudinal direction of the pattern can minimize the positional deviation due to the vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Matsubara, Hiromasa Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7820537
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a polysilicon layer, a barrier metal layer, and a conductive layer over a substrate, forming gate hard masks over the conductive layer, etching the conductive layer and the barrier metal layer using the gate hard masks to form barrier metal electrodes and metal gate electrodes having a line width smaller than that of the gate hard masks, etching the polysilicon layer to form gate patterns, each gate pattern including a stack structure of a polysilicon electrode, the barrier metal electrode, the metal gate electrode, and the gate hard mask, forming a gate spacer over the surface profile of the substrate structure, forming an insulation layer over the gate spacer, etching the insulation layer to form a contact hole between the gate patterns and burying a conductive material over the contact hole to form a landing plug contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Tae-Han Kim
  • Patent number: 7820465
    Abstract: A circuit pattern is formed by following steps: forming a light-blocking mask over a major surface of a light-transmitting substrate, forming a first film in a first region over the substrate and the mask, forming a photocatalytic film in at least a part of the first region over the first film, changing wettability of the first film in a second region which is in the first region, being in contact with the photocatalytic film, and not overlapping the mask, by light irradiation from a back surface opposite to the major surface of the substrate, removing the photocatalytic film, and forming a composition including a pattern forming material in the second region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Gen Fujii
  • Patent number: 7811868
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a thin film transistor array panel includes forming a gate line on a substrate; sequentially forming a gate insulating layer, a silicon layer, and a conductor layer including a lower layer and an upper layer on the gate line, forming a photoresist film, on the conductor layer, patterning the photoresist film to form a photoresist pattern including a first portion and a second portion having a greater thickness than the first portion, etching the upper layer and the lower layer by using the photoresist pattern as art etch mask, etching the silicon layer by using the photoresist pattern as an etch mask to form a semiconductor, removing the second portion of the photoresist pattern by using an etch back process, selectively wet-etching the upper layer of the conductor layer by using the photoresist pattern as an etch mask, dry-etching the lower layer of the conductor layer by using the photoresist pattern as an etch mask to form a data line and a drain electrode including remaining upp
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Do-Hyun Kim, Won-Suk Shin, Chang-Oh Jeong, Hong-Sick Park, Eun-Guk Lee, Je-Hun Lee
  • Patent number: 7808077
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is composed of: an interconnect made of a first conductive film and a second conductive film that are stacked in sequence from the interconnect underside on an insulating film formed on a substrate; and a capacitor composed of a lower capacitor electrode made of the first conductive film, a dielectric film formed on the lower capacitor electrode, and an upper capacitor electrode made of the second conductive film and formed on the dielectric film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kyoko Egashira, Shin Hashimoto
  • Publication number: 20100248475
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes providing at least one semiconductor chip including an electrically conductive layer. A voltage is applied to an electrode. The electrode is moved over the electrically conductive layer for growing a metal layer onto the electrically conductive layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Manfred Mengel, Thomas Spoettl, Frank Pueschner
  • Publication number: 20100248473
    Abstract: A method for integrating metal-containing cap layers into copper (Cu) metallization of semiconductor devices. In one embodiment, the method includes providing a patterned substrate containing metal surfaces and dielectric layer surfaces, and modifying the dielectric layer surfaces by exposure to a reactant gas containing a hydrophobic functional group, where the modifying substitutes a hydrophilic functional group in the dielectric layer surfaces with a hydrophobic functional group. The method further includes depositing metal-containing cap layers selectively on the metal surfaces by exposing the modified dielectric layer surfaces and the metal surfaces to a deposition gas containing metal-containing precursor vapor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: Tokyo Electron Limited
    Inventors: Tadahiro Ishizaka, Shigeru Mizuno, Satohiko Hoshino, Hiroyuki Nagai, Yuki Chiba, Frank M. Cerio, JR.
  • Patent number: 7796228
    Abstract: A display substrate includes a base substrate having a display area and a peripheral area which surrounds the display area, a pixel electrode formed on the display area, a pad part formed on the peripheral area, an adhesion part formed on the peripheral area and having a plurality of holes formed in an area adjacent to the pad part on the peripheral area and a conductive adhesion member formed on the pad part and the adhesion part to make electrical contact with the pad part and a terminal of an integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun-Young Kim, Kwan-Wook Jung, Seung-Gyu Tae
  • Publication number: 20100224998
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) includes an interconnect system made of electrically conducting ribtan material. The integrated circuit includes a substrate, a set of circuit elements that are formed on the substrate, an interconnect system that interconnects the circuit elements. At least part of the interconnect system is made of a metallic ribtan material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: Carben Semicon Limited
    Inventors: Steven Grant Duvall, Pavel Khokhlov, Pavel I. Lazarev
  • Patent number: 7781318
    Abstract: Disclosed are a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same, capable of improving the performance of a barrier and inhibiting a discontinuous step coverage and an overhang. The semiconductor device includes an interlayer dielectric layer having a via hole disposed on a semiconductor substrate, a first layer disposed in the via hole and including ruthenium (Ru), a second layer disposed on the first layer and including ruthenium oxide (RuO2), and a metal line disposed on the second layer and including a copper material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Dongbu Hitek Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jae Hong Kim
  • Patent number: 7772128
    Abstract: A semiconductor system includes: providing a dielectric layer; providing a conductor in the dielectric layer, the conductor exposed at the top of the dielectric layer; capping the exposed conductor; and modifying the surface of the dielectric layer, modifying the surface of the dielectric layer, wherein modifying the surface includes cleaning conductor ions from the dielectric layer by dissolving the conductor in a low pH solution, dissolving the dielectric layer under the conductor ions, mechanically enhanced cleaning, or chemisorbing a hydrophobic layer on the dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
    Inventors: Artur Kolics, Nanhai Li, Marina Polyanskaya, Mark Weise, Jason Corneille
  • Patent number: 7767573
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for connecting a plurality of bit lines to sense circuitry comprises providing a plurality of bit lines extending from a memory array in a first metal layer. The plurality of bit lines are separated from each other by an average spacing x in a first region of the first metal layer. The method further comprises elevating a portion of the plurality of bit lines into a second metal layer overlying the first metal layer. The elevated bit lines are separated from each other by an average spacing y in the second metal layer, with y >x. The method further comprises extending a portion of the plurality of bit lines into a second region of the first metal layer. The extended bit lines are separated from each other by an average spacing z in the second region of the first metal layer, with z>x. The method further comprises connecting a bit line in the second metal layer and a bit line in the first metal layer to the sense circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Round Rock Research, LLC
    Inventors: Qiang Tang, Ramin Ghodsi
  • Patent number: 7768129
    Abstract: A metal interconnects structure, comprises a substrate (11), a dielectric layer (12) lying above the substrate, a stop layer (13) for metal etching lying above the dielectric layer, a metal layer (15?) lying above the stop layer, said metal layer being patterned according to a desired pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Marcel Eduard Broekaart, Arnoud Willem Fortuin
  • Publication number: 20100181617
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for forming a patterned thick metallization atop a semiconductor chip wafer. The method includes fabricating a nearly complete semiconductor chip wafer ready for metallization; depositing a bottom metal layer of sub-thickness TK1 together with its built-in alignment mark using a hot metal process; depositing a top metal layer of sub-thickness TK2 using a cold metal process thus forming a stacked thick metallization of total thickness TK=TK1+TK2; then, use the built-in alignment mark as reference, patterning the stacked thick metallization. A patterned thick metallization is thus formed with the advantages of better metal step coverage owing to the superior step coverage nature of the hot metal process as compared to the cold metal process; and lower alignment error rate owing to the lower alignment signal noise nature of the cold metal process as compared to the hot metal process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2009
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventor: Il Kwan Lee
  • Patent number: 7759669
    Abstract: A phase change memory element with phase change electrodes, and method of making the same. Exemplary embodiments include a phase change bridge, including a bottom contact layer, a first insulating layer disposed on the bottom contact layer, a first phase change region disposed on the bottom contact layer adjacent the first insulating layer, a second phase change region disposed on the bottom contact layer adjacent the first insulating layer, wherein the first insulating layer thermally and electrically isolates the first and second phase change regions, and a third phase change region disposed on each of the first and second phase change regions, each of the third phase change regions isolated from one another by a conductor layer disposed on the first insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Geoffrey W. Burr
  • Publication number: 20100173490
    Abstract: A method for depositing dielectric material into gaps between wiring lines in the formation of a semiconductor device includes the formation of a cap layer and the formation of gaps into which high density plasma chemical vapor deposition (HDPCVD) dielectric material is deposited. First and second antireflective coatings may be formed on the wiring line layer, the first and second antireflective coatings being made from different materials. Both antireflective coatings and the wiring line layer are etched through to form wiring lines separated by gaps. The gaps between wiring lines may be filled using high density plasma chemical vapor deposition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Inventors: Chih-Chien Liu, Ta-Shan Tseng, Wen-Bin Shieh, Juan-Yuan Wu, Water Lur, Shih-Wei Sun
  • Patent number: 7749784
    Abstract: A fabricating method of Single Electron Transistor includes processing steps as follows: first, deposit the sealing material of gas molecule or atom state on the top-opening of the nano cylindrical pore, which having formed on the substrate, so that the diameter of said top-opening gradually reduce to become a reduced nano-aperture, whose opening diameter is smaller than that of said top-opening; then, keep the substrate in horizontal direction and tilt or rotate said substrate into tilt angle or rotation angle in coordination with tilt angle with the reduced nano-aperture as center respectively, and pass the deposit material of gas molecular or atom state through the reduced nano-aperture respectively. Thereby a Single Electron Transistor including island electrode, drain electrode, source electrode and gate electrode of nano-quantum dot with nano-scale is directly fabricated on the surface of said substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Inventor: Ming-Nung Lin
  • Publication number: 20100167531
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the same includes sequentially laminating a first dielectric film, an etch-blocking film and a second dielectric film on and/or over a semiconductor substrate, forming a photosensitive film mask to open a trench region in the second dielectric film, etching the second dielectric film using the photosensitive film mask as an etching mask until the etch-blocking film is exposed to form the trench, and then forming a copper metal layer in the trench at uniform thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventor: Jeong-Ho Park